North Reading Girl Scout Scavenger Hunt 5/22/16

The North Reading Girl Scouts are inviting Girl Scouts in grades 6-12 to a scavenger hunt and pizza party on Sunday May 22nd from 5-7.  Come with your troop and bring along your leader or a parent to be the driver as you search the town for clues.  See the flyer here and contact Anne Valade avalade@baystatedisposal.com with any questions.

Reregistration Time is now here!

 Please read from GSEM--  **Incentives for Troops, Girls, Families, and our Service Unit**

It's time to renew troop and family memberships for another year of Girl Scout fun and adventure! Spring Renewal will be managed through our new Volunteer Systems.

New this year, we are offering exclusive GSEM membership renewal incentives for the 2016-17 troop year for service units, troops, girls and families who renew by July 1. 

Service Units*:

If 75% of your girls renew, the service unit receives $500 to reinvest in girls, troops and special local events. If 65% of girls renew, you earn $400; and if it's 50% of girls, you earn $300.  Imagine all the ways you can help girls locally! 

Troops:

We have a great incentive for any troop that renews membership for 75% of its girls. These troops start the year off with a pre-packaged, ready-to-go program-in-a-bag as our thank you. "I Promised a Girl Scout I would Vote" includes instructions, supplies and a patch!

Girls:

The first 9,000 girls to renew will receive this free Spring Renewal patch!

Families:

Each girl who renews this spring, along with one adult chaperone, will receive an invitation to register for the Ultimate Guide Sneak Peek in September 2016 at Camp Cedar Hill (date TBD). This event showcases some of the best programs GSEM has to offer, including high ropes course, archery and more. This event fills quickly, so encourage families to look for the registration email!

We can't wait to have you and your troop back for another great year of Girl Scouting!

NRGS Service Unit President’s Award from GSEM

Congratulations to the current NRGS Service Team who was recently nominated and endorsed by their peers to be awarded the President’s Award from the Girl Scouts of Eastern Mass.  This is the highest award a Service Unit can achieve and because of the registration team’s tremendous efforts in placing every girl this year as well as increasing our membership goals for girl and adult members, together with the entire service team’s hard work and dedication working together towards the Girl Scout Mission, Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts's Executive Committee of the Board of Directors approved North Reading to receive this prestigious award.  The letter from the CEO of GSEM can be found here. 

If you would like to attend the luncheon on May 14 at the Sheraton Hotel in Framingham, please go on to the GSEM website and register.  It’s $25 for the luncheon and you will be part of the celebration honoring all Girl Scout Volunteers and Service Units for 2016 who were approved to receive awards and recognitions.  The event starts promptly at noon but you can start registering at 11 a.m.  Currently, Anne, Debbie, Amy, and Kristin are able to attend.  Kristin will also be receiving an Appreciation Pin at the luncheon for her outstanding service to the NRGS Service Team the past few years in not only stepping up as Service Unit Coordinator but in all of the other positions she holds on the ST as well as all she has done to help run events.  Congratulations Kristin!

Leader Meeting Minutes 4/11/16

April Leader Meeting

Room 10, NR Town Hall – April 11, 2016

Meeting Start: 7:40 pm

In attendance: Debbie Nearing 73891, Michelle Gerokoulis 62796, Lisa Ayer 62798, Kerri Antonuccio 62803, Karianne Bekier 62803, Joanne Gibson 69175, Kristin Puliafico 85118, Amber O'Driscoll 76211, Melissa Audier 73894, Ruth Kennedy 73899, Lisa Coroa-Bockley 85121, Mays Hanegraaff 78188, Dawn Gonthier 71890, Amy Kelly 73897, 79107, Jenn Vant 85337, Kate Mahoney, 71868 Stephanie Musgrave 71868

Pledge of Allegiance and Girl Scout Law

Debbie ran tonight’s meeting in Anne’s absence and thanked all the volunteers mentioning that this is Leader/Volunteer Appreciation week for Girl Scouts.

Leader Appreciation:

Ruth made special packets for each leader in attendance with flower seeds, chocolate kisses, candy lifesavers, and a nice poem. Thank you to all our leaders and volunteers and thank you Ruth for assembling the gifts! It's nice to have the girls make a card or a token to give to the volunteers in your troop, such as a hardworking cookie mom or dad.

Outstanding Volunteer Nominations:

If you have a volunteer you would like recognized or a leader you feel deserves to be recognized as an outstanding volunteer and you would like to nominate her or him, contact Debbie Nearing before May 15th. 

GSEM President’s Award for North Reading Service Unit:

The North Reading Service Unit was recently nominated and endorsed by their peers and the selection was approved by the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors to receive the GSEM President’s Award for 2016.  We were one of 6 Service Units who were selected out of 178 in our region!  We qualified because we met our membership goals this year placing all the girls and we went above and beyond by increasing our numbers for adults and girls. There is an award luncheon in Framingham at the Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center on May 14th.  Check in starts at 11 and the event starts promptly at noon.  Council will allow 4 of us from the ST to attend and then we will pay for the others from the Service Unit Account if they want to attend.  Not everyone from the ST is available that day but half of the ST will be attending to receive their award and if any Leader or Volunteer is interested, you should go online with GSEM ASAP to sign up.  It’s $25 a person but space is limited.  The GSEM Award Letter is being posted to the blog!

GSEM Appreciation Pin:

We would also like to congratulate Kristin Puliafico who has also been nominated and endorsed by her peers to receive the GSEM Appreciation Pin at the GSEM Awards and Recognitions Luncheon the same day.  Kristin will also be a free guest for lunch and that is one less on the ST who we will need to pay for if all want to attend.  Kristin received this award for all of her dedication to the Service Team in not only serving as the Service Unit Coordinator but for taking on multiple roles on the ST and running events.  Congratulations!

Cookies-n-Canvas is April 21.

Last day for forms is the 14th. Please get in touch with Lisa Alexander with any forms.

Update:  Only 20 have signed up so there is room for older girls if anyone wants to invite older girls to attend.  **Please contact Lisa Alexander ASAP.**

Encampment:

We have 14 troops registered as of tonight. The encampment committee will meet next week on Thursday, April 21, at 7:30 p.m. to discuss more particulars. The meeting is at Lisa Alexander’s house. Debbie will get the info out to all leaders as soon as she sorts through the envelopes. 

Update:  We have approximately 47 day campers and 38 overnight campers.  Unless we get more participation in the next few days, we will be returning most of the tent sites on April 22nd and just keeping the 2 Yurt Sites and Health Lodge with day use for the Dining Hall and this should be enough to hold the overnight and day troops.  This encampment will be about the same number who attended in spring 2014. 

The theme is a luau and Kerstin is canoe and waterfront certified and we will have swimming and hopefully canoeing. We may have a Kona ice truck or even hula dancers as well as an outdoor activity for older girls, but it all depends on the cost.   Daisies usually come for the day around 9 a.m. and stay until 5 p.m.  On Friday night, the girls staying can make s’mores and hike and explore the camp as there is no scheduled activities.  This is a good opportunity for troops to work on badges, SWAPs, journey’s or just bond with one another.

If any girl needs to leave the camp and come back, please see Debbie or Kerstin and let them know so we know at all times who is in and out of the campsite. You will need to bring your own wood more than likely as last year there was not any wood, but all of these things will be addressed in a few weeks. 

These were just questions that were asked at the Leader meeting and answered on the spot.  We also mentioned that we would look at doing the SWAPS event at a time convenient for those girls who have sports and need to leave and come back, probably around lunch time.

S.W.A.P.S. for Encampment:

Time to think about SWAPS! Swaps are “some whatchamacallits affectionately pinned on someone” (little tokens each girl can make to hand to another girl at camp). They are fun to make and girls enjoy exchanging with other girls.  Look at www.makingfriends.com, Pinterest or www.swaps4less.com for ideas or kits to purchase at a small cost. 

Each girl can make as little or as many as they exchange one for one for encampment. Most girls do between 10 and 15.  However many you make, you will trade and get that amount back.

Scavenger Hunt:

May 22nd from 5-7pm at the UCC.  Anne sent an email to some troops and asked if the older girls are interested in this event. If there is not enough interest, the event may be cancelled. Troops, in Grades 6-12, please get back to Anne ASAP if you are interested.

Memorial Day Parade:

Please do not throw candy. Your troop can hand out flowers, flags or something similar. If the troop is not participating, all girls are still welcome to march with the other Scouts or a parent.  Wear uniforms, sashes, GS pins, etc. 

Start working on your banner which can be for a specific level or for the entire 12 years with changing names as the years go on.  Use something sturdy that will hold up in inclement weather as we march rain or shine.  Also, use some kind of ink that won’t run if it gets wet.  The banner should not be too heavy on a pole or too long for the girls to trip when they carry it in the parade.

Troop Financial Reports:

Due to Lisa Alexander sometime in June but no later than June 30th.  Typically, reports and bank statements are turned in at our June 15th Leader meeting.

It is perfectly fine to end your financial report as of May 31st since bank statements for June won’t be released by June 15.

Council would prefer you don't keep a lot of funds in your account and if you have funds, especially more than $200, that are unused as of June 30th, you need to attach an explanation of what your troop is planning to do with the money and when you will plan on using it.  If you are saving for an activity or a trip, please write what you are saving for.  Remember that you can pay for the girls to reregister with the troop funds or pay half and have the parents pay half.  It should be a decision you make with the girls.

Remember too that the money doesn’t belong to the girls but rather the troop. Each year, the troop stays the same with the same troop number and you go forward with those funds to start the new year October 1st. 

Although the Girl Scout membership year is 9/30, you can still reregister in the early bird registration which is open online now.

Year End Gathering for Volunteers/Leaders:

We would like to have a year end event June 15 for the Leaders and Volunteers. The ST was wondering how much interest there would be in attending this event.  The ST would provide the adult refreshments and food. 

Update: The leaders in attendance at the April Leader meeting said they would attend and liked the idea of having a social at a Leader’s home as we have done in the past.  More info to come on this!

Amy: Early Bird Registration:

Starts at the end of April. Council has changed from Ebiz and you have to set up a new login and password and you should have received an email to do this. There will be no more paper registrations, everything will be done online.

New families joining GS will be able to go online and see what troops they can join and pick and sign up by the day/time convenient for them. For new Daisies, parents can choose by school. Also, folks can decide to be a volunteer of these new troops right their online and council will contact them with the necessary procedures to go forward with those girls in their troop.

The troops will now have 12 girl slots with an open capacity for more girls if a new scout signs up for your troop.  You can no longer choose to have less than 12 girls if a parent signs up their child to be part of your troop.  GSEM would contact you directly once a girl signs up for your troop so you are aware.  

There is now an 800 number for all questions you have and you WILL receive a LIVE person to speak with and you won’t have to wait any longer for a response. The number is online with GSEM as well as in our latest Monday email.

Membership Star Discs:

Can everyone bring to the next May Leader meeting any colored plastic discs that go behind the membership stars that you have left over from other levels from your troop?

Cookie incentives should be here the end of April.

NRGS Food Pantry Collection:

NR Food Pantry wrote a nice thank you note thanking the girls for all the food they collected. Girl Scouts collected over 700 lbs. of food for the pantry in March. Thank you so much.

Meeting end: 8:50 pm which included Fly Up information from Kate, Stephanie and Dawn.

 

Winchester Service Unit Babysitting Training

On Friday, April 22 and Saturday, April 23, you can become a better babysitter through this American Red Cross babysitting class.  The training is open to all girls in grades 5 and up and the class will cover safety, developing a business, basic child care, and first aid/CPR.  The class fee covers all required class materials, a quick reference guide and recertification.  The fee is $125 or $100 for registered Girl Scouts.  Class limit is 16 girls.  For more information and to register, click on the link below: https://drive.google.com/a/student.north-reading.k12.ma.us/file/d/0B2s_7pduLT_EcnR3Vm5oR2J6WFE/view?pref=2&pli=1

 

 

 

Hunger Games Challenge-Council Travel Group Event

Troop 31015 (council travel group) is hosting a Hunger Games Challenge at Camp Cedar Hill in Waltham on May 22 for grades 4 to 8 from 12 to 5 p.m.  This event was held two years ago and the girls who attended had a great time. All information and registration can be found on the flyer here.

Fly UP 2016

This year we will be having two Fly Ups, one for the Daisies and one for the rest of the town.  The separate Daisy Fly Up Ceremony for all participating first grade troops will be held on Sunday, May 15 at the Union Congregational Church from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.  If you have any questions, please refer them to Kristen Pemberton at kris10pem@gmail.com, Joanne Gibson at joanneg@gmail.com, or Anne Valade at annevalade@comcast.net.

The Town wide Fly Up will be Wednesday, June 1 at 6:30 p.m. at the International Church in North Reading – participating troops should bring their troop banner.  There will be a Fly Up meeting for those troops participating in the Town Wide Fly Up immediately following the April 11 Leader meeting.  See flyer here.

 

Volunteer Appreciation Week!!

As role models and mentors, volunteers introduce girls to futures bright with promise.

Girl Scouts pay tribute to the volunteers who help girls make the world a better place. National Volunteer Appreciation Week is April 10-16. Celebrate those who empower girls to be their best selves! Remember to thank your Girl Scout Leaders and Volunteers in some small way!  Come to the April meeting for a small thank you from the North Reading Service Team to thank you for all you do to make a difference in the life of a girl.

 

 

 

GSEM Service Area Support Information

Recently Council (GSEM) realigned their staff to focus more on membership recruitment and retention as part of the Customer Engagement Initiative (CEI).  North Reading’s new Volunteer Support Specialist is Kim Lambert-Serna.  Families and all volunteers can reach their Customer Care Team for any inquiry, question or feedback by calling 844-306-GSEM (4736), emailing: customercare@gesma.org or using the Contact Us page on their website. Additionally, Rosa Maldonado will now be the (external) Recruitment Specialist recruiting new members in our service unit and working directly with the service unit to ensure that new troop girls and volunteers are placed in the right opportunity for them and our (internal) Recruitment Specialist will be Molly Nagel.  So many great changes are coming this year to make registering girls easier for leaders, volunteers, and families!