As a next step in our shift to the Girl Scout Communities model for organizing our local Girl Scout efforts, we are excited to share with you the final listing of our 84 Girl Scout Communities. This listing shows how the current service units that lack a current or potential service unit manager will merge with those service units that share geographic boundaries and have strong volunteer leadership in place. By doing so,the number of Girl Scout Communities will total 84. Of the 113 service units that previously existed across GSHPA, more than 50% are staff-led. With this shift to Girl Scout Communities, 100% will be volunteer led. Those service unit numbers that are underlined bring volunteer leadership to the applicable merger and will retain their 3-digit code moving forward. This shift will begin to occur immediately.

Click a region below to view its final list.

• Northeast Region
• North Region
• South Region
• South Central Region
• West Region 

To learn more about this new model, all GSHPA volunteers are invited to participate in this one-hour informational webinar. There is no fee to participate, but you must have access to either a computer and phone or at least a phone to be able to participate in just the audio portion.

Thursday, August 15

7:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Dial-in information will be included within your confirmation email

Registration closes at 11:59 p.m. on August 13

 Click here to register. 

Wednesday, August 21

12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Dial-in information will be included within your confirmation email

Registration closes at 11:59 p.m. on August 19

 Click here to register. 

Wednesday, August 21

7:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Dial-in information will be included within your confirmation email

Registration closes at 11:59 p.m. on August 19

Click here to register.  

Always wanted to take your troop canoeing but lacked the right certification to able to do so? Sign up now for the American Canoe Association Level 1 (Introduction to Canoeing) course at Camp Golden Pond in September. After successfully completing this course, you will be certified to rent canoes with your troop at any of our council-owned camps*. By the end of the course, you will be able to pass a skills assessment that will include basic flat-water strokes and maneuvers, rescue/safety concepts and basic technical knowledge. Included in the course is a six-month introductory membership with the American Canoe Association (ACA). Course space is limited.

*Please remember that you also need to have a lifeguard present when canoeing on council-owned lakes.

Dates: September 7- September 8 

 Click here to register. 

Registration Deadline: 11:59 p.m. on August 22, 2013.

The October Regional Governance meetings (formerly known as the Delegate meetings) will soon be upon us and Girl Scout Communities are encouraged to elect their delegates prior to the start of those meetings Here's the schedule:

October 14, 2013 - Fall Regional Governance Meeting @ 6 p.m. in State College

October 15, 2013 - Fall Regional Governance Meeting @ 6 p.m. in York

October 16, 2013 - Fall Regional Governance Meeting @ 6 p.m. in Montoursville

October 17, 2013 - Fall Regional Governance Meeting @ 6 p.m. in Harrisburg

October 22, 2013 - Fall Regional Governance Meeting @ 6 p.m. in Scranton

October 23, 2013 - Fall Regional Governance Meeting @ 6 p.m. via webinar

Thanks to feedback from both new and more experienced volunteers, we're going back to making required trainings more personable with a shift back to more streamlined and in-person trainings.

Beginning October 1, 2013, all new volunteers who have not completed any previous trainings will be required to attend an expanded in-person Volunteer Orientation and will no longer be expected to complete Council 101 online modules. The information included in the various Council 101 modules will be built into the expanded in-person training so that the important details included within each of the current modules can be highlighted and emphasized differently. In addition, Camping 101 and Outdoor Skills will be combined into one Outdoor Basics course facilitated through our Outdoor Program department and offered at each of our camps. All of these changes will go into effect on October 1, 2013 for volunteers who have not completed any of the previously required trainings.

Thanks again to your feedback, volunteer training weekends will be replaced this year by more in-person regional trainings to give volunteers more options to choose from to be able to complete1st Aid/CPR training, Grade level specific support, Journey training and more.