Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Get quick answers to some of the questions most often asked about Girl Scouts of Central Texas.
Camp – Rent and Reserve Camp Facilities
Connect with Girl Scouts of Central Texas
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Highest Awards (Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards)
Membership Spring Renewal (April – June)
How do I make a reservation for weekend camping? 
How many activities can a troop do during a weekend reservation?
What if I don’t know how many Girl Scouts are going to do a particular activity?
Can adults participate in camp activities?
My Girl Scout has special dietary needs, can we still purchase a meal pass?
Are weekend camping reservations only available to Girl Scout members?
Can I see photos of the camp facilities?
How do I pay the balance due on my camp reservation?
What is the cancellation/refund policy?
Where can I find a map of the campsite?
What forms do Girl Scouts need to complete before camp?
How do I register for summer camp?
What forms do I need to complete before camp?
If a session is full, can my camper get on a waitlist?
Is there financial assistance for summer camp?
Can I use my Girl Scout’s Program Credits to pay for camp?
What is the cancellation/refund policy?
Does my camper need to be a Girl Scout to attend camp?
Can I register my camper for a camp session that is designated for Girl Scouts older/younger than they are?
What special precautions are taken to deal with the extreme Texas summer heat?
What are the Service Center and Shop hours?
How do I manage my email preferences (subscribe/unsubscribe)?
How can I get the best support from Customer Care?
Do Girl Scouts run background checks on their volunteers?
How does someone get a criminal background check completed?
What is covered in a criminal background check?
How often are criminal background checks required?
How long does it take for a criminal background check to be approved?
What is GSCTX's discrimination policy?
How do I use the Event List or Event Calendar to find events?
What are the steps to register for an event/training using the Event List or Event Calendar?
What are the steps to register for an event using Find Events in gsEvents?
Why am I being redirected to another site to finish my registration?
How do I register my troop for an activity online?
How do a I cancel an event registration?
Can I use Program Credits to pay for a program event?
The event says that there are waivers that need to be completed. How do I find these?
How do I pay the balance due for an event?
I accidentally added an event or extra person that I don’t need. How do I clear it out of my cart?
I’m having some trouble with gsEvents. How can I get help?
What are the Bronze/Silver/Gold Awards?
What is the highest award a Junior Girl Scout can earn?
What is the highest award a Cadette Girl Scout can earn?
How do I get started with the Silver Award project?
Where can I find my Silver Award Consultant?
What is the highest award a Senior/Ambassador Girl Scout can earn?
How do I get started with the Gold Award project?
Does GSCTX offer scholarships for Gold Award recipients?
Where can I find the paperwork needed for the Bronze/Silver/Gold awards?
Where do I turn in my Bronze/Silver/Gold award paperwork?
When are the Girl Scout Silver and Gold Award deadlines?
How do I get my award letter and pin?
Can you tell me more about the cost, duration, and benefit of registering as a Girl Scout?
If I register online, how does my girl get placed in a troop?
What is the minimum age/grade for joining Girl Scouts?
Must I be a registered member to participate in Girl Scouts?
Do I need to register every year? How do we register?
I want to know if there is a troop available before I register.
I'm considering becoming a new troop leader, but I'm concerned about the cost of membership. Is there assistance available?
I have requested financial assistance for membership. What happens next?
What materials will my Girl Scout need to begin their Girl Scouting experience?
How do I renew a membership?
How do I register or renew my troop members?
Which membership registrations cannot be done online?
Are there instances when a membership can be refunded?
Who can purchase a Lifetime Membership and what are the benefits and advantages of a Lifetime Membership?
What are the different types of Lifetime Memberships available?
What are the Spring Renewal incentives and what are the deadlines for taking advantage of them?
Can my Girl Scout use Program Credits earned during the cookie program to pay for their membership renewal?
How do I renew my Girl Scout's membership using Program Credits when they haven’t yet received their new Program Credit card number?
I don't know how many Program Credits my Girl Scout earned. How do I find out?
Can Girl Scouts use carryover Program Credits earned in previous years to renew their membership?
If a Girl Scout has less than $25 in Program Credits, can they still use Program Credits to renew their membership?
Can I apply for financial assistance if my Girl Scout has Program Credits?
I'm a troop leader and would like to renew all of my Girl Scouts. Some have Program Credits and some do not. Can I still renew them all?
Can my Girl Scout use Program Credits earned during the cookie program to buy a Girl Scout membership for someone else?
What is a Young Alum Lifetime Membership and who is eligible to purchase one? Can I use Program Credits or carryover credits to purchase it?
I'm a Lifetime Member and also a troop leader. What incentives am I eligible for?
I've already renewed myself and/or my Girl Scout for Membership Year 2024. Is there still a way to take advantage of the Spring Renewal incentives?
How are renewal percentages calculated for troop and service unit incentives?
I'm not part of the Girl Scouts of Central Texas council. Can I still take advantage of Spring Renewal offers?
Are membership dues transferrable from one year to another or from one person to another?
How is a membership transferred from one troop to another within GSCTX?
How can I make a request to transfer a membership from another Girl Scout council into GSCTX?
How can I make a request to transfer a membership to another Girl Scout council from GSCTX?
How do Individually Registered Girls (IRG) participate in fall/cookie product programs?
What is the Fall Product Program?
Besides earning money, what are the benefits of participating in the cookie program?
Does my Girl Scout have to sell cookies?
How/where do I go about getting a cookie booth?
What is the Cookie Captain Program?
What are Program Credits?
What should Girl Scouts do when earning money for their troop outside of council-sponsored product program?
What can a troop leader do if a Girl Scout is not participating in the cookie program?
My Girl Scout sold over enough boxes of cookies to earn a free week of camp. How do we redeem it?
How do I know what uniform and uniform pieces to get my new Girl Scout?
Does the GSCTX shop carry Girl Scout t-shirts and other items besides uniforms?
When I buy online, does that money benefit only GSUSA?
Can I use Program Credit online?
What is involved in a bank account request?
Are there different forms for troop bank accounts and service unit bank accounts?
How many cards are issued for a troop and/or service unit bank account?
Will there be service charges toward my troop and/or service unit bank account?
What are the requirements for signers on a troop bank account?
What are the requirements for signers on a service unit bank account?
I am changing signers on my troop's/service unit's bank account. Where can I list the signer(s) I want removed?
My troop is disbanding and I need to close our bank account. What should I do first?
My troop is not disbanding but I need to close our bank account because we are changing banks. What should I do first?
I am closing a bank account for a troop that retired before the current membership year and my signers do not have an active membership or background check. What do I do?
What will a member do as a Girl Scout?
How do I learn about new program content from GSUSA?
How can I help individuals feel more a part of Girl Scouts and the troop?
What does girl-led mean?
What is a Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting?
When planning activities, what should be considered?
What is a Journey series?
How can I deliver a quality Girl Scout Leadership Experience?
What can leaders do to help the troop begin their Journey for the year?
What is the difference between "service" and "take action"?
Can my Girl Scout work on badges, Journeys, and awards without their troop?
What are SWAPS?
What are bridging ceremonies?
What are Destinations?
What is Volunteer Essentials?
What information is listed in the participation catalog for my troop?
How can I view open troops in the participation catalog?
Does the participation catalog show multi-age troops?
What is the minimum and/or recommended troop size?
How do I update the participation catalog information for my troop?
If I have an opening mid-year in my troop, how do I share the vacancy using the participation catalog?
What if I don't know the new member who joined my troop?
Can my troop opt-out of the participation catalog?
Can I close enrollment to my troop?
How do I find service unit volunteer positions in the participation catalog?
How does a new troop leader request a particular troop number?
How do I register or renew my troop members?
What does the status column mean on my troop's roster?
What if a member is not returning, or is unsure if they will return to the troop next year?
What if a member did not participate in the current year, but would like to participate next year?
What happens after I renew the troop?
Can I renew a 12th grade graduating Girl Scout as an adult or purchase a Lifetime Membership for them?
How does a new member register for my troop or how can I register a new member?
One of the adults volunteered to help with my troop! How can I add their volunteer role?
How do I get more adults to join the troop as volunteers?
Should caregivers register as members?
What happens if members don't renew by September 30?
What should I do if someone says they registered for my troop, but they are not listed on my troop roster?
How do I request a transfer from one troop to another?
How do I update an address after I, or one of my troop members, moves?
Where can I find the safety guidelines for a troop?
What are Safety Activity Checkpoints?
What should I do in the case of an emergency during a troop activity?
Can volunteers who work in the healthcare field serve as first aiders?
Where can I take CPR/first aid classes? Does online CPR/first aid training fulfill GSCTX requirements?
What type of insurance is provided by GSUSA and who is covered?
Where is the insurance form (Mutual of Omaha)?
If a new member joins before the start of a membership year, are they covered under insurance? What about lapsed members?
What volunteer training is offered online vs. in-person?
What is gsLearn?
Where can I find gsLearn?
Who has access to gsLearn?
I am a registered adult member and I don't have access to gsLearn. What do I need to do?
Why do I not see anything in the content library when I log into gsLearn?
Is gsLearn mobile friendly?
I am taking the training on my tablet or on a smaller screen and I can't see the entire screen at once, what do I do?
How do I know what courses are required for me?
Can I take any courses I want?
What is the gsLearn content library?
What is the difference between a course, a module, and a learning path?
What happens if I need to stop in the middle of a module?
What is the TOC button for?
What happens after I complete a course?
What if I would like to take a completed course or module over again?
Can I take CPR in gsLearn?
Why are there numbers before the courses?
How does gsLearn correlate to my previous trainings?
Can youth members access gsLearn?
What are achievements?
Do I need to keep a copy of my certificates?
When do I have to re-take a course?
Will my previous training records be stored in gsLearn? Where will in-person training event records and non-gsLearn online records be tracked?
I'm a service unit director or service unit lead of membership and volunteer support. How do I view the gsLearn training records for volunteers in my service unit?
What if I am transferring between councils? Will my learning history transfer to my new council?
What trainings from other councils are accepted by our council? What GSCTX trainings are accepted by other councils?
What if I find an error in a training?
I have ideas for additional trainings! Who do I tell?
Can my troop participate in money earning programs?
I have members transferring to other troops. Does the money they have raised go with them?
My troop is disbanding. What should we do with our funds?
May I accept donations (sponsorships) to my troop?
One of the adults in my troop works for an employer that offers matching gifts and volunteer service hours. How do they ensure that the funds are donated to our troop?
What approval is needed to participate in additional money earning programs
What can Girl Scouts use Program Credits for?
What are troop dues?
What are the steps to start a troop?
Can I have a multi-level troop or do I need individual troop numbers for each grade level?
What are the requirements for becoming a troop leader?
Can relatives be troop leaders? Can men be troop leaders?
How are troop leaders informed of service unit meetings?
I am resigning from my leader position and do not have a new leader recruited, what should I do?
When can a new troop start holding meetings in the Fall?
How long are troop meetings?
What activities do troop meetings typically include?
Where can we hold our troop meetings?
How many volunteers must be present at every meeting/event?
I have Girl Scouts in my troop of various religions/no religion. How can I accommodate them when saying the Girl Scout Promise?
I have a Girl Scout who is behaving inappropriately or bullying during troop meetings. How should I handle this?
What is the Activity and Travel Application (ATA)?
What is the difference between troop travel and a large gathering? Can a service unit campout be a large gathering?
What does customer care look for in my ATA?
How do I make changes to an ATA after it has been submitted or approved?
What is a high-risk activity?
When do I need to provide evidence of certification for my troop's high-risk activity? What do I need to submit?
What is the Volunteer Driver Form and when is it required?
What is the proper adult-to-girl safety ratio? How do I know how many adults I need for my ATA?
My troop is planning to stay at an Airbnb, VRBO, or similar private rental. What do I need to provide as documentation of liability insurance?
COVID-19 and troop travel: Where can I find more information about GSCTX's COVID-19 guidelines so I can better prepare for my trip?
What do I need to know to plan international troop travel, including cruises?
What is a tagalong?
My troop travel roster includes non-member children that can participate in the troop's activities. Are there any additional procedures I need to follow?
I do not have a Windows computer and am not able to download the Excel file for the Troop Travel Roster. What can I do?
When do I need to purchase additional insurance for my troop travel or gathering? Who is covered?
What training courses/certifications do I need for my ATA?
Do my training/certifications expire?
What is the Volunteer Toolkit (VTK)?
Are multi-level troops supported by VTK?
