Girl Scouts Dakota Horizons | 1101 S Marion Road, Sioux Falls, SD 57106 | 800.666.2141 | gsdakotahorizons.org
Service Unit Event
Planning Checklist
Volunteer event planners can use this checklist as a guide through planning and implementing a service unit event.
Additional resources can be found at gsdakotahorizons.org under Service Unit Resources.
What Details Resource
Event Creation
Brainstorm • Get a good feel for how you want your event to look.
• Gather inspiration from girl input and surveys, community program
partners and interested facilitators/presenters.
• Ask yourself what the girls are looking for in an event? What type of
event is needed in your area for the girls?
Planning
Considerations
Girl Scout programming revolves around the 4 Pillars:
• STEM
• Outdoors
• Life Skills
• Entrepreneurship,
and must meet at least one of the ve outcomes:
• Develop a strong sense of self,
• display positive values,
• seek challenges and learn from setbacks,
• form and maintain healthy relationships,
• and/or learn to identify and solve problems in her community.
Be sure to check Safety Activity Checkpoints & Volunteer Essentials and
review the activities being done at the event to see what safety measures
and ratios need to be met. If there is not a Safety Activity Checkpoint for
an activity, contact the Girl Experience Manager.
TIP: Use the Award
and Badge Explorer
to view the badges
and awards
available for each
grade level or by
topic.
Volunteer
Essentials
Safety Activity
Checkpoints
Create a Basic
Event Outline
This outline should include a schedule, supply list, and information that
will help you build your budget - like presenter or location fees, etc. You
can change or add details later.
Considerations: Travel time between activities, time to complete
activities for age of girls, designate volunteers to specic jobs, and
arrange these ahead of time with the volunteers.
Event Outline
Template
Camp Outline
Template
Create a Budget Use the current Service Unit Event Budget template on our website.
Instructions on how to use the template are within the workbook.
Event Planning
Budget Template
Submit
Completed
Budget to
Council
This can be submitted to your local Troop Engagement Specialist. For
events that are open to all areas, GSDH will assist in the marketing and
promotion of your program opportunity to a wider audience. For events
only open to specic service units, GSDH can ensure compliance and
consistency in the use of GSUSA/GSDH graphics.
Event Logistics Determine where your event will be located, what date it will be held and
the timeline. Recommendation: Check the school, city/community and
council calendars to determine when you may get the most participation.
Event Flyer
Creation
• Service unit events that are open to girls throughout the council and
advertised on the GSDH website, must have their yers created
by council for consistent branding. Allow 3 weeks for yers to be
created.
• Submit the Service Unit Event Budget template to your Troop
Engagement Specialist so they can use it to request yer creation.
• Service unit events that are open to only girls in their service unit,
may create a yer without council approval using the Girl Scout
Branding 101 information found on our website.
• If desired, council will create the yer (allow 3 weeks).
Girl Scout
Branding 101
Event Development
Contracts If Applicable: Check with your local Troop Engagement Specialist on
what signatures are required for a contract.
Create a
Conrmation
Letter/Email
Create your conrmation letter/email with the details of your event.
Please blind carbon copy your Troop Engagement Specialist.
Important information to include:
• Event Name & date
• Physical address for drop-off and pickup & applicable details
(where to park, enter building, etc.)
• Check in time
• Program Beginning time
• Program Ending time
• Shop-in-a-box available
• Who to contact with special considerations (allergies, activity
restrictions, dietary, etc…)
• Items to bring
• Items not to bring
• Participant Substitution allowed/not allowed
• Tag-a-longs (unregistered participants i.e. siblings) allowed/not
allowed
• Day of event contact
• Photo will be taken at this event. If you prefer to opt out of
photograph publication and use, please contact me.
• Weather/Event Cancellation Info
• Forms required
Note: The Health and Permission Form needs to be collected by the
event coordinator when an event includes an overnight, travel, is a camp,
has activities with an increased risk of injury, or as designated by the
event coordinator. In all other cases, the Health and Permission Form
must be held by the volunteer that is chaperoning. If no chaperone is
present, the form must be provided at check in to the event coordinator.
Health &
Permission Form
Choose or design
an Event Patch
(if applicable)
Stock patches can be ordered from any vendor.
Custom patches must follow the Girl Scout Branding 101 information
located on our website. Please remember that you must go to a Girl
Scout licensed vendor to have any materials produced that you are
reselling (including troop or service unit t-shirts) or giving away at a fee-
based event.
TIP: You can create and get your patch approved ahead of time so that
when it comes time to order, everything is ready to go. Most patches
take 3 weeks to print and mail out. Be sure to check if there is a
minimum quantity to meet and custom patches are generally more
expensive then stock patches.
Girl Scout
Branding 101
Event Promotion There are many ways to promote events. Some options work better at
different times and for different target audiences.
• Events open to the entire council: Promote locally using the
suggestions in the service unit only section below. Council will post
the event to our online events listing and include in communications
to members. Consult with your Troop Engagement Specialist about
additional options such as staff sharing event information to other SU
Facebook pages.
• For events that are within the service unit only: You could advertise
on the service unit Facebook page, create a Facebook event, send
emails, make phone calls to troop volunteers or parents, or talk about/
distribute information at the service unit meetings/events. Consult
with your service unit manager to determine the best way to market
the event to service unit members.
Girl Scout
Branding 101
4-5 Weeks Prior to the Event
Check Program
Numbers
Look at how many you have registered for your program. Things to
consider:
• If you are at max, can you accommodate more?
• If your numbers are low, gure out what kind of event promotion to
do? See event promotion section above for ideas.
After the Event Closes
Program Roster Put together a roster of all girls and adults registered for the program.
TIP: You can include all information for a quick glance guide for yourself.
This may include emergency contact, pickup person, t-shirt size, special
needs, photo permission, any forms needed.
Conrm Location If applicable: Make sure that everything is in order for the event location,
and a number where you can get a hold of someone day of event.
Conrm
Presenters
If applicable: Time to be there, location, number where they can reach
you and you can reach them day of event, program supplies/equipment,
event numbers, review payment agreement, etc.
Review/Revise
Event Outline
Make sure everything is set, so you can order supplies based on the
number of attendees.
Order Supplies If applicable: Online/special purchases need to be made early, to have
plenty of time for shipping.
If you are purchasing items from the Girl Scout Retail Store, please work
with your local Retail Specialist to ensure enough inventory is on hand.
Order Patches If applicable: Get these in ASAP as most times they need 3 weeks for a
custom patch order.
Required
Permissions
• Photo Permission Release: Collect photo permission forms from
attendees at check in or as part of your conrmation letter.
• Outside Group: May require a separate release form to use images for
their own marketing.
• Waivers – Outside Groups may require a waiver to participate in
a certain activity – be sure to include this in your conrmation
materials.
• Health & Permission Form: The Health and Permission Form includes
emergency contact information and medicines that can/are to be
dispensed. Medication, including over-the-counter products, must
never be dispensed without prior written permission from a girl’s
custodial parent/guardian. Permission is obtained using the Health and
Permission Form. Information disclosed should remain condential
and shared only with those as needed.
• Sensitive Issues: Visit Volunteer Essentials for more information.
If sensitive issues are going to be discussed, you will need parent
permission.
Photo Permission
Release Form
Health &
Permission Form
Volunteer
Essentials
Safety & Risk
Management
• Certicates of Liability: Are often requested by the event location and
they can be provided by your Troop Engagement Specialist. Allow
one full business day to receive the certicate. Be sure to check the
contract or ask the vendor if this is required to hold the event.
• First Aid: Review Volunteer Essentials for details.
• Safety Activity Checkpoints & Volunteer Essentials: Review the
activities being done at the event to see what safety measures and
ratios need to be met. If there is not a Safety Activity Checkpoint for
an activity, contact the Girl Experience Manager.
• Special Needs: Through the event registration form or the conrmation
letter you may have special considerations you need to accommodate
such as dietary needs, activity restriction, allergies, etc. GSDH events
provide reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities.
Requests should be made to the Service Unit at least two weeks
in advance of the event. No Girl Scouts will be excluded from an
activity on the basis of a disability-related accommodation request.
Information disclosed should remain condential and shared only with
those as needed.
• Overnights: Ensure the safety of sleeping areas – review the Camping
SACs for more details, including provisions for adult males.
Volunteer
Essentials
Safety Activity
Checkpoints
Create a
Healthcare
Binder (if
applicable)
A Healthcare Binder is needed for overnights, travel and increase risk of
injury activities. Be sure to share with your First Aider how the binder is
organized and what information needs to be documented.
Sections to include:
• Roster – A list of all girl and adult participants and notes that the
camp rst aider would need to know at a glance (i.e. food allergy)
• Individual Participant (Camper) Info
• Individual Participant Health & Permission Forms
• Required Treatment Notication Forms (blank copies)
When you have given medication/administered treatment that is not
scheduled, ll out this sheet to give to the parent/guardian at pick up
so they know what was done. Keep a copy for your records.
Health &
Permission Form
First Aid Treatment
Notication Form
Find Extra Help If the event requires more helpers, email event volunteers or PAs/CITs
to help. If you need help nding people to volunteer, please contact
your Service Unit Manager who can assist you with contacting local
volunteers.
10 Days Prior to the Event
Send the Event
Conrmation to
Participants
Send out a conrmation (email/call/mail) to all participants to remind
them of the event and what is needed. Make sure to include packing
lists and additional forms if applicable.
Conrm with
Volunteers
Forward the Event Conrmation Letter to volunteers adding in any
special things they need to know, such as how early to come and what
job they may be doing.
Week of the Event
Supplies Gather/sort all supplies needed and get organized for the event.
Conrmations If needed, contact location and presenters one last time.
Purchasing Purchase any last minute supplies, such as snacks or other perishable
items.
Check the
Weather
• Check the weather forecast and continue to monitor it if there is a
chance of a weather event. For example, if it is supposed to be very
hot and sunny – you may need to make adjustments to camp activities
or purchase freezies to cool campers down. Or, if bad weather is in the
forecast, you may need to make additional changes.
• It doesn’t hurt to send out an email to participants with weather
related changes a few days prior to the event. Let them know how
to look for weather cancellations or if they need to bring something
extra like a hat and bandana. This can save you a lot of time with
the amount of questions you can sometimes get and the parents/
volunteers really appreciate it.
• Safety First: Always know what the weather shelter and evacuation
plans are at your event location.
Day of the Event
Set Up Time Depending on the amount of set up time needed, the Event Lead and
any set up volunteers should arrive at the program location at least 1 1/2
hours prior to the event start time- one hour for set up and volunteer
assignments and a half an hour for the check in time. Make sure to allow
ample drive time in case of unforeseen circumstances like bad weather,
site not unlocked, etc.
TIP: You will always have attendees arrive early.
Check In During check in: Check in all girls and adults that attend. If you have
any changes to the roster, note them.
Changes may include: an unregistered participant, girls that register late,
change in adult helpers, email and address changes.
Event Start It’s nice to start all events with a welcome, introductions, a ag
ceremony, the Girl Scout Promise and safety guidelines and rules.
Capture the
Event
During the event – take pictures and collect stories! If possible, post on
social media.
TIP: Assign a volunteer to do this job!
Event Closing Try to end the event with the following if time/space permits.
• Program evaluation (done in a group or individually)
• Friendship Circle
• Announcements:
• Thank You for coming/helping.
• What the girls earned.
• Don’t forget to take home: craft, gift bag, patch, etc.
• What is coming up: Service Unit events, Council Events, etc.
After the Event
Program Notes After each event, make notes to yourself about the program so that you
have a record of what you liked, didn’t like, ideas, etc. This is helpful if
you do the program again or if you share the program with other service
units or council. You will want to complete this ASAP so you remember
more. You can also add the notes from the evaluations you receive or
comments/feedback you get from your follow up email.
Submit the
Service Unit
Event Recap
Form
Submitting a recap of your service unit event brings forward great
ideas and best practices that can be shared across the council. This
also allows GSDH to elevate service unit activity, record girls that
have been served in Girl Scout Leadership Experience driven program
opportunities, and use this information to support our mission when
working with partner organizations such as United Ways and corporate
sponsorships.
Event Recap Form
Funding If the event was supported by a grant or United Way funding, check with
your local Troop Engagement Specialist for any reporting needs.
Thank You’s Take the time to send personal Thank You’s - write/call/email the event
locations, presenters, volunteers, etc.
Clean Up Make sure to leave places cleaner than you found them, return any
borrowed materials, and return the Shop in a Box if applicable.
Follow Up Email After an event is over a follow up email to participants is a good idea.
This is an opportunity to thank them, gather more feedback, promote
your next event and share lost & found items if you have them.
Event Media Send photos and a short write up of the event to your Troop Engagement
Specialist for an opportunity to share it on the council’s social media
channels. If media was present at your event, send a link to the coverage
to your Troop Engagement Specialist.
