Troop Volunteer Resources

Welcome to the great adventure of Girl Scouting! Thanks to volunteers like you, generations of girls are learning to be Go-getters, Innovators, Risk-takers and Leaders. Below are the links to some of the most important resources you will need to inspire tomorrow's leaders and prepare every girl to practice a lifetime of leadership.

All New! Girl Scout "My Account" Help Guide. This step by step guide will take you through login and navigation of the Girl Scout Platform. If you need additional assistance, please contact customer care.

Online Courses Through gsLearn

Whether you are a new or seasoned troop leader, get ready to take your Girl Scout learning experience to the next level with gsLearn, an online training platform. Sign up for live webinars, complete virtual modules, and receive the training throughout the year as you need it.
Here is a list of current courses you can access from gsLearn:

- 434 GSCI Money Matters
- 434 Intro to GSCI
- GSUSA Volunteer Toolkit Tutorials
- GSUSA Zoom for Girl Scouts
- 434 Cheddar Up Training
- GSUSA Grade Level Training
- GSUSA Facilitating Virtual Troop Meetings
- GSUSA Girl Scouts in the Outdoors
- 434 Fund Development Foundation Presentation

GSCI Volunteer Policies

Volunteer Policies

Outdoor Skills Training

In complying with GSUSA Safety Activity Checkpoints, any troop reserving a campsite or participating in a service unit camping event at any of our camp properties, Girl Scouts of Central Indiana requires at least one troop volunteer to have completed Camp Prep. This requirement will take effect on September 1, 2021. If you have completed a GSCI camping training (basic or advanced) in the last two years you will be grandfathered into this new policy. If you have not taken any camping training, you will need to do ONE of the following:

Complete the online training module within gsLearn. Search for "434 GSCI Camp Prep 1 Online" in your content library.

Q.) I haven’t attended training in the last two years, but I am an experienced camper, do I have to complete Camp Prep?

A.) Yes. You will need to complete an online training module.

Q.) Does every adult camping with our troop need to be complete Camp Prep?
A.) No. Only one volunteer per reservation needs to have completed Camp Prep 1 to make the reservation.

Q.) What about camporees – does every troop need to have training before attending?
A.) Yes, each troop should have at least one person who has completed Camp Prep 1. Volunteer Services can help the service unit coordinate an in-person training prior to the event with a council approved trainer.

Q.) Will CSAs who have been through aid training qualify for their troop

A.) No. We require a current, approved adult volunteer.

Questions about Camp Prep training? Contact customer care.

Safety Activity Checkpoints

Our top priority is the safety of girls. 2021 Safety Activity Checkpoints are a convenient way to make sure you do all you can to ensure everyone has fun and safe experiences through Girl Scouts. From parades, to camping, to zip lining this online section lists everything you need to know for each outing and offers a checklist to follow for planning, during and after!

Kaleidoscope-Volunteer Enrichment Event

Watch for 2022 date! Fall Kaleidoscope is a day of fun, volunteer learning and networking opportunities. Watch this space for more details over the next few months.

Troop Opportunity Catalog

The Troop Opportunity Catalog in an online listing of opportunities for girl and adult members.

It’s a lot like shopping online, something we’ve all done at some point, right? The Troop Opportunity Catalog makes it easier for parents and caregivers to search for troop openings by zip code. It also makes it easier for troop leaders to advertise ways for family members to get involved in their troop. Troop leaders will receive an instant email notification (with contact information) when a new member joins the troop or a parent or caregiver expresses interest in volunteering.

Update your Troop Opportunity Catalog.

Forms and Documents

View Forms and Documents

2021 Blue Book

2021 Blue Book (March 2021)

Overnight Travel/High Risk

The Troop Overnight Travel Form is for troop or groups planning extended or international travel and or high risk activities. This form must be completed and approved at council level.

For additional information, check out the Girl Scout Guide to US Travel.

Faith Resources

Everything in Girl Scouting is based on the Girl Scout Promise and Law, which includes many of the principles and values common across religions. So while we are a secular organization, Girl Scouts has always encouraged girls to take spiritual journeys via their faiths' religious recognitions.

We encourage troop leaders to use the assets below to encourage girls as they explore their faith. Additional resources are located in our Girls and Families section on the Girl Scouts Celebrate Faith page.

Introductory Video to Religious Recognitions

In cooperation with the National Religious Relationships Committee, a short promotional video on religious recognitions was created for Girl Scouts Celebrate Faith week.

GSUSA Religious Awards Promotion

Girl Scouts Girls of Faith: Celebrating Together

GSUSA, councils, P.R.A.Y., and other faith partners hosted Girls of Faith: Celebrating Together national virtual event series on March 11-14. Girls of all faiths had the chance to celebrate their own faith, explore other faiths, learn more about religious recognitions, and take steps to earn their My Promise, My Faith pin.

Watch and share the free, on-demand playbacks here – each session is designed for girls of all faiths and can be a resource for troop leaders wanting to explore religious recognitions or lead a My Promise, My Faith session. Promotional assets can be found here.

On-Demand Playback (Interfaith Celebration, Orthodox Christian Speakers)
On-Demand Playback (Lutheran Buddhist, Roman Catholic Speakers)
On-Demand Playback (Baha’i, Islam, Judaism, United Methodist Speakers)

In order for the videos to play, you will need to complete the registration. Once the screen form is complete, the "register" button will light up. Just tap that button to be connected to the video.

Cheddar Up

Online Payments

Easily Collect Online Payments for Your Troop or Service Unit!

Girl Scouts of Central Indiana wants to make your life just a little bit easier! We've partnered with Cheddar Up—the leading group payments platform—to give your troop or service unit an easy tool to collect payments (and forms and information) for troop and service unit expenses online with ease at no cost to the collector! With Cheddar Up you can collect online payments for dues, uniforms, supplies, activities, product programs, or events making paper, cash, or checks a thing of the past!

Cheddar Up Resource

Troop Leaders:

Cheddar Up FAQs | PDF

What is Cheddar Up?

Cheddar Up is a digital payment and tracking tool that will help your troop or service unit easily collect money online for Girl Scout activities or events. Your troop or service unit bank account will be linked with your Cheddar Up account so you can quickly accept online payments for your activities, including:

Troop dues
Uniforms
Supplies
Badges
Outings and events
Camp and Camporees
Event registration

Why Should I Use Cheddar Up?

Cheddar Up simplifies collecting for organizers. Its payment and tracking toolset helps volunteers streamline the task of collecting funds and forms from numerous people. Cheddar Up tracks payments, provides reports and stores forms electronically - all easily accessible on your laptop or from the Cheddar Up app. To learn more about how Cheddar Up is different from other popular payment platforms, please click here.

Here are just a few of the features that your troop or service unit can enjoy when you create your free account with Cheddar Up:

Online Payments: Accept payments by credit card or echecks. You’ll be able to track online as well as offline (cash or check) payments. Payers will not need to open an account or download the app to make a payment.
Online Forms: Add form fields to your collection to eliminate paper and move all information-collecting online.
Automatic Tracking: Cheddar Up automatically tracks all payments and information received online. In one click, easily export to Excel. Download the Cheddar Up app for on-the-go access.
Complete Oversight: Securely transfer funds directly to your troop or service unit's bank account with an online record of all transfers.
Easy Hand Off: Every volunteer's dream... replicate collection pages year after year—with saved history for always-there online records.

How Does Cheddar Up Work?

Here is how Cheddar Up can make collecting Girl Scout-related payments a breeze!

Complete our Cheddar Up form. Note: you must be a signer on the troop account. After you have been approved, you will receive a welcome email from Cheddar up with next steps. Just follow the instructions you will receive in Your Welcome Email from Cheddar Up.
Create your online collections. The easy to use builder allows you to create collections from scratch or use the built-in GSCI Item library to get started.
Share with your troop or service unit members. Simply copy the collection link and share with your troop/service unit—via email, text, or any communication channel.
Troop parents or service unit members can pay instantly online. Without having to download an app or create an account, members can easily make online payments for their troop and service unit activities and events.
Receive your collections. Sit back and watch your collections come in! When people pay you, Cheddar Up keeps your funds safe and secure until you're ready to transfer the money into your troop/service unit bank account. You can easily manage, and track all the payments via Cheddar Up's reporting feature!
Transfer funds. Securely transfer funds directly to your troop or service unit's bank account with an online record of all transfers.

How Can I Use Cheddar Up For My Troop or Service Unit?

Troops and Service Units may use Cheddar Up as long as the troop or service unit bank account is tied to their Cheddar Up account and funds are collected and managed responsibly. Here are some ways you could use Cheddar Up!

Collect Activity or Event Fees: Have an event coming up and need to collect payments plus parent contact information or a permission form? This new tool allows you to add custom form fields to your collections so you can collect any amount of information associated with payments.
Set Up Recurring Payments: Want to collect monthly dues from Girl Scout families? Cheddar Up’s recurring payment option allows families to commit to monthly dues once and have the rest of the payments happen automatically behind the scenes.
Purchase Uniforms and Supplies: Are you a new troop or a troop bridging to the next level and need to purchase all new uniforms and program books? No problem, create a collection, enter images and costs and share with your troop families. Parents can pay online, indicate the sizes and you can make the purchase online or in-person at our retail shop!

How Much Does It Cost to Use?

Cost For Troops And Service Units Who Are Collecting Payments:
FREE! Collecting on Cheddar Up is always free. There are no setup/hidden fees or out-of-pocket expenses. GSCI troops and service units will have free access to all the features of Cheddar Up’s Pro and Team plans. Collected funds are stored in Cheddar Up until the account owner withdraws the funds online to their troop or service unit bank account.

Cost For Payers (parents, troop leaders, or other payers) Who Are Paying for Troop or Service Unit Expenses:

Credit or Debit Card Payments:
Payers provide their credit/debit card number securely online. Payers pay a convenience fee of $0.45 per transaction for credit/debit card payments plus 3.5% for credit card processing.
eCheck Payments:
Payers provide their checking account routing number and bank account number securely online. Payers pay a $0.45 per transaction convenience fee (Less than the price of a stamp)!
Offline Cash or Check Payments:
FREE! For a no cost option, you can accept and track cash/check payments paid to you offline (in person). You would then deposit the cash/check in your troop or service unit bank account and then log the payment as received in Cheddar Up! Make sure to toggle this option "on" in your Cheddar Up account settings so you can log and track these types of payments.

NOTE: GSCI receives no financial or other compensation or benefits for offering Cheddar Up. GSCI is working with Cheddar Up to offer this service to make collecting payments easier for both leaders and parents. By developing this relationship, we have been able to offer premium functions on the Cheddar Up platform free of cost to troops and service units and also to build custom templates and collection assets that will make Cheddar Up even easier for our leaders to use. Activation of your account and use of Cheddar Up is entirely optional for troops and leaders.

How Do I Sign Up For Cheddar Up and Start Using It?

All new Troop Leaders and Service Unit Leader Support Managers (as well as other existing troops and service units who don’t yet have an active Cheddar Up account) will receive a Welcome email from Cheddar Up seasonally (the “from” email address will be “friendlysupport@cheddarup.com”). The email will have GSNorCal branding and will have the subject line of “Complete account setup: Welcome to your new online platform for troop payments”. These emails are typically sent in August/September and then again in January/February. If for some reason you do not receive a Welcome email, please contact Cheddar Up Support at friendlysupport@cheddarup.com and request the email to be resent. Once you receive your email, you will follow the on-screen instructions to create your free Cheddar Up account so you can start collecting!

Notes:

In order to receive the free benefits (free access to Pro and Team Plans) of the Cheddar Up platform, you must sign up via this Welcome Email process.
Each troop or service unit may only create ONE Cheddar Up account. If you have more than one leader, please coordinate with your other leaders to determine who will create and manage the Cheddar Up account to prevent duplicate/multiple accounts.
Refer to the Cheddar Up FAQs for more information

How Do I Find Out More?

Learn more about Cheddar Up by watching the training in gsLearn. Also check out our Cheddar Up FAQs for detailed answers to frequently asked questions.

If you don’t see the information you are looking for, have additional questions, or need help:

Contact Cheddar Up Support at friendlysupport@cheddarup.com
Schedule a Live Chat 9-5pm, M-F: https://my.cheddarup.com/contact

Through an ongoing partnership with WGU Indiana, volunteers and staff are eligible for scholarships and tuition disounts. Learn more about these educational opportunities at WGU Indiana today.

Get the tools you need to keep your troop connected.