Troop Leader Guide Book

TAKING THE
LEAD
Encourages
girls to
participate
A Beginner's Guide to
the Girl Scout Adult
Leadership Experience
Serves as a
role model
Maintains a safe
space for all
Engages and
motivates girls to
become leaders

Congratulations!
You’ve taken the first step
to an amazing experience.
Being a Girl Scout Co-Leader is
not only about sharing exciting
adventures with a group of
awesome girls, it’s also about
your own personal growth.
We know this is new to you (and
maybe a little scary), but along
with the girls, you too will make
new friends, experience new
places, do exciting things, and
take on wider adventures. And
you’ll have other seasoned Girl
Scouts to lean on for guidance.
So, let’s get started …
GIRL SCOUT PROMISE
On my honor, I will try:
To serve God and my country,
To help people at all times,
And to live by the Girl Scout Law.
GIRL SCOUT LAW
I will do my best to be
honest and fair,
friendly and helpful,
considerate and caring,
courageous and strong, and
responsible for what I say and do,
and to
respect myself and others,
respect authority,
use resources wisely,
make the world a better place,
and
be a sister to every Girl Scout.
WHAT IS A CO-LEADER?
Girl Scouts of Citrus empowers girls everywhere to
stand up and make a difference. As a Co-Leader,
you’ll serve as a point person that both girls and
adults will look to.
This does not mean that you will have to do everything
yourself – all parents/caregivers are encouraged to play an
active role with the troop.
No matter which level your
girls are at, you’ll notice that
they are eager to take on more
leadership roles while you, as
their Co-Leader, transition your
role to help them along the way.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
What is a Co-Leader?
3 New Co-Leader Checklist
Forming the Troop
Earning as a Troop
Troop Finances
Your role:
LEADER
Your role:
GUIDE
Your role:
MENTOR
Your role:
ADVOCATE
Your role:
MOTIVATOR
Adult Teamwork
Resources
Your role:
TEACHER
Meet the Parents
Going Outdoors
Benefits of Using VTK
14
The “Look”
Daisy Brownie Junior Cadette Senior Ambassador
K-1 2-3 4-5 6-8 9-10 11-12

NEW CO-LEADER CHECKLIST
We’re excited you’re looking to become a Girl Scout
Troop Co-Leader! Below you’ll find a basic checklist
that will help you get started.
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Go Online to Join Girl Scouts
Visit citrus-gs.org and click BE A VOLUNTEER. After entering
brief information about yourself, search for the troop
number you were given and then select a Co-Leader role,
or select unsure. Just complete the registration and pay for
membership.
You'll gain access to your MY GS account, where you can
find information about upcoming events and the
all-important Volunteer Toolkit.
FREE Background Check
The most important step in becoming a Girl Scout
volunteer is to complete the brief, free background
check. You will receive an email with a link from Verified
Volunteers telling you how to complete the check.
Please check your spam if you do not see it within 24 hours
of completing membership payment. (In compliance with
Florida law, we cannot use prior background checks done
by schools or employers.)
Your Co-Leader Training Begins
Once you've completed the first two steps, you'll receive a
link to watch our short Welcome Video.
The first training that's required is our "Girl Scouting 101"
video - its a bit longer, but gives you basic Girl Scout
information to help get you started.
The Troop Welcome is the 2 nd required training, which will
explain your role as a Girl Scout Co-Leader.
Meet the Parents and Form a Troop Committee
Once your background check has cleared, you’ll have
access through MY GS to contact information for the
parents/caregivers in your troop. Email and/or call everyone
to set up a parent meeting. NOTE: Make it clear that this
is not a troop meeting, so all caregivers must attend and
remain present.
Your VTK Access
Be sure to log into the Volunteer Toolkit (VTK) site so you
can get familiar with this tool. You'll be able to do a wide
range of things, including reviewing your roster and
selecting a year plan for your troop.
Ongoing Co-Leader Training
Worried you don’t know enough about Girl Scouts? We
have resources to help you learn what you need. New
Co-Leaders are required to complete two additional
training sessions, Volunteer Essentials (V.E.) and Girl Scout
Leadership Experience (G.S.L.E.).
We know your schedule is busy, so these classes
are available both in-person and online (we highly
recommend attending in-person training). These trainings
should be completed within three months of registering
as a Co-Leader.
Attend Monthly Local Girl Scout
Community Meeting
Stay connected with other local volunteers and get updated
on what events are happening around Citrus council. Get
the scoop on product sales, local camporees, and swap
ideas with other troop leaders. You won't want to miss it!

FORMING THE TROOP
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What to do first
Your first step is to join our
movement! While you work on
your checklist, have the girls
you know are joining invite their
friends to join too. Think about
the other parents/caregivers
you've met or know and invite
them to participate as a Co-
Leader or as part of your troop
team.
Keep in mind two adults must
be present during meeting
times, and at least one of those
volunteers must be female
and not related to the other
adult by birth or marriage. In
addition, the two cannot share
a household.
Troop Formation
Usually a troop is formed from
girls in surrounding areas. Many
troops have girls from different
schools who meet at a central
location. They can be made up
of girls from one level of Girl
Scouts or several levels.
Troops can range from 6 to
over 20, but the average troop
size is about 12 girls. For safety
reasons we do require additional
approved adults present to
cover supervision ratios. Citrus
Council staff can also help
identify girls in your area looking
for a troop.
Finding a Meeting
Space
Most troops meet in public,
community centered locations
– like libraries, churches, or
schools. A great way to find a
location is to ask. You never
know who has a space you
could use. As a good rule
of thumb, avoid places that
require a rental fee.
ADULT TEAMWORK
Supplies and Costs
We do not require Co-Leaders
to buy supplies for their troop.
Consider having all the parents
bring in one or two bulk items to
help build up your supply. You
can also discuss an appropriate
figure for troop dues to help
cover any additional troop
expenses.
Parents, friends, family and other members of your community
can provide time, experience and ideas, so get them involved
from the very beginning as part of your troop committee.
Your troop committee should include Co-Leaders,
Cookie Chair, Fall Product Chair, and other adults who
might help in various ways such as carpooling to
events, being the troop first-aider, providing meeting
snacks – the list is only limited by your imagination.
As a Co-Leader, you will guide the structure and girl-led
experiences of your troop - everything from when and
where to meet, how to communicate, and setting financial
expectations.
Making decisions collaboratively, with input from your committee
and the girls, will help the troop grow and flourish.

MEET THE PARENTS
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BENEFITS OF USING VTK
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Before you meet the girls, you’ll need to meet their parents.
Schedule a parent meeting and contact interested parents/caregivers
with meeting information. This is as much about them getting to
know you as it is a chance for you to get to know them and their girls.
"A must-have tool for Co-Leaders to plan meetings for the entire
year and let parents know what's coming. It's best used to plan troop
meetings, track awards and attendance. A great tool to communicate
with parents and view troop rosters."
The Volunteer Toolkit (VTK) is a comprehensive, digital support
tool for Girl Scout Troop Co-Leaders.
Meeting Objectives
⚬ Get to know each other – maybe
start with a fun ice-breaker.
⚬ Explain uniforms, books, and
refer families to the council shop.
⚬ Discuss how often you are able
to meet and when. Talk about
locations that you might be able to
use as a meeting place. Compare
schedules.
⚬ Form a troop committee with
parents to help with Fall Product
Program, Girl Scout Cookie
Program, managing finances and
driving.
⚬ Ask for support and help at
troop meetings and outings. Have
other parents register as Girl Scout
Volunteers and join our movement.
⚬ Decide how much you would
like to collect for troop dues.
Discuss money-earning plans
such as Fall Product sales and
Cookie sales to help offset
costs.
⚬ Discuss troop rules. Decide
on things like pick up and drop
off times, snack schedules,
what to do if a girl missed
badge work and what to do if a
girl misbehaves.
⚬ Finally, let the parents know
that you are completing your
training and the troop will be
able to start meeting soon.
*This is not a standard troop
meeting. Parents/caregivers must
attend with their girl.
CONTACTS & PROGRESS
Manage your troop contacts while also recording troop
attendance and awards.
GET ORGANIZED
The VTK allows you to manage your troop year based on what
girls want to do. Maybe the girls want to earn a specific badge
or complete a Girl Scout Journey.
RESOURCES
Find additional resources to support the activities your girls
choose to do.
TRACK TROOP FINANCES
Track expenses and income on the VTK, letting you be fully
transparent with the troop. Parents will be able to view this, but
not make any adjustments.
TIP: Make your requests specific. Instead of saying ‘I need help’, say
‘Who can help with snacks at our next meeting?’ or ‘We need chaperons
and drivers for our field trip to the science museum.’

EARNING AS A TROOP
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TROOP FINANCES
Fall Product
A great way to earn start up funds
Fall Products offer an array of items
to start honing your sales skills as a
troop. Observe girls as they set goals,
learn about business ethics, people
skills, decision making and
money management.
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Great Things to
Know About Troop
Financing
Bank Accounts
All troops will establish a bank account with two
unrelated adult signers for collection of optional
troop dues, money for events and supplies, and
deposits for Fall Product and Cookie sales
proceeds.
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Cookie
Time!
Everyone loves Girl Scout
cookies! We’re sure its
one of the activities your
looking forward to most as
a Troop Co-leader.
Cookie season starts
mid-December with sales
training for adults. Girls
sell cookies January
through February.
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Troop Dues
Many troops decide to collect troop dues as a
way to help provide start-up funding for troop
activities and supplies. These can range from
$0.50 to $2 per meeting, or $30 to $40 paid
for the year at once. It’s up to the troop to
decide what works best for them.
Money Earning Activities
Our Cookie and Fall Product programs are the primary money
earning activity for a troop. Troops do have the option of
participating in other money earning efforts if they have
participated in both council product programs during the year
and have written permission from council.
Financial Reporting
To stay organized, troop leaders should use receipts to help track
any incoming funds, expenses, and money earning activities.
Every troop will need to complete a simple financial report for
council records.
Financial Assistance
Financial difficulties shouldn’t stand in the way of a Girl Scout’s
participation. Any new member needing assistance for
membership can request it. Additional financial assistance may be
available for uniforms and camp; these can be requested online.

RESOURCES
Website
www.citrus-gs.org
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Citrus E-Newsletter
Stay up to date on all
upcoming events, trainings
and special offers from
Citrus Council.
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MY GS
WEBSITE > Sign in > MY GS
This is the nuts and bolts of
your Girl Scout membership.
Renew your membership,
register for events, manage
troop roster and update personal
information.
A gateway that connects
all tech tools together and
contains consistent needto-know
information. Access
resources such as property
reservations, online training,
VTK and your MY GS.
Volunteer Toolkit (VTK)
WEBSITE > Sign in > VTK
A must-have tool for Co-Leaders
to plan meetings for the entire
year and parents to know what’s
coming.
Plan troop meetings, track
awards and attendance, view
troop roster, access forms and
so much more.
All Things Girl Scouts
allthingsgirlscouts.com
Exactly what it sounds like:
all the good things in Girl
Scouts, all in one place.
National and local stories,
opportunities, and updates.
We love to feature
Co-Leaders, troops and Girl
Scouts in our council, so
please share your story with
us here!
Service Communities
Each troop is part of
a Service Community.
Community Team Members
receive additional training
and communication to help
support the troops in their
area.
Citrus Social Media
Stay Connected. LIKE our
official Girl Scouts of Citrus
Facebook page and follow us
on your favorite social media
platform.
Citrus Council Staff
Our staff is here to make
sure you have a great
experience and grow as a
leader. Our Customer Care
Team can be reached by
calling 407-896-4475, emailing
CustomerCare@citrus-gs.org,
or by texting GSHELP to
555-888.

GOING OUTDOORS
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THE LOOK!
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Specialized Training
Let’s Go Camping!! – We are thrilled that
you are excited to take your new troop
outdoors, but we want everyone to be
safe. Therefore additional training is
required for overnight campouts; even
if they’re just in your backyard. Citrus
Council offers a wide range of outdoor
trainings that focus on different
activities. We want you to feel prepared
and for everyone to be safe.
Vetted activities
We offer outdoor alternative activities
provided by thoroughly vetted
partners. These partners provide the
necessary safety checkpoints and
expert support for troops to have a
fun and safe adventure; you’ll be able
to do these after your V.E. (Volunteer
Essentials) training. A list of these
partners can be found on our website.
sash Vest Tunic
For over a century, Girl Scouts have proudly worn distinctive
uniforms that symbolize the high ideals for which the
organization stands for.
Girl Scouts at each level are only required to wear one element
(sash, vest, or tunic) to display official pins and awards. Girls can
mix and match pieces from the official Girl Scout collection to
complete the uniform, or add items from their own wardrobes.
Adults can wear their navy blue
business attire, a Girl Scout
scarf or tie, along with the
official World Trefoil Pin and
official Girl Scout Membership
Pin.
*Uniform prices range between $8 and $26 depending on item and Girl Scout level.

Citrus Council Shop
GIFT TO YOU
New Troop Leaders can
stop in the council shop
and pick up their free adult
membership pin. Present this
Troop Leader book to receive
$5 off your first purchase.
Limit 1 per customer. Must present coupon to redeem.
Visit the Citrus Council Shop
at 341 N Mills Avenue.
Open Monday - Thursday - See online for details.
www.citrus-gs.org | 407.896.4475 | CustomerCare@citrus-gs.org