TROOP. for your RECRUITING. Here are some tips for a successful troop recruitment:

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1 RECRUITING for your TROOP Recruiting girls for your troop is one of the most important things a leader does! It is vital to get a strong troop started your first year, but it is also important for established troops to reach out to new girls every year. New girls may now be interested or have recently moved to the school. Every girl deserves the opportunity to be a part of Girl Scouts! Here are some tips for a successful troop recruitment: Create a flyer or invitation. You can use one of our customizable options to create an invitation for girls and their parents, inviting them to a troop start-up meeting, or informing them of how to join the troop. In this packet you will find two options: an example customizable flyer template you can personalize online and a handwritten style invitation that you or your troop can complete and decorate. You can access the customizable options online at gsnwgl.org in the troop resources section. If you need copies made or help customizing the flyer, contact your Girl Scout staff member. Distribute your flyer/invitation to all girls in the grade(s) your troop will serve. Often, classroom teachers will distribute the flyer for you if you ask! However, some schools have a policy against distributing materials which means we have to be a bit more creative. If you cannot distribute through the school, many leaders have success handing them out to all parents in the pick-up area after school or having their daughters distribute to all girls, like a party invite. If you have a class list, with parent s and/or phone numbers, this can also be a helpful way to contact families. Host a recruitment booth. Set up a little booth outside your child s classroom or in the school commons and talk to girls and parents before or after school just remember to get permission from the school. Your Girl Scout staff person can give you materials or display ideas. gsnwgl.org

2 Host a recruitment booth. Set up a little booth outside your child s classroom or in the school commons and talk to girls and parents before or after school just remember to get permission from the school. Your Girl Scout staff person can give you materials or display ideas. Use social media! If your school or PTA has a Facebook page or uses twitter post troop recruitment information there. Post it on your personal pages as well and ask friends to share. You never know who may know girls who d love the opportunity to join! Make sure school staff are aware of your troop! Whether you send an or stop and chat, make sure you inform the teachers, school secretary, principal, and guidance counselor you have a troop. When they have girls who would be a good fit for your troop, they can connect them with you! Give them a few copies of your troop flyer or contact cards to keep on hand. Contact other parents you know! Often, they will know other moms with girls in the grades you are serving and can help you get the word out! Host a bring-a-friend event. If you already have girls in your troop or some who have expressed interest, have them each invite a friend who is not a Girl Scout to join an upcoming meeting. Make it a fun, get-to know you party! Your staff person can provide you with activity ideas if needed. Make Posters! Have your girls make hand-made posters to hang up throughout the school. Your Girl Scout staff has some printed options as well. Advertise on the school announcements. Ask the principal if your troop can share a pitch about joining their troop on the school announcements! Maybe they could also read the promise or law. Important things to remember: Don t forget to use the customizable flyers available in the troop resource section of gsnwgl.org. Did you know that girls can earn a recruitment patch for assisting with recruitment? Check out the details on the last page of this packet. Need recruitment flyers printed, additional copies of the invitation, or additional materials for booths or troop startup events? Don t hesitate to ask your Girl Scout staff member.

3 Register today! Leader s: This is an e xample of h one troop u ow sed our cus tomizable fl tool to recru ye r it new girls. You can find tool and ma th ke your own is at: gsnw.gl/ 11o We want YOU to be a part of our troop! Dear Parents, My name is Susan Johnson, and I am also a parent here at Edison! I am starting up a new Daisy Girl Scout troop for Kindergarten girls, and I would love to have your daughter join us! Our troop will do all sorts of exciting things, from earning badges, to exploring nature, going on field trips, creating arts and crafts, participating in the cookie program, and more! It will be so much fun! Please consider giving your daughter this awesome opportunity! Open to girls in grades: Kindergarten Where our troop meets: Edison Elementary, Multipurpose room When our troop meets: Second and fourth Tuesdays of each month from 3:30-5 p.m. Cost: National Girl Scout Membership fee is $30, plus $10 troop dues. Uniform costs vary, depending on size and choices. Financial Aid is available! How to join: We will be hosting a family information meeting for parents and girls on Monday, September 8 from 6-7 p.m. in the Edison gym. If you can make it, give me a call and I can share more details. For more information, contact: Susan Johnson, Troop Leader (999) or supermomsue@ .com gsnwgl.org *Financial assistance is available

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5 Leaders: You can find this customizable invitation at: gsnw.gl/12o

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7 gsnwgl.org Spread the Word about Girl Scouts and earn a patch! Pick one activity from at least three of the categories below and complete it! Girls must complete three activities total or if girls refer a friend who actually becomes an official member, they will automatically earn it! Contact your Girl Scout staff member or us at bringafriend@gsnwgl.org to request any materials you need then tell us what you did and request your patch! Patches may be earned August 1, January 15, Spread the Word! Use social media to spread the word about Girl Scouts! Work with your parents to use their social media accounts to share a picture of you doing your favorite Girl Scout activity and a message about why you enjoy being a Girl Scout. Then, ask them to volunteer or get the girls in their life involved too! Include a link to our council website and phone number ( Also tag the council Facebook page (GSNWGL - Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes) and use the hashtag #joingsnwgl Hang up a Girl Scout Flyer on three community Bulletin Boards! Libraries, grocery stores, schools, and community centers are good places to hang them. You can download flyers here: gsnw.gl/13o or request them from your Girl Scout staff member. Do you live on a busy street? Request a yard sign from your staff member and display it in your yard during the fall. Ask your staff person for information cards or flyers to hand out at school. Hand them out to girls and parents at the pick up area after school! 2. Speak Out! Ask your teacher if you can speak to the class for a few minutes about joining Girl Scouts. Tell everyone why you enjoy being involved and share some favorite activities, projects, or trips that you participated in. Consider bringing props such as something you made, your uniform, or photos. Ask your staff person for flyers or materials to hand out to girls who may want to join. Wear your uniform to school, church, or another community event, and talk to at least 10 people about why being a Girl Scout is awesome! Ask your principal if you can talk about Girl Scouts on the announcements. Ask your council staff person if they have an upcoming recruitment night you could announce and invite people to! If not, she could give you another very short message to read, or you can write your own. Ask your Girl Scout staff member if you can attend an upcoming Girl Scout recruitment event and talk about why you love Girl Scouts with the group!