Event Director
The event director develops an annual plan for service unit events in collaboration with troop leaders and the service unit team. The event director is a leadership position that requires the ability to recruit and guide others to support the development and delivery of programs, events, community service and activities. The service unit event director maintains accurate financial records for each event, and supports the promotion, organization, registration, and payment for events. The person in this role will have strong leadership and organizational skills.
Job Description: Service Unit Event Director
Training Required
688 Event Manager (gslearn) or in-person Event Planning workshop
Typical Service Unit Events
Service Unit Event: A service unit event is an event that is put on by a troop or by the service unit team as a service to Girl Scouts in the community and is not a money earning opportunity. Running a service unit event is a valuable opportunity for Girl Scout youth to learn leadership, planning and organizational skills in accordance with the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE) and is a natural progression for a Take Action project or Highest Awards project.
Troop Money Earning Event: A troop money earning event is an event that is hosted and planned by Girl Scout youth with the purpose of earning money toward a Girl Scout-determined goal. A troop money earning event should follow the money earning guidelines and have a pre-approved money earning application. Funds should be run through the troop account and be reported on the Annual Troop Finance Report (ATFR). It should be clearly stated on the event flyer or social media posting that this is a money earning event. Troop money events are not able to accept financial assistance as payment.
Service Unit Money Earning Event: A service unit money earning event is an event that intentionally earns money to fund service unit scholarships or activities that may benefit Girl Scout youth or volunteers. Service units should follow the same money earning guidelines that a troop is required to follow. In addition, Service units should not use traditional SU events such as World Thinking Day, Founders Day, Cookie Rallies, or bridging as money earning opportunities. These events should be kept at a reasonable cost so there is no financial barrier to attending.
Service Unit Event Best Practices
Having a set of service unit event guidelines creates expectations that will ensure continued successfully planned and executed service unit events. The event director training also provides valuable resources and best practices towards running your events.
- Service unit teams can and should determine which events are deemed “service unit events” and which events will be open to troops for money-earning opportunities. Per the money-earning guidelines, encamporees cannot be money-earning events.
- Additional money-earning opportunities can be added to a service unit event to provide additional incentive for a troop to host an event. Money-earning opportunities should be youth-led. Examples include bake sales, face-painting booths, photo booths, and badge-earning workshops. A money-earning application is required by the troop (see Money Earning Guide).
- Ideally, an event should be advertised at least two months in advance in order to allow for maximum participation. Registration should indicate a cutoff for registration submission.
- Service unit events should have a pre-determined budget so that the event breaks even with expenses and income. Budgets can be determined by prior event history and by doing research and price checking in advance of the event. The Event Planning Worksheet and Budget can be used to create an outline for your event and allow for a service unit oversite of troop-run events.
- Service unit events can and should advertise financial assistance or Cookie Dough as one option for payment. If financial assistance is chosen as method of payment, the service unit event registrar should contact the customer care team for the current Service Unit Event Distribution Request form.
- Service unit events must be run through the service unit account. Payment should be made to the service unit and this should be indicated on the event flyer. Troops that are running these events can have the service unit pay for deposits and patches, or the troops can pay in advance and save the receipts to be refunded by the service unit. There should be a service unit event ledger for each service unit event that gets turned in with the annual SU finance report that includes all original receipts.
Resources and Links
