FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

We have put together this list of Frequently Asked Questions to (hopefully) help you understand a bit more about USAGSO-Singapore. As always, if you have questions that are not covered here, please contact us.

Contents

1 Sign Up & Registration
2 Participation
3 Other Questions
1. 3.1 Why can’t we sell Girl Scout Cookies in Singapore?
2. 3.2 Nothing here answers my question. What do I do now?

Sign Up & Registration

Who is eligible to enroll in USA Girl Scouts in Singapore?

All girls who attend English-speaking international schools (regardless of nationality) and all girls holding US passports are eligible to enroll in USA Girl Scouts Overseas. Currently, we have girls from more than 25 countries involved.

What if my daughter wants to join, but she is not in one of the eligible categories?

In this situation we need to get permission from Girl Guides of Singapore to enroll your daughter. Please contact registrar@singaporeusagirlscouts.org so we can gather some information and submit the request on your behalf. As each girl’s situation is unique, we cannot guarantee the outcome. However, we have obtained permission for girls in the past.

How old does my daughter have to be?

Participation in USA Girl Scouts is divided into several ‘Levels’ by the girl’s grade-level in school. Girls can join at the Daisy level in Kindergarten (typically age 5-7), right up to the Ambassador level in High School (typically age 16-18). Any girl can join at any age and will be placed in a Troop that is appropriate for her grade-level and age.

While the USA Girl Scout levels correspond to the typical USA public school system, please don’t worry if you don’t know the corresponding “USA grade level” for your daughter’s school program. Girls are always placed in Troops that are appropriate for their age.

What schools have Troops?

At this time, there are Troops that based at the Singapore American School (SAS), Stamford American International School (SAIS), Canadian International School (CIS), International Community School (ICS), Overseas Family School (OFS) and the Winstedt School. And, we are working to bring the USA Girls Scouts program to other international schools as well. However, a girl can join ANY Troop in Singapore that fits her age level; it is not necessary to join one affiliated with her school.

What if there isn’t a Troop at my daughter’s school?

USAGSO-Singapore has girls participating from more than 20 different schools throughout Singapore, and we are growing each and every year. We have many "Open Troops" that are not affiliated with a school and have girls from several different schools. As mentioned above, girls can join ANY Troop in Singapore that fits their age level. In fact, many girls from schools that have affiliated Troops choose to join Troops at other schools or Open Troops due to schedule, location or other reasons.

How do I find a Troop for my daughter?

The first step is to get her signed up on our roster for the upcoming school year (see “How do I sign up my daughter?” below). After the sign up period closes, the Registration Committee meets to match girls on the sign up roster with existing Troops as well as form new Troops with new Leader Volunteers. By the end of September (Semester 1) or January (Semester 2) parents are notified of their daughter’s Troop assignment.

While the Registration Committee works hard to honor requests for matching girls by school, schedule and/or location, it is not always possible. In past years, we have been able to offer a Troop space to nearly every girl who signed up, although for some it was not their first choice of school, schedule or location.

If finding a Troop is important to your family, please consider becoming a Troop Leader and forming a new Troop. Not only will your daughter have a guaranteed place, you determine the meeting schedule and location(s) AND you will be helping other girls looking for troops as well! We can help you find a co-leader if need be. For more information about becoming a Troop Leader, please contact us.

What day and time will my daughter’s Troop meet?

Troop Leaders set the schedule for their own individual Troops. Some meet on a weekday after school, others meet on weekends. Depending on the age-level and what projects or badges they are working on, Troops may meet weekly, twice monthly, or monthly. And, these schedules often change from year-to-year as new Leader Volunteers join, and new Troops are formed.

During the sign up process, you can let us know what time works best for her. Troop assignments are completed in September & January and we make every effort to match girls to Troops by requested schedule and location. However, please be aware we cannot guarantee a match for every girl’s requests.

How do I sign up my daughter?

How she gets signed up depends on her past experience with USA Girl Scouts and when you are signing her up. USAGSO-Singapore has three sign up periods:

Early Bird Registration (April through May) is for girls who participated in USA Girl Scouts in the prior year either in Singapore, or another country. Parents are required to fill out the USA Girl Scouts Membership form, complete the USAGSO-Singapore Online Sign Up form and submit payment.

Semester 1 Registration (July through August) is for all new girls starting the school year in Singapore or returning Girl Scouts who missed Early Bird Registration. Parents are required to fill out the USA Girl Scouts Membership form, complete the USAGSO-Singapore Online Sign Up form and submit payment. In late September parents are notified of their daughter’s Troop assignment.

Semester 2 Registration (December through mid-January) is for girls who want to join a USA Girl Scouts Troop in Singapore for the second half of the school year. In Singapore, some families move away in December (opening up Troop spaces) and some new families arrive. To join in the second half of the school year, parents are required to fill out the USA Girl Scouts Membership form, complete the USAGSO-Singapore Online Sign Up form and submit payment. In late January parents are notified of their daughter’s Troop assignment.

How much does it cost?

The USAGSO-Singapore Program Fee for the 2017-18 school year is $110 SGD. This covers materials (badges, insignia, awards, T-shirts, first aid equipment, etc.) and operating costs (training, meeting space, events, etc.) for the USAGSO-Singapore non-profit organization. [Click here] for more details on how program and event fees are used.

Once your daughter is assigned to a Troop, you will need to register her with USA Girl Scouts and pay her annual Membership USAGS fee. This covers insurance for her to participate in Girl Scout activities as well as program development. The cost is $45 USD (approx. $65 SGD) and must be paid directly to the USA Girl Scouts via the online "MyGS" system and can only be paid by credit card.

Troops typically also collect dues that are used for their own programs, such as badges, field trips, fun events, etc. Each Troop determines the amount of their own dues, so amounts vary from Troop to Troop.

If your daughter is joining Girl Scouts for the first time, or is moving up to a new Girl Scout level she will also need to purchase her uniform vest and required insignia. All required items can be ordered directly from the USA Girl Scouts online store and typically cost between $45-$60 USD (not including shipping). We provide complete Uniform Ordering Information for each Girl Scout age level and many Troops will work together at the beginning of the school year to place large orders to save on the shipping costs.

Some of our major events (i.e. Father-Daughter Dance, Camps, etc.) require paying a separate event fee to cover the cost of venue rental, food and materials. We choose to charge separately for these events rather than roll them into a substantially larger membership fee as not every girl or family can participate in every event.

Financial aid is available, if needed; contact the Overseas Committee Chair directly (chair@singaporeusagirlscouts.org) and confidential arrangements can be made.

How do I pay the local Program Fee?

Payment is expected at time of sign up. Our preferred method of payment is PayPal, although we also accept other forms of payment. Please refer to our Payments Policy for detailed information. Please be sure we receive your payment by the stated deadline. All unpaid sign ups are automatically cancelled at the deadline to ensure fairness when placing girl in Troops. Note that this payment does not make her an "official" Girl Scout. You must also register her with USA Girl Scouts and pay her annual membership fee separately.

How do I pay the USAGS Membership Fee?

In August 2017 the USA Girl Scouts Overseas introduced a new online membership system called "MyGS". This system is used to track memberships and connect Troop leaders and scouts. After receiving a Troop assignment, you must then login to the MyGS system to complete her registration - click here for more information.

When and where is the Registration Rally?

In past years, sign up was done at a one-day Registration Rally held in late August at the Singapore American School (SAS). At this one-day event, girls and their parents would come to find a Troop, submit their all their registration paperwork and make payment. However, with the growth of our membership to many more schools across Singapore, this is not convenient for all Girl Scout families.

As of the 2015-16 school year, USAGSO-Singapore ceased holding a Registration Rally, and now conducts sign up entirely online. Parents simply visit our website and sign up their daughters throughout the summer and into the beginning of the school year. In September or January they are notified of their daughter’s Troop assignment.

To promote online sign up, USAGSO-Singapore advertises in several ex-pat publications, attends Open House and Parent/PTA Coffee events events at several international schools, and holds informational meetings at local restaurants in August.

Is there a priority system for placing girls in Troops?

Yes, there is. The priorities are as follows:

Girls whose parents volunteer for an official role in USAGSO-Singapore as a Troop Leader or Executive Committee member.
Eligible Girls who complete Early Bird Registration.
Girls who were enrolled in USAGSO-Singapore in the previous year.
Girls who were registered Girl Scouts in other councils last year before moving to Singapore.
All other girls on the sign up roster.

What if my daughter doesn't get matched with a Troop?

The Registration Committee works hard to find space for every girl. However, as mentioned above, we cannot guarantee the space offered will match her requested schedule and location. In the case where you turn down the space offered, or we truly cannot match your daughter with a Troop, she will be placed on the waiting list. She will then be placed if and when an appropriate space becomes available. If we truly cannot find a space for her, the membership fee will be refunded in full. Please don’t worry; the vast majority of girls interested in Girl Scouts in Singapore ultimately find a Troop.

If finding a Troop is important to your family, please consider becoming a Troop Leader and form a new Troop. Not only will your daughter have a guaranteed place, but you will be helping other girls looking for Troops as well! If you are interested in learning more about becoming a Troop Leader, please contact us.

This all sounds great, but I would still like to learn more before I sign up my daughter.

No problem. Please feel free to contact us at any time with any questions or concerns. We typically respond by email within a day or so. Or, please provide your phone number and ask us to give you call.

We also run several recruiting events in August which are published on our website calendar as soon as they are confirmed. We typically have information tables staffed by leaders and committee members at some of the international schools' open house events, as well as a few meet-and-greet events, usually at centrally-located restaurants. Please check on our website during the latter weeks of July and early weeks of August for specific dates, times and locations.

Participation

What will my daughter do in Girl Scouts?

What she does in her Troop really depends on her Troop Leader and the other girls. Some choose to focus more on earning badges and awards, while others plan more field trips and family events. And as a USA Girl Scout Overseas, she can earn awards that are not available elsewhere. Regardless of what Troop she is in, her experiences here in Singapore will be unlike anywhere else.

In addition to Troop meetings and events, USAGSO-Singapore holds several council-wide events every year. From the Father-Daughter Dance in the fall, to Camps in the springtime, she will have plenty of opportunities to have fun with the many Girl Scouts throughout Singapore.

What level of family commitment is required?

Girl Scouts is not just another after-school activity. In addition to Troop meetings, there are a number of weekend programs that require Girl Scout participation and some parental commitment. Events such as the Father-Daughter Dance, Overnight & Day Camps and special weekend activities all require parental participation at some level.

In addition, USAGSO-Singapore is an all-volunteer organization that depends on a dedicated network of parents and other volunteers to run the program each year. Many parents volunteer in some way, as best they can. We need parents who are committed to helping out; whether it is for just a few hours (like setting up tables for an event) or getting more fully involved as a Troop Leader or Executive Committee member.

Can I become a Troop Leader?

Yes, ABSOLUTELY! Girl Scouts relies heavily on volunteer Troop Leaders for its success, and they often find the experience to be rewarding and fun. The more Troop Leaders we have, the more spaces we have to match girls. With the transient nature of the community in Singapore, we lose approximately 25% of our Troop Leaders every year. So there are always openings to fill, and we need to form new Troops every year to accommodate new incoming girls.

Each Troop must have two unrelated leaders, one of whom must be female (so dads can be co-leaders too). But, we are not just a leadership training program for girls. We train adults, too! USAGSO-Singapore provides all new Troop Leaders with Girl Scout Leader training, age-level specific badge and award materials, first aid training & supplies and a community of Leaders to draw on for ideas and inspiration. If you are interested in learning more about becoming a Troop Leader, please contact us!

I don’t feel I can be a Troop Leader, but what else can I do to help?

Being a Troop Leader isn't for everyone. If you’d like to be involved, please consider helping in another way. You can volunteer to help your daughter’s troop as a treasurer or snack parent, help with a committee-wide event or serve on the Executive Committee. Just let your daughter’s Troop Leader know you are interested in helping out or contact us directly; we can find something for everyone.