New Troop Resources
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You're doing something amazing by volunteering as part of the Troop Leadership Team with Girl Scouts.
New Leader Resources
Throughout the year, you'll introduce Girl Scouts to new experiences and watch their confidence and skills grow! We've compiled resources to help new volunteers get started. You'll also receive continued support from dedicated staff members to guide your through your first year.
Getting Started 
Welcome to Girl Scouts! We’re so excited to have you join the Girl Scout Movement.
As a new volunteer, you will receive continued support from dedicated staff members to guide you through your first year.
Follow the 3 steps below to make your role official and get started with the fun!
- Become an adult member of Girl Scouts by registering online. Select a volunteer role such as “Troop Helper” to spark a background check request from our vendor, Sterling Volunteers. Sterling Volunteers is a third party company who partners with GSSA to provide background check clearance for our volunteers.
- Once you finish registering, check to see if you have received an email from theadvocates@sterlingvolunteers.com. The link that Sterling sends to you is only active for 72 hours and is sometimes filtered into a junk or spam folder, so please check for it to make sure you don’t miss it! You can find more details about Volunteer eligibility and expectations in our Volunteer Policies.
- Once GSSA receives eligible results from your background check, a council staff member will reach out with next steps to guide you through the orientation process.
Learning the Ropes
Download: Welcome to Girl Scouts: A guide for new volunteers (PDF)
Volunteer Training
Volunteer training is held virtually using gsLearn, Girl Scouts’ official online training platform. You can access trainings online when it fits into your schedule. gsLearn is accessed through your MyGS account.
You will be assigned to the 307 New Coordinator Learning Path, which includes the following courses:
GSUSA New Leader Onboarding – Provides the basics for what it means to be a coordinator in a Troop.
307 New Coordinator Knowledge Check – A chance for you to demonstrate what you’ve learned so far!
GSUSA Delivering Inclusive Programming—Covers an overview of how to ensure that you and the Troop are practicing inclusion in your language and activities.
307 Volunteer Policies – Guidance on some rules that affect members of GSSA.
307 Finance Coordinator Training – Answers key questions on how volunteers can help the Troop fund and manage their finances.
New Coordinator Zoom Meeting—After completing the gsLearn Training assigned to you, you will receive an invitation to a Zoom Meeting with council staff who will answer any questions you may still have and talk about best practices for getting the Troop up and running!
Additional resources can be found in Volunteer Essentials, which is designed to support busy troop volunteers on the go. You can easily find what you need to get started on your Girl Scout journey and search for answers throughout the troop year.
Starting the Adventure
- Meet with your co-coordinator(s) to get to know each other and plan how you will work together.
- Review your Troop Roster in the Volunteer Toolkit.
- Hold a Parent/Caregiver Meeting. Ask families to fill out a Troop Caregiver Agreement Form. Use the Caregiver Involvement Form, Troop Volunteer Organizer and use this information to ask families for help throughout the year.
- Schedule regular troop meetings. Use the Volunteer Toolkit to plan your year with ready to go meeting plans!
- Connect with your service unit.
- Open a New Troop Bank Account and refer to the Troop/Service Unit Bank Account Signer Responsibilites for more details on managing the troop's bank account.
- Have fun! Don’t forget to relax and enjoy the experience! You are creating memories and cultivating friendships that will last a lifetime.
Planning Troop Meetings
Troop Year Plans
Kick off a fun-filled troop year with the help of the Troop Year Plans. This resource is perfect for first-time troop leaders who are ready to start their troop activities right away. From meeting guides and badge resources to tips for connecting with families, you’ll find just what you need for a great year.
The Volunteer Toolkit
The Volunteer Toolkit (VTK), accessed through MyGS, is your official source for delivering easy, fun troop meetings year-round! This fully customizable digital planning tool is accessible on any computer, tablet, or mobile device and provides you with ready to go meeting plans and the resources you need to run your troop.
Girl Scout Terms
Badges: Badges are awards given to girls once they've completed all badge requirements and vary for each age level. Badges are to be placed on the front of the girls' vests or sashes.
What's the difference between a badge and patch? Patches, often referred to as "fun patches" represent fun activities that troops can participate in that are not designated as official GSUSA activities or requirements. Patches are placed on the back of the girls' vests or sashes.
Bridging: When girls move from one program grade level to the next; may include an award for the girls completing the bridging award requirements, and likely will include a ceremony.
Bronze Award: The highest award Girl Scout Juniors can earn. Earned by girls in the 4th-5th grades. It recognizes efforts in a wide range of Girl Scout experiences and a commitment to working to better ones' life and the lives of others.
Brownie: A Girl Scout Brownie is a Girl Scout in 2nd and 3rd grades. One of six levels of Girl Scouting.
Cadette: A Girl Scout Cadette is a Girl Scout in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. One of six levels of Girl Scouting.
Campout: Overnight camping with outdoor trained and experienced volunteer leaders.
Color Guard: Girl Scouts who carry, guard, raise, and/or lower the flag.
Cookie Program: An entrepreneur program for Girl Scouts that takes place annually each December - March with the sale of our iconic Girl Scout Cookies.
Cookie Program Business Skills: These are the 5 skills every girl learns by participating in the Girl Scout Cookie Program. It's not just a fundraiser, it's financial empowerment: (1) Goal Setting; (2) Decision Making; (3) Money Management; (4) People Skills; and (5) Business Ethics.
Council: One of Girl Scouts of the USA's local affiliates, with authority over Girl Scouting in a specific section of the country. Currently, there are 112 Girl Scout Councils in the USA.
Counselor in Training (CIT): Girl Scout Senior or Ambassador who has taken a training course to learn camp counselor skills.
Customer Care: A team of GSSA employees dedicated to providing volunteers, girls, and parents with excellence in customer service by responding to inquiries on any topic related to Girl Scouting. Customer is available Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Fridays 8 a.m.-12 p.m. and can be reached by phone at 800-239-6636 or through the Contact Us page on the website.
Daisy: A Girl Scout Daisy is a Girl Scout in kindergarten and 1st grade. One of six levels of Girl Scouting.
Day Camp: Program conducted within a 12-hour period for a minimum of 2 days. Girls register as individual participants and are placed in temporary units for program activities.
Destinations: Trip or event beyond girls' own troops and councils. Destinations fall into one of five different categories: international, outdoor, science, people, or getaways. All destinations events provide an opportunity for individual members to broaden their perspectives and give Girl Scouting enhanced visibility.
Fall Product Program: An entrepreneur program for Girl Scouts that takes place annually each fall with the sale of nuts, chocolates, and magazine subscriptions.
Founder’s Day (Juliette Gordon Low’s Birthday): The birthday of Juliette Gordon Low, founder of Girl Scouts, October 31.
Friendship Circle: Symbolic gesture in which Girl Scouts form a circle by clasping each others' hands, right arm over the left arm and sing a song. Often used as a closing ceremony.
Girl Led: Girls play an active role in planning activities, while adults provide guidance, ensuring that planning, organization, and set-up are age-appropriate. Evaluation of all activities is done jointly with girls and is integral to a high-quality Girl Scout experience.
Girl Scout: A member of Girl Scouts of the USA or another country's national Girl Scout organization. The U.S. organization grants membership to any girl who has:
- Made the Girl Scout Promise
- Accepted the Girl Scout Law
- Paid the annual dues
- Met applicable grade level requirements
Girl Scout Adult: An adult member of Girl Scouts of the USA. The organization grants membership as a Girl Scout adult to any person who has:
- Accepted its principles and beliefs, as stated in the preamble of its constitution.
- Paid the annual or lifetime dues.
- Met applicable age/education standards. A Girl Scout adult must be 18 or older or have a high school diploma or the equivalent.
Girl Scout Coordinator (Leader): A registered Girl Scout adult, background checked and trained volunteer who meets regularly with girls to help them achieve the purposes of Girl Scouting.
Girl Scout Birthday: The official birthday of Girl Scouting is March 12, 1912. This is when the first meeting was held.
Girl Scout Grade Levels: Also known as program age levels.
- Daisy (Grades K-1)
- Brownie (Grades 2-3)
- Junior (Grades 4-5)
- Cadette (Grades 6-8)
- Senior (Grades 9-10)
- Ambassador (Grades 11-12)
Girl Scout Handshake: Formal way of greeting other Girl Scouts by shaking with the left hand, while giving the Girl Scout sign with the right hand.
Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE): The engine for everything girls do in Girl Scouting. The experience identifies all the elements that need to be in place for Girl Scouting to achieve its mission; Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. When Discover, Connect, and Take Action activities are combined with the Girl Scout Processes of Girl-Led, Learning by Doing, and Cooperative Learning, girls achieve the desired and expected short-term leadership outcomes, ultimately resulting in Girl Scouting achieving its mission.
Girl Scout Troop: Basic unit in Girl Scouting consisting of girls, adult leaders, and troop committee members. One of six pathways for girls to participate in Girl Scouting.
This group of girls and adults (minimum of 5 girls and 2 adults) who meet on a regular basis to engage in Girl Scout Program activities. Troops are organized according to “Grade Level” which places girls together with others in the same social/developmental stage.
Girl Scout Week: The week containing March 12, the Girl Scout birthday, the anniversary of the first Girl Scout troop meeting in the United States in 1912. This observance is celebrated each year, starting with the Sunday on or preceding the 12th.
Gold Award: The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest and most prestigious award that Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors can earn. This award recognizes the leadership, efforts, and impact girls have had on their communities. Requires 80 hours of planning and service, as well as one Journey completed. (2 Journeys completed if Girl Scout Silver Award was not previously earned.)
gsLearn: Accessed through myGS (the top right corner of the website), gsLearn is a place for volunteers to find training and courses. It will be pre-populated with items that should be viewed.
GSSA: Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama; your Girl Scout council.
Hometown Heroes: Purchases made through Girl Scout product programs by customers to be donated to a GSSA-approved partner such as the military, local heroes, or other not-for-profit organizations.
Highest Awards: Consists of the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award. Honored to Girl Scouts who complete a Take Action project in their community.
Individually Registered Girl Scout (IRG): Registered Girl Scouts who are not part of the traditional troop program. These girls still work towards the same badges and activities, they simply do not belong to a troop. They can join other girls at council-wide events and can participate in all Girl Scouts has to offer. Sometimes also referred to as Individually Registered Members (IRM) or "Juliettes."
Journeys: A fun and challenging experience spread over a series of sessions (usually 6-8 but with the potential to last far longer). The journey, which follows a designated theme, has a clear starting point (an invitation to explore and take action) and a definite ending point (opportunities to enjoy closure through reflections, rewards, and celebration). Along the way, girls are following a purposeful trail that allows them to have fun, get wiser, and experience all the joys of being a traveler (meeting new people, exploring new tastes and cultures, gathering keepsakes, making memories) while being able to carry this all in one "suitcase" - their journey book!
Juliette Gordon Low: The founder of the Girl Scout Movement in the United States. Also known as Daisy.
Juliette Gordon Low’s Birthday (Founders Day): Special Girl Scout day celebrating Juliette's birthday on October 31.
Junior: A Girl Scout Junior is a Girl Scout in 4th - 5th grades. One of six levels of Girl Scouting.
Membership Year: October 1 through September 30.
Munchies & Mags (Fall Product Program): An entrepreneur program for Girl Scouts that takes place annually each fall with the sale of nuts, chocolates, and magazine subscriptions.
National Headquarters: The Girl Scout national organization's center of operations. In July 1992, GSUSA moved its national headquarters to 420 Fifth Avenue in New York City.
Patches: Also known as "fun patches." Supplementary insignia received by girls for simply participating in an event or activity. Girls wear participation patches and pins on the back of their Girl Scout uniform.
Program Credits: Earned rewards for participating in a product program, based on sales activity. Program Credits are spent toward Girl Scout merchandise through retail services, for membership fees, and/or for program experiences.
Resident Camp: Sessions are generally for at least five days (and four nights) and may be multiple weeks in length. The program is operated and staffed by the camp, and the supervision of campers is a camp responsibility. Campers stay overnight, and camp is responsible for campers 24 hours a day.
Senior: A Girl Scout Senior is a Girl Scout in 9th and 10th grades. One of six levels of Girl Scouting.
Service Center: Council facility where staff offices and some council shops are located. GSSA has two service centers located in Montgomery and Mobile.
Service Unit: Geographic unit of troops/groups within a region which facilitates delivery of services and the Girl Scout program to girls and adults.
Silver Award: Highest award earned by Girl Scout Cadettes. It recognizes efforts in a wide range of Girl Scout experiences and a commitment to working to better one's life and the lives of others.
Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM): Girl Scouts introduces girls of every age to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) experiences relevant to everyday life. Whether they're discovering how a car's engine runs, how to manage finances, or exploring careers in STEM fields, girls are fast-forwarding into the future.
SWAPS: The tradition of Girl Scouts exchanging keepsakes. Referred to as " Special Whatchamacallits Affectionately Pinned Somewhere."
Tag-Along: Child who is not a registered Girl Scout or a registered Girl Scout not of the grade level for the specific program or event.
Trefoil: International symbol of Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting. The trefoil represents the three parts of the Girl Scout promise.
Volunteer Appreciation Day: A day of appreciation for adult volunteers in Girl Scouting held on April 22 every year.
Volunteer Essentials: An online repository (accessed through the website) available to volunteers with valuable resources and important information related to product programs including safety, finances, and product program details.
Volunteer Tool Kit (VTK): Accessed through myGS (the top right corner of the website), VTK is a place for volunteers to customize meeting plans to earn badges related to product program and entrepreneurship.
World Thinking Day: February 22, the birthday of both Lady Baden-Powell, World Chief Guide, and her husband, Lord Baden-Powell, founder of Boy Scouts. First celebrated in 1927, the day was renamed at the 1999 Girl Guide/Girl Scout World Conference. Girl Guides and Girl Scouts all over the world use the day to think of each other and exchange greetings, learn about other countries, and give to the Juliette Low World Friendship Fund.
Volunteer resources available on MyGS
Many of your must-have tools, like gsLearn and the Volunteer Toolkit, are accessible when you log in to MyGS —always accessible via the icon on the upper right corner of our website.
Volunteer Toolkit (VTK)
The Volunteer Toolkit (VTK) is a customizable planning tool where you can find suggested meeting plans for most badges, access activity guides and badge requirements, track your Girl Scouts’ achievements, and so much more. It’s the digital planning assistant that will help you power a fun-filled—and organized—Girl Scout year.
You’ll find the Volunteer Toolkit via the left menu bar of MyGS in My Account. It’s accessible on any desktop, tablet, or mobile device.
The Volunteer Toolkit isn’t just for the Troop Leadership Team!
Caregivers of girls in troops can view the troop's schedule, annual financial summary, and access resources to stay up-to-date on the great things Girl Scouts are doing throughout the year.
Caregivers of Individually Registered Members can access the Volunteer Toolkit to guide their Individually Registered Girl Scout through her awards and badge journey, and track her achievement!
Ready to learn more?
There are Volunteer Toolkit training courses available in gsLearn. If you would like to request a training for the VTK to be assigned to you, please reach out to customercare@girlscoutssa.org.
gsLearn
gsLearn is full of essential volunteer trainings and courses, like how to lead activities the Girl Scout way, safety procedures, and advice for guiding Girl Scouts at every grade level.
You’ll find gsLearn via the left menu bar of MyGS in My Account. It’s accessible on any desktop, tablet, or mobile device, and it will be populated with any trainings currently assigned to you.
If you would like to request a training to be assigned to you, please reach out to customercare@girlscoutssa.org.
Looking for more helpful documents?
Check out Volunteer Essentials for topic specific resources.
