GIRL PLACEMENT PROCESS

AGENDA Welcome Placement Goal Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) Goals Girl Scouts of Ohio’s Heartland (GSOH) Goals Role of the Service Unit Placement Coordinator Girl Placement Process Monthly Reporting Quarterly Meetings Questions

PLACEMENT GOAL To place girls into an existing or new troop in a timely manner (15 business days or less). To ensure that every girl and/or adult who expresses interest in joining Girl Scouts be given the opportunity.

GSUSA GOALS

Building to One Million More

GSUSA GOALS

GSOH GOALS 5 Year Membership Goal 50,000 girls and volunteers

GSOH GOALS Membership Goal 33,125 girls 5,369 direct service volunteers

Role of the Service Unit Placement Coordinator (SUPC) To provide timely placement updates. To assist in determining best placement of girls and adults in existing or newly established troops or as an individual Girl Scout. To maintain an organized up-to-date girl/adult waitlist, accurate status of current troop openings, and coordinating troop information to facilitate girl placement. To provide on-going communication with parents/guardians and/or Leaders to determine the placement of girls. To work with the Service Unit team to provide options available for individual girls and/or lapsed members.

Brutal Truths of Placement “I just feel that lack of communication, especially for new members doesn't necessarily set a good example for the girls either. And that to me is part of the idea of joining such an organization as girl scouts. I appreciate your help with this, but we have decided that this isn't the correct activity for her at this time.” “We have already registered my daughter and paid the annual fee. We even attended a parent informational meeting in September at a different elementary school in the area. At that time we were told there was not a troop for my daughter but they would soon contact me. We have not been contacted thus far and my daughter is anxious to begin her journey through Girl Scouts.” “We’re having a hard time finding a troop in our area. My daughter is in kindergarten and we’d like to get her involved. We attempted to call the numbers that we have and can’t get a reply”

PLACEMENT REQUESTS Placement requests are received by the following methods: Placement Requests by Phone Local Girl Scout Informational Meetings Girl Interest Form on GSOH website Customer Service/General Questions on GSOH website Join tab on GSOH website Other requests from staff or current members

ALL PLACEMENT REQUESTS ARE RECEIVED AND ALL REQUESTS ARE ENTERED INTO A SPREADSHEET Participation Option # 1: Troop Available SUPC communicates with both parent/guardian & potential Leader within 3-5 days of request. Participation Option # 1: Troop Available SUPC communicates with both parent/guardian & potential Leader within 3-5 days of request. ALL RESULTS ARE DOCUMENTED IN SPREADSHEET Participation Option # 2: No Troop Available SUPC communicates with parent/guardian to share alternative options within 3-5 days of placement request. Participation Option # 2: No Troop Available SUPC communicates with parent/guardian to share alternative options within 3-5 days of placement request. PROPOSED PLACEMENT PROCESS

PARTICIPATION OPTION#1: Troop Available Communication to Troop Leader : Service Unit Placement Coordinator will contact potential Troop Leader within 3-5 days that is likely to take the girl, and ask if she/he is willing to communicate with the parent/guardian to discuss whether or not the troop meeting day/time and location will be a good fit. Information to give the Troop Leader for placement: The parent’s/guardian’s contact information, the girls name, grade, school (optional). The Service Unit Placement Coordinator should instruct that Troop Leader to contact the parent/guardian within 3-5 days of the request and to follow-up with Service Unit Placement Coordinator by on the result of the request. The Troop Leader should make at least 3 attempts to contact parent. Attempts can be a combination of messages with at least one phone message in case has been caught in spam.

PARTICIPATION OPTION#1: Troop Available Communication to Parent/Guardian : Service Unit Placement Coordinator will contact the Parent/Guardian within 3-5 days, contact the parent (note the date) and let him/her know the following: You have referred the girl to a possible troop match (do not guarantee anything) The Leader of the troop should be contacting them within 3-5 days. If they don’t hear from the Leader in a week or if it turns out that the troop won’t fit their needs, the parent should contact you again.

PARTICIPATION OPTION#1: Troop Available Troop Match: Once there has been a match with the new parent and Troop Leader, the Troop Leader will need to let you know and do the following to get the new girl registered: Send the link below to the parent for them to create a profile and register their daughter. Troop Leader must provide the Service Unit number to them. Request that the parent contact Troop Leader once the girl has registered. Once Troop Leader has received the message from the parent indicating they have registered, the Troop Leader must send a message to indicating the following: Leader Name, Service Unit Number/Name, Troop Number and the name of the new girl GSOH CORA team will process the information so that the newly registered girl will be attached to the troop.

PARTICIPATION OPTION #2: No Troop Available Option #1: Invite parent/guardian to a parent meeting to discuss potential troop leadership opportunities to form a troop that will guarantee their daughter’s participation in a troop. Option #2: Offer the parent/guardian the option of their daughter to participate and register as an individual Girl Scout and invite them to attend an upcoming Service Unit event. Option #3:Refer the parent or guardian to for amazing Girl Scout program opportunities that take place year round and a great way to experience Girl Scouting when a troop isn’t available. Option #4: Share that her name will be maintained on waitlist and will be placed into a troop if one comes available.

No Response to Potential Troop Leader and/or Service Unit Placement Coordinator If a parent/guardian has been offered a troop and refused or did not respond to the Troop Leader’s contact attempts, the Service Unit Placement Coordinator will make the final attempt. The date of the final attempt should be notated.

PLACEMENT PROCESS TIPS Tip #1: Keep your spreadsheet updated regarding progress of placement requests. Tip #2: Schedule four GS Informational Meetings (two in fall/two in winter) in a membership year. Tip #3: Have information available for all troop accepting existing troops that include: Troop Leader contact information and troop meeting information(day/time/location). Tip #4: Work with the Service Unit team to create other participation opportunities for girls on the waiting list. AND…..

Send a message to all of the Troop Leaders that place new girls into their troop!!!

Information will be requested by the 20 th of each month by using the following methods: Survey Monkey Excel Spreadsheet MONTHLY REPORTING

QUARTERLY MEETINGS Thursday, March 20, 2014/ 7:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. Meeting Location: Webinar (online meeting) Saturday, May 17, 2014 /10:00 a.m.-noon Meeting Location: Council Headquarters, Columbus Sunday, September 21, 2014/ 7:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. Meeting Location: Webinar (online meeting)

Questions

Contact Information Alexis Howze Customer Service Manager