Daisies!

I've been a girl scout troop leader for, oh, two months now. They're a great group of girls - the perfect mix of rowdiness and sweetness. The GS organization puts a lot of emphasis on getting the girls to plan and decide how to tackle a problem, organize a ceremony, or plan an activity. This was a little difficult for me at first - I mean, these are kindergardeners! I fully expected to have to lead them along in whatever direction I was planning myself.

They have really surprised me. We have a ceremony coming up, and I found that asking them what we should do about it came up with all the right answers. One girl went right to the heart of the matter and said we should ask the parents to bring treats. The next thought we could make decorations, and someone said that parents like to hear songs. It was like they were reading my notes! Another girl wanted to know how we would invite them, and before long we were making invitations.

At that point, I asked who knew what a ceremony was, and was met with blank faces. After I explained a little bit, they were even more ready to discuss plans. One chipped in that it sounded like a play where the words are written down a sheet and they memorize them. "That means we should practice!" another girl exclaimed. And so, we practiced, then made invitations, then made decorations - and it was all their idea. Good going, Daisy Troop 16!

Of course, there's a surprise or two. Like the choice of song...Jinglebells.