Juliettes/Individual Scouts Am I Understanding How It Workks

Hi,
You can sign your daughter us as an individual girl scout and NOT be in a particular troup, as a "juliette" girl scout. She would then earn her patches at home, following the ideas in the book with you or on her own, depending on her age. You would order the patches yourself for her online to put on her sash or vest, or whatever uniform or even any other place you desire to put them after she has earned them. How old is she? Why don't you want her to be in a troup? Is it mainly because of the cookie and magazine sales? Do you not have time during the week for the troop meetings? Also, as an individual girl scout, you are still allowed to participate in several of the GS sponsored events such as camping, and dy events at museums that are advertised in their newsletters which once you become a registered member you will get emaied to you. I would reccomend to become a registered adult if you are going to register your child independant, that way you will be allowed to accompany her to any and all girl scout events and properties that she may want to go to. (some are not open to unregistered people, including parents because of insurance issues) The adult membership fees are not that much, I believe it is only $25 per year, the same as the girl's. also, you can order the patches ahead of time, and then work on them when you like and give it to your child as soon as she earns it. This is what I have done for my daughter. She likes to see what she is working toward, and it is much more incentive if she knows that she will be getting it immediatly and will not have to wait for me to order it and have it shipped. I order them a bunch at a time to save on shipping. We have done some of them with a few friends who are also registered as independants too, to make it a little more fun. Just keep track of the activities that you do for each patch, for your own records, and also in case girl scouts ever questioned you on what you did to earn the patches. (I doubt they wouldm but maybe at the older ages) I keep a spiral notebook with each patch earned, along with the activities we did to earn it, and we also have my daughters try it book that she fills in as she goes. It's part of her earning her patches. Most of the patches are really fun to earn, and are all teaching her really great lessons for life. I hope this is helpful to you! Oh, and if you were a girl scout as a child, depending on for how long, you may not have to pay the adult fee to be a member. I was for many years, so I am a lifetime member at no cost. Good luck, and enjoy!

Check with your local Girl Scout Council for the full details -- you would have to register her with the council anyway, and the council will have the rules. She can't be a Juliette unless she's registered and they might encourage you to register as an adult member as well, since they usually advise that each Juliette have a registered adult "adviser."

If your objection to a troop is based on her "having" to sell cookies, please be aware that no Girl Scout is ever required to sell anything -- parents can opt out of having girls do any GS activity and that includes cookie sales, so a girl can be in a troop and still not sell things if her parents want to opt out. I'm not sure what you mean about "not attend any training meetings" -- do you mean training for her, or some kind of training for you? Girls don't go to "training meetings" but GS troop leaders do. (Yep, I'm a troop leader.)

Your council should put you in touch with the more local unit of all the troops in an area, called a Service Unit. If she's a Juliette in a Service Unit (SU), the SU is where you can find out about events she can attend -- you don't have to be in a troop to attend GS events like Thinking Day, GS days at local sports team games, GS dances and social events, and badge workshops (earn a badge in a day, etc.).

If you want her to be a Juliette because you have some kind of concern about the troops available at her school, etc., please know that girls usually can join any troop that has room for new girls. It doesn't necessarily have to be at her school or in your neighborhood, though in some areas the troops are heavily "at school, after school" troops -- that doesn't have to be the only option. You can talk confidentially to your Service Unit manager if you might want her in a troop but have an issue with the ones you know of locally. Otherwise -- have lots of fun with Juliettes!

Your daughter can join a troop so she can earn her badges with other girls but she doesn't have to sell cookies. Yes, after the badges are earned, you can purchase them at the store or on-line.