Parents and community members make a key difference in the lives of girls by guiding them through the Girl Scout experience! At GSEWNI, we want leading a troop to be a great time, which is why we'll support you every step of the way. We provide our leaders:
Many parents have at least a few questions before standing up to lead their daughter’s troop. Here are a few of the most frequent questions we hear:
Decide to be a role model by joining Girl Scouts as a troop leader!
You can start reviewing the training resources available to you: Training & Support.
Start looking for other adults to help!
Together, you'll need to decide on a meeting location, meeting frequency (day and start time), meeting start date (when you plan to start holding meetings), and what grade level (or levels!) your troop will include.
A troop needs at least two un-related, background check adults (one of whom must be female) to get started, and most leaders also look for additional help throughout the year. Troops can have more than two leaders, and they typically have additional volunteers to help with the Cookie Program, Fall Product Sale, as well as other adults to pitch in with snacks, field trips, and other activities.
Parents of other girls in your troop are prime candidates to help out, but adults from the community might love this opportunity too. We can recruit online for your troop, but people tend to have the most fun with adults they know in real life.
Pick a Day, Time, and Location for Troop Meetings
It’s a great idea to start thinking about how your troop will get together right away. You can start contacting potential venues now as you complete your registration and on-boarding to find a good meeting space. Keep in mind:
Set up your new troop.
Fill out the New Troop Request to notify us about your interest in starting a new troop.
It's time to start spreading the word about your new troop!
It’s never too early to start spreading the word about your new Girl Scout troop. Even while you wait to complete your on-boarding and get a troop number, you can talk to your daughter’s friends, your neighbors, and other families in the community to make sure that your daughter will have a lively troop. As a bonus, more girls usually means more adults who will be happy to help you lead this troop. We have several Recruitment Resources to help you spread the word.
In addition to your word of mouth efforts, any open girl or volunteer spots will be listed in our online Opportunity Catalog, so you can reach additional girls that way.
Our staff will work closely with you to help support the formation of your new troop!
Troops are required to have a minimum of 5 girls. At GSEWNI we encourage Troops to have 12 girls. However, we understand that every Troop is different and we will work with you to create the best possible experience for both you and the girls in your Troop!
Get ready for your first troop meeting.
Purchase a copy of the Girls Guide to Girl Scouting for your troop to share. Review lesson plans by visiting the Volunteer Tool Kit.
Stay in touch.
