Girl Scouts - Diamonds of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas 

General Information:  The Program Department of Girl Scouts - Diamonds of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas strives to provide a variety of Girl Scout programs and exciting opportunities throughout the council.  Troops and/or individuals now have many choices on what, when and even where they can participate!

The Program Department of Girl Scouts - Diamonds of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas strives to provide a variety of Girl Scout programs and exciting opportunities throughout the council.  Troops and/or individuals are highly encouraged to participate in any/all opportunities which interest them no matter the location, provided it is appropriate for their age level.   Members can obtain complete information and stay informed through the annual Program Essentials Guide (available for download), the GS - Diamonds website and monthly Leaders' Notes.

Registration Forms:  Registration forms for all council events/activities can be found in the Program Essentials, Leadership Essentials, downloaded from the website or obtained from any regional office.  Please note that there are separate forms for "troop" and "individual" registrations.   Unless otherwise noted, all council program event registrations and fees should be sent to the N. Little Rock office for processing. 

Registration Deadlines:  Pre-registration by the designated deadline is required for all council events.  Early registration is encouraged, as many events fill quickly.  To avoid delay in processing, forms should be filled out completely, include all applicable fees (and/or requests for financial assistance) and be mailed in time to reach the N. Little Rock office prior to closing on the day of the deadline.  Postmarks and/or late registrations will not be accepted.

Fees:  Event/activity fees are charged to cover the costs of events and are due at the time of registration.  Fees can be paid through troop funds, individually or with "Cookie Bucks".  Financial scholarships are also available for those who qualify.  Financial assistance applications must be submitted at time of registration for event.  Fees for Adults:  Please note that additional fees for adults attending an event may be charged.  Refer to each event description for complete details.

Fee Refund/Transfer Requests:  Event fee refunds will be given only if an event is cancelled by council/collaboration or in the case of serious illness or family death.  For serious illness, a doctor's written note is required and should be submitted within fourteen days after the event.  Event fee transfers will be allowed only if the program staff is notified in writing at least fourteen days prior to the event.  Transfer requests made less than fourteen days prior to an event will not be honored, as event supplies would already have been purchased.

Event Cancellations:  Occasionally, events will need to be cancelled.  When this happens, the person listed on the registration form as "troop contact" will be notified by phone and/or email.  For troop registrations, it will be the responsibility of the contact person to notify all those registered on her/his form.  Cancellations initiated by council will result in full refund of fees paid.

Event Update Line:  As a convenience for after hours, members can call 800-632-6894, ext 3114 for recorded messages concerning program cancellations/updates.  Whenever possible, cancellations will also be noted on the website.

Special Needs:  In order to best meet the needs of the participants, any/all special needs (allergies, disabilities, etc) should be listed on the registration form for each event.

Adult Supervision and Girl/Adult Ratios:  Leaders and other adults should follow current Safety-Wise guidelines for proper girl/adult ratios for all activities.  At all times, troop leaders/adults should be responsible for the supervision of their own troop.  Unless otherwise noted, Daisy, Brownie and Junior Juliette Girl Scouts should be accompanied by a supervising adult (parent/guardian) at events.  Cadette, Senior and Ambassador Juliette GS will not need a supervising adult at events, unless specifically stated in the event description.

Tagalongs:   In Girl Scouting, a "tagalong" is defined as any child and/or adult other than the specific age-level being served at the event/activity.  Unless otherwise noted in event descriptions, tagalongs are not allowed at council events due to liability issues and limited space at many venues.  Leaders should be responsible for informing their troop parents of this regulation.

Event Service Projects:  Many council events/activities will include a special service project request.  Safety-Wise states, "Service in inherent in the Girl Scout Promise and Law..." Girls are encouraged to take part in service opportunities. Items collected at events/activities are donated in the name of Girl Scouts - Diamonds of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas to the group/organization identified in the event information.

Additional Service Opportunities:  Girl Scouts - Diamonds of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas receives many requests for service participation from other organizations in need.  If your troop is looking for opportunities to serve your community, please check out the "Community Service" tab on our home page.

Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, Gold Awards:   These are the highest awards girls can earn in Girl Scouting and each requires a commitment to making a difference in our local or global communities.

• Junior Girl Scouts (grades 4-5) are eligible to work towards the Bronze Award

• Cadette Girl Scouts (grades 6-8) are eligible to work towards the Silver Award

• Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts (grades 9-12) are eligible to work towards the Gold Award

Newly revised GSUSA guidelines are expected to be released for Fall 2009 implementation.  Upon release of the new materials, all other versions will be void.  However, girls who have already begun work towards any of these awards using the Bronze requirements listed in the Junior Handbook or the "Go For It!" Silver or "Go For It!" Gold packets may complete their projects using those resources.

GS - Diamonds has set specific reporting requirements and deadlines for each of these awards which must be adhered to by girls and leaders/advisors in order for girls to be recognized.  These deadlines and support materials will be distributed through informational workshops, Leaders' Notes, posted on the website and available for pick-up from any Program Staff.  Informational workshops will be scheduled in various locations throughout the council each year.  Interested girls/adults are strongly encouraged to attend one of these workshops to receive updated information.

Leadership Opportunities:  Girl Scouting provides girls a safe, supportive environment to develop their potential as leaders through the Program Aide and Leader-in-Training programs. Each are open to girls interested in working with younger Girl Scouts and requires girls to complete a council training program and work under the guidance and support of adults.  Training workshops will be scheduled in various locations throughout the council.  Complete details can be found in the Program Essentials Guide.  

Events:  The Program Essentials Guide is an annual publication containing comprehensive details of program opportunities planned for September through August each year.  The current Program Essentials can be downloaded by clicking on the link below.   However, program offerings change as opportunities, ideas and/or requests arise.  Check this section often to stay updated on what's happening throughout the council.

Pick-Up Packs:  To enhance troop and/or Service Unit activities, will develop and release one new "Pick-Up Pack" resource kit per level (Daisy, Brownie, Junior, Cadette-Ambassador and Nature Theme) each quarter throughout the year.  A complete list of kits available will be posted mid-August and updated quarterly. 

Guidelines for using Pick-Up Packs:

• To reserve any Pick-Up Pack resource kit, simply complete the reservation form (found in the "forms" section of the Program Essentials Guide, Leadership Essentials Book or this website), then mail, fax or email to the Program Specialist in the nearest regional office.  Requests should be made at least two weeks prior to the date needed.

• Program Staff will notify requestor of availability of resource kit.

• Pick-Up Packs may be checked out for up to three weeks.

• A refundable deposit of $25 (in check form only) will be required for each resource kit.  The deposit check should be separate from the payment for the rental fees.  Deposit checks will be returned when/if the kit is returned in good condition with no contents missing.

• Rental fees will vary depending on the resource, but will range from $3 - $10 per girl.

• Deposit checks and rental fees are due when the resource kits are picked up from the regional office.

Patch Programs:  In addition to badges and patches girls can earn using the GSUSA resources, there are numerous other patch programs available for different levels.  Many are unique to the Girl Scouts - Diamonds Council and many others are offered through other resources.   A complete listing of Council patch programs will be posted in early August.  Other programs can be found at www.girlscouts.org.