Orientation & Onboarding

New Leader Orientation

This training is for volunteers in a Troop Leader or Assistant Troop Leader role. Please complete the following within the first two months of your volunteer appointment. You’ll receive a confirmation email when you’ve completed New Leader Orientation.

• Complete the required gsLearn courses
  • 499 Northwestern Great Lakes Guidelines for Volunteers
  • GSUSA New Leader Onboarding: What Girl Scouts Do (select only the program grade levels you will be working with, Daisies through Ambassadors)
  • GSUSA New Leader Onboarding: Family Engagement – The Key to Success
  • GSUSA Girl Scouts Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Course
• Attend a Coach & Confirm live-virtual meeting
  • Register from the Events page for meetings hosted on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, all year long. This session reviews the administrative checklist of our council’s six steps to start or restart a troop and showcases the digital resources available to you with your Girl Scout membership!
• Review and file the reference material we send you in the mail
  • Troop Start-Up Workbook for directions on the administrative part of setting up your troop (take it with you to the bank to set up your troop account)
  • a sample of the Troop Family Go-To Guide, a resource to share with families at a parent-caregiver meeting
  • a sample of the troop family forms (health history form, permission forms, caregiver help form, Meet My Girl Scout form)
  • Year Plan suggestions for your program grade level, Daisy through Ambassador

Onboarding is the period when you practice putting your plans into action and learn by doing. By the time you’ve hosted 3-6 troop meetings, you’ll be feeling confident and comfortable! As you gain experience and have new questions, there are many places you can go for training and support. ln those first few months, you can set your own pace, moving to:

• Complete the six administrative steps detailed in the Troop Start-Up Workbook, with with local staff guidance (typically within one to four weeks of completing New Leader Orientation)
• Get more familiar with Girl Scout resources and people; meet other local volunteers at your Service Area leader meetings
• Optionally complete these recommended gsLearn courses on running Girl Scout troop activities
  • GSUSA New Leader Onboarding: Girl Scout Leadership Experience
  • GSUSA New Leader Onboarding: Your First Troop Meeting
  • GSUSA New Leader Onboarding: Troop Safety
  • GSUSA New Leader Onboarding: Funding the Fun – Managing Troop Finances
  • GSUSA New leader Onboarding: The Girl Scout Cookie Program
  • GSUSA Delivering Inclusive Program
  • GSUSA Field Trips and Travel
  • GSUSA Leading Multi-level Troops
  • GSUSA Mental Wellness 101
• Build a Year Plan and set the troop calendar

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