8-2015

My troop #: _______________ My service unit name: ____________________________ My service unit meets at (location, day, time, and months): _____________________________________________________________________________ My service team contact information: Service Unit Manager: _________________________________________________________

Phone: ____________________________

Email: __________________________________________

Finance Consultant: __________________________________________________________

Phone: ____________________________

Email: __________________________________________

Registrar: ____________________________________________________________________

Phone: ____________________________

Email: __________________________________________

Product Sales Manager: _______________________________________________________

Phone: ____________________________

Email: __________________________________________

Our council name: Girl Scouts of Western New York, Inc. Our council code: 192 Service unit registration number: _____________________________________ My Membership Manager (staff contact): ________________________________________ Phone: ____________________________

Email: __________________________________________

Getting started 1

Required & enrichment trainings 2

Starting your troop 4

Planning a parent meeting 6

Girl Scout Year 7

Running a troop meeting 9

Troop Finances 10

Preparing for a day or overnight trip 12

This Quick Start is designed to be used in conjunction with Volunteer Essentials, the primary GSWNY volunteer resource.

Look for notes within this Quick Start to check Volunteer Essentials

for additional information on particular topics.

1

All troop volunteers, series volunteers and troop drivers must complete the GSWNY volunteer screening process. Visit www.gswny.org to begin the process with our online application. Additionally, potential volunteers must complete a background check and an informal interview with our staff.

In your approval email, you will be notified of your local contacts, including your Service Unit Manager (SUM), who coordinates leaders in your area, as well as the Troop Essentials Facilitator, who will help train you. You’re probably receiving this packet at Troop Essentials training!

Troop leadership volunteers must complete Girl Scouting 101 and Troop Essentials training before meeting with girls. They must also complete the appropriate Grade Level training within one month of meeting with girls.

You will need to purchase a membership to join Girl Scouts of the USA. All volunteers must be registered members of GSUSA. We welcome you to our membership!

Yearly, all volunteers are required to sign a GSWNY Volunteer Agreement. This online agreement lists expectations for both the volunteer and GSWNY. You’ll receive a link to the online agreement when you complete Troop Essentials. Note: You must be a registered member to sign the agreement.

You’ll work with your local support team to identify or recruit girls for your troop. They can help you find a troop meeting place if you need one. You’ll schedule an introductory meeting with parents to share your troop ideas and recruit support for your plans.

2

Step 1: Complete GSUSA’s Girl Scouting 101. This self-paced online course will give you an orientation to the organization, information on being an effective leader, and information on programming for your girls’ grade level. Access Girl Scouting 101 by clicking on the eBiz logo on gswny.org, selecting "Activities" in the top toolbar, and then selecting "Learning and Training." (note: accessing this class through eBiz rather than directly through the GSUSA website will ensure it becomes part of your training record). Step 2: Attend Troop Essentials. This orientation gives you an overview of GSWNY policies and procedures and everything you need to know to get your troop up and running. You will also become familiar with Volunteer Essentials, the primary GSWNY volunteer resource. This training is conveniently scheduled in your area by local volunteers. When you were approved as a volunteer, you received contact information for your local Troop Essentials volunteers. If you need assistance, please contact your GSWNY Membership Manager. Step 3: Within one month of your first meeting, complete GSWNY Grade Level training. This online training provides grade-level specific information on troop management, program options, planning troop meetings, and developing girl leadership. There is a grade level training for each Girl Scout level. (Senior and Ambassador levels are combined into Older Girl training.) The online training is a self-paced course. Access Grade Level Training by clicking on the eBiz logo on gswny.org, selecting "Activities" in the top toolbar, and then selecting "Learning and Training." While there is no specific training for troop committee members (such as troop drivers or chaperones), all volunteers are encouraged to view Girl Scouting 101 and the appropriate Grade Level training. The more training your parent volunteers have, the better they can effectively assist you and the girls!

Before the start of the new Girl Scout year, complete GSWNY Grade Level training for your new level. This online training provides grade-level specific information on troop management, program options, planning troop meetings, and developing girl leadership. There is a grade level training for each Girl Scout level (Senior and Ambassador levels are combined into Older Girl training). The online training is a self-paced course. Access Grade Level Training by clicking on the eBiz logo on gswny.org, selecting "Activities" in the top toolbar, and then selecting "Learning and Training."

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First Aid & CPR training – A Troop First Aider is required whenever the troop leaves the meeting place and/or it is required by Safety Activity Checkpoints. GSWNY offers American Red Cross and American Heart Association courses to meet these requirements. However, these courses are offered on a limited basis. Please check your local colleges/universities, fire departments, and school district community education for additional offerings. Outdoor training – GSWNY offers two levels of outdoor training: Troop Camping I and Troop Camping II. Troop Camping I training allows leaders to guide girls on lodge camping trips. Troop Camping II training allows leaders to guide girls on tent camping trips. Troop Camping I is a pre-requisite for Troop Camping II. Troop Camping I & II is also offered as a combination class; however, this class is recommended for those with previous outdoor experience as the content moves more quickly. Additional enrichment training – Watch for different training opportunities throughout the year. These opportunities may include archery training or other outdoor training, as well as volunteer trainings embedded within girl programming. Our premier enrichment training is GSWNY-U (see below). Continuing education webinars – GSWNY offers “Webinar Wednesdays,” generally scheduled the last Wednesday of each month. The topics range from earning badges to conflict resolution to camp tours. Information on upcoming webinars can be found in your inbox in each month’s Council Information Sheet (CIS), and at gswny.org. On-Demand Library – The On-Demand Library contains archived versions of past webinars, as well as short mini-trainings on various subjects. Learn about the GSWNY-specific badge programs, check out tips for using Journeys, discover great ideas for bridging to the next level, and much more. Check out the library on our YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/GSWNYWebinars GSWNY-U GSWNY-U is our premier continuing education event for volunteers! GSWNY-U features enrichment workshops, from leadership development to outdoor activities to product program training. There will be plenty of old favorites, NEW workshops for veteran attendees, and an expanded lunchtime expo with great program ideas. Registration details will be released at the end of August; starting in September, click on the eBiz logo on the gswny.org site for more information and to register. The event is held twice to better accommodate our volunteers: Saturday, November 14, 2015 – Al Sigl Center, Monroe County, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm Saturday, November 21, 2015 – West Seneca East High School, West Seneca, Erie County, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm Hope to see you there! For any questions related to training, please contact us at training@gswny.org.

GSWNY-U

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Complete required training for position

Receive a troop number (during Troop Essentials training or from Service Unit Registrar)

Select troop meeting day, time and place

Reserve a meeting place and request a certificate of liability if needed

Plan and hold a Parents’ Meeting

Register all girls and leaders

With co-leader(s), plan and hold first meeting

Help girls plan troop meetings for the year

Become familiar with financial expectations and procedures for troops

Review the GSWNY Travel Right requirements for day and overnight trips

Select a day and time that works for your schedule. Depending on your meeting place, it could be right after school, in the evening or even a weekend morning

Troops may meet weekly, biweekly, or monthly

In general, our youngest girls (Daisy) and oldest girls (Senior/Ambassador) tend to meet less frequently. Many Daisy troops meet monthly, with an occasional field trip. Brownies through Cadettes tend to meet weekly or biweekly.

You may already have in mind a troop meeting place connected to a school or place of worship. Talk to your Service Unit Manager to find out if/when other troops meet there, get booking contacts, or get ideas for possible meeting places if you don’t have one.

Wherever you choose to meet, the GSWNY council office must issue a certificate of liability to cover your troop’s activities. Only one certificate of liability is required per site so if other troops are already meeting there, there should be one on file. To request a certificate of liability, fill out and submit a Certificate of Liability Form, found in the Forms Library on the GSWNY website.

Many leaders like the convenience of meeting in their homes. Although it is allowed, meeting in private homes is highly discouraged. What follows is a statement from our insurance company that states the limits of the Girl Scout insurance when troop activities occur in a private home. Please take this into account when deciding where to hold your troop meetings:

The Girl Scouts’ liability policy covers the Girl Scouts for injuries or damage GSWNY is legally liable for. If

the Girl Scouts of Western New York is sued for injuries sustained by a Scout at a Leader’s residence, the Girl Scouts’ policy will defend the Girl Scouts.

The Leader could be sued in one of two capacities: Either as a volunteer Leader for GSWNY or as the person responsible for the property. If they are sued in a capacity as a Leader (ex. Failure to Supervise) then they would be covered by the GSWNY policy. However, if they are sued as the person responsible for the property (ex. Unsafe environment or their dog bites a Scout), then they would have to look to their own personal homeowner/renter policy. A personal homeowner/renter policy includes liability and property.

The GSWNY policy covers the volunteer but only for their actions as a volunteer for GSWNY. Their actions as a property owner / renter, dog owner, etc., are not covered by the GSWNY policy. They need personal liability coverage under a homeowner or renter policy to cover them like it would for injury to any other visitor to their premises.

See Volunteer Essentials, page 34, for additional details on appropriate

troop meeting places

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Recommended group sizes, when possible, are as follows:

Girl Scout Daisies: 5–12 girls

Girl Scout Brownies: 10–20 girls

Girl Scout Juniors: 10–25 girls

Girl Scout Cadettes: 5–25 girls

Girl Scout Seniors: 5–30 girls

Girl Scout Ambassadors: 5–30 girls Girl Scouts’ adult-to-girl ratios show the minimum number of approved, registered adults needed to supervise a specific number of girls. In addition to the adult-to-girl ratios, please remember that adult volunteers must be at least 18 years old.

Group Meetings Events, Travel, and Camping

Two unrelated adults* (at least one of whom is female) for this number of girls:

Plus one additional adult* for each additional number of this many girls:

Two unrelated adults* (at least one of whom is female) for this number of girls:

Plus one additional adult* for each additional number of this many girls:

Girl Scout Daisies (grades K–1)

12 1-6 6 1-4

Girl Scout Brownies (grades 2–3)

20 1-8 12 1-6

Girl Scout Juniors (grades 4–5)

25 1-10 16 1-8

Girl Scout Cadettes (grades 6–8)

25 1-12 20 1-10

Girl Scout Seniors (grades 9–10)

30 1-15 24 1-12

Girl Scout Ambassadors (grades 11–12)

30 1-15 24 1-12

*”Adult” here refers to an approved, registered adult. These are adults who have completed the GSWNY screening process and have registered as a GSUSA member. Troop First Aider A Troop First Aider is a registered adult who has current certification in Adult and Child CPR, AED, and First Aid. Troop First Aiders are required only when leaving the troop meeting place and/or if required by a Safety Activity Checkpoint (see p. 9 of this document). The leader or assistant leader may serve as the first aider. See page 56 in Volunteer Essentials for medical professionals who qualify as first aiders. Troop Drivers All Troop Drivers must be approved, registered adults. These are volunteers who are coordinated by the troop leadership to drive other girls in the troop on field trips. If parents are driving their own children and/or make their own personal arrangements for carpooling, those adults do not need to be approved and registered.

See Volunteer Essentials, Troop Leader Appendix, for suggestions on ways

parents can help your troop

6

Before meeting with your troop for the first time, hold a parent/guardian meeting to help form your troop committee and share important information with parents. Ask parents to bring cash or checks to cover annual Girl Scout membership dues, as well as any troop activity fees/dues you will be collecting. Items to Bring to the Parent Meeting:

Registration forms (Girl and Adult) – available on GSWNY website

Financial assistance forms – available on GSWNY website

Permission Slip/Girl Health History Record – available on GSWNY website

Calendar

Pens

Paper clips (to attach payments to registration forms)

Large envelope for completed forms and money Things to Discuss at a Parent Meeting:

Troop number, meeting day, place, starting/ending times, leader contact information. As needed, recruiting parents to serve as volunteers to fulfill girl to adult ratio. Troop committee assignments Importance of regular girl attendance Girl Scout Promise and Law – parents should know the Girl Scout values Troop finances, troop dues and financial assistance Registration forms and fees. All girls and leaders must be registered. Health History – must be signed and completed fully Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting – bring to show if possible. Uniforms Field trips Discuss whether snacks and beverages will be provided at each troop meeting or event. Decide who will

provide and get signups on a calendar. Solicit parent ideas for troop activities

Health, Consent and Photo Release Forms At the time of registration, all parents should complete a Health History for their child. You can download the Health History from the website. Please note: consent for photo release is on the girl registration form. These forms should be with the adult in charge of the troop at all times. Any child denied photo release permission cannot be in any pictures taken by the troop, service unit or council. It is the responsibility of the leader to make sure the girl complies. Permission Slips Any activity which takes the troop away from the regular meeting place requires parent or guardian permission. These and other commonly used forms found on our website are listed in the Forms Appendix of Volunteer Essentials.

See Volunteer Essentials, page 44, for more tips on running a parent meeting

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1. Start with meeting dates Take into account school and religious holidays, as well as any personal conflicts

2. Focus on the Girl Scout Leadership Experience

The core of our program is the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE). The GSLE is made up of 3 Leadership Keys and 3 Processes.

3 Leadership Keys to develop girl leadership: o Girls will DISCOVER things about themselves o Girls will CONNECT with the world around them o Girls will TAKE ACTION to make the world a better place

3 Processes are the types of activities girls should do : o All activities are girl-led: girls take an age-appropriate role in decision-making and planning o Girls have the chance to learn cooperatively: girls work together as a team o Girls learn by doing: girls have the opportunity to explore through hands-on activities

What makes Girl Scouts unique is the GSLE. No matter whether the girls are earning badges, doing community service or just having fun, their activities should be based on the GSLE.

3. Learn about all of the program options

The appropriate Grade Level training will give you an overview of all the different choices within the National Program Portfolio. See pages 23-28 in Volunteer Essentials for a snapshot.

4. Talk to the girls

Draft a loose framework for the year, with possible timeframes for a Journey, badges, and other activities.

For younger girls, offer choices between possible Journeys and/or badges. Try the It’s Your Journey Choose It! 1st 4 Meetings packet to sample the Journeys. Choosing between 2 or 3 badges is an age-appropriate way for girls to lead!

For older girls, the It’s Your Journey Choose It! 1st 4 Meetings packet can provide them insight as to which they prefer. They can also look through the books or research online what badges they would like to do. Older girls, Juniors and up, should be doing much of the planning for the troop.

5. Become familiar with Chapter 4 of Volunteer Essentials and Safety Activity Checkpoints

Chapter 4 of Volunteer Essentials, “Safety-Wise,” provides an overview to use when approaching activities. Start with the Girl Scout Safety Guidelines, found on page 49. Familiarize yourself with the standards and practices in this chapter.

When preparing for any activity with girls, start by reading the Girl Scout Safety Activity Checkpoints for that particular activity, such as camping, sledding, swimming, and many more. You can find these at www.gswny.org. Each Safety Activity Checkpoint offers you information on where to do this activity, how to include girls with disabilities, where to find both basic and specialized gear required for the activity, how to prepare yourselves for the activity, what specific steps to follow on the day of the activity, and so on.

See Volunteer Essentials, pages 9-12, for an overview of the GSLE and

how to plan with girls

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September

Parent Meeting

It’s Your Journey Choose It! 1st 4 Meetings

Girl Scout Way Legacy Badge -

See Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting (GGGS)

October

Mags & Munchies Sale/Financial Literacy Badge I – See GGGS

Journey Session 1

Halloween/Juliette Low

Celebration (10/31)

*GS Signature Program – See Program Guide

November

Journey Session 2

Investiture/Rededication

Journey Session 3

Field Trip

December

Winter Holiday Celebration

Community Service Project – Girls decide

Techbridge Activity or Program In A Box – See Program Guide

January

Cookie Sale/Cookie Business Badge I – See GGGS

Journey Session 4

Skill Builder Badge – Girls choose

*GS Signature Program – See

Program Guide

February

Journey Session 5

Cookie Sales

Journey Session 6

Thinking Day Activity (2/22)

March

Girl Scout Birthday (3/12) Activity

Journey Session 7

Skill Builder Badge – Girls

choose

April

Journey Session 8

Take Action Project

Field Trip

May

Legacy Badge – Girls choose; see GGGS

Journey Session 9 - Celebration

Outdoor Activity

June

Summer Event: Badge/Field Trip/Outdoor

Event

July

Attend Girl Scout Summer Camp!

August

Summer Event: Badge/Field Trip/Outdoor

Event

This planning calendar assumes weekly meetings. Adjust based on your meeting schedule.

See Volunteer Essentials, pages 30-33, for information on Girl Scout

celebrations and traditions

9

As Girls Arrive

Start-up activities are planned so that when girls arrive at the meeting they have something to do until the meeting begins. For younger girls, it could be coloring pages; teen girls might jot down a journal entry or just enjoy a little time to talk.

Opening

The opening focuses the meeting and allows girls to start the meeting. Each troop decides how to open their own meeting—most begin with the Girl Scout Promise and Law, and then add a simple flag ceremony, song, game, story, or other ceremony designed by the girls. The Journey adult guides contain ideas about openings that correspond to Journey themes.

Business

Troop business may include taking attendance, collecting dues, making announcements, decision-making and planning an upcoming event or trip. This is a good time for girls to take turns leading, especially as they grow up! (Some troops may move the business portion of the meeting to an earlier or later slot.)

Activities

Activities will depend on what the girls want to do in their troop and how they want to spend their collective time. As you engage in one of the three National Leadership Journeys, review the “Sample Sessions at a Glance” in the adult guide for Journey activity ideas. If girls choose to include snacks, guide them to consider the health of a potential snack, as well as possible food allergies. Enlist the help of parents or guardians by asking them to sign up and bring a treat. You’ll also find plenty of snack ideas and signup forms in the adult guide of most Leadership Journeys.

Clean-up

Clean-up is a great habit for girls to get their meeting space back to the way it was when they arrived—maybe even cleaner! Girls can also take leadership of the cleaning themselves, deciding who does what. They might even enjoy the tradition of a kaper chart (a chore chart that lists all the chores and assigns girls’ names to each), so that everyone takes turns at each responsibility.

Closing

The closing lets the girls know that the troop meeting is ending. Many girls close with the friendship circle, in which each girl stands in a circle, puts her right arm over her left, and holds the hand of the girl standing next to her. The friendship squeeze is started by one girl, and then passed around the circle until it comes back to the girl who started it. When the squeeze is finished, girls twist clockwise out of the circle lifting their arms and turning around and out of the circle. In addition, you may find some helpful, Journey-related closing ceremony ideas in the Journey’s adult guide.

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1. Recruit a Troop Finance Consultant At your parents meeting, recruit an adult for this important role. The Finance Consultant is responsible for keeping the troop’s accounting accurate and organized. Troop Finance Consultants must be approved volunteers and registered Girl Scout members.

2. Open a Troop Bank Account

Use the Troop Bank Account Letter Form to open an account at a local bank and report the new account to your service unit using the Troop Bank Account Reporting Form. Three signatures are required on the account, one of which must be a member of the service unit team. See Volunteer Essentials, Chapter Five, for more details.

3. Manage troop income and expenses

Receipts and bank statements should be kept organized, both for reporting purposes and for sharing with the girls. Use the tax exempt form for all troop purchases. A copy of this form is provided at Troop Essentials training. Troop costs, such as purchases for supplies and fees for leader trainings, should be paid from the troop account; troop leaders are not expected to finance troop activities.

4. Keep the Girls Involved

Your troop should have a Girl Troop Finance Consultant who works with the Adult Finance Consultant to manage the account. In addition, girls can collect troop dues, field trip fees, etc. depending on their age. Check out Volunteer Essentials, pages 78-79, for financial and sales abilities by grade level.

5. Prepare Finance Reports Twice a Year

Troops must file Finance Reports in January and June each year. A Girl Troop Finance Consultant can work with the adult to prepare the report. The Troop Finance Consultant will submit these reports to the Service Unit Finance Consultant.

See Volunteer Essentials, pages 67-70, for additional details on troop accounts

and reporting

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Troop Start-Up Fee: One-time fee when starting a new troop Suggested amount: $20

Troop Dues: Determined by troop

Could be paid per meeting, monthly or half-year Suggested amount: $2/meeting or less

Magazines & Munchies: Annual fall product sale of subscriptions and nuts/candy

Designed as a friends & family sale All grade levels may participate

Cookie Sale: Annual spring product sale of Girl Scout cookies All grade levels may participate

Additional Money-Earning: Junior troops and older may participate in additional approved money-earning activities

* Financial concerns should never be an obstacle to Girl Scout participation. Financial assistance is available for membership fees and troop dues, as well as uniforms and books. Forms available at www.gswny.org

Troop funds are for the benefit of all girls in the troop and should be spent in the year the funds are earned, unless the troop has a long range plan for spending the funds. Legitimate troop expenses include:

Program supplies, such as paper, crayons, and craft supplies, as well as copies of GSUSA books for leader and girl use

Uniform components and badges/patches/pins

Fees for field trips

Refreshments and paper products

Photocopies, paper and printer ink for printing troop paperwork

Troop organizational needs such as totes, binders, folders

Leader trainings which enhance troop programming, such as First Aid/CPR, outdoor and GSWNY-sponsored enrichment training

Registration fees for girls and/or leaders

See Volunteer Essentials, pages 69-76, for information on troop funding,

including product sales and sponsorships

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All events that occur outside the normal meeting time and place require GSWNY Travel Right requirements:

1. Signed parent permission slips 2. Appropriate girl to adult ratio as indicated in Volunteer Essentials for events and trips. Any adult

fulfilling the ratio must be an approved, registered volunteer. Among these adults: One has completed Troop Essentials, Girl Scouting 101, and appropriate grade level training One qualifies as a Troop First Aider

3. If you are arranging transportation, troop drivers are approved, registered volunteers 4. Health forms, permission slips and a first aid kit must be brought along on the trip 5. Leaders must review the Safety Activity Checkpoints for additional requirements 6. Notification of Service Unit Manager

In addition, some trips require additional paperwork and/or permission. All travel paperwork can be found at www.gswny.org. Refer to the grid below for details.

Where am I going? What do I need?

A day trip in my community

GSWNY Travel Right requirements

Any additional requirements per Safety Activity Check points

An overnight at an aquarium, museum, zoo or

other building where programming will be

provided (<250 miles); within US

An overnight at a hotel for two nights or less,

<250 miles; within US

An overnight in a lodge structure at a GSWNY

camp property

GSWNY Travel Right requirements

Troop Camping I training

Any additional requirements per Safety Activity Check points

An overnight in an A-frame or tent at a GSWNY

camp property

GSWNY Travel Right requirements

Troop Camping II training

Any additional requirements per Safety Activity Check points

An overnight at a camp property not owned by

GSWNY, <250 miles

Same as above based on outdoor structure, but must submit Permission

for Use of Non-Council Camp Site form 60 days before trip

A trip 250+ miles and/or longer than 2 nights;

within US

GSWNY Travel Right requirements

Submit Intent to Travel 90 days before trip

Troop Travel Agreement/add’l documents 60 days before trip

Any additional requirements per Safety Activity Check points

A trip outside of the US GSWNY Travel Right requirements

Submit Intent to Travel 24 months before trip

International Troop Travel packet/additional documents 18 months

before trip

Any additional requirements per Safety Activity Check points

See Volunteer Essentials, Travel Appendix, for additional travel guidelines

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Girl Scouts of Western New York Council Service Centers Corporate Headquarters 3332 Walden Ave, Suite 106 Depew, NY 14043 Phone: 1-888-837-6410 Fax: (716) 706-1359 Batavia Service Center 5 Jackson St. Batavia, NY 14020 Phone: (585) 344-7050 Fax: (585) 344-0765 Jamestown Service Center 2661 Horton Road Jamestown, NY 14701 Phone: (716) 665-2225 Fax: (716) 488-9501 Lockport Service Center 5000 Cambria Road Lockport, NY 14094 Phone: (716) 434-6212 Fax: (716) 434–9983 Niagara Falls Service Center 1522 Main Street, Suite 307 Niagara Falls, New York 14305 Telephone: (716) 935-6082 Fax: (716) 285-0831 Rochester Service Center 1000 Elmwood Ave., Suite 200 Rochester, NY 14620 Phone: (585) 292-5160 Fax: (585) 292-1086

Please visit our website at www.gswny.org for office and shop hours.