May 2014gssn_logo_2010_2c   
GSSN ESSENTIALS
 Your monthly e-newsletter from your local Girl Scout council.

Early Bird

Top 6 reasons to Early Bird register this year!

  1. You can jump right back into the fun! Early Bird registration gets the paperwork (or registration) out of the way so Girl Scouts won't have to miss a beat!
  2. Confirm your participation with your Girl Scout troop. Early Bird registration is a great time for troop leaders to figure out who is returning to the troop, who might need a little encouragement, and what troop volunteer spots they will need to fill. 
  3. Keep your and her routine intact. Children and adults thrive on routine. If offers a sense of safety. Keep the routine and safety going by Early Bird registering this year. 
  4. Beat the "back-to-school" madness. Spring just started, but we can already hear the back-to-school commercials. Register for the next Girl Scout year in the spring to cut down your to do list - it will be one less this to do in the fall!
  5. Who doesn't love Pinterest? Only Early Birders will have the opportunity to participate in our Pinterest Contest for a chance to win an additional $200 for your troop to go on even more adventures! 
  6. Uh, because why not? Girl Scout experiences are awesome and have a lasting impact on a girl's life. Why cut that short?

 Click here for more Early Bird Adventure information!

 

  
Council News
Catch up on all the important Girl Scouts of the Sierra Nevada council news. 
Things To Do
See upcoming council, service unit, troop, and community partner events. Read more.
Girl & Adult Learning Opportunities
From Award and CIT trainings to Troop Leader and CPR classes, everyone can learn and grow with Girl Scouts. Read more.
    
  
Cookie Program
Important dates, trainings and news will keep you in the know. Read more.
Community Partner Events & Activities
Get all the info on upcoming events with our partners in the community. Read more.
GSSN Shop News
Find what's new in your council shop and learn about tools to help her along her Girl Scout path. Read more.
Council News CouncilNews
GSSN Survey

Your feedback is important to us! Thank you to our Girl Scout parents and volunteers for taking the time to complete the GSSN Spring 2014 Adult Survey.

This survey should only take about 5-10 minutes of your time, and your answers will be completely anonymous. Just click the green button to the left, and you'll be on your way to providing valuable feedback to the GSSN council. 

If you have any questions about the survey, please contact Amber Wilhelm at: [email protected] or 775.322.0642 x1232

 


2014 Camp Wasiu II Service Unit Rentals
Located in the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountain range above Sierra City is GSSN's camp property, Camp Wasiu II. Brimming with opportunities for fun and adventure, the camp property is available for Service Unit rentals during the summer of 2014.

 

Click here for details, availability, and costs.

 


FLOURISH: The Leadership Conference for Women

Friday June 20, 2014 | Atlantis Casino Resort Spa

 

Ladies, mark your calendar to FLOURISH! 

 

This interactive conference will take a comprehensive view of advancing women, including: how to develop a personal leadership vision, work life / home life balance, personal branding, and more. 

 

Meet guest of honor Anna Maria Ch�vez, CEO of Girl Scouts USA. An award winning community leader, Ms. Ch�vez is a powerhouse voice for girls, and an incredible inspiration with a passion for public service and social engagement. 

 

Connect, be inspired, challenge yourself, and FLOURISH.

 

Click here for more details and ticket information. 

 

Best of Pinterest: April
    

Each month, we'll show you the most pinned items from our GSSN Pinterest page! Don't forget to follow us to see more fun ideas and events happening around the council. 

 

 
How cute are these upcycled cans as
camping mugs?!
 
 
Samoa Coconut Cream Pie recipe via Sift & Whisk. #onemorebox
 
 
Girl Scout Cookie Bookmarks are a perfect way to reuse your empty cookie boxes!
 
 
The beginning of it all. #onemorebox
  
Easter Egging at the GSSN Council!


Staff at the GSSN Council were visited by the Easter bunny on Thursday, April 17! The sneaky bunny hid three Easter eggs filled with goodies in each person's office space to be found the next morning. Goodies included candy (of course), flower seed packets, Easter egg fortunes, and more! We hope some of you found the hidden eggs in the GSSN Shop as well. Happy Spring! 

GSSN Essentials Now Online

Now you can view past Essentials and Silver & Gold e-newsletters on our website! Check it out here!
Good News from Around the GSSN Council  
  
Troop 604 Tours KTVN Channel 2
  

Troop 604 toured KTVN Channel 2 News Station on March 19 along with Cub Scouts from pack 3396. They sat in on a segment of the live news broadcast and even got to take pictures with Mike Alger and Kristen Remington during the commercial break!
  
Troop 723 Earn their "My Promise, My Faith" Award
       
Cadettes from Troop 723 came together to earn the My Promise, My Faith Award. A hands on, interactive, and fun workshop was held for the girls to explore how Girl Scouting and their personal faith offer similar ideas about how to act and how Girl Scouting can tie into their faith.

This was a fun way for six Cadettes of various faiths to be united in sharing how their personal faith connect with what they have learned in Girl Scouting. We choose the Honest and Fair line of the Girl Scout Law for this workshop. The girls heard from a former Girl Scout Leader about how she tries to act in her life based on that line of the Law. The girls found inspirational quotes by women that fit with Honest and Fair, they created a poster reflecting all that they were learning through the workshop, and made personal commitments to live what they learned.
  
Do you have Good News to submit?

We want to hear about all the great things going on in our coucil area. Especially from troop and service units in our outlying areas! Just fill out this form, and you will be contacted by our communications department.

Things To Do ToDo
2014 Girl Scout National Convention- Registration NOW OPEN!

October 16 - 19

Whether you are a young adult, a current leader with younger girls, or a lifetime alumna, come join us in Salt Lake City, Utah for the ultimate girls' weekend!

 

Visit the Convention website for more detailed information. You can even subscribe to get alerts as new information is added!

 

GSSN is offering a $155 round-trip chartered bus fare to anyone interested, leaving the GSSN Council on Wednesday, October 15, and returning the evening of Sunday, October 19. Please contact Beth at 

775-322-0672 x1242 or [email protected] with any questions or to reserve your seat on the bus!

  

We are also seeking girls who will turn 14 by October, 2014 to fill our GSSN Girl Scout Leadership Institute (GSLI) delegation with girls across the council who are interested in expanding their Girl Scout experience. Come participate with girls across the nation (and overseas) and focus on issues of concern to you! 

 

Fill out the GSLI application and return it to the GSSN Council as soon as possible!


Host a Camp Wasiu II Staff Member this Summer!
 

Would you like to host an international or long-distance American camp staff member in your home this summer? We're looking for families to welcome camp staff in their homes for lengths of time ranging from a weekend to two weeks!

 

We appreciate your dedication to Girl Scouting and for providing our camp staff with a welcoming Nevadan host family!  

 

Interested?  Click here for more information and to fill out the Host Family Application!

  

For more details, please contact Stefanie Argus, Camp & Outdoor Specialist, at [email protected].
 

 

Bronze, Silver or Gold Leadership Awards

Don't Miss the Workshops!

 

It's now easier than ever to access these awards trainings. All "workshops" are posted on the Attend an Event calendar on the GSSN website. Simply click on the link to access the registration form, print, fill in your information, then turn it in to the GSSN Council along with $5 per participant by the posted registration deadline. Each workshop is offered approximately every four weeks, alternating in-person with webinar options open to all! 

 

Training is required for Junior leaders who will be guiding their girls through the Bronze Award.  Silver and Gold Workshops are mandatory for the girls working on these awards. Pre-requisites for each include completing at least one current-level Journey.  

 

Click here for more information on leadership awards.  


Calling all Teddy Bears! (and Other Stuffed Animals)

Stuffed Animal Campout, May 5 - 8

From May 5 - 8, we're hosting the first-ever STUFFED ANIMAL CAMPOUT at the GSSN Council! Girls can drop off their favorite (or second-favorite) bears, rabbits, elephants, monkeys, and other bedtime companions for a stuffed animal-only campout in Reno. The animals will sleep in a tent, sneak into the GSSN Shop to play with merchandise, learn to use a camp stove, and more.  You can pick up your stuffed animal the next day along with a special little camp gift. We'll even document all of their stuffed animal hijinks on the GSSN Facebook page so you can see what adventures they had! 

  • Please be sure that your stuffed animal is tagged with your name, address, and phone number.
  • Drop off your stuffed animal any time before 3 p.m. between May 5 - 8 and you'll be able to pick it up the next day. Stuffed animal adventures will be posted in an online photo album here!
  • Questions? Contact Amber Wilhelm at [email protected].

When you come to Camp Wasiu II this summer, bring your stuffed animal - they'll already be a pro after attending the Campout! 

 

Check out Camp Counselor "Littlebit's" stuffed dragon climbing a tree!


Car Wash Fundraiser for GSSN Costa Rica Travelers

Sunday, May 18 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.


Get your car sparkling clean and support the 11 Girl Scouts traveling to Costa Rica this June. 

 

When:  Sunday, May 18, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Where: Save Mart - Spanish Springs

              9750 Pyramid Way

Cost: $5 per car - Pay at the event or tickets may be                  pre-purchased at the GSSN Council.

 

Don't miss this opportunity to support our internationally-bound Girl Scouts! 

 


What does Pop Culture REALLY Say about Girls?

Sunday, May 18, 1 - 2:30 p.m.

As the second event in GSSN's WAGGGS Stop the Violence series, we are excited to offer a free screening of the documentary Miss Representation.

 

Who:  Girl Scouts grades 6+. Families, friends, and non-Girl Scouts are               welcome to attend but all guests must be grades 6+.

When: Sunday, May 18, 2014, 1 - 2:30 p.m.

Where: GSSN Council

 

Miss Representation explores how "mainstream media contributes to the under-representation of women in influential positions" by circulating unfair representations of females. 

 

We recommend that all parents/families view the trailers found in the below links prior to registering. We also encourage parents/families to attend with your Girl Scout(s) to be able to discuss the content with them.

 

For more information about the film, visit: Miss Representation webiste or IMDb. 

 

Click here to register.  Questions? Contact Stefanie at [email protected] or 775.322.0642 x1202.


A World of Girls

Saturday, May 24, 8:30 a.m.  - 2:30 p.m.

   

Calling all Brownies! Spend the day learning about 'A World of Girls.' You'll make new friends, and earn your Brownie Journey Award! Event hosted by Cadette Troop 150 and Troop 94.

 

Click here for more details.

 

Service Unit Team Training

Thursday, May 29, 6  - 8:30 p.m.

Where: Scheels, Scheels Drive, Sparks, NV, United States

Registration Due: May 22, 2014  

Cost: Free!

 

Adult volunteers who hold a service unit position including but not limited to manager, treasurer, product sales coordinator, secretary, recruiter, events coordinator, troop coordinator and individual girl coordinator and anyone interested in holding a service unit position are invited to attend the service unit team training where you will be learning about the service unit team structure, essential functions, planning, management, inclusion and outreach. This will be a great opportunity to meet other service unit volunteers and receive guidance for planning your upcoming year.

 

Each participant must complete a Volunteer Training Registration Form and submit with payment before the registration due date. 

 

For more information, contact Adrienne at 775-322-0642 x 1231 or [email protected].


2014 Camp Wasiu II OPENING Weekend

June 11 - 15 (Come for one day, all five, or anywhere in between!)

We're looking for volunteers to help open Camp Wasiu II and prepare it for a busy summer! Anyone interested in helping with our many and diverse tasks are welcome - we especially love folks who have carpentry, plumbing, electrical, roofing, or painting skills! All meals and accommodations are provided and all volunteers will also receive a camp t-shirt, patch, and gift. Over 1,000 local youth will directly benefit from your hard work and dedication.

  

Click here to register! Please use one registration form for each troop/family and complete all sections. You can register 10 children participants and three adult participants per form. A packing list, directions, and more information will be coming soon!


2014 Camp Wasiu II CLOSING Weekend

September 26 - 28

Volunteers Wanted! Why? To close Camp Wasiu II and prepare it for the long winter! This is a great volunteer opportunity, especially for our older girl troops.

 

Meals and accommodations are provided for all volunteers. Any and all helping hands are appreciated. 

 

Click here to register. Please use one registration form for each troop/family and complete all sections. You can register 10 children participants and three adult participants per form.


Save the Date: Older Girl Minute-to-Win-it Camporall

Friday, October 3 - Sunday October 5, 2014

Calling all Cadette, Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts for a fun-filled weekend of camping, singing around the campfire, making new friends, and a few surprises at Washoe Lake State Park. The event is open to all girls who are in the 6th grade or above in the fall of 2014. Girls will use their scouting skills to complete fun tasks in Minute It to Win It game-style activities. The event is hosted by the local chapter of the Green Hat Society. 

 

Click here to see the Save the Date Flier for more information.

 

Community Partner Events & Activities ComPartners
Letters to Mom

A Mother's Day Contest 

 

Write a special, colorful letter about your mom for Mother's Day!  

Enter it at: justforyoumom.com for a chance to  win lunch for your entire class at school, and a spa day for mom.

 

See the Letter Writing Contest Flier for more details

 

 
Strike a Pose: You Can be a Part of History
Saturday, May 10, 10 a.m.
On Saturday, May 10, Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation will host a free exhibition of Parks: Past/Present Perspectives at the California Building located in Idlewild Park. At 10 a.m., Girl Scouts in uniform are invited to come down to pose for the recreation of an iconic photo in front of the California Building. It's a great way to become a part of Reno's history! To participate, email Nicholas Kearney: [email protected]

 

Click here for the full press release.

Astronomy Day
Saturday, May 10, 3 p.m. - 10 p.m.

 

Do you want to see forever? Come by the Sparks Marina on Saturday, May 10 from 3 p.m. - 10 p.m. See the sun through a solar telescope! Solar flares, sun spots, and prominences will be on display. When it gets dark, Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars will delight your eyes. The Orion Nebula will be your prime deep space object for the night's viewing. Astronomical Society of Nevada members will be there to help with your celestial experience.    

 

Girl Scout Day at the Reno Aces
Friday, May 30 at 4:30 p.m.

Don't forget to buy your tickets in advance for this year's Girl Scout Day at the Reno Aces on Friday, May 30
 
Remember, if you purchase tickets before May 9, $1 from each ticket will be given back to Girl Scouts of the Sierra Nevada! Festivities begin at 4:30 p.m. with pre-game activities and an exclusive Q & A session with women who work in the Reno Aces front office. 

 

 


Sierra Nevada Journey Workshop Opportunities for Leaders

Sierra Nevada Journeys is a local nonprofit that delivers innovative outdoor, science-based programming for children that inspires curiosity, exploration, and natural resource stewardship. One of the ways they do this is to offer experiential workshops that allow adults to acquire some fun, exciting, hands-on program ideas that can be shared with your troop.  

 

Check out these amazing opportunities in the Sierra Nevada Journeys Workshops flier. 


Crew a Simulated Mission to Space!

Thanks to a special grant opportunity through PPG Industries, a handful of Girl Scout groups can have the opportunity to discover the Challenger Learning Center of Northern Nevada (CLCNN) at out-of-this world rates. The CLCNN is taking reservations for the first six groups to contact us and register for a full two-and-a half-hour hands-on program on a simulated mission to space. 

 

Participants are fully immersed in a scenario which lets them do real-world science experiments, navigate a spaceship, launch space probes and more in our Mission Control and Space Station simulators. At the conclusion of the mission, participants enter our digital dome for an exciting planetarium program. 

 

Because of the special grant opportunity, we can offer this opportunity for only $150 for up to 30 students/chaperones, or for $250 we can run the simulated program, view a planetarium show and add an additional one-hour workshop building and launching air-powered rockets. 

 

For more information or to sign up, please contact Associate Flight Director Jenny McFarlane at  [email protected].

 

Girl & Adult Learning Opportunities LearningOp
 
Upcoming Trainings
 
For a full listing of all your upcoming girl and adult development opportunities, please see the GSSN events & training calendar. You will also find complete listings with course descriptions, fees, registration requirements, and locations.

 

Here is a sample of some upcoming opportunities:

Elko Troop Leadership
Saturday, May 3
12:30 - 4 p.m.
Elko Scout House
Cost: Free!

All That Glitters Award Ceremony
Saturday, May 3
2 - 4 p.m.
Atlantis Casino Resort Spa

Elko GSLE Training
Saturday, May 3
4:30 - 6 p.m.
Elko Scout House
 
Program Aide Training
Saturday, May 10 (Registration due 5/2/14)
9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
GSSN Council
Cost: $15/girl
 
Bronze Award Workshop Webinar (for Junior Adult Volunteers)
Tuesday, May 13 (Registration due 5/5/14)
6 - 7:30 p.m.
Online
Cost: $5/adult

Silver Award Workshop (for Cadette Girl Scouts)
Thursday, May 15 (Registration due 5/7/14)
6 - 7:30 p.m.
GSSN Council
Cost: $5/girl

Miss Representation Documentary Screening (see article above for more information)
Sunday, May 18 (Register here)
1 - 2:30 p.m.
GSSN Council
 

Gold Award Workshop Webinar (for Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts)

Tuesday, May 20 (Registration due 5/12/14)

6 - 8 p.m.

Online

Cost: $5/girl

 

Girl Scout Day at the Reno Aces

Friday, May 30 

4:30 - 9 p.m.

Reno Aces Stadium: Evans Avenue, Reno, NV 

Cost: $9 

*If you register by May 9, $1 per ticket sold will be donated back to the GSSN Council. 

Thank you in advance for your early registration!

 

Troop Leadership

Saturday, June 7 

9 a.m. - 12 p.m. 

GSSN Council

 

Bronze Award Workshop (for Junior Adult Volunteers)

Tuesday, June 10 (Registration due 6/2/14)

6 - 7:30 p.m.

GSSN Council

Cost: $5/adult

 

Flourish: The Leadership Conference for Women

Friday, June 20

8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Atlantis Casino Resort Spa

CookieCookie Program

 

Congratulations, 2014 Cookie Bosses!

Congratulations to everyone who participated in this year's Cookie Season! Girl Scouts of the Sierra Nevada would like to thank all of our girls, families, and especially all of the volunteers for their hard work and effort to make this year's cookie program a success. This year, girls in Girl Scout troops sold 526,992 packages of cookies to friends, family, neighbors, and the general public. Way to go everyone! 

 

Top Cookie Sellers

 

Our 2014 Top Cookie Seller is Adysson Fuller! Adysson is from the Spring Creek Service Unit out of Spring Creek, NV, and she sold 2,401 boxes of cookies to her friends, family, and the local community. Addyson has earned the iPad and will also be recognized as the Jr. Saleswoman of the Year at a luncheon being held by the Professional Saleswomen of Nevada.

 

We had 11 girls who sold 1,500 boxes of cookies or more. These girls have earned an Amazon Kindle and $50 worth of cookie dough. 

 

We had a total of 39 girls who sold at least 1,000 boxes of cookies or more. Combined, these girls sold more than 47,892 packages of cookies. The 39 girls earned a day trip to Wild Island Family Adventure Park where they will enjoy a day of the exciting water park slides.  

 

Let's give them all a hand!

 

See the list of the top sellers for the 2014 Girl Scout Cookie Program. 

 

Way to Go, Service Units!

 

Thank you to all of our Service Unit and Troop volunteers who worked tirelessly throughout the cookie program. Your time and dedication helped to support girls learning leadership skills, goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics - all traits girls need to succeed in life!

 

Every year, we set cookie goals for each Service Unit to strive for during the cookie season. This year, 15 Service Units met or exceeded those goals. The Service Units who met or exceeded their goals earned an additional $.02 per box of cookies sold within their Service Unit. This money is what helps each Service Unit to put on their local camporees, offer no-cost training to their volunteers, assist with Service Unit events, and pay for general expenses of the Service Unit. 

  

Cookie Share Program

 

We would like to thank all troops who participated in the Cookie Share Program this year. We were able to donate 1,500 boxes of cookies to the following organizations through donations from the local community, friends, and family.

 Assistance League Food Pantry

Blue Star Moms of Nevada

Camp Lotsafun

Children's Cabinet

Food for Thought

CAAW

NV Citizen Project

Northern Nevada Food Bank

Reno Sparks Gospel Mission

Boys & Girls Club of Reno

 

In addition, we know that troops make their own cookie donations to local organizations close to home and their hearts. Thank you again to those of you who donated to our military and the various nonprofits you support.  
GSSN Shop News ShopNews

  

Don't Forget! 

 
 
Get your 15% discount on everything in the GSSN Shop on the first Saturday of each month! 
 
All discounts apply to originally priced items and no other discounts apply to this special offer. In stock items only.

 

 

 

  

All That Glitters Gifts

   

Do you have a Girl Scout who will be receiving her Bronze, Silver or Gold Award this year at the All that Glitters Awards Ceremony on Saturday, May 3, 2014? If so, the GSSN Shop has an exclusive collection offered to recipients of the highest honor in Girl Scouting that would make a fantastic gift to celebrate their accomplishment! The GSSN Shop will be at the All that Glitters Event for any last minute gift purchases as well. 

GSSN Shop & Office Hours

 

GSSN Shop Hours & Closures

Shop Hours: Effective through May 29

Monday - Friday: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

First Saturday of each month: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. - Shop only

Sunday: Closed

 

NEW Shop Summer Hours: Effective Friday, May 30 - Friday, July 25

Monday - Thursday: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday: Closed

 

Upcoming Shop Closure: 

Monday, June 30 - Thursday, July 3 for Shop Inventory

  

 

Upcoming Council Holiday Closures:

Tuesday, May 27 - Closed from 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. for staff training 

Friday, July 4 - Closed for the Independence Day Holiday 

 

When you do business at the GSSN Shop, 100% of the proceeds stay with the GSSN council!

 

Feel free to call our helpful GSSN Shop staff if you need any assistance: 775-322-0642 x 1237.

     
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605 Washington St., Reno, NV 89503
1 (775) 322 - 0642   |   1(800) 222-5406