Tips for New Girl Scout Leaders


  1. Get a Co-Leader and get everyone (girls and adults) registered: A troop needs at least two registered, trained leaders. It is a good idea to get one parent per girl registered, too (see #6 below). All registered girls and adults are covered by Girl Scout insurance when participating in Girl Scout activities. (Note: Any adult who helps with the troop finances or is in contact with the girls, including transporting them, will need to be registered and have a criminal background check run through council.)
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  2. Get the required training as soon as possible! This is the most important tip I can give you! "Required Training" sounds like medicine, but these trainings are set up to give you the information you need to be a great leader. Our Tejas Council trainers make them interesting and fun!
    What is required? There are two trainings required to be a leader in our council and they should be taken in this order:
    1. Getting Started: An Introduction to Girl Scouting - offered by the Service Unit in August and September or by the Council starting in September. For information about dates and times for the Service Unit "Getting Started" class click here or email one of the Troop Consultants on the Service Unit Team Contact page.
    2. Age Level Basics - i.e. if you have a Brownie troop take Brownie Basics, if you have Daisies take Daisy Basics. (You must take this course within six months of taking Getting Started.)
    Both trainings are offered by Council. To get dates and times look in TIPS (TIPS is a book published by council and usually provided through the Service Unit) or click here to get to the Girl Scouts of Tejas Council website and then click on Program and Training.
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  3. Get a First Aider: This is an adult (you, your co-leader or a parent) in your Troop who will attend all meetings and outings and who has been trained in a council-approved First Aid/CPR Training course. It is recommended that you not take the girls away from the meeting place without a First Aider. You must have a First Aider along on any activity where risk is involved. Council offers several First Aid/CPR courses during the year. SU 155 usually offers a First Aid/CPR course in the fall. Check the Tejas Adult Training Schedule or the SU 155 Calendar.
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  4. Go to Service Unit Meetings These meetings are for all the leaders in our service area and are held once a month. This is when we get new information from council about new events and opportunities for troops, new trainings, etc. It is also when you will find out about SU events and happenings - for SU dates and times click here. For reasons why to go to these meetings click here. The best reason for going to SU meetings, though, is that this is your best chance to network with other leaders and get your questions answered (see #5).
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  5. Ask for help whenever and as often as you need it! Ask for help from:
    • The Service Unit Team: The Service Unit Team is in place solely to help leaders run their troops! To email any one of them or to find out what each one does click here.
    • Your School Liaison: She is an experienced leader at your school who can answer questions or steer you to the right person to ask. To email your school liasion click here.
    • Other leaders who have been there before - don't reinvent the wheel!
    • Girl Scouts of Tejas Council: Our Membership Development Director is the person at council who takes care of our service unit. You can email her from the Team Contact page or you can email the Council Information and Referral Desk .
      You can meet all these people at Service Unit Meetings!!!
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  6. Get your Troop parents involved. Troop parents (Moms and Dads) are usually glad to help you out if you approach them individually and with a specific job. Sometimes dividing a big job between several people makes it easier to sell. There is a great section in TIPS about how to go about doing this. THE TROOP LEADER AND CO-LEADER SHOULD NOT NOT TRY TO DO EVERYTHING IN THE TROOP ALONE!!! You both will burn out and then where will the girls be? (Note: It is best to have your first meeting after you have taken "Getting Started".)
    The strongest troops have strong parent support and get it by involving everyone
    (parents and girls) from the beginning.
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  7. Set up a Troop Checking Account, then pay for everything for the troop using a check. There is a form in TIPS that needs to be filled out and turned in to council when you want to do this. Having a troop account makes filling out the Annual Financial Report at the end of the year much easier!!! (I know, you have just started and we're talking about the end of the year already, but trust us on this!) Keep all your receipts and keep troop money and your personal money strictly separate. By the way, don't get drawn into the trap of using your own money to pay for GS supplies. You are already giving your valuable time, no-one expects you to give your money, too. Besides, the girls get a real thrill out of knowing they earned the money they spend on activities. It is a real learning experience!
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  8. Become familiar with SafetyWise and the materials for your age-level: SafetyWise is the book that will keep your girls safe. Get in the habit of consulting it each time you plan an activity. You will be given a SafetyWise Slider and Chart to make using SafetyWise easy. (If you don't receive one of these, it can be downloaded from the Leader Resources page listed below.) Also, there is a lot of useful, practical information on working with girls in the leader's guides. The new Daisy, Brownie and Junior leader guides are especially informative and easy to read. The Handbooks and Try-it/Badge books have infomation on program that you can do with the girls.

Some Resources to Get You Started

Leader's Landing New Leader Tips

Girl Scout Promise, Law, Motto, Handshake & Traditions - Girl Scouts USA

A New Leader's Grab Bag
Includes a glossary of Girl Scout terms, links to help with Girl Scout special days, troop government, Girl Scout history and a GSUSA organizational chart.

Leader Resources
The index to all the leader resources on this site. Lots and lots of practical ideas!!

Ideas for Leaders from the Scouting Links Email Newsletter
These are packets full of information and ideas for activities, service projects, crafts, songs and
lots of other things aimed at your troop's level.
Ideas for Daisy Leaders
Ideas for Daisy Petal Projects
Ideas for Brownie Leaders
Ideas for Junior Leaders
Ideas for Cadette and Senior Leaders
Note: These files are Word documents which means you need to have the program Microsoft Word on your computer
to read them. If you don't have Word and would like to have a copy of the packet, please email Sarah.



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