Volunteer Essentials

2018 Volunteer Essentials

Volunteer Essentials

Dear Girl Scout Volunteers,

We are proud to introduce the newest version of Volunteer Essentials . This essential resource is the operational how-to guide for you, our treasured Girl Scout volunteers. Volunteer Essentials has something for everyone regardless of your experience or tenure with Girl Scouting. It is a useful tool designed to make your volunteer experience seamless and rewarding as you work to bring the Girl Scout program alive to girls in our region. Call it a playbook, guidebook, rule book or resource, Volunteer Essentials is just for you! When you need to know what to do, how to do it and the why, Volunteer Essentials provides the answers and framework for your Girl Scout experience.

Thank you for all you do to make sure every girl can become a G. I. R. L. ( Go-getter , Innovator , Risk-taker, Leader ) TM . We value and appreciate you. Together, we will help girls change the world.

Sincerely,

Your team at Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri

Chapter 1: Welcome to Girl Scouts

Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri Service Center....................................................................................................... Contacting Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri............................................................................................................... Visiting Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri...................................................................................................................... Participation Opportunities.......................................................................................................................................... Focus Areas......................................................................................................................................................................

4 5 6 8 9

Chapter 2: GSUSA, The National Organization

We are Girl Scouts........................................................................................................................................................ Who can Join Girl Scouts and How?........................................................................................................................... Girl Scout Registration.................................................................................................................................................... Girl Scout Organizational Structure............................................................................................................................. Governance....................................................................................................................................................................... Girl Scout Leadership Experience................................................................................................................................. Fun with Purpose............................................................................................................................................................. The National ProgramPortfolio...................................................................................................................................... Emblems and Patches.................................................................................................................................................... Girl Scout Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards................................................................................................................. Girl Scout Special Days, Ceremonies and Traditions...............................................................................................

10 11 11 13 14 15 16 17

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Volunteer Essentials 2

Chapter 3: Being a Girl Scout Volunteer

Volunteering for Girl Scouts of EasternMissouri............................................................................................... Volunteer Roles...................................................................................................................................................... Volunteer Learning Opportunities....................................................................................................................... Volunteer Management........................................................................................................................................ CommunicationsGuidelines................................................................................................................................. Volunteer Appreciation.........................................................................................................................................

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Chapter 4: Starting a Girl Scout Troop

New Troop Leader Checklist................................................................................................................................ Volunteer Toolkit..................................................................................................................................................... Planning a TroopMeeting...................................................................................................................................... Developing a Troop Calendar................................................................................................................................ Troop Governance.................................................................................................................................................. Creating a Safe Space for Girls............................................................................................................................ Understanding Health Development in Girls.................................................................................................... Creating an Atmosphere of Acceptance and Inclusion................................................................................. KnowingYour Responsibilities............................................................................................................................. Knowing How Many Volunteers You Need: Adult/Girl Ratios....................................................................... Troop Trips............................................................................................................................................................... Transporting Girls.................................................................................................................................................. Camping.................................................................................................................................................................. Health Histories...................................................................................................................................................... Product Program Safety........................................................................................................................................ Computer and Online Safety................................................................................................................................ Insurance, Contracts, Releases of Liability and Hold Harmless................................................................. First Aid and CPR.................................................................................................................................................... Chapter 5: Safety-Wise

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Chapter 6: Managing Troop Finances

Financing Your Troop Experience........................................................................................................................ Helping Girls Reach Their Financial Goals......................................................................................................... Troop Bank Accounts............................................................................................................................................ Year-End Reporting............................................................................................................................................... Tax Exemption from Missouri Sales Tax........................................................................................................... Girl Scout Cookie and Fall Product Programs.................................................................................................. Additional Troop-Money Earning Activities.......................................................................................................

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Words, Terms and Phrases Frequently Used ..............................................................................

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Chapter 1: Welcome to Girl Scouts Welcome to Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri where girls from St. Louis City and 28 surrounding counties develop the courage, confidence and character to make the world a better place. We are proud to stand on a tradition of Girl Scouting which began in 1918, when the first Girl Scout troop formed in St. Louis. Initiatives and programs have stayed current with the times, but the primary focus of the Council has always been, and will continue to be, the leadership development of girls. The Eastern Missouri Service Center serves as the base of operations for Council staff, but is much more! At the Service Center, girls and adults can purchase Girl Scout uniform components, insignia and badges, talk to experienced staff about resources and ideas for troop activities and attend programs, meetings and training courses. Directions: The Service Center is located near Page Avenue, between I-270 and Lindbergh Blvd. From Page, go north on Ball Drive one-half mile to 2300 Ball Drive. The building is on the right (east) side of Ball Drive. Public parking is available in front of the building. Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri Service Center

Council Address: Girl Scout Service Center 2300 Ball Dr. St. Louis, MO 63146

Service Center Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 am-5 pm

If you are sending in a payment to Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri, use the following address:

Service Center Phone Numbers: 314.592.2300 or 800.727.4475

Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri PO Box 795226 St. Louis, MO 63179-0795

Service Center Fax: 314.890.0646

Answer Center: 314.400.4600

Girl Scout Shop: 314.592.2378

Emerson Resource Center: 314.592.2360

Volunteer Essentials 4

Contacting Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri

Emailing the Service Center General questions and requests should be directed to answercenter@girlscoutsem.org . All emails directed to this address will receive a response within 48 hours. You can email Council staff by using the person’s first initial and last name (no spaces) @girlscoutsem.org. For a list of our staff with their email addresses and phone numbers, visit girlscoutsem.org . Calling the Service Center Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri has a receptionist to answer all incoming calls during regular business hours. After business hours, you may leave a detailed voice message. The main number, 314.592.2300, may also be used for after-hours or weekend emergency use. Calling the Answer Center Need answers or information about a Girl Scout activity or process? Do you have a question about an activity or event registration? We are here for you! Speak directly to a customer care specialist during regular business hours. Extended hours are available during high-volume months. Marvelous Mentoring Facebook Group This group is hosted by Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri for new and seasoned Eastern Missouri volunteers to support one another, share ideas, ask and answer questions or just give words of encouragement! This site is not to be used for personal promotional purposes, money earning or other commerce-related activities. While Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri staff does monitor this group daily to ensure it is being used in accordance with its purpose, we strongly encourage volunteers to take the lead by helping each other within the group. Join us at facebook.com/groups/marvelousmentoring . E-blast Registered volunteers automatically receive the Council e-blast each month. Make sure to read the monthly e-blast and stay up-to-date on upcoming events, learning opportunities and girl programs.

Let’s Get Social, Girl Scouts! Make sure to tag Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri on Facebook, or @girlscoutsem on Twitter or Instagram, to share your fun field trips, exhilarating STEM experiments, cookie boss successes, community service pics and more! Remember, girls must have a signed media release form before their photo is posted to the Internet.

Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri

@girlscoutsem

@girlscoutsem

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Welcome to Eastern Missouri

Visiting Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri

Council Shop The Eastern Missouri Girl Scout shop is your one-stop shop for all your Girl Scout supplies and gifts. The Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri shop carries girls’ and adults’ uniforms, program publications, awards, insignia, camping items, gifts, fun activity patches and merchandise exclusive to Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri. Most merchandise are official GSUSA-licensed products. If you are unable to visit the shop in person, the e-commerce shop located at girlscoutshop.com/shop is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! The online shop highlights all the current items, plus clearance and sale merchandise for great bargains! Ordering is fast, easy and secure. Orders filled at Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri will generally be processed and mailed within two working days of receipt; however, if an online order is filled by GSUSA, please allow up to two weeks during peak periods, typically spring and fall months. Shipping charges will be applied to all orders. Call the shop at 314.592.2378 or check the website for shop hours at girlscoutsem.org , then click “Shop”.

Berges Family Girl Scout Program Center The Berges Family Girl Scout Program Center, located next door to the Service Center, is a 6,500-square foot space used to house programs that invite rural, suburban and urban girls of all ages to interact and participate in premier activities and events, including many delivered through partnerships with businesses and community organizations. This facility incorporates a demonstration kitchen, science area, robotics lab, lounge space and hospitality room. The Program Center exemplifies the community’s dedication to the Girl Scout mission of building girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. Learn more about girl programs at girlscoutsem.org .

The space was funded by a transformative investment from the Berges Family Foundation and was designed with input from community members and volunteers.

Volunteer Essentials 6

Emerson Resource Center Located in the Service Center, the Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri Emerson Resource Center is designed to assist busy Girl Scout volunteers with planning and carrying out troop activities.

For more information, check out the Council website girlscoutsem.org/ emersonresourcecenter.

What’s Available: • Lending Library: Girl Scout publications, books, DVDs, CDs and games to use for troop activities or badge requirements • Equipment: Kits, flags, outdoor fun bags, parachutes, bridging posts, etc. • Advice from the Experts: Resource Center staff can answer your questions or point you in the right direction to get answers • Crafts and resources to enhance troop or group activities • Programs-In-A-Box: These kits are available for STEM, Money Management and Health activities for each Girl Scout grade level Computer Resource Room The Computer Resource Room is available by reservation to troops and volunteers for various uses, including work on badges and technology projects, online registration for events and membership, Council training, data entry of Product Program orders and tracking and management of historical and archival materials owned by Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri. Anyone using a computer must sign a User Agreement and girl-to-adult ratios must be met as defined in the Safety Activity Checkpoints . The 12 computers in the computer room are available by reservation only during the hours the Girl Scout Shop is open.

Eastern Missouri Council Facts:

• Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri is chartered by GSUSA

• With support from dedicated adult volunteers, parents and staff, we deliver the best Girl Scout experience to more than 40,000 girls and 15,000 adult members • Serves a jurisdiction that covers an area of 15,700 square miles and includes St. Louis city and the 28 surrounding Missouri counties of Adair, Audrain (Van-Far R1 School District), Clark, Crawford, Franklin, Iron, Jefferson, Knox, Lewis, Lincoln, Linn, Macon, Marion, Monroe, Pike, Putnam, Ralls, Reynolds, Schuyler, Scotland, Shelby, St. Charles, St. Francois, St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Sullivan, Warren and Washington

Reservations can be made by calling the Answer Center at 314.400.4600 or by email at answercenter@girlscoutsem.org . When making your reservation, please specify the activity for which you will be using the room, and if you anticipate needing support from Council staff during that time.

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Welcome to Eastern Missouri

Participation Opportunities

Eastern Missouri girls and adult volunteers benefit from a wide range of services and programs provided and supported by Council through multiple pathways.

Troops The most traditional pathway for

participating in Girl Scouts. Troops offer girls the opportunity to express themselves in a safe, all-girl environment, while being guided and supported by adult leadership. Troops meet on a regular basis and participate in a wide variety of activities. Juliettes Juliettes is a membership opportunity for individual participation, available to girls of all ages throughout the Council. Juliettes is designed to facilitate membership for

a girl who, for whatever reason, cannot participate in a traditional troop. Any girl in grades K-12 can be a Juliette member. Girls who choose this opportunity as their pathway for the year can earn badges, participate in programs and attend camp and Council or area events. Juliettes can participate in Product Programs by partnering with a traditional troop. Outreach Each year, Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri serves thousands of girls through community outreach programs. These programs provide a Girl Scout experience to girls in areas underserved by the traditional troop experience. Community outreach programs are primarily delivered in schools and community centers to provide youth with leadership and life skills and to promote positive culture in the communities in which the youth live. Programs include Project Anti-Violence Education (PAVE), STEM series and summer programs. Programs Eastern Missouri offers opportunities for troops and individuals to participate in Council-sponsored programs. Some programs, such as Journey Workshops, support the national curriculum. Other programs feature field trip opportunities (e.g., St. Louis Zoo or Missouri Botanical Garden). Find information about events in Inspire Discovery or on the Council website. Events Events are offered at the Council, district and neighborhood levels and vary from year to year. Find information about events on the Council website. Camps Girls consistently cite camping as one of their favorite Girl Scout activities. Eastern Missouri owns and operates three Girl Scout Camps: Cedarledge, Fiddlecreek and Tuckaho. A variety of camping experiences are offered, ranging from Troop Camp to Resident Camp to Family Camp. Accommodations include cabins, lodges, tents, yurts and tree houses. Camp Tuckaho hosts an outdoor adventure course which features a zipline and high and low ropes course. Camp Cedarledge has a large equestrian center, and Camp Fiddlecreek has a new climbing wall, zipline and spider net. For more information on camping in Eastern Missouri, see the Camp Adventure Guide , visit the Council website or contact the Camp department.

Volunteer Essentials 8

Focus Areas

Eastern Missouri has identified three main programmatic focus areas to help provide girls with the tools they need to succeed in the future:

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Girl Scout STEM programs provide a totally immersive experience in science, technology, engineering and math. Girls enjoy small group collaboration where their ideas come to life, inspiring them to follow their dreams. Our STEM programs and activities offer girls the opportunity to meet successful female STEM professionals which, in turn, helps them understand what opportunities are open to them and to visualize themselves in similar careers.

For more information on Girl Scout STEM programming, visit girlscoutsem.org/stem.

Money Management Learning the difference between earning, spending and saving helps girls become successful adults, and participating in fun programs and badges makes the experience that much greener. Whether a girl is learning to count change or saving for her college tuition, Girl Scouts can help inspire her to achieve those financial goals.

For more information on Girl Scout Money Management programming, visit girlscoutsem.org/moneymanagement.

Health For girls, feeling good about themselves and their relationships with others plays a critical role in their sense of well-being. Girl Scout Health programs and badges give girls the chance to try their hand at a career in medical field, learn a new hip-hop dance routine or create their own nutritious after-school snack.

For more information on Girl Scout Health programming, visit girlscoutsem.org/health.

Inspire Discovery : A Girl Scout and Family Guide

This Girl Scout family publication highlights opportunities in our focus areas, information on earning the Bronze, Silver or Gold Award and endless program opportunities that are sure to excite! Each year, Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri hosts hundreds of programs girls can attend as an individual or with their troop. Many of these innovative programs are led by our community partners, who are experts in their fields.

Inspire Discovery is mailed to all registered Girl Scout families each year in August and January.

Access it online at girlscoutsem.org/inspirediscovery.

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Welcome to Eastern Missouri

Chapter 2: GSUSA, National Organization

We Are Girl Scouts

Girl Scouts was founded in 1912 by trailblazer Juliette Gordon Low. We are the largest girl-serving organization in the United States and a member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, a sisterhood of close to 10 million girls and adults in 150 countries. Our Mission and Vision Girl Scouts builds girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. We strive to be the premier leadership organization for girls, and experts on their growth and development.

Girl Scout Promise On my honor, I will try: To serve God and my country, To help people at all times, And to live by the Girl Scout Law.

Girl Scouts are prepared for a lifetime of leadership. 90%

Girl Scout Law I will do my best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful,

OF ALL FEMALE U.S. ASTRONAUTS

considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what I say and do, and to respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place, and be a sister to every Girl Scout.

80%

OF ALL FEMALE TECH LEADERS

76%

We Are 2.6 Million Strong We are urban, rural and suburban. We are in schools, churches, temples, mosques, public housing, foster homes and detention centers. We are in virtually every zip code and in 90 countries around the world. • 1.8 million girls 5 to 18 years of age • 16,800 Girl Scouts overseas • 800,000 adult volunteers • 59 million alumnae • 112 councils throughout the United States

OF FEMALE U.S. SENATORS

100%

OF FEMALE U.S. SECRETARIES OF STATE

…were Girl Scouts.

Volunteer Essentials 10

Who Can Join Girl Scouts and How?

Girl Scouts is about sharing the fun, friendship and power of girls and women together. Any girl—from kindergarten through 12th grade—can join Girl Scouts. Girl Scout volunteers are a diverse group—you may be a college volunteer working on a community-action project, a parent volunteer ready for an outdoor adventure with your girl’s troop or any responsible adult (female or male, who has passed the necessary screening process) looking to make a difference in a girl’s life and help prepare her for the day when she will lead—however and wherever she chooses. All members, girls and adults, share a commitment to the Girl Scout Promise and Law. Each member also agrees to follow safety guidelines and pay the annual membership dues.

Girls at Every Grade Level

After girls join, they team up in the following grade levels:

• Girl Scout Daisy (grades K-1)

• Girl Scout Brownie (grades 2-3)

• Girl Scout Junior (grades 4-5)

• Girl Scout Cadette (grades 6-8)

• Girl Scout Senior (grades 9-10)

• Girl Scout Ambassador (grades 11-12)

Girl Scout Registration

Every participant, girl or adult, in Girl Scouting must register and become a member of Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA). GSUSA membership dues are valid for one year. Membership dues are sent directly to GSUSA; no portion of the dues stay with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri. Membership dues may not be transferred to another member and are not refundable. To Join Girl Scouts Online: 1. Visit girlscoutsem.org/join 2. Follow the prompts and complete all the information 3. Registration is complete after the payment of annual membership dues is processed 4. Membership confirmation is communicated via email 5. Although online registration is preferred, paper registration forms are available on the Council website 6. Need help? Contact the Answer Center for assistance

GSUSA: The National Organization 11

To Renew Your Membership Online: 1. Visit girlscoutsem.org 2. Click on the MY GS tab to enter the member community 3. Click the membership tab 4. Choose to renew the membership 5. Registration is complete after the payment of annual membership dues is processed 6. Membership confirmation is communicated via email 7. Although online renewal is preferred, paper registration forms are available on the Council website 8. Need help? Contact the Answer Center for assistance Online Troop Catalog Families now have the option to choose the troop that works best for them. The online troop catalog is available for new girls registering for the first time and for returning girls looking for a new troop. When returning, visit the membership tab in the member community and click the green “Add Change Troops” button to see the online troop catalog for both girl and volunteer experiences. Paper Registration Forms Using the online registration system is the best way to register as a Girl Scout because your information is processed immediately. However, if Internet access is not available, you decide to pay by check or money order, or you are using an insurance voucher in lieu of payment of membership dues, you must register by submitting a paper registration form. Membership Registration Forms can be accessed under the forms section of the Council website, girlscoutsem.org/forms , or you can call the Answer Center and request that a registration form be mailed to you.

When submitting a paper Membership Registration Form with payment, use the following mailing address:

Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri PO Box 795226 St. Louis, MO 63179-0795

Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri requires all volunteers who work directly or indirectly with girls to successfully complete a criminal background check every five years for the length of volunteer involvement with the organization. Background checks can be completed through Verified Volunteers, our approved vendor, via email invitation received upon purchase of member registration or renewal online. Results of the volunteer background check are only communicated to the volunteer and to designated Council staff as needed to ensure the safety and well-being of the girls. Details of a volunteer’s criminal history are kept confidential.

If you are registering with a paper registration form, please submit a completed Volunteer Consent and Disclosure Form and mail to:

Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri Attention: Adult Education Department 2300 Ball Dr. St. Louis, MO 63146

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Re-Registration Early registration or re-registration for the upcoming membership year starts in April. Girls are encouraged to register early to avoid the fall rush. Early registration helps ensure uninterrupted receipt of forms and materials from Council, helps girls and troops plan ahead and gets girls excited about all the great activities they want to do as Girl Scouts next year. Parents/guardians are responsible for registering girls for their first year in Girl Scouts. The troop leader can re-register girls in succeeding years. Lifetime Membership Lifetime members pay $400 lifetime membership dues at the time they become lifetime members; discounted lifetime membership dues of $200 shall be offered to anyone who was registered Girl Scout member before the age of 18 and is under the age of 30 at the time of becoming a lifetime member. Global Girl Scouts is the world’s largest organization of and for girls. We are 2.6 million strong—1.8 million girls and 800,000 adults who believe in the power of every girl to change the world. Global Girl Scouting ensures that girls have increased awareness about the world and education on relevant global issues that may inspire them to take action to make the world a better place. GSUSA is a member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS). WAGGGS is comprised of member organizations that promote mutual understanding and cross-cultural opportunities for girls around the world. GSUSA is one of the member organizations. Since 1925, USA Girl Scouts Overseas (USAGSO), a division of Global Girl Scouting, has helped ease the transition for American families relocating overseas by offering the familiar traditions and exciting opportunities of Girl Scouting to girls abroad. USAGSO now serves thousands of American girls living overseas, as well as girls attending American or international schools. Through Global Girl Scouting, members participate in World Thinking Day on February 22, visit the four WAGGGS world centers, participate in international travel, promote global friendship and understanding by supporting the Juliette Low World Friendship Fund and take action on global issues. Girl Scouts’ Organizational Structure

Three core structures support this world-wide organization: the national headquarters, your Council and your Neighborhood Service Team.

National The national office of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA) is in New York City and employs more than 200 employees. GSUSA charters councils to attract and retain members in a geographic area, provide ways for girls to participate in Girl Scouting, create an environment that reflects Girl Scout values and ideals, manage volunteers’ experience with Girl Scouting and keep girls and volunteers as safe as possible. The national office provides support materials to all councils to ensure the Girl Scout experience is nationally consistent. Each council is responsible for the leadership, administration and supervision of Girl Scouting in its area.

GSUSA: The National Organization 13

Your Council – Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri Eastern Missouri is one of 112 locally-chartered councils and is one of the ten largest councils. We are organized into over 70 neighborhoods (groupings of schools, churches and community organizations). Each neighborhood has a volunteer Neighborhood Manager and a service team of volunteers who assist troop leaders in their neighborhood. Your Neighborhood Service Team provides volunteers with local support, learning opportunities and advice. As a Girl Scout volunteer, you will have the most contact with your Neighborhood Service Team. Neighborhoods are grouped into 17 districts (groups of adjacent neighborhoods). Each district has Council staff assigned to meet each district’s specific needs and provide volunteer support. Council staff are also available to assist the Neighborhood Service Team and volunteers. If an issue cannot be resolved at the district or neighborhood level, you are encouraged to contact your Volunteer Support Coordinator for advice and support. If you do not know who your Volunteer Support Coordinator is, contact the Answer Center for assistance. The Neighborhood Association Neighborhood Managers schedule and facilitate Neighborhood Association Meetings. Any Girl Scout volunteer can take advantage of this great opportunity to network with other volunteers, both new and experienced. These meetings are a great source for program, activity and community service ideas. Information on neighborhood, district and Council events is distributed. A representative from each troop in the neighborhood is expected to attend Neighborhood Association Meetings. The meeting schedule is available from your Neighborhood Manager or your Volunteer Support Coordinator. Local Council Delegates A democratic process and volunteer structure governs Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri and the National Council. Each neighborhood elects delegates to send to the Representative Assembly which convenes every year in the spring. Council delegates give input to the Board of Directors, amend by-laws and articles of incorporation and discuss issues affecting Girl Scouting. The Board of Directors and Board Committees use this input to formulate policy, make policy decisions and govern the affairs of the Council. Council staff has overall accountability for providing operational support and expertise, making sure Girl Scouts continues to operate and grow in the communities they serve. National Council Delegates Girl Scout councils are entitled to elect delegates to send to the National Council Session which convenes every three years. The National Council is the governing body of Girl Scouts. The National Council elects a board of directors and a national board committee, amends the constitution, establishes requirements for credentials, acts on proposals and influences the strategic direction of the Movement by providing guidance to the National Board. Governance

Volunteer Essentials 14

The Girl Scout Program-Girl Scouting as a National Experience

The Girl Scout Program—what girls do in Girl Scouting—is based on the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE), a national model that helps girls become leaders in their own lives and as they grow. No matter where girls live or what their age or background, as Girl Scouts they are part of a powerful, national experience. As they build leadership skills, they also develop lifelong friendships and earn meaningful awards, two of many treasured traditions in the sisterhood of Girl Scouting.

Girl Scout Participation in Activities with Other Scouting Organizations

The business decision by Boy Scouts of America (BSA) to open the Boy Scout program to girls has fundamentally altered the nature of the relationship between BSA and Girl Scouts nationally and locally. However, we must not let this distract us from delivering our mission. Girl Scouts is the best leadership development program for girls. Period. Building future leaders is as important now as it was when we were founded more than 100 years ago. Marketplace Confusion To protect the integrity of the Girl Scout brand and reinforce our programming as unique, girl-only, and best in class, we must ensure that we take care that the activities in which girls participate are exclusive to the Girl Scout program, are safe and girl led, and are conducted under the appropriate supervision of trained Girl Scout volunteers. Do not let Girl Scouts be lumped together with any other program. We are a standalone, proud, and single-gender organization with so much to offer. Brand To avoid diluting our brand or allow another youth-serving organization to leverage the reputation of Girl Scouts for their own purposes, it will be important we affirm our purpose. We can do this by: • Saying loudly and proudly to families and our community that we are here for girls – all girls – so they can become the G.I.R.L.s (Go-getters, Innovators, Risk-takers and Leaders) that our organization has been building for 100 years right here at home • Always inserting “Girl” before “Scouting” • Supporting Girl Scout of Eastern Missouri’s fall and spring recruitment events • Talking to your troop parents, your neighbors and friends, and the parents in your schools and places of worship • Being clear that Girl Scouts provides advantages; Share your experiences; Describe our highest award programs and our tailor-made curriculum for girls • Celebrating the Girl Scout Gold Award; If you earned your Girl Scout Gold Award put it on your LinkedIn page, your bio or your resume

Girl Scout Leadership Experience

Today’s effective leaders emphasize collaboration, inclusion and a commitment to improving the world around them. Girls themselves tell us that a leader is defined not only by the qualities and skills she hones, but by how she uses those skills and qualities to make a difference in the world—to achieve transformational change!

For this reason, the Girl Scout Leadership Experience or GSLE—the framework for defining what girls do in Girl Scouting, how they do it and who will benefit, which was born out of years of research and

GSUSA: The National Organization 15

development—engages girls in three key activities: Discovering who they are and what they value; Connecting with others; and Taking Action to make the world a better place. In Girl Scouting, girls Discover, Connect and Take Action as they become leaders. The entire Girl Scout program is designed to lead to the five leadership outcomes (or benefits) that stem from these three keys.

Girl Scouting isn’t a to-do list, so please don’t ever feel that checking activities off a list is more important than tuning in to what interests and excites girls and sparks their imaginations. Projects don’t have to come out perfectly, and girls don’t have to fill their vests and sashes with badges: what matters most is the fun and learning that happens as girls make experiences their own.

Fun with Purpose

Girl Scouting isn’t just about what we do; it’s also about how we do it. Over time, we’ve noticed girls will give almost any activity a try, if the adults guiding them take the right approach. Girl Scout activities empower adult volunteers to engage girls in three ways that make Girl Scouting unique from school and other extracurricular activities:

Girl-Led: Girls of every grade level take an active role in determining what, where, when, why and how they’ll structure activities. Of course, you’ll provide guidance appropriate to the age of the girls. Plus, you’ll encourage them to bring their ideas and imaginations into the experiences, make choices and lead the way as much as they can. Learning By Doing: This means girls have active, hands-on experiences. It also means they have a chance to think and talk about what they are learning as a result of the activities. This kind of reflection is what helps girls gain self-awareness and confidence to dive into new challenges. So, make sure girls always have a chance to talk with each other—and you—after an activity. Cooperative Learning: Girls learn so much about themselves and each other when they team up on common goals. Plus, great teamwork helps girls in school now and on the job later. Look for ways to help each girl contribute her unique talents and ideas to the team, help all girls see how their differences are valuable to the team and coach girls to resolve their conflicts productively.

You might be wondering how to put these processes into action with the girls in your troop.

These steps should help you get started: • After you help girls choose a National Leadership Journey, make sure you get the adult guide that accompanies the Journey or use the Volunteer Toolkit found under the MY GS tab on our website. For K-5 troops, the Volunteer Toolkit gives you the choice between two Journey year plans and a Girl Scout Badge year plan. All three of these plans have the program processes and Discover, Connect and Take Action built right in

Volunteer Essentials 16

• If you haven’t already, watch Girl Scouting 101, our online introduction to volunteering with Girl Scouts. If you’ve already watched Girl Scouting 101, you may want to review its “What Girl Scouts Do” section to brush up on the processes • Practice! As you learn how to use each process to lead activities with girls, it will get easier and easier

The National Program Portfolio

There are two main groups of written resources you can use for the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. Collectively, they are called the National Program Portfolio.

• National Leadership Journeys • Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting

These resources are designed to help girls develop as leaders and build confidence by learning new skills. Using these resources ensures Girl Scouts at every level are sharing a powerful national experience—girls together changing the world! Volunteers leading K-5 troops will have most of these resources available electronically through the Volunteer Toolkit. National Leadership Journeys National Leadership Journeys help Girl Scouts learn and practice the Three Keys, aid their communities, and earn leadership awards, progressing up Girl Scouting’s Ladder of Leadership as they do so. After the girls choose a Journey, read the companion adult guide. It’ll give you a feel for how to bring the Journey to life, and you’ll get ideas for the steps girls will take (with your support) to earn their leadership awards. Don’t worry; you don’t have to be any kind of expert to do a Leadership Journey with girls. You just need to be willing to dive in and enjoy the learning-by-doing experience with them. Each Journey adult guide contains sample plans you can customize to fit the needs of your troop, whether you guide a troop, volunteer at a Girl Scout Camp, mentor girls on a travel adventure or engage with girls in a series or at an event. Each Journey also offers opportunities to enjoy the long-standing traditions of Girl Scouting, from ceremonies and songs to earning awards and skill badges. The Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting and National Proficiency Badges In addition to the Leadership Journeys, girls at each Girl Scout grade level have their own edition of The Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting —a binder full of information about being a Girl Scout and how to earn certain badges, including ones about financial literacy and the Girl Scout Cookie Program. Girls who want to earn more badges can add a Skill Building Badge Set tied to the theme of the Journey they’ve chosen.

When a Girl Scout earns a badge, it shows that she’s learned a new skill, such as how to make a healthy snack or take great digital photos. It may even spark an interest at school or plant the seed for a future career. Please remember we don’t expect you to be an expert in the badge topics; just have fun learning by doing with the girls!

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While you’re having fun, keep in mind: Badges are for educating girls, not for decorating their sashes and vests. The quality of a girl’s experience—and the skills and pride she gains from earning leadership awards and skill-building badges—far outweigh the quantity of badges she earns. If you’re working with Girl Scout Daisies, please note that they earn petals and leaves (which form a flower) instead of badges. There are several ways to supplement the National Program Portfolio and enhance girls’ time as Girl Scouts—and have fun while you’re doing it!

All content in The Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting , grades K-5, can be found in the Volunteer Toolkit.

Beyond the National Program Portfolio

Digital Programming The “For Girls” section of girlscouts.org features a variety of videos, games, blogs and other fun ways to enrich the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. Girls will find opportunities to post their ideas for public service announcements on topics that matter to them and get inspired by watching short videos that tell the stories of women from all walks of life. If you work with Girl Scout Daisies and Brownies, you might like the site’s print-and-play coloring and game pages—great for having on hand when energetic girls get together! Make Your Own Badge Girls are welcome to develop and complete activities to make their own badge—a great way to explore a topic of personal interest. (In addition, girls who make their own badge will learn how to learn, which is an important skill to have in school, on the job and in life!) Once girls check the Awards log in The Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting to make sure there’s not already a badge on the topic they want to explore, they’ll follow steps outlined in that handbook to complete the requirements for their very own badge. My Promise, My Faith Pin The Girl Scout Law includes many of the principles and values common to most faiths. Even though Girl Scouts is a secular organization, we’ve always encouraged girls to explore spirituality via their own faiths. Girls of all grade levels can now earn the My Promise, My Faith pin. By carefully examining the Girl Scout Law and directly tying it to tenets of her faith, a girl can earn the pin once each year she participates in Girl Scouting. You can find more about the requirements for this pin in The Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting . The Girl Scout Cookie Program In addition to giving girls an opportunity to earn money to fund their Girl Scouting goals, taking part in the Girl Scout Cookie Program teaches girls five important skills that serve them throughout their lives: goal setting, money management, people skills, decision making and business ethics. Outdoor Adventures Being outside is a great way for girls to explore leadership, build skills and develop a deep appreciation for nature. Whether they spend an afternoon exploring a local hiking trail or a week at camp, being outside gives girls an opportunity to grow, explore and have fun in a whole new environment. Spanish-Language Resources Two of the Journey series— It’s Your World—Change It ! and It’s Your Planet—Love It! —are available in Spanish, as are two new supporting books for Spanish-speaking volunteers to use with Spanish-speaking and bilingual Girl Scout Brownies and Juniors : ¡Las Girl Scouts Brownies Cambian El Mundo! (Girl Scout Brownies Change the World!) and ¡Las Girl Scouts Juniors Apuntan a las Estrellas! (Girl Scout Juniors Reach for the Stars!). For more information on these resources, contact the Girl Scout Service Center.

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Emblems and Patches

In addition to the leadership awards tied to the Journeys and the National Proficiency badges, girls can show they belong by adding emblems to the front of their vests or sashes and participation patches on the back. • Emblems show membership in Girl Scouts, a particular council, a particular troop or in some other Girl Scout group. These can be worn on the front of a sash or vest (see the diagram in the handbook section of The Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting to see where these are placed) • Participation patches represent activities girls have tried and are fun ways for girls to remember special events they’ve attended. Since these patches and pins aren’t tied to skill-building activities, they are worn on the back of a girl’s sash or vest.

You can purchase emblems and patches—along with badges and leadership awards—at Eastern Missouri’s Girl Scout shop or by visiting the GSUSA online shop. There, you’ll find a cool list of the earned awards for each grade level and a link that shows you exactly where girls can place their emblems, awards, badges, pins and patches on their vests and sashes.

Girl Scout Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards

The Girl Scout Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards are Girl Scouting’s highest awards. These awards offer girls relevant, grade-level-appropriate challenges related to teamwork, goal setting, community networking and leadership. They also engage girls in building networks that support them not only in their award projects, but also in new educational and career opportunities. Like everything girls do in Girl Scouting, the steps to earning these awards are rooted in the GSLE. The first step in earning each of these awards is to complete one or two Journeys (see specific award prerequisites). With Journeys, girls experience the keys to leadership and learn to identify community needs, work in partnership with their communities and carry out Take Action projects that make a lasting difference. They can then use the skills they developed during a Journey to develop and execute projects for their Girl Scout Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards. As a Girl Scout volunteer, encourage girls to go for it by earning these awards at the Junior through Ambassador levels. Check out some of the award projects girls in Eastern Missouri are doing and talk to a few Gold Award Girl Scouts. You’ll be inspired when you see and hear what girls can accomplish as leaders—and by the confidence, values and team-building expertise they gain while doing so. Did you know a Gold Award Girl Scout immediately rises one rank in all four branches of the U.S. Military? A number of college scholarship opportunities also await Gold Award Girl Scouts. A girl does not have to earn a Bronze or Silver Award before earning the Girl Scout Gold Award. She is eligible to earn any recognition at the grade level in which she is registered. Information on the awards and guidelines for you to use when helping girls earn their awards is available on the Council website. Printed materials are available in the Emerson Resource Center and learning opportunities about the highest awards are often listed in Lead & Learn .

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