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Important Safety Links & Resources:

GSNETX Troop Annual Permission Form

GSNETX Event Permission Slip

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Safety

The Girl Scout motto is Be Prepared. We want our girls, volunteers and families to feel as safe and prepared as possible all the time, but especially during this time.


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In-Person Activities during COVID-19

GSNETX troops and service units are encouraged to hold in-person activities as members feel comfortable and in a safe way, following all GSNETX In-Person Activity Guidelines below.

When deciding whether to host an in-person activity, please consider the make-up and size of your troop or SU, including possible attendees, their families, and their current comfort level. We want to do our best to make sure all members and families feel included during their Girl Scout experience.

These guidelines were created following CDC information, Girl Scouts of the USA guidance, and in alignment with our insurance provider. In addition to these guidelines, members are also responsible for following any city, county, or regional ordinances as well as any location or event-specific COVID-19 protocols while participating in Girl Scout activities.

Safety protocols can change rapidly. Keeping the best interest of our members in mind, GSNETX continues to monitor guidance on an ongoing basis and will make additional changes as appropriate.

Pre-Screening, Permission, & Paperwork

If a girl, parent/caregiver, or volunteer is showing any new or worsening signs or symptoms of possible COVID-19, has been in close contact with someone confirmed to have COVID-19 within the past 5 days, is awaiting COVID-19 test results, or has tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 5 days, they are not permitted to attend in-person activities. If any of these things have occurred within the past 5-15 days, please follow the latest CDC guidance.

While not required, volunteers, troop leaders, and event coordinators may require the completion of the GSNETX COVID-19 Pre-Screening Form (Word)(PDF) before a volunteer-led in-person activity or upon arrival. These responses should be kept for 30 days after the activity, along with a roster of everyone who attended. Volunteers may collect the pre-screening form information through email or an online survey using the same language on the form. Potential attendees who answer yes to any of the questions should not attend the in-person Girl Scout activity. Temperature checks are permitted but not required as part of pre-screening.

Attendees at GSNETX staff-led activities may be required to go through a pre-screening process prior to or upon arrival to the activity.

Masks & General Health Protocols

Masks are highly recommended for indoor activities when community levels and transmission rates are high, with the exception of times when members are eating, drinking, bathing, sleeping, etc. Masks are not required for outdoor activities.* Even when not required, all members may wear masks as they feel comfortable. 

*Troop leaders, event coordinators, service units, or GSNETX may require masks for in-person activities. This requirement must be made clear ahead of time.

Hand hygiene should always be followed. Before preparing or eating food, have all participants wash and/or sanitize their hands. Reduction of shared supplies is recommended. 

All Girl Scout members are expected to respectfully follow any location or event-specific COVID-19 protocols, including masks, physical distancing, group sizes, etc. for all in-person activities.

COVID-19 Positive Test Results

In the event that someone who has attended an in-person Girl Scout activity within the past 10 days tests positive for COVID-19, they should alert their troop leader or GSNETX and all of those potentially impacted should be notified. 

If it was a volunteer-led activity, volunteers may contact those impacted using these templates.

If the in-person activity was a GSNETX staff-led activity, if you're not sure who organized the event, if you have specific questions not answered above, or if you would like for GSNETX staff to contact those impacted, please reach out to Kristin Neel, VP of Membership Strategy & Volunteer Learning, at kneel@gsnetx.org or at 972-349-2457. GSNETX notification will take place via email and text.

Remember that personal girl and volunteer health information, including the identity of the person who tested positive and their symptoms, is private and should be only shared on a need to know basis with a GSNETX staff member.


Activity Approvals:

Volunteers must submit a GSNETX Activity Approval Request Form and receive approval before planning the following activities:

  • Overnight activities (not including those at a GSNETX camp)
  • Money-earning activities (not including the GSNETX Fall Product & Cookie Program)
  • Any activity requiring a signed contract
  • Meetings taking place at a personal home
  • Activities considered high adventure, regarding sensitive topic, or as outlined on p. 6 of the GSNETX Safety Activity Checkpoints

To allow time for review, please submit approval forms at least 4 weeks in advance and allow 5 business days for processing. After completing the request, you will either receive an automatic approval via email or will be notified that your request needs further review before approval can be given.

Activity Approvals will be subject to the guidelines GSNETX has in place at the time of submission. If those guidelines change after approval is given to where more is permitted, volunteers may resubmit for approval provided those updates. If they change to where approved events are not able to take place, GSNETX will contact the submitting volunteer as soon as possible. 


Virtual Meetings & Activities:

Meeting online doesn’t have to feel like school or work. GSNETX encourages troops and service units to use virtual meeting platforms to engage members in regular meetings and to share information about GSNETX-led virtual programming opportunities.

Troops can refer to The Virtual Meetings Playbook for insight on having fun, engaging, and safe meetings in a virtual setting.

Prior council approval is not required for virtual meetings but the guidance in the  Virtual Troop Meetings Safety Activity Checkpoint and GSNETX Internet Safety Pledge should be followed. 

We are also offering discounted gsZoom licenses again this membership year. License are just $36 and valid through July 31, 2022.

Safety-Wise ratios still need to be met in a virtual setting and troop leaders should still have a GSNETX Annual Permission Form for each member.


Camping, Travel & Overnights:

Volunteers must submit a GSNETX Activity Approval Request Form and receive approval before planning any overnight activities, trips, or camping that is not at a GSNETX camp.

At least one volunteer must have the appropriate GSNETX camp certification training. For camping at GSNETX properties, that means TR301: GSNETX Camping. For camping at non-GSNETX properties, that means TR302: On the Road Camping. TR303: Camp Recertification is available in gsLearn.  Camp training information is available at gsnetx.org/training. 

 

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