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