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Troop Meeting Agenda

The only requirement for your meeting? That your girls are laughing, smiling, and having a fun time! That being said, many troop leaders use this basic structure for their meetings:

6 Elements of a Great Troop Meeting

Pre-Meeting Actvitiy (5 minutes)
Plan activities for the girls on arrival at the meeting so they have something to do until the meeting begins. This could be as simple as coloring pages, journaling, or talking with one another.
Opening (5–10 minutes)
Each troop decides how to open its meetings—most begin with the Girl Scout Promise and Law, a simple flag ceremony, song, game, story, or other activity designed by the girls.
Troop Business (5 minutes)
Collect dues and make announcements, or plan an upcoming event or trip while families are present.
Main Activity (30–45 minutes)
Let the fun begin! Use the meeting plans found in the Volunteer Toolkit! Activities are already designed to fit easily into this part of your meeting as you help your troop earn badges and complete Journeys.
Clean Up (5 minutes)
Because Girl Scouts should always leave a place cleaner than they found it! (5 minutes)
Closing (5–10 minutes)
Just like the opening, each troop can decide how to close—with a song, a game, a story, or pretty much anything else!

First Meeting Checklist

Cover the basics. Review the details about when and where the meeting will take place and make sure parents/caregivers are aware.
Get ready. Use the Volunteer Toolkit to verify your troop roster and email parents. This might be a great time to ask parents to provide you with any needed items, such as health history forms, uniform order forms, and troop dues.
Review and practice your agenda. You’ll feel calmer during the actual meeting and ready to make adjustments as needed.
Prepare for fun! When the girls and parents see that you’re prepared for the meeting and ready to have a great time, they’ll follow your lead!

Your first troop meeting is a great chance to get to know the girls and brainstorm all the exciting things they want to do in the year to come. If you’re feeling a little nervous about leading troop meetings and experiences with your girls, that’s OK! Just remember that:

It doesn’t need to be perfect. Did an activity run over time? Or maybe a field trip didn’t go according to plan? Take a deep breath, roll with the changes, and have fun! The girls aren’t expecting perfection from you: your time, attention, and guidance are the best part of your leadership.

Learn with your girls. Keeping activities girl-led also means that at some point, the girls will want to earn a badge or complete a project in a subject unfamiliar to you. But don’t let that hold you back! Be open with the girls when you don’t know something and become their partner in learning more. You’ll show them that learning is a lifelong process and that with an open mind, they can overcome any challenges that come their way.