The Troop Organization Job WHAT THE JOB HAS ALWAYS BEEN THOSE CONCERNED with troop organization have the task of forming new troops, helping old troops to keep running, selecting and placing new leaders, selecting and placing new troop committee members, making initial contacts with affiliated groups, finding meeting places for troops, and getting troops to re-registers on time. They are usually members of a troop organization committee. Qualifications. Those who would help with troop organization should know something about the art of personnel selection and placement, and be the type of person who makes personal contacts easily and effectively. They should also be analytical enough to find the right person for the right troop, and have energy and initiative enough to seek new sources of leadership and meeting places for troops. They should have a wide knowledge of the community and its social needs. Help on the Job. As part of the local administrative set up, the troop organizers receive special training both before and after they undertake the job. Since these persons are usually members of a troop organization committee, they receive help from their chairman and other fellow committee members. Through the Local Council Handbook and other national publications, local annual report and records, they receive written suggestions, techniques, and statistical data. WHAT MAKES THE JOB MORE IMPORTANT TODAY The troop organizer becomes an essential part of the defense machinery today. The Federal Office of Defense Health and Welfare Services is spending gigantic efforts, time, and money to relieve some of the inconvenience, bewilderment, and even suffering that is arising in some communities from the presence of new defense industries or from the proximity of new military cantonments. Not the least of the problems of this Office centers about the plight of the children in these communities, particularly those who are new to the community. How are they to be housed, fed, clothed, educated, and taken care of in their leisure time? These conditions present a major challenge to all departments of the community, and much of this challenge is at the door of leisure-time agencies, such as the Girl Scouts. Recreational 12 Facilities must be found for these children lest they become a neglected by product of the defense program. NEW OPPORTUNITIES THE JOB OFFERS FOR DEFENSE SERVICE The troop organization job offers many new opportunities for service today. These include: 1. Opportunities to increase civilian morale: a. By placing the daughters of families busy in defense projects in troops where they will find companionship, security, and fun, and will learn preparedness for today and tomorrow. b. By absorbing children new to the community into established or new troops or making guest members of them. 2. Opportunities to meet demands of military and industrial defense: a. By placing volunteers in civilian jobs (leaders of Girl Scout troops, troop committee members) which have significance in the defense program. b. By informing the Civilian Defense Volunteer Office of opportunities for volunteer service in the Girl Scout organization, especially as leaders and troop committee members. (See pages 33 and 35). c. By releasing space for defense activities through finding new meeting places for Girl Scout troops. d. By discovering the social needs of the community and keeping informed of the changing scene, its strength and weaknesses from a girl angle, and then by trying to meet these needs as far as financial and personnel resources permit. THE PART THE COMMUNITY CAN PLAY In order to find leaders, the troop organizers must rely, not only on their own efforts, but on the efforts of other agencies, such as the Civilian Defense Volunteer Offices. To find meeting places, the troop organizers must rely upon the generosity of individuals and groups who are willing to give over part of their space for this purpose. The Chambers of Commerce, Councils of Social Agencies, Community Chests, and local political agencies can help analyze the social needs of girls in the community and the financial and personnel resources of the community. USE THIS SPACE TO LIST YOUR SPECIFIC LOCAL NEEDS 13