Zumba Event for Gold Award Project

It's Zumba Time!  

Caitlin Nearing is hosting a Zumba event for her 
Gold Award Project
March 13

 from 1pm to 2pm at Core Synergy

197 Main St. Suite 201

North Reading

This event is especially for girls in grade 6 - 12 but all ages, including adults can attend. 

Any questions please contact Caitlin at  cnearing@student.north-reading.k12.ma.us

The flyer is located here and the liability waiver is located here.   

Dr. Nora Shine to Present "The TALK Workshop: Realistic Strategies to Protect Kids from Sexual Abuse"

On Tuesday, March 22 at 7:00pm the Aldersgate Church (235 Park St. in North Reading) welcomes the community to a workshop presented by Dr. Nora Shine on keeping our kids safe from sexual abuse.  
More information about this workshop can be found here. Please contact  aldersgateumc@gmail.com with any questions about the event.  More information about the TALK and Dr. Shine can be found at drshinethetalk.worpress.com    
   


       

Donate a Can! North Reading Food Pantry March Drive

Hello Girl Scout Troop Leaders!

March is food drive month for the Girl Scouts! Troop 73894 is running it and we need your help! You can get your girls excited to donate and ask them to have their friends, family, and neighbors donate as well. Donate a can! :D

How can YOU contribute to our efforts?

• Girl Scout decorated collection bins will be located at Flint Memorial Library, Ryers, Stop & Shop, Walmart, Batchelder School and Little School.  Please encourage family and friends to drop off items in any of these convenient bins. 

• Sign up for two hour shifts to assist local shoppers at Stop & Shop by distributing food pantry lists at  http://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040e44a9a822a13-food

• Ask friends and families for food pantry items by calling, emailing, visiting and asking door to door.  The “On the Spot” flyer can be found here and the “I Promised a Girl Scout” flyer can be found here.

• Collect food pantry items at your troop meetings throughout the month of March

GIRL SCOUTS CAN DROP OFF ALL COLLECTED ITEMS AT OUR FOOD PANTRY DRIVE

AT THE NR TOWN HALL GYM ON SATURDAY MARCH 26TH FROM 9:30-10:00AM

 (by guest blogger Jogi Emni) 

Leader Meeting Minutes 2/10/2016

Leader Meeting Minutes

February 10, 2016

Town Hall, Room 10

In attendance:  Debbie Nearing 73891, Joanna Maguire 78188, Kate Mahoney 71868, Stephanie Musgrave 71868, Michelle Gerokoulis 62796, Bridget Easler 76212, Karianne Bekier 62803, Cindy DeWolfe 85336, Joanne Gibson 69175, Kerstin March, Amber O’Driscoll 76211, Amy Kelly 73897/71901/62804, Kristen Pemberton 69171, Jenn Vant 85337, Dawn Gonthier 71890, Heidi Cushing-Candelario 62798, Denise Kung 62798, Anne Valade

Meeting start: 7:35 PM

Girl Scout Pledge and Promise

Anne:  Welcome

Kerstin:  Cookie info

·         Kerstin has cookies for swapping

·         Booth sales can take extra on consignment

·         First payment deadline next week on 2/17, 50% for initial cookies

·         Kerstin will be in touch with cookie advisors once she gets clear information from council

·         There are still some booth sale times left

·         Incentives will be in 3^rd week of April

Question:  How can a troop get ahead fund wise in order to offer more low cost or cost free opportunities?

·         Dues (should not be excessive)

·         Have the costs split 50/50 from parents and troop funds

·         Candy – Fall Product Sale Profit

·         Cookie Money (CANNOT solicit for donations at booth sales or put out a tip box)  If a customer has you keep their change or offers you money, that’s okay and is considered a donation, but you CANNOT ask customers for tips or donations for the girls or the troop!

Ideas for ways to use troop funds (REMINDER:  girls should choose how to they want the troop to spend their money)

·         Year end party

·         Can choose to donate money to a non – profit but cannot solicit funds for another non-profit

·         Save funds for larger expense like Great Wolf Lodge, Rocking Horse Ranch, Camping trip

If your troop is having any bank service fees withheld from the troop account, please speak with our town treasurer, Lisa Alexander, ASAP…troops should NOT be paying bank fees!  Citizen’s Bank does not charge bank fees to NRGS troop accounts.

Anne: 

Congratulations to registration team:  Amy, Kristin, Joanne and Ruth for meeting registration goals this year.  KUDOS!

In search of a Batchelder School Coordinator to be at registration events and help Registrar place girls in troops - primarily a Spring/Fall commitment

Anne: 

Upcoming events:

·         Free Kids fun fair and zoo at Shriners Auditorium for Scout Day – tickets were at meeting

·         Scout Night at Disney on Ice 2/19 code:  GSCOUTD20   bit.ly/1PDAWW5 

o   VIP pkg $30, Loge pkg $20

·         World Thinking Day 3/6 flyer on blog

·         Girl Scout Sunday 3/6 flyer on blog, girls should wear uniform and bring non perishable food item – girls attending another House of Worship or service on that day or outside NR can get a patch at March Leader meeting

·         March is food pantry month for girls, information to come.

·         Roller Skating event 1:30 to 3:30 on 3/11/16 - flyer on blog.  Not a drop off, only open for NRGS event that day/time.  Friends and family of NRGS may attend however.

·         Gymnastics event may not happen due to possible scheduling conflict at gym, stay tuned

·         Fly up troops can begin to gather up to 10 photos for slideshow, June event, more information coming

o   8^th grade troops running event are tentatively looking at Wed., June 1^st for Fly Up

§  Jenn Vant will ask Softball Coordinators to move games the night of Fly Up

·         Encampment, tropical luau theme see flyer on blog.  For troops interested in staying overnight training upcoming:

o   Lodge training Cedar Hill Waltham 3/12 from 9-5

o   Tent training Cedar Hill Waltham 4/16-4/17 overnight

o   Visit www.gsema.org  to register

§  When looking for events at GSEM, calendar view can be the easiest to look for events

Anne:  How can leader meetings be most useful?  What support can Service team offer?

o   Help obtaining financial aid for camps, financial aid resources (camp guide pg 59-62, cookie credits)

o   Gearing more events toward older troops

§  Partnering older troop with younger troop

·         Help earn a badge

·         Run events

o   Breaking up into groups by level periodically for leader meetings can be a great way to share ideas, each group having a mentor – Leaders prefer small groups

o   Bringing in leader trainings to town so leaders don’t have to coordinate travel/dates

Debbie:  Do Leaders prefer Quarterly or Bimonthly Leader meetings?

o   Leaders felt bimonthly meetings might be fine as the Monday email has most of what we discuss at the monthly meetings.  Leaders would like to see more round table discussions.

o   Facebook group has been helpful

Anne:  Discuss with your troops, changing promise from I will try to I will wording, send feedback to      Anne or Debbie afterwards.

Meeting adjourned at 8:55 PM

Minutes taken by Bridget Easler for Kristin Puliafico and Edited by Debbie Nearing as Secretary

Spring Encampment - Island Adventure June 3-5

***Deadline changed for day campers only, permission forms due no later than April 29th***

The theme for our spring encampment is Hawaiian Luau - Island Adventure!  The June 3-5 weekend will be filled with fun activities with a tropical island vibe with lots of surprises! The cost is $15 for girls wanting to stay overnight 1 or 2 nights or $6 for girls attending for the day only on Saturday.  Registered, Coried adults attending overnight will be charged $5.  There will be swimming and older girl canoeing, weather permitting.  Depending upon the number of girls who participate, we may also be offering other outdoor activities such as archery.  Permission forms found here and payment are due to your Leader NO LATER than April 11th.  We need a firm headcount as unused booked campsites have to be returned 6 weeks before the encampment date of June 3rd.  If you have any questions about this event, please contact Debbie at bcednearing@comcast.net or Kerstin at march.family@verizon.net.  

**Reminder - any adult participating needs to be registered Girl Scouts and GSEM CORIed.

North Reading Girl Scouts Friend & Family Skating Event 3/11/15

This event is being held at the Roller Palace from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Friday, March 11th, for the elementary schools in North Reading having early dismissal.  Permission forms found here and payment need to be returned to the Leader by March 4th to be turned in to the March 10th Leader meeting.  The cost of the event is $7 which includes the entrance fee, rental skates and a participation patch.  Questions about this event should be addressed to Amy Kelly by emailing her at kellys@majekelly.com or calling her at 978-664-2329.  Girls should bring a nonperishable food item to donate for the Food Pantry.

 

 

 

 

Girl Scout Sunday March 6

Please find the flyer here with all the information about Girl Scout Sunday on March 6th and Sabbath on March 12th.

Winter Vacation Camping at Camp Wabasso

GSEM Event - Winter Vacation Camping at Camp Wabasso – Cadettes, Seniors, Ambassadors

Get the most out of your winter vacation week at Camp Wabasso! Spend two days downhill skiing or snowboarding and an evening of tubing at a local ski resort with other teens. Back at camp, enjoy cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, hanging out by the campfire and other activities. All lodging, equipment rentals, lessons, food and transportation from Waltham are included. 

This four-night overnight program starts at 1 PM on February 15 and ends at 4 PM on February 19. Drop-off event. Go here to register now - don't let this great program be cancelled! 

Lead your Way – Girl Leadership Conference

GSEM Event - Lead your Way – Girl Leadership Conference – Cadettes, Seniors, Ambassadors

Focus on developing leadership skills that you can use for college, the workforce and everyday life.  Don't miss this opportunity to be mentored by inspiring, professional women who have blazed their own leadership journey. The conference features workshops for girls and adults, a panel discussion and a talk with keynote speaker, Jasmina Aganovic, the president of Mother Dirt, a company that develops biome-friendly products. A wide range of workshop topics includes financial literacy, goal setting and female empowerment, among others. A panel discussion will be held during lunch (included). This event also features special guest, singer/songwriter Casey McQuillen, who will be presenting from her "You Matter" concert tour.

Date: Sun Jan 31 2016, 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM     Location: Simmons College in Boston   Fee: $45 a person ( financial aid is available)   Register on GSEM website   

Leader Meeting Minutes 1/13/2016

Leader Meeting Minutes, Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Town Hall Room 14

In Attendance: Debbie Nearing 73891, Anne Valade, Michelle Gerokoulis 62796, Lisa Ayer 62798, Kerri Antonuccio 62803, Mays Hanegraaff 78188, Amy Solomon 69175, Jo Gibson 69175, Bridget Easler 76212, Kristin Puliafico 85118, Denise Kung, Kerstin March

Meeting Start 7:35pm with the Pledge of Allegiance and GS Promise

Anne: Did anyone mention the possible change in the Promise to their troop? What do the girls think? Should they take "try" out of the Promise? National Convention is October 2017. This is where they talk about any changes that will be made.

Kerstin: Any cookie questions? Initial order needs to be submitted by the 19th. The function opens the 15th. Remember to save instead of submit.

Anne: SHARE: Support Her Activities Resources Experience. Every Girl Scout family will get a mailing about SHARE. Please support the program if you can. The funding helps programs, trainings and fixing up and updating properties. Cedar Hill has been completely redone. Maude Eaton is getting platform tents. Council is looking for delegates. The position requires going to 3 meetings a year, one in October, January and a late spring meeting. Delegates learn what is new to Girl Scouts so you can share the information. Recognition committee: a committee that reviews nominations and criteria. This is done online with a few meetings.

Anne: Events: Martin Luther King Day Skating held by Reading Girl Scouts at Burbank Arena, 1/18 9:30-11:20am. $5 admission and includes a patch. $15 cap for families.

                     Funtastic event by Reading Girl Scouts, Daisy to Juniors held on 1/30 in 2 sessions.

                     NRGS International Cultural Event: Sunday March 6, 2-4pm at the Moose Lodge. Focus will be on the 4 world centers of Girl Scouting: USMexico, England, India and Switzerland. Girls will move                              station to station with a passport and collect stamps from participating countries. We are looking to bring in entertainment, food, dance etc. If any troop has someone interested in sharing their                                  culture please let Debbie or Anne know asap. Flyer will be coming soon. Committee meeting directly following tonight's meeting.

Would anyone like to run a mother/daughter event?

Debbie: encampment committee will be announcing their next meeting date soon. They are working on a theme. Typical cost is $15 for overnight or $6-7 just for the day. Would you like to join the encampment committee? If you plan on going, look into camp trainings as they fill up fast. Check into ratios for adults per girls.

Anne: Check out the new GSEM website, they changed their address: www.gsema.org.

Anne: future events: March is GS birthday month, GS Sunday is March 6th. We send a letter to all churches and any girl attending services in uniform will receive a patch. NRGS provides the patches. We need volunteers at each church to hand out patches and take a photo of the girls that attend. Flyer to come for GS Sunday.

March is also GS Food Pantry month. Would anyone like to organize food pantry collections?

Amy Kelly's troop is running a roller skating event on a half day in March.

This is a friends and family event at a roller rink in Beverly. She will collect food for the pantry at the rink. Flyer coming soon.

April: gymnastics at Reading Gymnastics, over school vacation. We typically have 1 session for 60 girls. Cost could be $7 per girl and includes a patch. Jo Gibson will be running this event.

April is Leader Appreciation Month! Let's recognize the Leaders!

May or June: Fly-Up, is run by 8th grade troops. They have certain tasks: food, décor, program, stage, slide show and clean up etc. Fly Up meeting will directly follow the Feb. 10th Leader meeting. Flying Up is moving one level to the next. Bridging is fulfilling requirements and moving up one level to the next.

Memorial Day parade is in May. Do you have a banner? Information will be forthcoming soon about what you need for size of banner, etc.

Has anyone checked out the blog? Questions and comments are welcome.

Ipswich River Sanctuary is running a Maple Sugar Scout Jamboree on Saturday, February 13, 1-4pm. Bring your troop and whole family for lots of fun activities. $10 per person. Call Angela for more info. or to sign up: 978-887-9264, ext. 7703.

Kristin: We have 3 Caroling patches left. The Caroling event can be seen on youtube.com Search for North Reading Girl Scouts.

Kerstin: There are lots of booth sale dates and COBS available. Any cookie questions?

8:50pm adjourned

Bridget will be taking notes at the February 10th meeting.

Kristin Puliafico