Leader Meeting Minutes 11-20-13

Town Hall Room 14

Attendance: Kristin Puliafico, SUC and 85118; Debbie Nearing, Corresponding Secretary & 73891; Anne Valade, Treasurer; Barbara Gravel, Registrar; Janice Sarno, Service Team Member; Kerstin March, Cookie & Fall Product Manager; Lindsay Felix, 76211; Sarah Stetson, 76213; Jodi Sponzo, 73897; Kelly Desousa, 66232; Melissa Lally, 85118; Sandy Griffin, 71900; Lynne Alley, 85336; Kristin Lamont, 85193 & 71880; Kate Mahoney, 71868; Stephanie Musgrave, 71868; Mary Lasdin, 71871 & 71893; Patti Harrington, 71876 & 85122; Kristen Russell, 76211.

Meeting called to order: 7:35 pm

Pledge of Allegiance

Girl Scout Promise

Investiture Ceremony and Presentation of Pins to New Leaders and co-leaders:  Lindsay Felix, Sarah Stetson, Kelly DeSousa, and Kristen Russell present at this meeting.  For those not present: Shannon Sullivan, Bridget Easler, Maria Driscoll, Marcy Nelson, and Elene McLoughlin, pins will be given to them by associated leaders.

Barbara: Father-Daughter Square Dance 11-23-13.  Since forms are being handed in at this meeting, is it not known yet how many are attending.  Discussion about possibility of holding only one session and if so, then will hold the 3-4:30 time slot.  Outcome of number of sessions held will be known by Thursday, November 21^st, and communicated to parents.  

UPDATE TO MINUTES:  EVENT IS RUNNING AS SCHEDULED AND WE WILL TAKE MORE PARTICIPANTS AND AT THE DOOR AS WELL!

Barbara: Registration Event (second reg event) scheduled for 12-3-13.  This is to try to recruit new leaders, hoping to start a new second grade Brownie troop.  There are three second grade girls waiting to be placed in a troop.

Some parents did not know about the first registration event held in September.  The school will not place paper flyers in backpacks like we’ve requested, so other methods of public awareness were discussed.  Suggestions for elementary school principals to send emails to parents, and to place a notice in the North Reading Patch online newspaper were made.  Contact person is Danielle Masterson at the Patch.

Debbie:  Encampment tentatively scheduled June 13-15, at Camp Cedar Hill in Waltham, awaiting approval from GSEM.  One conflict is the eighth grade class DC trip returns from their trip the night of June 13^th.  Girls going on the DC trip can still attend encampment Saturday and leave Sunday morning if they wish.   We are considering a separate 8^th grade campout since they will miss this event.

Debbie:   Mitten Tags for CCS.  We are participating in providing toiletries for families in need for the holiday season.  Each tag is assigned to a family, lists the number and ages of members.  On the back of the tag are the dates and place for dropping off.  A list of suggestions of items to donate to the family was also available.  Leaders picked out tags for their troop to adopt that family and a recyclable collection bag was handed out to those who took a tag. This will help to ensure families get about the same amount of items. Tips and ideas shared among leaders about how to gather items, including each girl member donating supplies or going shopping with the girls, which involves getting parents to chaperone, and involving girls in the process.  Girls learn about how to work with a budgeted amount of money when they are involved in the process.  Suggestion of applying this experience to badge work was made.

Kristin:  Ultimate Girl Scout Quiz, winner was Kerstin March with 33 points and winner of decorative bowl filled with candy.  Mary Lasdin came in second with 30 points.  Points scored by past and present experiences in Girl Scouting.

Kerstin:  Fall Sale: More troops participated this year in the fall product sale.  Product was delivered this week and pick-ups available at Ruth Kennedy’s house.  We reached our goal for cans of honey roasted peanuts obtained for the NR food pantry Thanksgiving Day baskets!  Thanks to all who participated.  Profit to our SU town account was some $200 plus.

Kerstin: Cookie Sale: The sale is from December 13^th to January 13^th.  The delivery of cookies will be January 27^th; this year pick-up of initial orders will be at Burbank Ice Arena parking lot, in conjunction with the Reading SU.  Booth sale requests were due today.  Booth sales will be Walmart, Stop and Shop, Post Office, and Ryer’s.  You can also hold a sale at another local business if you get permission from the business owner and you must let GSEM and Kerstin March know about all booth sales for approval.  There is a separate sale of the new gluten free cookie; these must be ordered by December 31^st  but there is limited supply so order early.  The order form is in your cookie product book handed to your cookie advisor at training! The gluten free cookies are very tasty, are a shortbread-like cookie with chocolate chips and they are $5.00 a bag.  They will not be available until the end of January from the time you order.

Events:  Lynne Alley would like to hold an anti-bullying event, might be in January near the week of January 20^th, which is no name calling week. Patti Harrington stated her troop has looked at having Ed Biggs give a presentation about cyber-bullying.  There was a suggestion that Thea Peach may be interested in providing something on this topic also, as she is a former GS leader and is experienced in internet safety.  May be able to contact Marci Bailey about someone who can help with resources for bullying.

Discussion about future events, and what the leaders would like to see return.  Those suggested were: scavenger hunt, father-daughter sporting event, ice skating, bingo, karaoke night, mother daughter game night, caroling at the Common, all troops, movie event, bracelet making party, night of beauty.  Of course, we need Leaders to step up and help run these events if we run them!

At this meeting leaders brought used donated troop supplies to share.  We still have a lot of items left and will continue to collect at each meeting.

The Daisy Raffle basket filled with lots of new fun activities was donated by Kristin Puliafico and won by Lindsay Felix! 

The next leaders meeting will be a morning meeting, Wednesday, December 11^th, 2013, at 9:30 am the Library Activity Room with coffee and muffins!

Meeting adjourned at 8:40 pm.