Business and Professional Women Leadership (BPW) IP

Business and Professional Women Leadership The Business and Professional Women Leadership (BPW) IP is an interest project from the Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee Council.

How do you meet professionals? How do you find out what careers are available for women? How do you establish a link between yourself and professional women in your community? In this project, you seek out professional women who are willing to work with Girl Scouts in a formal mentorship program. You learn about leadership, self-esteem, negotiation skills, parliamentary procedure, and legislation which impacts women. You gain an insight into yourself and your future while establishing lasting friendships.

To earn the GS/BPW Patch, a Cadette and/or Senior Girl Scout must complete eight of the following activities, including the three with asterisks:

1. *Attend a leadership conference where you attend workshops on self-esteem, sexual harassment, total quality "Teen Management", etc. This can be a leadership conference of any kind with similar workshops. For example, attend the BPW Youth Leadership Conference, the Edith Macy Youth Leadership Conferences, your school, or your local GS Youth Leadership conferences (see resources).
   

2. Invite local BPW members to talk with your Girl Scout troop. Discuss what each organization does and what their goals are.
   

3. Attend two meetings of organizations founded BY and FOR women - this could be a BPW meeting and another meeting of your choice. For example - a Young Women's Christian Association, Women in Communication, or Women In Science and Engineering (see resources). Discover their histories, their services for women and the community. Upon completion of the meeting, analyze in writing the following: What new things did you learn? How do you envision using this information and individuals to meet your personal goals?
   

4. *Write a personal letter concerning an issue of importance to you and women in general to an elected official, example - Congress person, Senator, Assembly person, etc. Write as many letters as needed until you receive a response.
   

5. Learn how to organize an event, meeting, or activity with mentoring from BPW members, using parliamentary procedures.
   

6. *Actively participate in a Career Development Training for a minimum of three hours. Discuss topics such as communications, negotiations and networking. This training could take place at a BPW Youth Leadership Conference, a BPW Individual Program event, or a Rotary Group Conference.
   

7. Conduct a regular meeting of your GS troop or any other type meeting and invite a parliamentarian to observe. At the end of your meeting, ask the parliamentarian to critique and correct your mistakes for future meetings. Conduct your next meeting, paying particular attention not to make the same mistakes. You should be conducting your meetings according to Roberts Rules of Order. Write a comparative analysis of your very first meeting when the parliamentarian observed and your next meeting. Invite the parliamentarian to a future meeting to discuss your improvements.
   

8. Conduct and/or participate in community events telling the Girl Scout story, and attend at least three community organizational meetings. Discuss what type of activities you or your troop participates in. Tell about the different age groups in Girl Scouting. In what statewide, nationwide, and international events/trips can girls participate?
   

9. Prepare an essay, poem, or pamphlet to support Women's History Month. Seek out women in the community to act as role models. After you have gathered all of your information, publicize the results. For example, use your local newspaper.
   

10. Become familiar with the BPW National/State Legislative Platform which includes the Introduction, Passage and Ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution. Support legislation which elevates the status of all women and work to achieve pay equity. Debate these issues with a group of individuals including a BPW representative and members of your troop. Express your feelings on the legislative platform.
    

11. Participate in the BPW's Mentoring/Choices Program or Regional Program of Excellence. Keep a log or a diary in which you write your feelings and meetings with your mentor. After the program is over, give an oral presentation to a group of friends, Girl Scout troop, etc. about your experiences in the program. Seek out a BPW member or another professional woman willing to become a mentor.

List of Council's Own Interest Projects

Patches & Badges - Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee
The Business and Professional Women Leadership (BPW) IP Patch