Resources for Leaders

This Leader Resources page has tabs of information and Web links about:
   <>  Scouting History, Lore, and Ceremonies
   <>  Games, Songs, and Things to Make
   <>  Camping and Outdoor Skills
   <>  Service Projects, and
   <>  Excursions.

Agilent Technologies provides Agilent After School science kits to excite and inspire the scientists and engineers of tomorrow in communities where Agilent does business. Junior and Cadette Girl Scouts in grades five through eight can earn an Agilent After School Science Patch.  Review the list of projects and contact the SU-1 Program Support Manager to order kits for your Troop to use next semester.  Fill in an online order form and click the button to email it, or download a spreadsheet order form to fill in and email as an attachment.  


For more information about how to be a leader - training, planning, and sharing ideas with other leaders - see the Leader HowTo page.  

For more information about activities, projects, and awards your girls can earn, see the activities page for each level:

• Daisy Petals
• Brownie TryIts
• Junior Badges
• Cadette & Senior Interest Patches

Scouting

• Juliete Gordon Low
• History Timeline of GS USA

• Glossary of GS Terms

• Program Central     
• Scouting Web     
• Girl Scouting Links         
• Scouting Directive (wide range of topics)

• GS “Action” Stories   
  

• Girl Scout Clip Art    

Ceremonies

• GS Ceremonies
• GS Ceremonies collected from WAGGS
• More Ceremony Ideas
• Flag Etiquette    
• Flag Ceremony Excellent "How To" for a basic flag ceremony   

 

There is a progression to camping with girls. At each age there are steps you can take that will help the girls find camping to be an exciting and pleasurable experience. Here are some resources to help with the progress.

• Camping Readiness
• First Time Camping
• Camping in the Rain
• Hike Compilation
• Outdoor Cooking
• Camp Crafts

Both our service unit and our council offer several camping experiences. There are also resources for independent troop camping.

Within Our Service Unit 1

• Leader-Daughter Under the Sky Overnight - This is an opportunity for new leaders to start to learn how to camp as girl scouts. It is also an opportunity for the leaders and daughter to share an event without the troop. This event is led by Marion.
• Junior Camporee - Run by Karen and Vicki, this camporee is for SU1 girls only.

Within Santa Clara County Girl Scout Council

• Cadette Camporee - This event is run by SU 1's Karen and Vicki. 
• T.E.Q.U.E. - For Senior Scouts only

 

Outdoor Food

• Camp Cooking - Excellent source for fire safety, Dutch oven cooking & uncommon meals, servings guide 
• Our Favorite Camp Food
• WAGGGS-L  Cyber Cookbook
• Dutch Oven Cooking    

Girl Scouts are often eager to contribute in a meaningful way to society and the Girl Scout organization encourages them to do so. There are several ways to contribute: some troops organize their own service projects and some participate in projects organized by others.

Troop Service Projects Ideas

Troops contribute to their community through Service Projects. Below is a list of ideas for troop:

• Sing songs at a local nursing home or hospital at some time other than Christmas
• Make wrap-hats for Cancer patients.
• Make tray favors/decorations for a special occasion to donate to a local hospital or convalescent home or for Meals-on-Wheels recipients.
• Make permanent placemats for Meals- On-Wheels clients.
• Collect clothing or personal items,books,and games to and donate them to a local shelter for the homeless.
• Collect used clothing and donate to Goodwill/Salvation Army (older girls could be in charge of washing/ironing/sewing on buttons, mending holes)
• "Adopt" a troop Grandparent(s) in your neighborhood or in a convalescent hospital.
• Litter chase of local ball park/church grounds/meeting place/school grounds.
• Volunteer car wash for parents in appreciation of all the driving they do.
• Make small craft packages for local hospital children's ward.
• Ask church/school/library etc. if your unit could plant/maintain their flowerbeds for the summer.
• Collect several unused pages from coloring books and staple together.Place with a few crayons in a ziplock baggie for children who have to wait in hospital waiting rooms.
• Help with trail maintenance on local hiking trails.
• Participate in a river clean-up project with local agencies.
• Put on a play for a local nursing home.
• Do yard work at your local Council office or Council owned camp or volunteer to help with yard work at a location of your choice.
• Volunteer to help with a church supper.
• Make dog or cat treats for local animal shelters (make sure you check with local animal shelter first).
• Make craft kits to be used by hospitalized children or adults or shelters.
• Volunteer to read stories to children at your local library's "Children's Hour" or develop one if none is present.
• Volunteer to work at a local campaign office.
• Help serve at a local "soup kitchen" in your community. Even Brownies can help with setup.
• Make bibs for AIDs babies.
• Collect supplies to make new Mom care packages for needy families - including items like formula, diapers, tampons, sanitary pads, etc.
• Make aprons for soup kitchen workers.
• Make fabric bags to be used by patients using wheel chairs or walkers to carry their 'needs'.
• Make learning pillows (one side could have a zipper and the other snaps or buttons, etc.) for a local day care or head start.
• Plant flowers at a local park, nursing home, library, etc.
• Make baby quilts for Packard Children's Hospital
• Construct some baby and child quilts to work on and donate to local battered women and children's shelter. ( The quilts are very easy to do. A print fabric and a solid fabric with batting in between is stitched together and 'tied' every 6 to 8 inches.)

Service Unit 1 Local Service Projects

Occasionally, a handful of girls will have a greater interest in service projects than the rest of the troop and crave additional opportunities. Below is a sampling of service projects offered through Service Unit 1. (Some dates are tentative.) We welcome as many helpers as each troop can provide

Beach Cleanup:	(all ages)	Sept.	Take part in a statewide effort
Halloween Haunt:	(12 and up)	Oct. 31	Help at a citywide event
Food Drive:	(all ages)	November	Collect food for needy local families
Soccer Uniforms:	(all ages)	Winter Break	Sort & Pack clothes for health pgm
Downtown Winter Event:	(12 and up)	Dec. night	Help at a citywide event
Fun Run:	(12 and up)	Mar.	Help at a citywide event
Tree planting in PA:	(all ages)	Date TBA	Plant trees with Canopy
Hippity Hop:	(12 and up)	Mar/Apr	Help at a citywide event
May Fete Parade:	(9 and up)	May (1st Sat)	Carry parade banners, flags
Chili Cook-off:	(12 and up)	July 4	Help at a citywide event

Join Girl Scouts and discover a whole world. As Girl Scouts move through the levels they can travel farther and longer. Here are the rules for travel at each age level.

• Daisy - Day trips if any at all
• Brownies - Day trips and one night overnights indoors
• 4th Juniors - Day trips, indoor and camping overnights up to two nights within 250 miles one way
• 5th grade Juniors - Day trips, 3+ nights camping and more than 250 miles

So, now you know what you need to plan a trip but the question is where. The links below should provide some great ideas.

• Day Trips
• Overnight Trips (including camping)
• Extended Trips


• Maps of local trails – Midpeninsula Open Space District