Volunteer Essentials

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