Ideas for first four Brownie troop meetings

There are no "right" or "wrong" meetings - these are ideas!

MEETING 1

Start - up activity: Have the girls decorate a construction paper bracelet. Put the bracelet on their right wrist.

Opening: Form a circle. Have the girls play "My Name Is" to get better acquainted. The first girl says "My name is (Jane) and I like (jellybeans). What she likes must begin with the same first sound as her given name. The second girl tries to repeat this, saying, "Her name is Jane and she liked jellybeans" before adding her own. The game continues until the leader, who is trying to remember everyone and what they like, has her turn.

Business: Point out the Brownie circle you are sitting in and then explain its functions. (Brownie Girl Scout Handbook referred to as "BGSH", p. 38). Explain the quiet sign and tell them the Girl Scout slogan and motto (BGSH, p. 18-19). Explain the Girl Scout sign & handshake and practice (right hand has the paper bracelet on it) . Discuss routine responsibilities: attendance taking, dues collecting, cleaning up, serving refreshments, flag ceremony, leading the GS promise, leading the GS law, etc. (Kaper Chart should be made by Meeting 3, BGSH, p. 38)

Activity: Learn the Girl Scout sign. Read the Girl Scout Promise & Law with the girls repeating after you. Discuss the meaning of both. Share with them the Juliette Low’s Album (BGSH, p. 8-11). Ask the girls what they liked best about the story. Have them complete the crossword puzzle, p. 11.

Songs: Learn the "Brownie Smile Song" (BGSH, p. 15), "Make New Friends" song.

Cleanup: Done by girls

Closing: Form the Friendship Circle (right hand over left - bracelet on right hand) sing "Make New Friends" and pass the friendship squeeze. ( BGSH, p. 19)

MEETING 2

Opening: Form the Brownie ring. Sing the Brownie Smile Song and say the Girl Scout Promise & Law, while making the Girl Scout sign. Learn the song "Taps", because it's sung at the end of GS meetings.

Business: take attendance, collect dues, etc..

Activity: Read the Brownie Story (BGSH, p. 29-32 or attached hand-out). Ask the girls to listen carefully because their investiture ceremony will be similar to the story.

Investiture: Put a large mirror on the floor and put some fake leaves/greenery around it (this is the pond). Have the girls stand up and spread out, holding up greenery (they are the trees of the forest) and a stuffed toy owl can be held by one of the "trees" (girls can take turns with the owl). Then each girl takes a turn running through the "forest", getting to the pond, and then does the turning around 3 times - saying the Brownie rhyme "twist me and turn me and show me the elf, I looked in the water and saw "myself". Then pin the Brownie pin on the girl, and then it's the next girl's turn.

Activity: Play Kim’s Game (Brownie Try-It Book, p. 160, put 10 little things in a paper bag - enough bags for the number of girls at the meeting. Look at your doll/Barbie things - lots of little "things" in that stuff. This way each girl will get to "guess" the items of all the other bags (except the bag she is holding).

Cleanup: By girls

Closing: Form friendship circle, sing "Make New Friends" and "Taps". Do friendship squeeze.

MEETING 3

Supplies: Paper bags (1 per girl), magic markers or crayons, scraps of yarn, scissors, glue

Opening: Form the Brownie ring. Teach and go over the Flag Ceremony (see attached). Say the Girl Scout Promise & Law, Sing Brownie Smile song (other GS songs).

Business: take attendance and dues, ask girls what badges they would like to earn.

Activity: Make paper bag puppets. (Try-It book, p. 74) You can use the puppets to create a puppet show about two parts of the Girl Scout Law (p. 14)

Cleanup: By girls using Kaper Chart

Closing: Sing Make New Friends and Taps. Form a friendship circle, give friendship squeeze.

MEETING 4

Opening: Form the Brownie ring. Flag Ceremony, GS Promise, GS Law, practice the Quiet Sign and the GS handshake.
Business: take attendance, and collect dues.

Activity: Chinese Jump rope (see Try-it Book page 9), musical chairs. Playing Games from around the World Try-it, page 160 in Try-It book.

Cleanup: By girls using Kaper Chart

Closing: Sing Make New Friends and Taps. Form a friendship circle, give friendship squeeze.

NOTE: A snack is usually part of the meeting. If you have an after-school meeting, you might want to have snack first thing. You can decide when to work the snack into the schedule.

After these 4 meetings, the troop has completed 2 activities of "Girl Scout Ways" (try-it page 14-15), and 3 activities of "Playing Around the World" (try-it page 160-161).
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Here's a sample Kaper chart

Brownie Troop 123
Kaper Chart
Jan 23, 2004


Flag Ceremony: Caller: Jane  Flag holders: Mary, Beth

Lead the Promise: Betsy

Lead the Law: Judy

Pick one song: Kim

Take Attendance and dues: Casey

Snack helper: Anne

Start the Friendship "squeeze": Susan

Clean up: Cindy