How much notice to give when quitting a volunteer role?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You should resign, and then the troop will probably fizzle out because no parents step up, and that’s completely ok.

Agree. Give your notice as soon as possible though. Other parents can think about stepping up, not not. But it isn’t your responsibility to keep the troop going and to lead it indefinitely. Everyone understands this, even if they express regret you are stepping down.

[Anonymous]

GSCNC has made it difficult for troops. They have been tightening rules. Some are for safety. Council prefers troops to be made up of a singular grade level of girls, so a smaller pool of parents. GIRL Led is good but it is a process to get them there.

Each troop needs at least two unrelated adult leaders, one must be female. The Troop also needs a Cookie Manager, who is no longer allowed to be a leader. The troop also needs a Money Manager, who is no longer allowed to be a leader, that has changed in the last five years. You also need a First AId certified adult for events away from the regular meeting location, that can be a leader. First AId must be updated every two years. Also leaders have to take training for each level and Girls move every two years. If you want to go camping you need a camp certified adult, that training is 20 hours at least. Many other activities require special training or finding someone who has that training.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GSCNC has made it difficult for troops. They have been tightening rules. Some are for safety. Council prefers troops to be made up of a singular grade level of girls, so a smaller pool of parents. GIRL Led is good but it is a process to get them there.

Each troop needs at least two unrelated adult leaders, one must be female. The Troop also needs a Cookie Manager, who is no longer allowed to be a leader. The troop also needs a Money Manager, who is no longer allowed to be a leader, that has changed in the last five years. You also need a First AId certified adult for events away from the regular meeting location, that can be a leader. First AId must be updated every two years. Also leaders have to take training for each level and Girls move every two years. If you want to go camping you need a camp certified adult, that training is 20 hours at least. Many other activities require special training or finding someone who has that training.

I agree that the Girl Scout rules have just gotten to onerous. I see where they are coming but they just don't make practical sense with the way troops are generally organized.

OP I would plan something at the end of the year to use up the money. If the families don't want an overnight trip then maybe an awesome day trip to a water park or a party at a trampoline park. The girls should celebrate and use their money somehow. Sometime this spring let the families know you will be unable to be the leader next year and you're happy to transition the troop to someone else. If no one steps up let the families know who they can contact at the council to learn about other troops their girls can join. Or if you know another troop send around that leader's contact info.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should resign, and then the troop will probably fizzle out because no parents step up, and that’s completely ok.

Agree. Give your notice as soon as possible though. Other parents can think about stepping up, not not. But it isn’t your responsibility to keep the troop going and to lead it indefinitely. Everyone understands this, even if they express regret you are stepping down.

+1


Give them a few months to get their ish together if they want to keep it up, and if they don’t, there goes the troop. Natural
consequences.

DO NOT say you will do these 2-3 things, but not those things - no one will step up.

- GS mom who was a troop leader briefly, has a non-leader role now, and helps out where I can - we have a good number of involved parents, if we didn’t, it would be impossible. I’d like to have more girl-led activities, but the troop leaders aren’t interested in that, so I am (with their blessing) reaching out to the whole troop to find a subset of girls who do want to do more.

[Anonymous]

You need to start bailing this year. Do your parents live at least a couple of hours away? Other family members? Friend who had a baby?

A week or ten days before the next meeting you need to email and say due to health issues or some other reasons you need to visit your parents to help them so will not be available to run the next meeting and someone needs to cover. You need to start bailing from meetings NOW so people realize you are serious.

It’s like a game if chicken. You are so nice and helpful other parents don’t really believe you will stop helping out as much as you do. After the meeting you need to email again saying due to health needs /declining health of your parents you are not going to be as available. If no one contacts you to run the meeting or do what needs to be done then you need to do the same thing the following month. Be inconsistent. Really it is the only way some other parents will step up. And if you just now out other parents will be resentful. It doesn’t make sense for the deadbeats who don’t do anything to feel like that but that is often what happens.

[Anonymous]

^ if you bow out not now out. Trust me start pulling back now so someone is pressured to step up.