Girl Scout Leader Binder

I have a binder that i use to keep my year’s plan in. I found that it allowed me to plan further into the future and stay organized in the process. Each section has dividers so I can immediately flip to where I need to go.

The very first thing is a general view of the year. It has all the events that happen every year listed by month so that I don’t forget to include those activities.

Behind this is the badges we are currently working on.

Next is my outdoor checklists. As girls pass a skill I keep track so that I know which girls are ready for things and which girls are not. As new girls come into the Troop this becomes VERY important because I cannot keep track after awhile. The page below is for knife skills. I also have checklists for reading the weather, preparing for a hike, 10 essentials, basic camping skills, clothing/shoes for various situations and basic first aid.

Next is a current copy of the Troop handbook 2012.

Each year I try to get the parents to volunteer for ways to help. Commit early but always make sure to follow-up before the last minute to make sure they still can help.

12 SECTIONS

Now I have dividers for every month of the year. Within each section I have the following. This first form I found online and is a report Troops were asked to submit to their Service Unit. I use it for my own reference so I can go back and see what we have been doing. It also allows me to tell any interested girls what we have been doing for the last several months.

I use keepandshare.com to print off monthly calendar pages where I write down field trips, meeting ideas, contact information and things I need to do. I hand out the calendars to the girls for their own reference, minus the information that only I need.

http___www.keepandshare.com_calendar_printpdf

If we are working on a Council Own’s badge I keep a copy of the requirements in my binder.

FORMS

I keep 5 forms in this section. The first is specifically for planning something outdoors.

The second form is specifically for planning ceremonies. As it usually takes a few meetings to nail everything down, it helps me to keep track of what the girls want.

The next form is to plan any event. It is a generic form that asks the basic questions of who, what, where, when and how much. As items are purchased for an event they are stapled to the form. After the event the treasurer can easily give a report of how funds were spent and if we stayed in budget. The reporter can use it to send a story to the newspaper if we vote to do so.

A donation request form.

The final form is for first aid reports. Any incidents are written down in case parents have a question.

IDEAS

This section is where I place general ideas that can be used as filler any time of the year. I might have brochures, fliers or business cards in here. The pamphlet below has a lot of great ideas that I found from Black Diamond Council.

I keep a flier of the old religious awards.

POCKETS

In the pockets I always keep a notepad, a couple of envelopes and the Color Guard lines.

I try to keep it simple as I keep many other things in my hanging files. There are many things I don’t need to keep in my binder because they are stored in my milk crates until needed. I hope I have given you a few ideas for managing your own Troop, let me know if you have any questions.