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:
Convenient, online trainings that give you everything you need
on your schedule.
Activity Plans to help you quickly
and easily prepare for meetings.
Individual guidance from
our Volunteer Support team.
Flexibility—leaders set the
troop meeting times and locations.
Common Questions About Leading Girl Scouts
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:
How Much Time Will I Need?
How much of a time commitment would work best with your schedule?
We recommend you set your troop schedule and level of investment to
match the time you have available. Some troops meet weekly, some
monthly, but most leaders are able to have troops meet twice each
month through the school year.
We have resources to help you engage other volunteers to help run
the troop, allowing you to share the duties with other parents. You’ll
also have access to the Volunteer Toolkit (VTK) where meeting details
can be planned out ahead of time.
I Don't Know How to Do the Things Girl Scouts Do.
Deciding to take the lead means you have already taken the first step
as a Girl Scout! Becoming a mentor and leader for girls is just as
important as learning all about what Girl Scouts do.
Each new leader will receive an extensive set of resources and is
required to take a Welcome to Girl Scouts training, taught by our
council staff or designated volunteer facilitators. Our program Guide
Books are exciting and easy to teach from. Our Volunteer Toolkit (VTK)
is your digital troop assistant and gives you program content and
other resources to manage your troop planning all year long. And most
important, you’ll become a part of our sisterhood of Girl Scouts where
fellow, more experienced, leaders provide you with support and
guidance as they are invested in your success and the success of the
girls in the community.
What Support or Help Is There for Leaders?
You will have one-on-one support from Council to start off
successfully as you form your new Girl Scout troop. All Girl Scout
troops are led by two or more co-leaders. We encourage you to invite
another parent or friend to support you because you know what kind of
partner you need the most AND it’s going to be so much fun! We can
work with you and your community to help connect you with a co-leader.
Once you have gotten a start, you and your co-leader will be
connected with the council’s First Year Experience Staff. Your First
Year Experience Staff will provide specialized support to you as a
leader through training, guidance, and helping you to create strong
connections to the Girl Scout community. Your area’s Troop Support
Staff is also invested in your journey as a new Girl Scout Volunteer
and will reach out to you each month of the year. Our Customer Care
Team is able to meet many of your basic needs and answer questions for
you and your new troop members.
The very best support you never knew you needed will be the local
Service Unit for the area or town your troop is located. Each Service
Unit meets monthly and you’ll be connected to a network of volunteers
that are ‘in the know’ when it comes to girl scouts and supporting you
as a volunteer and successful new leader.
Let us know you if you have questions or concerns about starting a
new troop.
You might not have enough time or maybe you want to make sure you’re
a good fit for leading a troop. These things are important to us, too.
Set up a time to talk with the membership staff in your area by
calling or emailing our Customer Care at 509-747-8091 or customercare@gsewni.org
Fill out the New Troop Request
If you think you might be ready to get started or you’ve already
talked with our membership staff fill out the form above. This will
allow us to direct our support for you and take the next steps together.
You are going to be the best person to find your co-leader and
recruit parents who want to start a Girl Scout troop with you. Share
your excitement and let your friends know they are welcome to join
this journey.
A troop needs at least two un-related, background check approved
adults (one of whom must be a woman) to get started, and most leaders
also look for additional help throughout the year. Troops can have
more than two leaders, and they typically fill their Troop Committee
with 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.
Decide Where You'll Meet!
It’s a great idea to start thinking about where your troop will meet
right away. You can start contacting potential venues now as you
complete your registration and on-boarding to find a good meeting
space. Your meeting space needs to be a safe, clean, and secure
environment that allows all girls to participate. Good options include:
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 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. Your own social network wants to know what’s happening in your
life, so share your news on your personal social media pages. In
addition to your word of mouth efforts, any open girl or volunteer
spots will be listed in our onlineOpportunity 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!
Get ready for your first troop meeting.
Once you have met with your area’s membership staff and have become
the leader of your new troop, you’ll want to host a parent/caregivers
meeting as your first troop meeting. Start thinking of a date and
place for this first meeting. Invite council membership staff or a
local leader to attend and support you in providing your new troop
parents/caregivers with accurate expectations and information about
everyone’s first year in Girl Scouts.
Stay in touch.
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram and Twitter to stay connected to council events and
find other awesome volunteers.
