Who We Are

Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.

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.

*Members may substitute for the word God in accordance with their own spiritual beliefs.

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. 

Girl Scouts River Valleys is dedicated to extending opportunities to all girls—regardless of their finances. For help with paying membership fees and other expenses, see Financial Assistance.

In 1956, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called Girl Scouts “a force for desegregation.” Long before laws promoting civil rights were passed, Girl Scouts' Promise and Law embraced every girl. We continue to honor our history of inclusion by providing inclusion training and resources for our volunteers and troop leaders working with girls.

Girl Scouting supports girls from all backgrounds and beliefs. While we are a secular organization that refrains from teaching religious or spiritual beliefs or practices, we believe that the motivating force in Girl Scouting is a spiritual one, and we greatly value our longstanding partnerships with religious organizations across many faiths that share the values of the Girl Scout Promise and Law.

We encourage girls to develop connections to their own spiritual and religious beliefs by earning recognitions provided by their faith communities and by earning the My Promise, My Faith pin (download the pin description [PDF]), which helps a girl deepen the connection between the Girl Scout Law and her faith.

Learn more about Girl Scouts of the USA’s relationship with faith organizations on Girl Scouts of the USA's website.

Girl Scouts strives to adapt activities to girls who have disabilities or special needs. Girl Scouts River Valleys provides inclusion training and resources for our volunteers and troop leaders working with girls.

Girl Scouts is proud to be the premiere leadership organization for girls in the country. An all-girl experience is important to girl development. Research shows that single-gender environments provide more opportunities for girls to build confidence, a key component of leadership.

Girl Scouts River Valleys does not discriminate on the basis of gender identification. If a child is recognized by their family and school/community as a girl and lives culturally as a girl, then Girl Scouts is an organization that can serve her in a setting that is both emotionally and physically safe. Placement of transgender youth is handled on a case-by-case basis, with the welfare and best interests of the child and the members of the troop/group in question a top priority.

The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) comprises 145 member organizations that promote mutual understanding and cross-cultural opportunities for girls around the world. Girl Scouts of the USA is one of the 145 member organizations. Each member organization creates its own programs and pursues advocacy efforts based on the needs and issues affecting girls in its individual country. GSUSA does not always take the same positions or endorse the same programs as WAGGGS. GSUSA's relationship with WAGGGS is akin to the United States' relationship with the United Nations (UN). The United States may not agree with every position the UN takes, but values having a seat at the table.

Every Girl Scout and Girl Guide organization is a member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts—and each Member Organization, including Girl Scouts of the USA, pays dues. The annual membership dues from girls and from adults that go to the national organization, GSUSA, are not used to pay the WAGGGS quota. All dues collected from Girl Scout members are used to pay for services that directly impact the development and delivery of Girl Scouting to girls in the USA and girls who are involved in USA Girl Scouts Overseas, our program that brings Girl Scouting to American families who live and work abroad.

Individual girls are not members of WAGGGS. Girl Scouts of the USA is a Member Organization of WAGGGS. Girls Scouts often wear the WAGGGS pin to represent their connection to the worldwide sisterhood of Girl Scouting and Girl Guiding, but this pin is not required. For a girl to be in uniform, the only requirement is that she wears her Girl Scout pin.

Girl Scouts of the USA, and their councils across the nation, participate in advocacy efforts to help inform and educate policymakers and community leaders about the issues that directly affect girls or the rights of the Girl Scout organization.

These efforts include motivating community involvement, influencing practices and governmental policies at the federal, state, and local levels, and ensuring the fair enforcement and implementation of laws that have an impact on all girls and on Girl Scouting.

As a non-partisan, non-profit organization, Girl Scouts does not support or oppose candidates for public office in any election, nor take a stand for or against a political party.

Our Electioneering Guidelines

Girl Scouts River Valleys is committed to fostering an open and civil exchange of a diverse array of ideas, opinions, and viewpoints. We understand that members may hold strong political convictions concerning elections and may have questions about what is permitted and prohibited behavior when acting as a Girl Scout representative. This includes any time you are wearing a Girl Scout pin or uniform, attending troop or service unit events and meetings, participating in council events, or any time you are acting as a Girl Scout volunteer.

As a nonprofit organization, Girl Scouts River Valleys must follow regulations set by the Internal Revenue Service related to electioneering in order to maintain the council’s tax-exempt status. Electioneering is defined as participating in the electoral process by promoting or opposing particular candidates for office. Girl Scouts River Valleys expects all employees, members, volunteers, troops, and service units to follow the electioneering guidelines set by Girl Scouts of the United States of America to protect the organization’s non-profit status.

To help members better understand what is considered electioneering and what is not, we have assembled some examples of what Girl Scout members can and cannot do: When acting as a Girl Scout representative, you cannot:

• Endorse any candidate for public office. This includes social media functions that may be viewed as endorsement, such as “liking,” “friending,” or “following” a candidate, within close timing to an election.
• You are free to use your personal social media accounts for these activities while not acting as a Girl Scout representative, but may not post or share on an account affiliated with Girl Scouts such as your troop or service unit.
• Use official Girl Scout letterhead, Girl Scout logos, or insignia to write in support or opposition of a candidate.
• Distribute campaign materials, including flyers, postcards, newsletters, or signage.
• Participate in any election events or activities, including a campaign parade or rally.
• Host a flag ceremony to open a political campaign event.
• Wear campaign buttons on the Girl Scout uniform.
• Use troop funds, service unit funds, or Juliette program credits to make a financial contribution to a political party or candidate. 

It is, however, acceptable for Girl Scout representatives to engage in the following activities:

• Educate Girl Scouts about the election process.
• Write, visit, or call your Members of Congress, Governor, state legislator and all other local policy makers in support of or opposition to legislation, especially when Girl Scout or girl issues arise.
• Going to the polls with an adult on Election Day.
• Share unbiased, nonpartisan voter guides that include all candidates and information presented in a neutral manner.
• Participate in or host “get out the vote” registration drives. Registration may not be limited to a particular political party or on behalf of a specific political party or candidate.

These electioneering guidelines are intended for Girl Scouts River Valleys members and is not intended to be an inclusive list. If you have questions, please contact us.

Girl Scouts does not take a position on, or develop materials related to, human sexuality, birth control, or abortion. Girl Scouts River Valleys does not have a relationship with Planned Parenthood, nor does our national umbrella organization, Girl Scouts of the USA.

We feel our role is to help girls develop self-confidence and good decision-making skills that will help them make wise choices in all areas of their lives. Parents or guardians make all decisions regarding program participation that may be of a sensitive nature. Consistent with that belief, Girl Scouts River Valleys asks that volunteers get written parental permission for any locally planned program that could be considered sensitive.

For more information on our positions on social issues, visit Girl Scouts of the USA's Social Issues FAQ.