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At Girl Scouts, girls’ dreams are our dreams and Girl Scouts is where girls see the limitless possibilities ahead, because they are encouraged to aim for the stars and reach them! Whether she’s making a new friend on the playground, raising her hand in class, starting her own nonprofit, or advocating for climate change or social justice, a Girl Scout builds a better world—just as Girl Scouts have been doing for over a century. With programs in every zip code, coast-to-coast and around the globe, every girl can find her place in Girl Scouts and start creating the world she wants to see.
Girl Scout Volunteers 
Girl Scout volunteers are a dynamic and diverse group. Whether you’re a recent college graduate, parent, retiree, or really, anyone with a sense of curiosity and adventure (of any gender, who is 18 years or older and has passed their council’s screening process), your unique skills and experiences have the power to change girls’ lives. With you as their mentor, girls will grow and thrive.
Girl Scout members and volunteers are united by the values in the Girl Scout Promise and Law and their shared commitment to embrace leadership in all forms. Each member agrees to follow Girl Scouts safety guidelines and pay annual membership dues of $25. Volunteers and adults also have the option to purchase a Lifetime membership.
Girl Scout Grade Levels
Girls can join the fun at any point from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Girl Scouts six grade levels are:
Girl Scout Daisy (grades K–1)
Girl Scout Brownie (grades 2–3)
Girl Scout Junior (grades 4–5)
Girl Scout Cadette (grades 6–8)
Girl Scout Senior (grades 9–10)
Girl Scout Ambassador (grades 11–12)
The Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE)
The Girl Scout Leadership Experience provides the foundation for all we do. It is the core of our program and encompasses everything from our Promise and Law to our badges, activities, and Journeys. And at the center of it all are the girls. At Girl Scouts, everything centers around the girl, it’s what makes Girl Scouts truly unique. Our program is designed by, with, and for girls. With a focus on girl-led programing and activities, girls have the opportunity to take on leadership roles and learn-by-doing in a safe, fun, and cooperative environment.
Although girls may start building their leadership skills in school and on sports teams, research shows that the courage, confidence, and character girls develop as Girl Scouts stay with them throughout their lives. Our program and outcomes are based in research and our studies show that Girl Scouting has a measurable positive impact on girls. In fact, we can proudly say Girl Scouts are almost 10% more likely, than non-Girl Scouts, to have positive expectations about their future based on our studies. We encourage you to learn more about our program and outcomes as you check out our studies and in-depth research for insights and information.
The Girl Scout Leadership Experience has been purposefully designed to include a variety of fun and challenging activities to help girls learn, grow, and thrive. And at the base of it all are three keys and three processes.
What girls do in Girl Scouting all fit within our three keys: Discover, Connect, and Take Action.
Discover. When Girl Scouts take part in fun and exciting badge activities, earn a Girl Scout Journey award, go camping, or attend an amazing Girl Scout program or event, you are helping them discover who they are, what they care about, and where their talents lie.
Connect. When Girl Scouts collaborate with others—including the members and leaders of their troop, Girl Scouts from their local community, or community partners and experts—they connect and expand their horizons. This helps them care about, support, inspire, and team up with others both locally and globally.
Take Action. When girls deepen their relationship with the world around them, they’re eager to take action to improve the local community and the greater global community and make the world a better place.
So how do we do it? The Girl Scout Leadership Experience draws on three unique processes— Girl-led, Learning by Doing, and Cooperative Learning—that encourage girls to try new things, write their own stories, and develop the skills and confidence to say, “I know I can do this!”
Girl-led. Girl Scouts take the lead, no matter their age. From selecting the badges they’ll pursue to how they’ll organize an activity; Girl Scouts have the chance to follow their dreams and grow their skills—and gain the confidence that comes with that.
Learning- by- Doing. Hands-on activities are fun for Girl Scouts of any age, but they also help them feel empowered to shape their own experience. Girl Scouts unlock their “I got this” attitude as they discover they can always dust themselves off and try again when things don’t go according to plan.
Cooperative Learning. There’s power in having a tight-knit group of friends who will learn with you, grow with you, and always cheer you on. Girl Scouts see firsthand that teamwork, respect, and collaboration can fuel them through any challenge that comes their way.
As a volunteer, you’ll draw on these three processes as you lead girls of any age. And naturally, girl-led at the Daisy level will look very different from girl-led at the Ambassador level. What is most important is that your Girl Scouts make decisions about the activities they will do together and make choices as their doing the activities together. As girls learn from their successful, and not so successful tries, they gain confidence. All girls should have the opportunity to lead within their peer group. By the time girls are Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors, they will be using the leadership skills they’ve developed to take on more ownership of their activities, mentor younger Girl Scouts, and take action to make the world a better place.
One last tip about following these processes. Girl Scouting isn’t a to-do list, so please don’t feel that checking activities off a list is more important than tuning in to what interests girls and sparks their imaginations. Projects don’t have to come out perfectly—in fact, it’s a valuable learning experience when they don’t—Girl Scouts don’t have to fill their vests and sashes with badges. What matters most is the fun and learning that takes place as they make experiences their own, so don’t be afraid to step back and let your girls take the lead.
Reflection
Was a badge-earning activity a resounding success? Or was it derailed by something your troop hadn’t factored in? No matter the activity’s outcome, you can amplify its impact by encouraging your girls to reflect on their latest endeavor.
Reflection is the necessary debrief that reinforces what girls learned. As your Girl Scouts explore the what’s and why’s, they’ll make meaningful connections between the activity at hand and future challenges that come their way. In other words, reflection gives girls the confidence boost they need to pick themselves up, try again, and succeed.
Keep in mind that reflection does not need to be a formal process, but you can kick-start the conversation with three simple questions: What? So what? and Now what?
What? Go over the “what” of the activity. For example, ask:
- What did we do today?
- What part was your favorite?
- If we did it again, what would you want to do differently and what would you want to repeat?
So what? Next, move to the “so what.” You might ask:
- So, what did you learn by doing this activity?
- So, what did you learn about yourself?
- So, what did you learn about your community (or environment, school, or others) that you didn’t know before?
Last, review the now what. Say something like:
- Now that we’ve done this, what would you like to do next?
- Now that you know this about yourselves, what would you like to try next?
- Now that we’ve completed this Take Action™ project, what do you think we should do next to make sure it continues?
This form of reflection, or whatever style of reflection you choose to use with your girls, is a powerful component of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience that helps girls to carry these lessons with them for the rest of their lives.
Progression
Although program elements—like outdoor expeditions or entrepreneurial ventures—align across all grade levels, Girl Scout Brownies and Juniors won’t be doing the same activities as Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors. But with your support, they will get there!
Girl Scout programming is designed to be progressive and it’s what makes Girl Scouting fun and effective! By building on the knowledge and skills they gain year after year, your girls’ confidence will grow exponentially, and they’ll be eager to try new things and take on new challenges. As a volunteer, you will cultivate a supportive, nonjudgmental space where your Girl Scouts can test their skills and be unafraid to fail.
Keep in mind that progression drives success for your troop. In the following links, we’ve outlined some suggestions that will help you determine when your girls are ready for their next outdoor challenge, their next troop trip, or their next cookie-selling challenge.
Inclusion
Girl Scouts has a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion, and we welcome and embrace girls of all abilities and backgrounds into our wonderful sisterhood.
Inclusion is at the core of who we are; it’s about being a sister to every Girl Scout and celebrating our unique strengths. Part of the important work you will do includes modeling friendship and kindness for your girls and showing them what it means to practice empathy. Through equal treatment, you can nurture an inclusive troop environment.
When scheduling, planning, and carrying out activities, carefully consider the needs of all girls involved, including school schedules, family needs, financial constraints, religious holidays, and the accessibility of appropriate transportation and meeting places.
The Girl Scout Program: National Program Pillars & More
Girl Scouts four Program Pillars—STEM, Life Skills, Outdoors, and Entrepreneurship—form the foundation of the Girl Scout program and work together to build girls’ curiosity, kindness, and can-do spirit. In fact, every aspect of our program, and every Girl Scout adventure, can be traced back to one of our four program pillars.
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). Girls are naturally curious and have a strong desire to help others. Whether they’re building a robot, developing a video game, or studying the stars, Girl Scouts become better problem-solvers and critical thinkers through STEM and gain the confidence to turn their ideas into breakthrough inventions to help others.
Life Skills. Girl Scouts life skills programming includes a mix of practical skills, tools, and activities that foster positive values in girls like financial literacy, civic engagement, and community service. Skills that help them discover that they have what it takes to raise their voices as community advocates, make smart decisions about their finances, and form strong, healthy relationships—skills that inspire them to accept challenges and overcome obstacles, now and always.
Outdoors. Girl Scouts has been building girls’ outdoor confidence and skills for over one hundred years through a variety of outdoor adventures like camping and nature focused badges that inspire them to spend time outdoors and develop a lifelong appreciation of nature. An appreciation that sparks girls’ desire to take action as environmental stewards in their community and across the globe.
Entrepreneurship. Starting with Girl Scouts iconic Girl Scout Cookie Program and growing to include the fall product program and a series of entrepreneurship badges, this pillar instills and nurtures an entrepreneurial mindset and fuels girls’ curiosity and confidence as they learn the essentials of running their own businesses and how to think like entrepreneurs.
Important Differences: Journeys and Badges
Journeys and badges are designed to give girls different leadership-building experiences, all while having fun!
Journeys are multi-session leadership experiences through which girls explore topics such as bullying, media literacy, or environmental stewardship. They’ll do hands-on activities, connect with experts, and take the reins on age-appropriate Take Action projects. Because of their leadership focus, Journeys are also a prerequisite for Girl Scouts highest awards, the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards.
Badges are about skill building. When a Girl Scout earns a badge, it shows that she’s learned a new skill, such as how to make a healthy snack, build and test a toy race car, or take great digital photos. Badges may even spark an interest at school or plant the seed for a future career.
If they choose, your Girl Scouts can pursue badges and Journey awards in the same year. If they do choose to take this approach, encourage them to find the connections between the two to magnify their Girl Scout experience. While you’re having fun, keep in mind that the quality of a girl’s experience and the skills and pride she gains from earning Journey awards and skill-building badges far outweigh the quantity of badges she earns.
As a volunteer, you don’t have to be the expert in any badge or Journey topic. In fact, when you show that you’re not afraid to fail and willing to try something new, you are modeling what it is to be a Girl Scout. Our badge and Journey requirements are structured so your girls can learn new skills without you having to be an expert in all the assorted topics, including STEM.
Important Differences: Community Service and Take Action Projects
As your Girl Scouts look for meaningful ways to give back to their community, you can help sharpen their problem-solving skills and expand their definition of doing good by discussing community service and Take Action projects. Both projects serve essential needs, but at different levels.
When a Girl Scout performs community service, she is responding to an immediate need in a one-off, “doing for” capacity. In other words, she is making an impact right now.
Through Take Action/service learning, girls explore the root causes of a community need and address it in a lasting way; they truly make the world—or their part of it—a better place.
If your troop members want to pursue their Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award, they’ll develop a Take Action project on an issue that’s close to their hearts. To make Take Action projects even more impactful for your Girl Scouts, set time aside for them to reflect on their projects. When they take time to internalize the lessons they’ve learned, they’re more likely to find success in their future projects—or anything else they put their minds to.
Traditions, Ceremonies, and Special Girl Scout Days
Time-honored traditions and ceremonies unite Girl Scout sisters, and the millions of Girl Scout alums who came before them—around the country and around the globe—and remind girls how far their fellow trailblazers have come and just how far they’ll go.
A few of those extra special days, when you will want to turn up the celebrations, include:
Juliette Gordon Low's birthday or Founder's Day, October 31, marks the birth in 1860 of Girl Scouts of the USA founder Juliette Gordon Low in Savannah, Georgia.
World Thinking Day, February 22, celebrates international friendship. It is an opportunity for Girl Scouts and Girl Guides to connect with each other and explore a common theme around the world.
Girl Scouts’ birthday, March 12, commemorates the day in 1912 when Juliette Gordon Low officially registered the organization's first eighteen girl members in Savannah, Georgia.
So, whether they’re working on a new badge, making new friends, or closing meetings with a friendship circle, your troop won’t want to miss out on Girl Scouts’ treasured traditions, ceremonies, and special Girl Scout days.
Highest awards
The Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards honor girls who become forces for good and create a lasting impact in their communities, nationally and around the world.
As your Girl Scouts discover the power of their voices, they’ll want to take on an issue that is close to their hearts and meaningful to them. Encourage them to turn their ideas into reality by pursuing Girl Scouts’ highest awards.
The Girl Scout Bronze Award can be earned by Juniors. The prerequisite is completion of one Junior Journey and the associated Take Action project. The Bronze Award is earned by the group.
The Girl Scout Silver Award can be earned by Cadettes. The prerequisite is completion of one Cadette Journey and the associated Take Action project. The Silver Award can be earned by an individual girl or by a small group.
The Girl Scout Gold Award can be earned by Seniors and Ambassadors who have completed either two Girl Scout Senior/Ambassador level Journeys and the associated Take Action project or earned the Silver Award and completed one Senior/Ambassador level Journey.
Did you know that a Gold Award Girl Scout is entitled to enlist at a higher paygrade when she joins the U.S. military? A Gold Award Girl Scout’s achievements also prime her for the fast track when it comes to college admissions and make her an outstanding candidate for academic scholarships and other financial awards.
Girl Scouts are eligible to earn any recognition at the grade level in which they are registered. Any Girl Scout is eligible to earn the Girl Scout Gold Award even if she joined Girl Scouts for the first time in high school.
Ask your council about Girl Scout Gold Award Girl Scouts in your community and how they’re doing their part to make the world a better place. For inspiration, consider inviting a local Gold Award Girl Scout to speak to your troop about how she took the lead and made a difference. You’ll be inspired when you see and hear what girls can accomplish when they take the lead—and by the confidence, grit, problem-solving, time and project management, and team-building expertise they gain while doing so!
GSCWM offers Go for Gold Award Orientations. Attending a Gold Award orientation can be the most beneficial thing you can do before beginning work on the Girl Scout Gold Award. Orientations provide valuable information about the process, the most up-to-date requirements, and deadlines. Most importantly, you will learn how to connect with the Gold Award Committee and Mentors, and receive current paperwork and timelines. Registration for these dates and any that are added can be found on our event listings.
Girl Scout travel and destinations
Girl Scouts encourages girls to try new things and see the world with fresh eyes, both inside and outside of their usual troop meetings. As COVID-19-related travel restrictions are lifted across the globe and you and your troop feel safe doing so, you may be excited to travel and explore the world as a troop.
Traveling as a Girl Scout is a more engaging experience than traveling with family, school, or other groups because girls take the lead. They’ll make important decisions about where to go, what to do, and take increasing responsibility for the planning of their trips. During this process, they will also build their organizational and management skills—skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.
Girl Scout travel is built on a progression of activities, so girls are set up for success. Daisies and Brownies start with field trips and progress to day trips, overnights, and weekend trips. Juniors can take their adventures farther with longer regional trips. And Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors can travel the United States and then the world. There are even opportunities for older girls to travel independently by joining trips their council organizes or participating in GSUSA’s travel program, Destinations.
Planning Troop Adventures
Contact your council as soon as you start thinking about planning a trip to find out more about their approval process for overnight and extended travel. They will also likely have training programs that will raise your confidence as a chaperone.
GSCWM Training:
Most GSCWM training for activities that are beyond your meeting can be found in gsLearn. Check the Beyond Your Meeting pathway for the following courses: Field Trips, Sleep In, Cook In, and Sleep Out. Cook Out, Camp Out are in person courses and Big Trips is offered via webinar. This chart shows what course is needed for each type of activity: Beyond Your Meeting. The Big Trips course is for adult volunteers in Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador troops wanting to plan an extended trip of three nights or more. It is strongly recommended that the volunteer take this course at least 6-12 months before a domestic trip and 18-24 months before an international trip. Training is required for one adult leadership team member accompanying any group of Girl Scouts on any overnight activity.
Progression:
Girl Scouts progress from troop meetings to local day trips to day trips that are further afield. Daisies should travel no further than one hour away from home.
When Girl Scouts are ready to think about overnight adventures, they progress from “twilight evenings” (required for Daisies, recommended for Brownies new to sleep over experiences) to local indoor overnights to outdoor overnights. Daisies may participate in camping activities at GSWCM with proper progression.
Beyond your Meetings – gsLearn
Courses you need for activities beyond your meeting from Field Trips to Camping Out.
Big Trips Training – This course is for adult volunteers in Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador troops wanting to plan an extended trip of three nights or more. It is strongly recommended that the volunteer take this course at least 6-12 months before a domestic trip and 18-24 months before an international trip.
More resources:
Not sure where to begin? Check out the Girl Scout Guide to U.S. Travel. This resource is designed for Juniors and older Girl Scouts who want to take extended trips—that is, longer than a weekend—but also features tips and tools for budding explorers who are just getting started with field trips and overnights.
Once girls have mastered planning and embarking upon trips in the United States, they might be ready for a global travel adventure! Global trips usually take a few years to plan, and the Girl Scout Global Travel Toolkit can walk you through the entire process.
Safety First
If you’re planning any kind of trip—from a short field trip to an overseas expedition—the “Trip and Travel” section of Safety Activity Checkpoints is your go-to resource for safety. GSCWM requires that an Activity and Travel Form be submitted to your Service Unit or to your Membership Specialist.
Be sure to follow all the basic safety guidelines, like the buddy system and first-aid requirements, in addition to the specific guidelines for travel.
COI (Certificate of Insurance)
A Certificate of Insurance is required for any venue where Girl Scouts will be participating in a high-risk activity. To see if the council has a Certificate of Insurance on file from the venue you wish to use visit: Certificates of Insurance. If the venue is not listed you will need to obtain one from the venue and submit it with your Activity and Travel Form. Your Membership Specialist can assist you with this process.
On the certificate the venue should list “Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts, 301 Kelly Way Holyoke, MA 01040” in the CERTIFICATE HOLDER box; PLUS we need them to put in the box labeled DESCRIPTION OF OPERATIONS a sentence that says “Certificate Holder is an additional insured.”
Once GSCWM has the COI we will place it on file and any troop from our Council that wishes to visit the venue will not have to request a new COI until the COI expires.
*Although a WFR is not required, it is strongly recommended when traveling with groups in areas that are more than 30 minutes from EMS.
In addition to standard materials, all kits should contain your council and emergency telephone numbers (which you can get from your council contact). Girl Scout activity insurance forms, parent consent forms and health histories may also be included.
Concidering meeting in your home
* All registered Girl Scouts are provided accident insurance as a secondary coverage for injuries. The homeowner’s insurance policy would be the primary policy if, for any reason, a lawsuit was filed against them addressing negligence that caused an injury. We strongly recommend the homeowner consult with their insurance company prior to holding any meetings at their home.
How to get a COI (Certificate of Insurance)
On the certificate we need them to list “Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts, 301 Kelly Way Holyoke, MA 01040” in the CERTIFICATE HOLDER box on the COI; PLUS we need them to put in the box labeled DESCRIPTION OF OPERATIONS a sentence that says “Certificate Holder is an additional insured.”
Once GSCWM has the COI we will place it on file and any troop from the Girl Scouts of Central and Western MA that wish to partake in/with the venue will not have to request the same documents until the COI expires.
Girl Scout Activity Insurance
Every registered Girl Scout and registered volunteer member in the Girl Scout movement is automatically covered under the basic Mutual of Omaha Activity Insurance plan upon registration. The premium for the Basic Plan, which provides supplemental medical insurance is paid in full by the Girl Scouts of the USA.
This insurance provides up to a specified maximum for medical expenses incurred as a result of an accident while a member is participating in an approved, supervised Girl Scout activity. This is one reason why all volunteers and girls should be registered members. It is important to remember that non-registered parent, tagalongs (brothers, sisters, and friends) and other persons are not covered by the basic plan.
This insurance coverage is not intended to diminish the need for, or replace existing, family health insurance. If there is no family insurance or healthcare program, a specified maximum of medical benefits is available under the basic plan.
An optional Activity Insurance plan is available for Girl Scouts taking extended trips (trips that are more than two overnight stays) and for non-members who participate in Girl Scout activities. These optional plans are secondary insurance that a council may offer to cover participants taking part in any council-approved, supervised Girl Scout activity. Contact your council to find out how to apply. In some cases, your council may make this insurance mandatory, particularly for overseas travel.
Mutual of Omaha optional Activity Insurance plans forms are available on our website Forms and payment need to be handed in to the council office at least two weeks prior to the event to ensure time for processing.
Review the Girl Scouts insurance plan descriptions at: https://www.mutualofomaha.com/girl-scouts
Plan 1 : Girl Scout Activity Accident Insurance Basic Coverage
Plan 2 : Accident Insurance for Activities or Events Excluded Under the Basic
Plan 3E & 3P : Accident and Sickness Insurance for Activities or Events Excluded Under Plan
Plan 3PI : Accident and Sickness Insurance for International Trips Excluded Under Plan 1
Be sure to follow all the basic safety guidelines, like the buddy system and first aid requirements, in addition to the specific guidelines for travel. You’ll also want to refer to the COVID-19 guidelines in Safety Activity Checkpoints as well as any COVID-19 guidelines for your destination. You will learn more about how to use and follow Girl Scouts Safety Activity Checkpoints in the next section.
Note that extended travel (more than three nights) is not covered under the basic Girl Scout insurance plan and will require additional coverage.
Travel and Girl Scout Program Connections
It’s easy to connect eye-opening travel opportunities to the leadership training and skill building your girls are doing in Girl Scouts! When it’s safe to travel together, girls can use their creativity to connect any leadership Journey theme into an idea for travel. For example, girls learn where their food comes from in the Sow What? Journey. That would connect well with a trip focusing on sustainable agriculture and sampling tasty foods!
There are abundant opportunities to build real skills through earning badges too. The most obvious example is the Senior Traveler badge, but there are plenty more, such as Eco Camper, New Cuisines, Coding for Good, and, of course, all the financial badges that help girls budget and earn money for their trips.
Want to include Girl Scout traditions in your trip? Look no farther than the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace in Savannah, Georgia! Your girls also have the chance to deepen their connections to Girl Scouts around the world by visiting one of the WAGGGS (World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) World Centers, which offer low-cost accommodations and special programs in five locations around the world.
And if your troop is looking to stay closer to home this year? Ask your council about council-owned camps and other facilities that can be rented out.
As your Girl Scouts excitedly plan their next trip, remember to limit your role to facilitating the girls’ brainstorming and planning, never doing the work for them. Share your ideas and insights, ask tough questions when you have to, and support all their decisions with enthusiasm and encouragement!
First Aid/CPR
Assemble a well-stocked first-aid kit that is always accessible. First-aid administered in the first few minutes can make a significant difference in the severity of an injury. In an emergency, secure professional medical assistance as soon as possible, normally by calling 911, and then administer first-aid, if properly trained.
Emergencies require prompt action and quick judgment. For many activities, Girl Scouts troops need at least one adult volunteer to be first-aid/CPR certified. For that reason, if you have the opportunity to get trained in council-approved first-aid/CPR trainings, do it! You can take advantage of first-aid/CPR training offered by chapters of the American Red Cross, National Safety Council, EMP America, American Heart Association or other sponsoring organizations approved by your council. As a partner of GSUSA, American Red Cross offers discounts on certification Courses.
Caution: Whenever in person training is safely authorized in your jurisdiction, opt for in-person training for in-person opportunities to practice and receive feedback on life saving technique. If taking a course not offered by one of the organizations listed in the previous paragraph, or taking any course that has online components, get approval from your support team or council prior to enrolling in the course to ensure you are using a council approved vendor and that an online training is acceptable. American Red Cross, National Safety Council, EMP America, or American Heart Association.
First-Aider
A first-aider is an adult volunteer who has taken Girl Scout-approved first-aid and CPR training that includes specific instructions for child CPR. If, through the American Red Cross, National Safety Council, EMP America, or American Heart Association, you have a chance to be fully trained in first-aid and CPR, doing so may make your activity planning go a little more smoothly.
The Safety Activity Checkpoints always tell you when a first-aider needs to be present. Since activities can take place in a variety of locations, the presence of a first-aider and the qualifications they need to have are based on the remoteness of the activity. For example, if you take a two-mile hike in an area that has cell phone reception and service along the entire route and EMS (Emergency Medical Services) is no more than 30 minutes away at all times the first-aider will not need to have knowledge of wilderness first aid. If, on the other hand, you take the same two-mile hike in a more remote area with no cell phone service and where EMS is more than 30 minutes away, the first-aider must have knowledge of wilderness first aid (see the chart below)
| Access to EMS | Minimum Level of First Aid Required |
| Less than 30 minutes | First Aid |
| More than 30 minutes | Wilderness First Aid (WFA) or Wilderness First Responder |
*Although a WFR is not required, it is strongly recommended when traveling with groups in area that are great than 30 minutes from EMS.
It is important to understand the differences between a first-aid course, and a wilderness-rated course. Although standard first-aid training provides basic incident response, wilderness-rated courses include training on remote-assessment skills, as well as emergency first-aid response, including evacuation techniques, to use when EMS is not readily available.
Note: The presence of a first-aider is required at overnight camp. For large events-200 people or more- there should be one first-aider for every 200 participants. The following healthcare providers may also serve as first-aiders:
Physician
Physician’s Assistant
Nurse Practitioner
Registered Nurse
Licensed Practical Nurse
Paramedic
Military Medic
Emergency Medical Technician
First-Aid Kit – Make sure a general first-aid kit is available at your group meeting place and accompanies girls on any activity (including transportation to and from the activity). Please be aware that you may need to provide this kit if one is not available at your meeting place. You can purchase a Girl Scout first-aid kit, you can buy a commercial kit, or you and the girls can assemble a kit yourselves. The Red Cross offers a list of potential items in its Anatomy of a First Aid Kit (note that the Red Cross’s suggested list includes aspirin, which you will not be at liberty to give girls without direct parent/guardian permission). You can also customize a kit to cover your specific needs, including flares, treatments for frostbite or snake bites and the like.
In addition to standard materials, all kits should contain your council and emergency telephone numbers (which you can get from your council contact_. Girl Scout activity insurance forms, parent consent forms and health histories may also be included.
GSCWM Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Racial Justice
One girl can make a difference; together we can change the world.
Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts is committed to building a robust organizational culture where diversity, equity, and inclusion are at its core. We denounce racism, violence, injustice, and inequity. We strive to ensure that ALL who engage in this community are valued and recognized, and that they find a true sense of belonging.
Join us in creating welcoming spaces that seek to empower and engage youth and adult members to be authentic partners in this endeavor.
© Copyright 2009–2022 Girl Scouts of the United States of America. All rights reserved. All information and material contained in Girl Scouts’ Volunteer Essentials guide (“Material”) is provided by Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA) and is intended to be educational material solely to be used by Girl Scout volunteers and council staff. Reproduction, distribution, compiling, or creating derivative works of any portion of the Material or any use other than noncommercial uses as permitted by copyright law is prohibited, unless explicit, prior authorization by GSUSA in writing was granted. GSUSA reserves its exclusive right in its sole discretion to alter, limit, or discontinue the Material at any time without notice.
