Earlier this week, I shared a wrap-up of my most popular posts for Girl Scout leaders for 2015. Today I’d like to share my personal favorite posts on Use Resources Wisely. These bring back scouting memories from years past and hopefully bring new ideas for you and your scout troop to try in 2016.

10. Minion Party for Scouts

I loved it when my Girl Scout troop decided to have a Minion-themed lock-in last January. Their creativity – From making up minion skits to (gasp!) Coloring their faces in yellow highlighter in the car on the east to the lockin – was priceless.

But if you’re looking for some preplanned activities and ideas for a Minion party, we’ve got you covered. (And as a bonus, you can find 15 Minion-themed crafts here.)

9. Paris Peace Patch program

Granted this is a bittersweet post,  the rationale was to support peace efforts and show solidarity with our sister Girl Scouts in France after the Paris attacks.

8. Teaching Corporal Works of Mercy to Our Scouts

Part of our job as parents is to teach our children to see the needs in our world and do something about it. The corporal works of mercy patch program does just that.

7. Saving the Orangutans

The Philadelphia Zoo’s Guardian of the Rainforest Patch Program was my daughter’s “I’m bored” activity during summer break. And I have never seen her so proud as when she took time to write companies about palm oil to save the orangutans and when she finally received her patch in the mail.

6. Bronze Award Brainstorming: Building Consensus

One of the things I’m learning as a leader and a parent is letting go. Part of the girls’ learning process is learning how to brainstorm ideas and build consensus on their own. Here’s how we managed to overcome the standstill on our Bronze Award project and select a service idea.

5. Upcycled Ornament Event

Our service unit held its first Mother-Daughter event that wasn’t cancelled in several years. Our day dedicated to making ornaments from recycled materials was such a hit that we’re planning to do it again.

4. The Compassion Experience

Taking our Girl Scout troop to the Compassion Experience, a traveling exhibit on how children live in other countries, was an eye-opening experience for these suburban girls, and a terrific way for them to start thinking about their Bronze Award.

3. Why Scouting as a Family Works

Scouting is more than committing to get a Girl Scout or Boy Scout to places. It’s an opportunity to grow as a family. In this guest post, Judy shares with us some of the blessings of being involved in scouting as a family.

3. Cupcake Wars for the Time Crunched

Cupcake Wars was a great back to school activity and a way to break the ice with a troop who was working in their Bridging to Seniors award.

2. Meeting Ember Arts

This post looks back on a truly girl-led experience.  Our Junior troop took the initiative to turn a jewelry badge project into a fundraising effort at our church. We tapped into the expertise of a jewelry company from Uganda to learn about empowering women, as well as the business aspects of running a jewelry business.

The end result?  Two girls at our sister church in Haiti received a scholarship of a year’s tuition for their school, opening the door to new opportunities.

1.Why I’m Thankful for Being a Leader

You’ll agree with me that despite the headaches and paperwork, being a part of these girls’ lives is worth it.

 

Thank you for joining me in this adventure! And save time in 2016 by getting our newsletter with ideas for your troop.