Basic Meeting Plans are designed to have minimal supplies and still hit the GSUSA Requirements. Most meetings can be done in a 90 minute time frame.
Items needed:
- Print out one set of Fitness Cards
- One 12” stick or dowel rod
- Hot Glue Gun
- Some yarn, twine, and/or string
- Fur, leather, other fun covering
- Assorted beads that fit on the yarn, twine, and/or string
- Print out of Respect Around the World
(Troops with a larger budget may want to each scout to make their own Talking Stick to take home, and keep one the Troop Leader makes under the scouts direction as the Troop Talking Stick.)
Respectful Movements
Information Needed: We respect ourselves by taking care of ourselves. We get a good night sleep. We eat healthy food. We make sure we’re clean and sheltered. And we make sure our body is fit and ready to do the things we want to do with it.
Action Needed: Use the Fitness Cards for each scout to draw a card and everyone does what is on the card. Reshuffle the deck each time before each scout draws a new card. Laugh if they draw the same card multiple times in a row. Continue until each scout has had at least one turn to draw a card.
(Requirement 1 Earned)
Talk it Out
Information Needed: One key way to show others respect is not to talk when they are talking. It can be hard sometimes, especially when a group is discussing things. A Talking Stick can help. If someone talks out of turn, instead of saying “be quiet” just ask “who has the Talking Stick?” When you are talking, sometimes having something to fiddle with helps get the words you want to say out. Passing a Talking Stick around makes sure everyone gets an opportunity to talk, even if someone decide to pass on their turn and just move the Talking Stick down the line.
Action Needed: As a group, use the hot glue gun to decorate the Talking Stick. Use fur, leather, other fun coverings to give the stick texture. Wrap, glue, and/or tie the yarn, twine, and/or string around it. String beads on the yarn, twine, and/or string. Let things dangle at on end or in the middle.
(Requirement 2 Earned)
Note to Leaders – For more information on how Talking Sticks are useful, see this Mini Lesson by Scouts BSA/Scouting America
Respect Around the World
Fun Activity: Role play the different ways respect is shown around the world (Respect Around the World).
(Requirement 3 Earned)
Meeting End
Scouts can practice using the Talking Stick with fun conversation starters OR play another round of the Fitness Cards until it’s time to go home.
General Notes
Note to Leaders – No Basic Plan compiled by The Badge Archive will earn multiple badges in one level. Part of being budget friendly is not costing more than the price of one official GSUSA badge per meeting.
Some badges will take two meetings to finish. This helps scouts enjoy activities and keeps the troop budget in mind by only needing one GSUSA badge for every two meetings. Troops may choose to get a fun patch for one of the meetings if scouts want a badge/patch for every meeting. Scouts can earn the fun patch if they only attend one meeting and get a fun patch and the official badge if they go to both.
The Badge Archive 