Find the answers here!
Not sure how to register your girl for camp? Need to visit us but don't know the hours? We have compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for you. Click the links below to learn more!
If you don't find the answer to your question, please contact our Customer Care Team or reach out to a staff member!
General Questions
Social Issues, Communication, Donations, and Retail
General Questions
How can I get the best support from Customer Care? 
What are the Service Center and Shop hours?
What does GSHG's footprint look like?
I have girls in my troop of various religions/no religion. How can I
accommodate them in saying the Girl Scout Promise?
Social Issues
Girl Scouts Discrimination Policy
Planned Parenthood Statement
Cookie Program
Communication
I have a media inquiry. Who do I contact?
My girls were in the news! How do I get a patch?
My business is interested in working with GSHG. Do you have advertising opportunities?
I want to stay in the loop. How does GSHG communicate?
How do I manage my email preferences?
How can I be sure to see posts from GSHG on my Facebook timeline?
My girls are doing amazing things! How can my girls be featured in the
newsletter or on social media?
Where can I find all GSHG pictures and videos?
How can I use social media to better my troop?
Donations
How do I donate to GSHG?
My business is interested in purchasing a sponsorship. Who do I contact?
Retail (GSHG Shop)
How do I know what uniform and uniform pieces to get my new Girl Scout?
What is the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, and how can the shop help?
Do the GSHG shops have Girl Scout t-shirts and other items besides uniforms?
When I buy online, does that money benefit only GSUSA?
Can I use GSHG Girl Scout Cookie Points online?
Membership
Registration, Transfers, Criminal Background Checks
Membership Registration
Can you tell me more about the cost, duration and benefit of registering
as a Girl Scout?
What is the minimum age/grade for joining Girl Scouts?
Must I be a registered member to participate in Girl Scouts?
Do I need to register every year? How do we register?
If I register online, how does my daughter get a troop?
I want to know if there is a troop for my girl before I sign her up.
I have requested financial assistance for my daughter for membership.
What happens next?
What materials will my daughter need to begin her Girl Scouting experience?
How do I register or renew my troop members?
Which membership registrations cannot be done online?
Where can I get paper forms for offline membership registration?
Membership Transfers
Are membership dues transferable from one year to another or from one
person to another?
How is a membership transferred from one troop to another within GSHG?
How can I make a request to transfer a membership in a Girl Scout
council to or from GSHG?
Criminal Background Checks
Does Girl Scouts run background checks on its volunteers?
How does someone get a criminal background check completed?
What is covered in a criminal background check?
How long does it take for a criminal background check to be approved?
Troop Support
Activity Registration, Girl Scout Registration, Meetings, Volunteer Toolkit (VTK), & more
Activity Registrations
How do I cancel an activity registration, and can I get a refund?
How do I register for an activity online?
Girl Scout Registration
How do I register or renew my troop members?
If I start the renewal process but don't finish, can I go back later?
What does the Status column mean on my troop's roster?
What if a girl is not returning or is unsure if she will return to the
troop next year?
What if a member did not participate in the current year, but would like
to participate next year?
What happens after I renew the troop?
How can I help inspire others to renew or join Girl Scouts?
Can I renew a 12th grade graduating girl as an Adult or purchase a
lifetime membership for her?
How does a new girl register for my troop or how can I register a new girl?
One of the parents volunteered to help with my troop! How can I add his
or her volunteer role?
How do I get more adults to join the troop as a volunteer?
Should parents register as members?
What happens if girls don't renew by September 30?
What should I do if someone says they registered for my troop but is not
listed on my troop roster?
How do I request a transfer from one troop to another?
Have any of your members moved to a new address?
Opportunity Catalog
How does the Opportunity Catalog work and what information is listed?
Does the Opportunity Catalog show multi-age troops?
What is the minimum and/or recommended troop size?
How do I update the Opportunity Catalog information for my troop?
If I have an opening mid-year in my troop, how do I share the vacancy
using the Opportunity Catalog?
What if I don't know the new girl joining my troop?
Can my troop opt-out of the opportunity Catalog?
Can I close enrollment to my troop?
How do I find Service Unit volunteer positions in the Opportunity Catalog?
How do I update my troop information?
Troop Organization
What are the steps to starting a troop?
What is the minimum number of people required for a troop? Is there a limit?
Can I have a multi-level troop or do I need individual troop numbers for
each grade level?
What are the requirements for becoming a troop leader?
Can relatives be troop leaders? Can men be troop leaders?
How are troop leaders informed of Service Unit meetings?
I am resigning from my leader position and do not have a new leader
recruited, what should I do?
Troop Meetings
When can a new troop start holding meetings in the Fall?
Can Girl Scout troops meet year-around?
How long are troop meetings?
What activities do troop meetings typically include?
Where can we hold our troop meetings?
How many volunteers must be present at every meeting/event?
I have a girl who is behaving inappropriately or bullying during troop
meetings. How should I handle this?
Delivery of Quality Leadership Experience
What will a girl do as a Girl Scout?
How can I help the girls feel more a part of Girl Scouts and the troop?
What does "girl-led" mean?
What is a Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting?
When planning activities, what should be considered?
What is a Journey series?
How can I deliver a quality Girl Scout Leadership Experience?
What can leaders do to help the girls begin their journey for the year?
What is the difference between "service" and "take action"?
Can my daughter work on badges, Journeys and awards without her troop?
What are SWAPS?
What are Bridging Ceremonies?
What are Destinations?
What is Volunteer Essentials?
Volunteer Toolkit (VTK)
What is Volunteer Toolkit (VTK)?
Are multi-level troops supported by VTK?
How do I access the Get Outdoors options in VTK?
Safety & Insurance
Where can I find the safety guidelines for a troop?
What is Safety Activity Checkpoints?
Can volunteers who work in the healthcare field serve as First Aiders?
Where can I take CPR classes? Does online CPR training fulfill GSHG requirements?
What type of insurance is provided by GSUSA, and who is covered?
Where is the insurance form (Mutual of Omaha)?
If a new member joins before the start of a membership year, are they
covered under insurance? What about lapsed members?
Troop Finances
Can my troop/group participate in additional money earning programs?
How do I handle girl(s) transferring to other troop(s)?
My troop/group is disbanding. What should we do with our funds?
May I accept donations (sponsorships) to my troop/group?
One of the parents in my troop works for an employer that offers
matching gifts and volunteer service hours. How does she ensure that the
funds are donated to our troop?
What approval is needed to participate in additional money earning programs?
What are troop dues?
Programming
Product Program, Camp & Outdoors, Highest Awards
Product Program
How do Individually Registered Girl (IRG) members participate in Fall
Product and Cookie Programs?
What is Fall Product Program?
Besides earning money, what are the benefits of participating in product programs?
How/where do I go about getting a booth during Cookie Season?
How does council use proceeds from product programs?
Camp & Outdoors
How do I make a reservation for the weekend at a camp?
Is weekend camping reserved only for Girl Scouts?
Does my daughter need to be a Girl Scout to attend Girl Scout Summer
Resident or Day Camp?
How do I register for Summer or Day Camp?
How do I apply for financial assistance for camp for my daughter?
Highest Awards
Does GSHG offer scholarships for Gold Award recipients?
What are Bronze/Silver/Gold awards?
What is the highest award a Girl Scout Senior/Ambassador can earn?
What is the highest award a Girl Scout Cadette can earn?
What is the highest award a Girl Scout Junior can earn?
What are the Girl Scout Silver and Girl Scout Gold Award deadlines?
Can adults receive awards?
