May 2015
Volunteer Spotlight.................................1 Lifetime Service Award ...............1
Programs at a Glance
Feeding Florida Together Food Drive April 1-30 .............. 3 Light Up Your Summer .................. 3 Wet n’ Wild Presents Girl Scout’s Summer Splash Bash! .......................................................................... 3 Spring Has Sprung at Our Retail Stores ..................................................... 3
Adult & Leader Highlights Green Grapevine Tax Exempt ......................................... 4-5
Adult Training .......................................... 6 And The Award Goes To .. 7 Coming Soon! Troop End-of-Year Reporting ............. 8
Membership
Membership Update ................ 9
Add new Girls To Early Bird! How You Get The Girl .........10
Calendar.......................................11
Lifetime Service Award
Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida introduced a new award in 2014 — the Lifetime Service Award. Its purpose is to recognize individuals who have made extraordinary contributions the Girl Scout mission through consistent and far-reaching acts of volunteerism that has resulted in strengthening of the organization. Two Lifetime Service Awards were presented at this year’s Annual Meeting to Terry Gearing from Palm Beach Gardens and Edie Kappler from Pompano Beach. These women exemplify a life lived with volunteer service at the heart. Their hearts are deep green and the Girl Scouts will be all the better for having known them.
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Submit Troop or Volunteer News here.
This month we’d like to spotlight the fabulous volunteers who joined us for Volunteer Weekend! Volunteer Weekend Survivor Edition was a great success! Volunteers had the opportunity to enhance conflict resolution skills with a training provided by Dr. Eivina Miniute-Cobb. Tribes competed to be the ultimate Survivors in archery, an obstacle course and shelter building. They also got to explore camp, canoe at their leisure and enjoy a little Turtle-Time. Volunteers learned how to make Overnight Oatmeal, and everyone got to make new friends and memories at beautiful Camp Nocatee. We’re already planning for Volunteer Weekend 2016! Save the date, March 11-13, 2016 for “Glamping” GSSEF-style!
Membership
Take The Lead. Be an Early Bird ..................................................... 9
Every month, we showcase a volunteer who exemplifies the Girl Scout mission and serves as a role model for other leaders.
Adult & Leader Highlights
Cookies for the Military .......... 3
Volunteer Spotlight
Programs at a Glance
Congratulations to the Class of 2015 Silver Award Recipients .......................................................... 2
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.
Spotlights
Spotlights
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Congratulations to the Class of 2015 Silver Award Recipients Going for the Girl Scout Silver Award — the highest award a Girl Scout Cadette can earn — gives girls the chance to show that they are leaders who are organized, determined and dedicated to improving their community. GSSEF would like to congratulate the following girls for all their efforts in achieving this prestigious honor!
Troop #10119 Nina Carrasquillo Dominique Scalici “Broward Outreach Center-Helping the Homeless”
Troop #10306 Olivia Binner Tabatha Connor Katie Diaz Nicole Nebel “Encouraging Education: One Child At A Time”
Troop #10425 Ashley Klement Eva Rador “PawParazzi”
Troop #10825 Julie Matlack Kendall Miller Victoria Rizzo Zoe Wynne “Hopeful. Helpful. Happiness”
Troop #10639 Alexandra Medina Jaleesa Smith “Super Smiles”
Troop #10997 Katherine Dadd Angela Frantz “Helping Huggers”
Troop #20775 Mercy Johnson “Giant Jenga with Florida Facts”
Troop #10679 Lindsey Adams Emily Cagigas Monica Cordero Victoria Orr “Harbor Beach Mural”
Troop #11110 Isabella Thomas Amanda Wysocki “Parents Night-In”
Troop #20780 Danielle DeLong “My Journey at Hannah's Home”
Troop #20052 Noelle Bedard Victoria Einkauf Alicia Gustafson Olivia Troast “Formal 52-Creating Memories”
Troop #20780 Jordyn Bagnall Amanda Helms Courtney Tee “Sensory Trail”
Troop #10679 Adriana Guevara Monica Guevara Maia Hunter Taylor Pumo “Potting Garden” Troop #10679 Olivia Cassie Alexandra Colmenares Mariah Jhones Miranda Macias “The Library Project” Troop #10728 Hannah Liebowitz “Feline Friends”
Troop #20624 Chelsea Siebeneck “Dog Collars for Southeastern Guide Dogs” Troop #20624 Hannah Trenkle “Making Gardens Grow”
Troop #20278 Courtney Edgar “Courtney's AED Project”
Troop #30420 Emily Smith Cassidy Taylor “Sunscreen: Everyone, Everyday, Everywhere”
Troop #20519 Catriona Chennel Elizabeth Miles-Deen “Give From The Heart”
Troop #52010 Heather Nevins Zoe Nevins “Study Buddies”
Troop #20519 Christina Hill Sabrina Mesa “Sensory Trail”
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Troop #10439 Generator Cover Alyssa Florio Karah Perlman “F.R.I.E.N.D.S Generator Cover”
Troop #10536 Juliana Angle Maddison JaydeMcBride Reina Pineiro Nyala Thomas “Playground Restoration”
Troop #20589 Alexis Billeci Julia Hofacker “Hearts of Angels”
Membership
Troop #10306 Camila Ramirez Rebecca Zazloff “Peace and Love Retreat”
Troop #10825 Caroline Bascombe Della Fronte Emma Milianta Natalie Rivera “Bringing the Light to Those in the Dark”
Adult & Leader Highlights
Troop #10151 Gabriella Grandville Alicia Sucher Emily Sucher Sophia Viner Katelyn Williams “Beautifying Broward-Fern Forest Facelift”
Troop #10536 Alixandria Chalmers Camryn Cullen Taylor Lewis Bailley Rothman “Church Sign and Entrance Beautification”
Programs at a Glance
Troop #10047 Janie Dansky Darian Haberland “Birthday Baskets for Kids”
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Feeding Florida Together Food Drive Ends April 30 There’s still time to participate in our council-wide community service project to collect food donations for agencies in need. All girls that participate in the Feeding Florida Together program will receive a patch! Click here for a list of food items needed and for drop-off information.
Light Up Your Summer
Wet n’ Wild Presents Girl Scout’s Summer Splash Bash!
Spring Has Sprung at our Retail Stores
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Starter Kits and Essentials Kits are here! They’re perfect for girls getting started for the first time or bridging to the next level. Check out what’s included here. Stop in one of the retails stores and get FREE bag when you purchase one of the kits. It’s a stylish start to your next Girl Scout adventure. Every girl deserves her own so pay less in the month of May and take $5 off every starter or essentials kit!
Membership
Celebrate the start of summer with the exclusive overnight event, Slumber Splash Bash, on Friday, June 12! It includes use of Wet ‘n Wild’s rides and attractions, themed entertainment and an all-you-can-eat breakfast. You'll receive an exclusive Wet 'n Wild mermaid patch for participating! Check out the details here and register before the spots are filled.
Adult & Leader Highlights
Is there a camp that catches your eye that you’d like to volunteer for? Now is your time to shine! GSSEF is seeking dedicated adult volunteers and older girls to work alongside our Camp Director to facilitate Summer Camp. Sessions will be held on weekends throughout the months of June, July and August. We're looking for volunteers to assist with day programs and overnight weekend camp. Interested? Contact the Director of Program, Lammy Askar, at aaskar@gssef.org.
Programs at a Glance
We have packed the summer full of sessions for girls at every grade level. For younger girls, we have an Alice In Wonderland-themed Campfire, a Teddy Bear Tea Party and Be A Princess Weekend Camp. There’s a session for girls who love the wonders of water at Camp H2Ohhh!, and the girls who love making art from the heart at Crafty Creators Weekend Camp. For families, we are offering a Stars and Stripes BBQ Day Camp and loads of other fun campfires, so everyone can come and enjoy the outdoors together. Prices range from $6 per person for campfires, up to $70 per girl for longer overnight sessions. Click here to discover all of the details. Make this summer the best one ever!
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Cookies for the Military We continue to be amazed at all of the tremendous support our Cookies for the Military program receives from all of our members and our community. Everyone has demonstrated a commitment to our brave service members by giving them a taste of home to show they care. Cookies for the Military donations were up this year by 9.2 percent - FANTASTIC! We had some Girl Scouts that went above and beyond to collect donations for our Cookies for the Military program. We want to recognize the Top Ten Cookies for the Military sellers: Abby Thomson Amanda Wysocki Madison Rocker Amanda Kopelman Madison Bonta Cali Harris Delaney Dewitt Saya Greason Meghan Heilpern Linda Saranti
1,000 boxes 919 boxes 906 boxes 618 boxes 446 boxes 381 boxes 299 boxes 291 boxes 266 boxes 264 boxes
Troop #21143 Sunchariot Service Unit Troop #11110 Sunny River Service Unit Troop #10163 Sunny River Service Unit Troop #10442 Great Earth Service Unit Troop #20570 Leo Service Unit Troop #11110 Sunny River Service Unit Troop #10163 Sunny River Service Unit Troop #10305 Sandy Beaches Service Unit Troop #20570 Leo Service Unit Troop #20570 Leo Service Unit
Membership
Hello - I just wanted to say thank you for the care packages over the last year. I was stationed in Diego Garcia, a very remote island in the Indian Ocean, as the flight surgeon (doctor). I appreciated all of the goodies and toiletry items. My corpsmen all thought it was Christmas when I would get a box in the mail - they knew there would be Girl Scout Cookies and Slim Jims! They even loved the comics! Thank you all for what you do! When you are away from family and isolated, it is the little things that count. Mail and packages are a great morale booster! Very respectfully! Jessica L. Naff LT MC (FS) USN MAG -24 Flight Surgeon Marine Corps Base
Adult & Leader Highlights
We also wanted to share some letters that were sent by grateful military personnel when they received our Girl Scout Cookies. Please share these letters with the girls in your troop. They are making a difference!
Programs at a Glance
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
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Cpl Matthew McCall
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The Marines and Sailors of Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 40 thank you for your support during Operation: Enduring Freedom. No matter how much we consider ourselves grown men, we will always have room in our hearts and stomachs for Girl Scout Cookies! Many Marines don't receive care packages while deployed, but the effort your group put forth showed us that more people care than we ever realized. Please keep up the good work!
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Green Grapevine - Tax Exempt? We’ve been hearing this question a lot lately … so here’s a Green Grapevine classic! Dear Green GrapevineSince the Girl Scouts are tax-exempt, what number do I use in order to not pay sales tax? Is it the same number I used to open our bank account? Thanks - Robin Banks
Adult & Leader Highlights Membership Calendar
In short, no, the sales tax exemption does not extend to troops, and the number used to establish a bank account is different. Read on for a full explanation … If you have benefitted from use of the Florida Sales Tax Exemption up until now, that is fine, there are no penalty points. BUT you need to stop using this exemption in the future. Most vendors probably don’t understand the difference and assume that if Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida is exempt from sales tax then Girl Scout troops are exempt also which is untrue. Our Volunteer Policies and Procedures, Section 4.5 SALES TAX EXEMPTION, states, “In accordance with Florida State Statutes, the Florida Department of Revenue and the Florida Administrative Code, GSSEF’s exemption from Sales and Use Tax does not extend to the troop, Service Unit or Area components of GSSEF.” In order for us to maintain our state-issued sales tax exemption, troops are not to use our exemption for purchases, trips etc. Our Federal Tax ID Number is required for establishing a bank account. We have included our ID number in the prepared letter troops can use to establish a bank account; these letters can be found in the Volunteer Vault here. While our Federal Tax ID number is used for opening bank accounts, the State of Florida issues our Sales Tax Exemption. Our federal exemption is issued under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) and provides exemption from federal income tax and allows us to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions. This is simply our federal tax reporting classification. It has nothing to do with the Sales Tax Exemption. Based on our federal tax-exempt status, the State of Florida has issued, upon satisfactory application by our organization, a Sales Tax Exemption. Sales tax is collected by the state, and thus there is a separate document and ID number to exempt certain purchases. In general, per the State of Florida, the sales tax exemption is available only for direct purchases by the holder of a valid Consumer's Certificate of Exemption. So in this case, it would apply to direct purchases made by GSSEF, using funds from our operating account. The state statute limits how the sales tax exemption can be used, not us. Troop purchases are not treated as an extension of GSSEF. The troop funds are generated by the girls, through product sales, money-earning activities and troop dues. Because the funds used are from the troop treasury, not the Certificate Holder’s (GSSEF’s) account, the exemption cannot be used. If a vendor asks you for the tax exempt number you are to turn them down in order to be in compliance with our Policies and Procedures and State Statutes. We do not want to jeopardize our status with the state. Despite the state’s limitations on its use, GSSEF still benefits greatly from this sales tax exemption. As an organization we save thousands of dollars each year on capital expenditures, facility rentals, contracts and leases due to this exemption; money which can be used to provide additional opportunities and programs for girls.
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Dear Green Grapevine Continued Volunteer Policies and Procedures can be found here. If you have any questions about a policy, procedure or Green Grapevine question you would like answered, email us at volunteer@gssef.org, or you can reach out to your Volunteerism Manager directly: • Megan Nole, Volunteerism Manager, Treasure Coast and Okeechobee (772) 207-6970 or mnole@gssef.org • Nicole Kiley, Volunteerism Manager, Palm Beach County (561) 427-6903 or nkiley@gssef.org • Joanna Menard Volunteerism Manager, Northern Broward County (954) 513-3763 or jmenard@gssef.org • Gabriella Gaita Volunteerism Manager, Southern Broward County (954) 513-3774 or ggaita@gssef.org
Adult Training
Adult & Leader Highlights
Did you know that troop funds can be used to cover the cost of adult volunteer training? The Volunteer Policies and Procedures say, “All money raised or earned and other assets acquired or received in the name of and for the benefit of Girl Scouting must be authorized by GSSEF and used for the purposes of Girl Scouting,” (Volunteer Policies and Procedures, GSSEF Finances, Section 4.1, p. 8). Some activities, like camping, canoeing, archery or troop travel require that an adult volunteer be trained or certified in the activity. Depending on the activity, you may need an adult volunteer trained in CPR and first aid. Since the troop would be unable to do the activity without a trained or certified adult volunteer, it is permissible to use troop funds to pay for the required training. The troop members and parents should be aware of and agree to troop funds being used for this purpose, and receipts should be kept. The amount spent by the troop on adult training will be recorded on the troop End-of-Year Report. Classes may be taken through council or another provider. Adults expecting reimbursement for training from the troop treasury should get the approval from the troop beforehand.
Troop Essentials
Troop Essentials – Daisy/Brownie/Junior Tuesday, May 5 at 6 p.m. - Cost: $3 per adult volunteer - Register here 5 Location: Oakland Park Service Center, 4701 NW 33rd Ave., Oakland Park, FL 33309
Troop Essentials – Daisy/Brownie Wednesday, May 13 at 6 p.m. - Cost: $3 per adult volunteer - Register here 13 Class Location: Dunkin' Donuts Pine Island Plaza, 9700 State Road 84, Davie, FL 33324
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Troop Essentials – All levels Tuesday, May 12 at 6 p.m. - Cost: $3 per adult volunteer - Register here 12 Location: Harmonia Masonic Lodge, 1896 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd. #200, West Palm Beach, FL 33409
Membership
New troop leader? Bridging to the next level? Then join us for Troop Essentials which offers grade-level information on how to manage your troop and covers everything from working with parents to planning engaging troop activities.
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And the award goes to … We had a banner year for adult recognition nominations, resulting in a 160 percent (yes, you read that right!) increase in national award recipients over last year (Community and Family Awards are included in this total). Well done! While we don’t want to spoil any surprises by naming names, here’s a breakdown by award. Awards will be presented by and in front of your peers, at your Service Unit recognition event. Award 2014 Appreciation Pin 34 Honor Pin 15 Thanks Badge 4 Thanks Badge II 2 Volunteer of Excellence 92 Family Award 1 Community Award 36
2015 45 18 7 5 114 3 56
Increase 32 percent 20 percent 75 percent 150 percent 24 percent 200 percent 56 percent
Coming Soon! Troop End-of-Year Reporting
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If there's anything missing, the system will highlight these fields and prompt you to enter the information before allowing you to submit the form. The form is user-friendly, and you can't break it! When you click submit, your report will be sent via a secure server to GSSEF. The bank account and routing number data is encrypted for your protection. You will receive a confirmation email indicating successful completion of the form, along with a copy of the information you've submitted. We’ll also have several FREE online workshops to walk you through the process and answer any questions you may have. Check the adult learning calendar for workshops in May, June and July.
Membership
In order to be prepared to complete your report, there are a few things you'll need. Below is a list of things you should have handy: • Your eCouncil log-in information. This will help you access your member number and those of other key people in your troop. If you need assistance with your log-in, please email Maritsa Benoit, Volunteer Intake and Recruitment Coordinator, at mbenoit@gssef.org. • A saved bank statement. This can either be downloaded and saved from your bank's website or scanned and saved to your computer. You will be asked to upload your troop's June bank statement to complete the report. • A photo of your troop doing something fun. We want to see you in action! • A calculator; no worries, the math is simple! • About 30 minutes to dedicate to completing the report, maybe less. The online system does require the report be completed in one sitting and unfortunately does not allow you to save work and finish later.
Adult & Leader Highlights
The online End-of-Year Report is almost here! All troops are required to submit an end-of-year finance and troop activity report each year by July 31. Previously, these reports were paperbased. They have now been combined into one convenient online form. The link for the online End-of-Year Report will open in early May.
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Membership Update
6,000
14,000 12,000
GSSEF’s girl membership goal for the 2015 is 13,120, and the adult 10,000 membership goal is 5,800. Over 9,650 girls and 4,792 adults have already registered for the 2015 Girl Scout year. 8,000 74% of Goal
Take the Lead. Be an Early Bird
6,000
Early Bird registration opened April 15! NOW is the time to re-register your troop. And, earn exciting incentives!
4,000
2016 Early Bird Incentives
5,000
83% of 4,000 Goal 3,000 2,000
2,000
Goal 13,120
Goal 5,800
We are so excited to introduce the following incentives for participation in this year’s Early Bird. Troop Leaders commit their time, patience and Girl Adult Membership Membership guidance to girls throughout the year. To say thank you for your continued participation in a leadership position, this year’s incentives include something for you! Troops participating in Early Bird and re-registering 80 percent of their currently registered girls by April 30 will be eligible for the following incentives: • 2015-16 Early Bird Patch (all girls, Troop Leaders and Co-Leaders) • Additional 3-cents per box of cookies sold during the 2016 Girl Scout Cookie Sale • 1 – Troop Leader re-registration ($15 value) • 1 – Troop Co-Leader re-registration ($15 value) Troops participating in Early Bird and re-registering 80 percent of their currently registered girls by May 31 will be eligible for the following incentives: • 2015-16 Early Bird Patch (all girls, Troop Leaders and Co-Leaders) • Additional 1-cent per box of cookies sold during the 2016 Girl Scout Cookie Sale • 1 – Troop Leader re-registration ($15 value) • 1 – Troop Co-Leader re-registration ($15 value)
Upon confirming that the troop’s 80 percent benchmark has been met, Troop Leaders will be sent an email with a link to identify the Troop Leader and Co-Leader names for the complimentary registrations. GSSEF staff will then process the registrations for the Troop Leader and Co-Leader identified.
Membership
Claiming Complimentary Troop Leader and Co-Leader Registrations
Please DO NOT re-register the Troop Leader and Co-Leader for 2015-16 when you re-register the girls in e-Council. NO refunds will be given for Troop Leader and Co-Leader re-registrations that are processed and paid for in e-Council, even if they qualify for the incentive. All other adult re-registrations may be processed with the girl re-registrations or in a separate transaction.
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Check out the Early Bird 2015-16 patch!
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Add New Girls to Early Bird? This is How You Get The Girl! New this year! GSSEF wants troops to add NEW girls during this year’s Early Bird period. It’s simple; Troop Leaders will use this link to register new girls in existing troops between April 15 – May 31. Don’t look at this idea and Shake It Off! For every new girl added to an existing troop during Early Bird, Troop Leaders will be entered to win TWO TICKETS to Taylor Swift’s 1989 World Tour at the American Airlines Arena on October 27, 2015 with chauffeured car service to and from the show. This will be the concert that only exists in your Wildest Dreams! At GSSEF, we want to fill up the Blank Space in your troop with a new Girl Scout this spring. #EarlyBird #TaylorSwift #AddMoreGirls For additional information, contact Rhonda Netzel, Director of Membership at rnetzel@gssef.org. Need your e-Council user ID or password information? No problem! Contact Mileneda Joseph, council registrar, at mjoseph@gssef.org and she will provide you with your e-Council login information.
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r a E l y Bird. n a e B
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May S
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Troop Essentials
Troop Essentials
Early Bird ReRegistration Ends
Troop Essentials
GSSEF Offices Closed for Memorial Day
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Property Calendar Opens for Troop Camping
Last Day of School Martin County
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Last Day of School Last Day of School Broward, Palm Beach Indian River and and St. Lucie Counties Okeechobee Counties
Summer Camp Begins
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