Where are troop meetings held?
Your meeting space needs to be a safe, clean, and secure environment that allows all Girl Scouts to participate. Good options include:
How much time will I need to dedicate as a leader?
We value your time! Being a troop leader can be made to fit your schedule. Most leaders spend about three hours preparing for and leading meetings. We recommend meeting twice per month; however, some troops choose to meet more or less frequently. Meetings can be planned ahead of time in the Volunteer Toolkit—our online planning tool full of extensive programs and activities that you can incorporate into your yearly plan.
How do I know what activities to do with Girl Scouts?
The Volunteer Toolkit gives you access to a whole year of Girl Scout fun by age level. Year plans come with pre-populated sets of meetings that give you plenty of ideas for activities and all the resources you need at your fingertips. Your year plan is fully customizable. You can even track Girl Scouts’ attendance and achievements!
What support is available for me as a leader?
Each troop has at least two leaders, so you will have a partner to help lead and to share the fun. We encourage you to invite another caregiver or friend to co-lead with you, or we can work with you and your community to help connect you with a co-leader.
We provide online and in-person training for leaders that you can complete at your convenience, and we provide detailed activity plans that make it easy to get meetings going. You’ll also have access to our dedicated volunteer support team for guidance.
How do I get youth to join my troop?
It’s never too early to start spreading the word about your new Girl Scout troop! Even while you wait to complete your onboarding and get a troop number, you can talk to friends, your neighbors, and other families in the community to make sure that your Girl Scouts will have a lively troop. Before you host your first official meeting, you should aim to recruit at least eight Girl Scouts and one or more additional adult volunteers (who are not related to you) to create a thriving Girl Scout troop.
The youth and adult recruitment process should be about three to four weeks.
In addition to your word-of-mouth efforts, our recruitment team can help you with recruiting Girl Scouts, providing resources to help you spread the word.
Are parents required to volunteer?
While parents are not required to volunteer, we strongly recommend all caregivers and adults be registered and background-checked so they can support the leaders at meetings and events when necessary.
Parents are also vital in the optimization of a troop!
Parents who wish to assist with the Girl Scout Cookie Program, troop finances, transportation, chaperone trips, and other volunteer-related activities, must complete a criminal background check.
Studies show that the most successful troops have the full support and participation of the Girl Scout’s family!
