Daisy? Brownie? Junior? Cadette? Senior? What are these? Click here for the definitions of these age levels in Girl Scouting.

When can my daughter join Girl Scouts? Anytime.

How often do troops meet? This depends upon the troop. Generally troops meet every other week for between one hour and two hours during the school year. Many troops also participate in activities outside of troop meeting time. The extra activities may be on a weekend or evening during the week.

When do troops meet? This depends upon the troop. Leaders try to meet at days and times most convenient for their troop.

Does my daughter need to wear her uniform to the first meeting? No. Please wait until you attend the first meeting before you purchase uniform components, books, etc. Your troop leader will share with you what you need.

My daughter was assigned to a troop and we cannot meet at that time. What next? Your daughter can be transferred to another troop. Please ask your leader to notify the Service Unit's Registrar. The Registrar knows which troops are accepting new girls.

I was told a troop was "full." What does that mean? Ideally troops have 10 to 12 girls. If leaders are willing troops can have more girls than that. When a troop approaches 18 to 20 girls it becomes very difficult to coordinate and offer good Girl Scout experiences to the girls. All of our troop leaders are volunteers. If our volunteers are asked to work outside of their comfort zone they will not come back. Troops need to be balanced where leading a troop is a positive experience for the leaders and belonging to a troop is a positive experience for the girls and families involved.

What costs are involved with belonging to a troop?

·  There is a $10 registration fee for Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. This registration is for one year. It includes secondary insurance coverage for girls attending Girl Scout functions.

·  The required uniform is the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts pin and the appropriate age level pin. This costs about $4. Wearing a full uniform is not required to participate in activities.

·  Many troops ask girls to pay dues each meeting or month. Dues should be less than $2 per meeting for girls at all levels except the Daisy level.

·  Daisy Girl Scouts cannot participate in sales, so the costs of troop activities need to be shared by the troop.

What happens if I cannot afford to pay fees, dues, etc.? Money should never be the reason a girl cannot participate in Girl Scout activities. You can apply for financial aid for vests and sashes, books, service unit event fees, council event fees, and summer camp through the Council. The form is available at: Financial Partnership Application. To apply for financial aid for troop activities, please use the same form and submit it to the service unit. The council requests that your family participate in product sales if you receive financial aid. Part of the money earned in product sales is used for financial aid.

Does my daughter have to sell Girl Scout cookies? No. If your family does not participate in the cookie sale or fall product sale then you need to speak with your leader. You need to contribute money to the troop to cover the costs of your daughter's involvement in activities. For example, the girls decide they want to use the cookie money they earn for the troop to cover troop expenses, the service unit camp-out, and a special trip. You need to contribute the cost of the camp-out, special trip, and troop expenses to the troop.

My daughter has special needs. Can she join Girl Scouts? Yes. Troops are able to accommodate girls with special needs, so long as the parents are willing to work with the troop leaders to make it a good Girl Scout experience. Every girl will have a good Girl Scout experience if her parents are willing to work with the troop leaders.

What safety measures are in place for Girl Scouts? Girl Scouts U.S.A. set national standards for safety at all Girl Scout functions. These standards include how many adults must be present at activities, what training the adults must have (ie Leader Training, Outdoor Skills Training, First Aid Training, CPR Training), etc. If you are curious about these standards, please ask your leader to show you her/his copy of Safety-Wise.

What are the benefits of the Girl Scout program? Click here to see.

Why am I being asked to volunteer with my daughter's troop? Your support is important for your daughter to realize the greatest benefits from her participation in Girl Scouting. There are so many ways that busy parents can help make exciting opportunities available to all girls. Click here to see some of the ways you can help. There is an additional link to click at the bottom of that page to see even more ways to help.

Are there opportunities to participate in Girl Scouts outside of the troop? Yes there are. Click here to go to the on-line version of Possibilities, the Council's program guide. Troops can choose to go to a Possibility event together, or a parent can take their daughter to the event.

Is summer camp available? Yes it is. Click here to go to the on-line version of Possibilities, the Council's program guide. The summer camp schedule is available in the Spring/Summer edition of Possibilities.

Friends of Girl Scouting (FOGS)? What is it? Why am I being asked to contribute money to Girl Scouts? The Annual Friends of Girl Scouting Campaign is an organized, council-wide fundraising campaign, carried out by adult volunteers to obtain financial support for a wide variety of programs provided locally for Girl Scouts. The support of the Girl Scout Family is essential for our continued financial stability and to prepare to serve more girls in the future. Click here for answers to the commonly asked questions about this program.

Thank you to Old Settlers Service Units for this information!