With final exams, graduation, summer jobs, college preparation, and maybe even a Gold Award taking center stage, your graduating Ambassadors may not be thinking about how to stay involved in Girl Scouts after high school. But with a little encouragement, we hope they continue their Girl Scout legacy well beyond their time as a girl member!
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All over the country and the world, Girl Scout alums are making a positive impact in their own lives and communities. Whether your girls logged one year as a Girl Scout or went all the way through and earned their Gold Awards, they’re Girl Scout alums—a network of over 50 million women who embody the G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Risk-taker, Innovator, Leader)TM spirit to make the world a better place! Even as adults, Girl Scouts make a difference, so with that in mind, here are four ways your graduating girls can stay connected to Girl Scouts.
Become a Lifetime Member
The best way to support the largest leadership development organization for girls in the world is to join as a lifetime member. In July of 2018, GSNorCal achieved 5,000 lifetime members (one of the largest numbers in the nation)! As a lifetime member, your membership will help you stay up-to-date on the latest happenings in the Girl Scout Movement, connect with other alums, and participate in any Girl Scout thing without having to register again. You can purchase your lifetime membership through your MY GS account, on the Mobile Cause App, or on GSUSA’s website. Membership for young alums, former girl members between the ages 18-29, can be purchased at a discounted rate of $200 (half the price of the $400 lifetime memberships)!
On top of that, your dues go to a great cause! Your one-time payment is used towards the Lifetime Membership Endowment Fund, which supports programming for girls in STEM, the outdoors, entrepreneurship, and life skills—areas essential for preparing future Girl Scouts to lead a lifetime of leadership, adventure, and success.
Pro Tip: Looking for a gift for your graduating Girl Scout? Friends and family can purchase lifetime memberships for their girls as a gift through the Mobile Cause App!
Stay Connected Digitally
First and foremost, make sure to register as an alum with Girl Scouts of Northern California! This quick and simple form will ensure you stay connected with our local council as an alum. You’ll receive periodic mailings and emails including our INSPIRE Newsletter, opportunities to support local programs, and invitations to local events.
Another great way to stay connected is to proudly declare yourself a Girl Scout Alum on LinkedIn and follow the Girl Scout Network. You’ll have the opportunity to network with fellow alums, get updates on how Girl Scouts are making a difference today, and learn how to get involved in advancing girls’ and women’s leadership around the world. Alums can also sign up to receive GSUSA’s monthly newsletter that covers the latest happenings in the Girl Scout Movement. You’ll keep current, be inspired by stories of girls and alums, and learn what you can do to keep making the world a better place.
Join your local Alumnae Association
Looking to stay involved with other local Girl Scout alums? Then make sure to check out and join your local Alumnae Association to connect with women who share your passion for Girl Scouting! There are currently three active chapters of the GSNorCal Alumnae Association.
San Francisco Bay Area Chapter
The San Francisco Bay Area chapter holds meetings that rotate around the Bay Area. They help out at council events, host events for older Girl Scouts, and do fundraising to help support girls. They also plan fun activities including ski trips, theater parties, picnics, and an annual Women’s Weekend at Camp Bothin to sing around the campfire, eat s’mores, learn new crafts, and relax.
North Coast Chapter
The North Coast chapter meets in Santa Rosa and has a special interest in supporting girls earning their Gold Awards. Gold Alliance members (former Gold Award Girl Scouts) serve as mentors for girls (and their leaders) working on their award projects in order to increase community awareness about the Gold Award. They also honor volunteers at an annual Juliette’s Jubilee celebration each spring. Bonding activities are always on the agenda too, including service projects, crafts, hikes, Bunco games, and more.
South Bay Chapter
The South Bay chapter is an informal Facebook group that is set up to connect Girl Scout alums in the area. Members are encouraged to share ideas, ask questions, and post topics and events that others might be interested in.
Don’t forget to check out the Girl Scout alum events held nationwide to find an upcoming event in your area where you can reconnect with your Girl Scout sisters.
Volunteer for GSNorCal
Girl Scouts of Northern California relies on nearly 30,000 dedicated, enthusiastic volunteers to lead our troops, help at camp, teach workshops, and more. Volunteers support our future go-getters, innovators, risk-takers, and leaders. To stay involved, become a volunteer and check out different ways to volunteer on our website. Whether you can give a few hours, a few weeks, or a few months, volunteering with Girl Scouts is flexible and fun (and we offer all of the training and resources you need to be successful)!
Volunteer with a One-Time Program/Event
If you’re short on time or just looking for the occasional volunteer opportunity, special events like Golden Gate Bridging and camp work parties are a great way to get involved. Golden Gate Bridging is the biggest event of the year for GSNorcal when over 7,000 girls walk across San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge to bridge from Juniors to Cadettes, then party it up on Crissy Field with music, snacks, and fun activity booths. Volunteers serve in many capacities from supporting event logistics to cheering on girls crossing the bridge. If you’re looking to give your favorite Girl Scout camp some love, camp work parties are an awesome way for troops, families, and friends alike to get their hands dirty and help our camps with restorative projects, like painting projects, trail improvement, and general maintenance. You also can browse GSNorCal’s Activity Finder to find upcoming programs and events you’re interested in volunteering for—just email us at info@gsnorcal.org.
Volunteer with Your Troop or Service Unit
Looking to volunteer on a more regular, routine basis? Then consider getting involved in your local service unit. You can join the Service Unit Team to help support local leaders, help out at events, or take on a specific role for the year like Treasurer, Communications Coordinator, Registrar, or Cookie Booth Coordinator. Browse our list of team positions for more information about each role and contact us to get connected.
If you’re interested in reconnecting with your Girl Scout leadership skills, apply to become a Service Unit Delegate, Delegates-at-Large, or National Delegate. Delegate governance is a key part of GSNorCal’s strategy as we strive to honor the voice of our membership! Service Unit Delegates and Delegates-at-Large serve as the primary communication link between local areas’ Girl Scout members, community networks, and the council’s Board of Directors. In this role, you’ll provide input to the Board on our council’s strategy, helping to shape key priorities and areas for staff and Board members to focus on as well as elect the council Board of Directors members. National Delegates represent our council at national events. Delegates from all Girl Scout councils from around the country gather for the Girl Scout National Convention every three years and learn about upcoming programs, strategies, and changes, vote on key initiatives, and network with fellow Girl Scouts.
From all of us at GSNorCal, we would like to congratulate all the graduating Girl Scouts—we wish you the best of luck as you start this new and exciting chapter of your life. Remember, Girl Scouts exists for girls like you, so hone your skills, and keep making the world a better place!
What your girls can do next:
- Complete their lifetime membership application.
- Register as an alum with GSNorCal and join their local Alumnae chapter.
- Update their resumes and LinkedIn profiles to reflect their Girl Scout experience.
- Check out GSNorCal volunteer opportunities and contact us for more information.
- Get inspired by current alumnae while watching our short PSA, “Lifetime of Leadership”, which celebrates notable Girl Scout alums and their amazing accomplishments (narrated by Girl Scout alum Queen Latifah!)
Amy Dodd—Amy is the Volunteer Recognition Manager at Girl Scouts of Northern California and loves everything recognition-related. She is a former Gold Awardee and recently celebrated 21 years as a Girl Scout. Most importantly, she loves crafting (and any excuse to use Pinterest) and attributes her joy in glitter, scrapbook paper, and glue guns to her younger Girl Scout days.
