BellaOnline Forums Family Girl Scouts New Award Requirements

Last week I just found out about the new award requirements. OMG did I hit the roof! I lead an 8th grade troop just finishing their Silver and planning to start their Gold as soon as the rules allow, and I just decided to take on my 6th grade daughter's troop too to lead them through their Silver. I have been losing sleep over this mess! Has everyone at GSUSA lost their minds or what? Replace ALL the award prerequisites with these new hot-off-the-press Journey books that everyone seems to hate?! Dumb down the program so all those cool but lazy girls could do it too? Sorry GSUSA but the cool girls don't want to sit in meetings that feel like school either, so you'll end up losing everyone. Give me a break! Last year my girls hated struggling through the Studio 2B books, so now they have come out with more of the same workbook format and plugged a project on at the end so the whole ordeal will last a year, from what I can gather of them. I thought I could just ignore them until I found out they are now supposed to be the new award prerequisites with all the former fun taken out of the program. What about IPs? What about career exploration? What about giving girls choices so they can be empowered to design their own program as they have been doing for years? Can GSUSA really proceed with this irresponsible plan if enough people complain??

New Award Requirements single choice
	I am against the new award requirements
	I like the new award requirements
Votes accepted starting: 10/06/09 12:51 AM
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I 2 dislike (greatly) the NEW structure with our journey's. What would Juliette think about all of this???? We need to get back to the basics, community service, exploring, having active (physical) fun. So much for feelings, and what you think about what you are feeling.

Ger, Thank you for replying to my post! Are you also a troop leader? What council are you in? Have you voiced your opinion to your council? What I have learned is that GSUSA is rolling this out without support from all the local councils, and most of them are not yet willing to support this decision. Now is the time to help our councils decide to oppose these new requirements, if enough volunteers are complaining. In my opinion, if GSUSA wants to try a new program such as the Journeys, go right ahead! But DON'T mess with the highest awards a Girl Scout can earn, the Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards! My girls are motivated to earn these awards because they enjoy doing the current requirements, NOT the Journeys! So contact your local council and let them know your opinion.

I'm a troop leader too, and both my girls and myself dislike the new journey's program. Unfortunatly my council has embraced and is promoting these as the greatest things to be introduced to the girls. I wrote to national about my concern over changing the higher award requirments to the journey's and how I felt they were short changing the girls and that these in no way equal the Boy Scout Eagle award like the Gold Award is supposed to. I got a thank you for your opinion we have gotten both positive and negative feedback regarding the Journey program. I have the horrible feeling they are here to stay.

I am a Brownie leader. My girls are bridging to Juniors soon so I started to look at the Bronze Award requirements. I am so confused. I looked at the old requirements and thought OK, we can do this. It is a basic check list of what to earn. But then I read that we may be required to do the new requirements. YIKES! My brain hurts from reading it. 15 pages and I haven't the foggiest of what is actually required. Couldn't they just do a check list of what to do instead of all this other mumbo jumbo. So I am wondering if we start this summer and work hard and get it done before Sept. 2011 can we still use the old requirements? That seems to be what the guidelines state.

I do not like the new requirements, nor do I like the Journeys - I've presented the Journeys to my 4th graders and none of the girls are interested. We're pushing through with our Bronze so that we can get it done before the deadline of when the new rules are required. They've already told me they won't be pursuing the higher awards if the Journeys are required! My contact at our council (GS Western PA) is very sympathetic and has been getting the same feedback from all of her contacts!

I am my association's Bronze Award Consultant. Earning the Bronze Award using the new system as of 2010 is simple. In some ways too simple. My now Cadett troop earned it using the old system & it required a lot more work. Like others I feel that the new system has made it too easy to earn the Girl Scout awards Here goes; pick any Jr level Journey book. Complete it as a troop. Last thing they have to do is to take what they've learned & pass it on. You can either invite a younger troop to your mtg, go to theirs or have an association event. Let your girls run that mtg/event doing activities that relate to what they've learned from the Journey book. For example my Cadett's did the Amaze book as their pre requisite for the Silver Award. They hosted an event that informed 5th gr Jr's how to handle bullying once they go in to the Middle School (6th Gr). There is more to it but let me not bore you. Quick note: the final activity in the Journey Book is NOT a Bronze Award Project/Cause. Ask your girls to give you ideas on what "Causes" concerns them. You & your co leaders pick 3 that you know are doable & have the girls vote on it. With doable I mean that there is enough things that they can do so that each scout puts in 20 hrs. For example: you can't stop people from smoking but you can come up with an event that will teach youth how bad smoking is. It can't be just collecting stuff for their "cause". In our association each girl fills out a Bronze Award Final Report that's handed in to the CAV (head of your association) who will then confirm that your troop has met all the requirements. With that Final Report they should also hand in their Time Log, showing what they did to earn the 20 hrs. Keep this log in your possession & bring it to mtg's for the girls to fill out each time there is something to add to the log. Same goes for the Final Report. Take lots of pictures. Most associations have a Recognition/Fly Up Ceremony where the troops will have an opportunity to display what they've done to all who will attend this event. Use a tri fold display board. Google on line for Gold Award Project boards for examples. Know this, today's girls are amazing & they will surprise you. When given the opportunity to lead & help, they're going to exceed your expectations.