I've been pretty upbeat so far with this blog (because Girl Scouts are cheerful, lol), but there are also downsides to being an Independently Registered Girl (Juliette) in Girl Scouts. So to be fair, I should also write about that (and how I handle it), so that if you are struggling with the decision to take this path with your girl, or you feel you are in over your head because you already did, you can take some of these things into consideration. These are notes that I have been taking since the beginning of our Julietting journey that I have been pulling together as a work in progess. I think it is time to share so you can get a bigger picture of what it is to take this pathway.
Don't get me wrong, as you can see, we take these downsides in stride most of the time and really enjoy the activities as a mom & me thing. The negative experiences we may have occasionally are not a deal-killer when it comes to Julietting, because I have found that this pathway has more advantages than disadvantages. My grown daughter (my oldest) was in a "troop" that had dwindled down to 2 Cadette girls, so the leader didn't do anything with them except sell cookies, and the cookie profits eventually just got absorbed into her Council. She recently admitted to me that she wished she could have a do-over, so sometimes we let her sit in with our activities and she's having a blast.
Imagine being a woman in 1912 trying to make a major statement like Juliette Gordon Low did. Sure, she was a member of the social and financial elite (according to her bio), but she was basically speaking out at a time when strong women were probably viewed as eccentric and a pain in the you know what in a "Man's World". Today she is looked up to as a role-model for opening up opportunities for girls that at that time had not been available except to girls with her advantages and means. She was the first Girl Scout, (the first Juliette, in fact!), and I'll bet that she had to push hard, be vocal in her beliefs, and never give up! So what started out as a tiny ripple in Savannah, GA over a hundred years ago is now huge and far reaching. You GO, Girl!
So, I'm talking to you, Mom of a Juliette. When you encounter roadblocks in this journey with your daughter, keep in mind that she is looking at you to see how you are going to handle it. Don't think that you have to be a part of a troop to make a difference. You may at first receive information that is incomplete or out of date, then later find out that a particular policy worked out better for your situation after all. This is usually the case, so you have to follow through.
I've mentioned before that there is not a lot of guidance on being a Juliette. I know that there are a few Councils out there that are quite fond of theirs and really try to make sure that they get the same opportunities as the trooping girls, but this is not the case everywhere. Remember the Councils each have their own policies, and it is most likely at the Service Unit level that your Juliette could fall through the cracks. So few Juliettes are active that most of the Leadership has not had any experience with handling our stuff. Don't be afraid to get to know your Directors and get out there and meet other troops. You and your girl have to become a face for Juliettes instead of just an obscure concept. You have to push hard, be vocal and never give up. Chances are the frustration may just be a momentary glitch that can be ironed out with patience, a little research, and good communication.
Don't let the people who are willing to let you fall between a crack tell you that you have to be a part of a crowd (or troop) to have a voice! After all, the exalted and fearless Founder of Girl Scouts promised to empower our daughters and turn them into leaders and upstanding members of our communities. Team building is just one stepping stone to building courage, confidence, and character.
A lot of trooping girls earn their Gold Awards as an individual. I recently spoke to a Juliette mom that told me her girl is pairing up with another Juliette (from another service unit) with their project. How they got that one approved is a concept I don't even want to dwell on...
We are learning from Juliette Gordan Low to Discover, Connect, and Take Action!
The Steps:
Discover: Find out your
Council's position on and rules regarding their Juliettes. Our Recruitment Officer helped us with the uniform set up and seemed to have the most information about how to begin. Find out who does what. Each aspect of this program has a side note about individual girls, so you may have to speak to many departments to get all the info. Sign up for your council and service unit emails! I can't stress that one enough.
Not everything happens at the Council level - sometimes it's the Service Unit that handles specifics for you, the Juliette. Research who GETS what. I found out from our Service Unit Director in a totally unrelated conversation that there have been recent policy changes in our Council in how cookie sales are handled for Juliettes. On the other hand, you have the option to find a troop that is willing to host you for events like World Thinking Day booths and cookie booths. So far we have developed sister relationships with 3 troops, but it took time...
Connect: Make friends. Put yourself out there. Attend those functions. Attend those Leader's meetings - you ARE a Leader too! (I personally think that Juliette Leaders are afraid to speak up for their daughter, but there are more of us than you may realize.) Represent Girl Scouts in a positive way. Contact those people. Don't whine! But don't curl up in the fetal position and give up either.
I recently found out that many girls in my council just pay the membership fees and wait for a troop to appear. They are out $15 a year and don't even participate! I wish I had a way to reach out to them and form a coop like the homeschoolers do!
Our Council has formed what is called "
Epic Troops" (or HQ directed troops) where the administration at Little Rock headquarters take some of those individually registered girls into the fold and hold meetings after business hours. They have created a chef shuttle partnership for cookie orders that benefit those "troops". This has created some bad feelings with some troop leaders, and I agree on some points, but I don't have all the info on it, so I refuse to take a position on it. Since both of those concepts are new they are probably (IMHO) just trying to get start up money for it and I am sure, like most new things, it will evolve as they work out the kinks and get established as a "thing".
To be fair, all scouts have the option to
opt-in to the
I want cookies map and add their digital cookie page, so all girls kind of get equal opportunity and free promotion for online cookie sales. These links are for Diamonds of AR, OK & TX Council, and are for informational purposes only. Research your council's website and even their Facebook page for info specific to you.
***Since I began this "work in progress over 4 months" post, our Council retracted the policy for chef shuttle to only benefit epic troops and are distributing cookie proceeds to benefit all troops in the council. There is no mention of Juliettes benefiting, but I have faith in the process and the good will of the Council.
Take Action: Find creative ways to show that your daughter is an asset and also has valuable voice as an individual member. Let them know that your walking the Girl Scout walk but that your path is not to follow the crowd. Let your service projects shine and speak for you as well. Talk about your activities - I think you'll find that most Leadership is curious about how you have walked this path. This is a relatively new pathway, so they are learning right along with us.
My Council is also trying to make positive changes for Juliettes and I have been quizzed by a couple of council admins for my ideas to find solutions for the many Juliettes in my area that are getting lost. Some councils even offer the Virtual Pathway! (We probably would have taken that route if it had been available in our Council.) If you are not willing to share your experiences, they just won't know how to accommodate your pathway!
My first suggestion to my Council would be to please make a handbook for us too!
You are not a renegade, or oddity. This is an official Girl Scout Pathway that was created for girls to be included in Girl Scouts that may not have access to a troop, or in a holding pattern for a troop to be created in their area, or for girls who have other activities to schedule around. This last usually being the case for girls who are older and increasingly busy with many other school and sporting activities. You don't have to follow the crowd to have a voice! That is absolutely not the message that I want my daughter to believe and it is not the Mission of Girl Scouts.
My Little Brownie and I are at the tail-end of our first year as practicing Juliettes. It was frustrating at first, because we didn't know our way around. I was a parent/volunteer for her first year of Daisy's and a more active volunteer for her second. I took the New Leader Training so that I could take a more active role this year and further lift up the Troop Leaders, but my plans evolved into something else. I learned a little from watching her Daisy Leader as she muddled her way through being a new leader, but I learned the most from breaking out on my own. I talked to established troop leaders and council admins, tirelessly researched the GSUSA materials, and (don't laugh,) Pinterest links that lead to the many, many Troop Blogs that are such a wealth of information, creative ideas, free printables, and encouragement.
New troop leaders have it just as rough as we do (times more girls and other moms), so don't be discouraged!
So, Ladies, you have YOUR mission - if you choose to accept it! Get out there and make some positive changes - Let your girl's voice be heard!
All you Juliette moms out there, now that we are all liberated, lets have some fun with this!
