COVID-19 Important Updates & Frequently Asked Questions
At Girl Scouts, there is nothing we take more seriously than the
safety and well-being of our girls, volunteers, and council staff. We
have been continuing to monitor communications from the governors’
offices, the Centers for Disease Control, the National Institutes of
Health, among others.
UPDATE 2/21/2022, Masking Update Effective March 4: With
the decrease in COVID-19 cases, removal of some local masking
policies, and increase in vaccination rates, Girl Scouts of
Southeastern New England is providing updated masking guidance for
Girl Scout activities in our council, effective starting March 4,
2022.
Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England still supports the wearing
of masks, especially for those who are not yet vaccinated. However,
mask wearing will no longer be mandatory unless a troop leader or
meeting location has different rules. We recognize that some
volunteers may not be comfortable with their troops/groups being
unmasked. With that in mind, if volunteers/leaders would prefer to
have their groups masked, they are permitted to put that requirement
in place. If the location you are utilizing for meetings or activities
has more stringent policies in place than the current GSSNE guidance,
you must follow the location’s policies.
This guidance also applies to visitors and staff at any GSSNE
facilities. Masks are highly recommended, especially for those who are
not yet vaccinated, but they are not going to be required. However,
for personal reasons, some staff may request that you wear a mask when
you are meeting with them, and if you would prefer staff be masked
when you are with us, we are more than happy to wear a mask at your
request!
As part of the Girl Scout Law, we pledge to respect ourselves and
others, and we ask that you continue to be respectful of an
individual’s masking decision. As always, we ask that you continue to
follow Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and your state
and local government’s guidelines and restrictions as they change.
Please continue to practice good handwashing, sanitizing, and social
distancing practices.
We will continue to update this COVID-19 Info page with the most
current policies and procedures pertaining to this ever-evolving pandemic.
Thank you for your continued support and flexibility.
UPDATE 2/8/2022, Troop and Group Rentals at Camp Hoffman and
Camp Rocky Farm: There are currently no group
size regulations or restrictions for any of our properties. All
participants are required to follow council masking guidance.
UPDATE 1/7/2022, Vaccine
Information: We
originally released vaccine FAQs in March 2021, but we have been
receiving questions recently about our current vaccination guidance
now that vaccines are more widely available. Please review our
updated Vaccine FAQs for Volunteers and Caregivers , updated for January 2022.
UPDATE 8/17/2021, Meetings In Homes Policy: We know how excited everyone
has been to get back to some sort of normalcy and yet the new COVID
strain has many anxious about a return to normal. With that in
mind, here is our revised temporary policy on meeting in homes:
We encourage troops to hold troop meetings in public spaces like
places of worship, schools, and other community locations whenever
possible. However, we realize that due to continued COVID
restrictions, many regular meeting spaces may not yet be available to
the public. If troops have expended all possibilities and are still
unable to find a meeting space, we will continue to honor the
temporary permission that many of you received last year to meet in
homes
if the adult named on the permission request has a current Girl
Scout membership and background screening(s) AND
sends us a copy of their updated homeowner’s/renter’s insurance
policy (email a copy to CustomerCare@gssne.org).
Troops seeking first-time permission may apply to meet in homes for the upcoming membership
year (October 1, 2021 – September 30, 2022). All temporary
permissions will expire on September 30, 2022. We ask that as soon as
meeting space becomes available, troops shift from meeting in homes to
public locations. Full protocols outlined in the forms for at-home
meetings can be found below.
Please note that a COVID-19 screening questionnaire needs to be
completed by anyone attending in-person meetings. That form can be
found here.
Please continue to reference this page for the most current policies
and procedures pertaining to this ever-evolving pandemic.
