Girl Scouts is all about making new friends (And keeping the old!). These tips will help troop leaders invite new girls to their troop, make new Girl Scouts feel welcome, and engage your existing troop in the process.
Invite New Girls to Your TroopUse the “Invite Friends” feature
If you already know the email addresses of families who would like to join your troop, you can send them a personalized invite with a link to register into your troop from your My Account page. To do this, navigate to your troop roster (under your My Troop(s) tab) and click the “Invite friends to join your troop” link at the bottom of the page.
Share a link to your troop catalog listing
If your troop is in our online catalog, you can copy a link of your catalog listing and share it with your networks. To get your troop link, simply search the online troop catalog for your troop number, hover over the green box with the arrow at the top of the tile and click “Copy Link”.
Check out these digital resources you can use to grow your troop:
Fillable Troop Invite Flyer
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Fill it out with information about your troop: troop number, meeting location, dates, and more. Invite your girl’s teachers to share it with other families in your school, or post it at local community centers, public libraries, and places of worship (if permitted).
Sample Social Post
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Know parents and friends in your network who have a girl that would benefit by being in your troop? Let them know you have openings in your troop by sharing this sample post on social media. Don’t forget to include a link to your troop listing!
Customizable Email Template
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Use this easy to personalize email template to promote open spots in your troop with families in your community.
Create a Welcome Letter
Have the troop write, decorate, and sign a welcome letter. They can even write personal messages for new Girl Scouts.
Start With an Icebreaker
Check out our In the Loop article Break the Ice: Four Fun Activities to Engage Girls for ideas on how to kick off your new girl’s first troop meeting.
Plan an Investiture Ceremony
An investiture ceremony is a chance to welcome a new girl in the world of Girl Scouting. Work with your troop and plan an investiture (or your own ceremony) to welcome the new girl at her first meeting, and let your troop come up with the ideas of activities or songs.
An investiture ceremony might look something like this:
- Start in the Friendship Circle and sing a song, like the Brownie Smile song, and recite the Girl Scout Promise together.
- While in the circle, girls take turns introducing themselves and one thing that they love about Girl Scouts.
- The leader pins the new girl with a World Trefoil Pin and Girl Scout Membership Pin and shakes her hand using the Girl Scout handshake, welcoming her into the world of Girl Scouts.
- Close the ceremony with the Friendship Circle Squeeze.
For more examples see our In The Loop post, The In’s-and-Out’s of Investitures. If you’re not comfortable with a ceremony, just create an ice-breaker game as an introduction activity. Girls love to play, and nothing breaks the ice more than laughter!
Assign the New Girl a Buddy
Prior to the new girl’s first meeting, assign the new girl a ‘Buddy’ to help answer any questions and put her at ease throughout the first few meetings. She can sit next to her Buddy during activities and help her understand how the troop operates.
Summary of Resources
- The In’s-and-Out’s of Investitures – An It The Loop blog post for troop leaders with tips on the celebrating the investiture tradition.
- Troop Expansion Resources (See Links Above) – Use these resources to invite families to Girl Scouts.
- Health, Safety, and Using Safety-Wise – Remember to stay safe and follow our girl-to-adult ratios during meetings.
- GirlScoutShop.com – Visit our online shop or find a local Girl Scouts shop near to purchase to purchase the World Trefoil Pin and Girl Scout Membership Pin.
