JANUARY 2018
We’d love to hear what you’re doing with your girls! Send us an email or post on Facebook! Feel free to contact marcomm@gssef.org with comments, pictures or ideas. All of the Linking Leaders issues are archived on the Training page for easy reference.
IN THIS ISSUE SPOTLIGHT Troop 10955 Denise Jones .........................................................................2 GSSEF New Administrative Headquarters..................................................2 Opens January 2, 2018
Digital Cookie Ideas.....................................................................................6 Cookie Pro 2018 Contest Opens January 2....................................................6 Volunteer Essentials Orientation Webinars...................................................6
MEMBERSHIP
PROGRAMS AT A GLANCE Mall Madness...........................................................................................3 Nui Cookie Luau.......................................................................................4
Service Unit Incentives Still In Effect!............................................................7
CALENDAR January/February.........................................................................................8
ADULT & LEADER HIGHLIGHTS
PROGRAMS AT A GLANCE
E WE’R G N I V MO
12,000
7,881
8,000 6,000
3,911
4,000
20 GSSEF 18
3,000
4,000 2,000
GIRL
MEMBERSHIP 72% OFGOAL
GOAL 5,200
ADULT
MEMBERSHIP 75% OF GOAL
CALENDAR
2,000 GOAL 11,000
20 GSSEF 18
Mark your Calendars! VIP
5,000
10,000
MEMBERSHIP
ADULT & LEADER HIGHLIGHTS
SPOTLIGHT
Girl Scout Cookie Sale Program is a Family Effort.......................................5
Submit Troop or Volunteer News here!
SPOTLIGHTS VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT Denise Jones Troop 10955 Magnolia Service Unit-Troop Leader Denise Jones’s adventure in Girl Scouting began when her daughter entered kindergarten. A leader from the - New River Service Unit (now Magnolia) suggested she start a Girl Scout Troop. The leader said, “You are so creative, you would make a perfect leader.” Denise says she was reluctant at first, like all new potential leaders. It was suggested that she first form a troop of her daughter’s friends. Denise had been in Girl Scouts as a child and remembered the fun she had. She really wanted her daughter to experience that. Denise became the Troop Leader of Magnolia Service Unit’s Troop 10955. That was in 2005. Fast forward to 2017, Denise can proudly say that all of her troop members are now 2nd year Ambassadors. In January 2018, they will attend Camp Nocatee for the last time. “My girls created their last troop shirt as Senior Girl Scouts. Their shirts read “Sisters Forever, and mine reads “Daughters Forever.” She says that pretty much sums her Girl Scouting experience. Denise shares that she can’t thank Girl Scouts enough for all the opportunities it has afforded her and her girl. When people ask her, “How have you lasted so long as a leader?” Denise’s response is, “Focus on the girls. I am so truly blessed to be the Leader of Troop 10955.”
NEW GSSEF Administrative Headquarters Opens January 2, 2018 We’re excited to announce that we will be moving into our new GSSEF Administrative Headquarters on January 2! What an incredible way to start the new year and celebrate 10 years as GSSEF in 2018. Located in Lake Worth, the building meets all of our requirements in terms of size, age, geographic location and accessibility to a major highway, as it’s less than one mile from the Turnpike. We are thrilled that we finally have a home that can truly represent GSSEF and provide one office for our team.
GSSEF New Corporate Headquarters Location and Contact Information as of January 2, 2018 Direct Phone Number: 561-427-0177 (Same as the current phone number) GSSEF Administrative Headquarters 6944 Lake Worth Rd. Lake Worth, FL 33467
Save the date! Please mark your calendars for the GSSEF Administrative Headquarters Grand Opening Celebration and Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony on Saturday, February 17 at 10:00 a.m. (immediately following the Annual Meeting). More details to follow later.
GSSEF Winter Break Schedule GSSEF will be closed for our staff holiday celebration on December 20. In addition, GSSEF will be closed for Winter Break from December 21 to January 1. Normal hours of operation will resume on January 2.
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PROGRAMS AT A GLANCE MALL MADNESS 2018
20 GSS
EF 18
Calling all Glow Getters! This year, Mall Madness is glowing with excitement! Our new location, Pembroke Lakes Mall, will feature lots of new stores and extra program space to add more fun. Join us for music, face painting and caricature artists. Come to the slime bar and design your own slime. Take a photo in our glow in the dark photo booth. Decode your way through a glow scavenger hunt and much more. VIP has sold out. General Admission is still open. General Admission Cost is $30 per person. This includes a glow necklace and an event patch.
Dress to GLOW: Troops are encouraged to create their own troop neon and glow-in-thedark outfits. Be creative! BRING THE GLOW! Troop contest: Participation is easy! Each troop should create and bring VIPset of DIY photo booth props! Then, gather your troop and make your way to one of their own our two glow photo booths and our GSSEF judges will snap your photo. The first place troop will receive a $75.00 gift card, the second place troop will receive a $50.00 gift card and the third place will receive an ice cream party hosted by GSSEF program staff.
Props must include SSEF 18 G
• One prop with 2the0 Troop number • A prop for all! Each member of your troop must have a prop in the photo The photos will be judged on creativity by selected GSSEF staff members at the booth. Additional information and contest guidelines provided in the confirmation packet. SWAP your GLOW: Make glow-inspired SWAPS and bring them to exchange with your sister Girl Scouts! Throughout the night, the DJ will make announcements for when SWAP exchanges will happen. Suggested 25 SWAPS per girl. GLOW TREKKER: Participate in a glow Scavenger Hunt with your troop and earn an extra Glow Trekker patch. Instructions will be provided at mall scavenger hunt check-in table. So, gather your best neon and glow colors and get ready to glow the night away! Hurry! Don’t let anyone dim your glow. Register today! For additional information, see the flyer here. Registration will close on February 14, 2018 or once it has reached capacity, whichever occurs first. Mall Madness is not a drop-off program. Adult-to-girl ratios are strictly enforced. Open to all age levels with registered adult females. All participants must be current GSSEF members. No Tagalongs or male chaperones permitted. For more information, contact Catalina Cano at ccano@gssef.org.
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PROGRAMS AT A GLANCE
NUI COOKIE LUAU: THREE LOCATIONS Say aloha to our 2018 Nui (great) Cookie Luau program that is designed for Daisies, Brownies and Juniors. Whether you are a first time cookie seller or a cookie selling pro, this program is just for you. So, hula on over to a Nui Cookie Luau and learn all about creating your Girl Scout Cookie Business!
• Make and take decorations to wehi (to bling) your booth.
Participate in a lole (costume) make-and-take so you can dress for cookie selling success. Enjoy a cool themed treat of Hawaiian shaved ice. In celebration of our 2018 Sea Turtle cookie mascot, you will meet the requirements for the GSSEF patch program, Girls Scouts Love Sea Turtles.
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• W hile having all this fun, you will also earn your 2018 Cookie Selling Activity Pin and either the complete badge or parts of the following GSUSA Cookie Business Curriculum Badges: • D aisies will earn all of the Count It Up and all of the Talk It Up Badge components. • B rownies will earn parts of the Meet My Customers, Philanthropy and all of the Give Back badges. • J uniors will earn parts of the Cookie CEO Badge. • T he Sea Turtle patch, Cookie Activity Pin and GSUSA official badges are available for purchase at the Palm Beach County Retail Store and the Broward County Pop-Up Shop.
To register, visit the GSSEF Events Listing web page here.
THREE LOCATIONS Saturday, January 13: Fort Pierce 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Boys and Girls Club of St. Lucie County - The Williams Center Turtle Program will be in partnership with the Manatee Observation and Education Center Saturday, January 13: Juno Beach 2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Loggerhead Park - GF Nelson Pavilion Turtle Program will be in partnership with the Loggerhead Marine Life Center Sunday, January 14: Dania Beach** 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Dr. Von D. Mizell - Eula Johnson State Park Turtle Program will be in partnership with Under Blue Waters ** Join us early for a beach clean-up community service opportunity from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Dania Location only.
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ADULT & LEADER HIGHLIGHTS
GIRL SCOUT COOKIE SALE PROGRAM IS A FAMILY EFFORT Families play a very important role by providing key ingredients for girls to have a fun, successful Cookie Program experience. As a Troop Leader, you can help the families of your troop members support their girl and guide her during Cookie Season. As you know, the Girl Scout Cookie Program is an integral part of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. For parents and families, Girl Scouting provides their daughter with precious lifelong experiences and values that are important to her family. The Girl Scout Cookie Sale program is a key part of her experience and much more than a way to raise money. The Cookie Sale Program provides an excellent opportunity for you to share with parents how it is such an incredible hands-on leadership and entrepreneurial program. Here are a variety of ways that families can support and cheer their girl on to her best-ever Cookie Season! Please share them with parents.
• S upport her sales. She needs you to be on her side as she develops the confidence to ask people for
orders. Ask her questions and help her practice her sales message. Help her take orders and go with her to sell and deliver cookies. Encourage goal-setting. Goal setting is an important life skill. Ask her about her troop’s goals and help her set her personal goals about what she wants to learn and earn. Help her complete the order card section that explains her troop’s goal. Encourage her to share her goal with customers. Customers want to help girls succeed. Help her identify and approach family members, friends and others with the opportunity to purchase Girl Scout cookies and support a great program. Volunteer when her troop needs help chaperoning booth sales, picking up cookies for the troop and more. Help her handle her cookie money responsibly and meet all deadlines. It is important to her whole troop that each girl turns in all money on time. Girls will sell cookies and then turn money into the troop by the deadline.
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Cookie deliveries begin January 13 and continue through January 15. If your troop happens to get their cookies on the first day of the sale, please set a good example, and wait to start selling or distributing pre-sold cookies until Thursday January 18, the official start date of our Girl Scout Cookie Sale Program. Check out our Family Guide for more tips and important dates! Questions? Contact Member Support at customercare@gssef.org or Gabriella Gaita at ggaita@gssef.org.
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ADULT & LEADER HIGHLIGHTS
DIGITAL COOKIE IDEAS This cookie season, superpower your troop’s sale by expanding efforts from the booth to the web. Why? Because adding online and mobile channels to troop sales can help you reach more cookie fans than you ever imagined. As a troop leader, please note that a “Welcome to the Digital Cookie Platform” was emailed on December 4 to participating troop members. If someone opted out of emails, you will need for them to opt back in and then go to the Digital Cookie Portal. If they cannot find the welcome email, or forgot their password, please recommend that they go to the Digital Cookie Portal as well, and follow the easy steps to get set-up and help their daughter achieve her goals. In the Digital Cookie Portal, girls and parents can check out the Games tab, look at the Digital Order Cookie Rewards, check her progress bar and see all the cookie sales that are recorded there. Click here to learn more. Click here to get started.
COOKIE PRO 2018 CONTEST OPENS JANUARY 2 Calling all Girl Scout Cookie Pro’s in our Council. Girl Scouts of the USA’s Cookie Pro Contest 2018 is an exciting opportunity to highlight the amazing skills and experiences that girls gain through participating in the Girl Scout Cookie Program. This cookie season, six girls nationwide (one per Girl Scout grade level), will be named GSUSA’s Top Cookie Pro 2018 and get the epic chance to be featured on the Girl Scout Cookie box! Join us in celebrating the cookie entrepreneur skills of Girl Scouts nationwide—unlock an awesome, limited-edition Cookie Pro 2018 patch while earning a chance to be featured on a Girl Scout Cookie package (not to mention going on an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City). Click here for more information about the Cookie Pro 2018 Contest. The contest opens on January 2 at http://www.girlscouts.org/cookiepro. It would be altogether awesome to have a GSSEF girl member win the contest!
VOLUNTEER ESSENTIALS ORIENTATION WEBINARS Take the first step in your leadership experience by getting informed of the policies and procedures of Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida. This class covers key policies, procedures and accountabilities, provides information on setting up your bank account and connects you with resources available to you as a new leader. Any adult member or volunteer is invited to attend; however, this orientation training is required for all new troop leaders and must be taken within 60 days of appointment. Cost: FREE Wednesday, January 10 Monday, January 22
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MEMBERSHIP
SERVICE UNIT INCENTIVES STILL IN EFFECT! Recruitment season is in full swing! Don’t forget the great Service Unit incentives that are still in play:
• A ll Service Units that achieved 85% of their membership
12,000
5,000
10,000 7,881
8,000 6,000
3,911
4,000 3,000
4,000 2,000
2,000 GOAL 11,000
GIRL
MEMBERSHIP 72% OFGOAL
GOAL 5,200
ADULT
MEMBERSHIP 75% OF GOAL
goal by December 15, 2017, will receive a Council gift card in the amount of $150. Those Service Units that have earned this incentive will be recognized in next month’s Linking Leaders publication. All Service Units that achieve 100% of their membership goal by March 15, 2018, will enjoy a luncheon with our CEO, Lisa Johnson, for up to 6 members of their Service Unit Leadership Team and 10 complimentary Adult Memberships for the 2018-2019 year.
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Good luck as we move forward and congratulations to all! Remember: Recruiting occurs all year long! Just because incentive benchmark dates have come and gone, it doesn’t mean we stop recruiting. Keep up the good work!
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CALENDAR 2018
JANUARY S
T 1
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
M
GSSEF Returns from Winter Break
W
T
F
S
2
3
4
5
NU2U 6 Council-Led Troop Camping 6-7
7
8
9
10
11
12
Nui Cookie 13 Luau Program 13-14
14 GSSEF Closed for
15
16
17
Girl Scouts 18 Cookie Sale Program Begins
19
Cookie 20 Eating Contest at South Florida Fair
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
FEBRUARY S
M
T
W
T
F 1
Give a Box Get a Box at Duffy’s
S 2
3
9
10
4
5
6
7
8
Girl Scouts 11 Cookie Sale Program Ends
12
13
14
15
16
GSSEF 17 Annual Meeting Grand OpeningGSSEF Administrative Headquarters
18
19
20
21
22
23
Emerald Awards
24
Mall Madness 24-25
25
26
27
28
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