by Katie
Baron in New Jersey
Scouting
Links Newsletter, February 25, 2005
Welcome
to this issue of the Scouting Links Newsletter just for Juliette Girl Scouts or
their equivalent! There arenıt many
resources out there for Juliettes, but I was a Juliette mentor for 5 years,
guiding my Juliette (not my daughter) through the Silver Award and the Gold
Award. I thought Iıd pass on what Iıve learned. If you are a Juliette mentor
and have advice to share, please send it to me, Katie Baron.
There
are many Girl Scouts who are registered as Juliettes (also known as Independent
Girl Scouts or Lone Scouts, Lone Guides in Canada, New Zealand, etc.). These
are girls, who for one reason or another, do not have a ³traditional² troop to
belong to but who still want to be Girl Scouts. The Juliettes Emblem is a rectangular purple patch with
white writing. It can be worn in
place of the troop/group numerals to denote that a girl is individually
registered.
Every
council has a different way of work. Youıll have to check with your council to
see what rules, practices, programs etc. that are in place. That said, read on.
. .
Juliette
Girl Scouts need a mentor. This is an adult who will offer help and guidance
with the Girl Scout program. Can be her mom, but doesnıt have to be. A Juliette
mentor should be well versed in the Girl Scout program, have the appropriate
books/manuals and should attend the appropriate level of leader/advisor
training. Think of yourself as the leader of a troop of one.
Mentors
need to meet periodically with the Juliette to plan activities, go over
requirements, answer questions, etc. Mentors need to be aware of whatıs going
on in the service unit and in the council so that their Juliette is not
forgotten. You want to make sure that she has the opportunity to participate in
service unit events, council events and STUDIO 2B destinations.
Mentors
need to keep accurate records of activity participation, IPA/badges earned,
etc. Juliette Girl Scouts must follow the same rules (policies & standards)
as any other Girl Scout and that includes having a permission slip for events,
activities and troop meetings.
It
helps if your Juliette is associated with a younger troop, either as a program
assistant or leader in training. These positions may require additional
training on the Julietteıs part, so check with your council. There are many
advantages to this. First and foremost, it gives the Juliette a chance to
participate in troop activities. Secondly, she gets leadership opportunities.
Third, she is a wonderful source of inspiration and a great role model for the
younger girls.
Since
the arrival of the Juliettes, there have been questions about just what or who
they are. Starting out as a ³thing² or as an insignia, the Juliettes has become
much more.
What?
The
Juliettes was developed as an insignia by Stefanie Argus of Girl Scouts - Great
Valley Council in Allentown, Pennsylvania for her Girl Scout Silver Award
project in 2001. ³The primary purpose of this insignia,² states Stefanie, ³is
to insure that all individually registered Girl Scouts are recognized as
important parts of the Girl Scout movement, and that they realize they have
significant roles in the Girl Scout community. Their contributions to our
country are respected and the Juliettes insignia signifies the strong bonds
throughout our Girl Scout family.²
Who?
So
what was once inanimate has gained human status. Now girls are Juliettes,
making it harder to remember that Juliettes is not a separate program, activity
or person in Girl Scouting. Juliettes is for girls above the Daisy Girl Scout
age level and it comes with no requirements other than Girl Scout membership.
Although individually registered girls of any age level can become Juliettes,
the distinction is especially popular among girls 11-17 who enjoy the Girl
Scout program, but lead such busy lives that they need a greater span of
options. This presents girls with the option of planning and participating in
³Juliettes-only² events, and participation in council or troop events, as well.
Some individually registered Girl Scouts have even given their newsletters and
their chat room groups the name Juliettes.
When?
Juliettes
has been in existence since 2001. Traditionally, the concept of individually
registered girls referred to girls who wanted to participate in Girl Scouts
while waiting for a troop opening or for an adult to organize a troop. At that
time the most important objective was to gain troop membership. Because of the
many demands on the time of girls and deadlines for many girls, individual
registration remains the most viable way for them to participate in Girl Scouting.
How?
How
does this impact adult volunteers? Volunteers who work with independently
registered girls, Juliettes, must be approved of and registered as Girl Scout
adults through their council.
Where?
The
Juliettes insignia replaces troop numbers on the uniform of girls who are not
part of a Girl Scout troop. It is attached in the same position on the uniform.
The insignia can be purchased at council shops or through GSUSAıs National
Equipment Service (NES) 1-800-221-6707 (UPC #09607, 90 cents).
Why?
Why
do todayıs girls opt to register as individuals and not as members
of troops or groups? Some girls may:
· have been Girl
Scouts as younger girls and are looking for a new way to stay connected while
not making a year-long commitment.
· be looking for
ways of mixing and matching their special interests with Girl Scout
participation, for example, during weekend workshops, special events or
vacation retreats.
· live in an
area where there are few or no other registered girls.
Juliettes, a
STUDIO 2B Option
Particularly
since the introduction of STUDIO 2B, girls 11-17 have been vocal about wanting
flexibility in their Girl Scout experiences. They are drawn to a menu of
participation options that can be matched more closely to their available time
and interests. Juliettes works well as an option for girls 11-17.
Supporting
Juliettes within the Council Infrastructure
Councils have reported specific ways they serve individually registered girls, or Juliettes. Some of their ideas and methods appeared in the Spring 2003 issue of LEADER Magazine, in the article ³Here Come the Juliettes.² Councils serve Juliettes by:
· inviting them
to join service unit and council-wide events, day and resident camps, and
encouraging participation in trips and events with troops or with friends of
their choice.
· organizing
³Juliettes-only² events.
· helping girls
plan weekly online meeting times.
· sending
monthly Discovery packages and newsletters to the homes of Juliettes. These are
often packed with activities.
Most
councils accomplish this by assigning a point person to work with individually
registered girls. In some councils, this is a service unit level adult Juliette
mentor. The Juliettes point person can work with the council to organize a
district newsletter, e-mail communiqué, or Web site page just for Juliettes.
Juliettes FAQ
1. How can councils involve and manage independently
registered girls in cookie sales?
A: Approached as an event, councils can help girls
plan and administer a cookie=selling booth. The booth can be set up in a public
space for girls who have ready access to shopping malls, etc. For girls in more
sparsely populated settings, cookie booths can follow religious services, or
operate in schools at recreation events, Parent Teachers
meetings, etc. Girls and their families should be told how
important cookie sales are to supporting the opportunities and activities they
will enjoy.
2. What if independently registered girls donıt want to
participate in community service activities?
A: Most adult leaders and advisers hope girls will
experience the full range of activities available to them. But many girls will
select one or two activities that interest them. For them, thatıs what Girl
Scouting is and thatıs okay. Girl Scouting is about girls participating in
activities they enjoy. The council should make Juliettes aware of the opportunities that exist
for them. If they choose to work on badges and other awards, these girls will
complete some community service-oriented work, as required. The recent New
Directions research found that girls 11-17 want to be involved in community
service. They want to be advocates for good causes, but girls need councils to
make these opportunities available to them.
3. How can the council deal with girls who come alone to
very large events?
A: The council can be instrumental in helping girls pair
up with a buddy for the event, or arranging for girls to meet that buddy at the
event. Troops can ³adopt² one or two independently registered girls for
council-wide eventseven for overnight camping trips.
4. All of this works fine for the 11-17 year-old Girl
Scout, but what if the Juliette is a Brownie or Junior Girl Scout?
A: This is where the council Juliette point person
becomes very important. She could see that activity packets are mailed to
Juliettes, plan a calendar of events even if the weekly event refers to a
Try-It or badge activityand maintain some contact with parents or guardians.
Short-term
or episodic volunteers can be a valuable asset for councils in their work with
individually registered girls. This is an opportunity to recruit volunteers who
have a wide variety of skills and interests. But where do these volunteers come
from, and what is required of them?
Depending
on the audience a council is trying to reach, recruitment efforts for
short-term volunteers should be different from that of long-term volunteers.
For a diverse pool of volunteers with a range o skills and interests,
recruitment can be through corporations; professional publications and
organizations; special interest groups and clubs, and academic institutions.
Keep
in mind that more people are looking for short-term volunteer opportunities.
They need to know that the time they are donating will be used effectively.
Short-term
volunteers do not need the extensive training that full-time volunteers receive. Councils can cut
back on the amount of training time. Training time should not take up more time
than the volunteer work itself. Keep in mind that this pool of volunteers
usually comes with a skill base.
Short-term
volunteers should be trained on Girl Scout Safety-Wise practices, on What We
Stand For, and on ways of working with Girl Scouts on their specific activity
topic.
Like
all volunteers, they should undergo the application and screening process just
like full-time volunteers. This is especially important if they are meeting
directly with girls.
The
Juliettes does add another dimension to Girl Scouting and to the councilıs
responsibilities. But that added dimension helps assure that Girl Scouting is
for Every Girl, Everywhere!
Cyber Girl Scout
Troop #001 - This is a girl-centered site for Juliettes that ³meets² online
at regularly scheduled chat meetings. Girls can work on projects and share
their work online. The chat meetings are held at Delphi Forums. You need a
Delphi Id for this, but itıs free as long as you donıt sign up for one of the
advanced memberships. The Cyber Troop forum also gives the girls a chance to
ask specific questions, share ideas and give advice. If youıd like more
information about Cyber Troop, contact Robin.
GS of Santa Clara
County Trefoil Troop -This program is only for girls in Santa Clara County,
but check it out to get some great ideas for your own area! Trefoil Troop
members receive activity packets that allow a Juliette to earn badges and do
individual Girl Scout activities. And, like all Girl Scouts, girls who are
members of the Trefoil Troop are able to participate in special programs and
events sponsored by the council as well as other local Girl Scout events. They also will enroll
girls in the program that are in areas outside of their Council. In
particular this works well for parents in rural areas.
Juliettes Girl Scout Group on
Yahoo - A place that individually registered Juliette Girl Scouts can get
the support that they need. We share ideas on how to work on badges, plan activities,
do fundraising, and any other topics that pertain to Juliettes. This group is
for both adults and the girls that they are helping. You will need a Yahoo Id
to participate in the Yahoo Group, but itıs free. You can find other Yahoo
groups by doing a search on "Juliettes".
Many
councils have information on Juliettes.
Go to Google and type
"Juliettes" in the search box! Here are a few:
Girl Scouts of Western Rivers
Council
Girl Scouts of Spar and Spindle
Council
Girl Scouts of the Midland
Empire
Girl
Scouts - Wagon Wheel Council
Girl Scouts of
Kennebec Council (forms for Juliettes)
Girl Scouts of the
Mississippi Valley
Girl
Scout Council of Orange County
Girl Scout Council of
Buffalo & Erie County
Searching
for information on Lone Guides? Go
to Google and type "Lone Guides"
in the search box! Here are a few:
Girl Guides of
Canada - Lone Guides
Manawatu Lone Girl Guides, New
Zealand
(February
2005)