Starting a Troop for Girls - Request for advice, tips, pitfalls, etc...

[FireStone]

We're in the early stages (working with CO and Council) to kick off a girls troop for a small group of girls completing their Cub Scout journey in March. I'm going through the SM training and trying to start to formulate a plan to hit the ground running in March despite having a roster of 11-year-olds and no older scouts to teach skills and lead younger scouts. 

We have a CO on board already, same CO as our Pack and CO of a boys troop, and we initially have agreement with the boys troop to have a shared Committee. 

From a high-level perspective, I'm just curious if anyone who has been through this or watch new troops get started have any advice, recommendations, tips, tricks, cautionary tales, etc., that could help along the way in these early stages of creating a troop and thinking about those first few months and first meetings. 

What worked well? What would you do differently if you had to do it again? I know there is only so much I can do with limited resources to start, so what should a new SM in a new troop prioritize? Program? Recruiting? Fundraising? Events/activities/summer camp? All of the above? 

[Eagle94-A1]

13 minutes ago, FireStone said:

We're in the early stages (working with CO and Council) to kick off a girls troop for a small group of girls completing their Cub Scout journey in March. I'm going through the SM training and trying to start to formulate a plan to hit the ground running in March despite having a roster of 11-year-olds and no older scouts to teach skills and lead younger scouts. 

While I would  "Be Prepared" to create a new, all-girls troop, February will be when the announcement on coed troops comes out. If I was a betting man, I would put my money on coed troops.

 

[DuctTape]

It may be kind of dated, but the original Fieldbook (from late 1940s-50s) is basically a step-by-step manual of activities (called pow-wows) for a fledgling patrol (or troop of patrols). 

Table of Contents page 1

One could easily modify it with more modern equipment and skills. I bet a good prompt into ChatGPT while uploading a PowWow would be an easy way to do this. Then hand the newer version to the PLs.

[FireStone]

31 minutes ago, Eagle94-A1 said:

While I would  "Be Prepared" to create a new, all-girls troop, February will be when the announcement on coed troops comes out. If I was a betting man, I would put my money on coed troops.

 

We're moving ahead with girls-only for now, we have 2 boy troops in town already, and we are already moving along with the AOL boys preparing them to select one of those troops to join at crossover. I could be convinced to change that at some point, but that's not the plan for starting out next year regardless of what we find out in February. 

[FireStone]

If a troop is starting with 11 and 12 year olds, does it even make sense to have an SPL to start? 

[Eagle94-A1]

YES!

If you can find an old 3rd edition SMHB 2 volumes, there is a very good plan to starting a troop with new Scouts.

Funny thing is, the best SPL i ever worked with was 12 years old. He was voted in, and beat older Scouts.

 

[qwazse]

8 hours ago, FireStone said:

If a troop is starting with 11 and 12 year olds, does it even make sense to have an SPL to start? 

Of course you should be always flexible, but recruiting will go smoother if you have an SPL in place. That said, I hardly see the point of an SPL in a one patrol troop.

It doesn’t sound likely but ask around if another troop might want to loan an SPL. That’s how the troop of my youth got on an even footing when it started.