Volunteer Resources | Girl Scouts of North East Ohio

Activity Insurance toggle arrow

These plans cover participants taking part in any council-approved, supervised Girl Scout activity. Activity insurance is mandatory for all international travel.

>>Activity Insurance Plans and Enrollment

Adult Learning Experience (A.L.E.) toggle arrow

What’s A.L.E.?

GSNEO’s Adult Leadership Experience is like Girl Scout camp for grown-ups.

Explore new things with hands-on learning, step up and overcome challenges, share ideas with other volunteers, and build your skills to start your new troop year with a bang.

Background Checks FAQs toggle arrow

The criminal background check is one of the strategies used to ensure that girls are safe. Learn more about background checks here.

Experience Box (GSEB) toggle arrow

First-year Daisy and Brownie troops can receive complimentary Girl Scout Experience Boxes with step-by-step meeting guides and ready-to-go supplies that follow their respective First Year Troop Plan.

Visit gsneo.org/gseb to learn more!

Finances & Troop/Group Banking toggle arrow

Helping girls decide what they want to do, and coaching them as they earn and manage money to pursue their goals, is an integral part of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE). Your Girl Scout group plans and finances its own activities, with your guidance. At the same time, the girls learn many valuable skills that serve them throughout their lives.

>>Everything you need for your Troop Bank Account & Finances

All troops, service units, and day camps are required to submit an annual financial report.

Glossary of Girl Scout Terms toggle arrow

If you need help with Girl Scout Lingo, the glossary will help you out! Go to Glossary of Girl Scout Terms!

Grow Your Troop Membership Resources toggle arrow

Invite more friends to Join Your Troop! Free promotional materials for newly forming and established troops.

Member & Volunteer Policies toggle arrow

GSNEO Member & Volunteer Policies are essential for the protection of all Girl Scout members. Adherence to policies, procedures, and standards ensures a consistent and safe quality volunteer experience, and outcomes-based program delivery for girls.

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Checklist for New Troop Leadership

Are you new to a troop leader role? This checklist will keep you on track during your first four weeks and remind you of the many exciting things ahead.

>>Checklist for New Troop Leadership

Welcome to Girl Scouts Guide

>>Welcome to Girl Scouts Guide

Online Training - gsLearn toggle arrow

gsLearn is a site where volunteers can go for all their training needs. At this time, learning modules are available for new volunteers to get oriented, and all program levels of troop leaders.

GSNEO will still offer in-person training for required hands-on courses, such as Outdoor Essentials, Outdoor Overnight Experience, First Aid/CPR/AED, and other specialized volunteer roles. These trainings will be available to register for through the Events Calendar.

>>Go to the gsLearn Now!

>>Report a Problem with gsLearn

Resource Partners toggle arrow

Resource Partners is your community resource for events and activities. Posts are by program age level and county, and are created by community vendors that have been checked out by GSNEO.

If you have checked out one of these activities, be sure to rate your experience on the Resource Partners and leave a comment for other troops! Do you know of a great place in your community? Send an email to getconnected@gsneo.org with the information and we'll do the rest!

Visit our Resource Partners!

Safety Resources & Safety Activity Checkpoints toggle arrow

In these days of stay-at-home orders and social distancing, many troops are engaging in virtual experiences that connect Girl Scout friends together. Safety is always at the front of our minds for all Girl Scout experiences, even when we’re meeting virtually. Girl Scouts of the USA has updated Safety Activity Checkpoints to include information on Coronavirus Safety in Girl Scouts and Have an Emergency Action Plan. A new chapter has been added for Virtual Troop Meetings and additions have been made to the chapter on Camping.

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Parents/caregivers make all decisions regarding their child’s participation in the Girl Scout program that may be of a sensitive nature. As a volunteer, you must get written parental permission for any locally planned program offering that could be considered sensitive. Included on the permission form should be the topic of the activity, any specific content that might create controversy, and any action steps the Girl Scouts will take when the activity is complete. Be sure to have a form for each troop member and keep the forms on hand in case a problem arises.

Sensitive Issues Consent Form – Get written permission in advance whenever possible
Helping Children Cope with Grief and Loss – A GSNEO guide with resources on handling grief

Super Troop toggle arrow

Super Troop is our recognition program designed to celebrate and reward outstanding troop performance throughout the membership year! Troops earn points by participating in a variety of activities — from leadership events and financial reporting to training, service projects, camping adventures, and more. As they accumulate points, troops become eligible for exciting rewards like a Super Troop patch and year rocker, entries into prize drawings, and the chance to enjoy special Super Troop experiences!

2026 Super Troop Flyer
2027 Super Troop Flyer

>>Super Troop Application

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Behavior Management

Adult Code of Conduct (coming soon)
Girl Code of Conduct
Group/Committee Support Agreement (coming soon)
Parent/Caregiver Support Agreement

Caregiver Meetings

Meeting One: Starting the Year
Meeting Two: Cookie Program
Meeting Three: Wrap up the Year

Mental Health

The new Girl Scouts Mental Wellness patch program reminds Girl Scouts that they are never alone in facing challenges and further invites girls to dive into and understand their emotions.

Parent/Caregiver Involvement Form

The more people who get involved - the better the Girl Scout experience! This form can be used at parent/caregiver meeting, recruitment events or anytime a troop needs more support.

>>Parent/Caregiver Involvement Form

Rallyhood

The purpose of Rallyhood is to make the day-to-day responsibilities of volunteers in leadership roles easier. It seamlessly integrates so many of the functions our volunteers need — communication, calendaring, file sharing, surveys, and payment — and that’s just a partial list!

Sensitive Issues Consent Form

The Sensitive Issues Consent Form should be signed by parents/caregivers and girls BEFORE engaging in planned programs/discussions that may be considered sensitive in nature.

Volunteers can access best practices and additional information by visiting gsLearn, Sensitive Issues Policy, and Girl Scouts’ Raising Awesome Girls blog.

>>Sensitive Issues Consent Form

Volunteer Recognition

Learn more about how to honor the volunteers that make a difference on our Volunteer Recognition page. Without our volunteers’ commitment to being champions of girl ambition we couldn’t and wouldn’t be the largest girls’ leadership organization in the world.

Year Plans

Ready to plan your troop year? Our age-appropriate troop year plans are the best tool for first year troop leaders to get started with Girl Scouts without getting overwhelmed.

Virtual Meetings and Zoom Licenses toggle arrow

If you and your girls are ready to try virtual meetings, check out these safety tips before getting started.

Zoom Licenses for Volunteers toggle arrow

To help your troop and service unit remain in communication with members, Girl Scouts is offering a specially priced Pro-Zoom license to be used for Girl Scout meetings and events at a discounted price of $36 per license. That’s over an 80% discount! The Zoom account is active August 1, 2022 through July 31, 2023 and must be renewed annually.

GSUSA Zoom licenses may only be used by Service Unit Volunteers and Troop Leadership Volunteers for approved Girl Scout activities related to their role such as to:

Host Girl Scout Troop Meetings and Girl Scout Troop activities such as bridging ceremonies
Meet with other troop volunteers
Host service unit or troop events
Host service unit meetings

To take advantage of this special opportunity for your troop or service unit:

Make sure you are a registered and background checked volunteer for the 2023 membership year
Review the full GSUSA ZOOM LICENSE USER AGREEMENT
Submit Zoom Volunteer License Request form with payment
Learn how to create and facilitate an engaging virtual troop meeting in our 24 minute online course – Facilitating Virtual Troop Meetings – available for all volunteers in gsLearn!
*Please note: If you do not see this course right away on your dashboard in gsLearn, search “Facilitating Virtual Troop Meetings” and the training will appear from GSUSA.

Getting Started toggle arrow

Register for your gsZoom license.
Complete this form to register and pay for your gsZoom license.
Complete Training
Complete the “Facilitating Virtual Troop Meetings” training in gsLearn and view the tips and tricks videos provided from Zoom at Zoom.us. *Note: You must be signed into gsLearn before clicking the link.
Request Assistance from Families and other Volunteers

Prior to your meeting, request assistance of other adults to monitor your chat log and answer questions or help in whatever way you may need.

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Setting up the Meeting

Schedule your meeting. This may be the same time as your regular in-person meetings or may need to be adjusted based on new schedules. The most secure way to deliver the meeting link to your troop families is to post it in the Volunteer Toolkit (VTK) meeting tab in the location box.
Plan activities ahead. Activities may need to be adjusted to do virtually. Be creative and think outside the box! Check out the Girl Scout Activity Zone for fun virtual ideas.
Communicate with caregivers. Be sure they know the activity plan and what supplies and technology are needed. You might consider holding a digital parent meeting before meeting with the girls to work out technology roadblocks. It is also recommended that if possible, the troop leader and daughter login on separate devices in separate spaces.

Holding the Meeting

Login a few minutes early to ensure technology is working.
Engage the girls equally and by name so they are acknowledged and so they know you can see them.
Incorporate traditions even if it feels awkward. Traditions can bring comfort in uncertain times and create a sense of normalcy for the girls.
Consider creating a group agreement with ground rules if it is your first meeting.

Tips for Successful Virtual Meetings

Be present. Avoid multitasking. Focus on the presenter, content, and fellow attendees.
Use video. Enable your video when possible, especially when presenting. Visual connection is important and helps participants maintain focus.
Limit distractions. Something that distracts you will distract others too! This includes anything participants can hear, like background noise, or see, like people walking around behind you.
Mute your microphone. Keep your microphone muted if you're not speaking. This will prevent accidental background noise from disrupting the meeting.
Speak Up! When you are participating, speak up and be heard. Other participants want to hear what you have to say, so speak loudly and clearly into the microphone.

Meeting Planning Tools

Check out these tried-and-true resources from fellow troop leaders who successfully adapted their meetings for in-person-safe and virtual settings.

Meeting Facilitation

Volunteer Essentials toggle arrow

Volunteer Essentials is a reference guide to use as needed. It includes information about starting a troop, important safety reminders (Chapter 4; Safety-Wise), and managing troop finances. It also includes a Quick-Start Guide that provides an overview of everything you need to know to plan your first meeting with girls.

>>Volunteer Essentials 2024-2026 (PDF)

Volunteer Position Descriptions toggle arrow

Interested in a specific volunteer position? Make sure that you have already selected this volunteer role on the Participation Catalog and then complete the corresponding volunteer position description.

>>View Volunteer Position Descriptions

Volunteer Toolkit (VTK) toggle arrow

The Volunteer Toolkit (we call it the VTK for short!) is your official source for delivering easy, fun troop meetings year-round! This fully customizable digital planning tool is accessible on any computer, tablet, or mobile device and provides you with Girl Scout program content, award requirements, and other resources. Learn more about the VTK here.