Start a Troop

Parents and community members make a key difference in the lives of girls by guiding them through the Girl Scout experience. We want leading a troop to be a great time, and we’ll support you all the way. We provide our leaders:

• Convenient, online trainings that give you everything you need on your schedule.
• Activity Plans to help you quickly and easily prepare for meetings.
• Individual guidance from our Volunteer Support team.
• Flexibility—leaders set the troop meeting times and locations, and each troop is assigned two leaders to allow for flexibility and continuity.

Common Questions About Leading Girl Scouts

Many parents have at least a few questions before standing up to lead their daughter’s troop. Here are a few of the most frequent questions we hear:

How Much Time Will I Need? 
I Don’t Know How to Do the Things Girl Scouts Do. 
What Support or Help Is There for Leaders?Do you have other questions? Ask us anything!

How to Start a New Girl Scout Troop

How exciting—you’re starting a new Girl Scout Troop! We’re here to make the process easy, so you can get to the fun parts as quickly as possible.

Step 1: Register + Complete On-boarding Online

1. Visit our registration site to begin the volunteering process.
2. On the next page, select “I want to lead her troop.”
3. Become a Member of Girl Scouts of the USA. National membership dues are $15, and financial assistance is available.
4. Follow-up emails will guide you through completing your required background check and orientation.

Step 2: Start Looking for Other Adults to Help

A troop needs at least two un-related adults to get started, and most leaders also look for additional help throughout the year. Troops can have more than two leaders, and they typically have additional volunteers to help with the Cookie Program, Snacks + Magazines, as well as other adults to pitch in with field trips and other activities.

Parents of other girls in your troop are prime candidates to help out, but adults from the community might love this opportunity too. We can recruit online for your troop, but people tend to have the most fun with adults they know in real life.

Step 3: Pick a Day, Time, and Location for Troop Meetings

It’s a great idea to start thinking about how your troop will get together right away. You can start contacting potential venues now as you complete your registration and on-boarding to find a good meeting space. Keep in mind:

• Most troops meet twice per month, but you can choose a schedule that works best for you.
• Your meeting space needs to be a safe, clean, and secure environment that allows all girls to participate. Good options include:
  • Schools
  • Libraries
  • Places of worship
  • Community centers and buildings
  • Local businesses

Step 4: Spread the Word About Your Troop!

It’s never too early to start spreading the word about your new Girl Scout troop. Even while you wait to complete your on-boarding and get a troop number, you can talk to your daughter’s friends, your neighbors, and other families in the community to make sure that your daughter will have a lively troop. As a bonus, more girls usually means more adults who will be happy to help you lead this troop.