The Badge Archive

Remember that every council has slightly different rules and regulations, and everything you read online that is general for all of USA should always be double checked with your local council rules and regulations.

This is not an authoritative – 100% true – zero incorrect ideas type guide. In the end, the only word you can 100% trust as a GSUSA Leader is GSUSA official training sessions (in person or online), written guidelines and communication from your council, or the national GSUSA printed guidelines. What this Leader 101 is, is more general advice from one leader to another to hopefully give new leaders a launch point.

Since this was published while it is in rough draft form – please contact us if you see any typo, incorrect information, or have additional information you believe needs to be included.

Here is a quick checklist to go over. Each item will link to it’s on page to give a few more helpful details on what to do or where to find the information you need.

First Things First

Before you worry about even having a troop, you need to make sure a few things are done first.

1. GSUSA Registration & Background Check
2. Training
3. How do I start a Troop?
4. First Meeting Prep
5. First Meeting Plan Outline

Note – you may also want to check out common lingo that GSUSA leaders use that new leaders are often confused at.

Plan Troop Meetings

Troop Meetings vary all over the place. Unlike many youth programs, GSUSA currently has an open-door policy to make sure every troop can just do what they want to do – as long as they stick to the Safety regulations. There is absolutely no activity or badge you HAVE to earn as a Girl Scout in the current program to progress to the next level.

1. Know Safety Checklist
   • Each council has slightly different Safety Checklists. Go to your council’s website to search for their version. The National GSUSA Safety Checklist is altered by each council based on the council’s regulations and insurance requirements. What the national organization has is a good guideline, but you MUST check your council to ensure you are following your local safety checklist.
2. Make a General Year Plan
3. Plan Your Meeting
4. Award Badges and Fun Patches
   • After each meeting
     • Pro – Scouts get badges and patches as they earn them to always be able to put them on their uniform right away
     • Con – You often purchase badges and patches that go unused because someone did not show up for a meeting (and sometimes cannot be returned to the store), families often lose the badges and patches before they can put them on the uniform
   • At Award Ceremonies (which an just be at the beginning or end of a normal Troop Meeting)
     • Pro – Families get a nice number of badges and patches to make it easier for them to just put them on all at one time instead of one badge/patch at a time, families appreciate knowing they have set times of year they will be adding badges to a uniform (i.e. Oct, Jan/Feb, May/June)
     • Con – Scouts don’t get to display earned badges immediately, some families do not like how the last group of badges of the level are given out at the very end of their level before moving up (the argument is they don’t get time to display them as they move to the next uniform level)

Give me a set plan please!

• GSSS has a Daisy First Four Meeting Plan
• GSNorCal has a Brownie First Four Meeting Plan

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Go back to the Girl Scout Leader 101 page.

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