How to Get Your Daughter into Girl Scouts

Girl Scouting is, according to the national website, "the world's preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls." Many parents, especially those who enjoyed Scouting themselves, are eager to enroll their daughters in this organization. Not everyone, however, knows how to go about it, or is aware of the potential pitfalls.

How to Get Your Daughter into Girl Scouts: Organizational Basics

Girl Scouting is a national organization (Girl Scouts of the USA), but membership is handled on regional and local levels. Girl Scouts has over 300 regional councils (soon to be consolidated into less than 100 councils), which oversee all of the membership and programming for each region. The councils, in turn, are divided into local units run by volunteers, which are usually called service units, neighborhoods, or VISTA's depending on the council.

Now that you know that, you have a couple of options for contacting someone to register your daughter for Girl Scouts.

You can contact your local Girl Scout council. They'll be in the phone book (or on the internet) under Girl Scouts. A council staff person will take your information and pass it on to local volunteers who are in charge of placing girls into troops.

You may be able to contact a local volunteer directly. Many service units will pass out Girl Scout flyers at schools, or have a table at Back to School Night. Fill out an interest form, and the local organizers may be able to place your daughter into a troop.

How to Get Your Daughter into Girl Scouts: The Reality

The reality is that there are usually more interested girls than there are spaces available in existing troops. Councils and service units are always looking for more volunteers to become leaders and form new troops. If it's taking a while to place your daughter in a troop, your best bet may be to grab a friend and volunteer to be troop leaders.

Girl Scout councils provide training and support for troop leaders. You're never thrown into it cold! You'll learn about Girl Scout traditions, how to plan meetings, how to help the girls earn patches and badges, and how to organize field trips and camping trips. Monthly or quarterly leader meetings keep you in touch with other adult volunteers for support.

When my daughter was in kindergarten, I called the Girl Scout council in October about getting her placed in a troop. In November, I got tired of waiting and told them I would be willing to be a leader. They got back to me immediately then! However, it did take a while for my leader application to go through (they do background checks), and we didn't get started until March. So, the earlier you get started, the better.

How to Get Your Daughter into Girl Scouts: The Lone Scout

If you just can't find a troop for your daughter, and you can't be a leader, Girl Scouts does offer the "Juliette" option. Juliettes register individually and do Girl Scout activities on their own and/or with adult mentors. Some girls choose this option deliberately, especially as older girls in middle school or high school.

Whichever option you choose, be prepared to advocate for and support your daughter. Keep in contact with the council or organizer to make sure she gets into a troop. Be willing to help out; if you don't want to be a leader, you can still support the troop leaders by helping out with the cookie sale, or with organizing field trips, or by telephoning other parents when there are messages to pass on. Support your daughter in what she's doing; help her to remember her dues and permission slips, and help her to complete required badgework. And don't forget to show up for the ceremonies! She'll love to have you there when she gets her Girl Scout pin, or her first badge.

Believe me, it's all worth it. I'm a lifelong Girl Scout myself, and I don't know where I'd be without the leadership skills and confidence I gained in Girl Scouting.