Ready to Lead? Here’s What to Do Next.

Thank you for stepping up as a Girl Scout Co-Leader! This page walks you through all required steps to get trained, connected, and ready for your first troop meeting.

Get Started: Register and Launch Your Troop

Congratulations! We’re excited you’ve decided to become a Girl Scout co-leader! Follow Checklist #1: Register and Launch Your Troop and the instructions below to register as a volunteer, welcome families, and schedule a family interest meeting for your new troop.

All youth and adult participants in Girl Scouts are required to register and become members of Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA). Membership is valid for one year and is non-refundable. The annual fee goes to GSUSA and still covers you if your family moves to a different county or state during the year—even if a new Girl Scout council takes over support.
The 2025-2026 annual membership cost is $45 per girl member and $30 per adult member. Individuals may request financial assistance by submitting a Scoutership Request Form.
Ready to register? Choose the option that works best for you:
- Online: GSSI staff will provide you with the registration link for your specific troop number. Starting a new troop? No worries—a troop number will be assigned to you. If you haven’t received your troop number or registration link yet, please email us at support@girlscouts-gssi.org and we’ll be happy to help!
- By phone: Call us at (812) 421-4970 and register with a credit card.

Complete a Background Check through Girl Scouts toggle arrow

Once you complete your volunteer registration, you will receive an automated email with a link to submit a background check. All volunteers are required to have an approved Girl Scout background check on file. Background checks from other providers cannot be accepted.
- NOTE: GSSI thanks all volunteers who select the self-pay option and views this as a donation to our local council. If a volunteer needs to select the council-pay option, we are happy to cover the cost.
GSSI will notify you regarding the approval of your background check before moving forward as a volunteer.

Welcome New Families and Secure a Meeting Location toggle arrow

Step 1: Access contact information for registered troop families in the Volunteer Toolkit

Start by logging into your myGS account; this link is also available on the main dashboard of GSSI’s website.
- NOTE: Your myGS username is your email address. If this is your first time logging into your myGS account, click to reset your password.
- Select the “Volunteer Toolkit” option, then click the “Troop Roster” tab to view current troop members.

Step 2: Contact Families

Send a welcome email to introduce yourself to both registered and interested families. Be sure to mention that you’ll be scheduling a family interest meeting soon. We also recommend following up with a welcome text, just in case some families miss the email.

Step 3: Secure a meeting location

Read through “Choosing a Meeting Place” in the Troop Management section of Volunteer Essentials.
- Notify GSSI staff if you need assistance securing a public meeting location.
  - GSSI does not permit troops with K-5^th grade members to meet at a private residence; troops with 6^th-12^th grade members may be permitted to meet at a private residence pending council approval.
- Contact a staff member at your preferred meeting location and ask if a facility use agreement is required for you to utilize their facility. If it is, fill out the agreement but DO NOT SIGN IT. Email the agreement to support@girlscouts-gssi.org and GSSI will sign the agreement for you and return it to you to submit.
- Once the day, time, and location of your family interest meeting have been approved, please notify both GSSI staff and all registered and interested families. If you’d like support at your meeting, let us know—we’re happy to connect you with an experienced volunteer who can attend. Remember, you’re part of the Girl Scout Sisterhood—you’re never in this alone!

Step 4: Recruit additional troop members

We’re excited to see your troop continue growing—more members means more fun! New girls can search for and join your troop online at any time throughout the year. Co-leaders will automatically receive an email notification whenever someone registers.
- If you’d like GSSI staff to help promote your family interest meeting—by distributing flyers or sharing a social media announcement with a local school—please email support@girlscouts-gssi.org at least 2–3 weeks before your meeting.
  - If your adult registration and background check are complete, you may choose to include your personal contact information on the flyer or announcement so interested families can reach out to you directly ahead of the meeting.
- If your troop reaches capacity or is no longer accepting new members, please let a staff member know so we can take your troop offline.

Congratulations—you’ve completed your initial steps as a new co-leader! Now it’s time to begin your co-leader onboarding to help you feel fully prepared and confident in your new role.

Co-Leader Essentials

Welcome to the first part of your onboarding journey!
This section focuses on the core elements that will help you start strong—keeping girls safe, understanding the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, and meeting your local support team.

You’ll also get started with Rallyhood—our unique Girl Scout communication platform that keeps your troop organized, informed, and connected. These first steps will give you the confidence and tools to lead your troop with care, clear communication, and fun.

👉 The Co-Leader Essentials Checklist summarizes the onboarding requirements included in this section.

Child Protection Training toggle arrow

As a new co-leader, your first priority is completing GSSI’s Child Protection Training—an essential part of creating a safe, supportive space where every Girl Scout can thrive.

Click the direct links below for quick access to each resource!

Step 1: Know the Policies
Read pages 24–30 of GSSI’s Policies, Standards, Volunteer & Child Protection Guidelines to understand your role in keeping girls safe.

Step 2: Complete the gsLearn Course
Click to view the gsLearn video course, "Girl Scouts Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention":

Part 1: Recognizing and Responding to Abuse – 25 minutes
Part 2: Being Proactive in Abuse Prevention – 25 minutes

Step 3: Learn About Indiana’s Mandated Reporting
Complete the 10-minute online course from Indiana DCS: Reporting Abuse and Neglect. NOTE: Save your digital certificate at the end of the course.

Final Step: Submit Your Completion Confirmation
Once you’ve finished all three components, submit your Child Protection Training - Confirmation of Completion form so we can document your training.

Troop Safety Training toggle arrow

After completing Child Protection Training, it’s time to dive into troop-specific safety guidelines to help you lead with confidence—wherever your troop’s adventures take you!

Step 1: Click to view the gsLearn video, Troop Safety – 20 minutes

This quick training covers key safety guidelines, how to plan age-appropriate activities, and where to find the full list of safety requirements.
The video also introduces Safety Activity Checkpoints—a key resource from GSUSA and GSSI that outlines safety requirements for troop activities. You won’t need to memorize this document, but you’ll refer to it regularly throughout the year.

Step 2: Required Safety Reading

From GSSI Policies, Standards, Volunteer & Child Protection Guidelines :
- Girl Scout Safety Guidelines (pp. 31–32)
From Safety Activity Checkpoints:
- Table of Contents (pp. 2–3)
- Have an Emergency Action Plan (pp. 8–9)
- Understanding Which Activities Are Not Permitted (pp. 14–15)
Review GSSI’s Age-Appropriate Checklist for Girl Scout Activities

Step 3: Safety Resources to Keep with You at All Times

Stay prepared by bringing these safety essentials to every troop meeting and activity. Be sure to read through each safety document so you know what’s included—like the after-hours phone number on the Emergency Procedures Card.

The first three items are included in your Co-Leader Onboarding Binder from GSSI!

What to Do if There’s an Incident (pages 1-2)
Emergency Procedures Card (page 3)
Incident Report Form
Basic First Aid Kit (Note: Do not include any oral medications like Tylenol—these require a Medication Administration Form to administer.)

Step 4: Carpooling Guidelines

When carpooling for troop outings, drivers must be registered, approved volunteers and complete the Vehicle Information Form.
If families choose to carpool to and from troop meetings, be sure any adult driving is listed as an approved pick-up person on the girl's Annual Troop Health Form. You will learn more about this form and other required permission forms later in your training.
Make sure to follow Indiana’s Child Passenger Safety guidelines.

Troop Planning Resources toggle arrow

Now that you’ve learned our safety essentials, let’s explore two key program resources that will make planning and leading your troop meetings a breeze: the Girl Scout Experience Boxes and the Volunteer Toolkit. These tools are designed to save you time and help you feel confident every step of the way.

Girl Scout Experience Boxes for NEW Daisy and Brownie Troops: Once your troop has 4 girls registered, you’ll receive Girl Scout Experience Boxes—monthly shipments filled with:

Easy-to-follow meeting guides
Age-appropriate activity supplies
Everything you need to lead with confidence

Want a sneak peak? Check out the Girl Scout Experience Box page. GSSI staff will keep you updated on the shipping timeline so you know when to expect your boxes in the mail.

Volunteer Toolkit: Your Planning Sidekick

The Volunteer Toolkit (VTK) is your go-to resource for planning and running troop meetings. It includes:

Ready-to-use, customizable meeting plans
Badge activities that match your troop’s interests
Tools to track attendance and progress

Even better—the VTK works hand-in-hand with your Girl Scout Experience Boxes to keep you organized and help you support every girl in your troop! Add meeting plans to your troop calendar so families can access materials if a girl misses a meeting.

The VTK is also a great way to supplement your Experience Box activities or explore additional badges throughout the year.

To get started, log into the VTK through your myGS account and click "Take a Guided Tour" at the top of each section to see how it all works!

Discover the Girl Scout Leadership Experience toggle arrow

The heart of every troop is the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE)—where girls develop skills, build confidence, and enjoy hands-on activities and adventures. Take a deeper dive into what makes Girl Scouts truly special!

Explore the onboarding videos below to build your confidence and get a strong foundation for leading your troop. Click the video links to get started!

Note: If you choose to skip a recommended video, be sure to review the key notes and resources included in the video description—they contain important information to support your success!

REQUIRED: The Girl Scout Leadership Experience – 20 minutes
Get an overview of the Girl Scout program, including how to plan your year and create a strong troop environment. Note: Part 2 provides recommendations for each program level. You only need to view the section that applies to your troop’s age level.
RECOMMENDED: What Girl Scouts Do – About 10 minutes per program level
Gain a quick understanding of what the Girl Scout experience looks like at your troop’s age level.
RECOMMENDED: Family Engagement – 30 minutes Learn how to involve families and build a strong volunteer support system from the start.

Note: Some troops differentiate between the “troop leader” and “co-leader.” At GSSI, we refer to both roles as co-leaders. Each troop is required to have at least two co-leaders, but you're welcome to include more!

To help you build your volunteer team, check out these helpful resources:

Sample Caregiver Meeting Agenda Review this before your family interest meeting. It covers key topics like membership registration, uniforms, financial assistance, troop dues (if you choose to collect them), the Cookie Program, building your volunteer team, communicating with families, and required permission forms.
Ways You Can Help – A handout to share with families outlining simple ways they can get involved.
Breakdown of Troop Tasks – Includes recommendations for dividing responsibilities and building your support team.
RECOMMENDED: Your First Troop Meeting – 20 minutes This video teaches you what a typical meeting looks like, how to stay on track, and how to create a positive, engaging experience for your Girl Scouts.
The Elements of a Troop Meeting guide introduced in this course aligns with the meeting plans provided in both the Girl Scout Experience Boxes and the Volunteer Toolkit, your two main planning resources.
- The video also introduces helpful troop traditions like the kaper chart (LINK PDF) and talking stick. These simple tools promote sharing responsibility and giving every girl a voice. You can choose to create them before your first meeting or turn them into a fun activity with your troop!
- Note: The video states troop meetings usually last 60–90 minutes. However, Daisy meetings often run 30–45 minutes, depending on the activities and the girls’ attention spans. If your Daisy meeting is closer to 60 minutes, you might end with a snack and some friendship-building games.

Rallyhood—Your Communication Platform toggle arrow

Rallyhood is your all-in-one platform for Girl Scout communication, calendars, sign-ups, and shared files—no more juggling emails and links!

GSSI staff will invite you to your troop’s private Rallyhood group. As a co-leader, you’ll be the group admin and will invite registered troop families to join. This is where you'll share updates, event info, your troop calendar, photos, and more—all in one secure place.

Rallyhood also helps you connect with other 1^st year co-leaders and experienced volunteers. If you need help with something outside your skillset—like an outdoor adventure—you can find experts on Rallyhood who can assist or even lead that activity.

Make sure to download the Rallyhood app (available for Android and iPhone) to receive push notifications so you never miss an important update!

Need help getting started? Check out the Quick Start Guide, which includes Rallyhood FAQs and QR codes for simple how-to videos.

Welcome to Your Service Unit toggle arrow

Service units offer exciting opportunities that highlight the power of being part of the bigger Girl Scout sisterhood—not just your troop.

To learn more about how service units help volunteers connect, share experiences, and build camaraderie through their shared commitment to the Girl Scout mission, visit the About Girl Scout Service Units page on the Volunteer Resource Hub.

Remember, being part of your service unit doesn’t mean extra work—jump in during your first year to tap into this supportive network!

Soon, a member of your local service unit team will reach out to welcome you and invite you to their upcoming meeting. You’ll also get an invitation to join your service unit’s Rallyhood group.

If you haven’t heard from your service unit team or need help joining the Rallyhood group, please contact GSSI staff—we’re happy to help!

Finalize Your Troop Setup

You're almost ready to roll!
In this final section of onboarding, you'll take care of the important business items that make your troop official. From completing registration and permission forms to reviewing Volunteer Essentials and setting up your troop bank account, these tasks ensure everything is in place for a smooth, successful Girl Scout year. Once you sign your Co-Leader Agreement, your onboarding will be complete!

The Finalize Your Troop Setup checklist summarizes the onboarding requirements included in this section.

Supporting Families with Troop Registration toggle arrow

Families may choose to wait to register until after your family interest meeting to make sure your troop is a good fit. However, all participants must be fully registered before attending any additional troop meetings.

During your family interest meeting, assist families in completing their registrations if they haven’t done so already. Be prepared to walk them through the process and answer any questions they may have.

Before your first official troop meeting, check your troop roster in the Volunteer Toolkit to confirm that all girls and adults planning to participate are properly registered.

Who Needs to Register:

Girls: All girl participants must be registered as troop members.
Adults: Any adult who will be interacting with girls, helping with finances, or accessing emergency information must register as a troop member.

📌Note: Be sure to confirm that all registered adults have completed a background check before attending any future meetings or assisting with troop activities.

To verify background check status:

Log in to your myGS account
Click on "My Troop"
Scroll down to view adult participants
Check for a background check expiration date next to each adult’s name
No expiration date appears, or the background check is expired, contact GSSI staff for assistance. Staff will send the adult a direct link to complete their background check.

Permission Forms toggle arrow

Plan to have families complete the required annual permission forms during your family interest meeting—these are essential for participation and must be submitted each year.

If possible, send the two digital forms in advance so families can fill them out ahead of time and save time at the meeting. Email support@girlscouts-gssi.org if you need printed hard copies of the Annual Troop Health Form.

📌 Important Tip: When sharing the forms, be sure to copy and paste the direct links below. If you open the form first and then copy the link from your browser, families may be prompted to create a SignNow account—which is not required.

✅ Annual Permission Form Required for all participating GIRLS. Submitted online by families directly to GSSI. (Held by GSSI for risk management.)

✅ Annual Adult Participation Agreement Required for all participating ADULTS. Submitted online by families directly to GSSI. (Held by GSSI for risk management.)

✅ Annual Troop Health Form Required for all participating GIRLS. Co-leaders must keep a hard copy on hand for all meetings and outings.

📌Note: There are two additional permission forms required when applicable—one for sensitive topics and one for overnights. All forms are available on the Volunteer Resource Hub under Forms & Documents.

Volunteer Essentials: Your Go-To Guide toggle arrow

Volunteer Essentials is your Girl Scout encyclopedia—an easy-to-navigate resource where busy volunteers can quickly find guidelines and recommendations for bringing the Girl Scout Leadership Experience to life. You can access Volunteer Essentials anytime through the Volunteer Resource Hub.

As part of your onboarding, GSSI recommends reviewing the following brief sections. Only the sections marked "REQUIRED" are mandatory, but all are helpful in preparing for your role. Click on the headings below to navigate directly to each section.

Troop Management (in Volunteer Essentials)

REQUIRED: “Creating an Atmosphere of Acceptance and Inclusion”
REQUIRED: “Your Responsibilities as a Girl Scout Volunteer”
REQUIRED: “Knowing How Many Volunteers You Need”
REQUIRED: “Troop Management Tools and Resources”
“Planning for Your First Troop Meeting”
“Getting Support for Your Troop”

Troop Engagement (in Volunteer Essentials)

“Understanding Healthy Development in Youth”
How to Keep Parents and Caregivers Engaged”

Creating a Safe Space (in Volunteer Essentials)

“Recognize and Support Each Girl”
“Promote Fairness”
"Build Trust"
“Inspire Open Communication”

Managing Troop Finances toggle arrow

A key part of the Girl Scout experience is helping girls develop real-life skills—including financial literacy and money management. As part of this girl-led approach, troops manage their own finances, with adult volunteers guiding the process. GSSI supports this by helping each troop open and manage its own bank account, allowing volunteers to oversee spending and make purchases based on the girls’ decisions.

To ensure you're prepared to manage troop funds responsibly, follow these steps:

REQUIRED READING: Review the following sections of Volunteer Essentials under Troop Finances:

“Establishing a Troop Account”
“Help Your Troop Reach Its Financial Goals”
“Working with Sponsors and Other Organizations”

Set Up or Update Your Troop Bank Account:If you are forming a new troop, submit the New Bank Account Request.

If you are joining an existing troop and will be assisting with troop finances, submit the Change Account Signers Request.
All account signers must review and submit GSSI’s Financial Expectations for Account Signers.
Once GSSI receives the signed expectations from all signers, staff will prepare the necessary paperwork to open or update your troop’s bank account.

Taking the time to set up your troop's financial foundation properly ensures that girls can lead with confidence—and that your troop stays in compliance with GSSI policies.

Sign the Co-Leader Expectations Document toggle arrow

As the final step in your onboarding process, please review and sign GSSI’s Expectations of a Troop Co-Leader. This document outlines your responsibilities and commitments as a volunteer supporting a safe, inclusive, and girl-led environment. A copy of this agreement is included in your Co-Leader Binder for your reference.

Sign GSSI’s Expectations of a Troop Co-Leader HERE.

Congratulations on Completing Your Co-Leader Onboarding!

You are now ready to host your family interest meeting and your first troop meeting. Remember, this is just the beginning of an exciting journey! GSSI staff and experienced volunteers will stay connected with you throughout the year to share important updates and help you feel fully supported as part of the Girl Scout community.

If you ever need assistance or have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out at support@girlscouts-gssi.org or call (812) 421-4970. We’re here to help every step of the way!

Council Finder

GSSI Co-Leader Training

Ready to Lead? Here’s What to Do Next.

Get Started: Register and Launch Your Troop

Co-Leader Essentials

To help you build your volunteer team, check out these helpful resources:

Finalize Your Troop Setup