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Parent Q&A Welcome to Girl Scouts! Here are some commonly asked questions from parents. If you still don't find an answer you're looking for, please don't hesitate to call us at 1.800.692.7816. |
For More Information To have someone contact you about Girl Scouts in your area, or to volunteer, click on your county below. |
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General Questions and Answers How can I get my daughter involved in Girl Scouting? There are many ways to get your daughter involved in Girl Scouts year round! Look for flyers sent home through schools and the community about informational nights for families to attend. You may also call any of our council offices and ask to speak to a Membership Specialist. Adult volunteers are needed to serve as troop leaders which allows more girls to be placed in troops in their communities. Why should my daughter become involved or stay involved in Girl Scouts? Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. Girl Scouting offers girls an opportunity to learn and grow in a diverse community, engage in service to their community, and learn leadership skills to help them become successful adults. Many successful women past and present were once Girl Scouts, including: Madeleine Albright, Janet Reno, Billie Jean King, Lucille Ball, and Elizabeth Dole. Click here for Alumnae Stories. Does my daughter need a handbook and awards book? Many girls find it helpful to have ready access to the Girl Scout handbook or awards book because they like to work on Girl Scout projects and awards for more than just their regular Girl Scout meetings. However, it is not mandatory for every girl have these books in order to participate in Girl Scouting. And Girl Scout books may be available to lend from your local service center or even your local library. Where can I get a Girl Scout handbook? You can buy a handbook at any of our council shops. Do I have to buy a uniform for my Girl Scout? Most girls prefer to have at least a vest or sash where she may wear her insignia, pins, badges, and awards. For some girls, this is all they use for a uniform; others like to have more of the available uniform components. Uniforms are not mandatory in order to participate in Girl Scouting. Financial aid may be available to provide uniforms for girls who qualify. Where do I place pins and badges on the uniform? Girl Scout badges, patches, awards, and other insignia should be presented, worn, or displayed only after Girl Scouts have completed the requirements outlined in the appropriate program materials. Click here for correct placement for all age levels. What is the difference between the membership fee and troop dues? The $10 membership fee registers a girl with Girl Scouts, allows her access to Girl Scout events and programs, and provides an umbrella policy insurance for her while she participates in troop meetings, council-sponsored events, summer camp, or any other Girl Scout event. Troop dues vary from troop to troop and are collected to offset costs of troop supplies, field trips, and earned awards. Financial aid may be available to cover both membership fees or troop dues for girls who qualify. Is there financial assistance available for girls? Yes! Financial assistance is available for girls to participate in Girl Scouts. Talk to your troop leaders about getting financial aid, there is a simple form to fill out. Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania provides financial assistance for membership dues and girl program events. Click here to go to our forms section where you can download our financial assistance form to mail in. Please note, financial aid is only available for one program AND one camp per girl per year. All financial aid requests must be attached to the registration form for the program/event for which you are requesting assistance. How can I help with the troop? Volunteer opportunities are many and abundant. Positions vary based on your availability. Long-term volunteer opportunities include: Troop leader, service unit team, registrar, product sales and Cookie Mom, camporee chair, Gold Award Committee and Program Committee, and many others. Short-term or episodic volunteer opportunities include: field trip chaperone, driver, summer camp staff, program consultant (based on industry, skillset, or expertise), trainer, administrative help at field offices, and many others. Contact the membership department at your local service center for information about how to register as a volunteer. Badges and Patches Badges, patches and try-its can be confusing. Below are answers to our most frequently asked questions. What's the difference between badges, patches and try-its? Age specific awards which are worn on the front of the vest or sash include: Daisy Petals (single color, oval shape), Brownie Try-Its (triangle shape with stitched design), Junior Badges (circle shaped with stitched design), and Interest Project Awards for Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors (rectangle shaped with stitched design). Patches can be earned recognitions (specific requirements must be completed in order to earn and wear the patch) or fun patches (patches which commemorate an event, but which do not have specific requirements to complete). All patches are worn on the back of the vest or sash. Are girls required to earn awards to be Girl Scouts? The Girl Scout experience is one which serves the individual girl in her needs today. Many girls choose to mark their Girl Scout experience by earning recognitions (patches, badges, pins, and other awards), but earning recognitions is not a requirement for participation in Girl Scouts. My daughter wants to earn an award but her troop is not interested in doing it as a group. Can she earn it on her own? Yes, all age levels of Girl Scouting can earn awards outside the troop setting. Girls must work with their leader to ensure the requirements have been met. It is also a good idea to check with the leader before you do this to make sure the girls and the leaders do not have plans to earn this badge in the future. Once my daughter earns an award, how does she get it? Usually the troop or group leader will purchase all earned awards on behalf of the girls who earn them, and present the awards at annual or periodic Court of Awards ceremonies. Otherwise, once a girl has satisfied all the requirements for a particular award, the award may be purchased through the council store. Special awards such as Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award pins may require council approval before the award may be purchased. Can my daughter count extra curricular activities, ie: soccer, band, swim classes, etc. toward requirements for Girl Scouts? Yes! A girl may definitely use activities completed through extra curricular activities toward the requirements for an award. Girl Scouting encourages the exploration of various interests and hobbies and in many awards, a requirement will ask a girl to participate on a local team or try something new over a period of time, as with an extra curricular activity. The girl should ask a coach or instructor to sign off on the requirements which have been completed by sending a note or signing and dating the badge book. Where are awards placed on the vest or sash? Girl Scout badges, patches, awards, and other insignia should be presented, worn, or displayed only after Girl Scouts have completed the requirements outlined in the appropriate program materials. Click here for correct placement for all age levels. Programs and Events What programs and/or events can my daughter attend and how do I find out about them? Your daughter may attend any council program/event if she meets the attendance requirements. Most of the events are listed in the Programs/Events section of our website. How do I register my daughter for an event? Registration is easy! You can do it by fax, online, mail or in person at any council office.
All registrations must be paid in full at the time of registration. Payment can be by check, cash or credit card. If paying by check, please make it out to GSHPA. Can my daughter bring a friend who is NOT a Girl Scout to a program/event? There is an additional $10 fee for non-members for all programs/events or they may register their daughter as a Girl Scout for $10 and maybe attend other programs throughout the year. |
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Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania | 350 Hale Avenue | PO Box 2837 | Harrisburg, PA 17105-2837 | T: 717.233.1656 or 800.692.7816 | F: 717.234.5097 |
Copyright © 2007 www.gshpa.org. All rights reserved. The Girl Scout name, mark and all associated trademarks and logotypes, including the Trefoil Design, are owned by GSUSA. |
