By your commitment to your Service Unit, your efforts enable your area to provide enriching, priceless opportunities for Girl Scouts in your community.
These pages are designed to be a guide, to answer questions, offer helpful hints and assist you in reaching your fullest potential in your volunteer role. Please also refer to the 2024-2025 Service Unit Planning Packet for more information.
In addition to these pages and your trainings, you should also draw on the expertise of other volunteers in your Service Unit and surrounding Service Units. Your Volunteer Specialist, Program Specialist, Recruitment Specialist and Placement Specialist are also available from the Girl Scouts of Orange County Council as resources.
Thank you for volunteering and all that you do to create a positive difference in the lives of girls and adults in your community.
Program Lead
Operations Lead
Membership Lead
Service Unit Data Management Coordinator (DMC)
Uses Looker to regularly review reports and maintain data integrity.
Service Unit Finance Coordinator
Manages SU bank account(s):
Please Note: The Troop Support Specialist for your Service Unit will provide the link for the Service Unit Financial Report.
Service Unit Recognitions Coordinator
Training Required: SU Recognition Coordinator training (annually).
Service Unit Fall Product/Cookie Manager
Training Required: GSOC Fall Product and/or Cookie Manager training; training for specific product program role (Materials, Distribution, etc.).
Service Unit Level Consultants
Training Required: Level Consultant Rallies (up to 2 per year or as deemed necessary)
Service Unit School Liaison|
Training Required: School Liaison training (annually).
New Leader Liaison
Support New Leaders during their first two years to create a lasting, well-trained volunteer base that ensures a strong future for Service Units.
Most Service Unit Team Members, Troop Leaders, Troop Helpers etc. are appointed by selecting their volunteer role(s) from the Opportunity Catalog in their MyGS account. Some appointments must be approved by a particular Team Member or by the Volunteer Manager-Troop Support. The DMC in partnership with the Service Unit Leads are responsible to evaluate, assess, and track background screening dates, training records and assist with recognition of volunteers within the Service Unit by using the bi-monthly Service Unit Roster Reports they are provided.
Service Unit Leads are responsible for orienting Team members to their positions and recruiting Service Unit Team members and Troop Leaders.
VOLUNTEER ACCOUNTABILITIES
Terms for volunteer roles on the Service Unit Team are for one year with the option to renew each year.
Service Unit Team meetings help the team build camaraderie to get the jobs of the Service Unit done quickly and efficiently. These meetings are the foundation of a strong Girl Scout Service Unit. Without team meetings, teams are often left feeling adrift and disconnected from the core purpose of their Service Units.
The team meeting is where the planning takes place including tracking the Service Unit Honor Award requirements. The Service Unit Team is tasked with planning recruitment and girl activities as well as deciding how to recognize its volunteers, all while having FUN! All Service Unit Team members should attend these meetings. The team should invite the Volunteer Manager-Troop Support, Recruitment Specialist, Placement Specialist and/or New Leader Specialist if they need assistance in their area of expertise during these planning sessions.
The Service Unit Team meeting is where the Service Unit Leads can check in with the team members to see where the Service Unit is flourishing or where additional support is needed. The Finance Coordinator and Data Management Coordinator give updates and the Events Coordinator reports on how event planning is going.
Service Unit Team meetings are planning meetings and are most effective when held prior to the next Service Unit meeting to give the team time to prepare any trainings, information or networking that will occur at the Service Unit meeting. When a team meeting is held the same night as the Service Unit meeting, it is recommended to hold the team meeting AFTER the Service Unit meeting to prepare for the next month’s meeting. It is not recommended to hold a team meeting immediately before a Service Unit meeting (unless the team is making plans a month in advance), because it will require more time to effectively prepare for the Service Unit meeting.
Qualities of an effective meeting:
Service Unit meetings are typically held monthly during the school year and offer team members, Troop Leaders and troop designees that attend the meetings a wealth of information they cannot receive in another capacity.
Service Unit meetings offer:
It is recommended for each troop to have a representative attend each Service Unit meeting. The same person does not have to attend all meetings. The troop representative can be the Troop Leader, a Troop Helper or a parent. The purpose of having troop representation at each Service Unit meeting is to communicate Service Unit and Council news, events, trainings and the sharing of ideas with the troop.
Ideas for Service Unit meetings:
Qualities of an effective meeting:
SAMPLE SERVICE UNIT MEETING AGENDA...
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XYZ Service Unit
Date
Welcome/Introductions (10 minutes before meeting starts)
Opening
Council News
Training (20 minutes)
Networking (20 minutes)
Closing and Thank You
Next Service Unit Meeting:
7:00pm
Tuesday, March 12th
ABC School
Four times a year, Service Unit Leads from all of the Council’s areas come together for a Field Meeting. This is a time for managers/coordinators to network, learn Council news, and share their opinions with the Council’s top management.
These meetings are of critical importance, and each Service Unit should always send a least one representative. The Service Unit Manager/Coordinator does not always have to be the person who attends—but they are frequently the person who will get the most benefit from the meeting. If the Service Unit Manager/Coordinator cannot make a field meeting, they are tasked with finding a team member to attend and bring the information back to the Service Unit.
The Field Meetings are on the first Tuesday in October.
The location and theme of these Field meetings change to meet our volunteers’ needs, so watch the Service Unit Scoop for more information.
Succession planning is a process for identifying and developing volunteers within the Service Unit to fill future core Team positions. Succession planning increases the availability of experienced and capable volunteers that are prepared to assume these roles as they become available.
Even at the beginning of your term as a Service Unit Lead, one of your most important roles is to start planning for your successor(s). The Service Unit Lead is encouraged to work closely with the Volunteer Manager – Troop Support or other staff member who appoints for a particular position (i.e., Entrepreneurship will appoint the Service Unit Fall Product and Cookie Coordinators) to provide input on each potential candidate. In some cases, a staff member from another department will supervise a volunteer position, as in the case of product sales, and they serve as the staff liaison. Once the Volunteer Manager – Troop Support or other staff liaison appoints the core Service Unit Team members, the Service Unit Leads can assist them with the recruitment of associates needed for each position.
The Service Unit Leads Coordinators should encourage Service Unit Team member candidates to attend team meetings in order to receive mentoring in a team role that interests them or utilizes their talents or skill sets. They may be invited to accompany a team member to a Field Meeting so they can see the “bigger” picture.
Service Unit Teams thrive when there is a committed and diverse pool of adults to be considered for positions. Look beyond current troop leaders; they are already volunteering and it is important to identify individuals who truly are able to commit the necessary time to fulfilling the Service Unit Team position. Consider recruiting former leaders, lifetime members, parents of current girl members and members of the community.
Service Unit team members do not need to be troop leaders, but they must successfully complete the volunteer application process, including background screening and fingerprinting. When speaking with volunteers, look for positions in which your candidate will be the best fit. Be honest about the amount of time a position will require.
The Bylaws of the Girl Scouts of Orange County require representatives of the membership to gather at an Annual Meeting to elect officers, review policies and discuss issues.
The representative members are called Delegates. These Delegates and Alternate Delegates to this annual meeting must be Girl Scout Ambassadors and adult members of the Girl Scout movement and currently registered through Council. Each Service Unit is allotted Delegates and Alternate Delegates based on its girl membership as of September 30th. These Delegates and Alternate Delegates are nominated and elected by the members of the Service Unit. This nomination and election typically happens in November.
A Delegate’s term is 1-year, but no more than 3 consecutive years. The Delegate and Alternate Delegate once elected by their Service Unit will go to their profile on MyGS and choose their volunteer role in the Opportunity Catalog.
Delegates are expected to:
There is a designated place on the Girl Scouts of Orange County website for Delegate Information.
SU Leads should be aware of the following:
The Service Unit is required to maintain records for a certain period of time. As a Service Unit Lead you will ensure Team members are keeping records for the appropriate time frames and making sure records with volunteer information is shredded after that time has lapsed. The Volunteer Manager – Troop Support can have records shredded for the Service Unit.
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Event information (one for each event that includes: budget, flyer, staff list, equipment/supply list, final report, evaluation and list of thank you’s) |
Current membership year + 2 years |
SU Leads |
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Any documentation regarding conflicts with or among volunteers or parents |
Current membership year + 1 For serious conflicts send the file to your Volunteer Specialist. |
SU Leads cc: Volunteer Manager – Troop Support |
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Current calendar year + 1 year |
SU Finance Coordinator |
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Current calendar year + 1 year |
SU Finance Coordinator or SU Leads (depending on who is designated signer on Community Event Account) |
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Day Camp Medical Log |
7 years after the girl turns 21 years old |
GSOC HQ |
Accident Report with permission slip attached |
Permanently |
Facility Operations Director, GSOC |
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Field trips/Events/Activities (one per occasion) Troop Meetings (one per troop meeting location) |
Current membership year + 1 year |
SU Leads or SU Team Member designee |
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Troop/Group Product/Cookie Program Information |
Current membership year + 1 year |
Troop/Group Product/Cookie Manager |
Troop/Group Banking Information |
Current membership year + 1 year |
Troop Treasurer and/or Troop Leader |
Troop Travel Request |
Current membership year + 1 year after end of trip |
SU Program Lead Girl Experience Manager – Life Skills |
Money Earning Application and After Money Earning Report |
Current membership year |
SU Leads Volunteer Manager – Troop Support |
Parent Permission Logs |
Current membership year + 1 year |
Data Management Coordinator |
Training & Recognition Records |
If volunteer is with Troop/Group, training records should be kept until they leave troop/group or are accurately reflected on the Volunteer Network |
Troop Leader |
The Service Unit Membership Lead or SU designee (sometimes the Finance Coordinator, New Leader Liaison, or Operations Lead) typically will supply troop bank authorization letters for new troops just forming and needing to open an account or for existing troops that are either changing signers on an account or closing an account at one bank to open a new account at a new bank location. (Both these types of letters are often referred to as “bank letters.”) The Volunteer Manager – Troop Support can supply a few bank letters at a time. The bank letter for new and existing GSOC Troop accounts is signed by a GSOC-designated staff member. These are pre-signed letters, so anyone with access to them needs to take caution and store them in a safe place.
Once the letter is filled out by the Service Unit designee, it allows a troop to either open an account under the name of Girl Scouts of Orange County, Troop XYZ, or change signers or other information on an existing Girl Scout troop account. Troops should be advised to contact their Service Unit designee to obtain a bank letter before going to the bank to open their account. They need to follow the steps as listed in Troop Financial Guidelines when opening a new account.
The Service Unit designee will complete the information on the bank letter before authorizing the Troop Leader to open a bank account (or whenever there is a change on an account).
The Service Unit designee will need the following:
Each troop must complete a Troop Banking Form online annually and every time there is a new account opened or a change to the account. The Troop Banking Form can be found at www.GirlScoutsOC.org under Forms and Docs and keyword search Troop Banking Form. Each troop must complete a Troop Financial Report annually and when the troop disbands. Troop Financial Reports can be completed by accessing the Volunteer Toolkit’s Finance Tab.
Like the Service Unit Honor Award assists the Service Unit with creating goals, the Troop Honor Award helps troops plan well-rounded and successful programs. This is also a way for the Service Unit Team to involve troop leaders in reaching the Service Unit Honor Award.
Each Service Unit can set the requirements of the Troop Honor Award to focus on specific activities and importance to them. This flexibility allows each Service Unit to meet their diverse needs and goals.
Use the Troop Honor Award to recognize troops for providing quality Girl Scout experience that builds girls of Courage, Confidence and Character who make the world a better place.
When creating the Troop Honor Award use requirements based on the National Program Portfolio (NPP) ensuring troops are providing the best Girl Scout Leadership Experience for the girls using both the Girls Guide to Girl Scouting for skill building and the Journey program for leadership skills.
The following are recommendations/ideas to help the Service Unit Team in creating and offering troops incentives to complete the Troop Honor Award:
GSOC recommends the criteria for the Troop Honor Award to address the following topics:
For a sample of Troop Honor Awards or ideas to create a Troop Honor Award, refer to the Service Unit goals, GSOC goals or ask your Volunteer Manager – Troop Support for assistance.
Troop Travel & Money Earning Activities
The Service Unit Program Lead is responsible for reviewing and approving, at the Service Unit level, all Troop Travel requests and requests for Money Earning Activities.
Travel
Under current Troop/Group Travel Guidelines (currently entitled, “Traveling with Girl Scouts”) Level 1 through Level 3 (Overnight) trips are approved on the Service Unit Level through the Permission Slip procedures. Such Permission Slips should be reviewed regularly by the Service Unit Program Lead or another trained SU designee. Any Level 4 (extended overnight), Level 5 (National Trips) or Level 6 (International Trips) need to be preliminarily approved by the Service Unit Program and then GSOC Council Staff. See the Troop/Group Travel Guidelines under Forms and Docs for more details.
Money Earning Activities
Money-Earning Guidelines for troops can be found under Forms and Docs at girlscoutsoc.org.
The SU Program Lead may need to educate Troop Leaders of the requirements for money-earning activities including these key points:
Brand is more than just a logo, color, or even a uniform — it is a complete design system that works together to create a distinctive look and feel. The power in our brand, like all things Girl Scouts, is built on the idea of each of us coming together with our unique perspectives to speak in one voice.
Working together to apply our identity across Girl Scouts branded materials ensures that we move forward together as a movement, with a coherent look and feel that makes our brand stand out and shine just like our Girl Scouts.
Brand Quick Reference Sheet
A brand is only as strong as the symbols that represent it. To establish a unified Girl Scouts voice, we’ll now use an optimized and streamlined set of marks developed by GSUSA. Please reference this Guide for Usage of Girl Scout Marks when using these logos. These logos are primarily intended for flyers and internal service unit communications. If you need to incorporate these on merchandise (patches, shirts, ect.) or external facing collateral assets please reach out to us at marcom@girlscoutsoc.org for assistance in navigating GSUSA licensing requirements.
GSOC Lockup Color (RGB .png)
GSOC Lockup White (RGB .png)
GSOC Lockup Black (RGB .png)
GSOC Lockup Color (CMYK .png)
GSOC Lockup Color (CMYK .jpg)
GSOC Acronym (RGB Vertical .png)
GSOC Acronym (RGB Horizontal .png)
Linked below are several Girl Scout Branded Word Templates available for service unit or troop use. Please ensure these templates are primarily used for events or activities with an audience that is primarily Girl Scout Members and their families. For consistency and up-to-date brand messaging please continue to work with the Membership Team for externally facing recruitment resources. Email GSOC MarCom at marcom@girlscoutsoc.org for program pillar-based or other uniquely branded templates.
GSOC Branded Flyer Template 1 (Word .doc)
GSOC Branded Flyer Template 2 (Word .doc)
GSOC Branded Flyer Template 3 (Word .doc)
A brand story outlines exactly what an organization does, for whom, and what makes it stand out. Because Girl Scouts themselves (and not the organization) are, and always should be, at the center of everything we do, the statement that follows speaks directly to them.
"You are what Girl Scouts is all about. Your dreams, ideas, and ambition are our DNA. Want to shoot a movie, build a robot, speak up for what you believe in, plant a garden, help others, or change a law? We’ve got all the tools you need. Is the world getting you down? We’re not only here to lift you up but also to guide you in growing the confidence to rise above. Whether you’re climbing to the top of a tree or to the top of your class, being a Girl Scout will get you there. Because Girl Scouts isn’t just another activity—it’s a way of life. It’s part of who you are. "
And much like our brand purpose to champion girl ambition, the statement isn’t meant to be used verbatim but as top-of-mind inspiration when you write and communicate about Girl Scouts. Revisit it frequently to remind yourself who we serve, how we serve them, and why.
Please reference our Writing Tips for Service Unit Volunteers for some quick pointers and refreshers to guide you in writing about Girl Scouts.