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We are the largest girl-led leadership development organization for girls in the world and a member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, a sisterhood of nearly 10 million girls and adults in 150 countries. With programs from coast to coast and across the globe, Girl Scouts offers every girl the chance to practice a lifetime of leadership, adventure, and success.
Chartered by Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA), Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan (GSSEM) brings the excitement and adventure of Girl Scouting to our region.
In Girl Scouting, girls come together to discover fun, friendship, strength, knowledge, and dependence. They find out who they are and what they're passionate about through a multitude of experiences that spark their imaginations, build their confidence, and celebrate every accomplishment.
Caring adult volunteers support and mentor girls as well as foster an environment where girls feel a sense of belonging, are willing to try new things, overcome fears, and—most of all—have fun.
Council Structure
GSSEM is comprised of nine counties in southeastern Michigan. It's geographically divided into 12 communities, which are subdivided into 31 service units.
GSSEM Counties
Communities are made up of two to four service units and strongly emphasize local programs, events, and volunteer support.
Certain areas only; not the entire county.
Our council has six service centers and two camps.
Clinton Twp Service Center
42800 Garfield Rd
Clinton Twp, MI 48038
Store
hours | Directions »
Detroit Service Center
1333 Brewery Park Blvd, Ste 500
Detroit, MI 48207
Directions »
Flint Service Center
5400 Gateway Centre Dr, Suite B
Flint, MI 48507
Directions »
Port Huron Service Center
Birchwood Mall
4350 24th Ave, Space 518
Fort Gratiot, MI
48059
Directions »
Southgate Service Center
1 Heritage Place, Ste 130
Southgate, MI 48195
Directions »
White Lake Service Center
8545 Highland Rd
White Lake, MI 48386
Directions »
Camp Hawthorn Hollow (CHH)
1046 Mayer Rd
Columbus, MI 48063
Directions »
Camp Playfair (CPF)
3135 Lakeshore Rd
Lexington, MI 48450
Directions »
GSSEM offers many ways to support our volunteers.
Council Website
At www.gssem.org, you can access information about upcoming Girl Scout events, essential forms, and other council information. Log into MyGS from our website to manage your Girl Scout account and access helpful resources like Rallyhood and gsLearn.
Social Media
Follow Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan (@GSSEM) on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We also recommend joining a Facebook group for your service unit and/or community social media to connect and share with volunteers near you.
To identify your service unit or community number, please visit www.gssem.org/mysu and use the "What's My Service Unit?" tool.
Council Staff
GSSEM staff are here to support you. If you're not sure whom to contact, please call 800-482-6734 and our receptionist will connect you with the right person.
These departments may assist with many common volunteer inquiries:
Administrative Volunteers
Administrative volunteers are local, behind-the-scenes volunteers who support troops and troop leaders.
In your area, you may have:
Troop Organizer
A service unit volunteer who supports recruitment efforts within a school district.
Girl Scout volunteers are a dynamic and diverse group.
Whether you're a recent college graduate, parent, retiree, or someone with a sense of curiosity and adventure (of any gender, who is 18 years or older and has passed GSSEM'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 also agrees to follow safety guidelines and pay the annual membership dues of $25. Volunteers and adults have the option to purchase a lifetime membership.
Girls can join the fun at any point from kindergarten through twelfth grade.
Girl Scouts' six grade levels are:
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.
In Girl Scouts, everything centers around the Girl Scout. Our program is designed by, with, and for Girl Scouts.
The Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE) is our research-based impact model that describes what members do in Girl Scouts, who they do it with, how they do it, and how they benefit. This framework should be a blueprint for every activity that your Girl Scouts participate in. When planning your year, make sure that you’re implementing all parts of the GSLE regularly.
The Girl Scout Leadership Experience has been purposefully designed to include a variety of fun and challenging activities to help Girl Scouts learn, grow, and thrive. Girl Scouts have the opportunity to take on leadership roles and learn-by-doing opportunities in a safe, fun, and cooperative environment. When we say a variety of activities, this means that Girl Scouts participate in at least four out of five of the following:
Supportive relationships mean that troop leaders care about their troops, encourage their creative thinking, are inclusive, and provide a safe space. As a result, Girl Scouts experience positive relationships with their peers and a feeling of belonging. As a supportive adult, you are crucial to the success of the Girl Scout Program. Supportive adult relationships are strongly linked to experiencing the GSLE with a strong dependency between the supportive adult and the three processes. When Girl Scouts feel supported and safe, they are more likely to achieve our outcomes and ultimately our mission.
The Girl Scout Leadership Experience draws on three unique processes—Girl-Led, Learning by Doing, and Cooperative Learning—that encourage Girl Scouts to try new things, write their own stories, and develop the skills and confidence to say, "I know I can do this!"
As a volunteer, you’ll draw on these three processes as you lead Girl Scouts 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 they’re doing the activities together. As they learn from their successful and not-so-successful tries, they gain confidence. All Girl Scouts should have the opportunity to lead within their peer group. By the time they 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.
And, finally, when we incorporate a variety of activities, supportive adults, and the three processes, Girl Scouts experience the 5 GSLE outcomes:
The outcomes occur as a result of regular meetings and activities including Girl Scout traditions, in an emotionally and physically safe space, with a supportive adult.
Although they may start building their leadership skills in school and on sports teams, research shows that the courage, confidence, and character Girl Scouts develop stays with them throughout their lives. Our program and outcomes are based on research and our studies show that Girl Scouting has a measurable positive impact on Girl Scouts. In fact, we can proudly say Girl Scouts are almost 10 percent 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.
One last tip: 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 them and sparks their imaginations. Projects don’t have to come out perfectly—in fact, it’s a valuable learning experience when they don’t—and 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 Girl Scouts take the lead.
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 endeavors.
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:
So, what? Next, move to the "so, what." You might ask:
Last, review the now, what. Say something like:
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 carry these lessons with them for the rest of their lives.
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.
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.
Journeys and badges are designed to give girls different leadership-building experiences, all while having fun.
If they choose, your Girl Scouts can pursue badges, patches, and Journey awards in the same year. There are no requirements as to how many they can pursue in a single year. While they're having fun, keep in mind that the quality of a Girl Scout's experience and the skills and pride they gain from earning Journey awards, skill-building badges, and special patches far outweigh the number of badges, patches, and awards they earn.
As a volunteer, you don't have to be the expert in any badge, patch, or Journey topic. In fact, when you show that you're open to learning and willing to try something new, you are modeling what it is to be a Girl Scout. Our badge, patch, and Journey requirements are structured so your Girl Scouts can learn new skills without you having to be an expert in the assorted topics.
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.
For more information on Take Action projects, check out the Take Action Short & Snappy on gsLearn.
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:
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. We embrace fresh perspectives and innovation from our rich cultural legacy. We continuously review norms and traditions evolving to ensure they are relevant and equitable. Sometimes that may involve modifying or sunsetting traditions to make way for new ones.
Learn more about different types of ceremonies troops enjoy on gsLearn, including a general overview found in the Girl Scout Ceremonies Short & Snappy, as well as courses on specific ceremonies like bridging and flag ceremonies.
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.
Did you know that a Gold Award Girl Scout is entitled to enlist at a higher pay grade 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 GSSEM's Program team 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.
Training is available for adults working with girls as they earn their Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards on gsLearn.
Girl Scouts encourages members to try new things and explore the world, both inside and outside of their usual troop meetings.
Traveling as a Girl Scout is a more engaging experience than traveling with family, school, or other groups because Girl Scouts take the lead. They'll make important decisions about where to go and 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 members are set up for success. Daisies and Brownies start with field trips and progress to day trips, overnights, and short trips. Juniors can take their adventures farther with extended trips. Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors can travel the U.S. and then the world. There are even opportunities for older Girl Scouts to travel independently by joining trips their council organizes or participating in GSUSA's travel program, Destinations.
Learn more about group travel, and refer to the Travel/Trips Checkpoint in the Safety Activity Checkpoints for more information about travel and activity approval.
It's easy to connect eye-opening travel opportunities to the leadership training and skill-building your troop is doing!
Girl Scouts can use their creativity to connect any badge skill to travel ideas. For example, they learn about foods from various regions and countries in the New Cuisines badge, which would connect well with a trip focusing on agriculture, culture, and sampling tasty foods! There are plenty more examples, such as the Senior Traveler badge, Eco Camper, Photographer, and, of course, all the financial badges that help Girl Scouts budget and earn money for their trips.
Want to include Girl Scout traditions in your trip? Look no further 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.
Many councils across the U.S. also have properties to rent to traveling troops or programs traveling troops can join—check out this map! And if your troop is looking to stay closer to home this year, email the GSSEM Camp team at camp@gssem.org about council-owned camps and other facilities that can be rented out, or programs they may have planned for troops.
As your Girl Scouts excitedly plan their next trip, remember to limit your role to facilitating their 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!
Please email travel@gssem.org as soon as you start thinking about planning a trip to learn about our approval process for overnight and extended travel.
Our website offers information on planning local, national, and international troop travel as well as Girl Scout Destinations. Also, check out our event list for upcoming Preparing Your Troop for Travel training dates.
When scheduling troop travel, plan to secure approval from travel@gssem.org for all activities occurring on the trip that require approval as listed in Safety Activity Checkpoints. When traveling internationally, in addition to securing activity approval for all activities requiring council approval, troops/groups must submit the following to travel@gssem.org to secure approval for their trip:
Troop/Group Travel – International Trip or Cruise Requirements
Visiting Canada
Remember that the international Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) requires U.S. and Canadian travelers to present a passport or other document that denotes identity and proof of citizenship when entering the U.S. or Canada.
A valid U.S. passport, an enhanced driver's license, or a NEXUS card meets the requirements of WHTI. Children under 16 need a birth certificate.
Consult with the U.S. State Department's website for travel
information for U.S. citizens traveling into Canada (especially when
traveling with minors), as requirements may change without
notice.
U.S. Passport information »
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.
Please email travel@gssem.org as soon as you start thinking about planning a trip to learn about our approval process for overnight and extended travel.
Our website offers information on planning local, national, and international troop travel as well as Girl Scout Destinations. Also, check out our event list for upcoming Troop Travel training dates.
Prior to scheduling troop travel, please review the following GSSEM guidelines to ensure your troop is ready for your travel experience:
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.
For troop travel and activity approval, please email travel@gssem.org. 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.
© Copyright 2009–2024 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.