girl scout meeting yesterday...

[Sewcute]

Had my 17 (soon to be 19) girl scouts over yesterday for a pool party / parent meeting. The girls had a BLAST in the pool, on the trampoline, I had mac&cheese, hot dogs, chips, dips, doodles, sods, juice boxes, etc for them.
For the moms I had stuffed shells, sausage & peppers, wings (hot tray and a sweet/sour tray), sodas, and some hidden beers, which they eventually found and THANKED ME FOR!

Then the meeting:
I discussed up coming badges, issues, meeting changes, etc... nothing out of the norm. One mom (the girl hasnt "offically" joined yet), asked me if she could get a hold of my "scripts". I said "I'm not quite sure what you mean by "scripts"?". She said "I would need to approve of just WHAT you intend to teach my daughter." I was a little taken back, since I have known this woman thru school for sometime (I have not had the child over for a play date or anything). A little confused I said "I'm sorry I just dont know what you mean" meanwhile all the mothers (ALL OF THEM), were passing by saying "Your doing a great job!!!", "Will you bring up the hormonal issue this year?", "the girls just LOVE you!!" "Can I help you with anything?" "What GREAT ideas for the new year!!!" etc.

:She saidI would have to sit in on the first couple of meetings, just to make sure I APPROVE what you are doing...then I'll consider joining her...

WTF? these girls are 9!!! Her child is NOT fragile, and I felt like smaking her!!!!!! Am I wrong?

[Ro-Ro]

Re: girl scout meeting yesterday...

Its girl scouts not girls gone wild!!!!! LOL

I say let her have it LOL

[Sabine]

Re: girl scout meeting yesterday...

OMG, the group hasn't had their first official meeting yet and this woman is already giving you grief. Who cares if her daughter joins or not. She is giving you grief now, just think what she might come up with during the year, she will cause trouble I guarantee you. Hope and pray her kid won't join, who needs that kind of headache. Sorry don't mean to be critical, but she sounds like the kind of mother who will find fault with everything you do.

[Cindy]

Re: girl scout meeting yesterday...

You can always tell her that she is more than welcome to come to the meetings. I would also tell her that you will be teaching out of the badge and handbook and say anything out of these two books goes this year I just don't know in what order yet! Oh and tell her she can by those books at the GS store don't loan yours out!

I have 10-11 year old girls this year. I find it kind of hard to believe that 9 year olds need to talk about hormones. Let them be little girls for just a while longer for goodness sake. Don't rush them.

There is a reason that schools wait until 5th grade to show the "hormone movie". Ours are in 5th grade and we will have a question answer night after the movie is shown. Our girls are going to get to write questions down on a piece of paper anonymously and we and other mothers (mandatory that they must be there that night) will answer them. We are also going to have a certified GS nurse on hand for any hard questions that we may not have the correct answer for.

[krubinic]

Re: girl scout meeting yesterday...

Jeezy, Pete!!! Isn't it funny how some people feel they need to make themselves look sooooo "parental" in order to feel they are doing their job as a parent??? It's like, God forbid, they let their hair down and have some fun in front of their child instead always "monitoring" everything that goes on in their childrens' lives. I'm not saying they shouldn't be monitoring things at all, I'm just saying I swear they do it for the benefit of others as if to prove they are "better" parents then all the rest or something. Sounds almost snobby to me.

I agree with the rest, this is girl scouts, not girls gone wild, lol! Believe me, if they are going to learn the wrong things to say or do, it's most likely NOT going to be in your girl scout troop, it's going to be in school or around the neighborhood!!!

[cottun]

Re: girl scout meeting yesterday...

Maybe she is over-reacting, but then again, maybe she is truly just trying to be informed and do the right thing for her daughter. She may really not know the first thing about what Girl Scouts is all about and will be looking to you to make her feel comfortable with it. Just my humble opinion - if I was planning on letting my 9-year-old girl join Girl Scouts and I had heard rumors of a "hormonal issue" being brought up this year, I might question what the group was all about too. I know I'm still a dinosaur in some ways and times are changing without me, but I think that where a 9 years old is concerned, its better to be safe than sorry. I really dont think she was trying to offend you. She probably just needs to learn to trust that you are doing the right things for her child. I would say let her hang around and learn what its all about. What could it hurt?

[Sewcute]

Re: girl scout meeting yesterday...

To be fair, it was ONE mother AFTER the meeting who had asked if I had plans to discuss "the issue", I never answered her. The "new" mother was already hounding me when that question came by in passing.

The "new" mother did ask if I knew ALL the badges we were doing this year, I said no. She then asked if she could have my book so she can "pick out" which ones her daughter would attend. Then started giving me advice on how to run the girls meetings, and then asked if there was a suggestion box where the "mothers" could tell me what to do for each badge.
I said "To be honest with you, we are there to guide the girls to make their own decisions about badges and events, things THEY are interested in. I will find a lesson in everything they choose. I am trying to empower them to make better choices, not dictate to them." Thats when she said she would have to sit in on the meetings.

And just a side note: the "new" mother had told me herself that the daughter was in another troop last year, in another town, and had problems with the leader. I thought, how sad this girl had to deal with that...

For the love of GOD I am a mother as well, and I am VERY protective of my children....but COME ON!

[Sewcute]

Re: girl scout meeting yesterday...

So far today I have had 9 emails from GS moms.
8 of them thanked me for a GREAT time and asked me "are you letting her join?"
1 was just a thank you.

I think I might have a heart to heart with the mom, and tell her "This is what GS's is all about, this is what we do. Maybe it's just not right for you daughter..."

[Sabine]

Re: girl scout meeting yesterday...

It's been a very long time since my daughter was a girl scout, so maybe things have changed, but I am questioning why " the hormonal issue " should come up at all in this setting ?? At school parents have to give permission for their children to see " the Movie" so you have a choice. If you talk about that will you give parents a choice ? In my opinion that kind of info needs to come from the parents not a scout leader or even a teacher. IN our school it was the head school nurse for the district who showed the movies. Not being critical , just wondering??

[Sewcute]

Re: girl scout meeting yesterday...

I think the mom was joking. She said it as she breezed by me while I was getting questioned by the "new" mom. I think the mom was being sarcastic, because she KNEW I was getting pounded with questions. She didnt mean it that way, and that wasnt the issue.

The issue was the "new" mom trying to control every bit of information her daughter recieves. I have put a call into GS council just to make sure I am ok. Thats the part that get me...I am second quessing myself when I thought I was doing a good job.

[krubinic]

Re: girl scout meeting yesterday...

I think it's wise of you Sewcute to do it in the manner you just described.......let the ball be in her court and see where "she" runs with it. That way you are not accused of forcing her out, etc. I would let her sit in on a meeting or two, but I personally would not accept her telling me how to run YOUR meetings. YOU are the one who has stepped up to the plate and are volunteering YOUR time to want to help them make better choices in life. Surely, it never hurts to have help or suggestions, but in the end, you are the leader.

I too was a Girl Scout leader at one point (actually an assistant leader) but I can empathize with you in all the little annoyances that come with the territory in dealing with other parents. My daughter ended up quitting her troop because the leader (who is a physician) could not get a grip on the "wild ones" in the troop (which was about 1/2 the troop!). They lacked such respect for their elders and would be bouncing off the walls at every meeting and event.

Shortly, after my DD quit, a few others quit the troop too, because they had the same mature and respectful personality like my DD. I'm glad she quit when she did because the next year, two of the moms went head to head and had a really big blow up in front of all the girls......it was terrible. The troop ultimately folded.

[Sewcute]

Re: girl scout meeting yesterday...

WOW!
Thats where the troop WAS heading before I took it over. I VOWED not to let these girls be split up, or stolen from again! I took on the responsibility and I do ALL the work (not complaining, just stating), and I WANT the parents to be invovled...I ENJOY when they share thoughts and ideas with me!!! It shows they are interseted in the daughters life...

This womans daughter isnt even in the troop (hasnt filled out the registration or paid yet), and already she's telling what to do and when to do it!

[luvs2eat]

Re: girl scout meeting yesterday...

There is a reason that schools wait until 5th grade to show the "hormone movie". Ours are in 5th grade and we will have a question answer night after the movie is shown. Our girls are going to get to write questions down on a piece of paper anonymously and we and other mothers (mandatory that they must be there that night) will answer them. We are also going to have a certified GS nurse on hand for any hard questions that we may not have the correct answer for.

But what about the kids who "start" in the 4th grade and feel like a total freak?? I gave the talk to my DD's girl scout troup in the 4th grade w/ the school nurse's blessing. I say bring it up and talk about it and keep talking about it!! Information can be given in age-appropriate language but the more info, the better!!

[JennyS]

Re: girl scout meeting yesterday...

Probably one way to shut this woman up is to ask her to be your "assistant" and take part in all the GS activities. She'll probably disappear into the woodwork. Personally, I wouldn't want any part of that family. You would have nothing but trouble from her.

[AllieK]

Re: girl scout meeting yesterday...

Probably one way to shut this woman up is to ask her to be your "assistant" and take part in all the GS activities. She'll probably disappear into the woodwork. Personally, I wouldn't want any part of that family. You would have nothing but trouble from her.

That may be what she wants and is going about it in a sneaky way.