Ways to Volunteer - Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts (GSEMA)
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Volunteer with Girl Scouts

Ways to Volunteer

As a Girl Scout troop leader or community volunteer with GSEMA, you’ll introduce girls in eastern Massachusetts to new experiences that show them they’re capable of more than they ever imagined. You'll help girls empower themselves and make a difference.

You’ll be their cheerleader, guide, and mentor, helping them develop skills and confidence that will last a lifetime. Imagine the smiles, the excitement, the memories made—those are the moments you’ll share at Girl Scouts.

Volunteer Today

Already have a Girl Scout in your family? Use these easy-to-follow instructions to register yourself or other family members as Girl Scout volunteers.

There are many ways a caregiver can support a girl’s experience in Girl Scouts. Learn more about the following primary volunteer positions and how to sign up for these roles:

Girl Engagement Volunteer Roles
Troop Leadership Team

Be a positive role model and become a troop leadership team member. Collaborate with a co-leader to guide and mentor a group of girls as they make new friends and develop lifelong skills. Need more information? Check out the Troop Leader position description.

Start a Troop Today

Work with other caring adults to organize bi-monthly troop meetings. Gather your friends, choose the meeting time and location, and follow these steps below to become a troop leader. For more information about starting a new troop and registering girls, visit our Join webpage.

  1. Become a Girl Scout by completing your online membership registration.
    Already have a Girl Scout in your family? Use these easy-to-follow instructions to register yourself or other family members as Girl Scout volunteers.
    Are you the first in your family to join? Register here.

  2. Complete the CORI Acknowledgement Form before meeting with girls; this form is valid for three years. The safety of our members is our highest priority.

  3. Sign up for troop leader training, starting with two easy steps:
    1. Troop Pathway Orientation
      This step-by-step online orientation in gsLearn will give you all the information needed to start a troop including the required forms, safety procedures, the Volunteer Toolkit, membership requirements, meeting location information, troop bank accounts, strategies for involving girls’ families, and more.
    2. Level-Specific Essentials
      Each Essentials session in gsLearn covers what you need to know to guide a troop of girls at your program level. Topics include how to use the Volunteer Toolkit to plan your year, earning petals or badges, Journeys, high awards (for Juniors and above), and how to promote and manage a girl-led environment. This course can be taken before you meet with girls or after your first few meetings. We recommend taking a new Essentials with each program level you volunteer with: Daisy, Brownie, Junior, and Cadette.
     
    For additional information, check out the New Leader’s Guide to Success, a resource designed especially for our newest troop leaders.
Troop Family and Friends Network

Assist with driving, activity planning, snacks, money management, first aid, or other tasks necessary to keep the troop running smoothly. 

Already have a Girl Scout in your family? Use these easy-to-follow instructions to register yourself or other family members as Girl Scout volunteers.
Are you the first in your family to join? Register here.

Troop Treasurer

Oversee and maintain the troop’s finances. Serve as a cosigner on the troop’s bank account, and submit an annual troop financial report.

Already have a Girl Scout in your family? Use these easy-to-follow instructions to register yourself or other family members as Girl Scout volunteers.
Are you the first in your family to join? Register here.

Troop Cookie Coordinator

Coordinate the annual Girl Scout Cookie Program for your troop and guide girls as they learn entrepreneurial skills. Sign up for cookie booths, manage inventory and money, and then experience the girls’ excitement when they reach their individual and troop goals.

Use these easy-to-follow instructions to register yourself as part of your girl’s troop and complete the online Troop Cookie Coordinator agreement (coming soon!).


Community Volunteer Roles

A service unit is a community of girl and adult members in a city, town, or group of towns. Service unit team volunteers are the key liaisons between GSEMA staff and local troops within a community. Volunteer roles include:

Service Unit Coordinator

Manage the service unit membership (girls, caregivers, and volunteers) throughout the troop year by coordinating regular meetings and events, promoting and communicating council initiatives and objectives, and providing guidance and support to service unit members. Learn more.

Service Unit Treasurer

Oversee and maintain the service unit’s finances including the service unit bank account(s). They submit an annual service unit financial report and guide troops with completing their annual financial reports. Learn more.

Service Unit Membership Promoter

Promote membership in the service unit through the recruitment and retention of girls and volunteers. Learn more.

Service Unit Fall Product Program Mentor

Operate the Fall Product Program in adherence to GSEMA guidelines and policies found in GSUSA’s Volunteer Essentials and Safety Activity Checkpoints. Become familiar with the Fall Product Program products, procedures, deadlines, and girl and troop recognitions, and encourage troop participation.

Service Unit Cookie Mentor

Operate the Girl Scout Cookie Program in adherence to GSEMA guidelines and policies found in GSUSA’s Volunteer Essentials and Safety Activity Checkpoints. Become familiar with the Cookie Program products, procedures, deadlines, girl and troop recognitions, and encourage troop participation. Learn more.

Service Unit New Leader Mentor

In partnership with the service unit team, and GSEMA Engagement team, the New Leader Mentor will provide local context, connections, information and support to new leaders. Learn more.


Council Volunteer Roles
Museum Docent and Project Help

The Girl Scout Museum at Cedar Hill in Waltham houses one of the most extensive collections of Girl Scout memorabilia in the country. Archives include primary source photographs, newspapers, and artifacts connected to the beginnings of the Girl Scout Movement in Massachusetts, and showcase life in Boston, Waltham, and New Bedford over the past 100 years.

The museum welcomes project-based volunteers to scan, sort, and archive our many artifacts. Additionally, if you’re interested in providing tours and programming to Girl Scout groups at one of our museum sites (Andover, Waltham, Middleboro), you can become a Museum Docent. Read the position description for more information.

Gold Award Committee Advisor

Support Gold Award candidates and the Gold Award process set forth by Girl Scouts of USA (GSUSA) and GSEMA through direct support of individual girls’ projects and aspirations to earn the highest award in Girl Scouting. One-year commitment. Learn more.

GSEMA's Gold Award Committee is actively seeking new advisors. Complete our online application to apply today.

Volunteer Recognition Committee

Review nominations for annual council-wide volunteer recognitions,  and shape the ongoing policy of how, when, and why we recognize volunteers. Apply today. 

Volunteer Conference Committee

Each year, a new committee of volunteers is selected to plan the annual Volunteer Conference. If you're interested in working with your peers to shape the Volunteer Conference, fill out the interest form in the post-conference attendee evaluation.

Regional Delegates

Are you passionate about the policies that impact Girl Scouting in Eastern Massachusetts? Become a GSEMA Regional Delegate, and lend your voice to critical council governance decisions. Contact us to learn more. 


Questions or concerns? We can help!