Who can be a Girl Scout volunteer?
Any adult age 18+ may volunteer (must be 21+ to become a troop
leader). No Girl Scout experience is required! We provide the
training, curriculum, and resources—you set the schedule! It's that easy.
Where are troop meetings held?
Your meeting space needs to be a safe, clean, and secure environment
that allows all Girl Scouts to participate. Good options include:
How much time will I need to dedicate as a leader?
We value your time! Being a troop leader can be made to fit your
schedule. Most leaders spend about three hours preparing for and
leading meetings. We recommend meeting twice per month; however, some
troops choose to meet more or less frequently. Meetings can be planned
ahead of time in the Volunteer Toolkit—our online planning tool full
of extensive programs and activities that you can incorporate into
your yearly plan.
How do I know what activities to do with Girl Scouts?
The Volunteer Toolkit gives you access to a whole year of Girl Scout
fun by age level. Year plans come with pre-populated sets of meetings
that give you plenty of ideas for activities and all the resources you
need at your fingertips. Your year plan is fully customizable. You can
even track Girl Scouts’ attendance and achievements!
What support is available for me as a leader?
Each troop has at least two leaders, so you will have a partner to
help lead and to share the fun. We encourage you to invite another
caregiver or friend to co-lead with you, or we can work with you and
your community to help connect you with a co-leader.
We provide online and in-person training for leaders that you can
complete at your convenience, 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.
How do I get youth to join my troop?
It’s never too early to start spreading the word about your new Girl
Scout troop! Even while you wait to complete your onboarding and get a
troop number, you can talk to friends, your neighbors, and other
families in the community to make sure that your Girl Scouts will have
a lively troop. Before you host your first official meeting, you
should aim to recruit at least eight Girl Scouts and one or more
additional adult volunteers (who are not related to you) to create a
thriving Girl Scout troop.
The youth and adult recruitment process should be about three to
four weeks.
In addition to your word-of-mouth efforts, our recruitment team can
help you with recruiting Girl Scouts, providing resources to help you
spread the word.
Are parents required to volunteer?
While parents are not required to volunteer, we strongly recommend
all caregivers and adults be registered and background-checked so they
can support the leaders at meetings and events when necessary.
Parents are also vital in the optimization of a troop!
Parents who wish to assist with the Girl Scout Cookie Program, troop
finances, transportation, chaperone trips, and other volunteer-related
activities, must complete a criminal background check.
Studies show that the most successful troops have the full support
and participation of the Girl Scout’s family!
