Panera Bread Program: Bakers In Training

Lately, I've been trying to come up with new things for my troop to participate in. When I found out about the Bakers In Training program at Panera Bread, I jumped on it. You can check here to see if there's an offer in your area.

I originally set up a date that turned out not to be a good day, but it was easy for me to email someone in charge and change it around. It was a great experience!

When my troop arrived, there were place settings with a hat and apron. The girls were so excited! Set up in groups, they were able to go in the back of the kitchen. They rolled two pieces of dough and scored the top while the manager put each tray in the oven.

While the girls waiting for them to bake, they had an opportunity to decorate their own cookie. My girls didn't like the frosting much, so not many of them ate their cookie. They were also given a choice of white or chocolate milk.

The manager then brought out their trays and my troop picked out which one of the two baguettes they wanted to keep and which one they wanted to donate. Panera Bread donates their leftovers to a shelter! Each one was given a certificate and we ended out event with a huge thank you! A few ordered a bite to eat, but majority left for the night. It was great experience that I hope we can do again once the girls are older.


A fun patch was also included, but those come at a later date, given that we have to email someone to let them know we participated. 








Pros:

• A lesson on donation
• Hands on learning
• Huge participation skills
• Fun Patch included
• Well worth $20 each child

Cons:

• No privacy (We sat in open seating)

I did not see a problem with sitting in the open area, but it began to get a bit crowded, especially when others were trying to find a place to sit themselves. I even caught a few people put in headphones while trying to work (Sorry!).

The First Meeting

We're here! Planning your first meeting! Are you ready?

Crafts? Check.

Crayons? Check.

Glue? Check

Paperwork? Che...

Paperwork? Yes, paperwork. You didn't think the first meeting was all fun and games, did you? It's not. No, really; form after form; signature after signature; check box after check box. Loads of fun, if you ask me. So what am I talking about? Let's get to the point...

• Registration Forms (Mom & Child)
  This would be highly important, expecially if you have a girl that decided to join last minute or did not bother to sign up before the meeting. That's okay, too - because this is the reason why you brought extra forms, right? Bring enough Adult Membership forms as well. As for myself, I like to remind the parents (mostly moms) that they should look into registering as an adult. This is for the kids safety. You want what's best for them. So, in order for mother's to go on Girl Scout programs or outings, each mom must be registered, ESPECIALLY if they are car pooling with another mom and/or her daughter (or just helping by giving another Girl Scout a ride).
• Health Forms
  The most important page of all in this packet of theirs will be their Health Form. This is signed every year and updated to best of the parents knowledge. I bring these sheets along with me to EVERY outings. Doesn't matter if the parent is with me or not; you just never know. I also suggest making a copy of each one. If parents car pool, hand them an envelope containing the health sheets of the girls in their car. God forbid something happen, you'll have them with you. Parents who are registered should also fill out a sheet, being they're covered under insurance as well.
• Information Packet (or Handbook)
  Pinterest has been the best creation in a long time. Through it, I was able to find this layout from 3wittlebirds.com (couldn't get the actual page to load, they're currently switching sites I believe). They had the perfect sheet I was looking for when trying to find something to give to the moms in my troop. Click here for a free download! Or comment below and I'll do my best to email you a copy.
• Uniform and Order Sheet
  I recommend inserting a copy of What Daisy's Do (or whichever level you'll be taking on) from the Girl Scout Guide, along with the uniform. I gave my moms the option of getting the uniform themselves or offered to make the trip for them. I personally love shopping for these things so I didn't have a bother with it. This is completely up to you though. I created an order sheet and you can download on this link.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

•  Behavior Contract
  When dealing with little girls, things tend to get out of hand quickly. One gets jealous or one doesn't understand being a sister to every girl scout. With that said, I included a behavior contract in my packet to moms. It states how they promise to follow the Girl Scout Promise and Law, along with being on time to meetings and using their resources wisely. Again, Pinterest is a God send with this! If you don't have an account, create one now.
• Other
  Anything else that you may think of should go in this packet. I added an upcoming field trip flyer that included important information; date, location, price (if any), due date, etc. If you were able to plan out your year, you could also add that as well. A "Know My Daughter" or "Get To Know Me" sheet can be included. A coloring sheet with the Girl Scout Promise & Law is a good idea (I laminated ours). The best thing is also a "Welcome To *****" certificate or some kind of note/card. Kids love getting stuff with their name on it!

 **

Your first meeting should be informative and quick. Believe me, I'm pretty close to the moms in my troop and they've told me they (honestly) thought my first meeting was boring and too long. Keep your information short and to the point. You can even hand them the packet, tend to your troop and afterwards, answer any questions the moms might have. And be ready - they'll have a ton of questions. Nothing you can't answer.

If you decide to go the multi-task route, speak to the moms while the girls color a Daisy petal with the promise and law. They can then put together a bracelet or necklace together, following the color scheme they just did (5-6 year old's love it & their moms can also help them). So.. make sure you have plenty of crayons, coloring sheets, maybe a few folders if you can find they cheap enough and a bead set. I found one at Walmart for $15 and it came with 2,000 beads and the string. The coloring pages were printed at the library for ten cents each and the crayons I had were my daughter's stash from home. I spent less than $20 out of pocket - a small price in my opinion. Dues were used for the rest of the year.

Get to it and don't stress!

Recruiting Girl Scouts

When finding girls to be in your troop, things could get hard. After all, you don't know what to expect or even what to do. It intimidating; it's definitely confusing. A lot of things can factor in when doing -  main one being where you live. I've known service units being as big as having 500 plus girls and I've heard of some having no more than 10. The bigger the city, the more girls. Don't let anything get you down though. Juliette Low started her troop with 18 girls and now look as us!

The first important step (if your service unit doesn't already have something set up) consist of finding girls for your troop; Recruitment. Now, the Girl Scout year is from October 1st to September 30th. So you'll want to factor that in when recruiting potential girls. You can speak to the principal in your district and ask if you could hand out flyers to each classroom or maybe set up a table with freebies and a sign up sheet during open house. You can also hang flyers around your neighborhood (with permission) or set up your own table around a popular spot. The point here is to get the Girl Scout name out there and get girls interested!

When recruiting, remember the very first level of Girl Scouts are Daisy's; Kindergarten and 1st grade. You'll want to make things easier on yourself, especially if your new to this, and only recruit Kindergartners for your troop. That way, they all bridge and move up at the same time. Just don't turn away others who are willing to join! Make sure you know where they can go and the troops information.

If you're feeling brave (like myself), you can recruit any girl no matter which level they would start at. It takes more planning and time - you might even have to do separate meetings, but if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish it. (Don't let anyone tell you that you can't. Isn't that the point of Girl Scouts? Showing them they can achieve anything they put their heart into?) I started with a troop of K and 1st, and since they all moved up in grade level, two of them became Brownies. So I went from an entire troop of Daisies to four Daisies and two Brownies (1st and 2nd graders).

There's also the power of Social Media! Create photos or google Girl Scout logos and post them everywhere. And I mean everywhere! Ask your friends to share the post. Trust me, the power of the media is real. I recruited two girls because of Facebook and all I did was message two old high school friends of mine and ask if their daughters were interested in joining (they were going into 2nd grade so it turned out perfect for me). 

Once you have girls that are interested, be sure to have forms and cards handy. These should always be with you. I keep some in my purse! Cards also hold my name, email and phone number so I can easily hand them over to anyone who asks. Don't be shy about it! You never know who's too shy to ask you either. Give those cards to everyone you're trying to recruit (I've recruited one girl this way). Trust your instincts and remember... "She believed she could, so she did." R.S. Grey

Good luck!! 

Have an idea for recruitment? Leave a commnet down below and you could be featured in a future post of mine!




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Before I Begin...

Let me just say, I had no clue what I was getting myself into when I decided to become a Girl Scout Volunteer for my daughter's troop. The service unit had no one able to fill the role in the first place and when a mom in our troop decided to try it out, she had stepped down only three months in. (In her defense, she had a lot going on.) So what happened when I told my daughter we wouldn't be doing Girl Scouts anymore? She suggested I take on the role after the service unit manager asked if I would like to fill in. What did I say?

"Suuuuuuuree.... I did two years of scouts back in the day. How hard can it be?"

Some of you are laughing at me. What would I know? But my daughter really wanted to do it. Being that I have Bipolar Disorder, I was worried that I do a few weeks of leading and step down myself. It's a habit of mine. My husband and I decided this would probably go very well for me though since I would deal with different things along the way. So I agreed to be my daughter's Troop Leader.

It hasn't been easy, especially when I have my days when I want nothing to do with anyone and stay in bed all day - even more now that I work full time. But let me tell you something, the look on those little girls faces when they accomplish a goal of theirs or earn a patch? Worth it. Completly, totally, 100% worth all the stress and chaos that has to do with being a Troop Leader.

I started with 5 Daisy's in January 2016. In September, I'll have 4 Daisy's and 2 Brownies. It's going to be tricky. It's going to be hard. I might pull out a lump of hair at times. But I'd do for many more years (as long as the girls will register) to see those smiles and get those hugs.

Tag along with me as I discover news things and ways to make things easier on you and your troop. Let's figure this out together.