Acton-Boxboro Girl Scouts Information for New Girl Scout Families What do Girl Scouts do? Girls and Adult volunteers work together to choose what programs a troop will pursue. So every troop is different! Activities are designed to be age-appropriate and safe. Resources at each level focus on leadership development, Girl Scout traditions, outdoor activities, crafts, sports, the arts, science and technology, safety, health and fitness, and more. Community Service is an essential part of Girl Scouting and is incorporated into activities at all ages. Older girls design and implement independent Community Service projects, culminating in the Gold Award in high school. Council and Community Scout Programs give troops the opportunity to venture beyond troop meetings on day and overnight programs. Our regional Council, Girl Scouts of Eastern Mass, runs girl programs at a reasonable fee and maintains several campsites for troop use and summer camp. How are troops organized? Any girl in grades K-12 can join Girl Scouts any time during the year. Most of our local troops are organized by grade level and school schedule. Each troop chooses its meeting time and place based on the needs of the group. Most troops meet once or twice a month. Who leads and supports troops? Girl Scouts is a volunteer-run organization. Troop adult volunteers are family and friends of the girls in the troop. Adult volunteers working with girls receive training on the Girl Scout program, implementing activities, and mentoring girls. Volunteers also support troops by teaching skills, taking girls camping, guiding service projects, and in many other ways. The Acton-Boxborough Service Team is a group of volunteers who provide support to local troops and mentor new volunteers. How do we join Girl Scouts? All girls and adult volunteers complete an online registration form. Adult volunteers also complete a CORI Request form and a Volunteer Application. Where possible, girls will be placed into existing troops. New troops will be organized for incoming Kindergarten girls and when existing troops cannot accommodate new members. How much will it cost? Unlike many other youth activities, Girl Scouts depends on active adult involvement rather than charging large fees. The $25 membership fee provides liability insurance. In addition, most troops ask girls to contribute “Troop Dues,” a small amount of money collected at each meeting. Girls raise money to pay for most of their own activities by participating in product sales (the Fall Product Sale and the Cookie Sale). Families may be asked to contribute a portion of the cost of some troop activities. Financial assistance is available. For more information please use the Contact Our Service Unit at the top of the page. |