How do you keep older girls from quitting
I touched on this a bit with the "Multi-level benefits " post. Perhaps this is more info...
Kids get much busier in middle school and even worse in high school. More activities at school and sports often play a part in their participation. I have some girls who are not at meetings until after football season, due to band. Those girls participate when they can for the first couple of months and come back full time when the season is done.
I find it a good enticement that older girls get to have certain things that older girls get to do once they are "in tan". My juniors get so excited at the end of juniors to soon be "one of the big girls". We let ours change their campname at this time because they often were given a "babyish" name when they first came in Daisy or Brownies.
MEETINGS- Our middle and high school girls meet after the young ones. (1 hour young, 15 minutes together, 1 hour mid/high). They are only together at meetings for the 15 minutes we do opening/closing/announcements/circle. The older girls have enjoyed this and it nicer for leaders to not have all 45 of them there for the whole meeting.
High school girls come in early to help out at little ones meetings to earn high school service hours.
We let them decide what they want to do: earn badges, take field trips, etc. They want to do an escape room soon. If they want to do 1 whole meeting of chatting and snacking, okay! I find you must have a little time for chatting or it is hard to accomplish anything. I do more fun things often involving a race to see who can find the requested info for a badge on their phone. Throw candy to them when they are first. Anything to make it fun and less like school.
AT CAMP- We have extra privileges at camp like staying up later, playing card games with extra snacks. Our "tan girls" are allowed to bring electronics to camp and can use them when we are not doing sessions or meals. They must be CSA to go on close hikes without a leader. We have CSA camps that are offered only to these girls and they have themes better suited to older girls.
IN CHARGE- Our seniors run themed camps, badge workshops and journey in a day events to earn money. They do the planning for them at meetings so it is run their way.
BIG TRIP- We take our high school seniors on a big trip that they have earned money in seniors/Amb. The last group of 7 were taken to Disney World for a week.
AND SHES BACK- 3 of 5 who bridged to adult are now lifetime members. 2 of those girls are back with our troop as camp facilitators and fill-in leaders.
