Membership Registration Need-to-Know

posted Aug 30, 2017, 6:08 AM by Webmaster USAGSO-Singapore   [ updated Feb 23, 2018, 7:24 PM ]
On 28-Aug-2017 USA Girl Scouts launched a new online member registration system called "MyGS" system to all USAGS Overseas groups worldwide. This is an exciting development and will help our committee, Troop leaders and parents manage memberships in our growing Girl Scout community. It is a mandatory that all Adult Volunteers and Girl Scouts be registered members in the "MyGS" system and use it to pay their 2017-18 membership fee directly to USA Girl Scouts.

This is something brand-new to all of us, and we are still learning about it as we go along. We've put together this webpage to provide information on how to (re)register and pay your membership fees, and how to get help if you experience problems.

Why Do I Need to Know This?

When you sign up your daughter to be a Girl Scout in Singapore you pay a local "program fee" that covers operations and events run by the local committee, and a "membership fee" which goes to the USA Girl Scouts organization to cover her membership and participation insurance. No girl or leader can participate in any Troop or Committee meetings or events without a current member registration.

Prior to July 2017, parents paid a single fee to USAGSO-Singapore and we took care of submitting all the paperwork and paid the USA Girl Scouts "membership fees" for all Girl Scouts in one transaction. However, with the launch of the MyGS system we can no longer do this. From July 2017 forward, parents pay the USAGSO-Singapore "program fee" at sign up, and then must register and pay the USA Girl Scouts "membership fee" separately after receiving their daughter's Troop assignment.

Similarly, the USAGSO-Singapore committee covers the cost of membership registrations for all Troop Leaders. In the past, we would submit all the paperwork and pay for leader memberships in a single transactions. Again, with the launch of the MyGS system we can no longer register and pay for leaders directly. Leaders must now register themselves, and submit the receipt to the Treasurer for reimbursement.

How to Register - Returning Singapore Girl Scouts & Leaders

If your daughter was a Girl Scout or you were a Troop Leader or Committee Member in Singapore last year, you should have received and email titled "Welcome to the Girl Scout Community". This email has a link to access your personal online account and set your password during your first login. You can also login using this link: https://gsmembers.force.com/members/login.

IMPORTANT: If you did not receive a MyGS login email, please see How to Get Help below.

CHECK YOUR HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS
After successfully logging in, please check that the information on the "FAMILY PROFILE" page is correct for your family. This page should show all the members of your family who were registered as Adult or Girl members for the 2016-17 membership year (which ended 30-Sep-2017) and their individual registration information. Use the "Edit" option to correct any errors.

There are some data fields on the "FAMILY PROFILE" page that you cannot edit: Gender, Date of Birth, Grade Level or Membership Years. If any of these are incorrect for your family members, you will need to contact USAGSO Customer Care to have them changed.

After reviewing and updating your Family Profile, you next need to check your membership status for 2017-18. 

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION
If you already registered your daughter(s) and/or yourself (for Leaders) during the Early Bird period in May/June 2017, you should already be assigned to the correct Troop and show as paid for the 2017-18 membership year.

On the "MEMBERSHIP" page please confirm the following:
  • Above the membership information table you should see "Membership Year Oct 1, 2017 to Sept 30, 2018".
  • All the Girl Scouts and Adult Members in your family who have participated in past years are listed.
  • In the "Participation" column, you should see the assigned Troop number for all Girl Scouts and Troop Leaders in your family. (Singapore Troop numbers are displayed in the format "355xx" where "xx" is the 2-digit Troop number you normally know.) 
  • In the "Status" column you should see "Renewed for 2018" next to the correct Troop number for 2017-18.
  • You may also see Troop numbers from past years, but these should be shown as "Inactive" status.
  • If a Troop assignment is wrong, or the Status says "Time to Renew for 2018", please see How to Get Help below.
RENEWING YOUR REGISTRATION
If you did not re-register during Early Bird, you have a few extra steps to follow to complete your registration.

On the "MEMBERSHIP" page you should see the following:
  • Above the membership information table you should see "Membership Year Oct 1, 2017 to Sept 30, 2018".
  • All the Girl Scouts and Adult Members in your family who have participated in past years.
  • In the "Participation" column you should see the assigned Troop number for all Girl Scouts and Troop Leaders in your family. You may also see Troop numbers from past years. (Singapore Troop numbers are displayed in the format "355xx" where "xx" is the 2-digit Troop number you normally know.) 
  • In the "Status" column, you will see "Time to Renew for 2018" next to each name in your family.
  • If you do not see the correct Troop number for this year, please wait until 02-Oct-2017 to renew your membership. You will then be able to pick the right Troop from the master list during the registration process.
To renew, select the "Renew" option for each Girl Scout and/or Adult in your family who will participate in 2017-18 and click "CONTINUE".
  • If you are renewing a Troop Leader membership, follow from Step 4 in the How to Register - New Leaders section below.
  • If you are renewing a Girl Scout membership, follow from Step 4 in the How to Register - New Girl Scouts section below.
  • If you are having trouble finding the right Troop, select the “Unsure” option on the Troop selection page and complete the rest of the registration process. Then, please email registrar@singaporeusagirlscouts.org after completing payment and we will work with the USAGSO Customer Care Team get you assigned to the right Troop.

How to Register - Transferring Girl Scouts & Leaders

If you recently moved to Singapore and participated in Girl Scouts in your former home country, you MUST FIRST RE-REGISTER USING YOUR MyGS ACCOUNT FROM YOUR FORMER HOME COUNTRY COUNCIL. You can login and follow the instructions above for Returning Singapore Girl Scouts & Leaders.

You must then submit a request for your membership account to be transferred to a Singapore Troop. 

  • If moved from another USAGSO country (any USA Girl Scouts organization outside the United States) please email the registrar or committee chair in your former country and ask them to submit a transfer request to the USAGSO Customer Care team.
  • If moved from the USA, you need to send an email request to your former USA Girl Scouts Council Office to transfer your membership to USAGSO-Singapore (council code 355).
  • Please include your new Singapore Troop number, your full name and primary email address and CC the request to overseascustomercare@girlscouts.org.

Unfortunately USAGSO-Singapore cannot initiate the transfer process; it must be requested by the membership account holder.

How to Register - New Leaders

  1. Go to http://www.usagso.org/en/for-volunteers/why-volunteer.html and click “VOLUNTEER TODAY”.
  2. On the next page choose “Singapore” for both Country and City and click “CONTINUE”.
  3. Fill out the info on the “Adult Registration” page with requested the information.
    • If your daughter(s) are already in Girl Scouts, you MUST use the same primary email address you used to register her/them. If you don’t, you will have multiple MyGS logins to manage all your family members.
    • Also, be sure to select “I want to join as a Volunteer”.
    • Click “CONTINUE”.
  4. On the “Select a volunteer role” page, select the choose the Troop number that you have been assigned. The numbers on this page will all start with the Singapore committee code “355”, followed by the two-digit Troop number. BE SURE TO ONLY SELECT THE TROOP NUMBER YOU HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED!
    • If you are having trouble finding the right Troop, select the “Unsure” option. Then, please email registrar@singaporeusagirlscouts.org after completing payment and we will help get you assigned to the right troop number as the Leader.
    • You should now see your selected Troop option right under the “SEARCH” button in the middle of the page; click “NEXT”
  5. On the next page, answer the questions about your reasons for living in Singapore then click “CONTINUE”.
  6. On the “Become a Member” page, select the membership type, fill in all your personal contact information (enter “Singapore” for the City), then click “SUBMIT”.
  7. On the “Registration Summary” page you will see a summary of the charges to register yourself as an Adult Member as a Girl Scout for the 2017-18 school year.
    • If you any daughter(s) to register as NEW Girl Scouts, click “ADD ANOTHER MEMBERSHIP” (start at Step 3 in the “New Girl Scouts – How to Register” section below).
    • When you are finished with all your registrations and are ready to pay, click “CHECKOUT”.
  8. On the following “Membership Registration Acceptance for Household” page you must leave the “I/we accept and abide by the Girl Scouts Promise and Law” selected to complete the registration & payment. Press “SUBMIT”.
  9. On the “Order Summary” page confirm that your charges are correct, then click “CONTINUE TO PAYMENT”.
  10. On the “Payment Information” page enter in the details for your credit card, then click “CONFIRM” to complete payment.

How to Register - New Girl Scouts

  1. Go to http://www.usagso.org/en/about-girl-scouts/join.html and click “JOIN GIRL SCOUTS”.
  2. On the next page choose “Singapore” for both Country and City and click “CONTINUE”.
  3. Fill out the info on the “Girl Registration” page with requested the information for your DAUGHTER who is joining Girl Scouts.
    • Be sure to enter YOUR email address as Primary Caregiver and double check you have entered it correctly; this will become your family MyGS login ID! 
    • If you are already registered as an Adult Member or you have other daughters who are already Girl Scouts, you MUST use the same primary email address you used to register yourself/daughter. If you don’t, you will have multiple logins to MyGS for your family members.
    • Click “CONTINUE”. 
  4. On the “Ways to Participate” page, choose the Troop that you have been assigned. The numbers on this page will all start with the Singapore committee code “355”, followed by the two-digit Troop number. BE SURE TO ONLY SELECT THE TROOP NUMBER YOU HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED!
    • If you are having trouble finding your assigned Troop number, select the “Unsure” option. Then, please email registrar@singaporeusagirlscouts.org after completing payment and we will help get your daughter assigned to the right troop.
    • You should now see your selected Troop option right under the “SEARCH” button in the middle of the page; click “NEXT”.
  5. On the next page, answer the questions about your reasons for living in Singapore then click “CONTINUE”.
  6. On the next page, there are two sections to complete:
    • Membership Information: Fill out all the information requested for your DAUGHTER who is joining Girl Scouts. Please enter “Singapore” for the City, and “School Not Found” for “School Attending”. Be sure to select the correct option for “Custodial Care Info” before moving to the next section.
    • Parent/Caregiver Information: Fill out all the requested information for YOU and YOUR SPOUSE/PARTNER (if applicable). Note that the Caregiver Information from the “Girl Registration” page will already appear as the Primary Contact.
    • When both sections are complete, press “SUBMIT”.
  7. On the “Registration Summary” page you will see a summary of the charges to register your DAUGHTER as a Girl Scout for the 2017-18 school year.
    • If you have another daughter to register as a NEW Girl Scout or you need to register as a NEW Troop Leader, click “ADD ANOTHER MEMBERSHIP”.
    • If you are adding your Adult Membership as a NEW Troop Leader please go to Step 3 in the “New Leaders – How to Register” section above.
    • If you are adding another NEW Girl Scout, please go to back to Step 3 in this the “New Girl Scouts – How to Register” section.
    • When you are finished adding all memberships and are ready to pay, click “CHECKOUT”.
  8. On the following “Membership Registration Acceptance for Household” page you must leave the “I/we accept and abide by the Girl Scouts Promise and Law” selected to complete the registration & payment. Press “SUBMIT”.
  9. On the “Order Summary” page confirm that your charges are correct, then click “CONTINUE TO PAYMENT”.
  10. On the “Payment Information” page enter in the details for your credit card , then click “CONFIRM” to submit payment.

How to Get Reimbursed for Troop Leader Registration

As mentioned above, the USAGSO-Singapore committee covers all costs for Troop Leader membership registrations.
  1. After you have successfully completed your Adult Member registration, picked your Troop and completed the payment process you will receive a receipt. SAVE AND PRINT A COPY OF THIS RECEIPT!
  2. Download and complete the Reimbursement Form (Shutterfly site login required) and fill it out. The membership fee is paid as $45 USD, which will be reimbursed as $65 SGD.
  3. Submit the Reimbursement Form and a copy of the receipt to the Treasurer at treasurer@singaporeusagirlscouts.org (or you can hand deliver it at the monthly OMT meeting).
  4. Reimbursements will be paid by Singapore Check only.

How to Get Help

The USA Girl Scouts Overseas has set up a Customer Care team to address issues with the MyGS System. However not all issues need to be reported. Please carefully read the following information for the fastest way to fix common issues.

DO NOT contact Customer Care for any of the following issues:
  • You make data entry errors in a new Adult/Girl registration, or one or more family members' personal data is incorrect on the "FAMILY PROFILE" page.
    • Please login to your MyGS account and use the "Edit" option in the  to fix any errors yourself.
    • However, certain data fields (Gender, Date of Birth, Grade Level and Membership Years) cannot be modified and any errors must be corrected by making a request to Customer Care.
You MUST contact the USAGSO Customer Care for any of the following issues: 
  • Your family participated in Girl Scouts in 2016-17 and you did not receive a MyGS login email. (Please check your Junk/Spam/Trash folders first before contacting Customer Care!)
  • Data errors on the "MEMBERSHIP" page:
    • Unknown people are listed as your family members. DO NOT EDIT THE PERSONAL DATA FOR ANY UNKNOWN PERSONS! 
    • Family members who participated in Girl Scouts in 2016-17 are not listed.
    • The 2017-18 Troop number or payment "Status" for any Girl Scout or Adult Leader in your family is incorrect.
    • If you mistakenly choose the wrong Troop when registering.
  • The fixed data fields on the "FAMILY PROFILE" page (Gender, Date of Birth, Grade Level or Membership Years) for one or more of your family members is incorrect.
  • You see error messages during the renewal, new registration or payment process.
To contact Customer Care to report an issue:
  • Send an email to overseascustomercare@girlscouts.org and include the following information:
    • Your full name and email address
    • Your daughter(s) full name(s), birthday, grade level and membership years
    • A screen shot of the page showing the incorrect family/member information or error message (optional)
  • Alternatively, you can call +1-800-467-0070 to report an issue; please be prepared with all the information listed above before you call. You may be required to leave your contact details and a call back number on voice mail.
What happens next:
  • Your issue will be recorded as a ‘case’ with USA Girl Scouts IT team and you will receive a confirmation email.
  • You may receive email requests for additional information.
  • When your case is resolved, you will receive an email.
  • Due to high case volumes from the MyGS launch, you should expect it to take 2+ days to resolve your issue or receive a request for more information.
  • If you have issues that are not resolved within 7 days, please contact webmaster@singaporeusagirlscouts.org.