Volunteer Training & Education

General Information

The Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana has a sincere commitment to its volunteers to provide an ongoing program of Adult Education both in the areas of Basic Leadership and Enrichment. The council recognizes that a well-trained volunteer is one who provides good programming for girls and also gains personal skills and a higher level of commitment to Girl Scouting.  Training reaches through good leaders to touch the lives of girls. Well-trained leaders know Girl Scouting guidelines and requirements. They can concentrate on bringing the best possible program to girls in their troop(s)...and have fun with the girls! Required training includes Orientation, Girl Scout Leadership, Appropriate Age-Level (Daisy, Brownie, Junior, Girl Scouts 11-17). Before meeting with their troop, all leaders and co-leaders must have Orientation. Girl Scout Leadership is required along with the appropriate age level training for at least one leader of each troop within their first troop year.

For more information about Adult Education, see the Leader Information Book. A chart of required training for basic leadership, first aider, outside troop activities, and participation in the Adventure Program is available. Application forms for the Leadership Development Pin and leaves and an order form for training patches are also in the Leader Information Book.  Check with your local Service Center for required training.

It is important that you register and pay fees in advance for each class you plan to attend and that you cancel if you are unable to attend. Our trainers are also volunteers; they go to considerable effort to tailor the activities and materials to the size of the class. Please extend them this courtesy and remember to thank them for their hard work.

Who can attend

Trainings are open to all registered adults. Senior Girl Scouts, who serve as co-leaders in younger troops or who are working on LIT, may attend appropriate workshops. Older girls may also attend workshops when specifically invited. All participants must register individually.

How to register

Pre-registration deadlines for workshops vary with each service center. Usually, you should register at least one week prior to the course. Check with your service center for specific deadlines. Some classes have earlier deadlines than others; this will be listed with the course description. In some service centers, courses may be confirmed or cancelled 10 working days prior to the scheduled date (check with your service center).  Registration forms can be obtained from your local service center. A few are available for selected service centers to download and print out on this website under the training section of Calendars. Fill in one form per class and mail it along with a check for the fee, when required, to the appropriate service center (if the form does not have an address, you can find on our locations page). (Be sure to include your full address, phone numbers, etc.) You may also register at the service center or by phone. While phone inquires may be made, course fees must be received before registrations will be processed. 

Course fees

Most workshops are free. However, some courses do have fees when food, craft materials, or an exceptional quantity of materials are required. Course fees are listed with the description. Fees must be sent with registration forms unless otherwise stated. You will not be registered for the course until the fee arrives. Fees for courses canceled by the Adult Education Dept. will be credited for future trainings. To receive a credit or refund for a course you can not attend, you must call and cancel at least 48 hours prior. If you do not attend a course and did not call to cancel, the fee is forfeited. Refunds are given for cancellations due to personal injury, illness, or death in the family.  If the class is full or if the time or place is changed, you will receive a call. You may choose to put your name on the waiting list for a full class. If a class is canceled because too few people registered, you will also receive a call.  Checks should be made out to Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana. 

Registration confirmation

Depending on your service center, you may receive a confirmation card in the mail. If you do not receive a postcard, please call to confirm your registration. Mark your calendar for the day, time, and place of the courses for which you register. You may be called if the course is full, canceled, or changed in any way. We cannot notify you if you have not registered! If the course is full, you can be placed on a waiting list and may still be able to participate if a cancellation is received. 

If you cannot come

PLEASE CALL! Your call may allow someone on the waiting list to take the course they want. This is also a courtesy to our volunteer trainers who prepare for the number who are registered. Please call the Service Center 24 hours in advance to cancel your registration. If you call 48 hours before to let us know you will not be attending, the fee will be credited to you for future training. If you register for a course and do not attend or if you do not call forty-eight hours before the class to notify us you will not be attending, the fee is forfeited.

Cancellations

Courses will be canceled if there are fewer than the minimum number of participants (see course descriptions for minimum number), if there is a weather emergency, or if there is a trainer emergency. When a class is scheduled in an area with snow or ice, cancellations follow school closings. If a course is canceled, every attempt will be made to notify you.

Children

Please do not bring children with you. Most facilities will not accommodate childcare. This is for the safety of your children and the consideration of other workshop participants.

Training records . . .

Wallet-sized cards are available at all trainings. It is important that you retain these cards to verify the trainings you have attended. At the end of a class the trainer will complete a record of your attendance on your training card. Extra wallet-sized cards are available at each training. Also, be sure you sign the training attendance form at each training. This information is entered into the council’s training database.   

Catch the Train to Adult Education

Have you been building a train of training patches? Kentuckiana has a patch program of "train cars" to recognize adults’ efforts to become fully trained and knowledgeable through attendance at adult education classes. For those of you who have several cars in your train, you will be pleased to know that there are other cars you can add. You can purchase cars to recognize your attendance at the Songs and Games, CPR, Teams Course, and Diversity classes. For those of you who have not gotten on board yet, there are patches available for Orientation, Girl Scout Leadership, the various Age Level classes (Daisy, Brownie, Junior, and Older Girl), the four Outdoor Levels, Service Team Training and First Aid.

How do you get these patches? Order them when you register for the class or show your training card to purchase a patch for a class you have already taken. See your service center’s Adult Education Specialist. The Orientation patch is given to new leaders after the record of their orientation is received in the service center office. Leaders who took the class before last troop year may purchase their "puff of smoke."

Don’t be left behind—show pride in your accomplishment. All aboard!

Training locations

Training is offered at many locations throughout council area. Directions to each training site are available from the service center.

Materials

Leader Information Book, Safety-wise, Age Level books, training record card, note taking materials, and any items listed for the course you are taking. A tape recorder may be helpful for songs and games classes. If the course is scheduled through a meal hour, bring a lunch and drink unless otherwise noted. 

Come

Be the best volunteer you can be. Come join other volunteers who want to learn about Girl Scouting, try new ideas and have fun. Do it for yourself and for your girls!

Visit the Calendar!