*Please note: The badge links in these documents refer to the old Cookie Business badges. Please refer to the updated Cookie Business badges.

GSME Resources

We have put together some resources for volunteers, troop leaders, and service units.
Effective March 8, 2022 until further notice.
Girl Scouts of Maine (GSME) may modify this guidance,
from time to time as circumstances change.
COVID-19 is an
extremely contagious virus that spreads easily in the community. Take
all reasonable precautions to limit potential exposure for girls,
volunteers, and families. And please remember, in person troop
meetings are not required. Each troop/family should weigh their
participation based on their own health concerns.
NOTE: If State of Maine Guidelines are updated and are stricter
than those outlined in these Guidelines, the State of Maine
Guidelines are to be followed. Individual communities in Maine may
establish stricter requirements. If that is the case in your
community, you must adapt these guidelines to meet those requirements.
See Girl Scouts of Maine Meeting, Travel, and Events
Guidelines here.
See Guidelines for Service Unit Gatherings and
Multi-Troop Events here.
If you are looking for guidelines and time frames around events and overnights beyond regular troop meetings, please refer to this document.
Effective October 1, 2022 until further notice.
As COVID-19 guidance from public health authorities has
eased, Girl Scouts of Maine has condensed guidance for Girl Scout
families and volunteers into a simplified version we are calling Girl
Scouts Together. As with previous editions, these guidelines are
informed by guidance from the CDC and the State of Maine
Guidelines.
Girl Scouts Together is intended to be used in
conjunction with Safety Activity Checkpoints, Volunteer Essentials, and all other regular
guidelines for Girl Scout activities.
Girl Scouts
Together will continue to be reviewed and updated as needed. New or
changed sections will be identified by highlighted text.
NOTE: If State of Maine Guidelines are updated and are stricter
than those outlined in these Guidelines, the State of Maine
Guidelines are to be followed. Individual communities in Maine may
establish stricter requirements. If that is the case in your
community, you must adapt these guidelines to meet those requirements.
Check out the resources below to help your troop get outside year round!
Welcome, Girl Scout leader! Thank you so much for volunteering with your troop. You are invited to check out the New Leader Resources page for all you need to get started. Happy planning!
As a Girl Scout troop leader, you help the girls in your troop shine brightly every day. With the Participation Catalog, new girls can shine too through a tool that gives them the power to choose a troop that fits their needs, schedule, and interests. Will your troop be the spark that helps a new girl shine?
The resources below will help you maximize the effectiveness of the volunteer toolkit. Please refer to these resources as you build your year plan and work with your troop.
This book is the guidebook for leaders, and it addresses the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, working with girls at all developmental stages, safety and risk management, as well as cookie sales guidelines for troop, trip, and travel progression.
Download Volunteer Handbook (PDF)
The Safety Activity Checkpoints is the guide to help all Girl Scout members plan and prepare for successful activities. As soon as your girls can read, invite them to use it as you grown-ups do the preparation and progression for activities.
NOTE: If you do download it, please remember to update your file each year. To save it to your computer, right click on the link and select “Save Link As”.
Download Safety Activity Checkpoints (PDF; updated summer 2021)
Download Virtual Meeting Safety Activity Checkpoint (PDF)
Taking trips is one of the many ways troops can discover, connect, and take action. Traveling with your troop progresses with the girls, perhaps starting with a hike outside your meeting place and then progressing to overnight camping, to a visit to Boston or New York, and ultimately a long excursion to one of the World Centers of Girl Scouting in India, Mexico, London, or Switzerland! This is your guide to getting there.
Download Troop Activity Guide (PDF)
Some of the most memorable moments in a Girl Scout’s life happen while taking trips. The first night away from home on a Girl Scout overnight is a big step and one that girls will remember for years to come. Before venturing farther from home, consider offering a simple troop sleepover or even an almost sleepover close to home.
Download The Simple Sleepover Guide (PDF)
The resources below will support your work as a service team. These resources should be reviewed by the team and updated each year.
Download the following documents:
Check out the Service Team Handbook (PDF) for information about how the service team works and details about each team role.
Service Team Position Descriptions
Service Team Role Chart (PDF)
These resources will help you to share Girl Scouts in your community. If you would like to share a story about your troop with local news outlets, please see the materials below for guidance. Guidelines for creating troop t-shirts/signs and other materials can be found here too.
Part of a successful Girl Scout event or activity is promotion and marketing. We have put together a Marketing Toolkit for you to check out, including logo usage, colors, and tips on designing a great flyer. Download the Marketing Toolkit (PDF).
Need a sign for graduating seniors? See our Graduating Girl Scout Ambassador sign (PDF). Want to customize it? See this sign (PDF).
We do our best to share Girl Scout stories in Maine, but with so many members across the state, it's not easy to share all of the awesome activities every Girl Scout. That’s where YOU come in! You can promote your Girl Scout news in your local media with the Press Release Toolkit.
It is wonderful that you want to create your own dedicated Girl Scout troop accounts and/or groups on social media to connect and share triumphs with your troops and their families. However, with social media use comes a lot of responsibility for both girls and leaders within the troops. To protect our members, we have developed specific guidelines for the Girl Scouts of Maine troops and volunteers. Download the guidelines here (PDF).
The resources below will guide your service team as you provide programming for Girl Scouts in your unit.
*Please note: The badge links in these documents refer to the old Cookie Business badges. Please refer to the updated Cookie Business badges.