Individual Girl Scout troops and groups can meet while following
the guidance and limitations provided here. (7-28-2021)
Groups can meet virtually or outside, or take extra special care to
follow all requirements when inside or in confined spaces outside as
detailed below. Girl Scout meetings of all types are always "by
invitation only." Only those who are specifically invited to a
gathering should come in contact with girls during the meeting unless
invited to do so. (1-20-2022)
In person meetings -
Indoors, all Vaccinated - Adult
members and Girl Scouts may meet together indoors without masks if it
has been 10 days since each of those members became fully vaccinated,
no one is or has experienced any COVID symptoms for at least 5 days,
and the location of the meeting permits it.
Indoors with those who are Unvaccinated - When girls and adults
meet indoors, members (girls and adults) who have not been fully
vaccinated for at least 10 days must be masked. If the area of the
council where Girl Scouts are meeting is experiencing
substantial or high COVID19 transmission rates, all persons must be
masked (both vaccinated and unvaccinated).
When the Girl Scout group is just adults meeting indoors, only
unvaccinated members must wear masks. (8-3-2021)
Face Coverings. Only unvaccinated Girl Scouts must wear face
coverings (masks) in enclosed places, indoors and in public places
where social distancing cannot be achieved unless the area where the
meeting is taking place is experiencing high or
substantial COVID19 transmission rates and the group contains
unvaccinated girls or girls and adults. In this case all adult and
girl members must wear a face covering. This is done not only to
protect themselves but to protect others. Face coverings, when
necessary, are part of meeting the Girl Scout Promise of helping other
people at all times. Girls can bring their own face coverings. Troops
should have disposable masks on hand for those who do not bring their
own mask. Volunteers can teach girls how to handle their face
coverings so that the coverings are effective. Some girls or
volunteers may not be able to wear masks, due to medical conditions
such as asthma. In these cases, social distancing must be strictly
maintained. (8-3-2021)
Troop Meeting Spaces
Follow masking requirements above. Public buildings may not permit
outside groups on premises or may require masks of all people. Always
confirm and follow the most stringent rules of the location. Check
with the owner or operator to determine capacity. (5-16-2021)
Girl Scouts of Manitou Council Sites - If your Manitou Girl
Scout troop is suddenly in need of a troop meeting site due to the
intepretations of COVID-19 restrictions on public buildings and are in
the area around Camp Manitou, Camp Evelyn or the Girl Scout Center,
the Girl Scouts of Manitou Council is offering our troops the
opportunity to use council buildings for troop meetings free of
charge. Camp buildings are not open to the public and attendance at
your troop meeting is by invitation only (8-20-2020 &10-7-2020.)
Camp buildings will be available for troop meeting use Sunday 4:30
p.m.-8:30 p.m., and all through the week daily 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.,
to Friday at 3 p.m.
The Girl Scout Center will be available for troop meeting use from
8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. daily. During the week day, when the Girl Scout
Center is open to the public, the capacity for meeting at the Girl
Scout Center is limited to 25 people. During the evening and weekend,
attendance in the building is by invitation only. No one should enter
except those invited by your troop or by council staff or volunteers. (10-7-2020)
It is our hope to schedule troops for 1.5 hours per meeting, leaving
a half hour between meetings to allow for social distancing and
sanitizing. All safety and COVID-19-related guidelines must be
followed in council buildings. We will be asking troop leaders to do
basic sanitizing of buildings after each meeting to prepare for the
next troop.
Click here to
request a Manitou Council site for your troop meeting.
Homes - If meeting in the home is
the only option due to restrictions on public meeting spaces:
- The home must be the home of registered, background checked,
council approved Volunteer.
- There must be at least two
registered, unrelated, approved volunteers present at all
times.
- Girls may not meet in a home where a registered sex
offender lives.
- The troop needs to be able to focus without
disruptions from other household members.
- Masks must be
worn at indoors according to the masking requirements above.
- Animals should be kept in a place that is separate from the
meeting space.
- The Homeowner should ask their Homeowner’s
insurance carrier if there are any insurance exclusions regarding
holding troop meetings at the home, in the event an accident or
injury occurs.
- Weapons must be completely out of view and
stored in a locked space.
- Medication, dangerous cleaning
products, or any poisonous substance must be stored in a secure
space out of sight, preferably locked.
- Meetings should
ideally be held outdoors, perhaps in the back or front yard of the
home.
- While Girl
Scout activities are taking place, entrance to the home must be by
invitation only. No public gatherings exceeding 10 people can be
taking place. (10-7-2020)
- All guidance provided here is
followed. (8-20-2020)
Hygiene and COVID-19 Risk
Mitigation. Follow the resources developed by credible public
health sources such as the CDC or your local public health department. Share
these with girls and volunteers and ensure that they are practiced
during meetings and activities. Place signs in the meeting or activity space to remind
girls and volunteers to engage in everyday preventive actions to help
prevent the spread of COVID-19. Signs are available on the CDC
website. Signs should include:
- Stay home if you are sick.
- Cough and sneeze into a
tissue, throw the tissue in the trash, and wash or sanitize your
hands.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least
20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating;
and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and
water are not available, use an FDA approved hand sanitizer that
contains at least 60% alcohol.
- Avoid touching your eyes,
nose, and mouth. Wash hands if you do touch.
Personal contact. Hugs,
handshakes, “high-fives,” and even activities like the friendship
circle or squeeze can put people close enough to transmit COVID-19
from person to person. Refrain from these gestures for the time being.
Create a safe way for girls and volunteers to greet and end meetings
instead.
First Aid Supplies. Troop first aid supplies should include
COVID-19 prevention items including FDA approved hand sanitizer (at
least 60% alcohol), tissues, disposable facemasks, and disinfectants.
Trash baskets or bags should be supplied for meeting and activity
spaces, if not already available. Make sure that the trash baskets (or
bags) are easily accessible for girls. Disposable or no-contact
thermometers may be added to supplies if available and not
cost-prohibitive, however, parents should be checking temperatures and
allowing their girl(s) to join group activities only when temperatures
are normal.
Disinfectants and Disinfecting. Routinely clean and disinfect
surfaces and objects that are frequently touched in your meeting site
(i.e., table tops, markers, scissors, etc.). Use a household cleaner,
or see the EPA’s list of effective cleaners approved for use against
COVID-19. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for all cleaning and
disinfection products (e.g., concentration, application method and
contact time, etc.).
Household bleach is effective against COVID-19 for up to 24 hours
when properly diluted. Check that the bleach is not expired and
determine if it can be used on a given surface. Follow the
manufacturer’s instructions for application and proper ventilation.
Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser.
To prepare a bleach solution, mix:
- 5 tablespoons (1/3rd cup) bleach per gallon of water or
- 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water
Virtual meetings The Volunteer Toolkit has expanded plans to
make it easy to have both inperson and virtual meetings. Girl
Scouts at Home and The
Troop Leader Blueprints on our website also have have fabulous
resources, meeting plans, tips and other helps to make your virtual
meetings successful and fun.
Even when it is safe to meet face-to-face, Girl Scouts of the USA
recommends maintaining a virtual to in-person ratio of at least 20/80,
which means to maintain virtual troop meetings at least 20% of the
time to keep tech skills and virtual meeting habits fresh.
