Linking Leaders Enewsletter December 2014

December 2014

New Volunteer Spotlight............1

Veteran Volunteer Spotlight..............................................................1

We’d love to hear what you’re doing with your girls! Send us an email or post on Facebook! Feel free to contact Melinda Glasco with comments, pictures or ideas at mglasco@gssef.org. All of the Linking Leaders issues are archived in the Volunteer Vault here for easy reference.

Volunteer Spotlight

Volunteer Spotlight

Council Winter Break...................1 Registration Open for Cookie U - January 10.............. 2 Registration Opens December 1 for Mall Madness............................................................... 2 Explore Loggerhead Marinelife Center .............................. 2 Fall Product Sale Program ... 3

Online Cookie Sale Program is Here! .................................................................. 3 CSI - Girl Scout Edition ............. 4 Girls Decide the Next Outdoor Badges.................................. 4 Grab Your Girl Scout Merchandise: Black Friday Goes Green! ............................................. 4 Green Grapevine Car Pool? ................................................... 5

December Adult Training Highlights ...................................................... 6

Membership

Add Girls .... Win Prizes ........... 7

Happy Girl Scout Year! ........ 7

Calendar................................. 8-9

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tephanie Carten has recently joined the Royal Palm Service Unit as their Program Chair. Stephanie and her troop discovered Girl Scouts last year! They have since accumulated badges and patches, and they lend a hand where needed. Stephanie has also brought her event planning and computer software expertise to the table and will be hosting some classes where she hopes to share her knowledge with other leaders.

Veteran Volunteer Spotlight

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elly Michelin has been a Girl Scout volunteer for the past five years, and within that time she has been a Troop Leader and the Service Unit Volunteer Manager for Silver Sands Service Unit. She stepped up during a transitional time and is working closely with her new team to grow and strengthen their service unit. Kelly also serves in other program committees for North Broward and is very dedicated to the girls.

Council Winter Break Both Council Service Centers (including the stores) will be closed from December 24, 2014 - January 4, 2015 and will re-open on January 5, 2015. If you will need any items from the service centers or the stores, please make those arrangements prior to December 24. Staff will be off during the break so please submit all documentation for troop travel, volunteer approval, etc., no later than December 10.

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GSSEF Teams with GSUSA to Offer “Invite a Friend” Promotion .................................................... 7

New Volunteer Spotlight

Membership

Adult & Leader Highlights

Every month, we are showcasing a new and a veteran volunteer who exemplifies the Girl Scout mission and serves as a role model for other leaders.

Adult & Leader Highlights

Cookie Sale Program ........... 3

Volunteer Spotlight

Programs at a Glance

Programs at a Glance

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Registration Open for Cookie U - January 10

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ame Day! Great Event! Two Locations! Our annual Cookie U is open to troops or individual girls that are Daisies, Brownies, Juniors and Cadettes. Come for the girl-centric business courses in marketing and finance, share amazing ideas, get inspired and graduate with your degree in Cookie Awesomeness! Earn and receive selected national leaves or badges (depending on grades) and our event patch, too!

Saturday, January 10, 2015 Registration opens at 8 a.m. at both locations, classes begin at 9 a.m. and end at 12 p.m.

Cookie U North: The Pine School, 1300 SE 10 Street, Stuart, FL 34996 Cookie U South: Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory, 500 E. Chaminade Drive, Hollywood, FL 33021

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Cookie U North Junior - Register here Cookie U South Junior - Register here Cookie U North Cadette - Register here Cookie U South Cadette - Register here

Registration Opens December 1 for Mall Madness

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Explore Loggerhead Marinelife Center

Membership

an you believe we’ll be celebrating 10 YEARS OF MADNESS at the Coral Square Mall on February 28 - March 1?! You won’t want to miss the rockin’ good time as girls shop, dance, compete and bond with friends.

Anyone that registers on December 1 from 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. ONLY will be entered into a drawing to win a gift card for each girl in their troop! VIP admission of $45 includes an exclusive swag bag filled with goodies, patch, official Mall Madness VIP T-shirt and first admittance into the mall. General admission is $30 and includes a patch. There are only 600 VIP spots so warm up your computers and get ready to register!

Adult & Leader Highlights

FOR ADULTS: Cookie Sale Q&A for parents from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. The Retail Store will be open with tons of cookie season must-haves items and much more beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Programs at a Glance

Cookie U North Daisy - Register here Cookie U South Daisy - Register here Cookie U North Brownie - Register here Cookie U South Brownie - Register here

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s your troop interested in earning their sea turtle patch? Loggerhead Marinelife Center is welcoming all Girl Scout troops to come and experience their unrivaled sea turtle discovery experience! Patch requirements are offered for any Girl Scout level. Please specify your level when you register, so they can custom-tailor your tour. Each Girl Scout tour lasts for one hour and includes a trip into their Turtle Yard to visit their sea turtle patients. Registrations are required for $8 per girl. Chaperones are free, but donations are welcome and appreciated. Activities require a minimum of eight girls. To register, contact Hannah Campbell at (561) 627-8280 ext. 105 or hcampbell@marinelife.org.

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Fall Product Sale Program

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ur 2014 Fall Product Sale Program has officially ended and everyone can take a deep breath and relax. Thank you for working so hard and with impressive dedication to provide this program for your girls. The girls had a great time selling all of the Fall Products all while learning and developing positive skills they will use throughout their entire lifetime!

Final numbers for the sale will be shared once all the paperwork has been received from all troops.

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Online Cookie Sale Program is Here!

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n addition to the already popular and successful door-to-door and booth sales, girls will be able to sell Girl Scouts Cookies through the Digital Cookie Program.

Parents will receive a “Kick-Off” email at the beginning of January 2015 that will include a link to the Digital Order Card. We will be using the email address for the parent that is listed in eCouncil. It is important to note – if a parent did not list their email when registering their daughter, they will not receive the information and the instructions to set their Girl Scout up to participate in the 2015 Digital Cookie Sale. If a parent wishes to add an email address to their daughter’s registration, please ask your Service Unit Registrar to enter this in eCouncil for you.

The “Kick-Off” email will include instructions for parents on how to easily set up a user name and password in the Digital Order Card system. From there, parents will work with their Girl Scout to create and customize her own website with her personal cookie goal. It will also allow you to send out cookie emails to potential customers. More details will be available at training.

Adult & Leader Highlights

he 2015 Girl Scout Cookie Sale Program starts January 22, and we can hardly wait! This year’s theme is “There’s Something Amazing Inside,” and you’ll learn all of the exciting things about this year’s Cookie Sale Program when you attend your Service Unit Cookie Training. Here’s a hint … it’s got a crowd of raisins and Greek yogurt-flavored chunks to make an irresistible, crispy oatmeal cookie. Everyone will cheer when they taste our new cookie!

Programs at a Glance

Cookie Sale Program

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CSI – Girl Scout Edition

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Girls Decide the Next Outdoor Badges

Grab Your Girl Scout Merchandise: Black Friday Goes Green!

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irl Scouts of USA will be adding four new Outdoor Badges to program in fall 2015 – one each at the Brownie, Junior, Cadette and Senior levels. This is your girl’s chance to be heard. Girls can help determine what the new badges will be by voting online. All girls can vote parents please help your girl let her voice be heard. Vote here until November 30.

Adult & Leader Highlights

For all the details and the registration form, click here.

Programs at a Glance

ecome the next Clever Science Investigator at the CSI Girl Scout Edition program held on January 31, 2015 at the River Center in Jupiter. Junior Detectives and Cadette Special Agents will participate in different sessions that include: Try the Science •Forensics: Finding the evidence with microscopes •Communicate in Code: Cracking codes with invisible ink •Key into Body Language •Interpreting animal body language and behavior •Physical and verbal skills: The lying test Reveal Reality •Impressions and Observations •Hiding in plain sight: The power of camouflage •The eye witness challenge •Following the tracks and clues Investigate Investigation •The Art of Printing •Figure, fish and leaf printing •The Art of Detection Design a Disguise •Cover up recognizable features to blend in with the environment •Costumes, makeup and hairstyles Follow the Clues to Solve a Real Mystery •The girls have been decoding clues and receiving coded messages. Now it’s their turn to capture the Mysteries of the Deep!

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Black Friday G es... GREEN!

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en is the magic number! From Black Friday, November 28 through Cyber Monday, December 1, the GSSEF Retail Stores will be offering an exclusive selection of merchandise for only $10*. Avoid the crowded stores and long checkout lines and take advantage of this special online only sale. We know you’re curious so click here for a sneak peek of the items we’re offering. Remember you can’t shop ‘til the clock strikes 12:01 a.m. on Black Friday. *Sales tax and shipping fee applies.

Quantities are limited.

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Green Grapevine - Car Pool?

Dear Green GrapevineMy troop is taking a field trip to the science museum. It’s our first trip. Some of the parents in my troop can’t go, and their girls will need to ride with other adults. Is that ok?

Thanks - Patty Wagon

Have a q ues se e answ tion you’d like to ered in th e Gre en Grapevin e?

Email volu nte er@gs sef.org

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Membership Calendar

Submit Troop or Volunteer News here.

Adult & Leader Highlights

ransporting girls during Girl Scout activities is a bit different than when a few friends get together. There are few guidelines you and your parents should know. This is a situation where the difference between being a registered adult member and being a registered adult volunteer comes into play. All volunteers are members, but not all members are volunteers.

Registered adult members pay the $15 membership fee, while volunteers pay the membership fee and take the added step of completing a volunteer application and background check.

Members may not transport girls (other than or in addition to their own daughter). Registered volunteers may transport girls.

How parents decide to transport girls between their homes and Girl Scout meeting places is each parent’s decision and responsibility. For planned Girl Scout field trips and other activities—outside the normal time and place—in which a group will be transported in private vehicles: •Every driver must be an approved adult volunteer and have a good driving record, a valid license and a registered/insured vehicle. Each driver must complete the volunteer application and background check, which can be found here.

•Parents may not drive children, other than their own, as part of a Girl Scout activity unless they are an approved adult volunteer, even if they have the other parent’s permission.

•Girls never drive other girls.

•If a group is traveling in one vehicle, there must be at least two unrelated, approved adult volunteers in the vehicle, one of whom is female and the girl-volunteer ratios in Volunteer Essentials must be followed.

•If a group is traveling in more than one vehicle, the entire group must consist of at least two unrelated, approved adult volunteers, one of whom is female and the girl-volunteer ratios in the Volunteer Essentials manual must be followed. Care should be taken so that a single car (with a single adult driver) is not separated from the group for an extended length of time.

Also, when taking any trip you should be sure to follow the guidelines and timetable in the Volunteer Policies and Procedures to ensure you get the proper approvals. Your troop treasury can only be used to pay for approved Girl Scout activities. In addition, the supplemental Girl Scout liability insurance may only be utilized if an accident occurs during an approved Girl Scout activity. Failure to get the required approvals prior to an activity risks girls’ safety and is a violation of our Policies and Procedures which may result in a volunteer’s dismissal from the organization.

For more information on Troop Travel check out the Volunteer Policies and Procedures and Volunteer Essentials Manual here.

For specific trip-related questions, email program@gssef.org.

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December Adult Training Highlights

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lassic Girl Scout training is on the calendar this month! Be sure to check out all of December’s classes here. The Spring 2015 adult training calendar will open January 1.

Troop Essentials – All Grade Levels roop Essentials Grade Level Training offers grade-level specific information on how to set-up your troop, from deciding when, where and how often to meet and how to’s on managing troop finances, to working with parents and planning engaging troop activities. This class will inform and inspire you in your new role as a Troop Leader.

December 3 at 6 - 9 p.m. - FREE - Register here 3 Harmonia Masonic Lodge, 1896 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd. #200, West Palm Beach, FL 33409

Have questions? Join us for one of our New Leader Chats!

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December 2 at 7 p.m.

FREE - Register here

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Adult & Leader Highlights

e are here to help get that new troop going. Join staff members online to get the answers to your most pressing questions. This is an open forum for you to ask questions, get advice and here the most up to date information. There are two new leader chats in December. They are FREE to attend, but pre-registration is required.

December 12 at 12 p.m.

FREE - Register here

Spring Troop Camp Training Registration is Open

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ove camping? Want to go camping with your troop? Then Troop Camp Training is for you!

Registration for our spring sessions is open; register early to save your spot!

Troop Camp Training - Basic (TCT required by one adult in order to go camping)

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Membership

asic Training will certify you to camp with your girls at any GSSEF camp property or similar facility. Fire building, basic cooking, safety issues and other necessary outdoor skills will be the focus. Lunch and supplies are included. Information will be sent to you prior to the event.

March 7 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Only $20 - Register here Camp Welaka, 10205 Girl Scout Way, Tequesta, FL 33469

TCT - Intermediate (TCT required by one adult in order to go camping)

March 7 at 9 a.m. – March 8 at 11 a.m. (overnight) 7 Camp Welaka, 10205 Girl Scout Way, Tequesta, FL 33469 Only $30 - Register here

dar here . for all cla

sses.

Question s about adult lea rning?

Email volu nte er@gs sef.org

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ntermediate Training will introduce tent camping, knife skills, knots and advanced cooking. Completion of TCT Basic or approval from council is Visit the A dult Lear a pre-requisite. Food and supplies included. calen ning

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Add Girls … Win Prizes!

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14,000

6,000

12,000 5,000

SSEF is on a mission; A mission to register 2,000 girls by 10,000 December 19, 2014. Each Troop Leader has been asked to 4,000 73% of 8,000 add two new girls to her troop. GSSEF will enter every troop who 62% of Goal adds two new registered girls by December 19 into a chance 6,000 Goal 3,000 drawing for ten $50 GSSEF Retail Store gift cards. Each troop will 4,000 receive an additional entry for every new girl added after the first 2,000 two. Add three girls and get two entries, add four girls and get three 2,000 entries, etc.

Goal Goal Also, one grand prize winning troop will receive VIP Admission 5,800 13,120 to Mall Madness (Feb. 28 - March 1, 2105) for everyone registered in the troop - including adults. The value of this prize is $45 per person.

Girl Adult Membership Membership To enter your troop into the chance drawings, please click here.

You will be asked to enter your Troop Number, contact information and the names of the girls added to the troop. That’s it! Add girls today to earn your chances!

GSSEF Teams with GSUSA to Offer “Invite a Friend” Promotion

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Happy Girl Scout Year!

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t’s a new Girl Scout Year! Please ensure your own membership registration is current for the 2014-15 year. Remind other registered adult volunteers in your troop as well, so their membership and volunteer status continue uninterrupted.

Membership

t’s official. The Invite a Friend Troop Leader Recruitment Campaign is OPEN! Current Troop Leaders and Co-Leaders are encouraged to invite their friends to become a registered Troop Leader or Co-Leader and each will receive a valuable incentive! To refer a friend, click here and complete the requested information.

Upon verification of the new leader completing the volunteer application and background form, an email will be sent from GSUSA to the current volunteer with a $50 coupon code!

The new volunteer will be sent a coupon code for a Volunteer Resource Pack which includes: Girls Guide to Girl Scouting (Daisy, Brownie or Junior), adult insignia tab, official Girl Scout membership pin, WAGGGS pin, volunteer pin, adult guide/Journey book set and tote bag.

For new troop leaders, there will be one Volunteer Resource Pack provided per troop even if there are two new volunteers in the same Questions abo ut troop. Current volunteers can invite up to two new volunteers for a Contact Rhon membership? da Lang Director total of $100 in coupon codes! of Memb Netzel, rnetzel@g ership, at ssef.org.

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November S

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Archery Class

All About SWAPS Class

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Troop Camp Training

Fall Product Sale Ends CPR Class

Troop Camp Training Bronze Award Songs & Ceremonies My Mom’s The Leader

Orienteering Class

GSSEF Closed for Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving Black Friday Goes GSSEF Closed for Green Retail Sale Thanksgiving Begins

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M Mall Madness Registration Open Girl Scout Cookie Reservations Begin Black Friday Goes Green Retail Sale Ends

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New Leader Chat

Troop Essentials

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New Leader Chat

Initial Cookie Orders Due

GSSEF Closed for Winter Break

GSSEF Closed for Winter Break

GSSEF Closed for Winter Break

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GSSEF Closed for GSSEF Closed for Winter Break Winter Break

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January S

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Happy New Years Spring Adult Training Calendar Open

GSSEF Offices Reopen

GSSEF Offices Closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Cookie U

Cookie Sale Program Begins CSI Girl Scout Edition

Save the Date – Volunteer Weekend April 10-12, 2015 Volunteer Weekend is an opportunity for registered adult volunteers to network, socialize and choose from diverse workshops for personal enrichment. You’ll get to explore and experience Camp Nocatee, make new friends and learn lots of new things you can share with your girls.

More details will be shared soon. Mark your calendars now and plan to join us next April!

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