Brownie Troop Government

Everyone Helps in the Troop
Your Brownie troop is your troop.  Your leaders help you all the time, but it takes every one of you to make it a good troop.  Every Brownie helps make the rules, not just one person.  Every Brownie has a turn doing the jobs that must be done at each meeting.  And, most important, all of you together decide what you are going to do at your troop meetings.

Brownie Ring
At a troop meeting, Brownies make decisions and plan what they will do in a special way.  It is called the Brownie Ring.  All the girls sit in a circle.  This makes it easy to see each other.  If your troop chooses to you might recite this poem when your Brownie ring is formed.

Round and round and round about,
Take the hand of a Brownie Scout,
Here we are in Brownie Ring,
Ready for almost anything!

There are many things to talk about in the Brownie Ring.  You will all have lots of ideas.  But, of course, not everyone can talk at once!  When you have something to say, you make the talking sign.  This is done by making the Girl Scout sign with your right hand and placing your hand down in the Brownie Ring with your fingertips touching the floor.  Then you wait until your troop leader or the girl who is leading the Brownie Ring calls your name.  That will mean it is your turn to talk.  In this way, each Brownie gets the chance to say what she thinks.  You tell what you like to do.  You listen to the other Brownies tell what they like to do.  There will be times when even good friends will not agree on the same plan for a troop.  It is at these times that Brownies vote on what will be best for the group.  Often Brownies vote by just raising their hands.  But sometimes you might want to have a secret vote.  One way to do this is for each girl to cover her eyes with one hand or arm and raise the other hand.  Then your troop leader or the girl who is leading the Brownie Ring counts the votes.

Troop Dues
Some of the best ideas your troop will think of will not cost anything.  For others, you will need some money.  This money comes from troop dues.  You pay these dues every week.  The dues are up to you.  You talk about dues in your Brownie Ring.  Then you decided, with your leader, how much your dues should be.

Committees
Suppose your troop decides to do something special, like going on a hike or giving a party.  There will be many important jobs to do.  Will everyone do all of the jobs?  You would never get done. Instead, a few of you take one job, and a few of you take another.  Then the work gets done on time.  The girls working together on a job are called a committee.  You are responsible for your part of your committee work.  Do you know what being responsible means?  It means that do will do what you say you will do.  You will do it as well as you can.  Responsible is a good word for Brownies to learn and a good thing for Brownies to be.

Officers
As you work together on committees, you learn more and more about doing your share.  You become more responsible and are able to do bigger jobs.  You may then take turns being officers.  In a Brownie troop, officers are changed often, so that everyone learns how to be one.  When all of you have taken turns being officers, your troop may be ready to elect officers.  Your leader will let you know when you are ready.  When you elect an officer, vote for the girl who can do the job best.  Suppose you want your best friend to be treasurer.  But she is not very good at math.  Would you vote for her for this job?  Your friend will understand that you are being fair if you vote for another girl.  If you are elected an officer, do the best job you can.  But you do not have to be an officer to help run your troop.  Everyone's ideas are heard in the Brownie Ring.