Troop Family Meetings

Family meetings give you an opportunity to meet your troop’s families, set expectations, build support, and recruit troop volunteers.

Research shows that troops are most successful when families take part in their girl’s Girl Scouting experience. This is why we suggest that all troops plan on holding a family meeting three times a year:

Kick off the troop year

Prepare for the Cookie Program

Wrap up the year

Troop Family Meeting One: Kick Off the Year

Think of this first meeting as a crash course for the families of your troop! Discuss any exciting things you’re planning for the troop and share ways families can help. Use the following steps to prepare for and hold your meeting.

Prepare and Hold Your Meeting toggle arrow

Prepare for the meeting:

Pick a meeting time and place. Choose a meeting time and location that suits your troop families’ needs. The meeting space should accommodate families and their Girl Scout(s). Ideally, this should be the meeting space where you plan to regularly meet as a troop to get your girls and families comfortable with the location. You can host this meeting virtually!

Invite families. Send out invitations to parents/guardians and include any materials that you’d like families to complete before the meeting (such as registration, health history, annual permission forms, family interest survey etc.).

Plan a girl activity. Plan an activity that Girl Scouts can do during the meeting while you chat with families. You can set aside a nearby area of the meeting space for girls to work together under the supervision of another adult volunteer.

Use the Troop Family Meeting One: Kick Off the Year Activity Plan (PDF) or Team-Led Troop Family Meeting One: Kick Off the Year Activity Plan to help guide your meeting.

Hold the meeting:

Open the meeting. Greet everyone who attends and ask them to sign in. Collect any necessary forms from families. Guide girls to the pre-planned girl activity so they can settle in before the start of the meeting.

Share more about Girl Scouts. Review your role as troop leader, what Girl Scouts is, and what families and girls will gain from being in your troop.

Review troop specifics and your year plan. This could include troop and meeting logistics, how your troop will run, and what families can expect from their troop experience.

Team-Led Troops will want to take this time to determine if the troop will organize around roles or by meetings, and determine the rest of the troop logistics.

Set expectations around communication. Discuss how you will keep in touch with families about upcoming troop activities, dates, and reminders. Decide on a method of communication (email, phone, or text) that works best for everyone. Remind families that it’s their responsibility to read all applicable information and reply on time—this includes deadlines for payments, turning in forms, and assisting with the troop as needed. Have families confirm their preferred contact information.

Discuss troop costs. Decide if your troop will be collecting dues from each family. Troop dues help with the cost of meeting supplies, uniforms, badges, and other troop-related expenses. Talk to your families about taking part in the Snacks & Magazines and Cookie Program, or other money-earning activities. Remind families that financial assistance is available to all girls for shop purchases, troop dues, camp, and council events at Financial Assistance.

Encourage parents/guardians to volunteer with your troop. There are many ways to involve families. and share their knowledge with the troop. Ask adults to complete the Girl Scout Family Interest Survey (PDF) or drive and chaperone girls on trips, bring snacks, share special skills, or provide support during troop meetings. Remind parents and guardians that any adult who has regular contact with girls, handles money, or chaperones must be a registered Girl Scout member and complete a background check. Consult Safety Guidelines for specifics.

Possible troop positions include (but are not limited to): troop leader, troop volunteer, troop fall product manager, troop cookie manager, and troop treasurer. Visit the Ways to Volunteer section of this website for more details on what each role entails. Do you want parents/caregivers to play a meaningful role in their girl’s experience, but not sure where to start? Check out the How Families Can Help (PDF) handout—the ultimate cheat sheet for all-star Girl Scout parents/guardians—no matter how busy they may be!
Team-led Troops will have already discussed this earlier in the meeting.

Discuss next steps and wrap up. Allow time for families to ask questions. Confirm any action items or next steps. Who will do what and by when? Then thank everyone for coming!

After the meeting:

Send out a follow-up email. You can include a recap, any action items for families to take, and what the next steps are.

Troop Family Meeting One: Email Template toggle arrow

We know that everyone is busy these days, and it might be the case that as a returning troop leader, you feel comfortable doing a quick email instead of a formal family meeting. Use the email template below to connect with your families at the start of your troop year. Be sure to customize and add your specific troop details in the appropriate sections.

Hello, Troop [#####] families!

I’m excited for another great Girl Scout year with [Girl’s name]. We have great things planned for our [Your troop’s program grade level/multi-level] troop! In this email, you’ll find important information about our troop meeting dates, upcoming troop events, troop finances, and how I’ll be communicating with you this year.

Meeting times: We meet [Meeting dates and times. For example: Every second Friday of the month from 3:30PM to 5:00PM)]. Our regular meeting location is [Meeting location].

Pick up/drop off: Please remember to drop off and pick up your girl(s) in a timely manner. [Include other important information like if you’ll be using a sign-in/sign-out sheet, what parents/guardians should do if their girl needs to be picked up by another trusted adult, what to do if they’re late picking up/dropping off etc.]

Forms: I’ve attached the Annual Permission Slip (PDF) and Health History Form (PDF) here. Please complete and return these both to me.

Troop finances: [Let families know if you’ll be collecting troop dues this year—and if so, how much each family should contribute. Update families about what the troop funds will be used for this year, such as upcoming service unit or council events, resident camp in the summer, field trips, etc.]

Sign up to help: Girl Scouting is a family affair—I know our girls love it when they see their parents and guardians participating in the fun, and I appreciate the extra assistance! For a list of ideas, check out the How Families Can Help (PDF) handout, and let me know how you want to be involved in the troop this year. As a reminder, any adult that has regular contact with girls, manages money, or chaperones should be a registered member and complete a background check. If you have any questions about how to do this, feel free to connect with me or call Girl Scouts River Valleys directly at 800-845-0787.

Troop communication: [Let families know how you’ll be keeping in touch with them throughout the year. For example, “I’ll send out regular emails like this one to let you know about upcoming events and troop meetings. Email is the best way to reach me, but you can also text if something urgent comes up.”]

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about the troop. I’m looking forward to another year of adventures!

[Your name, phone number, email address]
[Your co-leader’s name, phone number, and email address]

Troop Family Meeting Two: Cookies

Cookie Business Meetings are critical to the success of the program! They help provide a foundation of understanding and agreement for both volunteers and families–it’s a great time to talk about the upcoming Cookie Program, set goals, and agree on roles and responsibilities.

Prepare and Hold Your Meeting toggle arrow

Prepare for the meeting:

Decide with your troop leader whether you will host a virtual or in-person Cookie Business Meeting and invite all parents/guardians.
Set a Family Return Date and write it in the designated space on each Cookie Program Family Guide (PDF) before distributing. The "Family Return Date" is the last day that families can turn in cookies to the troop that they do not think they will be able to sell by the end of the sale. We recommend two weeks before the end of the cookie sale. This gives the troop time to redistribute the cookies to other troop members, use them at cookie booths, or transfer to another troop who needs them.
Distribute family materials prior to the meeting, or direct parents/guardians to these resources online at Cookie Central. Each family should have one of the following:
- Cookie Program Family Guide (PDF)
- Cookie Order Card
- Rewards Flyer

Be sure you have reviewed the following materials before your meeting:
- Troop Cookie Manager Guidebook
- Online Family Cookie Responsibility Form – This form will need to be submitted online, so you will want to review the form yourself before walking families through it during the meeting.
- Cookie Business Meeting Presentation (PDF) and/or Cookie Business Meeting Presentation (PPTX)– Our pre-made presentation includes all of the information that families should know about participating in the Cookie Program. Feel free to use this as the basis of your virtual cookie business meeting.

Use the Cookie Business Meeting Tip Sheet (PDF) to help plan your meeting.

What to cover in the meeting:

See our Cookie Business Meeting Presentation (PDF) for more details on each of the items below!

Cookie Program Overview: Provide a brief overview of the Girl Scout Cookie Program.

Parent/Guardian Participation: Explain that family involvement is key to troop success in the Cookie Program, encourage parents/guardians to help their girls set goals, and inform them about the Family Entrepreneur Pin.

Ways to Sell: Review the ways tosel with your families and discuss the options that will work best for your troop.

Troop/Individual Goals: What do the Girl Scouts want to do with the cookie proceeds as a troop? What are their individual goals? Refer to the Troop Cookie Manager Guidebook for tips on goal setting. Discuss the goals with families.

Communication + Cookie Schedule: Let families know your preferred contact method and provide your contact info. Share your weekly calendar and key cookie milestones, including the Family Return Date.

Finances: Review finances and inventory responsibilities, including how and when cookie money should be turned in to the troop.

Online Family Cookie Responsibility Form: Provide families with your preferred email so you receive a copy each time a form is completed. Remind families this form must be completed before they receive cookie inventory.

Close the meeting:

Wrap up: Thank families for attending and ask if they have any questions.

Troop Family Meeting Three: Wrap Up the Year

The end-of-year meeting with your families is an opportunity to reflect on everything your troop has accomplished this past Girl Scout year and check in about what’s in store for the upcoming year. Even if your troop meets year-round, this third meeting can still serve as a good opportunity to connect with your families.

Prepare and Hold Your Meeting toggle arrow

Prepare for the meeting:

Pick a meeting time and place. Choose a meeting time and location that suits your troop families’ needs. Invite all parents/guardians.

Use the Troop Family Meeting Three: Wrap Up the Year Activity Plan (PDF) to help plan you meeting.

Hold the meeting:

Troop year recap. Ask girls if they’d like to share some of the awesome adventures their troop had this year. Provide a recap of the badges they earned. Share some of your personal troop leader highlights too!

Troop finances. Let your families know about the status of your troop funds. What did you spend money on this year? Does the troop have enough money for next year, or are there other costs families should know about? If applicable, you should also provide a brief recap of how the Cookie Program went in terms of the troop’s goals and proceeds.

Plans and expectations. Will you be taking a break before the start of another Girl Scout year, or will you continue to have troop meetings? Either way, tell your families what to expect. If you will be taking a break, let them know about other participation options such as Girl Scouts River Valleys’ camps or events that they can do on their own, and when they can expect to hear from you ahead of the new year.

Looking forward to next year. Now is a good time to go over any changes for the next Girl Scout year. Do you anticipate needing extra help? Ask adults who stepped up to assist next year. Do youth or adults need to renew their membership for the next year, or will the troop be taking care of that (troops can use their funds to pay for memberships and/or financial aid is available). If you already know where and when your regular troop meetings will be occurring next year, you can share those details here as well. Ask your Girl Scouts what they’d like to work on next year.

Close the meeting:

Review. Recap any important information you discussed and any action items for families.

Wrap up. Thank families for attending, and, if needed, send a follow-up email after the meeting.

Troop Family Meeting Three: Email Template toggle arrow

Use the email template below to touch base with your families as you wrap up your year. Be sure to customize and add specific troop details in the appropriate sections.

Hello, Troop [#####] families!

We had an amazing Girl Scout year! Here are just some of the adventures we went on this year: [Share some of your troop’s stories and highlights from your year.]

These months have really flown by and as we wrap up our year [or, if your troop meets year-round: head into fall/winter/spring/summer], here are a few details about what to expect for the next Girl Scout year!

Troop finances: [Let families know about the status of your troop funds, a summary of how the Cookie Program went, and any upcoming expenses/money-earning projects the troop has planned.]

Plans and expectations: [Let families know if the troop will be taking a break before the start of another Girl Scout year, or if your troop will continue to meet. If you won’t be meeting, let them know about other ways they can participate on their own: Girl Scouts River Valleys camps, service unit or council events, etc.]

Looking forward to next year: [Let families know about any changes for the next Girl Scout year. Will you need extra help, have other adults stepped up to lead next year, do girls and/or adults still need to renew their membership, etc.] Meetings will start again on [Date/time] at [Troop meeting location]

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about the troop. Otherwise, enjoy your break and see you again in [Month of first meeting]!

[Your name, phone number, email address]
[Your co-leader’s name, phone number, and email address]

Troop Family Meetings

Family meetings give you an opportunity to meet your troop’s families, set expectations, build support, and recruit troop volunteers.

Research shows that troops are most successful when families take part in their girl’s Girl Scouting experience. This is why we suggest that all troops plan on holding a family meeting three times a year:

Kick off the troop year Prepare for the Cookie Program Wrap up the year

Troop Family Meeting One: Kick Off the Year

Think of this first meeting as a crash course for the families of your troop! Discuss any exciting things you’re planning for the troop and share ways families can help. Use the following steps to prepare for and hold your meeting.

Prepare for the meeting:

Use the Troop Family Meeting One: Kick Off the Year Activity Plan (PDF) or Team-Led Troop Family Meeting One: Kick Off the Year Activity Plan to help guide your meeting.

Hold the meeting:

Open the meeting. Greet everyone who attends and ask them to sign in. Collect any necessary forms from families. Guide girls to the pre-planned girl activity so they can settle in before the start of the meeting.

Share more about Girl Scouts. Review your role as troop leader, what Girl Scouts is, and what families and girls will gain from being in your troop.

Review troop specifics and your year plan. This could include troop and meeting logistics, how your troop will run, and what families can expect from their troop experience.

Team-Led Troops will want to take this time to determine if the troop will organize around roles or by meetings, and determine the rest of the troop logistics.

Discuss next steps and wrap up. Allow time for families to ask questions. Confirm any action items or next steps. Who will do what and by when? Then thank everyone for coming!

After the meeting:

Send out a follow-up email. You can include a recap, any action items for families to take, and what the next steps are.

Hello, Troop [#####] families!

Meeting times: We meet [Meeting dates and times. For example: Every second Friday of the month from 3:30PM to 5:00PM)]. Our regular meeting location is [Meeting location].

Forms: I’ve attached the Annual Permission Slip (PDF) and Health History Form (PDF) here. Please complete and return these both to me.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about the troop. I’m looking forward to another year of adventures!

[Your name, phone number, email address] [Your co-leader’s name, phone number, and email address]

Troop Family Meeting Two: Cookies

Cookie Business Meetings are critical to the success of the program! They help provide a foundation of understanding and agreement for both volunteers and families–it’s a great time to talk about the upcoming Cookie Program, set goals, and agree on roles and responsibilities.

Prepare for the meeting:

Decide with your troop leader whether you will host a virtual or in-person Cookie Business Meeting and invite all parents/guardians.

Distribute family materials prior to the meeting, or direct parents/guardians to these resources online at Cookie Central. Each family should have one of the following:

Cookie Program Family Guide (PDF)

Cookie Order Card

Rewards Flyer

Be sure you have reviewed the following materials before your meeting:

Troop Cookie Manager Guidebook

Online Family Cookie Responsibility Form – This form will need to be submitted online, so you will want to review the form yourself before walking families through it during the meeting.

Cookie Business Meeting Presentation (PDF) and/or Cookie Business Meeting Presentation (PPTX)– Our pre-made presentation includes all of the information that families should know about participating in the Cookie Program. Feel free to use this as the basis of your virtual cookie business meeting.

Use the Cookie Business Meeting Tip Sheet (PDF) to help plan your meeting.

What to cover in the meeting:

See our Cookie Business Meeting Presentation (PDF) for more details on each of the items below!

Close the meeting:

Wrap up: Thank families for attending and ask if they have any questions.

Troop Family Meeting Three: Wrap Up the Year

Prepare for the meeting:

Pick a meeting time and place. Choose a meeting time and location that suits your troop families’ needs. Invite all parents/guardians.

Use the Troop Family Meeting Three: Wrap Up the Year Activity Plan (PDF) to help plan you meeting.

Hold the meeting:

Close the meeting:

Review. Recap any important information you discussed and any action items for families. Wrap up. Thank families for attending, and, if needed, send a follow-up email after the meeting.

Use the email template below to touch base with your families as you wrap up your year. Be sure to customize and add specific troop details in the appropriate sections.

Hello, Troop [#####] families!

We had an amazing Girl Scout year! Here are just some of the adventures we went on this year: [Share some of your troop’s stories and highlights from your year.]

These months have really flown by and as we wrap up our year [or, if your troop meets year-round: head into fall/winter/spring/summer], here are a few details about what to expect for the next Girl Scout year!

Troop finances: [Let families know about the status of your troop funds, a summary of how the Cookie Program went, and any upcoming expenses/money-earning projects the troop has planned.]

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about the troop. Otherwise, enjoy your break and see you again in [Month of first meeting]!

[Your name, phone number, email address] [Your co-leader’s name, phone number, and email address]

Kick off the troop year

Prepare for the Cookie Program

Wrap up the year

[Your name, phone number, email address]
[Your co-leader’s name, phone number, and email address]

Review. Recap any important information you discussed and any action items for families.

Wrap up. Thank families for attending, and, if needed, send a follow-up email after the meeting.

[Your name, phone number, email address]
[Your co-leader’s name, phone number, and email address]