GSEM Volunteer Essentials

Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri Policies Policies are established courses of action that must be followed. Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) policies are located in the Blue Book of Basic Documents and Volunteer Essentials. Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri adheres to the Girl Scouts of the USA Program Standards and Safety Activity Checkpoints. Girl Scout of Eastern Missouri policies are outlined on the following pages. I. Membership and Participation Guidelines A. Any current or former member of Girls Scouts of the USA must not be excluded in order to place new members. B. To standardize registration for all Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri-sponsored activities, girls will be considered at the next grade level on June 1. C. All adult volunteers, except those adults serving as temporary advisors or consultants, must be registered members of the Girl Scout Movement and must pay the applicable membership dues and meet the GSUSA membership requirements. Short-term (fewer than 30 consecutive days) and episodic (one-day event) volunteers are considered temporary and are exempt from annual membership. D. Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri will implement, maintain and enforce a method for effectively evaluating the qualifications and reviewing the backgrounds of all potential volunteers. Further, in order to ensure the safety and well-being of all members, the Senior Manager, Volunteer Support and Customer Experience has the right to disqualify or restrict the duties of any person who has been convicted of certain crimes, who has pleaded guilty or no contest to certain crimes, who has been placed on probation or deferred adjudication for certain crimes and/or who resides on the same premises as a registered sex offender. E. There must be at least two registered, background-checked and approved adult members present at all times when working with girls; including virtual meetings, and at least one of these adults must be a female not related by blood, marriage or partnership to the other adults. F. Smoking by girl or adult participants is not allowed during any activity sponsored by Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri. For adults who smoke, including e-cigarettes, Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri expect strict adherence to applicable local, state and federal laws pertaining to smoke-free environments, unless a designated smoking area is provided. G. Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri expects adults to serve as responsible role models and to exercise and encourage good judgment at all activities. Girl Scout volunteers shall not drink or be under the influence of alcohol during Girl Scout activities when girls are present. An exception to this policy includes a limited number of Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri sponsored events for adults where girls may be participating as speakers, greeters, flag ceremony color guard, etc. and whose parents/caregivers will be notified, in advance of event participation, that alcohol is being served to adults. Non-medicinal drugs and controlled substances are prohibited on Council-owned property and at any Girl Scout activity. H. Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri has zero tolerance for any instances of sexual abuse, physical abuse, and/or molestation of any individual. Any staff member, volunteer, or independent contractor found to have engaged in any such activity will be terminated from their employment, volunteer role, and/or any other affiliation they have with Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri. Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri will also pursue any and all legal actions warranted in the event of an instance of sexual abuse, physical abuse, and/or molestation. For more information about this policy, see the Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri website at https://vr.girlscoutsem.org/sampolicy, or contact the Senior Manager, Risk Management. If