Step 5: Register/Renew Members

Girl Scouts is a membership organization. Our online registration system offers the fastest and most convenient way for girls and adult volunteers to join a troop or renew their membership annually.

New Troops and Initial Registration

Once a troop number is assigned to a troop, volunteers may share the troop number with interested parents/caregivers for them to register directly to the troop. They’ll need to create an account in MyGS first.

Families do this:

Visit www.gsnwgl.org, and scroll down to click on Join
Create an account in MyGS and add a membership to the cart.
Select Find Troops, and search troops by zip code or troop number
Accept the Girl Scout Law and Promise.
Check out and pay the membership fee.
Receive a welcome email with next steps.
Check out the Parent/Caregiver view of the Volunteer Toolkit.
Search for more events, camps, and opportunities for their Girl Scout.
Financial aid is available for any girl experiencing a financial barrier to joining. Caregivers can select financial aid on the confirm member details screen.

Troop leaders see and do this:

Update troop meeting information in MyGS for parents/caregivers to find your troop details online.
Watch for email notification that a new member has been added to your troop (check your junk mail) and contact the family to introduce yourself and share troop meeting dates.
Check the troop roster from MyGS Member Profile on the Troop tab.
Welcome the girl and her caregivers at the next troop meeting.

Council staff support the troop like this:

Provide customer care to parents and volunteers with questions.
Assist troop leaders to keep the online Troop Information up to date.
Match, screen, and place adults into troop volunteer roles.
Promote Girl Scouts in your area and assist you in inviting members to join!

Returning Troops and Membership Renewal

The Girl Scout membership year runs from October 1 through September 30 the following year. Early registration opens April 1. Many troops choose to register early to enjoy membership renewal incentives and the peace of mind that comes with taking care of this administrative piece of troop management before summer, which also makes it easier to re-start quickly in the fall. Here are the instructions for troop leaders to renew their troop members.

Log into MyGS, navigate to My Account, then My Troop(s). You will see a list of girl and adult members in your troop. If you lead multiple troops, complete the steps below for each troop.
Check the “Select All” boxes for both girls and adults in your troop. Uncheck the boxes next to any members who you are not planning to renew. (Do this for any members who plan to renew on their own or for those you are unsure about renewing at this time). Uncheck boxes next to any volunteer roles that adults in your troop are not planning to continue to hold next year. If a member of your troop does not intend to renew for the coming year, check the “Not Returning” checkbox. If a girl or volunteer has been accidentally marked as “Not Returning” or you are aren’t seeing the option to renew someone for a role within your troop, please email info@gsnwgl.org or call us at 888-747-6945.
Select the green button labeled “Renew” on the left under “Member Details.”
You will be prompted to confirm everyone’s contact information. Assuming there are no changes, scroll to the bottom and select “Choose Payment Type.” Then select “Submit Member Details.” Repeat this process for everyone you are renewing. As a troop leader, you are unable to request financial assistance for the renewal of someone outside of your immediate household. If a member of your troop wishes to renew with financial assistance, they will need to renew online themselves or you’ll need to call us at 888-747-6945.
Next, you will be prompted to review your cart. If you have a discount or promotional code, you will be able to enter it on this page. Make sure the correct number of girls and volunteers you wish to renew are in your cart. Check the box “I agree to the Girl Scout Promise and Law” on the bottom of the page on the right. Once this is complete, you will be able to select “Add Payment Details.”
Complete the payment steps for the troop by entering your credit card information under payment, then click “Submit Payment.”
You’ve successfully renewed your troop members! You’ll receive an email confirmation after your renewal has been processed.

Common Renewal Questions:

Is it okay that troops use troop funds for membership?
Yes! Using troop funds for registration is not just okay – it’s encouraged. Troops can use troop funds to register girl and adult members.

How do I renew girls who earned the Cookie Program Membership Reward?
If your troop has a combination of girls who DID earn the membership reward and girls who DID NOT earn the membership reward, Council recommends renewing your troop in two separate transactions. Add only the girls who earned the cookie program membership reward to your cart, and then on the “Review Cart” page add the membership reward code in the “Discount or Promotional Code” box. See how $25 (national membership) is taken off the Membership fee for each girl, and $5/girl (the council service fee) is the remaining amount for the troop to pay. Check for further instructions in the cookie program email communications to Troop Leaders and Troop Cookie Managers.

What if my troop is disbanding, merging with another troop, or my troop of 12th grade Ambassadors are all graduating?
If your troop will not be continuing next year (because it is disbanding, merging into another troop, or the members will be graduating from high school) please review and complete the Disbanded, Merged, or Graduated Girl Scout Troop Process and Form.

How do graduating Ambassador Girl Scouts renew as adult members?
12th grade Girl Scout Ambassadors can be renewed by their caregiver in MyGS. They will be given the option to purchase an adult annual membership or a discounted Young Alum Lifetime Membership. Additional details about Young Alum Lifetime Memberships are sent to graduating seniors in the spring of their senior year.