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Frequently Asked Questions

You may already know something about Girl Scouts, you may even be actively involved as a volunteer. After all, Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) currently has a membership of over 3.5 million girls and adults and has been a vital part of this country for almost 100 years.This page is designed to answer many of the important questions you may have about your child's Girl Scout experience. We hope that her Girl Scout experience will be a fun and rewarding one, for both her and you.

What are the Girl Scout Program Goals?

The Girl Scout program has four fundamental goals that express the ways girls benefit from Girl Scout experiences.

Develop to her full individual potential--Foster feelings of self-acceptance, unique self-worth, and empowerment. Promote perception of self as competent, responsible, and open to new experiences and challenges. Encourage personal growth. Allows girls to utilize and practice talents and abilities.

Relating to others with increasing understanding, skill, and respect--Help her develop sensitivity to others and respect for their needs, feelings, and rights. Promote an understanding and appreciation of individual, cultural, religious, and racial differences. Foster the ability to build friendships and working relationships.

Develop values to guide her actions and to provide the foundation for sound decision-making--Help her develop a meaningful set of values and ethics that will guide her actions. Foster an ability to make decisions that are consistent with her values and that reflect respect for the rights and needs of others. Empower her to act upon her values and convictions. Encourage her to reexamine her ideals as she grows and changes.

Contributing to the improvement of society through the use of her abilities and leadership skills, working in cooperation with others--Help her develop concern for the well-being of her community and its people. Promote an understanding of how the quality of community life affects her own life and the whole of society. Encourage her to use her skills to work with others for the benefit of all.

Who Can Join Girl Scouts?

Girl Scouts of the USA is a membership organization chartered by the United States Congress. We seek to have a diverse, inclusive organization able to meet the needs of all girls who belong. The only qualifications to become a Girl Scout are:

• A girl must be between the ages of 5 and 17 or in grades kindergarten through 12.
• She must accept the Girl Scout Promise and Law.
• She must pay the $10 membership dues (financial assistance is available) to our national organization through the council registration process.

What is the Girl Scout Program?

The Girl Scout Program is an informal, educational program designed to help girls put into practice the fundamental principles of the Girl Scout Movement, expressed in the Girl Scout Promise and Law. It is carried out in small groups with adult leadership and provides a wide range of activities developed around the interests and needs of girls.

Through activities that stimulate self-discovery, girls make new friends, have fun, build competence and confidence, and, through meaningful community service, acquire understanding about themselves and others.

What are the Girl Scout Program Levels?

Girl Scouting offers program levels that form a ladder of increased responsibility, skill development and leadership opportunities.

Daisy Girl Scouts (ages 5-6 or Kindergarten)--learn about nature, friendship and how to have fun in a group. They may play games, sing songs and discover how Girl Scouts began.

Brownie Girl Scouts (ages 6-8 or grades 1-3)--build team skills while having fun. They may go on short trips, explore interests by earning Brownie Try-Its and participate in council projects like the Cookie Sale.

Junior Girl Scouts (ages 8-11 or grades 4-6)--learn new skills by participating in group or group government and by making many decisions about plans and goals for the year. They work on badges as a group or may earn them individually.

Cadette Girl Scouts--learn decision making skills, have outdoor adventures, and explore science and sports.

Senior Girl Scouts--develop leadership skills, explore career options, and learn to deal with peer pressures.

STUDIO 2B (ages 11-17)--girls plan their own program under the guidance of adult advisors. Girls are responsible for implementing their ideas and achieving their goals. In addition to planning activities, trips and setting their personal goals, they have the opportunity to work with younger Girl Scouts and provide service to their community.

IJuliettes--While most girls are associated with a group, some become "individual" members when a group in unavailable. They are informed of activities and camping opportunities through Council correspondences and publications.

Who Will Lead My Daughter's Group?

At least one of your child's leaders will be a woman who has volunteered for the job of group leader. She will be approved and appointed by the Service Unit Manager, the volunteer in charge of Girl Scouts in your community. All appointed volunteers must complete and application and go through a reference check.

Whether she is an experienced leader or a new volunteer, she will have, or be completing, a comprehensive training course provided by the Council to qualify her to lead the group. In addition, one or more assistant leaders (men or women) will be appointed to help the leader.

Who Provides Support to My Daughter's Group Leader?

Her best support comes from you and other parents! Parents and non-parent volunteers can provide valuable help on a regular or occassional basis with field trips, transportation, badge work, product sale management and other tasks.

Your child's group leader is also supported through administrative volunteers in your town and service unit who organize large events and much more.

Both group and administrative volunteers are supported by council employed staff. Employed staff provide training, program support, maintain camps, administer day and resident camps, and provide communication to members about activities, events, opportunities and achievements.

How Can I Help My Child Get the Most from Her Girl Scout Experience?

Most importantly, pay attention to what she and her group are doing. Encourage her as she tries new activities.

Review with her the materials that she brings home. With your child, pay attention to special instructions for group activities, badge work and product sales. Consider the parent permission slips that you will be asked to sign. Encourage your child to return them in a timely manner.

Stay in communication with your child's group leader.

Volunteer to help out the group as your time and interests allow. Your child's group leader is a volunteer. Her job is made a great deal easier when every parent is involved in some way.

What Measures are Taken to Assure My Child's Safety?

Girl Scouts of the USA and Girl Scouts of Swift Water Council pay a great deal of attention to the health and safety of all their members. Many procedures are in place to provide for you child's well-being.

Safety-Wise is the basic tool the Girl Scout Leader uses to assure that planned activities meet the strictest safety rules. It provides standards and guidelines for everything from adult/child ratios to emergency preparedness and includes safety standards for activities ranging from archery to water skiing.

Girl Scout groups meet outside of the regular meeting place and time ONLY with advance parent permission. If you have concerns about a particular activity, be in touch with your child's group leader or the Service Unit Manager for your area. The parent permission slip has space for you to indicate how you can be reached while your daughter is at a special event and who can be contacted, if you are not able to be reached. It is important for all involved that you take the time to provide this information as completely as possible.

How Can I Get a Girl Scout Uniform?

Girl Scouts are encouraged, but not required, to wear their uniforms. A girl is considered to be "in uniform" when she wears her Girl Scout membership pin. If you wish to purchase Girl Scout items, we have a Girl Scout Retail Store that carries a large selection of official Girl Scout uniforms, badges, patches, handbooks, song books and gifts. If the store doesn't have want you want in stock, we can special order it for you. To reach Our Store, call 800-654-1270 ext. 140. Click here for more information about badges and pins and where to place them on a uniform.

What Financial Resources are Available for Camp Payments?

There is financial aid available for girls who could not otherwise afford to go to camp. A volunteer committee oversees the campership process. They meet once a month in Feb., March, April, May, and June to review requests and award financial aid.

Girls must be registered Girl Scouts in Swift Water Council to receive financial aid. Each application is reviewed individually. The committee considers financial need, participation in the cookie sale, and extunating circumstances.

All campership information is confidential. Details about the campership process and the application form are in the Summer Program Brochure.

When girls who participate in the Cookie Sale Program sell 50 or more boxes they earn Cookie Dough. Cookie Dough can be applied toward the payment of a camp session.