Whether you have a school-aged daughter or not, being a Girl Scout volunteer can be an incredibly rewarding opportunity. Adults in Girl Scouting fill a variety of roles, including troop leader, cookie sale manager, day camp counsellor, event organiser, and service unit manager.

For the safety of everyone involved, all Girl Scout volunteers must pass criminal background checks and receive training from the council¹.

Who can be a Girl Scout Leader?

Girl Scout Leaders can be men or women and may come from all walks of life. While the majority of Girl Scout Leaders are mothers of Girl Scouts, it's not uncommon to find other family members, retired community members, or single young adults taking on the role as well. After all, diversity among the leadership can only serve to enhance the programme for the girls!

Other Adult Volunteers

While Girl Scout Leaders are always in great demand, many adults find they are better suited to other equally vital volunteer positions in Girl Scouting. For example:

• Service Unit Managers organise and lead Girl Scout volunteers in a geographic neighbourhood or town.

• Cookie Sale Managers train girls in the fine art of cookie selling, manage the accounting to ensure that each troop gets its proper credit and each girl her proper rewards, and keep the cookies flowing from the warehouses to the community.

• Event Organisers plan and coordinate a wide variety of events, ranging from service unit skating parties to council parades.

• Board Members create and execute plans for fundraising, membership development, facilities, adult training, and girl programming.

• Mentors work with individual Girl Scouts, helping them explore career options and new interests.

• Trainers train both new and experienced Girl Scout volunteers in areas ranging from leadership to camping skills to CPR.

Campus Girl Scouts

Campus Girl Scouting is for adults of all ages who are students or employees at a college or university. Campus Girl Scouts may volunteer in all the ways other adult Girl Scouts do, along with conducting special Girl Scout events on campus.

Training

Training is an incredible resource for all Girl Scout volunteers, and is often mandatory for positions such as Troop Leader. Courses are most often offered by the council, and are usually free or low cost, with financial aid available. Training courses cover the basics, such as leadership, first aid, and camping. Specialised courses are available in many councils, on topics ranging from rock climbing to campfire songs to international travel.