Girl Scout Sponsorship Agreement

In a previous post, I talked about the way the BSA operates via a chartering system. The Girl Scouts handle their scout units in a very different way.

Girl Scout Troops are sponsored by an organization. A large number of these sponsors include religious organizations, civic groups, etc. However, unlike the BSA model, the sponsor does not own the troop.

The Sponsoring organization is asked to

• Adhere to national and local Girl Scout policies and be guided by Standards of Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. (See Girl Scout policies on reverse side).
• Publicize the activities of the Girl Scout troop/group to its employees/members.
• Offer meeting rooms and provide goods and services.
• Ask members to share hobbies and special interest with the Girl Scout troop/group when requested by the leader.

Here is an example of a chartering agreement for a girl scout troop, from my local GS council. Agreements may vary widely from one council to another.

Unlike the BSA, there is no request for any sort of troop committee, etc. Although the troop and sponsoring group are encouraged to support each other in a number of ways, it is not nearly as formal as the chartering model used by Boy Scouts.

All GS troops are asked to include girls from the community, and they do not generally allow troops where all members come from within the sponsoring organization. Some examples from the sponsorship agreement linked above:

• Admission to Troops/Groups. A girl who meets or can meet membership requirements shall not be denied admission to any troop/group because of race, creed, nationality, or socio-economic factors or handicap (special need).
• Troops/Groups Sponsored by Religious Groups. When a Girl Scout troop/group is sponsored by one religious group, members of different faith or religious affiliation within the troop/group shall not be required to take part in religious observance of the sponsoring group.

For a church that sponsors both Boy Scout and Girl Scout units, it is important to understand the differences between them and the way they function.