Girl Scouts ("Daisy") program for dd6 - would any one care to comment?

[Alaska Mom]

I'm considering the Girl Scouts' "Daisy" program for dd6 (she'd be a "Brownie" then next year).

Our schedule is pretty full, so this might push us into overload, but it looks like such a great program.

Anyone have any experience with young girls G.S.? Would you start at 6 or wait till next year (7/second grade)?

[NevadaRabbit]

I'm considering the Girl Scouts' "Daisy" program for dd6 (she'd be a "Brownie" then next year).

Our schedule is pretty full, so this might push us into overload, but it looks like such a great program.

Anyone have any experience with young girls G.S.? Would you start at 6 or wait till next year (7/second grade)?

I've co-led a troop from Daisy level on up (four years now).

The Daisy program is pretty simplistic and focuses on learning the character traits that GS emphasizes in the Girl Scout Promise and Law (http://www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_central/promise_law/).

I think it gives the girls a good foundation of what GS is about, how troop meetings work, that sort of thing - but I wouldn't consider it essential.

At age 6 and first grade, why not just go straight to Brownies? One less uniform and set of insignia to buy, and you could still spend time learning the character traits and foundational stuff in the first few Brownie meetings and badges.

[JFS in IL]

Depends largely on the moms leading the group. And are the girls all from the same school, or several schools? Other homeschoolers there? You do not want your dd to be the odd man out if the other kids are coming straight from the same public school into the meeting. Ask me how I know this!!!

[LisaK in VA]

I've co-led a troop from Daisy level on up (four years now).

The Daisy program is pretty simplistic and focuses on learning the character traits that GS emphasizes in the Girl Scout Promise and Law (http://www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_central/promise_law/).

I think it gives the girls a good foundation of what GS is about, how troop meetings work, that sort of thing - but I wouldn't consider it essential.

At age 6 and first grade, why not just go straight to Brownies? One less uniform and set of insignia to buy, and you could still spend time learning the character traits and foundational stuff in the first few Brownie meetings and badges.

Everything changed this year... Daisy's are now K-1 and Brownies 2-3... I tried to get dd into a Brownie troop instead, but was told Daisy's would be more appropriate. Glad my 6.5yo dd likes to play "mommy."

She's truly enjoying the experience, though. It isn't anything like what we've experienced with cub scouting (a lot less structure). So, it will really come down to who is leading your troop and how involved people can be.

FWIW, my dd got home from her first meeting and drew a picture for her troop, telling everyone how much she loved being a Daisy.:D

[ma23peas]

You might check into American Heritage Girls, I am the coordinator for one of the troops in Alabama and we are 75% homeschooled girls, my goal was to have it be balanced between private/public/homeschool...but homeschoolers are looking for this kind of activity and community service so we tend to get more..

But we do ours every other week so it's not that much of a schedule burden on the families...not to mention the gas to get there!

www.ahgonline.org

If you have any more specific questions, I'd be glad to answer! :) I started this troop 3 years ago because my girls were begging for it...we've grown to over 25 girls and enjoy the service projects and badge work!

Tara

[Carrie1234]

Honestly, I think it all comes down to the type of leader they have. Years ago, I took over a 3rd grade Brownie troop that hadn't learned *anything*. The parents were shocked when I went over everything we planned to do that year.

Then again, I really don't know how all of the restructuring has changed things. I was a Girl Scout for 12 years, and a leader for 2 years, and I feel like I know nothing about how it works these days! (Hey, and I'm not old!)

Overall, the organization is top notch, in my opinion.

[Rosie_0801]

I was a gumnut guide leader for years. That's the Australian equivelent of Daisies. From my experience, and I realise we may run things differently to what you do in America, but there are big developmental differences between Gumnut age and Brownie age. In my opinion, 6 is a good age for Daisies, and she'd probably be ready to move to Brownies when she's seven-ish. The leaders should be able to judge the timing properly.
:)
Rosie

[TN Mama]

I've co-led a troop from Daisy level on up (four years now).



Tonight was our service unit's meeting to register girls. I signed my 5 y.o. Kindergartener up for Daisies and of course I said I'd help. As a leader... do you have any advice and/or resources to share?? I was a co-leader last year for my older daughter's Brownie troop. Thanks for any help you have to offer. :)

[Alaska Mom]

Depends largely on the moms leading the group. And are the girls all from the same school, or several schools? Other homeschoolers there? You do not want your dd to be the odd man out if the other kids are coming straight from the same public school into the meeting. Ask me how I know this!!!

Thanks for the responses everyone...:)

I wouldn't guess she'd have any trouble mixing with the ps crowd....but who knows.

I'm amazed at how the responses here say "depends on the leader". I guess I hadn't considered that - are there just terrible leaders out there?

I'm really trying foremost to get her around other girls at this point, secondarily I like the "values based leadership" aspect going forward with the GS program. She's very social, and she likes playing with girls, but in the mix she'll always gravitate more towards boys (and them towards her) simply because she's super high energy and boys are drawn to her and she to them (most girls just physically can't keep up with her, boys seem to do better at that). So finding some interests to share with other girls is my primary intent.

The Daisy group I think is pretty small. The leader works full time and my sense is she's overwhelmed and doesn't have the time for it. I offered my help in the event we decide to join....but I'm second guessing it now because we have a pretty full schedule and I'm not sure about the demands it will take.

[Ellie]

I'm amazed at how the responses here say "depends on the leader". I guess I hadn't considered that - are there just terrible leaders out there?

This is true of *every* club program, from Girl Scouts to AWANA. The material as written may be excellent, but if the leaders don't pay attention, or have no leadership skills whatsoever, the club will suffer.