Hi!  I’m Monica Baldyga, your Volunteer Development Specialist.  In partnership with volunteers in your community, I’ll help you through the process of becoming a volunteer with Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts.   We are really pleased that you are interested in volunteering to work with girls in your community. 

If you plan to become a leader, co-leader or assistant leader you must complete the following steps, before you start meeting with girls. Feel free to use this as a checklist.  You will have 10 business days from the time your Volunteer Application is processed to complete these steps:

• Submit a Volunteer Application. 
• Submit three references. 
• Submit a CORI request and copy of your identification. (Please note that this must be signed by a CORI Authorized person, contact me for someone in your area.)
• Read the Leader Position Description and Core Competencies   and if you agree to them complete the Volunteer and GSCWM Agreement.  This is what is expected of leaders by both GSCWM and Girl Scouts of the USA.
• Submit an Adult Registration form and dues ($12 for the year or $300 for a lifetime membership) – this can be submitted with your troop’s registration forms.
• Complete the online Girl Scouting 101 course which takes about 45-50 minutes.  The course gives new Girl Scout volunteers an overview of the organization and the basics on working with girls of all ages.  The password is aboutGS101. Please be sure to check that the zoom on your browser is set to 100% in order to see the entire screen.  This is usually found listed under the page tab. Our council is listed as Central and Western Massachusetts.
• Complete Welcome to Girl Scout Leadership which reviews the essential details required to begin a new Girl Scout troop or group. Some of the topics covered include overview of our council structure, who in your community to contact with questions, safety, program resources, being fiscally responsible, parent involvement, product sales, and what to do now that you said “Yes, I’ll be a Girl Scout leader!".

The items that are underlined are active links to the forms and the Girl Scouting 101 course.   Please contact me at mbaldyga@gscwm.org or 800-462-9100 x3610 (in Massachusetts) or 413-584-2602 x3610 to find out about when and where Welcome to Girl Scout Leadership is being offered near you.

Completely fill out and return the Volunteer Application and the 3 references.  You have the option to take the reference form and make 3 copies; then have the 3 people you are going to use as references fill them out and once completed attach them to your application. The Volunteer and GSCWM Agreement form must be returned with the other forms.    These forms can be faxed, emailed or placed n the mail, whichever is easiest for you, or you can give them to the person who is facilitating your Welcome to Girl Scout Leadership training.
    
Please fill out the CORI request and hand that to a Girl Scout CORI Authorized signer in your town, then hand in the signed CORI with the rest of the paperwork, (Please attach a copy of your ID to the CORI).   When you contact me about the Welcome to Girl Scout Leadership course, I can let you know who in your community is authorized to sign your CORI request form.

If you have any questions or concerns about this or anything else, please contact me.

Thank you very much and I look forward to meeting you.  

Monica