2025-2026 Welcome Letter

Troop 45483 offers a multi-level program which is open to all girls between the ages 5-18 regardless of school or religious affiliation. We are one troop, managed under one troop leader, with section leaders assigned to each of the six Girl Scout age levels. The troop leader provides a singular vision for troop direction, ensuring a consistent and standardized approach is applied and maintained through all sections. The troop’s mission is to create a supportive environment where girls can realize their full potential, thereby building girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. Together, with the support and involvement of committed helpful parents and adult mentors, Troop 45483 is devoted to helping grow its scouts strong.  

• Daisies (K – 1st grade)

• Brownies (2nd – 3rd grade)

• Juniors (4th – 5th grade)

• Cadette (6th - 8th grade)

• Seniors (9th – 10th grade)

• Ambassadors (11th – 12th grade)

Troop 45483 serves families throughout the metro Omaha area.   To successfully work and interact with each other, it is essential that every scout, parent and leader understand the importance of communication and coordination, backed up by cooperation.   Today, we multi-task, juggle work, family commitments, and extracurricular activities. It is very important that families stay informed about upcoming scouting activities and communicate their scout’s intent to participate so that the troop and section leaders can plan attendance for activities accordingly. Families are asked to communicate any schedule conflicts so that the troop and section leaders are aware of which meetings and workshops a scout will miss or when a scout will be late. Finally, families are asked for their cooperation with troop leadership, its governing structure and policies so that the scout’s experience will be a worthwhile and positive one.

Our program this year runs from August 11th, 2025– May 18th, 2026.  Meetings are held the 2nd, 4th, and 5th Mondays of each month in the lower-level classrooms of Thanksgiving Lutheran Church, located at 3702 370th Plaza Ave., Bellevue, NE 68123. Meetings are from 6:15 – 8:00 P.M. For the Daisy scouts, meetings will end between 7:15-7:30 PM.   Due to construction, the main entrance and lobby of the church are now CLOSED.  All entry and exit to and from the main building is located on the NORTH side of the Worship Center.    

Troop meetings start promptly at 6:15 p.m. with a formal opening unless otherwise noted. Following the opening, troop announcements will be made and the troop leader will remain in the area to answer any questions. Scouts will dismiss to their respective classrooms to work on level-specific activities. 

In addition, there will be section-specific workshops, Council-sponsored programs and community service activities scheduled throughout the year. During the summer, Troop 45483 will offer summer fun activities to keep scouts and families connected with the Girl Scout experience. Review the Troop Calendar frequently as things are subject to change.

The Girl Scout program is solidly research based and underwent a major shift in its approach with the release of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE) and Journey Program in Fall 2008. The approach for what girls do in Girl Scouting, how they do it, and how they will benefit is called the GSLE. The Journey Program was developed to promote the GSLE and is the foundation for all other Girl Scout activities and programs. The three series of Journeys include themes of advocacy, environment and creative expression, where girls do hands-on activities, connect with experts, and take the lead on a Take Action project with their community. Several new Journeys have been added since 2008 including STEM, Outdoor, and Outdoor STEM. New badges for all levels are added periodically. Through all the journeys, the basic pillars of Outdoors, STEM, Life Skills and Entrepreneurship provide girls and families with a clear roadmap for success.   This year will be the last year for Journeys as GSUSA will retire all Journeys in Oct 2026.

1. National Dues: To participate in the Girl Scout program, including Council programs and fundraisers, your daughter must be a registered Girl Scout. You must complete the online registration process through the Girl Scout Spirit of Nebraska website at www.girlscoutsnebraska.org  and remit the $35 registration fee.  This is an annual fee and provides your daughter coverage under Girl Scout liability insurance.  Registration covers the period from October 1 – September 30. Any parent who wishes to help with transportation and/or assist with troop programs must also be registered. Background checks are completed by a third-party and conducted through this registration.

2. Troop Dues:  Troop dues are currently $50 annually, payable no later than August 25th. Scouts that join mid-year (after January), will be required to pay pro-rated dues of $25 for the first year. If dues are not paid by August 25th, the parent will be responsible for registering and remitting payments for Council/troop/section activities. In this case, any money paid by the parent for Council/troop/section activities does not count toward dues payments and is not refundable.Troop dues are used to purchase awards, pins, badges, fun patches, and supplies. They pay for attendance at Council programs, area functions, and community collaborator workshops throughout the state. Troop dues are payable by cash, PayPal*, or check payable to Troop 45483, and remitted to the troop treasurer. Parents have the right to review a copy of the Section Treasury Report completed by the troop leader in May each year as well as receipts for scout-related purchases throughout the year. 

* If using PayPal, be sure to select family/friends when submitting payment. If service fees are charged, parent is responsible for paying the service fees charged by PayPal. 

Section funds, including fall product and cookie money earned by scouts, will be used solely on scouts to maximize the scout experience.  Section leaders are strongly advised NOT to use their personal funds to cover the cost of section activities; not every section leader has the ability to do this and this potentially can create unfair expectations throughout the troop.  

3. Uniforms: Scouts are required to wear the Girl Scout sash or vest at all meetings and Council sponsored programs. Scouts may also wear the Troop 45483 T-shirt to events where it would be harder to keep their vests clean. They may wear any appropriate pants, shirt or skirt with the vest or sash, or they may wear the full scout uniform (short sleeve white shirt, khaki pants, vest/sash). Parents will be notified if a scout repeatedly shows up without the proper uniform.

4. Fall Product and Cookie Sales: GSSN offers a Fall Product Program which includes the sale of candies, nuts and magazines and a cookie program February-March.

• The troop can only accept checks from a parent, not a customer. If you feel comfortable accepting a check from a customer, they can write it to you, and you can make the payment to the troop.

• All payment due dates are provided by the Council. If paying by PayPal (Friends and Family), the due date will be 5 business days prior to the Council due date.

• Failure to make full payment for the products your child has sold can result in legal action taken by GSSN Council.  

• If there are outstanding balances from the previous year’s product programs, the scout will not be allowed to participate in product programs until the balances are paid in full.  

• Parent will be responsible for any fees charged the troop account for returned checks or PayPal fees.

5. Dissemination of Troop Information: Troop information will be made available to parents through email, the Troop 45483 Facebook Page, and the Troop 45483 website. Section leaders may use email and/or the Band App for section communication. The troop leader will review pertinent information at the beginning of each troop meeting and during parent meetings which will be scheduled and held in August and January every year.   In addition to troop activities, the section leaders may schedule level-specific activities and workshops.  All section leader communications will include the troop leader and section parents and scouts so that information is adequately and sufficiently disseminated throughout the troop. 

6. Communication: E-mail is the main form of communication for this troop.  Expect a weekly e-mail reminder of events. Parents are asked to respond promptly to troop e-mails requiring a response.  This will enable program registration forms to be processed and payment remitted in a timely manner, ensuring the troop and your scout doesn’t miss out on opportunities.  

7. Photography: It is up to parents to allow use of photographs through the Council, Troop email, and Facebook. Unless expressly told, we assume acceptance of photographs being used. Please tell the Troop leader via email if you wish for your child’s photo to be excluded from Girl Scout media. It is a parent’s responsibility to check phone camera settings, to turn off information when taking pictures so that pictures subsequently posted to the troop sites do not have geocoded information attached. 

8. Badge Work: Official Girl Scout awards are called badges for every level. Daisies earn badges in addition to petals. Those scouts who complete three applicable journeys in their current level are also awarded the Journey Summit Pin.  Every Journey includes related badges that can be earned in addition to the Journey awards. This will be the last year for Girl Scout Journeys which will be officially retired in October 2026.  Scouts are encouraged to work on badges outside troop meetings and to share completed work with their leader and section to earn that respective badge. Journeys and badges are worn on the front of the Girl Scout vest or sash. Troop 45483 philosophy regarding badge work is “educate, don’t decorate”.

9. Attendance: Our program does not mandate participation and attendance at every meeting and event. However, if you sign up for something, you are obligated to attend or reimburse the troop for registration fees, supplies, etc. that we expend for your scout. To be considered for mid-year and end of year gifts, you must have attended at least one meeting per month, one community service project per month, and/or communicate with your section/troop leader to determine participation. Exceptions are at the discretion of troop leader.

10. Check In/Out: For safety, we have implemented a sign in/sign out process for our scouts. Daisy, Brownie, and Junior section leaders will have a sign in sheet that parents will need to sign at the beginning of the meeting when they drop their scout off, and again when they pick their scout up. Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador scouts will communicate with their section leaders of their attendance/absences in advance of meetings or events.  If a scout is dropped off, and not checked in when there is not a meeting/event, Thanksgiving Lutheran Church staff will call law enforcement, as this endangers the safety of your child. If a scout is not picked up, and this has not been communicated with the section/troop leader in advance, it will be at the discretion of the leader to alert law enforcement.    

11. Homework: We understand that families have busy schedules. Homework is generally not given. Make up work may be offered if a scout has missed a meeting or event. You must participate to earn all badges or fun patches. However, if your scout misses something, you are not obligated to make up the work if your scout does not want to. Sometimes, this will lead to hurt feelings when one scout earns more than another. Please prepare your scout for that scenario. All make up work will be presented to your scout’s section leader/section for consideration.

12. Behavior: Scouts are expected to show respect to adults and to treat each other with tolerance and kindness.  Rude and offensive behavior, as well as disrespect to troop leadership will not be tolerated.  If a scout is disruptive during meeting times, the scout’s parents will be called and asked to pick up the child.   Poor attitudes and behavioral problems result in disruption to the good order and morale of the troop and negatively impact others. Parents are asked to resolve problems or remove their scout from troop activities until such time that the scout can contribute in a positive manner.  If your scout has exceptional needs or considerations like a school IEP, please let both the troop and section leaders know so we can best help your scout. Troop leader and section leader are all volunteers and need your support to help guide your child in a productive manner. 

13. Illness: Please monitor your child for illnesses throughout the year. Parents are asked to keep their scout home if they have a fever or contagious illness. This is for the protection of the other children and adult leaders, and we ask for your full cooperation in this matter. 

COVID-19 Policy changes - When people get sick with a respiratory virus, CDC’s March 2024 guidance recommends that they stay home and away from others.  The recommendations suggest resuming normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, symptoms are improving and if a fever was present, it has been gone without use of a fever-reducing medication.   When returning to normal activities, people are encouraged to take additional prevention strategies for the next five (5) days to curb disease spread such as wearing a mask, keeping a distance from others, practicing good hygiene and taking steps for cleaner air.  These precautions help protect those most at risk for severe illness, including older adults and those with weakened immune systems.

14. Tardiness: If your scout arrives after the troop meeting has started, please check the scout into her classroom and try not to disrupt activities already in progress.  For Council Programs and Community Collaborator Workshops, you will be required to have your scout attend on time.  If circumstances arise which prevent your child from getting to these workshops within the required time frame, please ensure that your child’s section leader is made aware of the problem.  Depending upon the type of event, your child may not be able to complete the workshop based on the policy of the workshop organization.

15. No Shows: The troop is required to pay for scout attendance at all Council Programs and most Community Collaborator Workshops in advance. If you decide that your scout will attend a fee-required program and your scout is subsequently a no show for that event, you will be required to reimburse the troop for your child’s program fee.  THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS POLICY. The troop will generally not engage in any fee-required activities earlier than 1 Sep each year when all troop dues are required to be paid.  If after September 1st, troop dues have not been remitted, parents will be required to pay up front for any fee-required program until dues have been paid in full. Parents that do not abide by this policy will be required to pre-pay for their scout’s registration at future events.

16. Higher Level Awards: Troop 45483 encourages all scouts to earn higher level awards, including Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards. The troop leader has instituted a mandatory policy regarding completion of these awards. Juniors in the 4th grade, Cadettes in the 6th grade and Seniors in the 9th grade will work on their specific award prerequisites. Bronze Award Projects will be done as a group and decided at the beginning of the 5th grade year; Cadettes can team up with a small group of no more than four sister Girl Scouts or work on their own at the beginning of the 7th grade year; Seniors working towards the Gold Award are strongly encouraged to come up with a project that meets the three criteria of sustainability, measurability, and global reach and work with the troop leader on their proposals in the Spring of the 10th grade year. Section leaders or a designated helpful parent will work with the Bronze and Silver Groups during the 5th and 7th grade years. All Bronze and Silver Award Projects will be completed by mid-March each year; a group report will be drafted during a troop meeting and provided to the troop leader for review and comment. Once finalized, all BRONZE AND SILVER AWARD FINAL REPORTS will be given to the troop leader NLT 25 Mar to remit to the Council’s respective award coordinators.  This is to ensure that the scouts receive recognition awards in the same year in which the project has been completed.  If the Council deadline is not met, the girls will not receive their awards until the following year.  The Gold Award Proposals will be worked on an individual basis with the troop leader; any help requested of the troop for BRONZE, SILVER AND GOLD PROJECTS will be presented to the troop leader, and the troop leader will disseminate such requests as appropriate.