^{Ready to join now? Sign up today!}

How to Start a Troop

You can make a difference in the lives of girls. Yes, you!

Girls in your community are craving connection. Be the one who brings people together by teaming up with a friend or neighbor to start a Girl Scout troop. Girl Scouts is about fun, learning, and sisterhood, so if you’re organized, kind, and welcoming, you would make a great Girl Scout troop leader!

You’ll be leading a group of girls to earn badges, get outdoors, and take action in the community, all while helping them to understand their worth and gain valuable leadership skills. We know you’ve got this, and you won’t be alone—your Girl Scout support team will provide you with training, meeting plans, and a network of other Girl Scout volunteers to help make you the best troop leader you can be.

Request More Information

Who makes a great troop leader?

You don’t have to be a parent or caregiver of a Girl Scout to be a troop leader! If you’re an adult (18+) who is passionate about making a positive impact in girls’ lives, then you’re exactly who we’re looking for.
Your background and lived experience add to the rich tapestry of our organization. We encourage volunteers who represent the diverse communities our Girl Scouts live in.

What does a troop leader do?

Commit to meeting with your troop once or twice a month for 1–2 hours.
Create a safe and welcoming experience for every girl and facilitate a variety of fun, girl-led activities.
Communicate with the parents/guardians of your troop.
Manage troop funds and finances.
Facilitate girl-led activities and guide girls as they work on earning badges (We have ready-to-go activity plans to help!).
Coordinate troop activities, community service, and field trips.

Co-op troops are becoming very popular in which several adult volunteers share the above roles. If you cannot fully commit to the above but could do so with help from other adults, we’d be happy to discuss how co-op troops can work.

Ready to start your new leader adventure? Here are your next steps:

1. Create a New Troop

Complete the Troop Number Request Form to get started. Think about your troop’s meeting frequency, time, and location. Don’t worry if you don’t have all the details when you request your troop number but the more information you provide, the easier it will be for families to find and join your troop. You can always update the information later.
Once you’ve requested a troop number, our staff will connect with you to start your registration, confirm troop details, and assist with starting a background check.
All Girl Scout volunteers involved in your troop need to be registered and have a valid background check. Background checks are required for all adult Girl Scout volunteers every three years. Financial aid is available.

2. Complete Training

Everything you need to know to get your new troop started is covered in our convenient, learn at your own pace, online New Troop Leader training. Make sure to create a new account when you first log in and bookmark the page for easy return access!
Download the Leader’s Guide to Success document for easy reference. This guide includes the new Troop Leader training path, information on the Essential Girl Scout Experience and Six Troop Fundamentals, and more!

3. Grow Your Troop

Start growing your troop! As soon as your troop is active, it will be listed in our searchable online troop catalog until you’ve reached 12 girls. Families are more likely to join if they know your troop’s meeting day, time, and location so we recommend you decide this information and update it as needed as soon as you can! Most troops meet once or twice a month at schools, libraries, places of worship, community centers, parks, or local businesses.

Once you’ve started your new troop, visit our Troop Resources pages for help with recruiting girls and volunteers, hosting family meetings, and hosting your first girl meeting.

If you’re interested in leading a troop, but you have a few questions first, we would love to talk with you. Connect with a member of our staff to learn more about what it means to be a troop leader by filling out the form below. Or call us at 800-447-4475, ext. 3093.