You don’t have to be a parent of a girl to volunteer with Girl Scouts. All you need is the desire to make a difference in a girl’s life. Girl Scout volunteers have enrichment and training opportunities that not only help them in their Girl Scout role, but also enrich their personal and professional lives as well. The girls are not the only ones to form lifelong friendships and experience new things…adult volunteers do, too!

Women and men volunteer in a variety of roles: lead troops, organize troops, translate materials into other languages, and train other adults.

You can choose to work with girls or other adults. In Girl Scouting, we realize that today’s busy adults may not be able to make long-term volunteer commitments. We offer flexible options to anyone interested in the development of young girls. Whether it is once a week, once a month, or once a year, your efforts make a difference in a young girl’s life. You are the role model for the girls.

Girl Scout volunteers are the key to ensuring that girls receive the full benefits of the Girl Scout program. At Girl Scouts of Tribal Trails Council, we are committed to fully preparing and supporting the women and men who volunteer their time.

What do you want to be known as?
A mentor? A life-changer? A friend?

Become a Girl Scout volunteer! Make a difference in a girl’s life, and in your own! In order to help every girl who wants to be a Girl Scout, we need more adults. They are role models for the girls. You don’t have to be the parent of a girl to be a Girl Scout volunteer! We need adults to lead troops, organize troops, provide skills and activities, train others, and much, much, more…there is a place for you in Girl Scouting.

Adult volunteers are the key to the Girl Scouts continued success. Become a Girl Scout volunteer and be part of an organization that has been making a difference for girls everywhere since 1912. Girls, ages 5-17, participate in more than 200 troops located throughout the seven county service area.

There is a volunteer opportunity that would be a perfect fit for your time constraints and schedule. Volunteering is easy and fun. It requires no previous experience. Training is provided. All it takes is the desire to help make a difference in the lives of today’s girls.

“We hold that ultimate responsibility for the Girl Scout Movement rests with volunteers.”

From the Preamble to the Constitution of Girl Scouts of the United States of America

Qualified women and men over the age of 18 are eligible to become Girl Scout volunteers.

To volunteer as a leader or co-leader:

1. Contact the Girl Scouts of Tribal Trails Council office nearest you and talk to the Membership Specialist for your county to indicate an interest in becoming a leader or co-leader. You may also talk with your school’s organizer, or a volunteer who helps with registration.

2. Fill out a “Volunteer Application” form and return it to your Membership Specialist who will schedule an interview with you.

3. The Council’s Membership Specialist will check your references after interviewing you and set up a “New Leader’s Orientation”, a one hour session to aid you in acquiring the information you need to set up your troop. After this training, you will be asked to sign a “Volunteer Agreement” stating what your responsibilities as a troop leader are and what the Council will do to support you. You will also be asked to sign a “Conflict of Interest” form at this time.

4. If you have not done so, at this time you will need to register yourself and purchase any books you need to begin meeting with your troop. You will also be asked to sign up for “Basic Leader Training”, a 3 hour course to give you information on the Girl Scout organization and its programs, and an appropriate age level training of three hours to give you information about the specific program level you will be working with.

5. Every troop is required to have an adult currently certified in First Aid and CPR at each meeting, on every trip, and at every event that the troop attends. The Council offers CPR at the Dunbar Center several times a year.

Once you are officially appointed…

1. If you have taken over a troop from another leader, you should have a troop number, some funds, some supplies and materials, and preregistration forms for girls previously registered with your troop. If you do not have these forms, you can register the girls by having a parent fill out a blank registration form. (please fill out a status of leadership form)

2. If you are starting a new troop, you will be given a troop number by the council registrar (Your Membership Specialist will get this number for you.) You may already know girls who want to register, or you may participate in a registration night at your school or elsewhere to recruit new members.

3. You will need to select a meeting place for your troop or group. It is highly recommended that you use a public building; some schools allow meetings on school grounds, but you will need to check with the principal and fill out a site request form for that school. Be sure to let the Council know where and what time you are meeting. If your school is not available, you can meet in libraries, community centers, or churches. A certificate of insurance is available from the Council to give to the owners of the facility where you will be meeting.

4. You can now begin working with the girls. You may choose to use “The First Six Meetings”, a hand-out as a plan for some of your first meetings or you can plan your meetings using the appropriate handbook for the age-level that you are working with. It is important that you register all your girls and at least 5 adults from your troop early in the year. Unregistered girls who attend meetings are not covered by Girl Scout insurance, and unregistered parents who transport girls are not covered by this insurance even if the girls are registered.

5. It is a good idea to have a joint girl/parent meeting soon after you begin the troop. You can get parents involved and keep them informed of you activities at this meeting. This meeting is also a good time to recruit helpers for troop meetings. Have the parents fill out a “Ways Adults Can Help” form. You will need help at every troop meeting. You must have at least two non-related adults at each meeting. It is a good idea to recruit a troop committee of interested parents, guardians, and/or adults from the community. They should register as adult members and fill out a “Volunteer Application”.

6. You will need to establish a troop checking account for your troop financial needs. Please refer to the financial instructions in the Volunteer Guide, the Leader’s Resource Manual, and Safety Wise.

7. Once your girls begin meeting, keep attendance and work records for each girl. Should a girl transfer to another troop, you will have easy access to the information she will need to move on.

8. Each month there will be a service unit meeting for the troop leaders in your geographical area. You need to attend the meeting or send a troop representative. News and information on council, national, and local events will be made available at these monthly meetings.

9. Stay calm and have fun! Council staff members are available to answer your questions and to help you through your Girl Scout year. By next year, you will be feeling more confident; you will be mentoring new leaders, and having even more fun!