May 20, 2016
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Office will be closed Monday, May 30, in observance of Memorial Day.
Upcoming Girl / Troop / Family Events
reminders and deadlines
  


       Important REMINDERS and DEADLINES


Check the online calendar for many more events!



The Program Guide is full of great opportunities for girls!

 

camp life is best life
   
Summer programs at Camp Koch:
There are overnight and day camp opportunities at our camp property near Cannelton, IN!  Check out our wide range of Camp Koch programs, including
- Troop Camporee, June 11-12.  Deadline to register is May 27.
- Resident Camps, various lengths and dates between May 26 and July 8. Deadline to register is June 17.
- Adventure Day, July 16. Deadline to register is July 11.
 

Day/Twilight Camps:
Many volunteer-led camps are offered throughout the council in June and July.  These day or twilight camp programs are sponsored by Alcoa Foundation and include a wide range of activities: environmental, outdoors, sports, science, team building, crafts, songs, and more.  
Registration is still open for:
- Perry County Day Camp, July 15.  Deadline is May 31.
- North Dubois Day Camp, July 11-15. Deadline is June 5.
- South Dubois Day Camp, August 20-21.  


Travel Internationally with GSSI!
GSSI Global Travel
Paris 2017: A Mother Daughter Adventure!
Spain 2018. Enroll before June 1 to receive a $200 discount.
Australia 2019

Once girls are enrolled in the trip of their choice and have paid the $95 deposit, they may begin to participate in money earning activities, if desired. Upcoming events include: Dress Drive on September 24, Dress Drive in February, and a Craft Show on March 11.
 

Deaconess Hospital Holiday Card Program
Thank you to all the troops that provided cards for this program throughout the school year.  These cards provided great joy to the patients at Deaconess!

GSSI did not design a patch this year due to budget restraints; however we will be happy to provide certificates to participating girls if the troop leader emails a list of names to [email protected].  There are approximately 50 patches left from last year (undated) and they are available on a first-come first-served basis for troops new to the program. Patches can be picked up at the council office.


Honoring Women Veterans 
The Evansville Veteran Center and University of Evansville are hosting the Seventh Honoring Women Veterans Conference and need YOUR help!
Friday, June 17:  Prepare bags for each Veteran to receive at the conference.
Saturday , June 18:  Conference 8 a.m.- 3:30 p.m.
  • Morning help: Assist vendors in set up. 7a.m.
  • Afternoon help: Assist with photo booth and tear down. 8 am.-3:30 p.m.
Location: University of Evansville, Eykamp Hall
For more details contact: Wendy Freeman 812-473-5993 [email protected]
 

Camp Koch Open House and Picnic
Saturday, June 18, 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
All are invited to come see the exciting facility and program updates at Camp Koch. Enjoy a picnic and the great outdoors while checking out the new kitchen and bathroom in the lower level of the dining hall, the newly renovated bungalow, and the Enchanted Woods and Fairy Garden. Bring the whole family for a fun afternoon!  

Reservations are appreciated.


STEM Summer Camp: The Science of Style
Friday, June 24- Saturday, June 25
Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador Girl Scouts are invited to attend a fun STEM overnight camp at Vincennes University where they will do fun Chemistry, Biology, Math, and Physics experiments.  Girls will learn how to make beauty cream, nylon, natural cosmetics, and more.


Indiana's Bicentennial
Indiana is celebrating its Bicentennial, and many events have been planned throughout the year to commemorate 200 years of statehood. As part of the year-long celebration, the Indiana Office of Tourism Development developed a "Bucket List" of 200 things to do in the state. The list includes things to see, do, eat and drink throughout Indiana and is a great way to explore new areas of the state, as well as find local treasures in your backyard.
Items on the list include taking a trip to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum, seeing the tree growing out of the tower of the courthouse in Greensburg, visiting the Angel Mounds State Historic Site in Evansville, going skydiving in Michigan City and attending the Johnny Appleseed Festival in Fort Wayne. 
NOTE: This list was developed by IOTD and may contain suggestions not suitable for all ages.

GSSI has a separate Bicentennial Patch Program.  


Girl Scout Swim Party
Saturday, July 9, 7:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Join us for an evening of family fun at Burdette Park. 


Pets, Pets, and more Pets!
May is National Pets Month. Girls and adults, share a picture of your favorite pet through our Facebook or Twitter accounts from May 20-26.  Use the hashtag #GSSIpets. We will post all the pictures on GSSI's Facebook and Twitter accounts so users can vote on their favorite between May 27 and June 2. The winner of the contest will receive 5 event tickets to the July 9 Girl Scout Swim Party (does not include membership for non-Girl Scout members).


Free Evansville OttersTickets
Thanks to a generous donor, GSSI has vouchers for free tickets to any 2016 Evansville Otters home baseball game. contact [email protected] to request your voucher. 

Volunteer Learning

Save the dates for Fall Learning opportunities for ALL volunteers

All Council Team (A.C.T.) Volunteer Kick-off - These celebration/meeting/training sessions are critical.  All service unit and troop leadership teams should attend.
Tuesday,September 20, 6:00-8:00 p.m. - Evansville 
Thursday, September 22 6:00-8:00 p.m. - Jasper

Volunteer Retreat - This will be a fun weekend of fellowship and learning. 
November 11-13 - Camp Koch


CEI Update 


Excitement is building and we need your help by June 3!

As discussed at Year-end Service Unit meetings, there are three things that troop leadership teams can do NOW to ensure a smooth transition in August.



Volunteer Resources
Year-end gifts
Thank you, volunteers!  Every year at May service Unit meetings, we deliver small tokens of appreciation.  If you did not receive yours, contact your Troop Support staff specialist.

Honor/Golden Honor Troop
This award recognizes troops that achieve the Essential Elements of a Girl Scout troop and provide overall excellence in troop management and programming in a given year.  To achieve this honor, leaders and girls must work in partnership with each other, other troops, Service Team and council staff.  Submit the application by June 15.  Troops are recognized in the fall. 

Use of Debit Cards for Membership Renewal
For several years, Girl Scout member groups have been allowed to obtain debit cards in conjunction with their bank accounts.  This is a convenient way to renew memberships for the entire troop.  The details of the policy are in Volunteer Essentials, Chapter 5, Managing Group Finances.  Contact [email protected] if you have questions.
Blog  Visit our blog

Change can be exciting and good, yet scary and hard, ...
Not changing could be worse.

Which direction are we choosing as Girl Scouts of Southwest Indiana?

Read the blog to find out more!

Pat on the Back
GSSI has so many great volunteers and staff who are generous with their time and talent! A big thank you goes to:

PIke, North and South Dubois, Posey and Spencer Service Units for your hospitality at the Year-End meetings!  It was a privilege to celebrate with you. Check out our Facebook page for pictures. 
(from Donna, Lucy, Gretchen, and Margaret, GSSI Staff)

Jen Verkamp and Amandy Scurry for offering to help when you knew I needed it!  Thanks, Jen, for securing a location for the volunteer Kick-off meeting in Jasper. Thanks, Mandy, for taking on the huge job of helping with data clean-up for CEI! (from Margaret Dennis, Dir. or Volunteer Resources)

Posey County mother and daughter tea party volunteers! The event was a huge success again this year, and there are many people to thank for it!!  A very special thank you to Laura Werner who helps coordinate the Posey County tea party every year!!!  Thank you to John Werner and Stu Seibert, and our children, who lose our attention for the entire week before the party!  Thanks to Jeannie Mayes who cut out many hearts and numbers for our "card soldiers".  Thank you Pam Carl and Freida Orth for letting us use their tea cups every year. Thank you Misty Mauck and Pam Carl for helping us clean up every year!! 
(from Shannon Seibert, volunteer) 

Margaret Dennis for pulling together the OMH Newsletter every week and keeping us all informed of the great stuff going on in our council!!  
(from Beth Heil, volunteer)
 
To everyone who participated in Girl Scout Voices Count! Overall, GSUSA collected data from nearly 190,000 Girl Scouts, including over 75,000 girls,  74,000 parents, and almost 40,000 troop volunteers.  At GSSI, 358 adults and 255 girls completed the survey.  Thank you for helping us deliver the best experience to our girls and community. 

Would you like to give a "Pat-on-the-Back" to a special person who went that extra mile or
stepped in to help without being asked? Send an email to
Margaret with the name of the volunteer or staff member and how she/he helped out.
Cookie Program Updates

2017 Cookie Program
Stop by the office to view the possible recognitions for the 2017 Cookie Program! Instructions on how to vote for your favorite will be posted next week.  We will again have a "Name the Mascot" contest in June - stay tuned!

2016 Cookie Bonus Proceeds

Troop Bonus checks have been processed and mailed to the troop leader's address.  If your troop does not receive theirs by the next week, contact [email protected].

 
Katie's Korner Retail Shop



Katie's Corner Council Shop
223 NW 2nd St. Evansville
812.421.4970 or 800.757.9348


Shop hours:  Monday-Thursday, 9:00am to 5:30 pm, Friday, 9:00am to 5:00 pm.

Shop online or contact [email protected] if you have any questions.  

On my honor, 
I will try to serve God and my country, to help others at all times, 
and to live by the  Girl Scout Law.
Girl Scouts of SW Indiana | 812.421.4970 | www.girlscouts-gssi.org