Volunteer Essentials

Responsibilities of Parents and Guardians You want to engage each parent or caregiver to help you work toward ensuring the health, safety and well-being of girls. Clearly communicate to parents/guardians that they are expected to: • Provide permission for their girls to participate in Girl Scouting, as well as provide additional consent for activities that take place outside of the scheduled meeting time and place, involve overnight travel, involve the use of special equipment and/or cover sensitive issues • Make provisions for their girls to get to and from meeting places or other designated sites in a safe and timely manner and inform you if someone other than the parent or guardian will drop off or pick up their Girl Scout • Provide their girls with appropriate clothing, equipment sunscreen and insect repellent for activities, or contact you before the activity to find sources for the necessary clothing and equipment, (e.g. insect repellent and sunscreen while participating in outdoor activities) • Participate in parent/guardian meetings • Follow Girl Scout safety guidelines and encourage their girls to do the same • Assist in planning and carrying out program activities as safely as possible when asked • Be aware of appropriate behavior expectations for the girls • Assist troop volunteers if their Girl Scouts have special needs or if their help is solicited • Contact the Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri’s Answer Center with a reasonable accommodation request so their girl can fully participate in Girl Scouting • Parents/guardians are expected to pick up the girl member at the time specified by the leader. The parent/guardian should understand if this is not possible, they will need to make other arrangements for pick-up and notify the leader. In the event the girl member is not picked up on time, the leader will contact the parent/guardian, the Emergency Contacts and additional adults listed on the Parent Permission Form, F-57. If no one is available to pick up the girl member, the leader will contact Council at 314.592.2300 (even if this is after hours), for guidance Responsibilities of Girls Girls who learn about and practice safe and healthy behaviors are likely to establish lifelong habits of safety consciousness. For that reason, each Girl Scout is expected to: • Assist you and other volunteers in safety planning • Listen to and follow your instructions and suggestions • Learn and practice safety skills, including how to apply sunscreen and insect repellent • Learn to “think safety” at all times and to be prepared • Identify and evaluate an unsafe situation • Know how, when and where to get help when needed

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