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How to Start a Troop

Parents and community members make a key difference in the lives of girls by guiding them through the Girl Scout experience! At GSNI-M, 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 guidence from our Troop Support team.
  • Flexibility - leaders set the troop meeting times and locations. 

 

Common Questions About Leading Girls

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?

Being a Troop Leader actually fits into a variety of schedules. We recommend that troops meet twice per month. Current leaders report spending four hours preparing for and leading each meeting. Troop Leaders choose the meeting day, time, and frequency.

We provide our troop leaders with online meeting plans, so they can easily and quickly plan their troop’s activities.

I Don't Know How to Do the Things Girl Scouts Do.

You bring everything that you need to start leading your troop. We think if the girls are smiling and having a good time, the leaders are doing a good job!

We provide online meeting plans to guide you through each step of planning your troop’s activities. We also provide convenient, online training videos and resources to help you learn what you need. Don’t forget that you’ll also have a co-leader who will bring complementary skills and experience to share.

What Support or Help is There for Leaders?

Each troop has two leaders, so you will have a partner to help lead and to share the fun. We encourage you to invite another parent or friend to serve with you, or we will work with you and your community to help connect you with a co-leader.

We provide online, in person, and on-demand trainings for our leaders that you can take on your schedule, 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 when you need.

Start Your Troop in 7 Easy Steps!

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Set up your new troop!

Fill out the Volunteer Registration form.

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Decide to be a role model by joining Girl Scouts as a troop leader!

You can start reviewing the training resources available to you here.

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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

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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:

  • Most troops meet twice per month, but you can choose a schedule that works best for you.
  • Your meeting space needs to be a safe, clean, and secure environment that allows all girls to participate. Good options include:
    • Schools
    • Libraries
    • Places of worship
    • Community centers and buildings
    • Local businesses

 Get ready for your first troop meeting!

Purchase a copy of a Handbook or Girls Guide to Girl Scouting for your troop's level. Review lesson plans by visiting the Volunteer Tool Kit. 

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Stay in touch.

Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram to stay up to date on council events! Also, if you are a SU Team member and/or Troop Leader, be sure to join our Facebook Volunteer Scoop to connect and share ideas with fellow leaders!

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