Leaders

Brownie First Meeting

First Brownie Girl Scout Troop Meeting

Pre-Meeting Activity:(15 minutes before)
As girls arrive, have them make Giant Name Tags and wear them during the meeting. To make Giant Name Tages, have the girls write their name in the center of a very large piece of paper. Around their name have them write or draw pictures of the following: where they were born, where they have gone on trips, a favorite food, and places they would like to go.

Opening Activity: (5-10 min)
Play a get-acquainted game, such as "Going on a Trip," where the girls sit in a circle and pick items to take on a trip that start with the first letter of her name (e.g., I'm Suzy, and I'm going to bring a suitcase).

Troop Business/Planning Activity:
(20 min for first meeting; less for later mtgs)
1. Have girls sit in a Brownie Girl Scout Ring.
2. Girls should establish rules for the troop meetings with guidance from leaders.
3. Take attendance and collect/discuss dues.
4. Discuss with the girls the purpose of the registration fee. All girls who wish to be members must reigster to be entitled to wear the unfirom and insignia and to be covered by activity insurance. Girls and parents should understand that they don't have to have a uniform.

Major Activity: (20 min)
1. Explain and demonstrate the Quiet Sign.
2. Teach the "Brownie Smile Song." It's a good idea to have the words written on a large sheet of paper, so the girls can see the words as they sing.
3. Tell the "Brownie Story." Because the story is long and the girls' attention spans are often short, try reading the story before the meeting and paraphrasing the story for the girls in your own words.
4. Teach the Girl Scout slogan, "Do a good turn daily."

Snack: optional (15 min)

Closing: (5 min)
Try the Friendship Circle (see Brownie Girl Scout Handbook, p. 19)

Make sure to leave time for Clean-Up! Schedule Clean-Up after snack, but before the closing, so girls don't run out when their parents arrive.

More Activities

Pre-Meeting Activity:
Play "Giggling Gertie": The girls form a circle and one girl stands in the center. The girl in the center laughs and tosses a rag in the air. The group starts to laugh and all players continue to laugh as long as the handkerchief is in the air. The instant the handkerchief touches the floor, all faces become expressionless. The first person caught smiling or laughing is "it" and replaces the girl in the center.

Opening Activities:
Flag ceremony

Get Acquainted Game: Bean Bag Game
Sitting or standing in a circle, the leader will toss the bean bag to a girl. The girl says her name and tosses the bag to another girl, who will say her name. After all the girls have said their names the game can be varied. For instance, the girl with bean bag can say her own name and the name of the girl to whom she is tossing the bean bag. Example: "I'm Mary, she's Susan," as she tosses the bag to Susan.

Business Topics:
Share good turns, collect dues, take attendance, trip plans, Investiture plans, explain Try-Its and ask girls which ones interest them.

Activities and Games: see "Program Ideas" section

Closings:
Tunnel Closing: Girls form two single lines facing each other. Girls make a bridge with their hands. The first pair will walk under the bridge holding hands. The rest follow suit. As the girls walk under the bridge, they can sing "Taps."

Brownie: Girls stand in a circle. Starting with the first letter "B" the girls go around the circle taking turns saying the next letter in the word "Brownie." As the girls call out the letter "E," they are excused. Keep going around the circle until all are excused.

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