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.

It can be difficult to find a place that a troop can meet depending on your needs.

Ask Community/Service Unit

Before you reinvent the wheel, check with your local community/service unit and ask

• What are the common places troops in this area use?
• Which places are Girl Scout friendly?
• Are there any fun field trips for my level other leaders find really good to do?

Starting from Scratch

If you do have to find a new place without recommendations, think about what you need.

• Is your area in a place weather would allow outdoor meetings most of the year?
• Do you have a single level or multi-level with enough girls you need to break out into different groups?

Possible Locations

Make a list of things you believe might be available in your area before you start calling around. Here are some ideas you can use.

• Schools
  • Pros – Usually a good space, families are familiar with the location, and if you need break out rooms schools can often accommodate.
  • Cons – some school limit when you can rent, some have a fee to rent, and some will not allow outside organizations at all.
• Churches
  • Pros – Usually a good space, if you need break out rooms many churches have the space to accommodate, and they are often easy for families to find and enter.
  • Cons – Typically there are days of the week there will be zero availability for, sometimes they will only allow troops that have a member that is a part of their church, and some will not allow outside organizations at all.
• Business with meeting rooms (like Joann’s, some grocery stores, or an office building with a conference room that you have a connection to the owner with)
  • Pros – Usually a good size meeting space for a typical 12 member troop with 2 adults, usually are allowed to be used for free.
  • Cons – Sometimes hard to find which locations have a meeting space, you are often limited to how often you can use it, there is typically a very short window you can reserve it (which means you cannot just reserve the space for all the days you want to meet in the year, but just have to hope they will have it available when you need it and reserve them one by one as they allow), and they can be hard for families to find after entering the building.
• Libraries
  • Pros – usually a good size meeting space for a typical 12 member troop with 2 adults, usually are allowed to be used for free, and they are often easy for families to find.
  • Cons – Most libraries have rules you must allow anyone in the public to come in and join the activities since they are a public resource (means you have to have extra supplies and sometimes need extra insurance from council for possible non-registered children attending your meetings), you are often limited to how often you can use it, there is typically a very short window you can reserve it (which means you cannot just reserve the space for all the days you want to meet in the year, but just have to hope they will have it available when you need it and reserve them one by one as they allow)
• Family Home
  • Pros – Free, you have a kitchen that could possibly be an option for a cooking badge (check with your council as some require only to be done in a commercial kitchen), and if it’s your own home you do not have to pack and carry all the troop meeting supplies back and forth.
  • Cons – Council may not allow troop meetings in a personal resident (call them to make sure), it can be cluttered or not have as much room, and you may need to register all adults in the house depending on the council regulations for using private residents.
• Public Parks (Make sure it is one with a public restroom available for use)
  • Pros – Open space, easy to split up into group, often have playgrounds for free play time, and usually easy for parents to find.
  • Cons – Weather can have a huge affect on your meeting plans so you need to be very adaptable (windy weather means crafts are out, rainy weather means you need to cancel, move to a new location or hope a pavilion is free, and extreme heat or cold can cancel a meeting), you can be interrupted by the general public also using the space (although you are not required to allow anyone to join in like some libraries require, you do still have to sometimes negotiate with others in the area so you can continue your meeting or adapt your meeting to adjust for a loud crowd nearby, etc.), and some activities that require power or indoor conditions cannot be done.
• City Buildings (these often have rental fees)
  • Pros – usually a good size meeting space for a typical 12 member troop with 2 adults, and they are often easy for families to find.
  • Cons – usually have a rental fee (many cities have expensive rental fees), you are often limited to how often you can use it, and there is typically a very short window you can reserve it (which means you cannot just reserve the space for all the days you want to meet in the year, but just have to hope they will have it available when you need it and reserve them one by one as they allow)
• Community Centers or Senior Centers (these often have rental fees)
  • Pros – usually a good size meeting space for a typical 12 member troop with 2 adults, and they are often easy for families to find.
  • Cons – usually have a rental fee (some can have expensive rental fees), you are often limited to how often you can use it, and there is typically a very short window you can reserve it (which means you cannot just reserve the space for all the days you want to meet in the year, but just have to hope they will have it available when you need it and reserve them one by one as they allow)

Calling

It does take a lot of calling around to find a meeting location.

Ideally you should find a location that does not have a fee to use the space. Some council even have rules you cannot use a place for regular troop meetings if a fee is involved. Check with your council before you start calling.

Go through your list of possible locations and contact the building or park manager. Ask them:

• Are they available for a Girl Scout Troop to meet at their location?
• Is there a fee to use the location?
• Are you limited on how often you can use the space or how far in advance you can reserve the location?
• What is the reservation process?

Choosing a Location

If a location fits your needs perfectly and has no cost involved, reserve it and don’t worry about calling the rest on your list.

You might end up with a few options, none that works perfectly but hopefully a few that you could make work. Reserve one of them for the Parent Meeting and let the parents vote one which location. Make sure to have the costs if a fee is required for some of them (which your council allows) you have how much it will affect the Troop Dues and allow parents to vote on how often you meet (which might be less often as you would personally like).

If you end up with only a single option, that’s what you have to go with. If it has a fee (which your council allows), only book it for the First Meeting and be prepared to explain why it is your only option as a troop meeting location, how much it costs and how it will affect the Troop Dues, and let them vote on how often you meet (which might be less often as you would personally like).