SEELEY LAKE – After several inquiries regarding a Girl Scout troop in the area, Ben Stone, member experience manager out of the Girl Scouts of America Missoula Office, is excited to pursue the opportunity to start a troop in Seeley Lake. There will be a troop formation meeting 4-5:15 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28 at the Seeley Lake Community Foundation West Wing for girls kindergarten through sixth grade and their parents. Everyone is invited to come learn more about Girl Scouts and starting a troop. There will be activities for the girls.
Stone said Seeley Lake has been without a Girl Scout Troop for several years now and he would like to see that get started again.
“I really want to bring the southwest region back to where people feel supported and have the immediate resources,” Stone said. “We are excited to get something going.”
At the meeting Stone will present information on what it is like to be a Girl Scout, their mission, views on civic responsibility and helping neighbors and explain the possibilities through Girl Scouts.
“We are a resource for helping bring up this next generation of young women who have confidence, courage and character,” Stone said.
Stone said Girl Scouts focuses on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)-based activities to earn badges. However, each troop is given the freedom and encouragement to establish their own identity and do activities and projects that interests their troop.
Girl Scouts of Montana and Wyoming provides the insurance and training for leaders to pursue their troop’s goals. Each troop needs a troop leader and at least one additional volunteer that is not related to the troop leader. This helps maintain the financial accountability for the troop’s bank account and ensuring the girls in the troop are supervised.
All volunteers are required to pass a background check. The troop leader must also take various online or in-person trainings to ensure they have the knowledge and ability to keep the troop safe and healthy. Depending on the activity, they have specialized trainings as well so the troop can do things that the troop leader may not have had prior knowledge.
Stone said troops are encouraged to meet at least once a month but most of them meet twice a month. While a troop can start with just one girl and a troop leader, Stone said a troop with four to six girls to start is ideal. Volunteers, approved by the troop leader, are added as numbers grow. Adults without children in the program are encouraged to volunteer, especially adults who have been a part of Girl Scouts and can bring that institutional knowledge and excitement to the troop.
“It is really kind of a blank canvas for people to establish an identity within Girl Scouts as long as they are sticking to the mission statement,” Stone said. “This is really a great opportunity to get a group of girls together and make it their own.
For more information attend the meeting Oct. 28 or contact Stone at bens@gsmw.org or 800-736-5243 Ext: 2308.
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