Trefoil Takeover a lock-in and mini-conference, and is Girl Scouts’ chance to take over a local school, place of worship, or community center for a fun filled overnight.
Trefoil Takeover is ideal for Juniors, Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors. It allows older girls to have an event exclusive to them and gives younger girls something to look forward to in their Girl Scout journey. {Pro Tip} Partner with 1 or more other Service Areas to plan and host your Trefoil Takeover! Girls are usually willing to travel a little further for overnight events, and pooling resources and talent will help the planning process run smoothly. More Girls = More Fun!
Planning a large event is not always easy, that’s why we’ve put together this handy guide that lays it all out for you. You can choose to follow this guide exactly as outlined here, or you can mix and match the pieces that work for you, and even add in a few new pieces of your own! Either way, we hope that this guide makes the Trefoil Takeover event planning and implementation a little easier on you. If you need a little help along the way, email program@gsnwgl.org.
Event Components
Opening & Closing Ceremonies
The opening ceremony can be short and sweet. Invite a troop to perform an opening flag ceremony. Go over behavior expectations and let girls know what to expect during the event. Finish out with a large group icebreaker to get girls mingling outside of their troops.
The closing ceremony can be just as easy as the opening. Go over any check-out instructions and housekeeping items, and invite a troop to perform a closing flag ceremony.
Sessions
The amount of sessions needed will always vary depending on expected attendance, maximum capacity of each session, amount of session blocks wanted.
Example:
Estimated attendance 150, 125 girls and 25 adults.
25 attendees per session
4 session blocks wanted
= 5 girl sessions and 1 adult session per block
= 24 sessions needed
Finding Your Presenters
Great sessions follow the Girl Scout processes of Girl Led, Learning by Doing, and Cooperative Learning. Having a mix of “just for fun” sessions and hands-on learning sessions helps girls stay engaged, have fun, and gain great skills. Creating blocks dedicated to the “just for fun” sessions and learning sessions will ensure that girls have a balanced and enriching experience. Topic ideas can come from the Girl Scout Program Pillars: Outdoor, STEM, Entrepreneurship, and Like Skills, Girl Scout Badges and Journeys, and other areas of girl interest.
Would a facilitator from a local nature preserve deliver a session on Outdoor Survival?
Would students from a local university deliver a fun hands-on science session?
Would a business owner offer a session on making dreams into reality through entrepreneurship?
Would a chef or baker help the girls prepare a new recipe?
Leverage the talents of your Service Area’s leaders as well! Are any of them willing to lead a session based on their profession, special skill, or crafty talent?
Don’t forget the grownups! This is a great time and space to add adult training opportunities like CPR/AED and other certifications or Girl Scout knowledge topics.
Check out the On Your Own page for GSNWGL Program Partners that may be willing to present a session.
Gril Scout Trefoil Takeover Session Opportunity
Girl Scout Volunteer
To ●Presenter
Hello,
My name is Octavia and I volunteer with Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes, partnering with community organizations to offer unique programming opportunities to our girls. This year we are hosting a Trefoil Takeover mini conference event for girls in 4-12th grade in Sparkle City, Michigan. This year the event is on Saturday, March 21.
Our core focus areas are STEM, Outdoors, Life Skills, and Entrepreneurship. Your work in the area of forestry would be a great match for our event. What we are looking for are area experts that are interested in providing a hands-on, one-hour session in their area of expertise to the girls in attendance. Would you or another representative from your organization be willing to offer a session at our event?
I look forward to hearing from you, Octavia
Event Components
Figuring Out Your Format
There are a few ways to structure sessions at your event. You can pick one style or blend them to make your very own!
Conference Style
For a true conference experience, girls will be able to select one session per time block out of a variety of options. This style requires the most unique session offerings, but also allows for a greater variety of topics and activities and allows girls to come back year after year and have a new experience each time.
{Pro Tip} You can run expected popular sessions more than once.
With the variety of choice that conference style sessions bring, there will be some additional logistics to plan for.
How will attendees pick their sessions?
This can be set up in advance during the registration process or can be done when girls arrive at your event. In advance, you can use online services like SignUpGenius. This site will allow you to set maximum capacities so that your sessions do not overfill. You may also use a Google Forms or SurveyMonkey, but these will not allow you to set maximum capacities on sessions.
For in person session selection, you may simply create write-in signup sheets or posters with session names and numbered name lines indicating the maximum capacity.
Every attendee will have a different schedule, how will they know where to go?
If attendees have picked their sessions in advance, you may use their selections to create personalized agendas with session names and room numbers. If attendees pick on site, you may give them pre-printed agendas with space for them to write in their sessions and room numbers.
Evening Fun
Rotation Style
Having girls rotate through each one of the sessions requires a bit less work in the planning and logistics stages. For this style, the girls will be split in to predetermined groups based on the amount of session blocks and sessions available. This means that each session will be run multiple times so that each group of girls can receive it. Attendees will not need to preselect their sessions, and a universal agenda that includes the session order and where each group starts is sufficient. Because each girl will go to every session, the sessions will need to be refreshed annually.
Large Group Style
If your event has a small expected attendance, you may choose to run each session for the full group rather than allowing attendees to select their own or breaking up into smaller groups. You will pick the amount of sessions you wish to provide and run them consecutively for the entire group. Attendees will not need to preselect their sessions and can use one universal agenda. Just as in rotation style, each girl will go to every session and so the sessions will need to be refreshed annually.
{Girl Led Opportunity} Have girls brainstorm ideas for the event’s theme on your Service Area Facebook page. The theme can be used to guide your evening fun.
Example 1: Masquerade Ball
Evening activity could include mask making, and a DJ and dance.
Example 2: Glow Party
Evening activity could include neon face painting, glow sticks, florescent hop scotch, music, and black-lit gym.
Whether your event is one night or two, evening fun will likely be the highlight. Other memorable evening activities include swimming, inflatables, and large group games.
Meal Planning
Providing food for large groups can be challenging. Appointing one volunteer as a kitchen manager and arming them with plenty of additional volunteers will be the best step to success. Feel free to plan your own meals or use some of the meal plans below!
Breakfast Options
Pancakes & Sausage
• Pancakes
• Sausage
• Syrup
• Fruit Juice
• Milk
• Apples, Oranges, Bananas
• Coffee/ Cream/ Sugar (adults only)
• Nonstick Cooking Spray
Allergy Accommodations:
• Soy Milk, lactose free
• Diet Fruit Juice, very little sugar
• Gluten Free Pancake Mix
• Sugar Free Syrup
Hot & Cold Cereal Bar
• Oatmeal Packets
• Hot Water in large dispenser
• Cold Cereal
• Apples, Bananas, or Oranges
• Fruit Juice
• Milk
• Coffee/ Cream/ Sugar (adults only)
Allergy Accommodations:
• Soy Milk, lactose free
• Diet Fruit Juice, very little sugar
• Many breakfast cereals are gluten free
Lunch & Dinner Options
Build Your Own Sandwiches
• White bread
• Wheat bread
• Turkey Lunch Meat
• Ham Lunch Meat
• American cheese
• Chips
• Carrots
• Apples, Bananas, Oranges
• Lettuce
• Mayo
• Mustard
Allergy Accommodations:
• Gluten Free Bread
• Corn Tortilla Chips, gluten free
Pasta Bar: Spaghetti & Fettuccini
• Alfredo
• Spaghetti Pasta
• Fetuccini Pasta
• Marinara
• Cooked Meat Balls
• Alfredo
• Breadsticks or Garlic Bread
• Carrots
• Apples, Bananas, Oranges
• Lemonade
• Parmesan Cheese
• Butter
• Cookies
Allergy Accommodations:
• Gluten Free Pasta
• Gluten Free Breadsticks
• Sugar Free Cookies
• Gluten Free Cookies
Grab and Go Snack Options
• Apples
• Bananas
• Oranges
• Granola Bars
• Fruit Snacks
• Popcorn
• Pretzels
Helpful kitchen supplies are:
• Disposable plates, bowls, cups, and utensils
• Disposable aluminum pans
• Gloves
• Napkins
• Multiple electric griddles (if serving pancakes)
• Electric water kettles (if serving oatmeal)
• Large coffee makers
{Pro Tip}
If your venue has a full kitchen, such as a school home economics room, using their cooking supplies will be much easier than packing your own.
Overnight
Even if sleeping isn’t first on the agenda for girls, a bit of preparation will help for those that do want to catch some zzzs.
Get creative with your space! Girls can camp out in a gym or auditorium stage, line the halls of a school, or break off into individual troop rooms. Block off space for each troop with masking tape so that they have their own spot to put personal items and sleeping bags.
If troops have a room to themselves let them be girl-only or make sure there are two or more unrelated female volunteers with them. Don’t forget dads! If you have any male volunteers, give them a separate room for sleeping.
Set a firm lights-out time so that girls that are ready for bed can rest.
Extra Ideas
{Girl Led Opportunity} Talk to the girls and see what they would like to see and do at the event!
Would a troop like to facilitate a large group community service activity as part of a Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award project?
Would you like to extend the event into a two-night experience? Add on dinner on Saturday, breakfast Sunday, and send girls off mid-morning, giving troops plenty of time to travel home from further distances.
Want to add some inspiration? Host a keynote speaker during your closing ceremony and send girls off ready to advocate and Take Action in their world!
Give volunteers a break. Reserve a girl-free room and keep it stocked with plenty of coffee for the leaders and event volunteers.
Put the girls to work! Assign Kapers to individual troops, such as washing tables after a meal, sweeping and vacuuming, taking trash to a dumpster, or making sure that bathrooms are clean and stocked.
EVENT PLANNER TOOLBOX
Event Planner Toolbox
Planning Process
One person cannot plan and host a Trefoil Takeover alone! Assemble a core planning team and give each member an area to be responsible for. Your event Kitchen Manager could do all of the food planning and purchasing in the lead up. One or two could oversee evening fun planning and then serve as Activity Coordinators at the event. Another two or three could make all session presenter reach outs.
Host a kickoff and brainstorming meeting to tackle some of the big ideas and pieces, then send everyone away with specific action items. Meet back for progress checks and next steps every few weeks.
{Girl Led Opportunity} Invite girls to your kickoff and brainstorming meeting! Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts could serve on the planning committee as well.
Event Registration
You can host registration through a variety of methods. You can collect attendee information through online platforms like SignUpGenius, Eventbrite, SurveyMonkey, or Google Forms or you can accept RSVPs from individual troop leaders through calls, emails, and Service Area Facebook pages. Money can be collected at the door, in advance through troop leaders, or through some online platforms with some fees associated.
Inclusion & Financial Assistance
Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes is proud to be part of an organization that has a 100 year + history of being welcoming and inclusive. We value diversity and inclusivity and do not discriminate or recruit on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, national origin, or physical, social, emotional, or developmental ability. Through our programming, called the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, girls develop skills to advance diversity and promote tolerance in the twenty-first century.
Creating an event that is accessible to all girls is crucial. Cost can be one of the largest barriers to attending events like Trefoil Takeover. In order to ensure that all girls, regardless of socioeconomic status, can attend your event and engage with the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, plan to offer financial assistance for about 5% of attendees. If you budget for this in advance, it will help you balance your revenue and expenses when girls do request financial assistance. If you would like any more information about creating a space that is inclusive for all girls, please contact us at program@gsnwgl.org
Event Volunteers
You already know volunteers will be essential to ensuring the success of your event. Here are some tips to finding (and keeping!) great volunteers:
• Consider the needs and motives of the people you are trying to recruit.
• Rethink the jobs being offered to volunteers to keep them motivated, challenged, and interested.
• Offer the right person a meaningful job that’s appropriate for her/his personal preferences.
• Involve your friends in your search for contacts.
• Follow up on every lead.
• Inform prospects what will be expected of them. Don’t lie and don’t push those who hesitate to commit.
• Provide orientation and training. Not only will this instill confidence in your volunteers; it can also build team spirit.
• Once the volunteer has been recruited, confirm the appointment with a phone call or email to clearly discuss duties, length of assignment, and give them a chance to ask questions.
• Be sure to thank each of your volunteers after the event! You can mail personal notes, put together a little basket of goodies to hand out at the event, publicly recognize them at the event, or take them out to lunch!
{Pro Tip} Give your volunteers a different colored name tag or lanyard, a specific shirt, or something else to make them easily identifiable at your event.
Some roles will only require 1 volunteer, while others will require many and depend on the size of your event.
How to Secure the Perfect Venue
Picking a great venue will be important for the success of your event. Focus on finding space that will fit your needs first, and amenities after. A kitchen is a must, and multiple cooking areas is a plus. Think about your estimated number of attendees. You won’t need a whole middle school for 25 girls, and a church basement might be tight quarters if you’re thinking over 200 will attend.
At the very least you will need a venue that has room for every person to sleep comfortably, a place to cook and serve meals, a space where attendees can do some activities all together (opening and closing ceremonies, evening activities), and breakout space for each individual session in a session block. Any add-ons after that are great perks, like swimming pools, rock walls, large gyms, and more.
Requesting a venue for an overnight event can be a big ask, even when you’re paying a facilities rental fee. When you approach, think about what bringing Girl Scouts to their site can do for them. Can the girls do a service project while on site? Can you help raise awareness for other program or event opportunities that they host during your own event? Remind the venue that the girls will be sure to leave the place better than they found it, in true Girl Scout fashion!
Once you have an agreement in place with your venue, make sure to have detailed conversations about their expectations, your needs, and basic logistics. You may even want to invite a representative to a planning meeting to go over the finer details.
• Are there activities, areas, or rooms that are off limits?
• What time will you be able to use the building to set up?
• What are the cleaning expectations? Simply sweeping and cleaning tables? Bringing trash to the dumpster? Or a full detail scrub down?
• Will you need keys to the building? How will you get them?
• Who will be your contact person day-of in case of facility issues?
• Do you have all of the tables, chairs, and other items you need? If not, where can you find more?
• Is there any equipment that they are willing to let you use?
• Can you use their pots, pans, and cooking utensils?
{Pro Tip} Take pictures of every room before you use it, so that you can reset it exactly how it was found.
Safety
Every adult in Girl Scouting is responsible for the physical and emotional safety of girls.
Health
To ensure the safety and wellbeing of girls at your event, assign a volunteer Event Medic. This person does not need to be a medical professional, though that would be an added asset. Ensure that your Event Medic knows where the first aid kit is at all times, and that they are easy to find throughout the event.
{Pro Tip} Your Event Medic can double as your front desk volunteer, so that they are in a central location and easy to find.
Have Troop Leaders bring and maintain Health History forms for each of their girls. They can also hold on to and distribute any medications for girls in their troops.
Allergies
The meal plans provided above have helpful allergy accommodations for girls that are diabetic, lactose intolerant, or gluten free. All of the meal plans are also peanut free. There are, however, a myriad of potential allergens. Ask parents about any allergies before the event, that way you can meal plan as efficiently as possible. Some allergens play such a small role in meals and pose such a large risk to those with allergies, that one allergic attendee is enough to cut it from the meal plan (i.e. peanuts). Other allergens are staples of many meals, and substitutes can be provided for those that are allergic (i.e. gluten). If you are providing substitutions, cook those foods in a separate space, with different utensils, and separate them on a different serving table to prevent cross contamination.
Allergies can be difficult to plan for. If you have any doubts, feel free to reach out to the parents and ask for suggested safe brands and substitutions. They will rest easier knowing that you take their child’s safety very seriously.
{Pro Tip} Put a neon sticker on lanyards of girls that have allergies or health concerns so that event volunteers can easily and discreetly identify them.
High Risk Activities
Girls love activities like swimming, rock climbing, and high adventure experiences. They do pose some extra risk though, and thus require extra precaution. Keep in mind that if girls are in water (swimming, kayaking, and more) that there must be a registered lifeguard on duty.
For a more detailed look at Girl Scouts safety guidelines and other high risk activities, check out Safety Activity Checkpoints
For Outings, Activities, Travel and Camping the adultto-girl ratio is two unrelated volunteers, including one female, for up to this number of girls:
• 16 Girl Scout Juniors
• 20 Girl Scout Cadettes
• 24 Girl Scout Seniors
• 24 Girl Scout Ambassadors
There should be one extra adult for every additional:
• 1–8 Girl Scout Juniors
• 1–10 Girl Scout Cadettes
• 1–12 Girl Scout Seniors
• 1–12 Girl Scout Ambassadors
Occasionally, girls ask to attend lock-in events without an adult. These instances come up for individually registered girls (with no troop), or when adults simply have scheduling conflicts. It is up to each event to decide if they will allow girls to attend without an adult. If you do decide to allow it, make sure an event volunteer is assigned to the girl. Have that person take any health history forms and medications, and be sure to check in on her as needed.
Supplies
There will be tons of supplies that go into your event. Each session will likely need some supplies, and you’ll want to coordinate with the session presenter to find out what supplies they will bring and what supplies you are expected to provide. You will also need to bring in all of the food you intend to cook and eat. More general supplies include:
• Printed/Paper Materials
• Lanyard Name Tag & Session Choices
• Perforated badge inserts (for lanyard name tags) Avery 5390
• Lanyards with Horizontal Badge Holder (found here)
• Attendee Agenda
• Volunteer Agenda
• Event Evaluation
• Door Signs for Sessions and Troop Sleeping Spaces
• Small bright stickers to note allergies or health concerns
• Assorted Office Supplies
• Cashbox
• Scissors
• Tape
• Blank paper
• Writing utensils such as pens, pencils and markers
• Event Volunteer Supplies
• Microphone, megaphone, or voice amplifier
• Walkie Talkies
• Cleaning Supplies
• Paper Towel
• Bucket
• Dish Soap
• Disinfectant Spray
• Wipes
• Garbage Bags
• Other Necessities
• First Aid Kid
• Lost and Found Box
• Helpful Add-Ons
• Appreciation gifts and/or thank you cards for volunteers and presenters
• Posters with expectations, agenda, and/or Kaper assignments
• Flags and stands for Flag Ceremonies
• Food Serving see meal planning section
Developing a Budget
In preparing for any Girl Scout event, you want your event to be intentional in its budgetary goals. Some Service Areas may set a goal to break even, others may want to raise money, and others may feel more comfortable taking a loss in efforts to broaden the event’s appeal. For this reason, you should never set a participant fee before considering all possible expenses.
Expenses to Consider
• Appreciation: Thank You cards and/or gifts
• Equipment Rental
• Facilities fee for venue
• Financial Assistance to Individuals
• Food & Beverage: Meals, Snacks, Drinks
• Give-a-Ways: Badges, Patches, Shirts, Goodies
• Mileage Reimbursement/ Gas
• Professional Services: Photographer/Videographer, DJ
• Printing & Postage
• Supplies for Sessions, Evening Activities, and General Use
Budget Worksheet
Section 1: Estimated Expenses. List all items/supplies you will need for your project and estimate their costs. This includes items such as markers, scissors, glue, and other materials. Even items that you hope to get donated should be listed here along with their value. You may estimate the value if you do not know the actual value. List the total amount for all items/supplies to be purchased or donated in Box A.
Section 2: Estimated Income. List all sources of cash/checks for your project. This includes any fees charged to attendees, donations, and any other means of fundraising before or at the event. Enter the total amount of income in Box B.
Section 3: In-kind Donations. List all items/supplies you anticipate will be donated for use in your project. For each item you think will be donated, please estimate the value of that item/supply. Enter the total value of all in- kind donations in Box C.
Section 4: Summary. In this section, add Total Cash/Checks (B) and the Total Value of In-Kind Donations (C). Subtract this number from the Total Estimated Expenses (A) for your project. The result (D) should match your budgetary goals of breaking even, raising a set amount of funds, or operating at an expected loss.
Section 1: Estimated Expenses
Budget Worksheet
Section 2: Estimated Income
PROMOTIONAL & WRITEABLE RESOURCES
Schedule When What Where
Volunteer Roles & Agenda
Start End Role Tasks
Social Media Post
Below you will find an example social media post to help promote your event on your Service Area Facebook page. Email program@gsnwgl.org if you would like to use the Trefoil Takeover graphic.
Service Area
Published by Girl Scout Volunteer 1 min ago
Are you ready for Trefoil Takeover Service Area Edition?! Join us as we “Take Over” our local community center for a fun filled overnight!
For girls in grades: 6-12
Where: Local Community Center
When: Friday, March 21 | 2 p.m. - Saturday March 22 | 6 p.m.
Cost per girl: $15
Cost per adult: $10
Fees include: A Trefoil Takeover fun patch, meals, lodging, and session materials Need financial assistance? Contact SA Event Planner, at phone or email Register today!
Nametags: Front
Works with Avery 5390 Perforated badge inserts. To print double sided, attendee information on page 1 column 1 must be matched with attendee information on page 2 column 2, and vice versa.
Nametags: Back
Works with Avery 5390 Perforated badge inserts. To print double sided, attendee information on page 1 column 1 must be matched with attendee information on page 2 column 2, and vice versa.
Attendee Confirmation and Packing List
Select your grade level below:
Event Evaluation
Did you have fun at this event? □ Yes □ No
Did you try something new at this event? □ Yes □ No
What was your favorite part of this event?
What was your least foavorite part of this event? Event Evaluation
Select your grade level below:
Did you have fun at this event? □ Yes □ No
Did you try something new at this event? □ Yes □ No
