A Family Guide to Girl Scouting - Girl Scouts in the Heart of ...

www.gshpa.org
A Family
Guide to
Girl Scouting
Page 1

Dear Parents,
Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania (GSHPA) is committed to helping
today’s girls become tomorrow’s leaders. Our goal is to help every
girl everywhere grow as a Girl Scout. The Girl Scout program is girldriven,
reflecting the ever-changing needs and interests of today’s girls.
Through Girl Scouts, girls can develop qualities that will serve them all
their lives - leadership, strong values, social conscience and conviction
about their own potential and self-worth.
Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania is dedicated to providing an
accepting and nurturing environment where girls can build character
and skills for success in the real world. We offer high-quality programs
and flexible ways for girls to participate in Girl Scouting throughout 30
counties in central and northeastern Pennsylvania.
This handbook is designed to help you understand more about our
program, so your daughter can fully participate in all the great things Girl
Scouts has to offer. We know you want the best for your daughter. Let
us help you give her opportunities that could change her life!
One girl can make a difference.
Girls together can change the world!
Page 2

GSHPA Regions and
Service Centers
North Region
Northeast Region
South Region
South Central Region
West Region
North Region
(Columbia, Lycoming, Montour,
Northumberland, Schuylkill,
Snyder, Sullivan, and Union
counties)
Montoursville Area
Parkview Center, Suite 1
999 N. Loyalsock Ave.
Montoursville, PA 17754
Northeast Region
(Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne,
Monroe, Pike, Susquehanna,
Wayne, and Wyoming counties)
Hazleton Area
426 Airport Road
12 Beltway Commons
Hazle Township, PA 18202
Scranton Area
1444 E. Lackawanna Ave.
Suite 222
Olyphant, PA 18447
South Region
(Adams, York and Lancaster
counties)
Gettysburg Area
Aspen Lodge at Camp
Happy Valley
Fairfield, PA 17320
Lancaster Area
630 Janet Drive
Lancaster, PA 17601
York Area
1213 Carlisle Road
York, PA 17404
South Central
(Cumberland, Dauphin,
Franklin, Fulton, Lebanon and
Perry counties)
Harrisburg Area
350 Hale Avenue
Harrisburg, PA 17104
West Region
(Centre, Clinton, Huntingdon,
Juniata, and Mifflin counties)
State College Area
1040-1 Benner Pike
State College, PA 16801
Toll free to any
office:
1.800.692.7816
Council Store
Harrisburg Area Service Center
Thursday - Saturday
10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
or online anytime
www.gshpa.org
Page 3

Girl Scout Mission
Guiding Principles
in Girl Scouting
Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a
better place.
Girl Scout Promise
On my honor, I will try:
To serve God and my country,
To help people at all times,
And to live by the Girl Scout Law.
Girl Scout Law
I will do my best to be
honest and fair,
friendly and helpful,
considerate and caring,
courageous and strong, and
responsible for what I say and do,
and to
respect myself and others,
respect authority,
use resources wisely,
make the world a better place,
and be a sister to every Girl Scout.
Discover :
Girl Scout Activities:
Three Keys to Leadership
Girls understand themselves and their values and use their
knowledge and skills to explore the world.
Connect:
Girls care about, inspire, and team with others locally and globally.
Take Action: Girls act to make the world a better place.
Page 4

You Don’t Have to be in a Troop
to be a Girl Scout!
Did you know...
GSHPA offers several ways for girls to experience Girl Scouts?
They’re called Girl Scout Pathways and they allow girls to
participate however they want!
Camp: giving girls of all ages a chance to
explore nature, the environment and the
world!
Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania
offers high-quality programs in a safe,
secure environment at our seven camp
properties. Whether attending a day
camp a sleep away camp or a weekend
away, camping continues to be an
integral way to help girls develop their outdoor skills while
building interpersonal leadership skills. Whether it’s hiking,
boating, arts-n-crafts, science, adventure - you name it, Girl
Scout camp has it!
Events: stand-alone programs
that combine educational
moments with fun, hands-on
activities.
Great community partnerships allow us to offer special
events to help today’s girls become tomorrow’s leaders;
things like career days for older girls, leadership conferences for teens
or even an educational, fun day with one of our local minor league baseball teams.
Series: a sequence of linked sessions bringing girls together
around a common interest for a specific amount of time.
Outreach programs are a great opportunity for girls in
our under-served areas who may not have access to a
traditional Girl Scout setting. Our after-school programs
give girls a sense of community, friendship and belonging.
The positive setting helps set a good foundation for their futures.
Page 5

Travel: offering leadership opportunities and
cross-cultural understanding through travel for
girls throughout our council.
What better way to travel than with Girl Scouts!
Local, domestic and international trips are
facilitated by volunteers, staff and Girl Scouts of the
USA. Every year girls from our council travel to places like
Rome, Florence, London and Paris! Many begin this pathway
with a trip south to see where it all started in Savannah,
Georgia. Travel is much more than just a place to visit. It’s
a learning experience helping girls hone real-life skills like
planning, budgeting, organization and leadership.
Troops: groups of girls of a similar age, who meet
regularly in their community throughout the school year
to discover more about themselves, connect with each
other and their communities, and take action to make
the world a better place.
We have thousands of troops meeting throughout
the 30 counties in our council! And it’s so much
more than just a fun time to hang out with friends.
With adult guidance and supervision, girls take the
lead, democratically planning and carrying out
the year’s program components and community
service activities.
Virtual: opportunities for girls to participate in interactive, high-quality activities in a
safe, secure, online environment!
The internet is now a way of life for most people, including Girl
Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania. We have informational
and educational resources on our Web site, www.gshpa.org,
as well as web-based activities such as online networking,
badge programs and activities.
Page 6

Good Things to Know
Girl Scout Grade Levels
Daisy
Brownie
Junior
Cadette
Senior
Ambassador
Kindergarten - 1st grades
2nd - 3rd grades
4th - 5th grades
6th - 8th grades
9th - 10th grades
11th-12th grades
Troop Information
If your daughter is in a troop, you will need to know her leader’s name and phone
number and the troop number. This information will help enable us to direct you to the
correct staff liaison should you need assistance. You should also know the meeting
date, time and location of troop meetings. It is your responsibility to bring your
daughter to and from meetings.
Uniforms & Handbooks
Uniforms are not required to participate in Girl Scouts, but we recommend girls
have a sash or a vest to display their awards, badges and patches. There are grade
level specific handbooks and resources detailing the Girl Scout program, award
information and activities to help girls discover, connect and take action in their lives
and communities. Be sure to check with your leader as to what items are needed.
Service Units
A Service Unit is a group of Girl Scout troops and volunteers within a specific
geographical area that functions as a team in order to provide Girl Scout activities to
the local community.
Page 7

Who Pays for What?
Troop Funds
Troop funds are earned by the troops and are the property of the troop as a whole,
not the individual members. The girls, with guidance from the leaders, will decide
how these funds will be used for their programs. Leaders are required to keep troop
financial records and to share this information with parents on a regular basis.
Troop Fundraising
All troops have two council-approved programs available to them for fundraising: the
Fall Product Program (candy, nuts and magazines) in September and October, and the
Girl Scout Cookie Program which starts in January. Parent involvement is necessary
to make each a success. Permission from GSHPA is required before a troop may
conduct any other money-earning activities.
Troop Program & Troop Dues
The troop will plan many different activities. Some may involve field trips, camping
trips, overnight trips or service unit/council events and activities that will require
funding by the troop and/or parents. Permission forms are required. Many troops also
have weekly or per-meeting dues to help with their expenses. The troop dues are set
by the troop and are payable even if the girl misses a meeting.
Financial Assistance
Assistance is available for girls and adults who need financial help in order to
participate in the Girl Scout program. Financial assistance is available for membership
registration, dues, uniform components, handbooks, troop, service unit or councilsponsored
events and programs and resident/day camp. Check with your leader,
service unit, or GSHPA Service Center for more information.
Membership Fee
Each girl and adult helping with the troop pays a $12 annual membership fee. This
fee goes directly to Girl Scouts of the USA for program development and activity
insurance. No money stays with the local council. The membership fee is turned into
the troop leader along with the completed membership form.
Page 8

Responsibilities of Girls and
Parents
Girl Scout’s Responsibility to the Troop
• To attend and participate in meetings and outings
• To fulfill obligation of dues, and have permission slips signed by a parent or
guardian
•To complete any missed activities
• To pass along important information to parents or leaders
• To treat each member of the troop as a sister
• To respect troop leaders and troop parents
• To conduct themselves in a safe manner
• To listen to others in the troop and show respect for what they are saying
Parent’s Responsibility to the Troop
• To see that your daughter arrives and is picked up on-time for all meetings and
outings
• To help your daughter fulfill troop responsibilities (dues, permission slips, snack,
uniform, etc)
• To be supportive of your daughter in her Girl Scout endeavors (help her to
complete missed activities)
• If possible, notify the leaders ahead of time if your daughter will not be at a
meeting
• To check with your daughter’s leader for any important news or permission slips
that may need to be signed, and return completed paperwork promptly
• To assist the troop and the troop leaders during meetings or activities on a
rotating or as needed basis
• To consider being a member of the Troop Committee
• To keep in contact with the leaders and give them feedback
• To discuss any issues that arise with the leader privately, not in front of girls
• To help the troop leaders establish and maintain a positive environment within
the troop by talking with your daughter about acceptable behavior and by setting
a positive example yourself
• To let your daughter know that you consider her participation in Girl Scouting to
be important and special
• To attend parent meetings, group activities and special ceremonies
Page 9

Troop Leaders are Always
Needed
Who are Girl Scout Leaders?
Leaders are VOLUNTEERS! Parents, grandparents,
aunts, uncles, and other family members or adult
friends who give unselfishly of their time. Even with
just a few girls, there must be a minimum of two
registered Girl Scout adults at every troop meeting,
one of whom must be female.
Volunteers are the lifeblood of Girl Scouting. They
make a difference in the lives of girls, in the success
of families and in the growth of communities. The
strength of Girl Scouting rests on the shoulders
of adult volunteers who are committed to helping
today’s girls become tomorrow’s leaders.
Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania has training,
manuals and professional support staff to provide
volunteers all the tools necessary to be successful. If
you are interested in becoming a Girl Scout volunteer,
please call 1.800.692.7816 to join or log onto our Web
site www.gshpa.org and click on the Join Girl Scouts
Now button!
Join
Today!
Page 10

Troop Information
(Keep this for your records.)
My daughter is a Girl Scout________________________________________(Grade level).
Troop Number_____________________________________________________________
Troop Leader______________________________________________________________
Leader’s Phone Number ____________________________________________________
Leader’s Email Address_____________________________________________________
Her troop meets at ___________________________________________________ (place)
on ______________________________________________ (day of the week/how often)
at ______________________________________________________________ (address)
from _________________(start time) until ____________________________ (end time.)
Troop Members
Name Phone Email
Please remember to complete the following forms for your daughter:
• Girl Membership Form - annual fee is $12
• Health History Form - this form should be updated every year.
• Activity Permission Slip - no slip, no trip!
Page 11

350 Hale Avenue | Harrisburg, PA 17104 | 800.692.7816
www.gshpa.org | general@gshpa.org