Linking Leaders E-Newsletter October 2015

October 2015

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

Programs at a Glance

Volunteer Spotlight Every month, we showcase a volunteer who exemplifies the Girl Scout mission and serves as a role model for other leaders.

Green Grapevine-Startup Troop Funds............................5 Save the Date - Volunteer Weekend...................................5 Adult Learning.........................6 Troop Essentials.....................6 Songs and Ceremonies.......7 Bronze Award..........................7 Register for Troop Camp Training......................................7 Membership Update............9 Help a Girl Have Her Next Great Adventure....................9

Calendar....................................12 Submit Troop or Volunteer News here!

From Service Unit Manager to second round Daisy Troop Leader, Shayne Gutierrez has done it all! As a long time Girl Scout in the Everglades Service Unit, she has helped her daughter Gabrielle earn a Gold Award and her other daughter, Maddie, is currently enjoying Girl Scouts as a second year Daisy! Shayne is a highly motivated volunteer that inspires other volunteers to get involved with programs, trainings and mentoring new leaders.

She is currently serving in the roles of Daisy Level Consultant for the Everglades Service Unit and a GSSEF Gold Award Advisor.

We are so thankful for all her dedication to Girl Scouting and her wonderful support and leadership at the service unit and council levels.

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Data Clean Up........................10 Early Bird Add-A-Girl Drawing Winner.....................10 Fall Product Sale...................10 Retail Stores............................11

Gabrielle Gutierrez, Shayne Gutierrez and Maddie Gutierrez

Membership

Membership

Adult & Leader Highlights

Adult & Leader Highlights

Programs at a Glance

Program for 2015-2016........2 Baby Basics Infant Supply Drive ...........................................2 Movie Mania-The Sequel.....3 Spooky Safari Registration Closes October 1....................3 Bronze, Silver and Gold Webpage Changes................4 Gold Award Has Gone Paperless..................................4 Gold and Silver Award Project Deadline....................4

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

Spotlight

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GSSEF Program for 2015-2016 The GSSEF Program Team has been hard at work planning awesome programs with you and your girls in mind as we begin the new Girl Scout year! Moving forward, the Program Department will be focusing their efforts on identifying and delivering a new and exciting series of Signature Programs and community-provider programs, exclusively.

What does this mean for you?

Program Team Contacts: Lammy Askar, Director of Program, aaskar@gssef.org Meredith Slaymaker, Regional Program Manager, mslaymaker@gssef.org Catalina Cano, Regional Program Manager, ccano@gssef.org Diana Mills, Program Registrar, dmills@gssef.org

Adult & Leader Highlights

Don’t fret! The Program Team will be available to share ideas and resources to help you achieve program success! In the meantime, sign up for Trefoil Talk and like us on Facebook for all the latest information on our Signature Programs.

Programs at a Glance

While we want to be able to provide programming in all areas, it’s our priority to ensure that we are providing quality experiences for all girls. We’ll be here to deliver larger scale Signature Programs such as Spooky Safari, Mall Madness and Journey In A Day to name a few, but it will be the responsibility of the leaders and the Service Units to create, develop and deliver localized programming to the girls in your community.

Baby Basics Infant Supply Drive Membership Calendar

The Baby Basics Infant Supply Drive is back!

During the month of October, Girl Scouts of all ages will have the opportunity to collect and donate new/unused baby items to agencies with families in need. We have been working closely with our partners in the community to identify ‘hot spots’ that are at risk of their supplies being completely depleted. Girls that participate in the Council-wide community service project will earn an exclusive patch and community service hours for their efforts.

Click here for all the details and drop off locations.

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Movie Mania Movie Mania returns to the big screen! This up all night movie lock-in is sure to bring out your inner movie star. Enjoy music from a great DJ, watch lots of movies (both new releases and great kid-friendly classics) and party the night away! In between the big screen attractions, grab a delicious snack from the concessions (at an additonal cost), or get your face painted! Click here to register.

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Tuesday, November 24 at 10:30 p.m. to Wednesday, November 25 at 6:00a.m.

Paragon Ridge 8 • 9200 W. State Road 84 • Davie, FL 33324 Programs at a Glance Adult & Leader Highlights

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FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY! Join us on October 17th for a Spook-Tacular fun-filled day with thrills and chills at Lion Country Safari. An exclusive Girl Scout program with a spooky twist will be offered for each grade level that will fulfill several badge requirements. Don’t forget about the drive thru safari, splash park pad, costume contest and more! The cost is only $15 per person and includes FREE parking. All ages welcome! Only five more days to register so click here do it now!

Membership

Spooky Safari Registration Closes October 1

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Bronze, Silver, and Gold Webpage Changes Have you seen all the new and exciting changes to our Girl Award page? Are you interested in pursuing a High Award? Visit the website to learn the step-by-step process on how to earn Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards!

The Gold Award Has Gone PAPERLESS!

Besides the obvious ‘green’ benefits of moving to this system, GSSEF will also be able to easily nominate girls and their projects for GSUSA’s National Young Women of Distinction award. Effective May 2015, this will be the only way in which GSSEF can recognize and nominate those projects that meet the criteria for the award.

Gold and Silver Award Project Deadline in FIVE DAYS

Membership

This is a reminder if you have an already graduated 8th or 12th grader working on an approved Gold or Silver Award project, the deadline is five days away. Completed project submissions (reports and scrap books) are due Wednesday, September 30, 2015 by 6:00 p.m. at either the Jupiter or Oakland Park Service Centers. Please address your project submissions to the attention of Lammy Askar, Director of Program. Questions?

Contact Lammy at aaskar@gssef.org.

Adult & Leader Highlights

Email communication just got a whole lot easier too. For girls that have questions about the awards, GSSEF has created an easy-to-remember email box:

• Silver Awards: silveraward@gssef.org

• Gold Awards: goldaward@gssef.org For more information on how to pursue any of these awards, please make sure to visit our Girl Awards webpage.

Programs at a Glance

GSSEF has recently converted the Gold Award process to GSUSA’s Go Gold Online platform. Through this system, girls will have the opportunity to upload their proposal, track their progress, and even complete their final report all online! Make sure to visit our Girl Awards page for more information.

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Green Grapevine - Startup Troop Funds Dear Green Grapevine, My troop just got started and has no funds in our newly opened troop bank account. The girls are so excited to start planning programs and trips, however, I am not sure that we will have the money to participate. What can we do as a new troop to generate some startup funds?

Sincerely, Mae B. Moola Pep up, Mae! Participation in the 2015 Fall Product Sale will give your bank account a boost. Your troop can earn proceeds and rewards all while they learn five important skills: goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics. BONUS! If a troop participates in the 2015 Fall Product Sale, they have the opportunity to earn four additional cents in proceeds for every box of cookies sold during the 2016 Cookie Sale!

If you have questions about the policy, or appropriate money-earning projects, please email volunteer@gssef.org. Have FUN raising FUNds for all your troop’s amazing Girl Scout activities!

Adult & Leader Highlights

If your troop wishes to participate in additional fundraisers outside of the GSSEF sponsored product sales, the troop must obtain written approval. The troop money earning application which can be found here. It must be submitted for approval at least six weeks in advance of the project. It’s also important to note, that page 9 of Volunteer Policies and Procedures states: In order to submit an application for a money-earning project, a troop/group is required to participate in its two most recent, consecutive GSSEF-sponsored product sales. Exceptions shall be made if the girl member(s) or troop/group was not registered in GSSEF.

Save the Date for Volunteer Weekend Membership

Where will you be on Friday March 11, 2016 at 7:00 p.m.?

The correct answer is “checking in at Volunteer Weeekend at Camp Nocatee, of course! We will ALL be there for a weekend full of fun, games, friendship, crafts, team building and pampering because the theme this year is (drum roll…)

GLAMPING! Let us pamper you Friday night and all day Saturday so that on Sunday, after breakfast, you will leave refreshed, relaxed, cheered and...ready for more troop activities!

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The weekend is open to all registered volunteers -- come one, come all to this glamorous event!! $55 includes food, T-shirt, lodging, materials, crafts and all the fun you can have! Make new friends! Be inspired! Join us at Volunteer Weekend for some roaring fun! Click here to register.

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Adult Learning Welcome to a new year of Girl Scouting! We have a very robust calendar of classes - some are required for new leaders just getting started and some are enrichment classes offered to enhance your experience and add to your leadership “toolbox.”

From Songs and Ceremonies to Archery, there’s sure to be something for everyone.

Be sure to check out all of our upcoming classes here.

Questions about adult learning? Email volunteer@gssef.org.

Troop Essentials Troop 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.

Cost: $3.00

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Troop Essentials - All Grade Levels (Camp Telogia) Thursday, October 15, 2015 6:00 p.m. Click here to register.

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Troop Essentials: Daisy- Brownie (Davie) Friday, October 16, 2015 6:30 p.m. Click here to register.

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Troop Essentials - All Grade Levels (West Palm Beach) Tuesday, October 20, 2015 6:30 p.m. Click here to register.

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Troop Essentials - All Grade Levels (Boca Raton) Thursday, October 8, 2015 6:00 p.m. Click here to register.

Membership

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Troop Essentials - All Grade Levels (West Palm Beach) Wednesday, October 7, 2015 7:00 p.m. Click here to register.

Adult & Leader Highlights

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Troop Essentials: Daisy- Brownie- Junior (Oakland Park) Wednesday, October 7, 2015 6:00 p.m. Click here to register.

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Songs and Ceremonies Ceremonies and songs can commemorate accomplishments or simply make the beginning or end of a group meeting special. Girls can plan a ceremony around a theme, such as friendship or nature, and express themselves in thought, words, or song. In this workshop, learn popular and meaningful songs and ceremonies you can share with your girls.

Cost: $3.00

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Songs and Ceremonies (Port St. Lucie) Monday, October 19, 2015 7:00 p.m. Click here to register.

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Songs and Ceremonies (Okeechobee) Saturday, October 24, 2015 10:00 a.m. Click here to register.

Bronze Award

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Bronze Award Online Class Wednesday, October 14, 2015 7:00 p.m. Click here to register.

Adult & Leader Highlights

Help the girls achieve the first of the highest Girl Scout Awards they can earn on their way to the Gold! This in an ONLINE class.

Cost: $3.00

Register for Troop Camp Training!

TCT - Basic

Basic 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.

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Camp Welaka Saturday, November 14, 2015 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

10205 SE Girl Scout Camp Rd., Tequesta, FL 33469 Cost: $30. Click here to register.

Membership

Love camping? Want to go with your troop? Then Troop Camp Training (TCT) is for you! Completion of TCT is required by one adult volunteer in your troop in order for your girls to go camping. This year our Troop Camp Training (TCT) dates have grown.

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If you’re not available in November, mark down the following dates for other upcoming TCT sessions:

• February 20, 2016 at Camp Nocatee in Clewiston

• April 2, 2016 at Camp Telogia in Parkland

TCT - Intermediate

Intermediate training will introduce tent camping, knife skills and knots and advanced cooking techniques. Completion of Troop Camp Training (TCT) Basic or an approval from GSSEF is a pre-requisite. Food and supplies are included. Information on what to wear, bring and know before you come will be sent to you prior to the event.

Check out the adult learning calendar to register for these upcoming TCT Intermediate sessions:

• November 14, 2015 at Camp Welaka in Jupiter

• February 20, 2016 at Camp Nocatee in Clewiston Already camp trained and want to learn a new skill? How about ARCHERY?! Or canoeing?!

Archery

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Sunday, October 25, 2015 at 2 p.m.

Fort Lauderdale Archers 4590 Peters Rd., Ft Lauderdale, FL 33317 Cost: $50. Click here to register.

Adult & Leader Highlights

An archery certified adult is required for your girls to experience this fantastic sport.

You’ll learn how to set up and operate a safe, short-term archery program, how to teach new archers, how to maintain program equipment and learn common shooting errors and correction, which may also help your own skills. After taking this class, you will be able to treat your troop (or other troops) to an archery experience.

Canoeing

Membership

Interested in taking your troop on local quiet water trips? This course is designed to give you the skills to deal with various flat water boating situations. Focused on safety for canoe leaders and methods of basic water rescue, we will practice a variety of rescue situations as well as demonstrate the equipment necessary to provide a positive, safe experience. Class is open only to registered adult volunteers. Completion of this class will certify you to canoe on GSSEF camp properties and approved flat water canoe trips.

Course materials will be mailed to review and study prior to the class. Class will include swim and subject matter tests and a skills session. Please bring a bagged lunch.

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Saturday, October 10, 2015 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Camp Welaka 10205 SE Girl Scout Camp Rd., Tequesta, FL 33469 Cost: $50 Click here to register.

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6,000

14,000

Membership Update

12,000

GSSEF’s girl membership goal for 2016 is 12,500, and the adult membership goal is 5,800. Over 6,720 girls and 3,104 adults have already registered for the 2016 Girl Scout year.

Help a Girl Have Her Next Great Adventure Welcome to a new Girl Scout year!

Each service unit has been hosting and supporting recruitment events throughout our communities.

New girls are being registered every day!

5,000 10,000 4,000

8,000 6,000

54% of 4,000 Goal

3,000

2,000

2,000

53% of Goal

Goal 12,500

Goal 5,800

Girl Membership

Adult Membership

For some girls, starting their Girl Scout adventure can take some time while new registrations are gathered and processed, new troops are formed or a troop is identified for the girl to join. To help reduce the time it takes to form troops and place girls into existing troops, we are introducing a new system to gather information from troops who have “open spots” to add a new girl or girls to the troop.

It’s easy! Click here to submit your troop’s information and the number of “open spots” you have available for girls to join. You will have the opportunity to include the grade level of your troop, when you meet and where. If you are in need of additional adults to help with your troop as a parent helper or co-leader, there is space to let us know that, too.

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Contact LaSwan for additional information at ldinson@gssef.org or at 954-513-3761.

Membership

Once you complete and submit the form, LaSwan Dinson, our Troop Development Coordinator, will use the information to assist new Girl Scouts as inquiries come into the GSSEF service centers, local recruitment events and personal requests from parents seeking information on troops near them. We will work in collaboration with you and your Service Unit recruitment team and registrar to place girls and form new troops.

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Data Clean Up GSSEF is beginning a council-wide effort to update and “clean” the data in each membership record in the e-Council database. In collaboration with GSUSA, and in preparation for the launch of the Digital Cookie 2.0, GSSEF is submitting our data to be assessed and incomplete records identified.

Troop Leaders are asked to check their troop rosters and ensure that each girl and adult record has the following fields completed with current information: name, address, city, state, zip, county, birthdate, phone number and email address.

In addition, please review the meeting location, meeting date and time listed in e-Council for your troop meeting. For safety and compliance purposes, this information must be included in your troop summary. For assistance with any of these data updates, please contact Mileneda Joseph, Council Registrar, at mjoseph@gssef. org or Rhonda Netzel, Director of Membership, at rnetzel@gssef.org.

Early Bird Add-A-Girl Drawing Winner!

Congratulations to Tamara Thovtrup, the leader of Troop 10811 in Weston. Tamara has won the Early Bird Add-A Girl drawing for TWO tickets to Taylor Swift’s 1989 World Tour at American Airlines Arena on October 27th with chauffeured car service to and from the show.

Fall Product Sale Program: October 1 - November 15 Our 2015 Fall Product Program starts in SIX days and runs through November 15. It is intended to reach family, friends, teachers and neighbors and will help troops earn money for programs and activities throughout the year. Girls can earn fun rewards too! Our Fall Product Sale Program helps girls develop five key leadership skills: goalsetting, decision making, people skills, money management and business ethics.

Girls can sell nuts and candy to anyone – friends, family, neighbors, teachers etc. They can sell in-person using their nut/candy order card. They can also sell nuts and candy online. Click on the link that takes your daughter to the online store webpage. There she can set up a personalized online store just for her and start selling by sending emails to family and friend.

Membership

NUTS AND CANDY - Sell in Person – Sell Online

MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS - Sell in Person – Sell Online

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Customers can renew magazine subscriptions, order new ones or send them as gifts, all while supporting Girl Scouts. Girls can sell in-person using their magazine catalog and magazine order forms. They can also sell magazine subscriptions online by clicking on the link that takes your daughter to the online store webpage. There she can use the same page that she already set up for nuts and candy to send magazine subscription emails.

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ENJOY the CITY COUPON BOOKS

Customers spoke and we listened! The Enjoy the City coupon books have returned to our 2015 Fall Product line-up. These popular books are filled with money saving coupons that everyone can use. The coupon books are listed on the nut and candy order card.

IMPORTANT LINKS

Click here to view a video about our online sales program. Ready to get started? Click here to register your Girl Scout to sell online.

Families are integral to the success of our product sales and we appreciate the support you give to your Girl Scout and her troop during the 2015 Fall Product Sale Program.

If your Girl Scout does not have any of the order cards or forms mentioned above, ask her Troop Leader or contact Denise Fiorelli, Director of Product Sales, at dfiorelli@gssef.org.

Retail Stores The 2015 Fall Catalog is now available online.

View, click and shop here.

Back to School Means Back to Troop It’s that time of year when office supply stores are full of parents and students buying notebooks, pens and crayons to prepare them for a new school year. Don’t forget that besides new school supplies, you’ll also need all your Girl Scout gear because your next Girl Scout adventure is ready and waiting for you.

Membership

To help you get started, the GSSEF Retail Stores are running a Back to Troop promotion. From now through October 15, 2015, spend $75 or more and receive a $10 Coupon to spend on a $25 or more purchase from November 1 to November 20*. The $75 purchase can be made in store or online. *NOTE: The $10 coupons given out at stores can only be used at the store that issues the coupon. $10 coupon codes that are sent to customers who shop online can only be redeemed online at www.girlscoutshop.com. Customers cannot use in-store coupons online and online coupon codes cannot be used at the GSSEF council stores.

Just in time for Back to Troop, we’re giving you more chances to shop. The Council Retail Stores will be open every Saturday from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. in September and October.

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A great item to add to your shopping list is a Starter Kit or Essentials Kit that has everything you need to get your Girl Scout year started right. And it includes a super cute drawstring bag while supplies last.

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Fall Product Sale Begins Baby Basics Infant Supply Drive Begins

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Troop Camp 3 Training (TCT) Basic at Camp Telogia

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Spooky Safari

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Juliette 24 Gordon Low’s Birthday Celebration in the Retail Stores Juliette Gordon Low’s Birthday (Founders Day) Baby Basics Infant Supply Drive Ends

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Busch Gardens Sleepover Troop Camp Training (TCT) - Basic and Intermediate Fall Product Sale Ends

Movie Mania GSSEF Closed for Thanksgiving

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Movie Mania

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Troop Camp Training (TCT) - Basic and Intermediate at Camp Welaka