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About Us - Info for Parents

Welcome Parents! Thank you for your interest in Girl Scouts of Rhode Island, Inc.!

Below you will find a wide range of information that we think might be of interest to you. We invite you to browse through this page and throughout our site so that you can learn more about Girl Scouting.

At Girl scouts of Rhode Island, we help build the foundation young girls need to find the confidence and support to further their education, and to further themselves. Through their experiences as Girl Scouts, girls develop critical qualities that will serve them throughout their lives: strong values, social conscience, a sense of their own leadership capacity and self-worth.

Click on any of the following headings to learn a bit more about Girl Scouts:

THE BASICS:

The Girl Scout program is divided into five age levels:
Daisies (ages 5 - 6 or grades K - 1)
Girls eligible to be Daisies are between the ages of five and six or are in kindergarten. Daisies govern themselves through the Daisy Girl Scout Circle. These young girls receive a certificate of recognition at the beginning and end of their year as a Daisy - however, there are no badges to earn at this age level.
Brownies (ages 6 - 8 or grades 1 - 3)
Brownies should be between the ages of six through eight or in grades one through three. Girls, as Brownies, run their troops through the Brownie Girl Scout Ring with a committee. Brownies may earn Brownie Girl Scout Try-Its, the Dabbler Badge, and the Bridge to Junior Girl Scouts patch.
Juniors (ages 8 - 11 or grades 3 - 6)
Junior Girl Scouts are between the ages of nine and eleven or are in grades three through six. In some situations, girls age 8 and in third grade may be Juniors. Juniors are governed by Patrol systems, an Executive Board, or by town meeting. These girls have the opportunities to earn badges, signs, the Junior Aide Patch or the Bridge to Cadette Girl Scout patch.
Girl Scouts 11 - 14 (ages 11-14 or grades 6-8)
Girls ages eleven to fourteen or in grades six through eight are eligible for the Girl Scouts 11 - 14 program. In some cases, girls age eleven and in sixth grade may be eligible. These girls govern themselves by the Patrol System, an Executive Board or in a town meeting format. They can earn Interest Project Patches, the From Dreams to Reality patch, the Girl Scouts 11 - 14 Program Aide pin and patch, the Girl Scouts 11 - 14 Leadership Award, Leader-In-Training and Counselor-In-Training pins,the Girl Scouts 11 - 14 Girl Scout Challenge, Community Service Bars, Religious Awards, the Girl Scout Silver Award and the Bridge to Senior Girl Scouts patch.
Girl Scouts 14 - 17 (ages 14 - 17 or grades 9 -12)
Girl Scouts 14-17 abide by the same troop governmental structures as both Juniors and Girl Scouts 11-14. Girl Scouts 14-17 have the opportunity to earn: interest project patches, the Girl Scouts 14-17 Program Aide pin and patch, the Career Exploration pin, the Girl Scouts 14-17 Leadership Award, the Senior Girl Scout Challenge, Leader-In-Training pin, Girl Scouts 14-17 Troop Assistant, Counselor-In-Training pin, Community Service Bars, religious awards and recognitions, the Ten-Year Award, the Girl Scout Gold Award, and the Bridge to Adult Girl Scouts pin.

GIRL SCOUT LAW & PROMISE:

The Promise:
On my honor, I will try:
           To serve God and my country,
           To help people at all times,
           And to live by the Girl Scout Law.

The Law:
I will do my best to be
         honest and fair,
         friendly and helpful,
         considerate and caring,
         courageous and strong, and
         responsible for what I say and do,
and to
        respect myself and others,
        respect authority,
        use resources wisely,
        make the world a better place, and
        be a sister to every Girl Scout

Priorities of Girl Scouting:

We, the members of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, united by a belief in God, hold that the Girl Scout Promise and Law is the cornerstone of our Movement, And inspired by the Founder of the Girl Scout Movement in the United States, Juliette Low, and by the aims of the Founder of the Girl Scout Movement, attest to the following:

SAFETY IS OUR #1 CONCERN:

As Girl Scout activities keep pace with an ever-changing world, health and safety remain cornerstones of the Girl Scout movement. Safety is planned and practiced by all members. When Girl Scout members learn about safety, more activities are at their command. When participants follow safety practices, they can feel relaxed and confident. Our Girl Scout council ensures that all Girl Scout programs are delivered in reasonably safe and secure environments. We train leaders, we provide direction for how to deal with crises, we have resources available for leaders and troops at all times, and we are always here for advice.

DIVERSITY & PLURALISM:

Girl Scouts advance diversity and pluralism in our Movement and in the communities in which we live. We are for every girl, everywhere.

OUR CHARTER:

We are chartered - every four years - at the recommendation of a National Board of Directors of the Girl Scouts of the USA - to deliver the Girl Scout program to all girls ages 5-17 and to further the development of the Girl Scout movement in the United States. Currently, there are over 300 chartered Girl Scout councils in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands.

NONDISCRIMINATION:

The Girl Scouts value diversity and inclusiveness and, therefore, do not discriminate on any basis. We do not permit the advocacy or promotion of a personal lifestyle or sexual orientation, nor do we recruit accordingly. Indeed, we have firm standards relating to appropriate conduct on the part of all adults who work with girls. We have a long history of adapting activities for girls who have special needs.

ENDORSEMENTS:

When people give money to those identifying themselves as Girl Scouts, they assume that they are helping provide Girl Scouting to girls in their community. It would be misleading and a breach of the public trust to use the Girl Scout name to raise money for another purpose, no matter how noble. Therefore, all money raised in the name of Girl Scouting must be used for that purpose.

PATRIOTISM, CITIZENSHIP, AND COMMUNITY SERVICE:

Local, national, and global service and action are core elements of the Girl Scout experience.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE MOVEMENT AND THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS:

The ultimate responsibility for the Girl Scout Movement rests with its members. We govern by an efficient and effective democratic process that demonstrates our leadership in a fast-changing world.

GIRL/ADULT PARTNERSHIP:

Adults partner with girls to guide and inspire growth and achievement. Volunteers are essential to the strength and capacity of our Movement.

WORLD ASSOCIATION OF GIRL GUIDES & GIRL SCOUTS (WAGGGS):

We are active partners in a worldwide sisterhood through our affiliation with WAGGGS. We work with WAGGGS to address the needs of girls and to build a network of global citizens.

To learn more about GSRI, click here to read our most recent quarterly newsletters, Annual Report and other GSRI materials!