BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – Membership fees will increase for Girl Scouts and adult members beginning in 2026, according to Michelle Taylor, Interim Chief Marketing Officer. She said the changes “were recently passed during a National Council Session.” Adult memberships will increase from $25 to $30 for the 2026 and 2027 membership years. Girl memberships will rise from $25 to $45 in 2026 and then to $65 in 2027, Taylor said, noting that membership dues have not increased in more than eight years. The first of the increases will go into effect in April 2025. What does this mean for Girl Scouts in the Baton Rouge area? According to Taylor, this increase in yearly membership fees will not impact the cost of local GSLE events, summer camps, or programs.  Taylor stated that “while membership dues are determined at the national level, Girl Scouts Louisiana East has never and has no plans to add any additional program or council fees to the base membership fee set by Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA).” Girl Scout saves dad days after learning CPR with her troop She said costs have gone up everywhere, and no organization, including GSUSA, has been immune. “The new membership fee structure will allow GSUSA to make critical investments in technology and programming to streamline and enhance the Girl Scout experience for girls, volunteers, and families in every state across the country,” Taylor said. If paying the membership fees poses a hardship, Taylor encouraged families to apply for financial assistance. As for whether membership in Girl Scouts Louisiana East—and 5,700 girls it serves—will be affected, Taylor said, “It’s hard to predict the future, but we are confident in the value Girl Scouts provides to girls and families and that even with our national membership dues increasing, the cost of membership is still drastically lower than the national average to participate in a single sport.” Headquartered in New Orleans with a Regional Service Center in Baton Rouge, Girl Scouts Louisiana East serves the parishes of Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana. Latest News Orca seen wearing a salmon hat for first time since 1980s. Why do they do it? LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier returning for senior year with the Tigers Lawmakers edge closer to deal on government funding Louisiana Ten Commandments law defended by AG in federal appeals court SEC coaches pick Sampson, Kennard as players of the year and Beamer as top coach