Girl Scout Leader Meeting Minutes 10/23/18

Agenda for Leader Meeting

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

LAR – 7:30 p.m.

Meeting start time: 7:30 pm

In attendance:

Debbie Nearing, Lisa Ayer, Jo Gibson, Denise Kung, Rebecca Lowe, Anne Valade, Amber O'Driscoll, Laura Cherwek, Kerri Antonuccio, Kristen Pemberton, Lisa Coroa-Bockley, Erin Sewer, Amy Kelly

GSEM information will be posted directly to blog separately - hidden codes prevented Monday email from going through to all Leaders - Monday email was resent Tuesday afternoon after Debbie found out no one received it but her

• Salute and Pledge to the Flag and Promise –

·         Led by Brownie Girl Scouts Elizabeth Ayer and Julia Pemberton

• Registration & Early Bird patches available on table – Debbie

·         215/254 last year 85% girls and 113/149 last year 76% adults with 26 troops

·         We lost several troops last year to sports-our numbers are down

·         Troops still needing to pick up patches: 66232, 69184, 78188, 85336, 71868

• Troop Directory Update Information – Debbie

·         Correct and Edit any errors directly on the paper and initial

·         An updated directory will be distributed through the Monday email

·         Troop directory to be used strictly for Girl Scout purposes only

• Fall Product Sale – Denise

• 5 more troops participating this year
• As of last Friday, we have exceeded last year’s sales by $1700 -
• Correction to minutes after the meeting - the numbers in the fall product system were not accurate.  We are very close to last year’s numbers of $15,000 in fall product sales.  An update will be given at the November Leader meeting.
• All sales must be put in by Thursday, October 25th

• Past and Upcoming Events and New Ideas

·         Halloween Party Success - Jo Gibson

·         116 girls attended, and many gave positive feedback

·         Nursing facility parade was very quick as residences weren't in the hallway like they were in previous years. This will be addressed directly with staff for future visits with NRGS

·         Thank you to all those who helped run the event

·         Great job being a sister to every Girl Scout at the event - Ava Colbert, Hood School 5th grader - gave her prize-winning selection to another GS

·         Spooky Tales – Anne/Amy        

·         This event is being postponed for lack of participation

·         Watch for it at a later date in the year

·         Rock Climbing – Lisa Ayer

·         Please turn in your permission forms now for this 11/17 event

·         We have about 13 girls signed up

·         Most girls for afternoon session - considering moving to one session

·         CookieFest  – Jo

·         First Ever Cookie Fest is on December 1st at Bentley Arena

·         Information from GSEM will be on the blog

·         Jo will be away - Lisa Ayer will give out Troop Cookie kits at November Leader meeting in Jo’s absence

·         Troops should send someone to pick up their cookie kits

·         Cookie season will start in December

·         Cocoa and Caroling –

·         Kristen Pemberton and Amy Solomon will co-chair the event.

·         Debbie to reach out to Amy S.

·         Date and Location TBD

·         He and Me Field Day –

·         Amber O’Driscoll will chair the event.

·         Date TBD

·         International Festival for World Thinking Day in February –

·         This event needs volunteers to run - Jo Gibson willing to assist someone

·         The date will be around February 22nd as part of World Thinking Day

·         First time event was run on Girl Scout Sunday in March

·         In the past Amy Kelly's troop created a plane and they pretended to fly to each destination. Each girl presented information about one country

·         World Thinking Day theme in 2019 is Leadership

·         Amber to research Leadership theme ideas

·         Lego Challenge, Home Depot craft building kits – NEW IDEAS – Denise

·         Lego Challenge- have teams try to solve a problem using a Lego structure they build themselves.  The library has Legos we can use.

·         Date TBD

·         Lisa Ayer to investigate Home Depot craft building kits for troops

·         NEW IDEA – STEM Robotics Demo by NRHS – Denise

·         Brownies – Engineering Badge; and Daisies – Rollercoaster Badge

·         Amber to investigate contact information for Robotics

·         Encampment Spring - Dates will be June 8-9; 15-16 only dates doable for EDs

·         Looking at Camp Maude Eaton and Camp Runels – Lottery??

·         8^th Runels; 8^th Maude Eaton or 15^th Runels our choices for now

·         Update to the minutes - GSEM informed us that the 14th-15th is not available for Runels.  Also, the lodge is booked for the 8th in Andover

·         Considering 1st-2nd as a second option and 8th-9th as first at Runels

• Community Service Events for NRGS

·         Republican Committee – October 30^th at Kitty’s 7 p.m. flag ceremony

·         If interested, let Debbie know – Jeff Yull in charge of Event

·         Amber to post on Facebook

·         Veteran’s Day Ceremony – Monday, November 12^th at 11 a.m. flag ceremony

·         Correction to the minutes - Veteran’s Day Ceremony is Sunday, November 11th at 11am at the Common

·         Any troop wanting to bake or donate baked goods are welcome

·         Any troop wanting to make a patriotic poster is welcome as well

·         Service Project at Lazarus House – T-shirt fundraiser - Anne/Amy

·         Lazarus House is a shelter in Lawrence.

·         They have volunteer opportunities for all ages. Examples: creating decorations for the dining room, collecting for their needs, working on site.

·         At Lazarus House each family or person gets a room. The director is starting to re-do each room. They have Amazon wish lists for things they need and Amy Kelly and Anne Valade’s troop is selling t-shirts to help fund their service unit project there.

·         Two specific needs they have that can be immediately addressed at the Troop level are toothbrushes and men’s winter gloves.  

·         T-Shirt Fundraiser - Troop 71901

·         Great gift giving ideas - Flyers on Blog with ordering information

·         Mystic Valley Elder Services Emergency Closet

·         Accepts donations of new sheets, new towels, and unopened hygiene items for seniors in need

• GSEM Events

·         Mass STEM week and Girl Scouts - Monday 10/22 to 10/26/2018

·         GSEMA: New award that recognizes outstanding young people. Based on community service - See blog

·         2019 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards

·         GSEMA can nominate up to 9 girls - 7 middle and 2 high school level

·         November 4^th Volunteer Conference – Event full for girls and closed for adults

·         Rebecca Lowe will talk in November about what she learned

• Next Leader Meeting –November 15^th at 7:30 p.m. in the LAR

·         Rededication/Investiture Ceremony for all new Leaders

·         Each new Leader will receive a pin and a tab as voted at our ST meeting

·         Each Leader in attendance will receive a NRGS volunteer pen

·         Most replied NOT to do a December Leader meeting again this year - busy time

Meeting End: 8:55

Minutes taken by Rebecca Lowe, NRGS Service Unit Secretary

Read and Edited by Debbie Nearing, SU Coordinator