Welcome!

We are delighted that you are considering becoming a Girl Scout volunteer! You have one of the most important roles in building girls of courage, confidence and character.

We know your free time is precious so each year we work to make the training process easier and more accessible. Here's what you need to do, step by step. If you have any questions about the new leader training process, please contact us at 800.331.0149 or at 401.331.4500 x 1000. Tell the receptionist your name and the community in which you live and she'll put you in touch with the Membership Specialist for your area.

 

Steps to Become a Girl Scout Volunteer

1. Fill out and send in the Volunteer Application. Click here for the application in Spanish.

2. Authorize a criminal background check. If you live in Massachusetts, a CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) check is required. If you live anywhere else, a National Background Check (click here for the form in Spanish) is required.The forms must be accompanied by a clear copy of a photo ID. You must also authorized a Driver's Screening Check which is required if you will be transporting any girl besides your own.

Send all forms to: GSSNE, 500 Greenwich Ave, Warwick, RI 02886.

You will be notified by a member of the Volunteer Management Department when your paperwork has been received, processed and cleared. You can then proceed to step 3.

3. Become a member of Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA). You may register online (paying with a credit/debit card) or download a registration form. The registration fee for adults is $15.00, which goes directly to GSUSA. We also hope you'll consider making a donation to Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England (GSSNE) through our Family Partnership Campaign. This money helps support the activities of your local council.

Financial aid is available based on need. If applying for FA, you must fill out both a financial aid form and a paper registration form. Click here for a financial aid form in English, or click here for the financial aid form in Spanish.

If you register before the paperwork in steps 1 and 2 are cleared, please remember that the registration fee is non-refundable.

If you are volunteering to be a troop leader or an assistant troop leader, please choose that position code (01 or 02). Your position is "tentative" until you have completed the trainings below. Once approved by your Membership Specialist, you will have access to your troop's roster online. If you are volunteering in another capacity, please choose the appropriate position code; you will be notified if any further training is required.

If you are volunteering as a troop leader or assistant leader, you will need to complete steps 4 - 8.

4. Complete Part A of New Leader Training: The Basics. There are three modules:

Girl Scouting 101 is an online video prepared by GSUSA. Be sure to select our new council name, Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England, when registering. Click here to access it. The video takes about 45 minutes to complete, but you may view it one segment at a time. Once you have completed it, GSUSA will notify GSSNE electronically.

Volunteer Essentials 2015-2016 is the national manual for Girl Scout volunteers prepared by GSUSA. New volunteers should review the Quick Start portion (through page 12). The review should take about 15 minutes. The remainder of the manual is for your future reference. When you are finished, please fill in the verification form and send it to GSSNE. If it is more convenient, you may bring the paper copy with you to the face-to-face training session described below.

GSSNE Policies, Procedures and Standards, 2015-2016. (Polisas, Procedimientos y Normas). Please download this manual as you will want to have it handy for future reference. Also, please download the worksheet (Spanish version) which goes with the manual. Complete the worksheet and either send it to GSSNE or bring it with you to the face-to-face training session. It should take you about 30 minutes to review the manual and complete the worksheet.

5. Purchase the Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting for the age level of your troop (Daisy, Brownie, Junior, Cadette, Senior or Ambassador). The guide costs $22.50. Click here to order online with a credit card or click here for information about our Girl Scout shops. Please bring the Guide with you to the face-to-face training session.

6. Complete Part B of New Leader Training: Organizing a Troop. This is a three hour face-to-face workshop on how to get started as a Girl Scout volunteer and how to organize troop activities. Click here to view available session times and dates for this workshop.

By completing the trainings listed in Step 4 above before attending the Organizing a Troop session, you will have the opportunity to ask questions which could not be answered in the online format. If you are not able to complete all three parts of the online training before this face-to-face session, however, please come anyway and you can complete the online training afterwards.

7. After you have completed steps 1-6, the Service Unit Manager (SUM), the top volunteer in your community, will ask you to sign our Volunteer Agreement which documents that you have completed all the requirements for troop leadership and that you understand the responsibilities involved.

HOORAY!! Once you've completed these steps, you are officially appointed as a volunteer and you are ready to lead troop meetings.

8. Complete Part C of New Leader Training: Outdoor Day. In order to be "fully trained", you will need to be familiar with our camps. Outdoor Day training, which reviews camp procedures and teaches basic outdoor skills, is offered on select Saturdays from April to November. Click here to view available session times and dates to register online.