The Girl Scout Troop A Girl Scout Troop is a girl’s club that is held together not only by what it does, but by how it does it, and by what it believes in. What the troop does has endless variety, for the Girl Scout program offers activities that fit the interests and needs of girls in all parts of the country, indoors and out of doors, active and inactive. The program is also designed to meet the different demands of girls at three age levels:7 to 10, 10 to 15, and 15 to 18. There are arts and crafts to learn, homemaking, nature, first aid, swimming, boating, music, dancing, literature, hiking camping, and many more.* How the troop does these things is in the democratic manner. In addition to learning skills of all kinds that enrich each girl and extend her horizons, the girls learn how to work and play with others, which is the foundation of democratic citizenship. What the troop believes in is contained in the Girl Scout Promise and Laws. These contain a code of ethics that is the foundation upon which the troop builds its attitudes toward one another and toward the world. It is this code that makes each girl willing, as well as able, to share her gifts with others and to serve her community. Without such roots, the democratic way of life cannot flower. ADULTS IN THE TROOP SIUTATION Girl Scouting recognizes that such a program, such a method, and such a code cannot be practiced or learned or demonstrated without the wise guidance of adults. For this reason, no troop is complete without an adult leader. IN the majority of troops, there is also an assistant leader. These leaders themselves need help, and turn to other women and men in the community who will serve the troop either as members of a troop committee or as a program consultants. The jobs of these persons-leader, troop committee, and program consultant-are described on the pages immediately following. Suggestions and information concerning the program are contained in several handbooks published by Girl Scouts, Inc. 2 The Leader’s Job WHAT THE JOB HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE LEADER of a Girl Scout troop has the job of running the troop so that the girls have normal recreation, learn many kinds of arts and skills, and understand how to work and play together harmoniously. Qualifications. A leader should be a person of character, energy, and intelligence, and have ability to work with girls. Naturally, she is likely to be more interested in girls of one age than another, and can work with the age-level (7-10, 10-15, or 15-18) in which she is most interested. She should have time to meet with the troop regularly once a week. A leader must be at least 21 years of age, but the majority of leaders are older. The demand for leaders is always greater than the supply. Help on the Job. A leader receives a great deal of help in doing her job: she is trained both before and after she takes over a troop; she has a troop committee of three or four women, and sometimes men, who help her when called upon; she has specialists she may use to teach arts and skills; she has the backing of the local council and its numerous committees all along the line (except in the case of lone troops when the troop committee serves this purpose); and from national headquarters she can get help through training, handbooks and other publications, and personal advice. Above all she has the girls’ parents. WHAT MAKES THE JOB MORE IMPORTANT TODAY The significance of training young people to achieve and preserve the democratic way of life is readily seen in a world in which that way of life has been exterminated in some places and is being threatened in others. We have all seen that defense of the democratic way of life cannot rely upon physical forces alone, but must rely also upon the conviction of a people as to its worth and the necessity to preserve, improve, and defend it. This conviction is something that must grow as the result of finding that democracy works and is satisfying. In the Girl Scout troop the girl has an opportunity to strengthen this conviction. Youth cannot wait. 3