Depending on the ages of your girls, you might take the lead in
guiding the structure and experiences of your troop—from how and when
meetings are held to how the troop communicates, from steering
girl-led activities to setting financial expectations. You’ll make
these decisions collaboratively with your volunteer team or co-leader,
as well as with input from the girls and their parents and caregivers.
Use these questions to guide your conversation with your troop
committee volunteers or co-leader before discussing these topics with
parents and caregivers.
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When will we meet and for how long? How frequently should we
schedule troop meetings?
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Where will we meet? Your meeting space should be somewhere safe,
clean, and secure that allows all girls to participate. Some great
meeting space ideas include schools, places of worship, libraries,
and community centers. If working with teens, consider meeting at
coffee shops, bookstores, or other places they enjoy.
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Which components of the uniform will families need to
purchase? Which uniform components will the troop provide for each
girl?
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Will our troop be a single grade level or facilitated
as a multi-level troop with girls of many grade levels
combined into one troop? If multi-level, how will we make sure
they each get an age-appropriate experience?
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How will we keep troop activities and decisions girl-led? Use
the Volunteer Toolkit to help you through this process by
exploring options for activities and reviewing the meeting plans
and resources lists.
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How often are we going to communicate to troop families? Which
channels will we use to keep families in the loop? Effective
communication will
help set expectations and clarify parent/ caregiver
responsibilities.
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Will our troop charge dues, use product program proceeds, and/or
charge per activity? How much money will we need to cover supplies
and activities? What
should our financial plan look like?
Choosing a Meeting Place
What makes a great
meeting space? It depends on your troop, but here are a few
considerations as you visit potential spaces:
Cost: The space should be free to use.
Size: Make sure the space is large enough for the whole group
and all planned activities.
Availability: Be sure the space is available for the day and
the entire length of time you want to meet.
Resources: Ask if tables and chairs come with the room and
ensure that the lighting is adequate. A bonus would be a cubby of some
sort where you could store supplies or a safe outdoor space for activities.
Safety: Potential spaces must be safe, secure, clean, properly
ventilated, heated (or cooled, depending on your location), free from
hazards, and have at least two exits that are well marked and fully
functional. Also be sure first-aid equipment is on hand.
Facilities: It goes without saying, but make sure that toilets
are sanitary and accessible.
Communication-friendly: Check for cell reception in the
potential space and whether Wi-Fi is available.
Allergen-free: Ensure that pet dander and other common
allergens won’t bother susceptible girls during meetings.
Accessibility: Your space should accommodate girls with
disabilities as well as parents with disabilities who may come to meetings.
Meeting in Homes FAQs
Need a few talking points to get
started? Try:
“I’m a Girl Scout volunteer with a group of [number of girls] girls.
We’re doing lots of great things for girls and for the community,
like [something your group is doing] and [something else your troop is
doing]. We’re all about leadership—the kind that girls use in their
daily lives and the kind that makes our community better. We’d love to
hold our meetings here because [reason why you’d like to meet there].”
Stuck and need additional support? Contact your council or
your service unit support unit team for help with a troop meeting place.
GSLPG does not permit in home meetings at a private residence.
Virtual Meetings
If your group or troop
can’t meet in person or hold a traditional meeting, there are so
many ways to bring the power of Girl Scouting home! Meeting
virtually can be a fun, engaging option for your troop.
Before
setting up a virtual meeting, you’ll want to:
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Select a meeting platform that allows families who may not have
internet access to call in.
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Think about logistics: work with the girls to set up ground
rules; consider how you’ll incorporate in-person meeting
traditions in your virtual space and how you’ll keep the meeting
on track.
-
Talk with families on how
to keep activities girl-led if your girls will be completing
them from home.
And don't worry if your girls want to use a web or social platform
you’re not as familiar with, because you’ll learn alongside
them! You’ll also find lots of inspiring badge activities and tips
on Girl
Scouts at Home.
Girl Scout Troop Size
The troop size “sweet
spot” is large enough to provide an interactive and cooperative
learning environment and small enough to encourage individual
development. Though the ideal troop size is 12 girls, we recommend
that groups be no fewer and no more than:
• Girl Scout Daisies: 5–12 girls
• Girl Scout Brownies: 10–20 girls
• Girl Scout Juniors 10–25 girls
• Girl Scout Cadettes: 5–25 girls
• Girl Scout Seniors: 5–30 girls
• Girl Scout Ambassadors: 5–30 girls
A Girl Scout troop/group must have at minimum five girls and two
approved adult volunteers. (Double-check the volunteer-to-girl ratio
chart to make sure you’ve got the right amount of coverage for
your troop!) Adults and girls registering in groups of fewer than five
girls and/or two approved, unrelated adult volunteers, at least one of
whom is female, will be registered as individual Girl Scouts
to reflect their status and program experience more accurately.
Individual girls are always welcome to participate in Girl Scout
activities and events.
Registering Girls and Adults in Girl Scouting
Every participant (girl
or adult) in Girl Scouting must register and become a member of Girl
Scouts of the USA (GSUSA). GSUSA membership dues are valid for one
year. Membership dues cannot be transferred to another member and
are not refundable.
Preregistration for the upcoming membership year occurs in the
spring. Girls are encouraged to register early to avoid the fall rush.
Early registration allows for uninterrupted receipt of forms and
materials from the council, helps girls and councils plan ahead, and
gets girls excited about all the great stuff they want to do as Girl
Scouts next year. Girl Scout grade level is determined by the current
membership year beginning October 1.
Lifetime
membership is available to anyone who accepts the principles and
beliefs of the Girl Scout Promise and Law, pays the one-time lifetime
membership fee, and is at least 18 years old (or a high school
graduate or equivalent).
Adding New Girls to Your Troop
Growing your troop is a
great way to share the power of the Girl Scout experience and there
are many ways to get the word out, like hanging posters at your
girls’ schools, using social media to reach families in your
community, or including your troop in your council’s Opportunity
Catalog or Troop Catalog.
Information about the GSLPG Opportunity Catalog is here. It is important to make
sure that your troop meeting place and grade level(s) are accurate
yearly. If you would like marketing materials or information on how
to best expand your troop contact us
here and
we will provide help specifically for your troop.