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.
- When will we meet and for how long? How frequently should we
schedule troop meetings?
- 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.
- Which components of the uniform
will families need to purchase? Which uniform components will the
troop provide for each girl
- 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?
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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 team for help with a troop meeting place.
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:
- Partner with troop families to make sure the girls are safe
online.
- Select a meeting platform that allows families who
may not have internet access to call in.
- 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! For
more tips on successful virtual meetings, check out the For Troop
Leaders section of 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 more
accurately reflect their status and program experience. 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). Volunteers with ten or more years
of service can become lifetime members at the discounted young alum rate.
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.