The new Girl Scout program year kicks off on October 1st, and we are so excited for all that is to come! We know that this year looks very different for everyone and that engaging girls and families can present new challenges for troop co-leaders. At Girl Scouts, our top priority is that all of our members and volunteers feel supported, and we have prepared a variety of resources to ensure that troop co-leaders can help provide the best experience possible for our girls this year.

See below for some articles, tips, and tricks for building a year of success with your troop!

1. How to Start a Troop

The How to Start a Troop page is for anyone looking to start a new troop! Our team wants to support you and make the troop formation process as easy as possible, and we walk you through the process on the page.

2. How to Host a Virtual Troop Meeting

In this video, our Vice President of Learning and Development, Shawna, shares how to get started holding virtual meetings for your troop. Co-leaders should follow our Guidance for Virtual Troop Meetings. Zoom licenses can be purchased by troop co-leaders through gsZoom at a discounted rate of $36.00. Request your license here.

3. Girl Scouts at Home for Troop Leaders

GSUSA has created a hub for co-leader resources on Girl Scouts at Home with items such as:

• How to plan a virtual meeting
• How to adapt badges and journeys for a virtual setting
• Virtual meeting icebreakers
• and more!

4. Leading Virtual Programs Events

Our Program team here at GS-NCCP has been hard at work planning virtual events to help train our co-leaders on leading badges and activities in a virtual setting. To check out upcoming events, visit our Activities page.

5. Tips for Troop Leaders LIVE

There are special events just for troop leaders on the GSUSA Virtual Events Calendar called Tips for Troop Leaders LIVE. Upcoming events include Get the Support You Need from Your Service Unit Team on September 30 and Get to Know Girl Scouts’ CEO Judith Batty on October 14. Co-leaders can also look at events from previous months on the calendar and watch playbacks.

6. Council Emails and Social Media Pages

The best way to stay up-to-date with all things Girl Scouts is through our emails. If you are a registered leader and you have not been receiving emails from us, please contact our Help Desk as you may have accidentally unsubscribed. Also, be sure to follow our social media pages. We are on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

7. Raising Awesome Girls

Raising Awesome Girls is an excellent resource for parents, and co-leaders too! We publish articles regularly with advice on parenting and guiding girls in their journey to becoming strong women. Recent articles include topics about coronavirus, racism, and mental health in girls.

8. GS-NCCP Staff Members

Our council staff members are here to help! While we do not know when our offices will be opening yet, our staff members are working normal hours from home. Our Help Desk can answer any questions you may have, and your local Membership Director and our Learning and Development team can also be a big help! We are committed to ensuring you have everything you need for this year… do not hesitate to reach out!

Interested in becoming a Girl Scout volunteer? Get started today!