Putting Together a Calendar

One of the camp planning blocks that girls and leaders stumble on is how to fit it in with everything else they want to do during the membership year. The solution is:

• Identify the date of the camping trip.

• List all the skills and information girls will have to learn before the trip takes place.

• Put the skills and information in a logical sequence (in other words are there basic skills and information needed before another skill can be learned?).

• Determine how many meetings and outside meeting activities are going to be needed to learn the skills and information.

• Put the skills and information gathering in their logical sequence on the troop calendar of meetings and outside activities along with everything else the girls have decided to do during the year.

• Review the calendar to see where skills and information are duplicated. For instance, girls are going to take a field trip to the science museum in addition to going on a camping trip. There are several safety pieces (buddy system, meeting points in case of separation, etc.) that apply to both activities, so personal safety can be covered with whatever trip takes place first.

Another planning technique that can be used to make sure that girls leave for the camping trip fully prepared is to think of it as planning backwards. This is accomplished using the steps outlined above. Put the date of the camping trip on the calendar. Working backwards from that date, add the skills, information, and arrangements for the trip to be included in each meeting until everything is on the calendar. Now you know when girls will need to begin preparing for the camping trip (including learning the necessary skills and information).

Example: A Junior Girl Scout troop has decided to work on two badges, a Take Action project for the community related to the Journey they have chosen, have a family event, and go on a two-day camping trip. The troop has a 2 hour meeting each week. Here is their projected calendar from September to the date of the camping trip in May:

What are the skills and information the girls will need for the camping trip?

In looking at this calendar, can you determine where the skills and information girls will need for the overnight are being covered during meetings or outside meeting activities?