NotSoObvious Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 I know a lot of troops meet at a church. Does that mean one of the leaders is a member of that church? I'm trying to form a new troop and we need a meeting place. Can I just call a church and ask? Help, please! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 My dd's troop meets in a church. The church rarely operates as a regular church anymore, it has become the place where community clubs can rent space for dirt cheap. When I was in girl guides we always met at a school. Brownies and guides usually used teh gym (different nights), and the pathfinder always used the home ec room. Boy scouts used the same school. The boy scouts out here made an agreement with the nordic ski club and they split the cost of renting a hall in the provincial park so make it more affordable for both groups to use it for meetings. Best bet is to call around and explain that you need a meetinig place for girl scouts. See how much it costs to rent a space and see if they will make a deal to lower the cost. Call united or alliance churches, they rent out spaces more readily than other churches I have found. Also call the local school board and see if there is a gym space to be had. Or a community hall offers another option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
higginszoo Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Mine meets at my house. Common meeting places for meetings at the elementary (Daisy/Brownie/Junior) level around here are the area public schools. One troop that I know meets at the police station (the leader's dh is a city police officer). Here, our library and recreation center charge $20-$50 per hour, so those are out, but in other places, I know that they are more reasonable. My church would offer free meeting space (yes, because I'm a member), but it's even further to one side of my HUGE area that council sends me girls from (I have offered to take all D/B/J girls in my county and surrounding area because this area is very ps-oriented where Girl Scouts is concerned and MANY homeschooled and private schooled girls have been told that they can't join troops). If we get to a bigger group, I might ask the city what other accommodations they might be able to provide (a conference room in the new city hall?) I may check with the Y, too, but for now, it's easiest just to meet here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 (edited) Our church let's community, non-profit, groups, such as scouts, use rooms at no cost. The exception is for late night activities which require someone from the church to stay late, to lock up. Then it's just a small amount. If there is a church member in the group, then they'll be given a key, so that no one else has to stay. Around here, schools rarely allow scouts or other community groups to use their space, and if they do, they have to charge them the same as any other group that uses the space (it's quite a bit). When we lived in GA, groups could use space very cheaply, often free, if it didn't cost the school any manpower. Edited May 25, 2012 by CathieC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 In homes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrixieB Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Dd's troop met in a church. None of the leaders or scouts were members of the church. The church didn't charge a fee for using the room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandragood1 Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Over the years that dd has done Girl Scouts we have met in people's homes, in the public school cafeteria (it's a school sponsored troop), and in the conference rooms of our local libraries (for free). Some activities have been done at local community centers, but these were multi-troops activities and I don't know if the space was donated or if rent was paid. I think the library may be your best bet if your troop is limited to home schoolers. Our library limits room reservations to two per group per month. As we meet only twice a month this has been fine. Another idea may be to perform a service for the organization in exchange for using a room through the year. Maybe cleaning up and sprucing up the grounds? IMO troops of under 10 girls can be done in a home with a large room. I hope you find a place, Sandra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saraha Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 The senior citizens center Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punchie Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 We meet at church. I just walked in and asked if we could meet there, and they said yes. I did ask around beforehand and found out that DD's piano teacher will have their recitals there occasionally, which is why I went to this particular church. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Our official meeting place was the local library (free). Since we just did trips/camping, we rarely actually met there. You should check SafetyWise and your local Council for rules about meeting places. I vaguely remember something about being ADA compliant (whether you had any members who needed a wheelchair ramp or not), having the water tested annually and having an excessively abnormal amount of insurance for a private home? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frugalmama Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 We meet at my home, but that's because my dd is a Juliette GS and so a troop of 1 :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotSoObvious Posted May 25, 2012 Author Share Posted May 25, 2012 Thanks so much everyone! This gives me much more confidence to just start calling and asking! Unfortunately our house is too small and too far out of the way for most people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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