Planning Activities and Events

Troop and Service Unit Activities

In addition to Girl Scout troop meetings, we know troops and service units love to get together for special activities! Here's your handy guide to planning adventures for your group:

Planning an outing with your troop or service unit?

If you're planning an event that falls into one of these categories, a trip agreement form is required before you start your journey:

Your troop or group will be away for three or more nights.
You'll be riding horses.
You'll be doing water activities, or swimming at a location without a staff lifeguard.

If your trip doesn't fall into any of these categories, be sure to follow steps 1 through 3 to plan your activity or event!

First things first! For each girl in your troop, be sure you have collected a completed Product Program and Troop Activities Year-Round Permission Form. Collect this form from all girls in the troop at the beginning of the year and keep it on file for your records.
Next, check out the Event/Activity/Trip Checklist for all of your planning steps. Whether you're going on an afternoon outing or a week-long camping trip, this document will explain everything you need to do, including any forms that need to be submitted to the council.
Be sure to check Safety Activity Checkpoints for all activities–this document will help you gather the resources and permissions you need to have a safe and fun event.
Communication is key–be sure to communicate with parents about your troop’s plans for an event or activity away from your normal meeting place.
Turn in any required forms:

Staying somewhere for three or more nights? Be sure to submit the Trip Agreement!
Planning to ride horses? Fill out the Horseback Riding Activity Application.
Participating in a water activity or swimming at a location without staff lifeguards? Be sure to submit the Swimming/Water Activity Application.
All Girl Scout members are covered under Girl Scout activity insurance. 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, after the individual’s primary insurance pays out.

Planning Service Unit Events

Service units should plan events that will bring girls together to learn new skills, earn badges or awards, and have fun! Use the resources below to help plan and get approval for service unit events.

Develop a plan. A crucial part of planning service unit events is to ensure your event supports the Girl Scout Leadership Experience by planning an event around badges, Journeys, awards, or other aspects central to Girl Scouts.
Accessibility. Be sure your event date, time, and locations are open and accessible to all girls.
Budget. You’ll want to determine any necessary supplies and other event costs to develop a budget. If the event is planned as a fundraiser, you must review the Money-Earning Project Guidelines and submit the Money Earning Project Application. Use the Event Budget Excel Worksheet (XLS) to help you create your event budget.
Safety. Be sure to reference the Safety Activity Checkpoints to ensure girl-to-adult ratios and safety activity checkpoints are followed.
If you would like your service unit or troop event to be listed on The Hub, please submit the GSGI Service Unit Event Form at least six weeks prior to the event.

Service Unit Event Planning Guide toggle arrow

Service unit events complement council events by providing local opportunities for girls to stay active throughout the year. These localized events are a great way to meet families and potentially bring in new members by promoting to your larger community. These programs are usually a great way to introduce Daisy girls and volunteers to the program without the stress of travel.

Don't plan events alone! Reach out to volunteers and parents and invite them to join specific event planning. This is a fun way to engage new volunteers. And while planning, don't forget to engage girls and ask them which activities they want to try.

Before beginning your service unit events, consider your resources like safety guidelines, necessary forms, and council guides.

Safety Activity Checkpoints
Always check the Safety Activity Checkpoints while planning events. These guidelines will include safety standards and necessary precautions for Girl Scout activities.

Swimming or Horseback Riding Events
Swimming events are fun but require a few extra precautions. Consult the Safety Activity Checkpoints chart for the number of lifeguards and spotters needed per girl attending.

Volunteer Essentials
This guide is a great reference for planning events with girls.

Bus Transportation
If reserving buses, one adult must be assigned to each bus with a First Aid kit and a list of girls assigned to each bus.

Travel
Review Volunteer Essentials for travel forms and documents needed for events.

When planning events, also consider your community resources! Partnerships with other nonprofits, local businesses, and education centers can provide expertise to enhance the experience for girls.

Important Forms toggle arrow

Certain forms are required to inform the council of service unit plans. These forms ensure your service unit is hosting a safe event that is properly covered by insurance.

Trip Agreement

For extended overnight trips, international trips, regional trips, trips with multiple troops or service units, and activities with high risk, troop leaders must complete the Trip Application. This form should be submitted at least six weeks prior to the departure date.

Council approval is not required for trips of fewer than three nights.

Accident Report

This form is required for:

Reporting injuries at activities
Accident report forms must be submitted within 24 hours.

Service Unit Event Submission

This form is used for:

Adding local service unit events to the GSGI events calendar on The Hub
Events open to all girls in the council

This event must be submitted at least 6 weeks prior to the event date.

Troop Travel

Travelling with your troop is an opportunity for Girl Scouts to develop decision-making skills, work collaboratively with their peers and troop leaders, and build up the confidence to take on more advanced travel opportunities.

Trip and Travel Progression

Volunteers without any travel experience probably aren’t ready to shepherd a group of 12+ Girl Scouts through an airport. Likewise, not all Girl Scouts will approach travel with the same comfort level or ability to follow rules while away. Troop leaders, troop volunteers, and Girl Scouts need to start with small, local trips to work their way up to advanced, national or international travel.

Planning for Trips and Travel

Planning for trips and travel is an opportunity for Girl Scouts to develop decision-making skills and work collaboratively with leaders and troop volunteers. Just remember, all trips should have an immediate purpose (such as complementing badges or learning new skills) and involve Girl Scouts in the planning process. Check out the Event/Activity/Trip Checklist (below) for help planning.

Get Council Approval toggle arrow

For extended overnight trips, international trips, regional trips, trips with multiple troops or service units, and activities with high risk, troop leaders must complete the Trip Agreement. This form should be submitted at least six weeks prior to the departure date.

Council approval is not required for trips fewer than three nights.

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Budgeting

You can use our Overnight/Trip Budget Worksheet to estimate how much your trip will cost. From here, your troop can start setting goals for financing your trip!

Girl Scout and Family Contributions

There are many creative ways to finance trips and travel! Girl Scouts can make a personal contribution such as saved money from summer jobs, allowances, etc. Families (even extended relatives) can make contributions as well.

Troop/Individual Money-Earning

Travel plans can be great incentives for Girl Scouts to reach their Cookie Program and Fall Product sales goals. While Cookie Dough and Munch Money belong to individual troop members, some troops agree to use them to pay for troop activities, like traveling. They can be used for individual girl trips or troop trips. To apply Program Credits for troop activities please fill out the Credit Request for Troop Activities form. These requests can take at least four weeks to process, so please plan your submission accordingly!

If the budget goal for a specific activity has not been met through product sales, troops may participate in additional money-earning projects. Troops must follow all Money Earning Project Guidelines and submit a Money-Earning Project application.

Plan for Safety toggle arrow

When taking Girl Scouts on any trip, planning for safety is a priority. This includes thinking through everything from home-sickness, child-to-adult ratios, creating a first-aid kit, to having an emergency contingency plan.

Your key resource for safety information is Safety Activity Checkpoints. Always review this document for general safety standards and activity-specific guidelines while planning activities and travel.

Permission Forms toggle arrow

For basic trips that are less than four hours drive, two nights or less, and not considered high-risk activities, the Annual Parent/Guardian Permission Slip is the only permission you need to collect. For all other trips and travel, the Parent/Guardian Permission Form must be collected.

Event/Activity/Trip Checklist

Use this as a planning tool when planning events, activities, and trips for your troop or Service Unit. Be sure to check Safety Activity Checkpoints for all activities. Contact info@gsiowa.org with any questions on safety standards.

THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES ARE NEVER ALLOWED FOR ANY YOUTH MEMBER: potentially uncontrolled free-falling (bounce houses, bungee jumping, hang gliding, parachuting, and parasailing); go carting; creating extreme variations of approved activities; hunting; shooting a projectile at another person; riding all terrain vehicles and motor bikes; using outdoor trampolines; and taking watercraft trips in Class V or higher. Indoor trampoline parks and indoor skydiving are permissible.

For all troop events and activities be sure to bring copies of Product Program and Troop Activities Year-Round Permission Form.

Troop/Service Unit Hosted Events toggle arrow

If you would like your service unit or troop event to be listed on The Hub, please submit the GSGI Service Unit Event Form at least six weeks prior to the event.
If necessary, complete the Swimming/Water Activity Application or Horseback Riding Activity Application and turn in with the GSGI Service Unit Event Form.

Short Trips (Day trips or fewer than 3 nights) toggle arrow

If applicable, complete and submit Swimming/Water Activity Application four weeks prior to event.
No form is required if location has lifeguards on staff at all times.
If applicable, complete and submit Horseback Riding Activity Application four weeks prior to event.
No form is required if riding will be taking place at a council-approved location. This list can be
found on The Hub.
Communicate with parents about troop plans, costs, and any schedule changes.
You can learn more about Activity Accident Insurance coverage under our Girl Scout Insurance section.

Extended Trips (3+ nights) toggle arrow

Complete/review Overnight/Trip Budget with troop.
Submit Trip Agreement six weeks in advance.
This is not required for council or service unit-hosted activities.
Collect a completed Parent/Guardian Permission Form for each participant.
Communicate with parents about troop plans, costs, and any schedule changes.
You can learn more about Activity Accident Insurance coverage under our Girl Scout Insurance section.
Have a copy of Emergency Procedures.

International Trips toggle arrow

Submit your Trip Agreement a minimum of six months prior to travel.
You can learn more about Activity Accident Insurance coverage under our Girl Scout Insurance section.