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| Where can I get activity ideas? | Where can I buy official insignia? | ||
| Can I get a list of all the awards a Daisy, Brownie, Junior, Cadette or Senior Girl Scout can earn? | Does my Girl Scout need a handbook and an awards book? | ||
| How can I get parents to pick their children up on time? | Where can I get a Girl Scout handbook? | ||
| I am having problems with my co-leader. What do I do? | How can my girl become a Girl Scout member? | ||
| I am the leader of my daughter's troop. How do I give her room to grow on her own? | Do I have to buy a uniform for my Girl Scout? | ||
| Does a leader need to wear a uniform? | How can I become a Girl Scout leader? | ||
| Where can I get help with my troop? | Can my girl become a Girl Scout without being part of a troop? | ||
| Where can I buy Girl Scout products? | What happens if a girl doesn't bring her signed parent permission slip and she comes to the pickup point for a trip anyway? | ||
Q: Where can I get activity ideas? A: You can find ideas:
Also try the public library and Spanish Trails Council library. And don't forget the troop/group members themselves,
parents, and Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts in leadership training. Other Girl Scout councils are also a good source of information. A: Your best resources are
the awards books for particular age levels. A: Help parents realize that
you are volunteering your services as a leader and are not a child care facility. It is
really important to make this point clear at your parents meetings. Help parents to
network with one another so they can carpool and possibly alternate pickups. Suggest they
find another person to pick up their children. Never leave a child at the meeting place by
herself. Arrange to switch off the closing responsibility with other parents. Possibly
have a drop-off point (with a relative or guardian) for girls who live on your route home.
A: For any problem with a
co-leader, you need to communicate with each other. Get a clear idea of what the troop
will be doing throughout the year, and divide the responsibilities. Arrange for backup if
one of you gets sick or is out of town. If you are in a situation that is uncomfortable
for you, chances are it is the same for her. You might even ask your service unit manager
or council area manager to sit down with both of you. Problems in leadership may reflect
in the girls' experience. Do not let adult hassles become an issue for girls or their
families. It is a no-win situation and is the antithesis of the Girl
Scout Promise and Law. A: While many mothers become
leaders to be closer to their daughters, it is good that you recognize she has a need to
grow on her own as well. What's most important is to treat her as you would any other girl
in the troop. Family misunderstandings need to be resolved outside of the troop. When
dividing up girls into groups, try to have your daughter work with another adult as much
as possible. A: No, but it sets an example
for girls and shows that you are proud to be a Girl Scout. You may decide to be a trainer
or a council delegate, or you could be asked to represent our local Girl Scout council in
the community — uniforms are very appropriate for any of these activities. For
adults, as well as for girls, Girl Scouts has a variety of uniform components for both
active and formal occasions. A: Parents, other adults,
sponsors, your community, Spanish Trails council and other Girl Scout councils are great
resources. So is
LEADER magazine. Also see
Partnership in Action for more information on getting help. The biggest mistake
leaders make is not asking for help.
A: You can purchase Girl Scout merchandise locally from our Spanish Trails Council or other Girl Scout council shops. This site has a council shop locator with a database of local Girl Scout council shops across the United States. Just by inserting your zip code, you can locate council shop names and contact information within a 30- to 120-mile radius of your home. The Girl Scouts Online Shopping Mall also
has Girl Scout merchandise available. A: Only Girl Scout leaders
can purchase earned age-level awards, such as Brownie Girl Scout Try-Its and Junior Girl
Scout badges, from local Girl Scout councils or the national organization. To order all
insignia, contact your
Spanish Trails council at (909) 399-0808, other
council shop
s or call the Girl Scout National Equipment
Service at (800) 221-6707 or (212) 869-1255. A: Girl Scouts recommends
having a handbook because it contains many activities that girls will be participating in
as troop/group members, as well as great activities for girls to do at home, by
themselves, or with friends and family.
A: You can buy handbooks from Spanish Trails council,
other l
ocal Girl Scout council shops
or through the Girl Scout
Online Shopping Mall. Sometimes, troops use their funds to purchase books for
members, or girls who have moved up in age level pass their books down to younger members.
A: She registers through
Spanish Trails council as an individual or a troop/group member.
Contact Las Caballeras
for more information. A: No, girls are not required to purchase a uniform. Wearing the Girl Scout Membership Pin shows that you are a Girl Scout. Girls, however, can only display insignia on sashes or vests. When asked to represent Girl Scouts in public, girls should be in uniform or dress for the occasion with something that identifies them as a Girl Scout. For example, if girls are putting on a flag ceremony, they should be in full uniform. If they are out planting trees at a public event, a Girl Scout T-shirt or a Girl Scout hat or button may be best. If troop members don't have uniforms and they want to do a public flag ceremony, they can make arrangements through Spanish Trails Council to borrow uniforms for the event. The council office should also be
able to help the troop use a uniform recycling closet or connect with girls who have
bridged to another age level. Uniforms are a good investment. They usually last for three
years, and Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts can wear theirs for up to five years.
A: Girl Scout leaders are
volunteers from the community. A local Girl Scout council recruiter or staff member
interviews prospective leaders. After signing up, each new leader receives council
orientation and age-level training. In addition, leaders are encouraged to take first-aid
training offered by the council or other organizations. Councils suggest that leaders also
continue their training and attend area or
A: Girls can register as
individual members; however, younger girls, in particular, will miss out on the
socialization and teamwork necessary for building leadership skills. Although older girls
who are not part of troops often register as individual members, they might belong to a
planning board, be an assistant trainer, or be working on a leadership project involving
younger girls. Often councils will have special interest groups,
Girl Scouting in the School Day, Web troops, or
other ways of bringing Girl Scouting to girls who might not otherwise be able to join.
A: Establish the habit of
checking with girls before their parents leave. If girls arrive on their own, saying their
parents forgot, or they forgot, someone has to take them home or to a place where a
responsible adult will watch them. Parents need to know what will happen if their girl
comes without a permission slip. It will take only once for both parent and child to learn
that the rules cannot be bent. Readying yourself for this contingency is very important
— be sure to have additional adults at all meetings and events so you are not left
responsible for taking girls home.
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