Girl Scouts of Nassau County December 2020 Girlfriends

DECEMBER 2020

GirlFriends is a publication of Girl Scouts of Nassau County

A YEAR AGO,

I wrote about looking forward to 2020 and its fantastical futuristic possibilities. Much to my surprise, 2020 will be a memorable year but for different reasons. It will be remembered as the year of masks, social distancing, handwashing, and lots of pivoting. As we look forward into 2021, we will try to focus on the gains and we will begin to rebuild communities and our membership.

On the brighter side, this year gave us new ways to connect. It gave us new ways of experiencing family and friends. We all had to be creative with how we would celebrate milestones and how we would provide comfort and support to loved ones. In Girl Scouts, 2020 tested our will.

As Girl Scouts we were able to recreate what participating looked like.

Our girls got to do Girl Scout programs with girls across the county and the country. Girls got to experience Blue Bay on their block and in their backyard. Together we discussed how girls can change the world at our first Girl Forum. Girls openly talked about gender equity and inclusion, wellness, and social justice with each other and experts in each field. We connected leaders through our first ever Leadership Connection where our volunteers not only celebrated being a volunteer but shared best practices and learned new ways to best serve our girls. We also hosted a virtual Honor Circle Tea to remember those we lost and to promote planned giving—which sustains our Council. Our first virtual fundraiser, Autumn Chill, reminded us of how many friends of Girl Scouts are still by our side. We not only had our first virtual Annual Council Meeting but we had 12 delegates and 10 alternates participate in the 55th National Council Session virtually. Our delegates voted on the national board slate and on six proposals. These proposals will help shape the future of Girl Scouts.

We also discovered that our girls needed Girl Scouts now more than ever.

And we know the world needs Girl Scouts more than ever now. Right now girls are facing unprecedented challenges. Right now there are girls with untapped talents and leadership skills who just need opportunities to realize their potential. We know Girl Scouts of Nassau County offers those opportunities.

So maybe like you, I am going to skip the big resolutions for 2021. I am going to skip the “vision” for 2021 and I am going to stick with what I know. I know the family I can count on, I know the friends I want to stay connected with, and I know that Girl Scouts will stand the test of time. I plan on continuing my investment of time, energy, and resources in those three things. I look forward to you being at my side as we, Girl Scouts of Nassau County, tackle another year successfully.

-RMB

We’ve got this. Three simple words that tell the world how strong, brave, and resilient Girl Scouts are. There is a lot to be proud of and excited about as we wrap up 2020 and look into 2021, including cookie season!

You’ve shown us your strength and enthusiasm through some unusual circumstances.

As Girl Scouts, you are all natural problem solvers. You are creative. You see a problem and think “How can I fix that?” Girl Scouts show everyone that “we’ve got this”.

As you get ready for the new cookie season, think creatively about what it will look like to sell cookies. Perhaps you use Digital Cookie more or even for the first time. Maybe you have a parent or adult help you host a virtual booth sale.

Girl Scouts understand what it means to help others, be adaptable, how to rise up to meet any occasion, and how to make the most of opportunities. That’s why, “we’ve got this”.

KEY DATES: December 21, 2020: In-person and online order taking begins January 9, 2021: Virtual Cookie Rally January 19, 2021: Initial order taking ends January 29, 2021: Booth sales begin; order taking continues February 19 to 21, 2021: National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend March 31, 2021: Girl Scout Cookie Program ends Note: All dates subject to change. Watch for emails from GSNC and posts on the OLC for the most updated status, guidelines, and deadlines for cookie program activities.

It’s Cookie Season!

GIFT OF CARING: Operation Cookie and Hometown Heroes Operation COOKIE

Why Participate?

The Girl Scout Cookie Program and other Entrepreneurial Programs teach five important skills that will help you succeed today and prepare you for the future.

1. Goal Setting – Set cookie sales goals individually and with your troop. Create a plan to reach them, and develop cooperation and team-building skills along the way!

2. Decision Making – Help decide how your team will spend your cookie money, furthering critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

3. Money Management – Take cookie orders, handle

There are lots of ways that people can support your troop. Thanks to Operation Cookie, people who may not want to purchase cookies for themselves are able to donate packages to the brave men and women in the military AND support you and your troop at the same time. Who could say no to that?

Operation Cookie, sponsored by Girl Scouts of Nassau County with the generous support of DHL, distributed over 80,000 packages of cookies last year to special ops teams, navy ships, international military bases, and soldiers serving right here in Nassau County.

customers’ money, and gain practical life skills in financial literacy.

4. People Skills – Learn how to talk to, listen to, and work with all kinds of people while selling cookies.

5. Business Ethics – Be honest and responsible at every step of the cookie sale. Your business ethics here reinforce the positive values you are developing as a Girl Scout.

Rewards

You’ve Got This: Here’s a look at some of our Council’s girl-selected rewards for this year.

After a busy cookie season, kick back and enjoy some ice cream with your two ice cream bowls (90+ packages)

Hometown

HEROES

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Sanitation Workers

Healthcare Workers

Pharmacists

Lab Technicians

Grocery Store Workers

Doctors

Fire Department Members

Police Officers

Postal Workers

Girl Scouts of Nassau County and our supporters will continue to remind these vital workers how much we appreciate all that they do and that we are all in this together. That is why we are continuing our Hometown Heroes donation program for the 2021 cookie season.

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kies

When COVID-19 hit our communities in the spring of 2020, essential workers, first responders, doctors, nurses, and other key people put themselves in harm’s way to keep the rest of us safe and to help keep our communities going. Just like Girl Scouts, these community members stepped up and said “we’ve got this”.

Food Service Workers

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Headed to a sleepover? Carry your pajamas and a few other things in this comfy pocket travel pillow.

(120+ packages)

Girl Scout C

Nurses

Keep track of your orders with this journal and pen (110+ packages on initial order)

Have a picnic outside and sit on a glow-in-the-dark blanket OR a travel stool (750+ packages)

Hometown HEROES

FOR

Learning and perfecting these skills will serve you well for years to come.

Donations to GSNC’s Gift of Caring programs count towards rewards, patches, and troop proceeds. And if you get 100+ packages donated, you’ll earn an invitation to join the delivery of donated Girl Scout Cookies to local military and Hometown Heroes.

EMTs

Going Digital These days you can buy almost anything online, and Girl Scout Cookies are no exception. Digital Cookie and virtual booth sales make it easy to sell cookies to friends and family from all over the country!

What exactly is a virtual booth sale? Virtual booth sales are a great way for girls to come together, sell cookies, work towards their goals, and stay safe. Looking for ways to get started? Here are some steps to take: 1. Create a social media event or schedule a livestream– Girls (with proper supervision) go live on digital platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Zoom, and Google Hangouts to reach large numbers of potential customers.

2. Make it personal and make it fun– Artwork, photos, and videos add a personalized touch to a virtual booth. Since you can’t greet customers like you would if people were walking up to the table, prepare sales pitches that can be read throughout the event. Showing pictures of how troops have spent their proceeds in their past will show customers what their money goes toward.

3. Digital Cookie– If you have Digital Cookie links to share, be sure to place them front and center. If you haven’t set up your Digital Cookie site, this is a great opportunity to do so.

4. Consider logistics and include the details– A few things to consider; how are you delivering cookies and how are you handling payments? Remember, you should only deliver cookies to people that you know and only if you feel safe to do so.

5. Invite friends and family– Send event invitations to potential customers through social media, email, and text. Don’t forget to mention that customers will also have an opportunity to donate to Operation Cookie and Hometown Heroes.

6. Promote on social media and in your community– Girl Scouts are go-getters and always able to bring out the good in any situation. Sure, cookie season may look different, but different doesn’t have to mean bad. Using GSUSA safety guidelines, you can cast a wide net with social sharing to drive customers to your Virtual Cookie Booth. Think creatively. Remember, the sky is the limit.

Former Girl Scout from Nassau County Judith Batty Named Interim CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA Judith Batty grew up Girl Scouting in Nassau County as a Brownie in Troop 1365 in Glen Cove, where her mother served as her troop leader. Ms. Batty went on to be a Girl Scout camp counselor and a troop leader.

In October 1976, Ms. Batty attended the National Convention in Washington, DC as a delegate representing Girl Scouts of Nassau County. This was the first class of girl delegates to vote at the National Council Session in Girl Scout history. At the time, she was quoted about her experience in an article, “Teens at the Convention”, that ran in Leader Magazine.

7. Have fun– Girl Scouts know how to look on the bright side and never shy away from new experiences. Virtual Girl Scout Cookie Booths are an opportunity for you to sell to a wide audience, bond with one another, share your goals, earn proceeds and remind people that we’re all in this together.

We’ve all done our best to adapt to a virtual world over these last few months. As we look ahead to cookie season, virtual tools, such as Digital Cookie, are a great way to keep you selling while staying safe. Through Digital Cookie, you can personalize your own site and invite friends and family to support you. Digital Cookie allows you to set your own cookie goals and track your progress, manage orders and inventory, learn internet safety skills, and more!

Digital Cookie allows for cashless transactions, too. Customers can pay directly through the site with a credit card. That means no cash for girls or parents to track down and collect.

Without having to track down payments, you can spend even more time focusing on selling to reach your goals and having fun!

Not only is Digital Cookie a convenient and safe way for you to sell cookies, it also comes with its own set of rewards!

Show the world that you’re a technology wiz with the Techie patch (15+ packages ordered through Digital Cookie) Carry Girl Scout Cookies with you wherever you go with the Samoas dangler (35+ packages through Digital Cookie) The Mini Samoas chair is a great place for your phone or favorite doll to rest after a long day (65+ packages through Digital Cookie)

Ms. Batty served two terms on the National Board, this term serving as a member of the Executive Committee and International Commissioner. Prior to joining Girl Scouts as interim CEO, for nearly thirty years, Ms. Batty served as senior legal counsel and an executive for a Fortune 100 corporation, where she became the first woman and first Black general counsel to one of the company’s overseas affiliates.

“As we look forward, we are confident that Judith’s experience makes her uniquely qualified to help the Girl Scouts transition into our next chapter and continue to serve our enduring mission as an inclusive, supportive organization that stands ready to help every girl learn and thrive,” said Kathy Hannan, former Board Chair of GSUSA. In the coming months, Ms. Batty will embark on a listening tour with staff and council leadership, where she will hear directly from the field about how to advance the mission of the organization to build girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. Girl Scouts of Nassau County is very proud to have one of their own, Judith Batty, lead the Girl Scout movement.

Look what the autumn wind blew in—more Girl Scouting at Home patch activities!

Girl Scouts in Nassau County and throughout the country are completing five more Try it! Create it! Do it! Read it! Prepare it! Share it! Find it! activities to earn their fall patch.

In October, girls and their families learned all there is to know about pumpkins—their origin, how they grow, how to pick a good one, techniques for decorating, and how to transform the seeds into a savory snack.

To commemorate the 19th Amendment, which gave women the same voting rights as men, girls and their families created posters and entered them into a contest just in time for Election Day on November 3rd. This was no ordinary poster contest, specific guidelines for images to be included revealed lesser-known history of the suffrage movement. This family activity proved to be both a meaningful and enjoyable way to experience civic engagement at home.

In December, look for more Girl Scouting at Home winter patch activities on the OLC and at www.gsnc.org. Girls may begin completing an additional five activities to earn their winter patch. Complete activities together or alone, either way stay engaged, mark your progress with badges, awards, patches, and experiences. Enter the New Year with more skills, more knowledge, and more Girl Scouting at Home.

Troop 2271 of ELLM Service Unit recently held their bridging ceremony from Daisies to Brownies at Greis Park in Lynbrook.

Congratulations!

AWARDS CORNER: Take Action Projects IT’S IMPORTANT to understand the criteria for a good Take Action project, so you can confidently lead your troop to earning these awards. For both the Journeys and the highest awards, the girls are required to do a Take Action project.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COMMUNITY SERVICE AND TAKE ACTION? Community service makes the world better for some people “right now.” For example, collecting cans of food for the local food pantry feeds people “right now.” Gathering toys for a homeless family shelter makes kids happy “right now.” These acts of kindness are important ways to help some people—right now.

In Girl Scouts, when we encourage girls to Take Action, girls understand the roots of a problem so they can develop a project that continues to address that problem—even after the one-time event is over.

For example, girls might want to do something about trash in a local park. If they spend a day picking up trash, they’ve solved the problem for that day—but there will probably be more trash on the ground a week later.

To create a sustainable solution, the girls would explore why there’s so much trash.

They might discover that there aren’t enough trash cans in the park or that the trash cans aren’t visible enough. Once they know that, they investigate several possible solutions, get advice from experts, and then develop a plan and put it in motion. They can make a presentation to the parks department and advocate for them to add trash cans or reposition the ones that are there. Once that is in place, the girls can turn their attention to educating the community on why not to litter. Doing research on what happens to trash on the ground or in our oceans will lead to smart practices on how to minimize waste.

Try your knowledge by taking the Take Action Quiz. This quiz lives in the Bronze and Silver Award Toolkits on our website.

Some people think of it this way:

TROOP Click

The Under Gardeners Program 2020

D

uring this challenging time, the GSNC Under Gardeners who tend the gardens at The Farm at Oyster Bay got creative with how to keep this program going. They took the cue from Victory Gardens that the Girl Scouts helped with during World War ll. These were home gardens that fed the soldiers and the impoverished.

Each Girl Scout grew her own garden at home using the skills they learned from Amanda Roberts, the garden manager at The Farm at Oyster Bay over the years. Some of the produce went to The Freeport Food Pantry as well as donations to local families in need.

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Community service=Helping others: Comes from our hearts.

Take Action-understands and addresses the root of a problemcomes from our hearts and our heads.

The world needs both! But for the highest awards in Girl Scouting, a Take Action project is the only way to go. Girls will develop important skills when they do Take Action projects and use those skills to help others throughout their lives. That’s inspiring!

We remember our Gold Award mentor Dienamarie Giaquinto...

DIENAMARIE, A Gold Award Girl Scout, was a Girl Scout for 12 years and volunteered with Girl Scouts of Nassau County in a variety of ways for the past 17 years, both as a troop leader and as a Gold Award mentor. She was a passionate volunteer who loved Girl Scouts. Dienamarie had been battling cancer since 2015. Unfortunately, she lost that battle this past October. She was an inspiration to all who knew her. GSNC interviewed Dienamarie last February for our Girl Scout Blog (http:// girlscoutsofnassaucounty.blogspot.com/). In that interview, she was asked “If you could say anything to your younger self, what would it be?” “If I could say something to my younger self, it would be to live with courage and leadership.

Let your talents shine and help others along the way. Being a Girl Scout will set you on that path.” Dienamarie certainly lived with courage and always helped others.

Her spirit will live on in the girls she mentored and the lives she touched. ☙

A Recap of the

In addition to passing the proposals, the National Council also elected the National Board for 2020–2023.

OFFICERS

The 55th National Council Session was held from October 23–25, 2020.

The National Council Session was supposed to take place in Orlando but was held virtually for the first time in Girl Scout history due to COVID-19. GSNC had 12 delegates and 10 alternates representing us at the National Council Session. Our delegates were elected in May 2019 and were a strong and well-informed group. They met quarterly and then monthly preparing for the National Council Session. In addition to GSNC national delegate meetings, they participated in national forums, technology practice sessions, and other GSUSA facilitated sessions such as the stewardship report and the key note presentation. The keynote presentation included a message from Judith Batty who is serving as CEO for an interim period. Judith highlighted her time in Nassau County as a Girl Scout, participating in international hosting and being part of the first girl delegation in Washington, DC. Our delegates spent over 30 hours in three days at the 55th National Council Session. Along with thousands of other delegates, they debated proposals and made decisions that will impact the health and future of the Girl Scout movement. All their decisions will impact GSNC directly making our mission stronger and ability to serve girls even more important. The delegates approved the following: l Establishment of a Task Force to Examine the Feasibility of a National Gold Award

Scholarship Foundation

President: Karen P. Layng First Vice President: Jeanne Kwong Bickford Second Vice President: Noorain Khan Treasurer: Valarie Gelb Secretary: Ráchel Roché Walton Members-at-large and National Board Development Committee were also elected.

Girl Scouts of Nassau County would like to thank its national delegates and alternates for their hard work for the first half of their term.

NATIONAL DELEGATES Melanie Sinesi Madeline Kollar* Lisa Burke Elana Wills Carmel Mendoza Judy Stenson

l Constitutional Amendment on Membership Dues

ALTERNATES

l Communications Procedures for National Board Dues Changes

Carol Ransom Theresa Danks Christine Bonczyk Amanda Ieraci Megan Stark

l Membership Dues and Procedures for Registration l Constitutional Amendment on Consistency in Delegate Terms l Lifetime Membership Discount

Fran O’Connor Christina Mendoza Raven Brewington Emma Van Dorn* Christine Kollar Emilee Samtani

Kerri Weatherhead-Shenoy Erin Sullivan Alexandra McCormick* Madelyn Samtani* Samantha Maynard*

For more information on these changes, a revised copy of the Blue Book of Basic Documents will be available shortly reflecting these changes.

S

“

From our Delegates­—Christine and Madeline Kollar

mall…but Mighty!” was our delegate’s team name for the GSNC National Delegates. Since GSNC represents a small geographic area but has incredible might and strength. Very fitting for our delegates.

We were elected at the 2019 GSNC Annual Meeting and were able to meet a few times in person before the pandemic. Virtually, the GSNC delegates continued to do the work of discussing and learning about the proposals. GSUSA set up a delegate website to give us a chance to review all the proposals and meet the Board candidates ahead of the convention.

Forums were conducted so we had a chance to understand what we were going to vote on.

During the weekend of the virtual NCS and from the comfort of our homes the “Small… but Mighty” team participated and voted on the six proposals.

We had a group chat for questions and to cheer each other on. Some of the debates and votes lasted into the late hours of the night and there were many spirited discussions. It was an incredible experience! We feel so fortunate to have been a part of a history making virtual event and to help shape the future of the Girl Scout movement.

*Girl delegate

Tribute FUND In Memory of: 110 Ring Road West Garden City, NY 11530

Suzann Firmbach (Lifetime member)

—Charles G. Firmbach

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

Beula “Boots” Vosburgh (fomer leader, Cookie Coordinator, Green Circle Program, Glen Cove SU)

—Jerry, Barbara and Craig Vosburgh

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.

Mary Baur (Mother of Barbara Baur-Rizzo, leader, Glen Cove SU)

—GSNC Staff

to remember

Andrea Elder-Howell, Esq. President and Chief Volunteer Officer Randell Marie Bynum Chief Executive Officer Donna Rivera-Downey Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Anna Lenz Graphic Design and Production Manager

December 24January 3 January 9

Designed by Anna Lenz Girl Scouts of Nassau County, Inc., an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Agency, is a member of Long Island’s United Way, Inc. Village of Hempstead CDA, United Community Fund of Great Neck, and The Community Chest of Port Washington.

Preston Pumphrey (Husband of former GSNC staff member and lifetime Girl Scout, Barbara Pumphrey)

—GSNC Staff

GSNC Service Center and Shop closed for holidays Virtual Cookie Rally

January 15

Adult Recognitions Awards nominations due

January 15

Referrals for Board Development Committee due

3 Our camp brochure will be online this year…

Look for a link in winter 2021 to check out our digital edition!

Michelle “Max” Buckius (2000 Gold Award Girl Scout, Blue Bay camper and CIT) —Lori Kasprzak John Fausone (Father of Denise Voda, Board Development Committee)

—GSNC Board and Staff Dienamarie Giaquinto (2001 Gold Award Girl Scout, lifetime member, Gold Award mentor)

—GSNC Board and Staff, Pat Amoroso, Lynn Ortlani-Morris Danielle Jackson (2012 Gold Award Girl Scout, lifetime member)

—GSNC Board and Staff

gs December 2020

• Issue 5

Nominate an Outstanding Volunteer!

In Honor of: Concetta Mazzeo (Birthday wishes on your 95th birthday)

—Antonina Agosta TROOP Click

Volunteers who participate, encourage, and support the Girl Scout movement are the very foundation of our organization and Girl Scouts of Nassau County greatly values the thousands of volunteers who help make Girl Scouting a reality. Please help us recognize volunteers that go above and beyond by nominating a leader, service team manager, troop cookie manager, or other worthy volunteer for an Adult Recognitions Award.

Please visit the GSNC website to nominate a volunteer today!

Submission deadline for awards (with the exception of Volunteer of Excellence award) is Friday, January 15, 2021. If the committee approves the award, the volunteer along with family and friends will be invited to the GSNC Annual Adult Recognitions Award Ceremony, date to be announced.

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Girl Scout Junior Troop 1422 recently made “Rainbow in your Pocket” laminated hearts for healthcare workers. Created with rainbow colors and positive sayings, the hearts fit in the palm of your hand and can be kept in a pocket. Great job girls!