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A lot of people equate leadership with “being in charge” or having a title. In reality, anyone can be a leader. It’s about recognizing that you are part of a team and understanding that team’s needs and interests. Here’s how you’ll do that with your troop!
Your Role as a Girl Scout Volunteer 
As a Girl Scout volunteer, you’ll embark on your own leadership journey while you help Girl Scouts develop the leadership skills they’ll use to make the world a better place. Below are a few basic concepts that outline what leadership means in Girl Scouting.
Leadership is teaching your Girl Scouts:
- That they can do and be anything!
- That they are decision makers and should own their decisions.
- How to live the Girl Scout Law by modeling it for them.
As a leader, see yourself as a coach who:
- Advises, discusses, and cheers on your troop, not as a teacher with a planned lesson or activity but as a mentor.
- Ensures each member understands and can carry out their responsibilities within the troop.
- Encourages Girl Scouts to build their skills and their ethics.
- Helps Girl Scouts feel seen and included—like they belong.
It is important to remember that:
- You cannot know everything that your Girl Scouts might ever want to learn.
- You’ll explore and learn alongside your Girl Scouts and grow your confidence in the process.
- You’re not expected to know everything about Girl Scouting, but you should know where to go for information—and to ask for help when you need it.
Your Responsibilities as a Girl Scout Volunteer
Your responsibilities as a Girl Scout volunteer include:
- Embrace the Girl Scout Promise and Law.
- Guide and coach Girl Scouts through the Girl Scout Leadership Experience.
- Complete required trainings and follow Girl Scout policies, procedures, and safety guidelines.
- Share your skills and knowledge with positivity and flexibility.
- Partner with your Girl Scouts to ensure activities are girl-led and hands-on.
- Plan fun, interactive activities that reflect Girl Scouts’ interests and needs.
- Communicate regularly with troop families using email, phone, social media, or other tools.
- Handle registration forms, permission slips, and other paperwork.
- Manage troop funds responsibly, with honesty and accurate record keeping.
- Stay connected with your council, including the volunteer support team.
- Nurture a positive and inclusive environment for every Girl Scout.
Planning for Your First Troop Meeting
Choosing a Meeting Place
Meeting places should be welcoming to all. This could mean locations that serve diverse populations, are openly inclusive, have diverse staff, and use welcoming language. What makes a great meeting space depends on your troop, but look for spaces that are available and free to use, large enough for your troop activities, and equipped with resources that meet your needs. Also, make sure your space generally accommodates (is accessible to) individuals with physical disabilities who might attend meetings, including troop members and parents/caregivers.
Consider this as a starting point for a conversation with the contact of a potential meeting space:
“I’m a Girl Scout volunteer with a group of [number of members] Girl Scouts. We’re doing lots of great things for youth and for the community, like [something your group is doing] and [something else your troop is doing]. We’re all about leadership—the kind that Girl Scouts use in their daily lives and the kind that makes our community better. We’d love to hold our meetings here because [reason why you’d like to meet there].”
Can We Meet in a Private Home?
Girl Scouts does not recommend holding troop meetings in private homes, but if you’re considering doing so, check with your council to make sure council policy allows it. In addition to meeting the space needs outlined above, note that:
You must always obtain prior approval from your council.
The private home must be the home of a registered, council-approved volunteer.
Girl Scout members may not meet in a home where a registered sex offender resides.
Some councils require membership and background checks for all adults living in the home. Contact your council for specific guidelines.
Troop members need to be able to focus without disruptions from other household members.
Animals/household pets should be kept in a place that is separate from the meeting space.
Homeowners should consider any personal insurance implications. The homeowner should ask their personal homeowner’s insurance carrier if there are any insurance concerns with troop meetings in the home. Also, volunteers should confirm with the council that troop meetings in the home are covered by the council’s liability insurance carrier.
Any weapons must be out of view and in a locked space. Medications, cleaning products, and any poisonous substances must be stored in secure spaces, out of sight, and preferably locked.
Want more support? Contact your council or service unit support team for help securing a troop meeting place. You can also check out the gsLearn course Your First Troop Meeting.
Girl Scout Troop Size
The troop size “sweet spot” is large enough to support an interactive and cooperative learning environment and small enough to encourage individual development. Though the ideal troop size is 12 Girl Scouts, we recommend that group membership falls within the below ranges—no smaller than the low end, and no larger than the high end.
- Girl Scout Daisies: 5–12 members
- Girl Scout Brownies: 10–20 members
- Girl Scout Juniors 10–25 members
- Girl Scout Cadettes: 5–25 members
- Girl Scout Seniors: 5–30 members
- Girl Scout Ambassadors: 5–30 members
A Girl Scout troop/group must have a minimum of five Girl Scout youth and two approved adult volunteers. Be sure to double-check the volunteer-to-youth ratio table to make sure you have the right number of adults present for group meetings, events, travel, and camping.
Adults and youth registering in groups of fewer than five Girl Scout youth and two approved adult volunteers who are not related to each other or in a relationship, at least one of whom is female, will be registered as individual Girl Scouts to accurately reflect their status and program experience. Individual members are always welcome to participate in Girl Scout activities and events.
Knowing How Many Volunteers You Need
Girl Scout groups gathering in person or virtually must follow these guidelines:
- At least two unrelated, registered, background-checked adults must be present and actively supervising. Youth leaders cannot take their place.
- At least one of the adults must be female.
- The two required adults must not be related or live in the same household.
Adult supervision rules apply to all Girl Scout activities, including meetings, trip/travel, camps, events, and activities. There are no exceptions. Report any deviation from this policy to your council.
Note: Invited or additional participating adults can be related, but they cannot replace the two unrelated leaders.
Determine the minimum number of adult chaperones needed:
- Adult-to-youth ratios vary based on participants’ ages and the type of activity.
- Group meetings require fewer adults; refer to the “Group Meetings” column in the table below.
- Outings, activities, camping, and travel require more supervision. Refer to the “Events, Travel, and Camping” column in the table.
Count all children (Girl Scouts or not) in supervision ratios unless they’re under the constant care of their own parent/guardian who is not acting as a chaperone.
|
Girl Scout Adult-to-Youth Ratios |
Group Meetings |
Events, Travel, & Camping |
||
|
Two |
One |
Two |
One |
|
|
Girl Scout Daises (Grades K–1) |
12 |
1–6 |
6 |
1–4 |
|
Girl Scout Brownies (Grades 2–3) |
20 |
1–8 |
12 |
1–6 |
|
Girl Scout Juniors (Grades 4–5) |
25 |
1–10 |
16 |
1–8 |
|
Girl Scout Cadettes (Grades 6–8) |
25 |
1–12 |
20 |
1–10 |
|
Girl Scout Seniors (Grades 9–10) |
30 |
1–15 |
24 |
1–12 |
|
Girl Scout Ambassadors (Grades 11–12) |
30 |
1–15 |
24 |
1–12 |
Click image to enlarge.
An embedded, screen-reader-friendly version of this table is available when this page is viewed on a desktop.
Safety in Girl Scouting
The emotional and physical safety and well-being of Girl Scouts is our top priority. Safety Activity Checkpoints outlines the Safety Standards and Guidelines used in Girl Scouting, which apply to all Girl Scout activities. Volunteers should refer to Safety Activity Checkpoints when planning Girl Scout-sanctioned activities.
In Safety Activity Checkpoints, you will find:
- Safety standards and requirements for adult supervision, transportation, permission slips, preparation for troop activities, and field trips and overnight trips.
- Individual safety checkpoints for specific activities—such as camping, internet use, and water sports—that provide activity-specific information.
- Specifics on activities not permitted by Girl Scouts of the USA and actions that Girl Scouts and volunteers should not take.
- Policies on chartered aircraft trips and aviation.
- First aid and overall health information.
- Standards for well-being and inclusivity, and ways to include Girl Scouts with disabilities and to support everyone’s emotional safety.
The Buddy System
Use the buddy system anytime your troop leaves your meeting site or attends a field trip. Divide your troop into teams of at least two members, with each Girl Scout responsible for always staying with their buddy/buddies, warning them of danger, giving them immediate assistance if it’s safe to do so, and seeking help if needed. Girl Scouts are encouraged to stay near their buddy/buddies or join with another team, so that if someone is injured, one person cares for the injured party while others seek help.
Registering Girls and Adults in Girl Scouting
Every participant (youth and adult) must register to become a member of Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA). GSUSA membership dues are valid for the Girl Scout membership year, which runs annually from October 1 through September 30. Membership dues cannot be transferred to another member and are not refundable.
Preregistration for the upcoming membership year occurs in the spring. Early registration allows for uninterrupted receipt of forms and materials from the council, helps troops and councils plan ahead, and gets members excited about all the great things they’ll do as Girl Scouts in the year to come. Note that a Girl Scout’s grade level is determined by the current membership year beginning October 1.
Lifetime membership is available to anyone who accepts the principles and beliefs of the Girl Scout Promise and Law, pays the one-time lifetime membership fee, and is at least 18 years old (or a high school graduate or equivalent). Volunteers with ten or more years of service can become lifetime members at the discounted young alum rate.
Adding New Girl Scouts to Your Troop
Growing your troop is a great way to share the power of the Girl Scout experience! There are many ways to get the word out, like hanging posters in local schools, using social media to reach families in your community, and including your troop in your council’s opportunity catalog or troop catalog.
For help registering your troop, contact your council’s customer care team.
Creating an Atmosphere of Acceptance and Inclusion
Girl Scouts is for every girl, and that’s why we embrace Girl Scouts of all abilities and backgrounds with a specific and positive philosophy of inclusion that benefits everyone. Each Girl Scout—regardless of socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, physical or cognitive ability, sexual orientation, primary language, or religion—is an equal and valued member of the group.
We believe inclusion is an approach and an attitude, rather than a set of guidelines. Inclusion is about cultivating environments that enable every Girl Scout to feel a sense of belonging. It’s about treating everyone with respect and dignity, and celebrating their unique strengths. It’s about being a sister to every Girl Scout. Some ways to cultivate inclusion and build belonging are to:
- Welcome every Girl Scout as a valued peer, and focus on building community. To start interactions off with care, learn each person's name, caregivers included, with correct pronunciation. Use a warm and friendly tone, and consistently greet each community member when they arrive. Say goodbye to each person by name as well.
- Cultivate cooperation over competition, when appropriate.
- Cultivate a confidential, socially comfortable environment. Occasionally ask those who participate in Girl Scout programming if anything is worrying or bothering them. Be a trusted adult they can come to with their needs and emotions without judgment. Allow, but don’t require, participants to say the Pledge of Allegiance or the Girl Scout Promise and Law at meetings.
- Model respect for and understanding of all members and their families. Learn about the cultures and identities represented in your Girl Scout community, and honor cultural differences. Be sure not to put anyone on the spot or ask them to educate you about their culture/identity. Welcome personal sharing about people’s cultural traditions, spoken languages, and family structures. Make this kind of sharing a consistent, reliable part of your time together.
- Embrace diverse gender expressions and identities. Invite each community member to share their personal pronouns aloud or on name tags, explaining that no one has to share if they don’t want to. Make these conversations matter of fact and use a positive tone.
- Prioritize equitable communications, including feedback requests such as surveys, by ensuring consistent openness and reach to all members/families
- Learn the most valuable ways to support individual children and adults with disabilities, learning differences, and/or neurodivergence. Ask parents, “What can I do to support your child to participate/learn/feel successful in our group?”
To learn more about this topic, check out our Delivering Inclusive Program training on gsLearn. If you have questions about accommodating an individual member, please reach out to your council.
Focus on Accessibility for All
A key part of creating an inclusive Girl Scout environment is making sure everyone is able to participate. As you think about where, when, and how often to meet with your group, consider the needs, resources, safety, and beliefs of all members and potential members. Seek to learn about the special needs of any members who have disabilities or whose parents/caregivers have disabilities—though don’t rely on visual cues to inform you. Disabilities include physical, sensory, and cognitive conditions, and not all of these are visible.
Approximately 20% of the U.S. population has a disability—that’s one in five people across every socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, and religion. If you want to find out what an individual with a disability needs to make their Girl Scout experience successful, simply ask them or their parent/caregiver. If you’re open and receptive, they’ll likely respond in kind.
Remember, it’s important that all Girl Scouts be rewarded for their best efforts, not the completion of a task. Give everyone the opportunity to do their best, and they likely will! Sometimes that means changing a few rules or approaching an activity in a more creative way. Here are some examples of how to modify activities so that everyone can participate:
- Invite a member to complete an activity after they’ve observed others doing it.
- If an activity calls for using a sense that a Girl Scout doesn’t have (like sight for a Girl Scout who’s blind), find ways for them to participate using other senses. Can they touch objects and/or participate by hearing?
- If an activity calls for running, an individual who’s unable to run might walk if possible and desired by them, or perhaps move in another way.
To learn more, take our Delivering Inclusive Program course on gsLearn.
Language Related to Disability
First and foremost, seek personal preferences. How would the Girl Scout or family member you're interacting with like you to refer to their disability (if at all)? When this information can't be determined or you’re speaking more generally, consider taking a person-first approach—acknowledging the person first, then the condition or disability, or what a person has, not what that person is. So not "schizophrenic person," but "person with schizophrenia."
Still, know that there’s considerable disagreement here, with many in the disability community preferring an identity-first approach (e.g., "disabled person," not "person with a disability"), which reinforces the importance of establishing and honoring personal preferences whenever possible.
When interacting with a person with a disability that you’re aware of, keep the following guidance in mind.
Speak directly to the person, not through a family member or friend.
It’s okay to offer assistance to an individual with a disability, but wait until your offer is accepted before you begin to help. Listen closely to any instructions the person may have.
Leaning on a person’s wheelchair is invading their space and should be avoided.
When speaking for more than a few minutes to an individual who uses a wheelchair, place yourself at their eye level.
When speaking to an individual who is deaf and using an interpreter, speak to them, not to the interpreter.
When greeting an individual with a visual disability, always identify yourself and others. You might say, “Hi, it’s Sheryl. Tara is on my right, and Chris is on my left.”
To learn more, take our Delivering Inclusive Program course on gsLearn.
Registering Members with Cognitive Disabilities
Girl Scouts with cognitive disabilities can be registered as closely as possible to their chronological ages. They should wear the uniform of the associated grade level. As a volunteer, you’re encouraged to make any adaptations to activities for Girl Scouts with cognitive disabilities.
These Girl Scouts may choose to retain their youth membership through their 21st year and then move into an adult membership category.
Getting Support for Your Troop
Remember, you’re never alone—your Girl Scout support team has your back! Just like Girl Scouts support each other, you’ll have a team of council staff and fellow volunteers ready to help you succeed. Here’s how to build your own troop support system:
- Connect with your council’s support team (often called a service unit) for local training, advice, and answers to your questions.
- Build your volunteer troop team early—include parents, friends, family, and community members who bring energy and unique skills.
- Know that troop committee volunteers are your extra hands and eyes. They can help with meetings, outings, or take on specific roles like troop treasurer.
- Encourage flexible volunteering—even small roles make a big impact. Help caregivers find ways to contribute that match their strengths.
- Empower your volunteers. Just like the girls, once your fellow volunteers see they can succeed, they’ll be excited to stay involved!
Troop Management Tools and Resources
From toolkits and guides to regular contact with experienced individuals, you’ll have all the support you need to be a Girl Scout volunteer.
You’ll find tools to keep your troop going strong on MyGS, which you can always access via the icon on the upper right corner of our website. Click/tap the “login” button, then “my account”—you’ll see the gsLearn and VTK buttons on the left menu bar, accessible on any desktop, tablet, or mobile device. The menu bar will be populated with any trainings you should view.
Here are some important resources you’ll want to be sure to check out.
The Volunteer Toolkit
The Volunteer Toolkit is a customizable planning tool where you can find suggested meeting plans for most badges, access activity guides, track your Girl Scouts’ achievements, and so much more. Featuring inspiring ideas for engaging your troop in a mix of activities all year long, it’s the digital planning assistant that will help you power a fun-filled—and organized—Girl Scout year.
With the Volunteer Toolkit, Girl Scouts, parents/caregivers and leaders can explore meeting topics and program activities together and follow the fun as they plan their Girl Scout year.
Troop leaders can:
Plan the troop’s calendar year and meeting schedule.
Email parents/caregivers with one click.
View the troop roster, renew Girl Scout memberships, and update Girl Scout contact information.
View meeting plans for badges, including suggested tracks for multi-level groups (K–5 and 6–12).
Customize meeting agendas to fit the troop.
Explore individual meeting plans that show a breakdown of every step, including a list of materials needed, editable time allotments for each activity within a meeting, and printable meeting aids.
Record meeting attendance and the troop’s badge achievements.
Add council and other events to the troop’s calendar.
Easily locate both national and local council resources, such as Safety Activity Checkpoints.
Parents and caregivers can:
View the troop’s meeting schedule and individual meeting plans to stay up to date on the badges the troop is working on.
Renew their memberships and update contact information.
View their Girl Scout’s attendance and achievements.
See upcoming events the troop is planning or attending.
Easily locate both national and local council resources.
gsLearn
gsLearn is our online training platform that gives you easy access to online and in-person learning opportunities as well as the ability to track all your accomplishments! Learn at your own pace, access additional resources, and repeat trainings as needed!
To access gsLearn, first log in to MyGS. You’ll find the platform in the options on the left-hand navigation bar.
More Tools and Resources
Girl Scout handbooks. These grade level-specific handbooks break it down for your Girl Scouts. Adventures include earning badges and awards, running a cookie business, and learning about the traditions that have brought Girl Scouts together for over a century.
Safety Activity Checkpoints. Safety is paramount in Girl Scouting, and Safety Activity Checkpoints contains everything you need to know to help keep everyone safe during various activities done outside of regular Girl Scout troop meetings.
Tips for Troop Leaders. When you’re looking for real-world advice from fellow troop leaders who’ve been there/done that, this volunteer-to-volunteer resource has what you need for a successful troop year.
Troop year plans. Our grade-level-specific troop year plans are the best tool for first-year troop leaders getting started with Girl Scouts, or to help any troop leader in planning out a well-balanced Girl Scout year. The entire year is mapped out—just follow along to help your Girl Scouts complete badge activities, improve their communities, and explore the world around them.
Girl Scout volunteers in your community. Remember that Girl Scout support team we mentioned? You’ll find it in your service unit! Troops are organized geographically into service units or communities, which are local networks of fellow leaders and administrative volunteers ready to offer tips and advice to help you succeed in your volunteer role.
Even More Learning Opportunities
We know that when you have the knowledge and skills you need to manage your Girl Scouts, both you and your troop thrive. We offer national onboarding training for new troop leaders, to combine with local training courses provided by your council.
What Girl Scouts Do. This course introduces what Girl Scouts do at each grade level and how they do it, helping you plan your troop’s year. Take the course.
Your First Troop Meeting. This course provides new troop leaders with the structure and tools to plan a successful first troop meeting—and beyond—with their Girl Scout troop. Take the course.
The Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE). This course teaches you how to implement the Girl Scout Leadership Experience—the framework that sets Girl Scouts apart—in an age-appropriate way for your troop. Take the course.
Family Engagement: The Key to Success. This course highlights the value of family engagement and provides practical strategies for how to enlist family support. Take the course.
The Girl Scout Cookie Program. This course reviews the basics of the Girl Scout Cookie Program, including why Girl Scouts sell cookies, who the cookie bakers are, how to use your cookie proceeds safely with your troop and with support from parents/caregivers. Take the course.
Troop Safety. This course equips you with the fundamentals to keep your troop safe in meetings and on field trips. You’ll also learn about a go-to guide that helps your troop stay safe no matter where your adventures take you! Take the course.
Funding the Fun. Explore the basics of managing your troop’s funds, including how troops fund meetings and activities, and manage and report their finances to their councils. Take the course.
These courses are available online via gsLearn as referenced above. Your council may offer local onboarding training for new troop leaders, as well as other ongoing training opportunities. Contact your council to ask about additional training opportunities that will help you grow your skills and confidence.
Other Program Courses
Leading Multi-Level Troops. Multi-level troops provide unique opportunities for Girl Scouts and their families. This course provides tips, tools, and strategies for leading a multi-level troop through an exceptional Girl Scout experience. Take the course.
Field Trips and Travel. This course guides you in planning a Girl Scout trip. It also covers the concept of Girl Scout travel progression. Take the course.
Sexual and Child Abuse Prevention. Child abuse and neglect are difficult subjects to think about, yet the prevention of abuse is a topic Girl Scouts takes very seriously. This training prepares supervising adults of Girl Scout youth to recognize, respond to, and report concerns of child abuse and neglect. Take the course.
Delivering Inclusive Program. In this course, you’ll practice using inclusive language to support Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and identities and foster a cohesive troop environment. Take the course.
Courses are also offered about specific badges, including Math in Nature and Mental Wellness, as well as Daisy petals.
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