A License to Learn
Leader
Troop 101
Prerequisite:
Leader 101
Troop 101
Desired Outcomes
At the conclusion of the session, participants
will be able to :
 Recall “the Big Picture” structure of Girl
Scouting.
 Know the Girl Scout Sign, quiet sign,
handshake, and Girl Scout circle.
 Identify GSCFP resources.
 List at least two GSCFP forms and identify
where they can be found.
 Know the sequence of the Girl Scout year.
 Describe and plan a typical Girl Scout
troop meeting.
 List tools for planning a Girl Scout
meeting.
2
Material to Cover
 GIRL SCOUT SLOGAN, MOTTO,
MISSION, PROMISE, AND LAW
 GIRL AND ADULT PARTNERSHIP
 GIRL SCOUT JOURNEYS
 GIRL SCOUT FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE,
SIGN, QUIET SIGN, AND
HANDSHAKE
 GIRL SCOUT GIRL GUIDES TO
GIRL SCOUTING
 WAGGGS STRUCTURE
 GIRL SCOUT HIGHEST AWARDS
 GSUSA STRUCTURE
 GIRL SCOUT CEREMONIES
 GSCFP STRUCTURE
 GIRL SCOUT SONGS AND GAMES
 TROOP FINANCES
 GIRL SCOUT LIFELONG JOURNEY
 SAFETY
 GIRL SCOUT KAPERS
 PROGRAM LEVELS
 GIRL SCOUT SWAPS
 GIRL SCOUT YEAR PLANNING
3
GIRL SCOUT . . .
SLOGAN
“ Do a good turn daily”
MOTTO
“Be prepared”
MISSION
“Building girls of
courage, confidence and
character, who make the
world a better place.”
PROMISE
”On my honor, I will
try: To serve God & my
country, To help people
at all times And to
live by the Girl Scout
LAW
I will do my best to be
honest and fair
friendly and helpful
considerate and caring
courageous and strong,
and
responsible for what I
say and do,
and to
respect myself and
others,
respect authority,
use resources wisely,
make the world a better
4
place, and
FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE
o The friendship circle stands for
an unbroken chain of friendship
with Girl Scouts and Girl Guides
around the world.
o Everyone stands in a circle,
crosses her right arm over her left
arm, and clasps hands with her friends
on both sides.
o Everyone makes a silent wish as
a friendship squeeze is passed from
hand to hand.
o An option is to repeat
the “Make New Friends”
songs until all hands
have been squeezed.
5
SIGN
o Girl Scouts make
the Girl Scout
sign when they say
the Girl Scout
Promise.
o The three fingers
represent the
three parts of the
Promise.
HANDSHAKE
o Girl Scouts can
greet each other
with the Girl
Scout handshake,
used by Girl
Scouts and Girl
Guides all over
the world.
o The handshake is
made by shaking
hands with the
left hand and
making the Girl
Scout sign with
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the right.
GIRL SCOUT HISTORY
o Girl Scouting was started
by a woman named Juliette
Gordon Low. When she was a
baby, her uncle said she
was going to be a daisy.
Her family started calling
her Daisy as a nickname.
She loved to climb trees,
all kinds of animals,
including her pet rabbit.
o Daisy was born (October
31, 1860) and grew up in
Savannah, Georgia, in a
large family.
o At 26, she had already
lost some of the hearing in
one of her ears, but while
leaving her wedding
ceremony (December 21,
1886) a piece of rice
o She married Willy Low,
an Englishman and moved
to England.
o Juliette stayed in
England after her
husband’s death in 1905.
7
o While in England,
Juliette spent several
years searching for
something useful to do
with her life. This
search ended in 1911,
when she became friends
with Robert Baden-Powell
(he and his sister Agnes
o Less than a year , when
she returned to Savannah
at the age of 51, she
called Nina Pape (a
teacher, and a distant
cousin) to share the news
of providing “something
for the girls of
Savannah, and all of
America, and all the
world…”
o On March 12, 1912,
Juliette gathered 18
girls to register the
first troop of American
Girl Guides. Her niece
and namesake “Daisy
Doots” Gordon, was the
first registered member.
o The name changed to Girl
Scouts the following
year.
8
Special Days for Girl
Scouts
 February 22
o World Thinking Day
This day is the birthday
of Robert Baden-Powell
(founder of Boy Scouts in
England) and his wife
Olave. He inspired
Juliette Low to start Girl
Scouts in the United
States. Every year on
this day, we celebrate
friendship and sisterhood
with girls in other
countries.
 March 12
o Girl Scout Birthday
On this day in 1912, the
first 18 girls gathered
to hold their first
meeting as Girl Scouts in
the United States. Some
 Girl Scout Week
o
The week in which March
12 falls is called Girl
Scout Week. Some Girl
Scouts wear their uniform
if they go to a service
at their place of
workship on Girl Scout
Sunday or Girl Scout
Sabbath.
 April 22
o Girl Scout Volunteer
Day
This is a day when you
can say thank you to the
adult volunteers who help
guide Girl Scout
adventures.
 October 31
o Founder’s Day
9
Juliette Gordon Low was
WAGGGS STRUCTURE
 With ten million Girl Guides and Girl Scouts from
146 countries across the world, the World
Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
(WAGGGS) is the largest voluntary movement
dedicated to girls and young women in the world.
 There are five WAGGGS’ regions – Africa, Arab,
Asia Pacific, Europe and Western Hemisphere.
 Four World Centres: Our Chalet in
Switzerland, Sangam in India, Pax Lodge in UK
and Our Cabaña in Mexico. The World Centres are
residential and training centres where girls and
10
GSUSA STRUCTURE
 Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low assembled 18 girls
from Savannah, Georgia, on March 12, 1912, for a
local Girl Scout meeting. She believed that all
girls should be given the opportunity to develop
physically, mentally, and spiritually.
 Today, there are 3.2 million Girl Scouts—2.3
million girl members and 890,000 adult members
working primarily as volunteers.
 Girls at home and abroad participate in troops and
groups in more than 92 countries through USA Girl
Scouts Overseas, and over 100 local Girl Scout
councils offer girls the opportunity for
membership across the United States.
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 More than 59 million American women enjoyed Girl
GSCFP STRUCTURE
Across GSCFP there are 500+ troops in 19 counties. It
serves 4,846 girls ages 5-17 and 2,214 adult
volunteers in Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Franklin,
Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette,
Leon, Liberty, Madison, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Taylor,
 General
questions about
Executive
Staff
Wakulla,
Walton, and
Washington
counties.





Chief Executive Officer
o Raslean M. Allen
Chief Operating Officer
o Brenda Gibbs
Chief Business Services 
Officer
o E. Michelle Kyser
Chief Finance Officer
o Diane Dawson
Chief Mission Delivery
Officer
o Tami Valdez
Girl Scouting; Council
events; dates and times of
upcoming programs; and
location of your Service
Unit (SU) meeting
Specific questions about
upcoming Council Events
o Director of Membership
& Community Development
 Harriet Williams
o YOUR Manager of
Membership & Community
Development
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Who Else Can Help Me?
 Girl Council Programs
o Manager of Program
 Evan Krueger
 Adult Trainings,
Background Checks;
Volunteer Conference
o Director of
Volunteerism
 Carmen Murray
 Specific questions
about Cookie and Fall
Product sales
o Director of Products
 Elizabeth Harrison
 Concerns related to
Membership,
Volunteerism, or
Program.
o Chief Mission
Delivery Officer
 Tami Valdez
 Specific questions
about Adult Fundraising
events (Cookie Run,
Women of Distinction,
etc.)
o Director of Fund
Development
 Irene Field
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GSCFP PROPERTIES
SERVICE CENTERS
 Panama City Service
Center
1515 St Andrews Blvd
Panama City, FL 32405
850-973-3999
 Pensacola Service Center
4585 Isabella Ingram Dr.
Pensacola, FL 32504
850-434-1333
 Tallahassee Service
Center
250 Pinewood Dr.
Tallahassee, FL 32303
850-386-2131
CAMPS
 Camp for All Seasons
o Tallahassee, Florida
o Leon County
 Camp Kolomoki
o DeFuniak Springs,
Florida
o Walton County
 Kugelman Campus
o Lillian, Alabama
o Baldwin County
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SERVICE UNITS
 Service Units are composed of all groups within a
designated geographical area. Service Unit
assignments are based upon where the troop meets.
These Service Units consist of team members who
assist leaders by filtering information from the
Council.
SU #
___________________
Meeting Date and Location
____________________________________________________
____
SU Community Team Organizer (CTO) Name and Email
Resources
E-Alerts— Monthly emailed
information on council
activities, events, and
training updates. Sign up on
www.gscfp.org or email
communications@gscfp.org to be
added to the E-Alert list.
Panhandle Connection—
Quarterly newsletter published
by GSCFP with information
about Council finances,
COUNCIL SUPPORT TO ADULT
upcoming events, and troop
LEADERSHIP:
activities!
All adults within the Girl
Scout council work in concert
to ensure the highest quality
program experience for girls.
Communication and cooperation
are essential for providing
training, giving ongoing
16
TROOP FINANCES
How is a Girl Scout Troop funded?
 Troop dues  collected each meeting; decided upon by the troop
 Fall Product sales  early fall; good source of start up funds
 Cookie sales  early -January to mid-March
A Girl Scout
troop should be
self-sustaining.
The leader should
not have to pay
for anything the
troop needs!
Who owns Troop Money?
 Money doesn’t belong to any individual girl
 All money earned for the troop stays with the troop
 Adult leadership neither adds to troop funds nor removes funds
without permission from the girls
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Fundraising vs. Money Earning Projects:
 Girls do not “fundraise” - they do “money earning projects”
 Troops must participate in one of the council-sponsored sales
before applying for the money earning project
 If the troop needs additional money, girls should brainstorm ideas
for money earning projects that are age-appropriate
Girl Scouts should
be involved in the
decision-making
processes
regarding troop
finances. More
information about
dues, budgeting,
and the
progression in
Bank Accounts & Record Keeping:
handling group
 Each troop must have a bank account
finances, is found
 Instructions for setting up an account are in athe
current
version
copy
of
of GSCFP Volunteer Essentials.
Volunteer
 All monies collected must be deposited into the
bank account
Essentials
.
 An “Annual Report to the Treasurer” must be filled out and turned
in to council each year by the date requested by council
 Retain receipts and keep the troop records up to date
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SAFETY
 Girl Scouts’ safety guidelines have historically
been outlined in our risk management
handbook,Safety-Wise. After 2010, the basic
guidelines for working with girls can be found in
Volunteer Essentials and the guidelines for
specific activities can be found in Safety Activity
Checkpoints. This electronic format allows us to
maintain our commitment to the environment by using
our resources wisely!
 In the “Safety-Wise” chapter, references to Level
II first aid have been removed. First aid
requirements and their relationship to EMS have
been simplified to match industry standards.
 The following two great resources are meant to be
used together. The most current versions can be
19
located at www.gscfp.org/resources
PROGRAM LEVELS
Girl Scout Daisies
Girl Scout Cadettes
Grades K-1
Grades 6-8
Girl Scout Daisies make new friends, create
and imagine, try new things, play games and
earn petals based on the principles of the
Girl Scout Law.
Girl Scout Brownies
Girl Scout Cadettes participate in the
different pathways, through troops, camp,
travel and special interest groups.
Community service and the Girl Scout Silver
Award are important at this level. Cadettes
transition to the teen programs as a group
and on their own.
Grades 2-3
Girl Scout Brownies explore the world around
them, learning new skills and having great
experiences. Brownies take short trips, go
camping, earn badges, and make decisions
about their group's activities.
Girl Scout Juniors
Grades 4-5
Girl Scout Juniors take responsibility for
all program and some operational aspects of
their group. They develop a personal
leadership style, earn badges, travel, and
enjoy outdoor and challenge programs. Girl
Scout Juniors may also earn the Bronze Award
in a group setting.
Girl Scout Seniors
Grades 9-10
Already capable leaders, Girl Scout Seniors
are focused on community service and the
Girl Scout Gold Award. They enjoy adventure
and challenge programs and take many local
and interstate trips, including to Girl
Scout Destinations programs around the
country.
Girl Scout Ambassadors
Grades 11-12
Girl Scout Ambassadors refine leadership20by
working with younger girls and participating
GIRL SCOUT YEAR PLANNING
A girl and an adult are in partnership when they work together to
complete a task, resolve an issue, or plan an activity.
Adults Foster Girl/Adult Planning By Doing the
Following:
 Guiding rather than
leading.
 Asking questions rather
than providing answers.




 Advising rather than
judging.
 Helping a girl to think
through a decision rather
than deciding for her.
SIGNS
GIRL/ADULT
AND GIRL/ADULT
Girls
are OF
allowed
to make PLANNING
 Trust exists
on both
mistakes.
PARTNERSHIP
sides.
Girls are actively
 Girls participate in
directing an event.
self-government A girl
Adults can let go of
says, “I can do that – I
ideas, traditions,
can do anything.”
histories, and
 The leader asks girls
stereotypes.
what is going to happen.
Brainstorming is an
 Events for older girls
21
accepted way of
have greater attendance
ACTIVITY
Troop Meeting
Plan
DESCRIPTIO
N
MATERIALS
NEEDED
PERSON
RESPONSIBL
E
OTHER
DETAILS
Start Up
(10 minutes
before meeting
when girls are
arriving to
meeting)
Opening
(opening
ceremony,
Promise/Law,
pledge, song or
game)
Business
(collect dues or
paperwork,
plan/vote on
activities)
Activity
(program-level
awards, Journey
work, service
project, GS
project)
Closing
(GS circle,
friendship
22
TROOP/GROUP SIZES AND RATIOS
Girl Scout groups are large enough to provide a cooperative learning
environment and small enough to allow for development of individual
girls. It is recommended that group sizes, when possible, are as
follows: •Girl Scout Daisies: 5–12
•Girl Scout Cadettes: 5–25
girls
girls
•Girl Scout Brownies: 10–20
•Girl Scout Seniors: 5–30
girls
girls
•Girl Scout Juniors: 10–25
•Girl Scout Ambassadors: 5–30
Girl Scouts’
adult-to-girl
ratios
show
the minimum number of adults
girls
girls
needed to supervise a specific number of girls.
Group Meetings
Two unrelated adults (at Plus one additional adult
least one of whom is
for each additional
female) for this number number of this many
of girls:
girls:
Girl Scout Daisies
(grades K–1)
Girl Scout Brownies
(grades 2–3)
Girl Scout Juniors
(grades 4–5)
Girl Scout Cadettes
(grades 6–8)
Girl Scout Seniors
(grades 9–10)
Girl Scout Ambassadors
(grades 11–12)
Events, Travel, and Camping
Two unrelated adults (at Plus one additional adult
least one of whom is
for each additional
female) for this number number of this many
of girls:
girls:
12
6
6
4
20
8
12
6
25
10
16
8
25
12
20
10
30
15
24
12
30
15
24
12
23
GIRL AND ADULT PARTNERSHIP
DAISY
o Daisy Girl
Scout
Circle
o Give 2-3
choices
o Hold family
and me
events.
o Girls
learning
the basics
of group
process and
selfgovernment
GIRL’S
ROLE
o Make their
BROWNIE
o Oversee
o
simple
tasks
o
o Facilitate
“Guided
Failures.”
o Have guided
budgeting. o
o Have guided
group
evaluations
.
JUNIOR
CADETTE
SENIOR/AMBASSADOR
Step back. o Use role
o Mentor Girls.
Guide.
modeling.
o Be a
Input 50%
o Act as a
facilitator
of the time
facilitator
and a partner.
with girls
; give
th
at 5 grade
guidance.
level.
o Allow girls
Encourage
& adults to
girl &
function on
adult
an almost
partnership
equal
.
level.
LEADER’S
ROLE
o Begin to
o Confer with
take
advisors as to
charge.
schedules,
o Make
o Make
o Accept more
monies
specific
suggestions
responsibil
available/need
choices
& group
ity for
ed,
from
decisions.
troop
need/availabil
suggestions o Begin to
government,
24
ity of
.
shape the
trips,
chaperones,
GIRL SCOUT JOURNEYS
On every Leadership Journey, everything girls do (whether it's
performing science experiments, creating art projects, cooking
simple meals, or learning to protect the planet's water supply) is
aimed at giving them the benefits of the Girl Scout "Keys to
 It’s Your World
– Change
It!
Leadership":
Discover,
Connect,
Take Action.
Helps girls understand what it
means to be a leader who makes a
difference in the world through
unique leadership and advocacy
challenges.
 It’s Your Planet - Love It!
invites girls to make sense of
the wealth of environmental
information available so they
can act for the betterment of
Earth and its inhabitants.
 It’s Your Story - Tell It!
gives girls the opportunity to
tell their stories through a
range of creative approaches.
It’s designed to strengthen a
girl’s sense of herself and
boost her capacity to seek and
meet challenges in the world.
GIRL SCOUT
GIRL GUIDES TO GIRL SCOUTING
Everyone knows that Girl Scouts have
badges. But The Girl's Guide to Girl
Scouting has more than just
exciting, new badges for every age
level. Each guide contains:






A colorful, easy-to-use
binder specially designed for girls at
each level.
Legacy, Financial Literacy, and Cookie
Business badge activities—or, for Girl
Scout Daisies, petal and leaf
activities.
A detailed diagram showing where girls
place the badges, pins, or awards with
pride on their vests or sashes.
Ideas to help girls tie their badges
right into their Journeys.
Vintage illustrations and quotes from
Girl Scout history to help girls feel
connected to the proud traditions of
the past.
An awards log showing girls every
award and badge available at their
GIRL SCOUT HIGHEST
AWARDS
BRONZE AWARD
Girls must be in 4th or 5th
grade (or equivalent) and be a
registered Girl Scout Junior
AND
Complete a Junior Journey
Award Steps
1. Build your Girl Scout
Junior team.
2. Explore your community.
3. Choose your Girl Scout
Bronze Award project.
4. Make a plan.
5. Put your plan in motion.
6. Spread the word.
Refer to www.gscfp.org for forms.
SILVER AWARD
Girls must be in 6th, 7th, or
8th grade (or equivalent) and a
registered Girl Scout Cadette
AND
Complete a Cadette Journey
Award Steps
1. Identify issues you care
about.
2. Build your Girl Scout Silver
Award team or decide to go
solo.
3. Explore your community.
4. Pick your Silver Award
project. The Silver Award
project must be done in the
local community (beyond the
Girl Scout community).
5. Develop your project.
6. Make a plan and put it into
motion.
7. Reflect, share your story,
GOLD AWARD
Be in 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th
grades
Be a registered Girl Scout
Senior or Ambassador
AND
Completed two Senior or
Ambassador Journeys OR have
earned the Girl Scout Silver
Award and completed one Journey
Refer to www.gscfp.org for GSCFP Gold
Award Committee schedule and other
information.
Award Steps
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Identify an issue
Investigate it thoroughly
Get help and build your team
Create a plan
Present your plan and gather
feedback
6. Take action
GIRL SCOUT CEREMONIES
 Bridging ceremonies mark a girl's
move from one level of Girl
Scouting to another.
 Flag ceremonies can be part of any
activity that honors the American
flag.
 A Fly-Up is a bridging ceremony
for Girl Scout Brownies bridging
to Girl Scout Juniors. Girls
receive the Girl Scout pin along
with their Brownie wings.
 Founder's Day or Juliette Low's
Birthday, October 31, is a time to
remember the important role
Juliette Low played in the
development of the Girl Scout
movement in the United States.
30
 A Girl Scout Bronze Award ceremony honors Girl
Scout Juniors who have earned the Girl Scout
Bronze Award and is usually held at the
troop/group level or combined with council
recognition.
 A Girl Scout Silver Award ceremony honors Girl
Scouts who have earned the Girl Scout Silver Award
and is often combined with the Girl Scout Gold
Award ceremony at the council level.
 A Girl Scout Gold Award ceremony honors Girl
Scouts who have earned the highest award in Girl
Scouting and often takes place at council level.
 Girl Scouts' Own is a girl-planned program that
31
 Investiture welcomes new members, girls or adults,
into the Girl Scout family for the first time.
Girls receive their Girl Scout, Girl Scout
Brownie, or Girl Scout Daisy pin at this time.
 Journey ceremonies honor Girl Scouts who have
earned the final award along a Journey. The
ceremonies are usually held at the troop/group
level and invite the girls to develop a themed
celebration of their Journey, often including
friends and family.
 Opening ceremonies start the Girl Scout meeting.
 Pinning ceremonies help celebrate when girls
receive grade-level Girl Scout pins.
32
GIRL SCOUT SONGS AND GAMES
SONGS
WHY SINGING IS USED IN GIRL SCOUTING
 For the pure joy of it!
 To help a friendly group spirit grow.
 To quiet or rest the girls when they have been doing
something vigorous, or when they are too excited.
 To help girls know and appreciate fine music of this
and other countries.
 To accompany other activities such as dramatics,
dancing, hiking or camping.
Online Resources for Songs
http://gsuniversity.girlscouts.org/?s=SONGS
Girl Scouts Together
Girl Scouts together, that is our
song.
Winding the old trails, rocky and
long.
Learning our motto, living our
creed.
Girl Scouts together in ev’re good
deed.
Girl Scouts together, happy are
we;
Friendly to neighbors for o’er the
sea.
Faithful to country, loyal to
home.
Known as true Girl Scouts wherever
we roam.
Juliette Gordon Low Song
(Tune: ABC’s)
Juliette, Juliette Gordon Low
Founded the Girl Scouts long ago.
Founded the Girl Scouts in 1912.
Served her country and she served
it well,
Juliette, Juliette Gordon Low
Founded the Girl Scouts long ago.
Brownie Smile Song 33
I’ve something in my pocket;
GAMES
Games can be used many different ways in Girl Scouting; breaking the
ice, developing teamwork, learning or reinforcing skills, building
stamina, or just blowing off steam after sitting for too long. Here
are some tips for game leaders:
Getting Acquainted
How to Play: Form a circle
with one girl in the
1. Be fair in your judgments
middle. A minute is given
2. Show respect for each girl
for each girl to learn the
3. Be patient
names of the girls on her
4. Establish a warm, positive
left and right. The girl in
the center of the circle
atmosphere that's fun for everyone
points to someone and says,
5. Encourage everyone to participate
“left” or “right.” The girl
and do her best
indicated must call out the
6. Encourage fair play and safety at
name of her neighbor before
all times
the one in the center
7. Be flexible and prepared to vary or
counts to ten. If a girl
change the game
cannot do it, the group
calls out the name and she
8. Emphasize cooperation
and Resources
playing
Online
for Games
changes places with the
for fun rather than winning
http://www.gscnc.org/files/pdf/program/kits/GamesandDramaticsLeaderGuide.pdf
girl in the middle.
34
http://www.gsnc.org/resource_room/games.asp
Eight Pointers for Game Leaders
GIRL SCOUT KAPERS
Kaper – noun – a short-term job
Every Girl Scout troop should have a kaper chart with ageappropriate jobs for girls to do at each meeting. Girls can
even help make the chart! Kapers should be short-term jobs
that are also fun, carefree activities.
Hints/Tips
 Obviously, if there are four girls you
don't want 20 kapers. You need to make
it work for the size of your troop.
 Make it fun! Take a "whistle while you
work" mentality. Be sure you aren't
complaining about what you have to do
or say "ooooo... Cindy Loo got stuck
with cleaning up!".
 Explain the importance of working
together as a team and how dividing up
responsibilities help everyone.
 A Kaper Chart does not need to be a
"chart". Write the jobs on popsicle
sticks and have each girl draw one or35
rotate through.
GIRL SCOUT SWAPS
Special Whatchamacallits Affectionately
Pinned Somewhere
Shared with a Pal
 Swaps, the tradition of Girl
Scouts exchanging keepsakes,
started long ago when Girl Scouts
and Girl Guides first gathered
for fun, song, and making new
friends.
 Swaps were widely exchanged at
national Girl Scout Senior
Roundups in the 1950's and
1960's.
 Swaps are still the perfect way
for Girl Scouts to meet each
other and promote friendship.
Each one is a memory of a special
event or Girl Scout Sister.
 Tell something about the givers
or their group. (Girls may
 Never refuse to swap with another
person.
 Swap face-to-face, especially if
exchanging addresses or e-mail
information.
 Avoid using glass and sharp objects
in swaps.
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 Follow all Safety Activity
Have a Troop SWAPs party to make them prior to
attending SongFests, Thinking Day Events,
Encampments, Conferences, Service Units
activities, Cookie Rallies, etc.
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