You volunteered, now what?

Either you have known since childhood that you would one day be a girl scout leader (like me) or you may have been convinced at a recruitment event because no one else would volunteer. But here you are a registered leader waiting for a list of girls or perhaps you were given one the night you signed up.

1. Get all the training you can ASAP. There are training for new leaders offered online now so you can do them any time day or night.

2. Pick a day and time that works best for YOUR schedule. Decide if you will meet weekly or bi-weekly. I find twice a month is enough to fit into everyone's schedule but that is your decision. You will be adding events and camps so you will be together more than just for meetings.

3. Find a place to meet. Talk to your church, school, library, Vet organizations, fire dept, bank, community center, etc.

4. Decide if you will be a single level, single grade or multi-level troop. How many girls do you think may be your limit?

5. Contact your membership staffer and get to know her. Ask her when your service unit meetings are and make sure you do your best to attend them. Tell her when and where you will meet and find out if there is any paperwork she needs from you.

6. Send out a message to all who have signed up to be in your troop. Include when and where. Start a troop facebook group or other way to communicate to the parents.

7. Have a parent meeting and if it was not already decided at your recruitment, figure out who you would like as co-leader (or co-leaders) and talk to them. I highly recommend a couple of them. Find out what their strengths are and benefit from them. Perhaps one agrees to be Nut/Cookie only, one is good at paperwork, and another wants to be a camp trained mom. This will help and having more registered adults helps with events not getting canceled due to your other adult canceling.

If you are multi-level then you need one who is dedicated to each level. This alone will reduce stress.

But if you figure out you just can not work with someone, don't let is fester. Tactfully find the words to part ways.

8. Have a parent manual so parents can not say, you didn't tell me that. Decide what your troop dues will be for the first year and if it will be paid monthly or if you will just give the parents the total for the year. Ask for donations of supplies, have a wish list at meetings.

Put everything on your troops facebook group, also send by e-mail and even text. If you tell parents from the beginning that this will be your only forms of communication and that you will NOT be calling each of them to find out if they are attending, then they will catch on and either RSVP or their daughter doesn't go.

9. Do not let parents push you around. You are a volunteer!