Recruiting Basics
- Dress the part. Wear a Girl Scout shirt. Current Girl Scouts should wear their Girl Scout uniform. Identify yourself as a Girl Scout Volunteer.
- Arrive early. Getting there 30 minutes early gives you the opportunity to post signage, set up your display, and assign tasks to your helpers.
- Remember that recruiting volunteers is just as important as recruiting girls! Starting new troops with interested volunteers opens up more opportunities for new girl members. New volunteers in your area also mean new ideas, fresh faces, and more help for your service unit.
Event Timeline
- Planning
- Consider where you will host your meeting.
- In-person at a local community center or an outdoor park
- Virtually on Zoom or another web platform
- Take inventory of the supplies you need prior to and during the meeting.
- Invitations or flyers to promote the event
- Flyers, brochures, or other materials to explain what Girl Scouts is all about
- Sign-in sheet and pens to collect information
- Snacks or refreshments
- Laptops to access registration at event or printed instructions for registering later
- Giveaways or handouts to take home
- Program supplies for girls (if applicable)
- Plan out the meeting activities. Leaders can ask current members what they think would be a good way to welcome guests and share about Girl Scouts.
- Consider where you will host your meeting.
- Spreading the Word
Choose several digital marketing avenues to promote the event. Begin with school contacts, then spread out into the community.
- Provide invites for current troop members to share with a friend
- Share flyer on school social pages, parent/teacher organization emails, or other communications channels
- Distribute invites on neighborhood Facebook groups or in mailboxes
- Post flyer on in-person community boards or online social pages
- Post information in the local church bulletin
- Promote flyer and invites at service unit volunteers group
- Post a promotional sign in your yard or hang an invite poster in your window
- Opening
Create an inviting space for families as they arrive, then follow the steps below to get started!
- Sit in a circle so there is no “head” of the group, like a Girl Scout meeting. Share with families why the circle is an important part of Girl Scouts.
- Introduce yourself and other volunteers present and thank everyone for coming.
- Offer a snack and/or refreshments and brief get-to-know-you time.
- Introduce the Girl Scout Promise and Law, and kick off the meeting!
- Activities and Girl Connection
Some families may come together, so prepare a few opportunities for the girls to connect while the adults are meeting.
- Play a get-to-know-you game
- Sing Girl Scout song
- Do a service project
- Create a skit or craft
- Practice outdoor skills
- Closing
Save time at the end to talk with families that brought new or potential girls. Answer questions, invite them to join the troop, share troop-specific information, and make sure you get their contact information.
- If the families are ready to join, direct them to the registration area. If they want to learn more, encourage them to participate in another experience (in-person or virtual) including an upcoming program, Virtual Girl Scouts, or other council events.
- Tell families that you will be following up with them by phone and/or email.
- Be sure to thank every family and stay to answer questions after the official event concludes.
Tips and Ideas
- Set up for a party! We suggest generally focusing on bright decorations and age-appropriate music for background noise. Fun additions could be signage with the Promise & Law, diverse photos of your troop in action, or inspiring quotes by your members.
- Greet families as they arrive and pair girls with a buddy.
- Keep the girl’s space in view of adults, especially if this is an unfamiliar space for families.
- Arrange chairs and tables in a circle with all volunteers as participants, no one should be at the “head” of the group.
- Most importantly: have fun and encourage all the girls to participate! Run this like a normal meeting, only this time you may add more members at the end of the meeting.
More Resources