When people think of joining Girl Scouts, they think of Girl Scout troops. Well, that's only ONE option! There are SIX official pathways and I'll let you know about a seventh. Any Girl Scout can participate in any number of pathways.1. Events: All Girl Scouts can participate in any Girl Scout event offered by a Council, a Service Unit, etc. To find out what events are going on in your region in the state of Texas, go to the "Event Calendar" on the Girl Scouts - Texas Oklahoma Plains (GS-TOP) website.**Also note that Girl Scouts are registered at the national level; this means that girls can participate in events in any state. Girl going to visit grandma for the summer? This is a great way to let her have a break from the old folks and hang out with girls her own age doing fun Girl Scout activities!
2. Camp: All Girl Scouts can attend any Girl Scout camp. This includes overnight resident camps of varying durations and day camps. Though the majority of camps occur during the summer months, there are camp opportunities throughout the year on weekends and school holidays. GS-TOP has several camp locations to choose from. In addition, day camps are offered at numerous local sites.
3. Series: These are special interest topics that could be on virtually any topic! Meeting times & frequency vary; for example, the series may meet once a week, once a month, or periodically throughout the year.
4. Travel: There are many travel opportunities for Girl Scouts. Girl Scout Destinations fall into six categories: apprenticeships, international, outdoors, people, science, and getaways. Go to the main Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) site for Destinations: http://www.girlscouts.org/forgirls/travel/destinations/. Check out this site to see where you want to go!
5. Virtual: This pathway is currently under development, but will allow girls (4th grade and up) to participate via the internet. As with any of the pathways, girls joining a virtual pathway can earn badges, sell cookies, attend events, go to camp, or do anything else any other Girl Scout can do.
6. Troops: This is the most common option for younger girls. Troops are formed locally, usually by program level. Program levels are as follows:
-- Daisy Girl Scouts: Kindergarten & 1st grade
-- Brownie Girl Scouts: 2nd & 3rd grade
-- Junior Girl Scouts: 4th & 5th grade
-- Cadette Girl Scouts: 6th, 7th, & 8th grade
-- Senior Girl Scouts: 9th & 10th grade
-- Ambassador Girl Scouts: 11th & 12th grade
7. Juliettes: Girls who are not associated with a troop are called Juliettes. Juliettes can participate in any of the pathways listed above.
