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Girl Scouts of
Gulfcoast Florida, Inc.
4780 Cattlemen Road
Sarasota, FL 34233
941-921-5358
800-232-4475
www.gsgcf.org
We Wish to Thank Our Following Community Partners:
Partner Agency
Click on the photo below to join us for Girls Protecting Girls on February 18th.
Click on the photo below for information on our various girl and adult learning opportunites.
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 Issue: # 18 | February/2012 | |
Dear Girl Scout Families and Friends,
Welcome to Cybernews - the Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida's online newsletter keeping you informed of all the great things being done by and for Girl Scouts.
Go Green! Please share this newsletter as a great resource for other volunteers, parents and families to get involved this year. We will be updating our website frequently, along with the girl program book and adult learning calendars. If you would like to receive this newsletter, click the Join Our List button on the left. Don't forget to stay in touch via social media - fan or like us at  . |
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CEO Corner
From The CEO:
We launched the "Year of the Girl" at our annual meeting Saturday January 28. It was an inspiring and meaningful event - honoring the past and celebrating our future. Congratulations to our new board and board development committee members, our volunteer award recipients, and our retiring board members. Special thanks to all GSGCF Girl Scouts who participated in the flag retirement ceremony, flag raising ceremony (flag flown over our military base in Cuba), kudos to the girls who shared their Girl Scout stories and those who sang of their love of Girl Scouting through the Girl Scout Chorus.
Over 160 girls, volunteers, staff, alumnae and community members participated in the celebration. All are welcome next year, as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of GSGCF.
Regards,
Sue
Click here for Annual Meeting Program
Click here for the Annual Management Report Slide Show
Check out our Annual Report
Check out our Facebook Page for photos
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To Get Her There
Girl Scouts of the USA hosted a large scale media event to launch ToGetHerThere - the boldest cause campaign dedicated to girls' leadership issues in the nation's history - on January 31 in New York City. The goal of ToGetHerThere is to create gender balanced leadership in a single generation. When girls succeed, so does society. Together, we will get her there. During the launch an upcoming national PSA was unveiled, click here to view the message or visit the ToGetHerThere website to learn more about this campaign and encourage others to get involved.
With this large scale media launch, the 100th Anniversary buzz, the Cookie Program, and coverage of the many other successes Girl Scouts bring to the public, there will also be opportunities for miscommunication of our mission and focus. GSUSA has posted a FAQ sheet on their website and it can be found here. GSGCF has a similar FAQ sheet which can be found on the GSGCF website here. We continue to be proud of our girls, live by the Girl Scout Promise and Law, and look forward to showing the world what our girls can do. We thank everyone for their support of Girl Scouting.
Girl Scout Promise
On my honor, I will try: To serve God and my country, to help people at all times, and to live by the Girl Scout Law.
The Girl Scout Law
I will do my best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what I say and do,
And to
Respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place, and be a sister to every Girl Scout.
Have a wonderful 2012 and Year of the Girl.
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Spring GLO
The Spring edition of the Girl Leadership and Volunteer Opportunities is in the mail. For more information on the opportunities highlighted in this calendar click on the photo below.
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Product Sales
Bling My Booth Cookie Booth Contest
Girl Scout Cookie booth sales will begin on Saturday, February 11th at 5:00pm. The 1st Annual "Bling My Booth" Contest is a chance for girls to show off their amazing Girl Scout Cookie Booths and have fun getting them "blinged out!"
Five winning troops will be selected to win a pizza party, a patch for each girl participating in the Cookie Program, and a certificate. Prizes will be awarded in the following categories:
- Girl Scout Spirit & 100th Anniversary
- Crazy for Cookies
- Glitz & Glamour
- Goal Getter (showing off the troop's Cookie goals)
- Mints for the Military
Entry Rules & Guidelines
How does my troop enter?
Troops will have until the end of the Cookie Program to take the very best picture of their cookie booth. A representative from the troop will need to email a single picture to Corinne Wright at corinnew@gsgcf.org. Only one picture may be submitted per troop, and it cannot be altered, edited, or included in a montage. The last day to email your photo is March 18, 2012. Late submissions will not be accepted.
How will a winner be chosen?
The photos submitted will be reviewed by a committee of Girl Scout staff and volunteers. One winner will be chosen for each category.
What are the prizes?
Each winning troop will earn a pizza party for their troop as well as a patch for each girl participating and a certificate.
What other rules apply?
The setting up and taking down of your booth cannot interfere with the troop selling cookies ahead or after you. Although you are participating in "Bling My Booth" you must still follow all cookie booth guidelines. Remember, cookie booths are a privilege offered to us by local merchants.
Tips & Tricks for Boosting Cookie Sales
The 2012 Girl Scout Cookie Program is off to a great start! Thanks to all the girls, families, volunteers, and supporters who are helping make this Cookie Season a success. Below are a few tips and tricks to help you boost your sales and finish the sale strong.
- Ask everyone you know if they'd like to purchase cookies. Up to 90% of customers would buy cookies, but nearly 35% are never asked.
- At Cookie booths, bundle 3-5 packages of cookies together with a gift tag and ribbon. Ask customers to buy a bundle instead of just 1 or 2 packages. Or keep supplies on hand to help customers build their own bundle!
- Promote your goals. Tell customers what you're working toward and how many packages you need to reach your goal.
- Re-visit customers who ordered cookies early on. Chances are good that they will need more cookies before the sale ends.
- Consider a walkabout or a "red wagon" sale to help supplement your booth sales.
- Visit businesses and ask them to consider purchasing Cookies by the case as appreciation gifts for their clients or employees.
- Go online! Use the Cookie Club or social networking sites (with parental supervision) to reach out to even more customers. Consider making a YouTube video to make your pitch more visible, too. Just be sure to follow all Girl Scout safety guidelines.
- Remind everyone that Girl Scout Cookies are available for a limited time only, and they freeze well. It's a good idea for customers to stock up while they can.
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Against Human Trafficking!
Human trafficking is now considered the 2nd largest and fastest growing crime in the world and impacts more than 2 million girls ages 5 - 15.
This is your last opportunity to register and join us on February 18 for this empowering event, as we raise community awareness of domestic human trafficking. This event is open to the public and is free of charge.
Presentations by local law enforcement and survivor-led workshops for both girls and adults including:
- Local Impact and Statistics
- Physical Self-Defense
- Empowerment
- Recognizing the Signs of Trafficking
Seating is limited and pre-registration is necessary. Please click here for more information or to register/RSVP.
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Girl Recognition
It's that time of year again - time to recognize our girls for all of their outstanding accomplishments over the past year! The annual Girl Scout Recognition Ceremony will be held this year on May 20, 2012.
Recognition is an important part of Girl Scouting and we want to make sure every girl receives the recognition she deserves. Girl Recognition Forms are on our webpage and need to be filled out and emailed with the names of girls in your troop or individual girls who will be receiving recognitions this year.
Accomplishments that will be recognized can be found in the Program Book under the Girl Recognition Ceremony on the last page of the program book. You must have the current address of each girl and the correct spelling of each girl's name. If we do not have the correct addresses, we cannot send invitations to the ceremony.
Be sure to include leader and co- leader information and phone numbers on the roster so we can send invitations to them as well. This form and the roster must be emailed no later than April 10, 2012. We want to recognize all girls, but forms turned in after the deadline will have to wait until 2013.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Ann-Marie Mathews, Pathways Specialist, at annmariem@gsgcf.org.
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The Girls' World Forum ~ Chicago
The Girls' World Forum (GWF) represents the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts' (WAGGGS) third and final centenary celebration event. Girls and volunteers from all over the world will come together to discuss and develop action steps to address the Millennium Development Goals.
The event will take place from July 12-16, 2012 in Chicago, IL. USA. The event will be hosted jointly by the Girl Scouts of the USA and WAGGGS. Girl participants will be given an amazing opportunity to meet and interact with a global girl audience and look at the role they can play as global citizens.
Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida can send 2 girl delegates (between the ages of 14-18). If you are interested in attending the event please send an email essay to amyg@gsgcf.org with all of your contact information, 3 reasons you should be picked to represent our council and what you plan to do with the information you receive at the conference. The essay should be received by Amy no later than 10 am on February 15, 2012.
Council will cover the $650 program cost but girls will be asked to cover their airfare. Financial support is available for girls who cannot cover airfare. To apply for that support, write a statement of request to the council.
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Camp 5th Avenue
Summer Camp Is Quickly Approaching!
Summer camp is a fabulous way for girls to make new friends, develop confidence and character and make lasting memories! The Camp Financial Aid deadline is May 1, and the form is available on our website at www.gsgcf.org. Remember to register early for all sessions of camp, as camp will fill quickly and that you can use cookie dough to pay for summer camp!
Camp 5th Avenue at the Collier Scout House
We have an exciting summer planned for your girls! We will have fun-filled, themed weeks of camp from bringing a pet to camp, a snow day in the middle of summer, living in the time period of American Girls, to making a movie. Along with centers such as: a camp spa crafts, games, songs, and an awesome field trip each week!
This camp will be a perfect place for girls to discover new things, share about themselves, and connect too many new friends. Of course girls can bring friends with them whether they are active in Girl Scouting or not.
More information will be posted soon on our website, or contact Amy Gainey.
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Add A Girl Campaign
As we celebrate "The Year of the Girl" we challenge all troops to extend an invitation to girls not yet benefiting from the amazing girl leadership program that is Girl Scouts. Help spread the word on what Girl Scouts has meant to you and what it can mean for others!
Ways to recruit girls:
- Host a troop "bring a friend" activity.
- Invite girls to join Girl Scouts at cookie booths.
- Ask your service unit team if there are any girls on a waitlist.
Limited time incentive (February 1, 2012 to March 31, 2012):
- Register 1 to 2 new girls into the troop and all girls will receive a free patch.
- Register 3 or more girls into the troop and all girls will receive a free patch and the troop leader will receive a $10.00 discount from the Girl Scout shop in Sarasota or Fort Myers.
To qualify for this incentive program, the troop most complete the Add A Girl form and submit it to the council headquarters in Sarasota no later than March 31, 2012. Forms received after the deadline date will not be honored. Forms can be found on our website here.
Let us all be inspired by the profound words of
Anna Maria Chávez the new GSUSA Chief Executive Officer who said:
"The Year of the Girl is only a beginning," said GSUSA Chief Executive Officer Anna Maria Chávez. "We can't transform American leadership in a year, but we can transform expectations in a year. We can transform awareness in a year. We can set in motion a generational change, and make certain that a baby girl born in 2012 will experience her life in a new and vastly different world. Only Girl Scouts, with its scale and time-honored place in society, can launch this initiative. If not us, who? If not now, when? When girls succeed, so does society. We know that together, we can get her there."
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Volunteer Updates
Adult Awards from Girl Scout of the USA (GSUSA)
A reminder that the deadline to submit nominations for the:
- Green Angel
- Outstanding Volunteer
- Outstanding Leader
- Requests for Certificates of Appreciation
is March 31, 2012. You can find the Adult Awards in Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida Procedures & Nominations Forms booklet on our website or by clicking here. Please follow the guidelines listed and use the nominations forms provided in the booklet when submitting any nominations. Contact Yvonne Bras at yvonneb@gsgcf.org with any questions about the nomination procedures or deadline.
Please note that GSUSA will be retiring some awards this membership year, which will no longer be available after June 2012. Awards being retired in 2012: Volunteer Service Pins I, II, and III; Volunteer Development Pin and Keys; Outstanding Leader and Outstanding Volunteer ; Volunteer Trainer in (and rockers); Leadership Development Pin and Leaves.
A new Volunteer of Excellence pin is being introduced, as well as Grade Level Position pins and Adult Position pins. An awards task group will be formed to help redesign Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida's awards system to reflect the changes.
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Girl Scouts Helping Others
Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida and ACT are teaming up to help moms in need.
How can you help? Some of the items the shelter needs are body wash, pajamas, bathrobes, journals, blow dryers, hair color, lotions, full size shampoo & conditioner. This is a great give back component to add to cookie sale plans. If you have any of the requested items you wish to donate please contact Jennifer L. Benton at 239-939-2553 or by email at jbenton@actabuse.com. Let's show them what girls can do!
Soma Intimates has launched their "Giving is Beautiful" Soma Bra Donation, acharity initiative to support women in need.
ThroughFebruary 26th, all Soma Intimates boutiques and outlets nationwide will be collecting new or gently worn bras. To coincide, they are once again asking you to clean out your top drawer and donate a bra.
Bras are the most needed yet least donated item of clothing for women. To date, Soma has collected 145,000 bras. Donating a bra may seem like a small thing, but it makes a big difference to women who have to make the choice between buying a bra and putting food on the table. During this campaign, Soma is proud to announce theirpartnership with the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV), the leading voice for survivors of domestic violence, representing over 2,000 shelter programs in the United States. Each year, over 4 million women stay in domestic violence shelters, many who arrive with only the clothes on their they are wearing. Please make your bra donation at a GSGCF location or Soma location nearest you.
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It's Girl Scout Day at Legoland!
Conquer the Dragon coaster as you return to a time of knights, princesses and castles. Feel like a giant as you walk through the incredibly detailed cities of Miniland USA. Drive LEGO-themed cars through city streets and earn your own driver's license.
Tickets are $30 per person and valid only on March 31. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets at this special Girl Scout 100th Anniversary Celebration price.
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Build A Bear Scholarship
Huggable Heroes
Through February 27, 2012, Build-A-Bear Workshop will be searching for young people who provide extraordinary service to their communities and/or around the world.
This program, called Huggable Heroes, was designed to encourage and empower kids to be leaders and award them for their dedication and accomplishments. Build-A-Bear Workshop recognizes young leaders - ages eight to 18 - who are making a difference, and awards the 10 selected Huggable Heroes with an educational scholarship ($7,500) and a donation ($2,500) to the 501 (c)(3) charity of their choice. In addition, the ten Huggable Heroes will receive a celebration trip to Build-A-Bear Workshop World Bearquarters in St. Louis, where they will meet the other 2012 Huggable Heroes and be honored for their achievements. Entry forms are available in Build-A-Bear Workshop stores and online at buildabear.com/huggableheroes.
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Scholarship Deadline Approaches
Dr. Elinor Crawford College Scholarship Fund Applications due March 1, 2012
Since 1989, Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, Inc. Board of Directors has awarded college scholarships to 124-high school senior Girl Scouts. The guidelines providing eligibility criteria for the 2012 award year and the application for the Dr. Elinor Crawford College Scholarship Fund of Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, Inc. are now available on the council website - GSGCF Updates tab. The completed application, including required attachments and letters of recommendation, must be received at the council headquarters in Sarasota by March 1, 2012. The scholarship recipients will be recognized for their achievements and presented with the scholarship award at the Girl Recognition Ceremony on May 20, 2012. Notification letters will be mailed to applicants by April 1, 2012. Please contact Marie Graziosi by email marieg@gsgcf.org or 941.921.5358 ext. 338 or 800.232.4475 for assistance.
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All programs sponsored by the council have specific program outcomes so you can be sure that your Girl Scout gets the full Girl Scout Leadership Experience every time she participates. Because no girl is the same, customizing the Girl Scout experience and letting the girl choose how she participates in Girl Scouts gives her control over her Girl Scout Leadership Experience. Each program and activity she participates in will encourage her and help her gain confidence in her skills and ability to be the girl she wants to be. Girl Scouting builds girls of Courage, Confidence and Character who make the world a better place. Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, Inc. is chartered by Girl Scouts of the USA and serves over 10,500 girls in ten counties including: Manatee, Hardee, Highlands, Sarasota, DeSoto, Charlotte, Glades, Lee, Hendry, and Collier. For more information about the Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida visit www.gsgcf.org.
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