How to Form a New Troop

Before you get started:

Any adult age 18+ may volunteer (must be 21+ to become a troop leader).
No Girl Scout experience required! We provide the training, curriculum, and resources—you set the schedule! It's that easy.
Each troop needs at least two unrelated, background-checked adults (one of whom must identify as female).
We provide activity plans for you to freely use. You don't have to spend hours preparing for a meeting—it's all there for you and can be customized to meet your needs.
The frequency and day/time of your troop activities are up to YOU. Meetings, locations, activities, and programming are flexible and up to you and your Girl Scouts.

Have questions? Contact our customer care team at 1(800) 541-9852 or customercare@girlscoutsww.org to get connected with a council staff member.

Start Your Troop in 4 Easy Steps!

STEP 1: Register as a Girl Scout toggle arrow

Every member (youth and adult) pays a national membership fee of $25. Financial assistance is available for qualifying families. Become a Girl Scout member by registering online.

Once you have completed payment, please email our customer care team at customercare@girlscoutsww.org to request a troop number. A staff member will be in touch to finish setting up your troop!

STEP 2: Complete a Background Check toggle arrow

While a staff member sets up your troop, we will email you a link to complete your background check. Once submitted, the process typically takes a few days, so feel free to start reviewing the online resources available to you.

STEP 3: Invite Your Co-Lead and Friends to Join toggle arrow

It’s never too early to start talking about your new Girl Scout troop! Even while you finish the preliminary details, you can talk to your friends, neighbors, and other families in the community about your plans. The more youth you welcome to your troop, the more adults you will have available to help.

In addition to reaching out within your community, you can choose to have your troop listed in our Participation Catalog with an invitation for new Girl Scouts and volunteers to join!

Classic Troop vs Co-op Troop

You need at least two unrelated, background-checked adults (one of whom must be female) to form a classic troop. If you already have a friend, colleague, or neighbor to co-lead with you, this would be the time to invite them to join your troop!
In a co-op troop, all troop families work together to share the responsibilities of the troop leader. Two unrelated adults act as leader and co-leader, with the opportunity to hand off these responsibilities to others throughout the Girl Scout year. This is a great way to share leadership responsibilities between multiple adult volunteers. If you would like more information on how to start a co-op troop, please reach out to Customer Care at 1(800) 541-9852 or customercare@girlscoutsww.org to get connected with a council staff member.

STEP 4: Get Ready for Your First Troop Meeting toggle arrow

Once you have three youth, two leaders, and complete your online training, you can start meeting with your troop! Together, you and your co-lead will decide on a meeting location, frequency, date and time, and troop start date.

Now you are ready to share the fun and excitement as a Girl Scout troop leader! You have an incredible adventure ahead as you help Girl Scouts in your troop learn new skills, explore new adventures, make new friends, and create memories that will last a lifetime.

Still have questions? Check out our FAQs for New Troop Leaders.

A smiling adult Girl Scout volunteer and two smiling youth Girl Scout members. The youth members are writing in notebooks.

Ways to Volunteer with Girl Scouts

Volunteering with Girl Scouts is flexible and fun. Click below to explore all the ways you can volunteer!

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