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How Girl Scouting Works

How does Girl Scouting work?

WAGGGS stands for the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts and has 136 member countries including the United States. Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. (GSUSA En Español: http://www.girlscouts.org/espanol.) oversees Girl Scouting across the country by dividing it into various jurisdictions called councils. Each Girl Scout Council is responsible for providing the Girl Scout program within its jurisdiction. Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York (GSNENY) is one of approximately 200 councils. Nationwide, Girl Scouts councils are undergoing a realignment process and Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York is one of the ten "early adopters" councils establishing best practices for other councils who will be realigning within the next 3-5 years.

Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York was created from the union of four Girl Scout Councils ( Hudson Valley , Mohawk Pathways, Adirondack and North Country) and now serves over 16,000 girls in Albany, Clinton, Columbia, Greene, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Montgomery, Hamilton, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren and Washington Counties and a portion of St. Lawrence County. The council employs a staff located at Council Service Centers in Albany, Plattsburgh, and Queensbury to provide support, programs and training to members.

The council is divided into Service Units. Each Service Unit is managed by a group of volunteers called a Service Team. The Service Team is headed by a volunteer Service Unit Manager who oversees the troops in that Service Unit. Service Units are most often divided by schools. The Service Team provides support, structure and program directly to troops.

Questions . . .

If you have a problem or a question, talk with your daughter´s troop leader. Keep important information handy--write your daughter´s troop number, leader´s name, phone number and address on a card and post it on your refrigerator or next to your telephone. If your leader can´t help you, call the Council Service Center at 489-8110, or toll free at 1-888-4GSNENY, and ask to speak to the Community Relations Specialist assigned to your town. Each Service Unit has a staff member who focuses on a particular geographic area.

Girl Scouting starts with your family. The diagram below demonstrates how you, as a family, fit into the organization.

Family

Troop (5-30 families in each troop)

Service Unit (4-30 troops in each Service Unit)

Council (over 100 Service Units in the council)

Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. (approx 200 councils)

WAGGGS(136 countries)

Your daughter belongs to the largest voluntary organization for girls in the world and is part of a family of girls from 136 countries.

Girl Scouts are all races, religions, national origins, economic backgrounds and varying abilities from 5-17 years old.

Girl Scouting offers a variety of experiences and adventures

 

 


  • Girl Scout Troops:

  • Daisy Girl Scouts are in grades K-1.
  • Brownie Girl Scouts are in grades 2-3.
  • Junior Girl Scouts are in grades 4-5.
  • Cadette Girl Scouts are in grades 6-8.
  • Senior Girl Scouts are in grades 9-10
  • Ambassador Girl Scouts are in grades11-12
    • Troop activities vary from troop to troop as girls are encouraged to make their own decisions about troop plans.
    • Troop meeting times also vary. Some troops meet once a week, every two weeks, or once a month. Popular meeting places include schools, churches and homes.
    • Beyond the troop, various program opportunities are offered throughout the council´s 16 1/2 county jurisdiction.

    Age Levels

    Daisy Girl Scouts are girls in Kindergarten or 1st grade, Brownies are girls in Grades 2 through 3, Juniors are girls in Grades 4 through 5, Cadettes are girls in Grades 6 through 8, Seniors are girls in Grades 9 through 10 and Ambassadors are girls in Grades 11 through 12. Girls can join Girl Scouts for the first time at any age. For example, it is not required that girls complete the Brownie Age Level prior to becoming a Junior Girl Scout. A girl can also join for the very first time as a Cadette or higher level Girl Scout.

    Daisy Girl Scouts are the youngest Girl Scouts in the organization. This is their first experience with Girl Scouts. Even though they are young, Daisy Girl Scouts do many exciting activities including community service, go on trips, play games, and earn recognitions.

    Brownie Girl Scouts is the second age level in Girl Scouting. Some Brownie Girl Scouts may already have participated in Girl Scouting at the Daisy Age Level, but for many this is their introduction to the world of Girl Scouts. Activities for the Brownie Age Level include community service, trips, games, and earning Try-Its.

    Junior Girl Scouts is the third level in Girl Scouting. Juniors participate in a wide range of activities including overnights and camp-ins, nature programs, various patch programs and can earn the Bronze Award.

    Cadettes through Ambassadors is for older girls in Girl Scouting. Teens can plan their own activities and programs, travel throughout the US or internationally through destinations, earn the Silver Award and Gold Award, the two highest awards in Girl Scouting.

    GSNENY offers day and overnight camp programs every summer for Brownies, Juniors and Teen levels.

    Outstanding Leader Award
    Parents can nominate a leader for the Outstanding Leader Award. This is a National Award given to a leader of at least two years who demonstrates outstanding leadership qualities in the delivery of the Girl Scout program. A minimum of two letters of support from parents or girls in the troop is required.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

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