Take on the Friendship Starts Here Challenge!

Every new Girl Scout starts with someone who says, "Come join us!" This fall season, we're inviting troops and service units to help more girls discover the fun, friendship, and adventure of Girl Scouts through a series of exciting Recruitment Challenges. Whether you're welcoming a new girl, inviting a friend to a troop meeting, growing your volunteer team, or representing Girl Scouts in your community, every challenge helps build a stronger Girl Scout movement.

Complete challenges, earn exclusive rewards, and work your way toward becoming a Recruitment Champion! This challenge ends Nov. 30, 2026.

Download the Info Flyer

The Challenges:

Recruit 3 Girls Challenge toggle arrow

Help your troop grow! Invite new girls to join your adventures and make room for even more friendships, fun, and unforgettable experiences.

How to complete the challenge:

Welcome three new girl members into your troop during the campaign.

Reward:

Earn a Troop Activity Kit filled with ready-to-use troop meeting activities to make planning your next adventure even easier!

New Volunteer Challenge toggle arrow

Every great troop has a great support team! Help grow your troop by inviting another adult to share the fun and make an even bigger impact on girls' lives.

Eligible volunteer roles include:

Troop Leader
Co-Leader
Troop Activity Chair
Troop Cookie Chair

How to complete the challenge:

Recruit one new leader-based volunteer who successfully completes the Girl Scout registration process during the campaign.

Reward:

Earn a Volunteer Appreciation Box filled with treats and goodies just for adults, such as coffee, candy, spa gift certificates, and other well-deserved surprises.

Community Connection Challenge toggle arrow

Show your Girl Scout spirit and help more families discover all the fun Girl Scouts has to offer! Represent your troop at a community event and connect with girls who are ready to start their own Girl Scout adventure.

Eligible events include:

Community festivals
School open houses
Back-to-school events
Troop Formation Events

How to complete the challenge:

Participate in a recruitment event before Oct. 31. Refer to the section, "Representing Girl Scouts at a Community Event?", below, for details on how to participate!

Reward:

Earn a Troop Activity Kit filled with supplies and activities your troop can use at an upcoming meeting or adventure.

Every Girl Connected Challenge toggle arrow

Every girl deserves the chance to experience Girl Scouts! Help make sure girls who are waiting for a troop find a welcoming place to belong.

Troop Challenge:
Welcome at least one girl from the Awaiting Placement list into your troop during the campaign.

Service Unit Challenge:
Achieve the highest placement percentage among service units, or successfully place 100% of eligible girls assigned to your service unit during the campaign.

Troop Reward:

Building a Stronger Girl Scout Community Patch
Troop Activity Kit filled with fun supplies for your next meeting

Service Unit Reward:

A visit from the Girl Scout Swagon for a special shopping experience!

Share Your Troop Challenge toggle arrow

Help more families discover your troop by sharing a recruitment post on social media! We'll provide a ready-to-use template and social media graphic below—all you have to do is personalize it with your troop's information and post it to help future Girl Scouts find their next adventure.

Download Social Media Graphic (right click image and "Save As")

📣 Girl Scouts wanted! 📣

Come join Troop [TROOP NUMBER]!

We are looking for [#] girls who are excited to make new friends, try new things, and have fun!

Grades: [GRADE LEVELS]
Location: [GENERAL COMMUNITY/AREA]
Meetings: [FREQUENCY AND DAY]
Starting: [DATE OR “JOIN ANYTIME”]

Girls will:

- Earn badges, patches, and rewards
- Build friendships and confidence
- Go on trips and enjoy fun activities
- Make a difference in their community

❓Have questions? Send me a message!

Join our troop here: [TROOP-SPECIFIC REGISTRATION LINK]

Bring a Friend Challenge (Oct. 2026 - Nov. 2026 only) toggle arrow

Open your troop meeting to future Girl Scouts! Invite girls to join the fun and let them experience what makes your troop so special.

How to complete the challenge:

Host a Bring-a-Friend Troop Meeting during the campaign.
Invite at least five girls who aren't currently Girl Scouts to attend.
Email our Member Services team and let us know about your upcoming Bring-a-Friend Troop Meeting.
Share at least one great photo from your event so we can celebrate your troop on social media.
A GSHPA staff member will attend to answer questions and help interested families register on the spot.

Reward:

Every participating troop member earns a Friendship Recruitment Patch!

Submitting Your Challenges

Ready to claim your rewards? Use the Recruitment Challenge JotForm to let us know which challenges you've completed! You can submit challenges one at a time as you complete them or wait and submit multiple completed challenges all at once.

Have Questions? We're here to help! If you have questions about the Recruitment Challenges, completing a challenge, or submitting your information, contact Member Services at memberservices@gshpa.org.

Grand Prize: Recruitment Champion

Go above and beyond by completing 5 of the 6 Recruitment Challenges during the campaign to earn the title of Recruitment Champion!

Recruitment Champions may choose one premium experience:

Troop Takeover Experience: Give your troop leader the night off and let us take over! With a Troop Takeover, GSHPA staff will come to your troop meeting and plan and lead a special activity for your Girl Scouts. It could be a sewing project, a hands-on STEM activity, a creative craft, a special guest or another fun experience designed just for your troop. Our staff will work directly with the troop leader to coordinate the date, time and details. You provide the troop. We’ll bring the experience and run the meeting.
Girl Scouts on the Go! program for your troop

Recruitment Champions will also receive:

Recognition from GSHPA for your outstanding recruitment efforts
A featured spotlight in GSHPA council communications celebrating your troop's success

Representing Girl Scouts at a Community Event?

If you are attending a community recruitment event as part of the Friendship Starts Here Challenge, please use the forms below to help us coordinate event participation and track the impact of our recruitment efforts.

Community Event Participation Form
Complete this form before the event to let us know where and when you’ll be representing GSHPA. Please submit the form as far in advance as possible so we can coordinate participation, avoid duplicate coverage, and provide any needed support or materials.

Community Post-Event Review Form
Please complete this form within 24 hours after the event to share the outcome of your participation, including interest generated, connections made, and other helpful feedback. This information helps us follow up with interested families and evaluate future recruitment opportunities.