Recruitment "How To" and Tips

Service Units

Girl Scout for the Day
Distribute flyers at schools in your service unit to invite interested girls and their parents to a 2-3 hour event. Troops each host a booth with Girl Scout activities (i.e. create a swap, craft, camp songs, traditions, etc. ). Some successful themes are: Girl Scout Camping (camp songs, tent pitching, swaps, crafts, camp games, and of course -- s'mores!); Discover the World of Girl Scouts (do an activity towards earning a Journey Award, Daisy petal, Brownie try-it or Junior badge); Daisy or Brownie Fun Day (songs, swaps, games, petal or try-it activities). Have the Girl Scout Journey, Try-It and Leader books open for the parents to see the resources that are available to leaders. After an hour of fun activities, invite the parents to join you for a parent meeting to form new troops. Have the parents sit by Girl Scout program age level (i.e. future Daisy parents, Brownie parents, etc.). Talk briefly about the Girl Scout experience and answer questions. Then move into forming troops and recruiting co-leaders — making sure you always use the terms co-leaders or forming a leadership team!

Ice Cream Social
Distribute flyers at schools in the service unit to invite interested girls and their families to a free Ice Cream Social. Bring photo displays of the service unit troops in action! Display the girl and leader books, including the Journey series. After time for socializing, gather the parents into an area and have them sit by Girl Scout age groups. Talk briefly about the Girl Scout experience and answer questions. Then move into forming troops and recruiting co-leaders and/or leadership teams.

Mother/Daughter Tea or Father/Daughter Dance
Distribute flyers in the service unit and invite interested girls and their parent to a Mother/Daughter Tea or Father/Daughter Dance. A service unit or troop can pay for the event if funds are available. After a wonderful event, hold a brief parent meeting. Talk briefly about the Girl Scout leadership experience and answer questions. Then move into forming troops and recruiting co-leaders and/or leadership teams.

Outdoor Cooking Extravangaza
Distribute flyers at schools in the service unit and invite girls and their parents to a Outdoor Cooking Extravangaza! A sevice unit or troop can pay for the event if funds are available. Have Let's Cook trained leaders show off their cooking skills with box ovens, dutch ovens, pit cooking and stick cooking! After everyone has been awed by the outdoor cooking experience, hold a brief parent meeting to answer questions, form troops and recruit co-leaders and/or leadership teams

Parent Information Night:
Distribute flyers at schools in the service unit and invite interested girls and their parents to a Parent Information Night. Have the troops create large photo displays on presentation poster boards. Ask troop leaders and Girl Scouts to tell about their Girl Scout experience. Gather the group and move into forming troops and recruiting co-leaders and/or leadership teams.

Tips

Recruitment Tips

• Girls dressed in uniform perform activities at their school (ushering, pledge of allegiance, flag ceremonies, award assemblies, etc.)
• Make events (back to school nights, parent meetings, street festivals) more personal by having active Girl Scouts talk about their scouting experiences and share stories about some of the things their troop has been able to do.
• Advertise on your school's marquee or ask to hang flyers or articles on the school's bulletin boards.
• Current Girl Scouts personally invite their friends and other girls to Thinking Day, Juliette Lowe's birthday, Girl Scout week, etc.
• Display flyers at places of worship, coffee shops, libraries, recreation centers, laundry mats, etc.
• Use tools available to you from your membership development coordinator like lawn signs, posters, cookies, pencils, stickers etc. Call (619) 610-0702 or send
  us an e-mail.
• Ask Girl Scout parents to attend your event and give testimonials about their daughters' Girl Scout experiences, or, if they volunteer, their experiences.
• Recruit bi-lingual parents to help with ESL volunteers, especially into service unit positions.)
• Ask older girl troops to help entertain girls at recruitment events, at back to school nights, parent meetings, etc. Help them earn hours they need for leadership, highest awards, etc.
• Get to know troop statistics! What troops are at your school, how many girls are in that troop, what are the program age levels-- so you know where you can place girls.
• Create business cards/address labels with your contact information and hand them out to troop leaders, school secretaries, etc so they know who to contact if they are approached by parents or girls.
• Offer a "Girls Night Out" for older girls and Juliettes. Ask them to bring a friend to participate in games, activities, etc. that are tailored specifically for teenagers. It will help retain (and add) older girl troops!
• Brainstorm with other leaders and start your own list. E-mail us your ideas.

Ground rules and tips for success:

• Non-member girls must be accompanied by a parent.
• Events must be pre-approved by the membership development coordinator.
• When gathering parents to form troops, encourage them to sit/stand with other parents who have the same age daughters.
• Always ask them to become co-leaders or part of a leadership team.
• Keep activities fun and easy to do. Show the adults they could become leaders too.
• Have Girl Scout leader books available.Show parents the wonderful resources available for our leaders.
• At the event, have everyone fill out a Girl Scout Membership Interest card. Pass these cards on to the troop organizer or council staff.

Publicity:

• Distribute flyers to all schools in the service unit – including private schools. Talk to your membership development coordinator about flyer options and school district approval.
• Send the flyer out via email to leaders in the service unit and ask the leaders to send the flyer to their friends with a personal invitation.
• Look for creative ways to publicize the event. Ask the local newspaper to include the event in the upcoming community events section. Display hand-made posters at the grocery store, school and in neighborhood newsletters. There are many ways to reach your community!

Thank you for reaching out to the girls in your community and helping them discover the Girl Scout Leadership Experience!

Have a great time! Enjoy your journey!