Returning Leaders
Welcome to the 2011 Membership Year!
This page is designed to give you guidence on your journey as a Girl Scout Leader. There are resources and help with questions you might have. Check out the links below. For further assistance, please contact AdultLearning@GSEIWI.org.
What’s New?
Our brand. GSUSA has rolled out a new look for Girl Scouts and some great new marketing ideas, which you will see throughout the year on all of our materials. The theme is “What Did You Do Today?”
Our technology. Our girls have told us to “go green” and volunteers have been telling us that we have too much paperwork, so we listened! Instead of printing out all the pieces that will help you with your troop this year, you can find everything on this website which has a new look this year and is more user-friendly than ever.
Our program. Over two years ago, GSUSA released a new approach to the Girl Scout Leadership Experience called Journeys. The first book series of the Journey program was met with some hesitancy from leaders across the council. Through trial and error, GSUSA has made some changes and the second set of Journeys are a whole different story. Leaders are sharing that their girls are truly enjoying the Journey program. Leaders have gotten creative with how to incorporate the Journeys into more traditional Girl Scout activities and it’s working.
What’s Next?
Having a great year! We want to help ensure that you have everything you need to provide a wonderful Girl Scout experience for your girls. If you need any assistance, please contact your regional membership manager or your service unit director.
Fall recruitment. Beginning in August, we will hold "girl scout recruitment nights" at every elementary school to give every girl the opportunity to join. You can help by letting your regional membership manager know if you are accepting more girls. If you want to target a specific grade level of girls at a specific school, click on the link above for a list or ask your regional membership manager for a fun postcard to invite girls to join your troop.
Where Do I Start?
- Surf this website! It's full of useful resources.
- Check us out on Facebook and Twitter.
- Get involved with your service unit!
- Get your girls registered and paperwork turned in.
- Plan your troop year with your girls.
- Continue to give us your feedback so we can continue to serve you better and allow you to provide a great Girl Scout experience for your girls.
What’s Next Checklist
- Connect with your service unit director or other team members.
- Plan to attend your service unit meetings monthly. Your help will be invaluable in helping to plan events with girls, for girls, in your area. Is there some other way you want to help out on the service team? Talk to your service unit director.
- Let your RMM know if you are accepting new girls this fall.
- Check out our website for pertinent forms and information.
Forms and Resources
Tip: At the very bottom of every webpage, you will see the site map; links to all pages on this website.
Here are just a few of the resources that you will find and want to review:
- Troop Calendar 2011-2012 and Troop Calendar 2011-2012 (fillable in Publisher)—Keep your year organized.
- Year Long Permission Form (fillable)—Use this form once at the beginning of the year for all your regular troop activities. Remember that sensitive issues, high risk activities and product sales require separate permission slips.
- Parent Handbook :: Parent Handbook (word) - Give this to parents who want to help. It is also a good resource for the troop leader. Parent Handbook
- Volunteer Essentials - This resource for troop leaders covers a wealth of information. This publication replaces the Volunteer Resource Guide with enhanced and updated information.
- Use these templates to invite new girls to your troop:
- Troop Meeting Invite Sample
- Teen Troop Meeting Invite Sample * (PDF fillable form)
- Younger Girl Troop Meeting Invite Sample * (PDF fillable form)
- Leadership Experience Guide (LEG)—The LEG will answer your most frequently asked program questions, including upcoming events, outdoor opportunities, trips, community resources, council patches, awards and scholarships, and much more.
- Adult Learning Calendar—This lists all currently-scheduled adult learning sessions. If there is a session you want to take but don’t see it anywhere, check with your service unit about bringing a session to your town.
- Families Make it Happen/Troop Team Committee—This is a resource to gather information about the parents of girls in your troop so you can better utilize them and get them involved!
- Product Sale information: Fall Sale Program & the Cookie Sale Program
- Camp information
- Equestrian program information
- Patch Programs
- Pen Pals program information
- Membership registration forms
- Sample recruitment fliers
- Service Unit Meeting Schedules
