Service is an important part of the Girl Scout philosophy, and all troops and groups are encouraged to seek out opportunities for service. Projects may involve helping other people, animals or our environment. It can be a fantastic opportunity for girls to make new acquaintances and to experience the wonderful world of giving. 

Service should be a tradition for each of us in Girl Scouting, without need of reward. Girls should be encouraged to plan, promote and participate in service projects for the joy and satisfaction of helping others rather than to earn something for themselves. 

Throughout the year, Girl Scouts all over our region are engaged in a wide range of community service activities - contributing to their communities as individuals, and as part of a troop. We are so proud to see our area Girl Scouts doing so many wonderful things and encourage them to continue to connect with one another, to reach out to those in need and Take Action in our community.

Service vs. Take Action

When girls do service, they help to fulfill an immediate need. When girls take action, they team up with others in an effort to solve a problem and create long-lasting change.

 Taking action can happen in many ways—from fixing up an animal shelter to creating a center where children who need tutoring can always get it. When girls take action, they:

• seek to understand the cause of the problem.

• decide upon the scale and scope of their project—based on a realistic assessment of their resources.

• enlist others from the community to get involved.

In other words, service makes the world better for some people "right now." Taking action makes the world better for more people for a much longer time. While the world clearly needs both, here we are concentrating on taking action!