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Area Managers
Area Plan of Work 
The area plan of work is a useful worksheet area team members complete to help build their recruitment and support plans.
Troop Organizers
Becoming a Volunteer
Girl Scouts of Manitou Council extends a warm welcome to all new volunteers. Our goal is to provide volunteers what they need to bring the Girl Scout program to girls in your community. Without volunteers, Girl Scouts would not be able to deliver the world's pre-eminent organization for girls to the girls.
You have successfully interviewed and recruited volunteers to lead a troop. Your next steps:
Registration:
- New volunteers complete the registration form.
- As the person who recruited the volunteers, your next step is to complete a preliminary background check on the potential volunteer. Follow instructions found on the back of the adult registration form, checking the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access and Wisconsin Department of Correction Sex Offender Registry websites.
- If any activity has been recorded on either site, contact your Membership Development & Support Director for further instructions.
- Once the member registration has been entered into the data system, an automatic email is generated to the potential volunteer to complete their National Background Check. They have 30 days to complete the background check.
Orientation and Support:
- Schedule a date with the new volunteer(s) to complete their orientation. The orientation process should take about an hour to an hour and a half to complete, dependent on the volunteer's prior knowledge of Girl Scouts, and the number of questions.
- Highly stress the importance of completing their online training found on gsLearn within the next two weeks.
- Provide volunteers a list of potential girls in their troop or registration forms to complete the registration process for their troop.
- Plan to attend their first troop meeting and be their mentor throughout their first year.
Yearly Outline of the Role of a Troop Organizer
August - October:
- Attend the Membership Kick-Off meeting and dinner at the Girl Scout Council (Tuesday, August 6th, 2025 at 6:00 p.m.)
- Schedule a registration event at the school either the second or third week in September if possible.
- Be able to be present at back-to-school/open house night and see if you can get 1 or 2 other troop leaders to join you. Make sure you are getting contact information from each family so that you can make necessary follow-up phone calls and pass out registration event flyers.
- During the first week of school (or a couple weeks prior to the registration event) drop off flyers to be distributed to all girls in grades K-5.
- Contact all the parents that signed the "I'm interested in signing my daughter up for Girl Scouts" form from back-to-school/open house night to remind them about when the registration event is.
- Host a registration event at the school for girls in grades K-5. It is ideal if at least one troop leader from each troop is present at this event. The number one question that is asked by parents is, "When does the troop meet?" If a leader from a troop cannot be present at the registration event then gather that information ahead of time. A second registration event might be necessary depending on the success of the first event, please evaluate with your membership person.
- Recruit all the necessary troop leaders; you will always need to recruit two new troop leaders for a Kindergarten Daisy troop, but there are times where you might have to recruit a new troop leader or two for another age level such as Brownie or Junior troop that might need a new troop leader or coleader.
- Complete a preliminary background check on the potential volunteer. Follow instructions found on the back of the adult registration form, checking the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access and Wisconsin Department of Correction Sex Offender Registry websites.
- Make sure all girls and adults are getting registered as soon as possible, preferably before October 1st.
- Complete orientation via in-person or Zoom with all new troop leaders and guide them to complete their trainings in gsLearn.
- Attend the parent meeting with the new Kindergarten Daisy troop leaders if you are able to do so.
November - December:
- Check in with the new and returning troops leaders to make sure they have started their troop meetings and to see if they have any questions.
- Encourage all the new troop leaders to attend the virtual troop leader meetings; since they are new troop leaders they more than likely did not attend the first in-person troop leader meeting held in August. Virtual troop leader meetings might change in the future but as of now, the October and February troop leader meetings are virtual.
- Reaach out to parents who attended the back-to-school/open house night or the school registration event who have't registered their daughter(s) yet to let them know it's not too late for her to join Girl Scouts.
January - March:
- Check in once again with both the new and returning troop leaders to see how things are going.
April - May:
- Find out which troop leaders plan to return or not return for the next year so you can start to think about who will need to be recruited for the following membership year. Figure out which grade levels are missing troops at your school.
June - August:
- You don't have to wait until fall to orientate new troop leaders. If you know of someone who wants to be a troop leader for the following membership year, feel free to do a preliminary background check and complete their in-person orientation.
- Complete the Action Plan Worksheet.
Action Plan Worksheet
The action plan worksheet is a form submitted online that helps you build your recruitment plan for your area/school.
Promoting Girl Scouts
Why Girl Scouts?
Why should all girls have the chance to be a Girl Scout? Why should families take the time to commit to Girl Scouts? Why should a parent volunteer their time to make Girl Scouts a possibility for their daughter's troop? Use these points below as main points when talking to parents about Girl Scouts.
Why be a Girl Scout?
- Girl Scouts gives girls the opportunity to make connections with friends outside of the school day, this helps to build strong friendships.
- In Girl Scouts, girls have the opportunity for new experiences that they may not have had anywhere else. Opportunities like riding a horse, going to camp, getting involved in the community, and maybe some travel adventures (some day).
- Girl Scouts sell cookies. The cookie sale helps girls gain skills such as money management, goal setting, customer service skills, and more.
- Girls develop confidence through trying new things and by participating in the cookie sale.
- Girls build character. The Girl Scout values will help girls learn to make better decisions throughout their lives.
- Girl Scouts make the world a better place through take action projects and community service.
- Girl Scouts have lots of FUN!
Why be a Girl Scout leader?
- As a leader, you will have valuable time that is just for your daughter.
- You will meet your daughter's friends and get to know their families better too.
- You will try all of the new adventures right alongsde her.
- You will make some new friends of your own.
- As a Girl Scout volunteer, you make a difference in the lives of girls, making memories that will last a lifetime.
- What you do as a Girl Scout volunteer impacts the lives of girls, you will help to create girls of courage, confidence, and character. Girls who make the world a better place.
Girl Scout Messages
Girl Scouts: Empowering Girl Leaders
- In Girl Scouts, a girl's leadership potential blooms among other girls - away from school pressures, social cliques, and boys - where she can be herself and try new things. Among Girl Scouts, activities are girl-led. She learns by doing and the learning is cooperative, not competitive.
- We believe that one girl can make a difference and that girls together can change the world.
- The Girl Scout experience gives young women the confidence and the tools to lead - to find inside the uncertain girls, the citizen who will make a difference in the world.
- Wherever girls live, whatever their circumstances, we help them learn to be safe, think for themselves, and lead the way for others.
- We focus on what girls need in order to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
- Girl Scouts helps every girl discover the leader she can be and connect with others to have an effect on her world. No other organization provides so many leadership opportunities for girls. No university has produced as many women business owners as the Girl Scout Cookie Program.
- We help every girl discover who she can be and what she can do, wherever she chooses to put her energies.
- Imagine what an entire generation of girls will do, given the confidence, the skills, and the experience they need to lead.
- As girls go, so goes our nation. The Center of Global Development has found that the welfare of girls is fundamental to a society's economic and social progress. In a very real way, girls are our future.
Community Leaders and Girl Scouts
- Two-thirds of America's most successful women are former Girl Scouts. Girl Scouts helps every girl make the most of her opportunities, without leaving her values or her community behind.
- Eighty percent of women business owners were Girl Scouts.
- Seventy-one percent current U.S. Senators were Girl Scouts.
- Fifty-three percent of current women members of the House of Representatives were Girl Scouts.
- Virtually every female astronaut who has flown in space was a Girl Scout.
Why Volunteer and/or Partner with Girl Scouts?
- For volunteers and even donors, Girl Scouts provides a way to have a direct effect on girls' leadership development on a national scale. A recent Girl Scouts Research Institute study discovered that girls' future career choices are influenced more by inspiring role models than by academic interest.
- As a society, we lose something every time a girl doesn't raise her hand in school. We are poorer every time she does not say what's on her mind. Our future is a little bit smaller every time a girl chooses not to lead. Volunteers can make a difference!
- An investment in Girl Scouts is broader than a cause or a cure. It's a commitment to a generation. Our volunteers and donors are changing the world by supporting the young women who will change it.
- Join the over 900,000 volunteers. You will be amazed by what girls can achieve for themselves and for your community.
- With your support, Girl Scouts can introduce a whole generation of young women to the disciplines that are changing the future for all of us.
- Imagine a new generation of leaders - who lead in a new way, who lead by principle rather than pride, who step across barriers of class and race every day, who seek out the work that needs doing in the world, and who bring boundless energy to every challenge. They are today's Girl Scouts and they are the future.
Multiple Touch Recruitment
Recruitment is more than just sending a flyer home in girls' backpacks. In an effort to get Girl Scouts in the minds of families and to create awareness, we need to focus on multiple touch recruitment efforts. This means that we need to have a plan in place to make ourselves visible in multiple ways.
A successful recruitment plan will use multiple strategies to promote Girl Scouts in their community. Recruitment should be in the school as well as the community. Work with your Membership Development & Support Director to develop your recruitment plan.
Examples school recruitment strategies:
Schools are hte most effective and easiest ground in which to promote Girl Scouting. It is important to know your school(s) to maximize your impact and to be on track to successful recruitment.
- Distribute recruitment flyers
- Attend back to school or school registration
- Attend kindergarten orientation (spring)
- Use yard signs outside of the school
- Create posters to put up around the school
- School newsletters, website
- Create invites for girls to give to friends
- Attend a PTO/PTA event to promote Girl Scouts
- Brat fry, book fair, carnival
- Have a troop present at an upcoming meeting
- Hold a Girl Scout Day at school
- All girls wear their uniforms
- Hand out Girl Scout SWAPs to friends
- Decorate lockers of Girl Scouts
- Visit with girls during lunch/recess to promote Girl Scouts
- Get the girls involved in talking with their friends about Girl Scouts
- Host a one-time Girl Scout event
- Talk to school staff about Girl Scouts and the importance of Girl Scouts for the girls at their school
- Show your appreciation to school administrative staff for their support
- Personal cards from the troops in the school
- Girl Scout cookies
- Tried and true thank you
- Leave a Girl Scout "mark"
- Bench, tree, garden, art project
- Hold a Girl Scout sponsored drive
- Food, toys, pet supplies
Examples of community recruitment strategies:
- March in a parade
- Attend a community event to promote Girl Scouts
- Put up posters and flyers around the community
- Coffee shops
- Restaurants
- Other areas with high traffic of families
- Use yard signs
- Put out bookmarks at the library
- Maybe even a Girl Scout display
- Are there youth activities through which you can distribute additional information?
- Local Girl Scout PSA
- Radio, newspapers
- Flyers and information to daycare centers, YMCA, Boys & Girls Clubs, nature centers
- Cookie booths are a great way to promote Girl Scouts (February - March)
- Churches
- Girls can present information or announcements during services/masses
- Celebrate Girl Scout Sunday at area churches (March)
- Submit pictures to local newspapers of Girl Scouts in action
- Have girls wear uniforms when out in the community
- Social media
- Promote Girl Scouts on city sign, marquee
- Troop money earning activities
- Brat fry, lemonade stand, bake sale
- Community groups (local organizations/clubs?)
- Lions Club
- Rotary Club
- Optimists Club
- Women's Club (Junior Women's Club)
The best way to promote Girl Scouts is to talk about it! Remember to be the voice of Girl Scouts and share your experience. Educate others about why Girl Scouts is a must have experience for their daughter.
Parent/Guardian Volunteer Barriers & Challenges
Benefits of being a Girl Scout Volunteer:
- Girl Scouting offers numerous opportunities for mothers to spend quality time to bond with their daughters outside of the home, doing activities that are important to bot of them.
- Moms know that by volunteering with Girl Scouts, they're helping to provide not only fun activities but also critical leadership development skills for their daughters.
- Volunteers will get to know their daughters' friends and their families, creating new adult friendships as well as girls.
- Parents have the opportunity to develop their own leadership skills and serve as role models to their daughters and other girls.
- Girl Scouting offers moms networking opportunities in the community.
- Moms who are away from the workforce have the opportunity to keep building their resumes and build their skill set through Girl Scouts.
Barriers to Girl Scouting:
| Challenges: | Solutions: |
|---|---|
| Moms are pressed for time. | Share flexibility options that fit into their busy schedules; build awareness that moms and daughters spend time together in Girl Scouting.
|
| Adults have an outdated perception and/or limited understanding of what Girl Scouts is. | Girl Scouts is the place where girls reach their full potential and develop leadership skills that make them successful in the real world. Moms/caregivers are demonstrating a leadership role to their child.
|
| Daughters' lack of interest and/or competing activities. | Girl Scouts is fun, exciting, flexible, and relevant to the world today.
|
| High cost. | Compare Girl Scouting costs (membership, uniform, badges, etc.) to costs of other activities. Financial Assistance is an option. Troop activities are mostly funded by Girl Scout Cookie sale proceeds.
|
Volunteer Recruitment Strategies:
- Make recruitment events inspirational! Invite other leaders to share their Girl Scout story.
- If flyers being distributed through schools is not allowed, ask school administrators for other options to allow you to connect with parents (such as websites, newsletters, parent nights, and PTO/PTAs).
- Volunteer to volunteer recruitment is the most successful recruitment approach. Encourage current volunteers to talk to others in their social circles, as they may know women (friends, co-workers, leaders from the community, family members) who can provide great mentoring and role modeling for girls.
- Instead of recruiting one adult as the lead volunteer and others as helpers, identify a group of three, four, or five adults that will share the responsibilities and form a leadership team. Let them know that volunteering offers a chance to have fun with other adults while spending time with their daughters.
Program:
- Seek out adults as volunteers based on their personal interests and relate it to a Girl Scout journey.
- Promote the volunteer experience as a great way for adults and girls to discover the community. The Girl Scout experience is also enhanced by relevant trips to parks, museums, and more.
Communication:
- Raise awareness of Girl Scouts' leadership outcomes and benefits, in addition to being a fun, all-in-one packaged option for girls.
- Girl Scout Research Institute is an authority on girls' issues and needs, including girls' social, emotional, and physical development.
- The volunteer opportunity allows adults to spend time wit their daughter and her friends.
