Volunteer Essentials is your guide to volunteering with the Girl Scouts, and it replaces the former Council Reference Guide. Download the entire Volunteer Essentials or individual chapters.

The Quick-Start Guide to Volunteer Essentials 2011-2012 is a compact overview of Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys. Read this to begin your adventure as a River Valleys volunteer. You’ll learn about:

• Girl Scouts of the USA
• Membership for girls and adults
• National Girl Scout Leadership Program
• River Valleys Program Essentials
• Planning your first meeting
• Girl Scouts Safety Guidelines

Girl Scout volunteers help girls grow in self-confidence, discover their genuine selves, connect with their community, and take action to make a difference in the world. Discover how your enthusiasm, supported by Girl Scouts unparalleled volunteer training, can inspire girls to accomplish great things. In Chapter 1, you’ll learn about:

• Your role as a Girl Scout volunteer
• How to evaluate your skills
• Adult learning opportunities
• Your support team
• Girl Scout Promise and Law
• Volunteer appreciation

The Girl Scout Leadership Experience offers many fun program options to girls at every grade level. River Valleys Girl Scouts participate in all activities provided by Girl Scouts of the USA plus additional opportunities created by our council. Chapter 2 presents the wide variety of activities, awards, events, and resources available to girls in River Valleys. You’ll find information about:

• Program Essentials
• Leadership Journeys
• Journey books and the Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting
• Girl Scout Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards
• Girl Scout traditions
• Girl Scout trips, events and camps
• Council site and equipment rental

As a Girl Scout volunteer, you’ll work with girls of all backgrounds, behaviors, skills, and abilities. No matter what a girl’s grade level or background, you can help her develop leadership skills. Chapter 3 tells you how to engage girls appropriately in a safe and accepting environment. You’ll learn to:

• Support girl-led meetings
• Understand healthy development in girls
• Create a safe space for all girls
• Work with parents/guardians

Every adult in Girl Scouting is responsible for the physical and emotional safety of girls. Chapter 4 explains how to keep girls safe while they’re having fun. Consult this chapter for Girl Scouts policies and procedures concerning:

• Safety responsibilities of volunteers, parents and guardians and girls
• Permission slips, health histories and other forms
• Required ratios of adults to girls
• Transporting girls
• Emergency care and crisis reporting
• Safety Activity Checkpoints and where to find them
• Insurance for girls and activities

Girl Scout groups earn and manage money to fund girl-planned activities and trips. Adult volunteers oversee these fundraising projects and guide girls as they acquire financial literacy. Chapter 5 details the volunteer’s responsibilities for safeguarding group funds. See this chapter for Girl Scout policies and procedures about:

• Money earning
• Girls’ financial goal-setting
• Financial and sales abilities of girls by grade level
• Girl Scout Cookie Program Activity
• Financial literacy and the Girl Scout Leadership Experience
• Troop bank accounts
• Collaborating with sponsors

Adult volunteers are essential for Girl Scouting to accomplish its goals and objectives. Chapter 6 defines the volunteer policies established by our council’s Board of Directors. Read this chapter to understand what River Valleys expects of you and what you can expect from River Valleys.

• Volunteer rights and responsibilities
• Dress code
• Keeping children safe
• Criminal background check
• Grounds for disqualification from volunteering
• Volunteer grievance procedure
• Policies on discriminatory harassment, sexual harassment and conflict management

Come and visit one of our many River Valleys Girl Scout Shop locations, where we carry a complete selection of Girl Scout official insignia, or one of our camps, where all girls are welcome. Use this chapter as a guide to:

• Girl Scout Shop locations and hours
• Service Centers and Shops holiday observances
• Girl Scout Camp Locations