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The 2013 Girl Scouts of the USA Centennial Silver Dollar on sale
and available
to the public!
The coin honors 100 years of Girl Scouting. Produced by the United States Mint, the coin is one of two commemorative programs for 2013.
The coin will be available through the United States Mint at 1-800-USA-MINT
(Click on SHOP, then Commemoratives).
The GSGCF Council Shops will not be selling the coins.
The coins will sell for $55.95 (uncirculated) and $59.95 (proof quality).
Girl Scouts of the USA CEO, Anna Maria Chavez calls the coin "a fitting tribute to our 100-year legacy of instilling the values of leadership, confidence, and character in girls across America. The 59 million alumnae who have worn the Girl Scout uniform proudly are a testament to what Girl Scouting can do: becoming leaders who have helped make our nation and our world a better place. We enter our second century of service to girls poised for even greater things, and I can't imagine a better way to launch our next 100 years than with the minting of our commemorative coin."
A surcharge from the sale of each coin is authorized to be paid to Girl Scouts of the USA for national program development and delivery.
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Policy Review Period is Approaching
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A review of current policies to align with GSUSA Blue Book of Basic Documents, Council Performance Review requirements, Volunteer Essentials and Safety Activity Checkpoints will be happening in the near future. If there are policies that volunteers would like to have reviewed or suggestions, please send to Amanda Jacob at amandaj@gsgcf.org or call at 1-800 232-4475 ext. 406.
Your thoughts and suggestion will be shared with the review committee. This committee will review volunteer policies and make any recommendations to the board. The Board of Directors is the only entity that can approve or change Girl Scouts of Gulf Coast, Inc. Polices. A review of council guidelines and procedures for policy implementation is reviewed annually or as needed. We welcome your thoughts in this area as well and will share as appropriate.
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We're here to help
you make it happen.
Check out our website for important dates and information
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Service Unit Volunteer Awards Deadline Extended!
We know you, your awards coordinator, and service team members have been thinking about our volunteers who are deserving of receiving the GSUSA Volunteer of Excellence Award, President's Award, GSGCF Green Angel Award, or the Special Volunteer Pin. You were emailed the awards packet and honor roll on February 14th to review complete details.
We heard your request to extend the deadline for SU Award Coordinators to submit nominations. The extended deadline is March 31st. We know that you have great volunteers you want to honor and this hard deadline will give the Volunteer Award Recognition committee and opportunity to review and get back to you in time for your Service Unit to present awards at year end celebrations.
Contact Amanda Jacob, Director Volunteer Management with questions at amandaj@gsgcf.org
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Help girls to reach their goals!
BUY ONE MORE BOX!
This national social media campaign will make it easier for your girls to be successful.
Customers will be ready and eager to help - more than ever before. The time has never been better to encourage girls to reach for high goals.
Maybe girls will ask each customer to buy One More Box for a donation program. Maybe they will host one more booth sale. Maybe they will make one more phone call. Maybe they will try one more selling tip.
Check out the fun and effective ideas on THIS BLOG.
Help spread the word!
It's going to be a great Cookie Season!
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We Wish to Thank Our Following Community Partners:
Partner Agency
Girl Scouts of
Gulfcoast Florida, Inc.
4780 Cattlemen Road
Sarasota, FL 34233
941-921-5358
800-232-4475
www.gsgcf.org
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March/ 2013
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 Dear Service Unit Leadership Volunteers.
Welcome to TEAM TALK - the Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, Inc. online newsletter keeping administrative volunteers informed of all the great things being done by and for Girl Scouts. Administrative volunteers are asked to send out emails, present at upcoming meetings, etc. sharing or reinforcing the information contained in this online newsletter to appropriate volunteers.
Go Green! While there may be some sections of this email you need to email or share, save paper and avoid printing. Have you checked out our website lately, we made enhancements and we are featuring a new activity calendar and other great features - take a peek!
Don't forget to stay in touch via social media - fan or like us at  .
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We Have Much to Celebrate!
On March 12, 1912, Juliette Gordon Low and two other women met with 18 girls to form the first Girl Scout troop in Savannah, Georgia. Each year, Girl Scouts celebrate the birthday of that first Girl Scout meeting.
Let's make sure to encourage all troops, volunteers, girls, and their families to pause and take a minute to reflect on this special day! Celebrate as a service unit and share ideas with troop leaders about how troops can celebrate.
We invite you to stop by the council office in Sarasota or the Girl Scout service center in Fort Myers to enjoy a cupcake with us in celebration of Girl Scouts Birthday on Tuesday, March 12th between 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. SPECIAL TREAT ~ receive 10% off your purchase in the shop, when wearing your uniform, on this special day!
To celebrate this wonderful organization during Girl Scout Week, the service unit can encourage all Girl Scouts to:
- Wear their Girl Scout uniform or pin to school and other activities.
- Have girls make cards to display at their troop meeting locations about Girl Scouts and what it means to them.
- Collect basic troop supplies and gift them to a new sister Girl Scout troop. Examples can include: crayons, markers, glue, paints, etc.
- Have a Girl Scout birthday party with a sister troop.
- Post what Girl Scouting means to you on our Brag Board at www.gsgcf.org.
- Take part in a community give back or do a special service project in honor of GS week .
- Act out the story of the first meeting in 1912, imagining how it could have been
- Plan activities to coincide with council themes for Girl Scout Week.
- Plan a ceremony or have a joint ceremony with troops from other grade levels and use the theme "Who is a Girl Scout".
Here are some fun facts about Girl Scouts:
- The first troop had 18 members. By now, more than 59 million women have become Girl Scouts. Girl Scouts of the USA is now the preeminent organization for, and leading authority on, girls with 3.7 million girl and adult members. Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place.
- Founder Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low was born October 31, 1860, in Savannah, Ga., and was known for her sense of humor, love for animals, social consciousness and artistic skills.
- Girl Scout Week begins this year with Girl Scout Sunday, March 10, March 12 is the Girl Scout Birthday, and ends with Girl Scout Sabbath on Saturday, March 16.
- On October 14, 2005, Juliette Gordon Low was immortalized in a bronze-and-granite medallion as part of a national monument in Washington that pays tribute to great Americans who created enduring change in the world.
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Cookie Program News!
Two New Cookie Bonuses - For Troops and Service Units!
 As the 2013 Cookie Program rolls on, we are happy to be un-veiling two new Cookie bonuses for 2013: the Five Cases for Five Skills troop bonus and Five Skills for Every Girl SU Bonus. Please share these opportunities with your troops. It's a great way to help troops boost their Cookie earnings. Complete details have been sent to all SU Cookie Coordinators.
Five Cases for Five Skills Troop Bonus
To celebrate the five skills girls learn through the Cookie Program (goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics), we're offering a special troop cookie bonus for 2013. Troops who increase their re-orders by five cases (compared to their warehouse re-orders from 2012) will earn an additional half-penny ($.005) per package in troop proceeds on their cookie sales. The target for troops who don't have re-order history from 2012 will be 45 cases. Don't forget troops can also celebrate the five skills by working with the girls to earn the 2013 Girl Scout Cookie pin, too! Details about the Cookie Pin can be found at www.girlscoutcookies.org.
Five Skills for Every Girl Service Unit Bonus
As you know, the Membership Department has been working hard on our "It's Not Too Late" Membership Challenge. With so many new girls joining troops and new troops getting started, now is the perfect opportunity to help new girls and troops jump into the Cookie Program and have an entrepreneurial Cookie experience. Every girl deserves the opportunity to learn important life skills and have fun in the Girl Scout Cookie Program. This bonus will reward SUs that increase their participation in the 2013 Cookie Program between now and the end of the sale.
- Service Units who increase the number of girls participating in the Cookie Program by 5% will earn an additional $.01 per case in Service Unit proceeds.
- Service Units who increase the number of girls participating in the Cookie Program by 10% will earn another $.01 per case in Service Unit proceeds (a total of $.02 per case).
- This bonus is in addition to the $.03 per case earned by all Service Units and the potential additional bonuses earned by being a Super Service Unit and Honor Service Unit. The number of girls participating is calculated using the number of girls who sold at least 1 package of Girl Scout Cookies.
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Check out the latest stats of our Service Unit's below. Some of you have increased significantly- How wonderful for all our new Girl Scout members!
It's not too late to get make a substantial impact. Think about sharing ideas or challenges with your troops for adding one or two more girls. The Girl Scout program was designed for troops of 10 to 25. The more girls in a troop the more parent help, opportunities for girls to develop leadership skills, and the more friends -Girl Scout sisters we will have.
Here are a few examples of activities some troops are currently working on. Girls are handing out membership invitations at cookie booths and recruiting girl's right into their troop at booths, or inviting them to a Girl Scout birthday party at their troop meeting where the girls will be sharing their year's activities and having fun (even if they don't end up in their troop, they help them connect to another troop), as well as hosting "bring-a-friend" parties and events.
Did you know that we have some important days coming up?
Sunday March 10th is Girl Scout Sunday and Saturday March 16th is Girl Scout Sabbath. Some ideas to celebrate include: passing out Girl Scout information at your house of worship, see if they will allow all current Girl Scouts to wear their uniforms, perform a service, have girls be greeters or have a lock-in.
Check out the incentives for service units & troops here to participate in the membership challenge.
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Registration for Girl Scout Voices Continues
While we've made good progress toward getting our Girl Scouts registered to take the Spring Troop Surveys through Girl Scout Voices, we still have a ways to go! Please help spread the word to your Troop Leaders and Assistant Leaders, and encourage them to have their troop girls register at www.girlscoutvoices.org.
For more information, please visit:
Girls must register before they can take the survey. Surveys will be emailed in late March or early April (Charlotte County girls will receive theirs in February). Troop Leaders who need paper registration forms and surveys for their girls should contact Lori Tomlinson, Manager of Grants and Outcomes, at outcomes@gsgcf.org, or 941-921-5358 ext. 310.
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Volunteer Learning Services
Volunteer Learning Services has some exciting things happening and wants everyone to join in the action. Please share with leaders in your service unit.
NEW! Adult Learning tab of our website, www.gsgcf.org, is Facilitation Courses at a Glance. This resource tool has been added for you to use at your service unit meetings when making announcements, when meeting new potential leaders, and as a quick reference in general. The chart is updated regularly and has the most current adult learning opportunities information. If there are courses you would like to see in your area, please contact Nicole King, Manager of Volunteer Learning Services, at nicolek@gsgcf.org, or 941-921-53528 ext. 318.
Lifeguard Certification Course: will be held April 12 (5 p.m.) - April 14 (3 p.m.) at Camp Honi Hanta.
Interested in a summer job or a challenging career as a professional lifeguard? Each participant must be able to pass a "pre-test" of swimming 300 yards (no time limit), treading water, and retrieve a dive brick from the bottom of the pool. Through videos, group discussion and hands-on practice, you'll learn teamwork, rescue and surveillance skills, First Aid, and CPR/AED and other skills you need in order to work as a professional lifeguard. The American Red Cross Lifeguard Course is designed to certify participants in the four areas: Lifeguard, CPR Pro, AED, and First Aid. Topics include: injury prevention and facility safety, patron surveillance, rescue skills, victim assessment, care for head, neck and spinal injuries. Upon passing the written exam and physical requirement, the participant will be certified. All certifications are for 2 years. Overnight accommodations and meals at camp are included in the fee. You must complete all three days in order to become certified.
OWLS (Outdoor Weekend Learning Spectacular) will be held October 11 - 13 at Camp Honi Hanta.
All Adult Volunteers, Ambassadors, and Seniors are welcome. OWLS will offer all outdoor education courses that will allow you the opportunity to become certified in a variety of outdoor activities, such as canoe, kayak, archery, low ropes course, and event cooking, just to name a few. Not only will it be a time for learning new things, you will also benefit from enjoying old friends and making new ones, too. It is sure to be a weekend of fun! Make sure to save the date and plan on attending, more details to come! If you are interested in being on the planning committee for OWLS, please contact Nicole King, Manager of Volunteer Learning Services, at nicolek@gsgcf.org, or 941-921-5358 ext. 318.
Event Cooking Certification will be held May 3-5 at Camp Honi Hanta.
Become certified to use the kitchen for your service unit or troop events while at Camp Honi Hanta. You will get hands-on experience with operating all of the kitchen equipment, review of all health and safety practices of the equipment, meal planning and preparation. You must complete all three days to become certified.
We want our volunteers to give girls the best Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE) possible. Always encourage volunteers to seek opportunities to learn and share. Volunteers can access via the website activity finder.
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Help Ensure Your Service Unit Girls Get Recognized
Last Call for Girls Getting Awards!
Please spread the word, we need to know the names (include correct spelling) and current addresses of all girls that have completed the requirements to receive a Silver, Bronze, Journey Summit, or My Promise My Faith Award. In order to properly document this information, we need a completed Girl Recognition Form found here. This is the only form that will be accepted and must be returned no later than March 15, 2013. We want to recognize all girls, but information turned in after the deadline will have to wait until 2014.
Gold Award Plaques, Gold Award Pins, Gold Award Parent Pins and Silver Award Pins are being gifted to girls from a generous donor.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Amy Gainey, Program Specialist, at 1-800-232-4475 or 239-561-1800 ext. 402 or email amyg@gsgcf.org.
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 Girl Scouts Participation Wanted
In Endangered Species Day
The purpose of Endangered Species Day is to educate the public about the importance of protecting endangered and threatened species, share success stories of species recovery and highlight everyday actions that individuals and groups can take to protect the nation's wildlife and the places they call home.
Girl Scout Opportunities
Endangered Species Day can provide Girl Scouts with an ideal opportunity to learn more about biodiversity, local habitats, and specific endangered and threatened species, and potentially fulfill some of the requirements for the Earned Award Program. Specific areas that might apply include: Animal Habitats, Voice for Animals, 5 Flowers, 4 Stories, 3 Cheers for Animals Leadership Journey, Justice Leadership Journey.
Suggested Endangered Species Day Activities
The type of Endangered Species Day activities that could help Girl Scouts meet Earned Award Program requirements include:
- Participating in local community clean-up projects at wetlands, beaches, and other areas.
- Developing an exhibit and activities for a troop meeting, which the public could attend as well.
- Organizing an activity for Girl Scout Brownies (using various resource materials such as color/activity sheets, available from Endangered Species Day website: www.endangeredspeciesday.org.
- Organizing educational displays at libraries, community buildings, etc.
- Working with environmental organization (Audubon Society, Sierra Club) to promote Endangered Species Day events.
- Assisting with Endangered Species Day exhibits at zoos, museums, parks in your area period.
Resources
The Endangered Species Day website (www.endangeredspeciesday.org) offers a variety
of resources to help with organizing an activity, including a special toolkit that features
information on how to plan/host an event, stickers, bookmarks, coloring/activity sheets,
signs, and a passport, many of which can be downloaded and printed. You will also find
extensive background material on threatened and endangered species.
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Celebrate the Girl Scout Birthday With Great Deals in the Council Shops!
March 12th is the Girl Scout Birthday. As troops celebrate our birthday, remember to check out the many different "Happy Birthday Girl Scouts" fun patches.
New items are arriving weekly! Some of our recent additions include: 
- Cookie Glass Set (2 pk). - $12 - Each glass is adorned with either a Thin Mint or Trefoil cookie on the front. The back of the glass lists the Five Skills Girls learn through the Cookie Program. Glasses are 16 oz. and dishwasher safe for 300-400 washings. (Quantities are LIMITED)
- Girl Scout Cookie Sale 95th Anniversary Fun Patch - $1.25
- Tech Tools. Items just received include: iPad cover, iPhone case, iPhone lanyard carrier, trefoil ear buds, and 2-in-1 pen and stylus.
Looking for GREAT Deals?
Stop in and check our March Madness savings event!
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April - Child Abuse and
Neglect Prevention Month
Volunteers have a responsibility to not only keep our girls safe, but to follow our local, state and federal laws. As mentors for girls they might feel safe to share personal incidents or with their leader, or volunteers may witness or suspect a child is being abused. We ask service team leadership teams to take time to review with your volunteers the mandatory child abuse and neglect reporting laws which changed as of 10.1.2012. Florida Abuse Hotline 1-800-962-2873
The important thing to remember is that if a child reports abuse or a volunteer suspect's abuse they need to report it. If volunteers feel they need assistance they can contact council staff to help them make the call, they should report only the facts and allow the professionals to do the follow up, as well as keep the child and families personal issues confidential. When you are making a report you should also complete an incident report. Some changes in the law are indicated below.
Reporting regulations after 10-1-2012
- Any person who knows or has reasonable cause to suspect that a child is abused, abandoned, or neglected must make a report immediately to the Department of Children and Families via the central abuse hotline, which consists of the statewide toll-free telephone number, a web-based reporting option, web-based chat, and a fax reporting option.
- It is very clear that ALL persons are mandatory reporters, though only certain professions and/or occupations must provide their names when making a report.
- Consequences for failing to report are substantial: 3rd degree felony (term of imprisonment not exceeding 5 years, $5,000 fine). Consequences are even greater if the person charged is a habitual felony offender.
What hasn't changed?
- All reports are confidential. Access to the reports is limited by specific criteria in Chapter 39 and 415 of the Florida Statutes.
- 39.203 Immunity from liability in cases of child abuse, abandonment, or neglect.- Any person, official, or institution participating in good faith in any act authorized or required by this chapter, or reporting in good faith any instance of child abuse, abandonment, or neglect to the department or any law enforcement agency, shall be immune from any civil or criminal liability which might otherwise result by reason of such action.
How to make a report - Call 1-800-962-28-73 and provide:
- Name, age, race and gender of all children and adults involved
- Address (directions, especially in rural areas)
- Present location (again, directions)
- Names and ages of siblings
- Parents names and addresses
- Reasons for concerns
- Relationship of alleged perpetrator to the child
- Any known history of violence in the home or other risks to investigator(s)
What you can do to stay informed
- To learn more about the Florida Statutes visit http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/.
- Review Volunteer Essentials, Chapter 3
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We have a few requests from sister Girl Scouts and opportunities for girls in your troops. Please share as you feel appropriate.
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Help us spread the word and encourage girls and women to participate and ensure the success of our first ever 24 hour WAGGGS international 24 hour talk event.
My name is Kourtney Pratt and I am a Brownie Leader in Canada. I am also the WAGGGS Western Hemisphere Ambassador for International Day of the Girl. We are planning a 24 hour international online chat with girls across the WAGGGS network. I will be a moderator for a segment of the chat that will take place March 8-9, 2013. For more information please refer to the website http://wagggsworld.org/en/dayofthegirl/24hourchat
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Dear Sisters in Scouting,
My name is Heather Bradshaw, and I am a first year Brownie leader in Mattawan, Michigan. I am writing to you today to ask for your help. With all the news coverage of the New Town shootings, and the pictures of the kids shown on TV, I felt pulled to do something for the eight Girl Scout Daisies that lost their lives that day. As you know, when we became Girl Scouts, we became a sister to every Girl Scout. I personally have shed many tears for the sisters we lost that December day.
I decided that it would be a good idea to show support to their troops and families. I came up with the idea of a nationwide "Sister Quilt". What I am looking to do is create a huge quilt with a tile from each council in the country. The quilt will then be presented at a Camporee for the service unit in Connecticut. The camporee is to be held in the spring, so time is not really on our side! The quilt will be put on permanent display at Camp Candlewood for scouts to enjoy for years to come.
What I need from your council is your support by sending me a tile. Each tile should be a 8" x 8" square, and should represent your council. For example, I am from Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan, so I would expect to see hearts on our tile. All the pieces will be sent to me for final assembly and delivery. I would like to have this be "semi-girl lead" and would love to see the girls draw submissions for your area to choose from. Each council can send only one tile; otherwise the quilt will simply be too large! Use whatever colors or pattern you would like.
If you are able to participate, please mail your tile square to 12651 Girl Scout Lane, Ft. Myers FL, 33913. I need to receive your tile no later than March 1, 2013. The tile that best represents GSGCF will be selected for submission and will be highlighted on our website brag board.
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Another way to celebrate the Girl Scout Birthday, is to be a part of Girl Scout Week of Hope March 10-16, 2013. During this week, I am asking Girl Scouts from all areas to participate in helping their local Children's Hospitals as a part of my Gold Award project.
How you can participate:
- Contact your local children's hospital (or pediatric ward) to determine their specific needs.
- Choose a date to participate.
- Collect or make items to donate.
- Get others involved.
- Report on your involvement: Number of people involved, which hospital(s) were helped, number and type of items provided, etc. Send report to leighann.blalock@yahoo.com
Some of the need may include individually wrapped healthy snacks; individual microwavable meals; new or looks-like-new books; small (hotel size) shampoos, lotions, etc; toothbrushes & small toothpaste tubes; activity bags; coloring books and crayons; clean, good condition adult comfortable clothing (sweats pants and shirts, etc.); new children's videos; and more. Be sure to ask your hospital's volunteer coordinator what that hospital's needs are.
Thank you for helping with my project. Please email me if you have any questions or suggestions at leighann.blalock@yahoo.com.
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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 10,000 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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