Start a Troop

Do you love inspiring girls to grow, learn, and shine?

As a Girl Scout troop leader, you’ll guide girls to build confidence, explore the outdoors, make new friends, and discover their strengths, all while having fun every step of the way.

A Girl Scout troop is more than just meetings, it’s a safe, supportive space where girls dream big and take action to make their world better.

And you won’t do it alone: with training, ready-to-go meeting plans, and an entire Girl Scout team by your side, you’ll feel confident and prepared to lead.

Be the role model they’ll remember forever, become a Girl Scout troop leader today!

How to Start a Girl Scout Troop in Your Community

A Girl Scout troop, or a group of Girl Scouts and volunteers that meet regularly, is one of many ways to participate in Girl Scouting. Troops set their own meeting schedule, decide what activities they want to enjoy and find ways to improve their community.

Are you interested in starting a new Girl Scout troop? Expand the items below to view each step in our council's process.

1. Fill out the Start a New Troop form toggle arrow

Every Girl Scout troop needs two unrelated registered, background-checked, and trained troop leaders. At least one troop leader must be female.

To get the troop formation process started, head to our New Troop Form and complete it.

With this form, you’ll let us know who will be in your future troop (leaders and girls), the grade level(s) of the future troop, your future troop’s community hub (like a school or neighborhood), and more!

2. Two adults register as troop leaders toggle arrow

Keep an eye on your email! A support and onboarding specialist will create your forming troop in our system and send you a customized link to register as a troop leader.

3. Troop leaders successfully complete background checks toggle arrow

Completing registration will start the background check process. Each troop leader will receive an email from our secure vendor Asurint to submit information for a background check.

If you have questions about this process, contact answers@girlscoutsosw.org.

4. Troop leaders complete training toggle arrow

Once you've been placed in the troop leader role for your forming troop, you'll receive an email from us with the subject line, "Welcome, troop leader! Let's get started. 💚," which will include information about the training you need to complete. Check out our New Troop Leader page for more information about this required training.

5. Four girls register as Girl Scouts and join the troop toggle arrow

After you've both completed online training, it’s time for girls to join your troop! Your support and onboarding specialist will give you special instructions on how to welcome girls that you’ve already connected with into your forming troop.

If, after a week, your troop still does not have four registered girls, then it will be placed in our open troop catalog to give any interested girls in your area the opportunity to join!

6. Your forming troop receives a troop number toggle arrow

Your support and onboarding specialist will be monitoring all forming troops in your area. Once your troop has at least four registered girls, we will reach out and let you know that your troop is ready for its troop number!

After that, your troop will receive an email with your new troop number, some next steps, and lots of resources to help you feel confident and comfortable leading.

7. Your troop's first year toggle arrow

As the leaders of a new troop, you may have questions—we are here to help! Over the course of your first year, your support and onboarding specialist will reach out to see how things are going, offer support and guidance, and—most importantly—thank you for choosing to volunteer.

Make sure to review the resources available for new volunteers for helpful information, too!

an illustration of a troop leader and the troop year plan PDFs

Preview Your Year

Our easy-to-follow Troop Year Plans are available for troops of all ages! Check out the fun that awaits you and your troop.

SEE PLANS

Girl Scout Troop FAQs

Can you tell me more about Girl Scouts? toggle arrow

Girl Scouts is a girls' leadership organization, helping girls develop courage, confidence, and character. Founded in 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low, Girl Scouts has 2.5 million members around the world—including the amazing adult volunteers who support and mentor girls!

All girls in grades K-12 can be Girl Scouts! To provide girls with age-appropriate programming, Girl Scouts has six program grade levels:

Girl Scout Daisy (Kindergarten–grade 1)
Girl Scout Brownie (grades 2–3)
Girl Scout Junior (grades 4–5)
Girl Scout Cadette (grades 6–8)
Girl Scout Senior (grades 9–10)
Girl Scout Ambassador (grades 11–12)

What is a Girl Scout troop? How is it structured? toggle arrow

Groups of Girl Scouts, called troops, typically meet weekly or biweekly for an hour or two. Guided by adult volunteers—often parents and caregivers—girls select exciting hands-on activities and projects, try new things, and cheer each other on. Together, they earn badges to reflect their successes and show the world what they’re made of.

Girl Scout troops welcome any girls who want to join as long as they are in school grades supported by that troop and the meeting time and frequency works for the family! Girl Scouts brings girls together from all different walks of life.

Troop leaders may choose a troop size cap for their troop, but it can’t be a lower number than listed below. Generally, most multi-level troops must be open to welcoming at least 10 girls.

Daisy: 8 girls
Brownie: 10 girls
Junior: 10 girls
Cadette: 10 girls
Senior: 5 girls
Ambassador: 5 girls

Troop leaders can decide what program levels and grades to support. A Brownie troop could just be third graders, or both second and third graders.

Troops that support more than one level (i.e. Girl Scout Daisies and Brownies) are called multi-level troops and need enough troop leaders to support each level individually. For brand-new troops, we recommend starting with a single level and adding more as leaders gain experience.

Who can be a troop leader or troop volunteer? toggle arrow

We welcome all interested adults who can complete registration, a background check, and online training for the role. Each Girl Scout troop must have at least two troop leaders who are unrelated and from different households, one of whom must be female.

Troops also have adult volunteer support from parents and other community members. Just like with troop leaders, we welcome all interested adults who can complete registration, a background check, and online training for the role.

Have a great friend or coworker looking to volunteer? Ask them to volunteer!
Does your retired neighbor have some free time? Ask them to volunteer!

What resources and support is available? toggle arrow

A lot! And, we're always working on new resources to better support the amazing volunteers we have. Here are just a few of the many resources we have for leaders:

Service team volunteers (the volunteers in your community who champion Girl Scouts locally)
Girl Scout staff
Resource guides, like Volunteer Essentials and New Leader’s Guide to Success
Online training and tools, like Foundations and Volunteer Toolkit
In-person training, like Grade Level Training and our outdoor skills series!

What is the time commitment? toggle arrow

Based on troop leader feedback, we know that on average, a troop leader spends 15–20 hours per month volunteering with Girl Scouts. Our most successful troop leaders engage and recruit other adults to take on duties and responsibilities, lightening the volunteer load for each person and adding fun and community to the experience!

Interested adults can support you and your troop by volunteering as Troop Treasurers, Cookie Program Managers, and general Friends and Family Volunteers.

What is the cost to join? What are related costs? Is financial assistance available? toggle arrow

The Girl Scout annual membership dues cost $45 for girls and $30 for adults. All girls and volunteers must be registered members.

Girl Scout uniforms cost $35–65, depending on the components and level, and handbooks cost $8–25, depending on the level.

The Girl Scout membership year is October 1 to September 30.
Financial Assistance is available to support the cost of girl and adult membership dues, uniforms, and more!

Girl Scout troops should plan and finance their own activities and will earn and manage troop funds to do that. Troop activities are powered by proceeds earned through council-sponsored product program activities (such as the Girl Scout Cookie Program), council-approved money-earning activities, and any dues your troop may charge.

If you have any questions, please reach out to answers@girlscoutsosw.org or give us a call at 800-338-5248, and we'll help connect you with the information you need.