Volunteer Essentials

Council-Wide Programs to Add to Your Calendar • Fall Product Program: The Girl Scout Fall Product Program, which begins in October, is the best way for your troop to earn funds early in the year • Girl Scout Cookie Program: Kicking off in January, the Girl Scout Cookie Program not only provides your troop with the opportunity to build the troop treasury, it also teaches girls five essential business skills. Girls in every grade level can earn insignia related to the Girl Scout Cookie Program • April Showers: Girl Scouts, their troop leaders, families and friends can help families in need by participating in Eastern Missouri’s largest community service program. Girls collect personal care items which are then donated to those less fortunate. Patches are available in the Girl Scout Shop • Other events and opportunities : Advertised through Inspire Discovery , monthly e-blast and Council website Setting up a Troop Website Troops whose girls meeting age criteria (13 years or older), have parental permission and sign the Internet Safety Agreement may set up a troop Facebook page or website. For more information, turn to pg. 30.

Troop Governance

Troops employ a democratic system of governance so all members can express their interests and feelings and share in the planning and coordination of activities. Leaders facilitate, act as a sounding board and ask and answer questions. Girls gain confidence and leadership skills when given the opportunity to lead their own activities. They learn cooperatively as a troop and by doing, instead of by observing.

The following are some traditional forms of troop governance, but these are just examples. National Leadership Journeys offer examples of team decision-making too.

• Daisy/Brownie Circle: While sitting in a circle (sometimes called a ring), girls express their ideas and talk about activities they enjoy, and leaders facilitate discussion and help girls plan. Girls often vote to finalize decisions. • Junior/Cadette/Senior/Ambassador Patrol or Team System: Large troops divide into patrols of four to six. Patrols may be organized by interests or activities that feed into a Take Action project, with each team taking responsibility for some part of the total project; girls may even enjoy coming up with names for their teams. • Junior/Cadette/Senior/Ambassador Executive Board: One leadership team makes decisions for the entire troop. The board’s responsibility is to plan activities and assign jobs based on interests and needs, expressed by the rest of the troop. The executive board usually has a president, vice president, secretary and treasurer and holds meetings to discuss troop matters. Limit the length of time each girl serves on the executive board so all troop members can participate during the year. • Junior/Cadette/Senior/Ambassador Town Meeting: Business is discussed and decisions are made at meetings attended by all the girls in the troop. As in the patrol and executive board systems, everyone gets the chance to participate in decision-making and leadership. Your role is to act as a moderator, who makes sure everyone gets a chance to talk and all ideas are considered.

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