Shoe Donations

Troop 71901 is still collecting new and gently used shoe donations to help fund their trip to Europe this June. There is a donation box at Flint Memorial Public Library. Please email kellys@majekelly.com or call/text Amy at 978-590-6717 with any questions.

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.

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

Leader Meeting Minutes 9/9/2019

North Reading Girl Scouts

Leader Meeting Minutes 9-9-19

Library Activity Room at 7:30 p.m.

In attendance: Debbie Nearing, SU Coordinator (outgoing); Jo Gibson, SU Coordinator and Troops 62548 & 69175; Rebecca Lowe, SU Coordinator and Troop 62550; Amy Kelly, Treasurer and Troops 71901 & 62804; Lisa Ayer, Blog Manager & Troop 62798; Denise Kung, Fall Product Manager and Troop 62798; Amber O’Driscoll, SU Membership Promotor and Troops 76211 & 67419; Kristen Pemberton, SU New Leader Mentor and Troop 69171; Karianne Bekier, Media Coordinator and Troops 62803 & 82418; Stephanie Musgrave, Troop 71868; Kathleen Roy, Troop 70416; Marissa Rumasiglia, Troop 70416; Anne Valade, Troop 71901; Cindy DeWolfe, Troop 85336; and Casey Taylor, Troop 70415

Meeting called to order: 7:38 pm

Pledge of Allegiance Led by Junior Girl Scouts, Julia Pemberton and Elizabeth Ayer

Girl Scout Promise Led by Junior Girl Scouts, Julia Pemberton and Elizabeth Ayer

Debbie Nearing, Outgoing NRGS Service Unit Coordinator

• Opened the meeting and welcomed all new and current Leaders to our September Leader meeting.

• All Service Team members in attendance introduced themselves and explained their positions. Debbie welcomed all new volunteers to their new positions.

• Debbie talked about this being her last Leader meeting she was running as SU Coordinator and that she would be stepping down from NRGS as a Service Team member but would be staying on as the Chair for the Founder Award Scholarship and for the Volunteers and Recognitions to award volunteers in North Reading.

• Open positions were discussed as we are in need of a Corresponding Secretary to send out Monday emails, update and maintain distribution lists, book venues, etc.  We are also in need of a Recording Secretary to take minutes at the Leader and Service Team meetings.  This person can do both jobs or the jobs can be split.

General Information

• Leader meeting dates for 2019-2020 will be forthcoming under the new SU Coordinators, tentatively Monday, October 7^th at 7:30 p.m. was booked for the October Leader meeting. 

• Leaders passed in registration forms and money for the Archery/Canoeing event which Jo said was just about full.

• Early bird patches were available for each troop who had girls register before June 30 for the new membership year. If you didn’t pick them up, they will be at the October meeting or you can make arrangements with Amber O’Driscoll to get them.

• Cori representatives were on hand to authorize updated Cori’s to bring to GSEM and volunteers and Leaders were reminded to check their Cori status for all members especially Leaders since they will be locked out of their GS account if their Cori expires

• Leaders were reminded to take new level training through Lead Online if they never took it or if they just flew up to a new level of scouting.  This is not only for the benefit of the troop, but also without the proper training, the troop may not receive all the incentives and benefits and awards for the troop and Leaders they may be worthy of receiving.

• Rebecca Lowe talked about the Volunteer Conference on November 17^th being held in Burlington this year and the benefits to signing up and attending.  Sign up at www.gsema.org.  New Leaders and existing Leaders can all benefit and can also meet new volunteers from other Service Units to share information.  Debbie and Anne Valade will be sitting in at tables for “what to do after your troop graduates” and “awards and recognitions”.

• Lisa Ayer and Denise Kung attended the Sun Day Event from Council on August 25^th and shared a little of what they heard about from GSEM, but the 2 pages of valuable information will be posted to the NRGS blog to save time at the meeting.

• If troops have money in their account, you don’t need to charge dues, but a good rule is $1 or $2 per girl per meeting.  Consider taking installments if you are charging large amounts like $40 when starting your new troop. 

• North Reading does have financial aid for any girl who cannot afford a uniform, or an event and the troop doesn’t have funds for her, no questions asked.  Talk to Amy Kelly or a SU Coordinator in confidence. 

• GSEM will also pay for registration fees for girls who are struggling to stay in Girl Scouting.

• If your troop has the funds, consider paying registration fees for the fall product or cookie coordinators for your troop.

• Try not to buy too much for a new troop starting up using your out of pocket money.  If you do spend money out of pocket, remember to reimburse yourself with receipts you hand in to your treasurer. It will add up if you don’t reimburse yourself.

• If you want to keep your troop open to more than 12 girls, make sure you check that option with GSEMA when you sign up your troop or they could close your troop at 12 girl members.

• All volunteers helping with the troop NEED to be registered Girl Scouts and Coried/Soried.  If a Daisy adult is coming with a daughter to an event, the adult does not need to be registered since she is not working with the other girls.

Registration and Membership

• There will be a GS informational table at the Apple Festival on Saturday, September 14^th.   Troop 71901 members will be there on hand to do face painting and offer help to serve pie and ice cream to families.  Anyone who can attend the sit at the table for a few hours, let Amy or Debbie know.  Amber is not available as the SUMP. Debbie offered to stay at the table until 12 noon with Amy’s girls.

• We are looking for Leaders for the Batch School Kindergarten troop. Contact Amber O’Driscoll if you are interested.

• Remember that girls need to be re-registered by 10/1/19 to participate in the new year activities, events and troop meetings.

• Amy Kelly also reminded Leaders that although the new membership year starts on 10/1, girls and adults can join and sign up anytime during the year. 

• Girls not reregistered by 10/1 may not participate in troop meetings.

• If a troop is not attending an event, remember girls can still participate and sign up individually to any event.

• New troop leaders can reach out to Kristen Pemberton as the new Leader mentor for NRGS.  She should be able to help you with questions you may have pertaining to your new troop.

Upcoming Events and Future Events

• Archery/Canoe/Smores Event is October 6^th.
• Jo Gibson talked about having 4 groups of 16 girls and that the event is pretty full. 
• Some people paid through Venmo but didn’t send in forms and other people sent in forms without payment.  There was discussion about how many of these girls were considered registered.
• By the end of the night, Jo declared that the event was indeed full, and no more registrations could be taken.

• Halloween Party Event is booked at the Moose for Sunday, October 20^th from 2 to 4 p.m. Jo booked the hall from 1 to 5 for set up and breakdown. 
• We are looking for volunteers to help run some of the stations and also looking for new ideas at this event.  Several Leaders said they would help out and some said they had older girls who could run some events as well.  Ideally, Cadette level and up would be great to help.
• The flyer will be forthcoming in the next few days and posted to Facebook, the Blog and attached to the Monday email. 
• Debbie offered to update last year’s flyer with the new information.
• It was mentioned that there would not be a parade this year to the Nursing Home because of a change in the facility with memory impaired patients. Last year, there was hardly any interaction with the patients and the girls.
• Jo asked for anyone to donate used Halloween decorations as well to decorate the hall
• New Daisies can have a parent attend with her at this event.

• The Caroling Event is usually in December. 
• Kristen Pemberton was asked to run this event again, but she declined stating that she got negative feedback from last year when it was held at CareOne in Wilmington because it wasn’t kept in town. 
• Leaders all thought it was a great event last year and didn’t add any negatives to the conversation and the event was well attended.
• We are looking for someone to run the event
• Amy Salomon also declined to help run the event this year due to family conflicts, but she did say she had things in her shed that were used last year that she can let someone use.

Fall Product Sale

• The fall product sale this year runs from September 16 to October 23.
• Denise brought several samples of candy and nuts to the meeting for all to try
• Fall product kits were available at the meeting for each troop interested in selling
• The food pantry will be receiving fruit slices this year instead of nuts
• Troops earn 15% of every dollar sold and older opt out troops get 20%
• Troops MUST participate in BOTH the fall product sale and cookie sale in order to raise money through fundraising and a troop cannot fundraise during the date of each other sale
• Each troop must have a fall products coordinator to handle the sale and this person must be registered as a Girl Scout and also be Coried and must complete the volunteer paperwork and return it to Denise Kung.
• Troops must have a bank account open before they can sell fall products.  Go on to www.gsema.org and request a bank account.  GSEM will send you the necessary paperwork you need to take to the bank.  GSEM would like troops to use Citizens Bank because they have negotiations set up with the bank whereas troops won’t be charged service charge fees.  If you use another bank, as Reading Cooperative was suggested at the meeting by Rebecca Lowe, you must be sure you are not paying monthly service charge fees.  That would deplete Girl Scout accounts.
• Denise set up a Team App for the Fall Products that troops can download to get information for the fall products sale.
• Denise will send everyone an email to get you started on September 16^th through Unify once you sign up with her.
• Girls must be registered by October 21 to participate and receive recognitions
• Troops must also have each girl complete the annual permission form for 2020 found on the www.gsema.org website to be able to sell fall products and cookies
• Troops should receive a large white envelope, In a Nutshell Guide, and a money receipt booklet.
• Girls should receive an order card, a money envelope and a sheet of business cards.
• Girls can sell online again, and customers will get a discount in shipping fees
• Customers may also be able to order online and have only certain products delivered by girls which are available on the cards only. Other items will need to be shipped if not on the card.
• Orders must be input by October 23^rd into the system.  Don’t wait until the last day because the system gets slow.  Online has 5 days longer until October 28.
• By October 28^th, the money must be deposited into your bank.  GSEM will remove the money for the fall products you ordered, and your troop profit will stay in the account.
• Fall product selling is a great way to earn money early for your troop account.
• Girls will get patches for each thing they participate in from the sale and each patch will interlock to create a larger cool patch.

End of Meeting

Debbie ended the meeting by thanking everyone for volunteering as Girl Scout Leaders and to remember that the girls are watching over them as their role model and that they can help the girls succeed.  Whether it’s a badge, activity, craft, or something else that seems insignificant, in the end the girls will know that through Girl Scouts and through you, they accomplished something grand and the joyful look in their eyes will be all the thanks you need! 

She thanked all the service team members for their love and support over the years and for supporting her as SU Coordinator.  Debbie said it was a privilege to share so many good moments over the years with so many wonderful, amazing women. For Debbie, being involved in Girl Scouting wasn’t about getting a reward, it was about helping girls grow into strong female leaders and giving them the tools, they need to succeed in life. It was a very rewarding experience in Debbie’s life for the past 16 years, and she wished Jo and Rebecca best wishes in their new role as Service Unit Coordinators.  Debbie left Jo and Rebecca with a Survival Kit to remind them of the ups and downs of their position but to have faith that they could handle whatever is thrown at them.  Included in that kit among other things was a pack of gum to remind them to “stick together” as Coordinators!

She left them with:

·         Mounds candy for the mounds of information you will be learning

·         Nuts to be a little nutty sometimes and have a good laugh

·         A Puzzle piece because without you, things wouldn’t be complete

·         A Band-aid for healing hurt feelings, your or someone else’s

·         Marbles to replace those we lose from time to time

·         A Rubber Band as a reminder to stay flexible

·         String to tie things together when everything falls apart

·         An Eraser to remind you that everyone makes mistakes and that’s okay!

·         Sweet and Sour candy to help you appreciate the difference in others

·         Hugs and Kisses to remind you that someone cares for you

·         A Paper Clip to help you keep it all together and a

·         Candle to remind you to share your light with others.

The Service Team members thanked Debbie for her service over the years and gave her a lifetime scarf and slide as a token of their appreciation.  Debbie said she will truly miss being part of NRGS Service team, but you will see her around…

Debbie retired her American handheld flag and passed it on to Jo and Rebecca for future meetings!

Meeting adjourned at 8:45 pm

Minutes taken and Submitted by Debbie Nearing, SU Coordinator

in the absence of a Recording Secretary

GSEM’s Volunteer Conference, Nov 17

GSEM’s Volunteer Conference is November 17^th this year and in Burlington, closer to home.  This is booking up fast.  Sign up now if you are interested in attending by logging onto your My GS account.

Annual Troop Finance Report DUE IN JUNE

Annual Troop Finance Reports for Troops are now online.  Troops can attach the previous finance report excel files or their own system of tracking as detailed documentation. This streamlined process will allow for easier submissions and better record keeping. Troops should include Amy Kelly’s email address (kellys@majekelly.com) as the NRGS Treasurer to receive a copy as well. You can access the new Annual Finance Report form online!  These are due by June 30^th.  

If you have girls who already know they are coming back next year, please encourage their parents to register them ASAP and before June 7^th.  If Troops are paying for the girls to register and also have commitments from the girls that they are returning, we would ask that you also don’t wait and please register by June 7^th.  The money we receive ultimately goes back to our girls in North Reading!  Start asking girls NOW, please don’t wait and miss out on these discounts.  We need 112 girls to reach our 50% goal, 145 girls for our 65% goal and 167 for our 75% goal!

Early Bird Renewal is Now Open

Troops that qualify will receive a $50 program credit for up to 12 girls renewed, and a $75 program credit for more than 12 girls renewed. Program credits can be applied toward any GSEMA program registered through eBiz or DoubleKnot. Troop leaders will receive an email by August with details about how to claim their program credit. Additionally, all troop leaders and assistant troop leaders that renew their membership by May 10 will receive a $10 training credit (excludes Outdoor Basics training) or a $10 shop coupon.

To qualify: Troops must renew 75% of their girl members by May 10, register or renew 2 adult members, have no product program debt, and submit an Annual Troop Finance Report by June 30.
 
TROOPS DO NOT NEED TO REGISTER ALL GIRLS FOR THE NRGS SU TO EARN OUR INCENTIVE--INDIVIDUAL GIRLS COUNT !!!!!
Service units who renew: 

• 50% of all NRGS girls by June 7 will receive $300
• 65% of all NRGS girls by June 7 will receive $400
• 75% of all NRGS girls by June 7 will receive $500

In addition, the service units with the highest percentage of girls renewed will receive:

• Top 5: Limited edition custom 2’x6’ vinyl banner
• Top 3: Option to submit encampment request two weeks early
• Top 1: A La Carte Program in your community (up to ~$250 value)

To qualify: Service units must renew a minimum of 50 girls by June 7, have an active service unit bank account, renew or register at least 2 Service Unit Leadership Team members, and submit the Annual Service Unit Financial Report by June 30.

If you have girls who already know they are coming back next year, please encourage their parents to register them ASAP and before June 7^th.  If Troops are paying for the girls to register and also have commitments from the girls that they are returning, we would ask that you also don’t wait and please register by June 7^th.  The money we receive ultimately goes back to our girls in North Reading!  Start asking girls NOW, please don’t wait and miss out on these discounts.  We need 112 girls to reach our 50% goal, 145 girls for our 65% goal and 167 for our 75% goal!

Annual Troop Finance Report

Annual Troop and Annual Service Unit Finance Reports are now online! Troops can attach the previous finance report excel files or their own system of tracking as detailed documentation. This streamlined process will allow for easier submissions and better record keeping. If you are a Service Unit Treasurer who collects troop finance reports in your area, there is an option for troops to include your email address to receive a copy as well. You can access the new Annual Finance Report form online!

Lifetime Membership Special Offer!

For a limited time only in April 2019, volunteers with 10+ years of experience will be able to purchase a significantly discounted Lifetime membership of $200. Kim Lambert told us at our Area SU last week, that they will NOT turn any Leader away if they want to take advantage of this discount and they have less than 10 years! This will be available as an option when reviewing your membership. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact GSEMA Customer Care.