 | What: A program to encourage established troops to recruit, mentor and register new troops.
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Benefits for Established and New Troops
Established troops that recruit, meet at least twice with, and help get a new troop registered with all required paperwork (volunteer applications, registrations, and bank account materials) by June 15, 2009 receive
- One $20 gift certificate to be used at a GSCTX Girl Scout Shop
- A certificate of accomplishment for the troop’s scrapbook (troops/leaders may earn only one incentive package per year)
- Volunteer hours for the President’s Volunteer Service Award (girls and adults must track and submit their hours)
Other benefits include:
- A strengthened Girl Scout program in your community. A new troop means more opportunities for joint events, service, and friendship. New troop leaders also bring new ideas, energy, and resources to the service unit.
- Living the Promise and Law, especially "being a sister to every Girl Scout." We cannot stop extending a hand to new girls and adults until everyone has been offered a place in Girl Scouting.
- Opportunities for badge work. For instance, if girls plan a science activity for one of the joint troop meetings, they can use this work towards one of the science badges. Junior, Cadette, and Senior Girl Scouts can use the activities done for this patch program to help complete their Bronze, Silver, and/or Gold Award requirements.
- Involve your troop in your service work and earn incentives at the same time! Adult mentors, organizers and school reps. could combine their service team activities with their troop activities to complete this program.
How to Recruit Girls and Leaders
- Partner with your Service Unit Troop Organizer and/or school coordinator so you don’t duplicate current recruitment efforts and you find out where "gaps" might exist in your local area. For instance, your service unit might be low on girls in Kindergarten, girls who are home-schooled, girls who attend private schools, or girls who are Spanish speaking. Use this knowledge and your own community connections to focus your efforts.
- Help recruit girls and adult leadership through schools, churches, sports teams, etc. to form a new troop.
- Host a bring-a-friend event.
- Talk to caring adults you know about the possibilities of becoming a Girl Scout leader and/or signing their daughters up for Girl Scouts.
- Write up and submit brief articles about Girl Scouts for any newsletters you might receive (i.e: clubs that you belong to, church bulletins, PTA newsletters, etc.). Please be sure to share your publication with your area Membership Development Executive.
- Place a sign on your desk at work or wear your Girl Scout clothing or pins to start conversations with co-workers and clients about Girl Scouts.
- Determine the gaps in your service unit where Girl Scouts are not as prevalent and try to recruit in those areas.
- Contact your School Coordinator, Service Unit Organizer or Membership staff for any names that might be on the waiting list.
Celebrate your successes!
- Membership staff and/or Service Unit Managers will recognize the participating troops at their leaders' meetings to thank girls and leaders for their hard work and to introduce the new leaders.
- Troop leaders may plan celebrations with the girls to recognize all that they did to accomplish their goals.
- Troops may work with their service unit PR Rep, if available, to publicize their efforts.
- Girls decide how they would like to continue their relationship with their new sister troop and to spend their Girl Scout Shop gift certificate, if applicable.
