I was at the GSOC Open House on Saturday. Oh my, but there sure were a whole slew of little Daisies and Brownies! Fewer Juniors, and only a handful of older girls. Many of you have heard me at training talking about how my hat is off to all you who work with those little girls!!! They a are nice, funny, open, and sooo excited about everything, including tying knots. We had fun, to be sure, sort of like herding cats!!!!
But it was while I was at the Awards table in the lobby, that I heard of a girl's Silver Award Project that was just not up to current standards of Taking Action. I didn't say anything then, but I've been thinking about it, and wondering why an advisor would have approved it?
This girl was taking the flowers from after Saturday services at her Temple, and re-purposing them into vases/bouquets to take to various hospitals, fire departments, police stations, etc. She had a very nice piece to say when she did it. A nice service project, to be sure. But Silver? No way.
What issue was she addressing? "Brightening up someone's day" is not an issue.
What was the root cause? Lack of flowers in an office? Why?
And who was her team? Sounded to me like her Mom and the daughter were it. Who did she lead? How did she use her leadership skills to make a positive change in her community?
How did she make a measurable and sustainable difference to the audience she sought to help?
You leaders/advisors are the ones to hold the girls to the standard! And if you don't know if something is "good enough" or "appropriate", send me the ideas, I'll let you know! And if they are not up to snuff, I won't cite your name. But if they're great, I am very happy to put your name and your girls/troop's name in the blog with big props!
These girls can do it! We just have to let them (or is that make them?) take the steps do it!
Hi Anne
ReplyDeleteI just went to the silver award training yesterday. I have one girl in my troop already with an idea for her silver award, she is very excited about it and I want to run it by you to see your thoughts. This will be the first girl I guide through this process. So background for her take action project..she walks to school every day (7th grade)and says she has a big problem crossing the street near the school. There is a cross walk (no light or stop sign) The cross walk goes from the residental side of the street to a neighborhood park on the other (the park backs the school). There is a lot of traffic passing this crosswalk in the morning with parents who have dropped off their kids. The problem she said is there are so many cars it's hard to cross the street, many parents make u-turns were the crosswalk is and she has had times when a car will stop for her but the driver in the next lane isn't paying attention and keeps driving through the cross walk. My troop girl said she want to talk with the principal of the school, involve the police officer in charge of the school area and find out who at the city level she could talk to to find a solution. Weather a stop sign or blinking light, cross guarding could be done there. I also personally think their is some education for drivers and students to be done here also (but I haven't brought that up to her yet). Would like your thoughts, there was a lot of talk about puppies, food collections and book collections at the silver award workshop... this idea is a little different.
Thanks!