It’s Volunteer Appreciation Season!

Show appreciation for volunteers you know and love by nominating them for formal recognition! Submit nominations online by February 15. 

 

Volunteer/Troop Leader Education Opportunities

Risk Management and Volunteer Safety Virtual Connections. Looking for additional guidance on how to ensure safe Girl Scouting experiences for your girls? Join us online on January 10 for Risk Management and Volunteer Safety Virtual Connections. You’ll be introduced to Safety Activity Checkpoints, Volunteer Essentials, and council policies and procedures for troop overnights, camping trips, and trips abroad. Register today. 

Wilderness First Aid. Our spring Wilderness First Aid course is now open for registration! Financial aid is available, and Girl Scout Ambassadors may also register to attend as part of earning their First Aid badges. Sign up now—space is limited!

Youth Mental Health First Aid. Offered at a discounted rate for GSEMA volunteers, this training introduces participants to the unique risk factors and warning signs of mental health challenges for adolescents, builds understanding of the importance of early intervention, and teaches participants how to help an adolescent in crisis or experiencing a mental health challenge. The course will be offered twice this winter and spring: at Camp Maude Eaton in Andover on February 22, and in Middleboro on April 25. Register.

Program Highlights

Here are some new and interesting program highlights:

Adventures in Storytelling. Girls are invited to meet Kara LaReau, the award-winning author of the Infamous Ratsos series and Rise of ZomBert (coming July 2020), on February 22! The registration fee is $18 per girl, and includes a copy of Infamous Ratsos. Daisies and Brownies can register for the 3 PM–5 PM session, and Juniors, Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors can register for the 10 AM–2 PM session. Volunteer supervision is required.  

Cybersecurity Badge Day. Brownies and Juniors can earn the Cybersecurity Basics badge on January 19, by taking part in exciting workshops taught by professional women in the cybersecurity industry. Girls will learn about pending cybersecurity legislation, engage in exciting discussions and debates, and explore potential cybersecurity careers. The registration fee is $20 per girl, and includes a badge. Volunteer supervision is required. Register.

Winter Online Journeys. Seniors and Ambassadors can learn exciting new STEM skills through online Journeys in January and February! In the Think Like a Programmer Online Journey, girls will join together to learn coding and computer science skills. Registration is $25 per girl.

Winter Vacation Camp. Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors are invited to spend their winter breaks at Camp Wabasso! At Winter Vacation Camp, campers can enjoy cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, downhill skiing, snowboarding, tubing, and more from February 17–21. Registration is $425/girl, and includes heated lodging, equipment rentals, lessons, meals, and transportation to/from Waltham, MA. This is a drop-off event.

Winter Vacation Adventures.  Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors can escape the winter blues by joining their Girl Scout peers for winter break at Camp Cedar Hill! At Winter Vacation Adventures, girls will make new friends, go on adventures, and participate in games, crafts, STEM experiments, and more. Groups will spend the majority of their time in indoor heated spaces, with occasional outdoor activities (weather permitting). New for 2020: busing is available and included in the registration fee. Registration is $60/girl, and financial aid is available.

Getting your troop activities in the Transcript

If you'd like to let the North Reading community know about some of the great stuff you do with your troop, consider sending it to the North Reading Transcript. Whenever you do something community related, outdoors, STEM related - anything really, you can send a pic and a blurb. The girls love to see their picture in the paper + it promotes girl scouts in our town.

Here are some tips:

- send a ready to print article of 200 words or less 

- include who, what, when, where and why

- always send hi-res photographs with captions (always make sure you have permission from parent/ guardian to publish)

- add a quote if you can (but not necessary)

- send it to nrtranscript@rcn.com

- please reach out to Jo Gibson (joanneg@gmail.com) if you want help.

Resources - Did you know?

There are several information and event resources for North Reading Girl Scout and their Families such as:

Two Facebook pages: 

1. Parents and Guardians of North Reading Girl Scouts

2. North Reading Girl Scout Leaders

This Blog:

www.northreadinggirlscouts.blogspot.com

Calling for volunteers

We are hoping to run these great events in the new year if we get enough volunteers:

Girl Scout Race Car Challenge

Seeking volunteers to participate on a planning committee for this event likely to be held in the March/April time frame. Plan to meet maybe 3-4 times between Dec-March. Please contact Lisa Ayer at lisa.ayer7@gmail.com

World Thinking Day

If you, or someone you know (such as a troop parent) would like to share their heritage, we would love them to help at our World Thinking Day. They would be asked to share a craft, or game, or food, or music, or a brief presentation. They would probably only need to do a couple of these things and keep the girls occupied for about 15 or 20 minutes. Your troop is also welcome to represent a country as a group. It can just be a country they are interested in - even if they don't have ancestry there. Please reach out to your troop parents. They can email Jo Gibson (joanneg@gmail.com) with any questions.

 

Cookie Update

1. This week kicks off our booth sales! Still plenty of December slots available if you want to get a jump start before the holidays!

2. You can also start placing order for cookies through ABCSmartCookies.com. Make sure your order is in by Sunday 10pm to pick up that week.

3. Don't forget to add your scheduled booth sales into ABCSmartCookie so that you can use the new credit card and booth divider options.

4. January COBS deadline is Dec 12th. Don't miss it!

5. Please note that all cookie cupboards will be closed for the holidays December 22–January 2. Deadlines for planned cookie orders are Sundays at 10 PM throughout cookie season, and the final day for cookie-selling is March 31, 2020.

Caroling Event

Don't forget to get your forms in for caroling! This is a great, free event the girls love where they will make cards for the residents, sing carols, and have cookies and chocolate milk. This year it will be on Thursday December 19, 2019, 4pm- 5pm at Care one in Wilmington (750 Woburn St). Girls can wear their Christmas jammies/holiday attire/ hats etc. Forms can be dropped off to Kristen Pemberton: 9 Bishops Way, by December 10th. Flyer is attached to the Monday email.

 

Future Service Unit (SU) events

Our amazing service unit has several events planned for this scouting year including a Lego challenge, DIY Race car event, Archery/Canoe/S’mores and more! If you have an idea for an event or would like to be part of the planning committee for an event please reach out to Rebecca or Jo. Thank you for being part of North Reading Girl Scouts!   

Volunteer Recognitions

GSEMA is now accepting nominations for volunteer recognitions! Show appreciation for volunteers you know and love by nominating them for formal awards. Nominations are due by February 15. Plus, check out our tips for other fun and easy ways to say thank you to volunteers who are making the world a better place.

Seeking Girl Board Members

GSEMA invites Girl Scouts ages 14–17 to apply for a position on the GSEMA Board of Directors. Girl Board Members have the unique opportunity to collaborate with local professional leaders, strategize to better support Girl Scouting throughout eastern Massachusetts, and make a difference in their communities. To apply, girls should submit an application and two recommendations by 11:59 PM on January 23, 2020.

Represent GSEMA at the 2020 National Convention

Calling Girl Scouts age 14+ and adults! Apply to serve as a National Council Delegate for GSEMA at GSUSA’s 55th National Council Session and Convention. From October 21–25, 2020, in Orlando, Florida, you can be part of the action by representing GSEMA, meeting delegates from other councils, and casting your vote to help shape the future of Girl Scouting. Learn more about the role and read through the FAQ, then apply by December 5.

Program Highlights

STEM and Outdoor programs for Cadettes and Up- The days are getting shorter, but there’s still plenty of time for girls to learn new skills! They can develop green urban landscapes, problem-solve, and experiment with bridges, gliders, and moon rovers alongside female engineers from Raytheon at MathMovesU on December 8. They can also get outdoors to learn about knife safety, build an emergency shelter, cook delicious dishes using a variety of outdoor cooking methods, and more at Build Your Outdoor Skills sessions throughout December. Register your girl today.

Cookie Program

Get ready, get set, mark your calendars for the 2019–20 cookie program! Girl Scout Cookies fund adventures and help girls empower themselves through goal-setting and entrepreneurship—not to mention fun! Girls can begin selling cookies online on November 21, and in person on December 3. Troop Cookie Coordinators can get a prepared by submitting their required paperwork now. You can explore our online resources, and email us with your troop number if you need to be introduced to your Service Unit Cookie Mentor.

Fall Product - Final Count

From Denise Kung- “We had 13 troops participating and total sales just over $16,000. Incredible job by everyone! We had 11 troops sell over $750, which I believe means we earned a service unit bonus of $220. We did better in total sales and in troops breaking the $750 mark over last year.”

Frozen 2- Event Full

Daisies, Brownies and their families are invited to a private showing of Frozen 2 at Woburn Showcase Cinemas on Wednesday, November 27^th at 1pm. There are 40 seats available and the cost is $11 a ticket. Please venmo @Rebecca-Lowe-32, or drop off cash/check to 16 Pleasant Street. Registration will only be considered complete after both signupgenius registration and payment is received. ***This event filled in less than 24 hours so I’ve reached out to the theater to see if we have any options. If this event is a success I would love it to be annual with the possibility of moving it to a theater that is farther afield, but that can accommodate a larger group. Also, a separate film event for older girls is in the works.

Program Highlights

Check out some of the programs offered by Girl Scouts..
 1. Cyber Challenge - In GSEMA’s first ever Girl Scouts Cyber Challenge (October 19, from 8:30 AM–5 PM, at UMASS Lowell), Girl Scout Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors will work together to rescue a hacked moon colony. Girls will learn cryptography, forensics, social engineering, and ethics skills while empowering themselves and one another through STEM. This competition is a drop-off event; busing is available from Middleboro, Roxbury, and Waltham for $5 per girl. Registration is $10 per girl, and includes lunch, a shirt, and a patch.
2. Critter Camp - Girls can meet the furry friends that live at Camp Cedar Hill, make fierce and festive animal crafts, and take action as conservation superstars on Monday, November 11, from 9 AM–4 PM. This is a drop-off event; cost of registration is $50 per girl and includes a patch.
3. Challenge Accepted Overnight - During this exciting overnight experience on November 16–17, girls will gain confidence and learn team-building skills together on the low and high ropes courses at Camp Runels. This is a drop-off event; cost of registration is $60 per girl and includes a patch.
4. Journey Overnight - Seniors and Ambassadors are invited to work together to complete the Sow What (Senior) and Justice (Ambassador) Journeys in an action-filled overnight experience on November 2–3. Girls will explore their “food prints” and learn how everyday actions affect the environment as they prepare the next steps of their Take Action projects. This is a drop-off event; cost of registration is $55 per girl.
5. Journey Overnight - Cadettes are invited to “Think Like an Engineer” with their peers from all over eastern Massachusetts on November 9–10. Girls will complete the “discover” and “connect” steps of this exciting STEM journey, work together to find innovative solutions to engineering challenges, and take the first steps of preparing for their Take Action projects. This is a drop-off event; cost of registration is $35 per girl, and volunteer supervision is required.
6. Girl Scout Day at the MIT Museum - Girls are invited to the MIT Museum on November 2, for a day of hands-on, state-of-the-art engineering. Girls will use modern technologies including computer-aided design and laser cutting to engineer their own boats and take their design ideas to the next level. Cost of registration is $15/girl, and volunteer supervision is required.

The 2019 GSEMA Volunteer Conference

Will take place on Sunday, November 17th from 8am-5pm at the Burlington Marriott. The cost is $25 and lunch is included. Please join us for a fun day of workshops and networking. Register here  https://www.gsema.org/en/for-volunteers/volunteer-conference.html 

Contact Rebecca Lowe with any questions rebecca.lowe@gmail.com

Financial Literacy Badges

Juniors, Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors are eligible to earn two Financial Literacy badges through the Toyota Driving My Financial Future program. To receive these badges, complete the following steps by December 1:

• Complete all requirements for the two badges. For individual badge requirements, consult the Badge Explorer.
• Complete the badge request form. 
• Mail the badge request form and the appropriate evaluation form (for Juniors or for Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors) to 111 East Grove St., Middleboro, MA, 02346, or scan and email all completed forms directly to jcollier@gsema.org. 
  

Halloween Party

Thank you to all our volunteers for helping to make this event a success! If you have any feedback on how our annual Halloween party could be improved or expanded for 2020 we welcome any suggestions. Also, please email Rebecca Lowe photos of the event and the names of the girls pictured for submission to The Transcript.  

Facebook pages & blog

Please invite parents to join this blog and our private Facebook page "Parents and Guardians of North Reading Girl Scouts". We also have a private leader Facebook page "North Reading Girl Scout Leaders". All  have loads of information about upcoming events, interesting GS articles, and a forum for asking any GS-related questions. 

 

Financial Aid

GSEM has financial aid for girls who are in need for registration and council run events. There are NO questions asked. NRGS also has financial aid for girls in a troop who need help for uniforms or in-town events. See the Treasurer (Amy Kelly  kellys@majekelly.com) or one of the SU Coordinators.    
 

Registration

Please make sure that:
1. All your girls are registered before having them attend meetings for the new membership year.
2. All girls sign a new annual permission form for 2020 (found here: https://www.gsema.org/content/dam/girlscouts-girlscoutseasternmass/documents/Annual-Girl-Permission.pdf 
3. Volunteers are registered and CORI’ed (you can check this on your MyGS account on GSEMA.org.
4. All leaders sign their online volunteer agreement (found here: https://form.jotform.com/GirlScoutsEMass/OVA2019-20)   

Caroling Event - Save the date!

Caroling Event - Thank you to Kristen Pemberton & Michele Reyen for organizing our annual caroling event. This will be an after school event on Thursday, December 19th, 4-5pm at Care One, Woburn St, Wilmington. More details will follow in the next week or two.

Fall Product Updates & Reminders

From Denise Kung (our Service Unit Fall Product Coordinator):

October 21 is a big day for the Fall Product Program. It is the deadline for:

-Renewing or registering girls for Fall Product Program participation

-Submitting a Troop Fall Product Coordinator Agreement

-Submitting a Troop Bank Account Form

-Submitting a Recognition Opt-Out Form (extra 5% in proceeds for Junior troops and up!)

October 23 is the last day to enter paper order card sales into Unify. No late orders will be accepted. 

But girls can still sell online (directly to customers through their website) through October 28.

Troop bank account ACH debits will occur a couple of days after the sale ends. Please be sure to have enough money in your account to cover in-person sales.

Don't forget to select your recognitions as well! The recognition levels and options are described on the paper order cards, as well as in Unify.

 

Annual Halloween Party - Sunday Oct 20th

Annual Halloween Party Event 

Sunday, October 20^th, 2-4pm

Moose Lodge, North Reading

The cost is $10.  Girls should dress in costume.  Check out the attached Halloween Event flyer here. 
with all the details including a contact should you have any questions. This event is not limited in number and is open to Daisies, Brownies and Juniors, but there is a deadline to sign up.  The deadline to sign up is October 7th.  This will allow us enough time to order patches, crafts, and supplies for the event.  Please note that your daughter must be re-registered for the new membership year which starts October 1^st in order to attend this event and siblings are not allowed to attend.

Events do not have to be attended by the entire troop, girls may participate in any town or council run event.  If you already received this information from your troop Leader, we wanted to let you know that the registration part of the flyer sent out initially mentions Venmo as a method of payment.  Venmo is not being offered for the Halloween Party event since we are in the process of changing the Venmo account.  You can pay with either Cash or Check made payable to NRGS.  Also, if your Leader is not going to attend the October 7^th, Leader meeting, you should make arrangements to have your form and payment dropped off at the meeting to make sure we receive it in time.  The Leader meeting is being held at the Library Activity Room from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, October 7^th.   There is usually someone setting up around 7:15 p.m.

THANK YOU DEBBIE NEARING!!

We would like to express a huge thank you to Debbie Nearing for over 16 years of service to North Reading Girl Scouts. Debbie will continue to serve on a number of boards, and will also be just an email or phone call away should we wish to draw on her wealth of Girl Scout knowledge. Thank you, Debbie!!

Archery / Canoe Event - Oct 6

Archery/ canoe event (10/6, 11 am - 3 pm) - this event on 10/6 at Maude Eaton is now full. We apologize to anyone who missed out; the event filled before the final RSVP date. We will hopefully hold it again in Spring. Additionally, we have 2 canoe and 4 archery facilitators amongst our volunteers who are willing to run a separate event/ meeting for your troop.

Those who are attending the event:

• You will need volunteers to accompany your troop throughout the day and move them from one activity to another, and additional volunteers to help in the canoes.
• You receive an email next week with your troop's schedule.

Caroling Event - Need Volunteer

Caroling event - we need someone to run this event. Please let Rebecca (rebecca.lowe@gmail.com) or Jo (joanneg@gmail.com) know if you would like to do it. It involves making holiday cards for veterans, hot chocolate and of course, caroling. 

 

Fall Product Sale - Starts Sept 26th!!

Fall product updates from Denise are below:

• Fall Products Program Begins Sept 16th!! First chance to earn for your troop!
• If you missed the Leader meeting on Sept. 9th, it's not too late to jump into the sale. Just follow these steps:
• Contact Denise (the Service Unit Fall Products Program Mentor) at denise_kung@hotmail.com and send her your contact information. 
• Go to https://www.gsema.org/en/cookies/fall-sale.html and read through the Fall Product Program Guide. Follow the links to the Volunteer Fall Product Agreement and Troop Bank Account Form, and submit both online forms.
• Once you have followed the above steps, you will receive an email on Sept 16th or later with instructions on how to create an account on Unify. This is where you will submit in-person orders for your troop, track online sales, and enter recognitions. 
• If you need girl packets, please let Denise know ASAP. Our materials have all been claimed and we would need to get more from council.
• The fall products program runs Sept 16 - Oct 23, a little over a month. It's a quick one, so important to get organized quickly and get the word out to your girls. If you have any questions, please reach out to Denise.
  
  
  

2019 GSEMA Volunteer Conference, Nov 17

The 2019 GSEMA Volunteer Conference will take place on Sunday, November 17th from 8am-5pm at the Burlington Marriott. The cost is $25 and lunch is included. Please join us for a fun day of workshops and networking. Register here  https://www.gsema.org/en/for-volunteers/volunteer-conference.html  Contact Rebecca Lowe with any questions Rebecca.lowe@gmail.com

GSEMA Program calendar

GSEMA Program calendar through gsema.org offers year-round events for Girl Scouts and volunteers. Troop leaders can sign up their troops for events or parents can sign up their own daughter. Events take place throughout Eastern Massachusetts at varying price points. 

Girl Scout Shop at Camp Maude Eaton

Girl Scout Shop at Camp Maude Eaton is open Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10am-4pm and Wednesday from noon-6pm. Call Brenda at 978-269-6666 to make sure she is open before making the drive. Girl Scout vests, insignia, badges, and fun patches are all stocked at the store. You can also find fun patches and Girl Scout branded merchandise. makingfriends.com, snappylogos.com and  
advantageemblems.com are three other websites where leaders can find activity-specific fun patches for the backs of vests. 

Girl Registration

Registration - Please make sure that:

- all your girls are registered before having them attend meetings 

- all girls sign a new annual permission form for 2020 (found here: https://www.gsema.org/content/dam/girlscouts-girlscoutseasternmass/documents/Annual-Girl-Permission.pdf)

- volunteers are CORIed (form attached) and please have   

- All leaders go online and sign their new volunteer agreement (found here: https://form.jotform.com/GirlScoutsEMass/OVA2019-20).   

***A new Daisy leader is looking for a Daisy binder. If you have one to donate please let us know. All Girl Scout level binders are available for browsing on the fourth-floor Children's room of the Flint Memorial Library in the reference section.***