Multi-Age Troops

Girls of different ages can work well given a balance of activities, lots of discussion, and leader support.

By Patricia J. Paddock, staff writer

These days, Girl Scout troops can come in all shapes and sizes. They can be one troop of Brownie Girl Scouts from first to third grades working to complete Try-It activities. They can be a group of 9-, 10-, and 11-year-olds planning an overnight trip, while another group of fifth-, sixth-, and seventh-graders works on Junior Girl Scout badges.
While multi-age troops take different forms, they all have important things in common: lots of energy and discussion, activities that are fun and accessible to everyone, support from parents and staff, and caring, involved leaders.

Why do leaders take on multi-age troops? "It just made sense," said Dawnelle, of Huntington Beach, California "Think about it: The girls are in classrooms all day with kids the same age and in the same grade. I think they get a more well-rounded Girl Scout experience when you mix kids of different ages together. They get excited about things they might not have explored on their own."

The Challenges

Managing a multi-age troop presents unique challenges. "We have many meetings where we have 20 girls in four different groups, doing four to five different things," Dawnelle said before admitting that she's lucky enough to have four to five adult helpers for almost every meeting. "They all have training, and our skills complement each other."

Cheryl of Girl Scouts–Mile Hi Council, and her co-leader Karen have found that a team approach works best. "We're all a team," said Cheryl, "the two of us and all the girls." Cheryl explains that they choose to do some activities at a middle level—more challenging for the younger ones, less complex for the older ones."

"It's at these times," Cheryl continued, "that the leadership opportunities are naturally taken up by the twelve- and thirteen-year-olds."

Support Needed

Cheryl and Karen have been advising their multi-age troop since the youngest girls were in first grade and oldest girls were in fifth. "My Service Exec, Penny, was great," Cheryl explained. "When I first went to her with this idea, she said that she had done a similar thing years ago, and that it would be fun."

Cheryl doubted that she'd be leading this type of troop if she hadn't had Penny's support. "If she'd hesitated at all, I'm sure I would have thought that it just couldn't be done." And the council's willingness to see the troop as having unique needs has been greatly appreciated, too. "They understand the need for flexibility as we operate between two different sets."

Advising a Multi-Age Troop

• Have the girls share their interests. Who knows what they'll like until they try it once?
• Help the girls find awards with similar topics, like the Watching Wildlife Brownie Try-It, the Wildlife Junior Girl Scout Badge, or Interest Project.
• Remember: It's not just about awards. Let the girls decide what they want to do, and how they want to work things out.
• Give the girls a chance to work both within their age-level and across it. The age-level groups pick out awards to work on, but the whole troop decides on troop activities—how they'll take part in World Thinking Day, for example, or what kind of trips they want to take.
• Suggest activities outside of the normal meetings for each set of girls. Look at age-appropriate council, county, or statewide events.

Adapted from LEADER, Summer 2004. © Girl Scouts of the United States of America.