Patch: Build-A-Troop Program

WHAT: A patch program to encourage established troops to help recruit and mentor new troops.

WHY: To share the joy of Girl Scouting! To feel pride in knowing that you helped others! To earn service hours! To earn great incentives! To be a sister to every (potential) Girl Scout!

WHEN: An established troop recruits, mentors, and helps register a new troop by September 30, 2009. By doing so, the existing troop earns free patches and a $35 Girl Scout store gift certificate.

HOW:

1. Recruit leaders and girls for a new troop.
   • Girls and volunteers help recruit girls and adult leadership through their school, neighborhood, church, sports team, etc. to form the new troop.
   • Troops should partner with the main person overseeing recruitment for your service unit and/or school so you don’t duplicate current recruitment efforts and you find out where "gaps" might exist in your local area. For instance, your service unit might be low on girls in Kindergarten, girls who are home-schooled, girls who attend private schools, or girls who are Spanish speaking. Use this knowledge and your own community connections to focus your efforts.
      
2. Meet with the new troop at least two times within the first eight to twelve weeks after it is formed.
    
3. Complete the Build-a-Troop Eligibility Form (PDF), including the needed signatures, and submit it in a timely manner to your membership staff. Work with the service team as needed.

As a thank you, the established troop earns:

• Troops that recruit, meet at least once with, and help get a new troop registered with all required paperwork (volunteer applications, registrations, and bank account materials) by September 30, 2009 receive:
  1. one $35 store credit for the troop, and
  2. a free Build-a-Troop patch for each girl and leader.

  Please note that troops/leaders may earn no more than one $35 incentive a year.

• Troops that complete the program and whose mentored troop registers by February 1, 2009 will also be entered into a raffle to win a free Build-A-Bear gift certificate worth $150. Drawing will occur in February 2009 and the winner will be announced council-wide.

Benefits for established and new troops:

• A strengthened Girl Scout program in your community.
  A new troop means more opportunities for joint events, service, and friendship. New troop leaders also bring new ideas, energy, and resources to the Service Unit.
• Living the Promise and Law, especially "being a sister to every Girl Scout."
  We cannot stop extending a hand to new girls and adults until everyone has been offered a place in Girl Scouting.
• Opportunities for badge work.
  For instance, if girls plan a science activity for one of the joint troop meetings, they can use this work towards one of the science badges. Junior, Cadette, and Senior girls can use the activities done for this patch program to help earn their Bronze, Silver, and/or Gold Award requirements.
• Involve your troop in your service work and earn incentives at the same time!
  Adult Mentors, Organizers and School Reps could combine their service team activities with their troop activities to complete this program. As long as their efforts meet both program elements—recruitment and mentoring—they qualify!

Ideas for recruiting new girls and leaders:

• Host a bring-a-friend event.
• Talk to caring adults you know about the possibilities of becoming a Girl Scout leader and/or signing their daughters up for Girl Scouts.
• Write up and submit brief articles about Girl Scouts for any newsletters you might receive (i.e. clubs that you belong to, church bulletins, PTA newsletters, etc.).
• Place a desk sign on your desk at work or wear your Girl Scout clothing or pins to start conversations with co-workers and clients about Girl Scouts.
• Find the gaps in your service unit where Girl Scouts are not as prevalent and try to recruit in those areas.
• Contact your school rep, service unit organizer or GSWW staff for any names that might be on the waiting list.

Celebration:

• GSWW staff and/or service unit managers will recognize the participating troops at their leaders meetings to thank girls and leaders for their hard work and to introduce the new leaders.
• Troop leaders can plan celebrations with the girls to recognize their hard work.
• Girls decide how they would like to continue their relationship with their new sister troop and to spend their store gift certificate, if applicable.