Girl Scouts of Nassau County Girlfriends April 2024

April 2024

Girlfriends

Girlfriends is a publication of Girl Scouts of Nassau County

Gratitude.

Volunteering is a great way to give back to your community. It is at the heart of Girl Scouts. Not only do we encourage our girls to give back, but our movement is powered by volunteers. Every April, we pause to thank our volunteers and families. With your commitment to Girl Scouts of Nassau County, we are able to provide our almost 12,000 Girl Scouts with the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. Your dedication and contributions to our council help us stay focused on making the world a better place. Thank you.

Points of Light spotlights National Volunteer Week as “an opportunity to recognize the impact of volunteer service and the power of volunteers to tackle society’s greatest challenges, to build stronger communities, and be a force that transforms the world.” (www.pointsoflight.org) Research shows that volunteering also benefits you, the volunteer. It improves your physical and mental health, provides a sense of purpose, teaches valuable skills, and nurtures new and existing relationships. (www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org, 2023)

Our annual Adult Recognitions Dinner spotlights our volunteers who have gone above and beyond in our council’s continued effort to tackle societal change and build our community. This year, we recognized over 100 volunteers, including spotlighting those championing diversity and fostering longevity. Our third annual Legacy Brunch recognized four upcoming leaders in Nassau County and Dr. Sandra Lindsey, a leading community health advocate from Northwell Health. We also recognized our Trailblazer Trefoils, previous honorees that were to be honored during our 2020 Women’s History Month celebration but canceled due to the pandemic.

Not every act of gratitude includes an award, but every act can be recognized. Let’s think about small acts of kindness that show appreciation this month. Let’s encourage our Girl Scouts to show gratitude to those who support their Girl Scout Leadership Experience. —RMB

Gratitude is a value we hope to see in our Girl Scouts.

GSUSA has shared some ideas to spark conversations about being thankful. Quick Tips on Raising Thankful Kids

https://bit.ly/gsnc-thankful-kids

Troop Click

2” wide x 2.25” tall

Spring Renewal for Girl Scout Year 2025!

Let your Girl Scout’s curiosity lead the way to accomplish more amazing things. Don’t let her miss her chance to spend another year as a Girl Scout! Renew today at gsnc.org/renew or contact us at customercare@gsnc. org and we will be happy to do the renewal for you.

Renew between April 1 and June 30, 2024 to receive our Early Bird patch. Learn about additional incentives at gsnc.org/renew.

Leaders: renew your whole troop in the same time frame and every member will receive the patch and be entered into a drawing for a free Possibilities program for your entire troop.

ELLM Service Unit recently held a Junior Badge workshop and bakeoff for 115 girls and leaders who earned their First Aid Badge and sampled some tasty treats!

Celebrating Our Amazing Volunteers

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month! This is a special time to honor and celebrate the incredible volunteers who support the Girl Scout mission by leading and empowering girls throughout their Girl Scout journey and beyond! We want to recognize our volunteers for the special roles they play in their Girl Scouts’ lives, thank you for your hard work and dedication to upholding the Girl Scout mission, and being strong mentors to our girls!

Want to recognize a volunteer for all their hard work? Here are some ways to thank and celebrate the volunteers in your life:

● Hold a celebration or a ceremony during a Girl Scout meeting! Invite parents and caregivers to join and serve some fun treats.

● Present your volunteer with an award that recognizes their contributions, like a certificate for Most Organized Trip Planner or Girl Scout Meeting Plan Master.

● Share your appreciation through a homemade card! Take some time with your troop to write and illustrate “thank you” cards for your amazing volunteers!

Need support? Here are some resources

GSNC offers to our volunteers:

● Materials for loan such as ceremonial items, resource boxes, badge kits, games, and more!

● Appointments with our Adult Training and Resource Associate for you to ask any questions you may have about the Volunteer Toolkit, Troop management, Troop planning, badge or Journey requirements, programs, or activities.

● A library of free virtual trainings and guided videos on gsLearn to help lead your troop to success.

To borrow materials:

https://bit.ly/gsnc-borrow-vrc-materials

To schedule an appointment:

https://bit.ly/gsnc-vrc-appointment

April 22nd is Earth Day!

Celebrate with some of GSNC’s patch programs:

l Be a Brownfield Buster

l Every Drop Counts

l “Go Batty!”

Discovering Bats on Long Island

l Hurricane Awareness

l I FISH NY: A Fishing Patch Program

l PSEG Patch Program

l Project C/National Grid 4 Pillars Patch Program

Go to https://bit.ly/ gsnc-free-patch-programs or scan the QR code.

Celebrating our Girl Scout Volunteers Who Have Gone

Above and Beyond!

Dedicated. Caring. Bold. Adventurous. Spectacular. These are just some of the words used to describe our phenomenal volunteers who were honored at our 2024 Adult Recognitions Dinner on Thursday, March 21st at The Inn at New Hyde Park. We are so thankful for all they do to bring the benefits of Girl Scouts to our girls. Start thinking about next year’s nominees!

On March 15, members of the Girl Scout community, volunteers, and sponsorship partners came together at The Heritage Club at Bethpage to celebrate our ten community champions who best embody the Girl Scout mission in their careers and through their volunteerism at our third annual Legacy Award Brunch.

Our CEO, Rande Bynum, took the opportunity to discuss the future of Girl Scouts as she conversed with featured guest speaker, Joye Brown, award-winning columnist and editor at Newsday.

Special thanks to our donors and sponsors whose contributions help us advance our mission.

SAVE THE DATE for our Raise a Glass annual Fall Fundraiser on Thursday, November 21 at The Inn at New Hyde Park!

For a $20.25 donation, help a girl and get this patch.

For a $40.00 donation, help more girls and get this patch too, plus a 15% credit at the GSNC Shop.

AwardLegacy Brunch 3rd

Help us help girls...

We need your partnership to grow our Girl Scout family. Consider making a donation of $20.25 or more to support Family Partnership. One hundred percent of donations received will enable more girls to participate in Girl Scouting regardless of background or economic status.

For the 2024/25 Membership Year, if a family donates $20.25 to GSNC’s Family Partnership campaign, each registered girl in the household will receive a Family Partnership Participant patch. If a family donates $40 or more to GSNC’s Family Partnership campaign, they will receive another patch for “Going The Extra Mile” and the troop will receive a 15% rebate credit for use in the GSNC Shop.

Donate now. Scan the QR code or visit http://bit.ly/gsnc-family-partnership or when renewing your membership online, a contribution can be made before checking out.

We appreciate your support of future Girl Scouts in Nassau County!

Girl Scouts of Nassau County

Going for Gold at GSNC

GSNC sends a big “thank you!” hug to the Gold Award committee for their dedication in guiding Girl Scouts in Nassau County with their Gold Award Projects! Beside every Gold Award Girl Scout is her Gold Award mentor motivating and coaching her to improve and complete her project.

Gold Award mentors approve projects, help girls find solutions, and cheer girls on. Gold Award counselors help girls create projects, and Gold Award committee members assist with trainings and interviews. This committee is comprised of dedicated volunteers who want to see the girls of GSNC succeed in becoming Gold Award Girl Scouts. Interested in joining Team Gold? Send an email to customercare@gsnc.org with “Gold Committee” in the subject line.

Want information on the Highest Awards?

Visit https://bit.ly/gsnc-highest-awards for all the resources to get you started.

Spotlight on 2023 GSUSA Scholarship recipient from Nassau County

Meet Anna! She achieved her Gold Award by advancing inclusion and promoting mental well-being through new beach mat access at Town of Hempstead beaches.

Can you share helpful tips for girls currently working on their Gold Award?

The setbacks during my project were the best lessons. Remind yourself that your friends are

experiencing setbacks too. A major tip is to reach out to your Gold mentor. They are so educated, and I received great advice from my mentor, Pat Hickey.

What is the most important thing you learned from earning your Gold Award?

My Gold Award Project taught me about the importance of advocating for yourself and/or others. My project was advocating to make the beaches more accessible in the Town of Hempstead (TOH). There is always a population whose voices won’t be heard, but if we use our voices there is a chance we can

Virginia A. Wills loved being a Girl Scout and enjoyed leading activities with her troop. She wanted girls to see all the options that were available to them and how important service was by helping people in need. Virginia’s daughter, Elana Wills, has generously donated $1,000 in her mother’s name to be awarded to one Gold Award Girl Scout a year. The application will be available mid-March at gsnc.org/gold.

Learn about the benefits of Camp from Girl Scout Charlotte and her Mom...

make their goals a reality. For girls that are thinking about earning the Gold Award, what would you tell them?

This project will shape you into a better person. Choose a topic that you are truly passionate about. I chose the topic of making TOH beaches more accessible for persons with disabilities to improve the life of my cousin and campers at Camp ANCHOR. Picking a topic can be very difficult as it seems that your ideas are insignificant, but nothing is insignificant if it can improve someone else’s life.

The requirements are as follows:

l Current graduating high school senior who earned Gold in 2022, 2023, or 2024 or a college freshman who will be honored at the 2024 ceremony

l Accepted to a college/university/trade school

l Have a dynamic Girl Scout history

l Demonstrate community service

Deadline: April 17, 2024

Summer Camp Registration is Open!

Visit gsnc.org/camp to learn more.

Introducing GSNC’s Girl Leadership Committee (GLC)…

The GLC is a group of Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors. The GLC was created to give older Girl Scouts the opportunity to let their voice be heard.

As the GLC, we are a board committee that partners with the CEO and staff members on projects ranging from program development to research and marketing. Our involvement allows us to use our passions for Girl Scouts, share our ideas, and ensure that Girl Scout programming and events are what girls need and want. This year’s GLC members are Gabriella G., Alexa F., Audrey M., Caralinn B., Asha G., Chloe Z., Julianna M., Madeline M., Shivani P., and Lily N.

Do you want your voice heard? Are you ready to take your leadership to the council level? Do you want to play a part in the future of Girl Scouts? If you answered yes to any or all of those questions, email customercare@gsnc.org if you are interested in applying.

Thank you to our GLC Seniors

Congratulations to Girl Leadership Committee graduating seniors Alexa F., Audrey G., and Gabby G.! Throughout their two-year term on the GLC, these Girl Scouts shared their unique perspectives and bold ideas to help develop innovative programs for their sister Girl Scouts. Thank you, Alexa, Audrey, and Gabby for your enthusiasm, dedication, and extraordinary leadership. I know that you have bright futures ahead and I am excited for our next selfies together as Girl Scout alum! —Rande

Meet the Traveling Trefoil Manager, Victoria Ost!

Before the Traveling Trefoil is officially back on the road in April, let’s meet the creative mind behind the wheel, Victoria Ost.

Where has the Traveling Trefoil been?

I’ve driven the Traveling Trefoil to community fairs, public libraries, and troop meetings. My favorite memories with the Traveling Trefoil have been at Operation Cookie and Trees for Troops.

Favorite activity?

SWAPs and making slime are great choices. Seeing the magic of science come alive while creating slime makes this activity worth the mess!

Any exciting plans for the Traveling Trefoil?

Yes, we are rolling out a new patch for future Traveling Trefoil events! As a Gold Award Girl Scout myself, I love bringing the Girl Scout experience to girls all over Nassau County!

Volunteers can request the Traveling Trefoil using the QR code: https://bit.ly/ gsnc-traveling-trefoil-request

Alexa and Audrey have a longstanding tradition of CEO selfies.

Gabby G. and Rande at our recent Legacy Award Brunch.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Girlfriends, 110 Ring Road West, Garden City, NY 11530

Girlfriends (USPS 135-280), is published quarterly with a special issue in August. Girl Scouts of Nassau County, Inc. 110 Ring Road West, Garden City, NY 11530 Periodicals Postage Paid at Garden City, NY 11530.

Dates to Remember

April 22

May 5

May 16

May 27

June 10

Girl Scout Leader’s Day

Cinco de Mayo

Annual Meeting

Adelphi University

Memorial Day Council offices closed

Gold Award Ceremony

Hofstra University

Girlfriends

In honor of:

Alexandra (Allie)

McCormick (GSNC 2024

Impact Honoree)

—Lucy Effron

Dempsey McCrann —Patricia Brix

In memory of:

Fanny Aroca (mother of Girl Scout staff member, Patricia Pacheco)

—Girl Scouts of Nassau County

Edna G. Elder (mother of GSNC Board President, Andrea Elder Howell)

—Girl Scouts of Nassau County & Randell Bynum

Jens Franzen (husband of retired GSNC staff and JGLS member, Judi Franzen)

—Girl Scouts of Nassau County

Monica Pavlidis (Herricks Leader and longtime Gold Award Mentor)

—Melanie Sinesi

Elaine Rowe (mother of Girl Scout staff member, JadeAnn Rowe)

—Girl Scouts of Nassau County & Randell Bynum

GSNC 59th Annual Meeting Reminder

Thursday, May 16, 2024 | 6:30 PM-9:30 PM | Adelphi University

Adelphi University

Ruth S. Harley University Center One South Avenue, Garden City, NY 11530

6:30 PM: Voting members sign in 7:00 PM: Opening

7:15 PM: Official call to meeting 9:30 PM: Closing

There will be a GSNC Member Forum immediately following the Annual Meeting

Meeting packets will be sent to all voting members on April 16. An annual meeting training session is scheduled for May 2.

If you are a governance volunteer, be sure to check out the OLC Council Governance section for the most up-to-date information for delegate chairs, delegates, and alternate delegates.

Questions? Contact customercare@gsnc.org

RSVP: https://bit.ly/gsnc-annual-meeting