Basket of value incentives
We’ve been doing a fun thing for the last few months and I thought you might like to hear about it. We have a value of the month incentive basket. What it is… is simply a basket I’ve lined with colored tissue paper and filled with items in that months value color. Pencils, small candles, candy, socks, (we have a sox outlet) etc… I try to keep the cost down to under .50 per item. You can find a lot of 3 for a $1.00 stuff if you have a dollar store near by. I usually only put about 10-12 things in the basket. We too have 30+ girls. (Any left over stuff I save as gifts or to fill a rainbow of values basket later on) On the fast Sunday of each month I bring the filled basket and have it sitting on the table for the girls to look through. I love the ooooh’s and ahhh’s as they see what is different each month. (I bring the basket back each week all month as a reminder, and convenient center piece) On that fast day I have a stack of blank cards with a stamp of that months value (DJ inkers) stamped in the appropriate color. We explained that the girls who want to be eligible for the baskets goodies must choose a value experience or project to focus on that month. They need to turn in a written goal, on the card to me, by the following mutual night. This way they have a goal, written, that they are working on all month. For those girls who have already completed that value area or have received their medallion we ask them participate by sharing something that they did while they progressed through that area of the Personal Progress Program. It is great to see these girls motivate each other. On the last Sunday of the month I randomly draw their names from the cards that each girl submitted. She is to share how she has grown and a little bit about what she has been working on in this value. This inspires others to succeed and gives ideas to those struggling in a value area. Then she can choose something from the basket. We do this in opening exercises and try to make it short but meaningful so as not to take up class lesson time. Our girls love this and I have seen a marked increase in the goals the girls are working on. The first month we did it we only had 3 girls submit cards. But by the third month we were up to12, especially Beehives.
