Attendees: Service Unit (SU) Coordinator: Amy Kelly [73897, 71901], SU Secretary: Debbie Nearing [73891], SU Registrar:Anne Valade, SU Recording Secretary: Alycia McGoldrick [73904], Little School Coordinator Barbara Gravel [71876], SU Treasurer: Julia Slavin [71872], SU Cookie Coordinator: Kerstin March [71898], Amanda Heffernan [71888], Ruth Kennedy [73899], Melissa Grew [71896], Kate Mahoney [71868], Batch Coordinator Michelle Rosenthal [71902], Cindy Russell [73917], Janice Gulbicki [71905], Laura Wall [73903], Kerry Lord [71889], Dorothy Lehane [73899], Kristin Lamont [71884, 71880, 85193], Kristin Puliafico [85118], Lynn Landers [71865], Denise Costantino [71865], Sue Kirby [73899]
Items requiring attention are marked in
red
ASAP!! Items requiring IMMEDIATE attention are preceded by "
ASAP!" and marked in red
Intro/Announcements
Meeting was called to order at 7:35 pm
Pledge of Allegiance and the Girl Scout Promise were recited
Council Updates
There are changes coming to the GSEM website with available programs:
◊ Will now have a calendar view so that if you have an open day, you can see what is being offered
◊ Registering for programs now selects individual girls by name, not straight numbers
◊ There is a link for help on the page if you get confused
Camp Early Bird deadline is 4/15 - discount given for early registration.
Reminder: Reading Council for Girls is NOT going to be able to offer camperships (camp scholarships) this year.
Volunteer Appreciation Week is next week - 4/17-4/23
◊ Still taking nominations for Outstanding Leader and Outstanding Volunteer recognitions at Fly-Up
Registration Update
◊ Registration materials are available
◊ Re-registration is available on-line
◊ Leader must have an '01' designation in order to access registration databse
◊ New registration program is CES Support. Will require you to set up and account with password
◊ Help is available at
cessupport@girlscoutseasternmass.org
◊ Beginning 4/19, can begin re-registering online. Payment is by credit card or debit card and is due immediately
◊ Can update girl info online as well
◊ Pre-printed forms provided. If you don't have a form for a girl, you won't be able to re-register online and must register with a blank form
◊ Moves, and new registrations must be done through Anne Valade
◊ If re-registering online, print out a copy of your roster and give to Anne with a single marked up copy of the pre-printed forms showing any changes made
◊ Early Bird runs 4/19-6/17, all remaining must re-register by 9/30
◊ The question "how many years has a girl been a scout" - means UP TO THIS POINT (not including next year)
◊ Leaders will need to sign Volunteer Agreements
◊ Membership Dues form only applies to girls that you are re-registering or registering via paper copies. You don't need to fill this out if all are being re-registered online
◊ Currently up in the air about running a Spring Registration Event - if we do, it will be posted in the Transcript
◊ If anyone approaches you about scouting - ENCOURAGE THEM TO BE A LEADER! WE NEED LEADERS!
Council-wide Camporee
◊ Council-wide Camporee to celebrate 100 years next year, 6/1-6/3/12 at the Barnstable County Fairgrounds.
◊ Council is asking all towns to use this as their encampment.
◊ Cost will be $35 per person.
◊ Troops will need to meet their Adult camp requirements (troop camp certified, first aider)
◊ Has flush toilets
◊ Accommodates 4,000, hoping for 2,500 attendees
◊ Younger girls can attend on Sunday only for a separate birthday celebration
Past Events
Food Pantry◊ Food Pantry was very thankful and this year was considered a very successful drive
◊ Day of drop off wasn't that heavy, perhaps due to St. Teresa's and Stop & Shop drop offs
◊ Sticky notes worked really well and Stop & Shop is leaving them up
Rollerskating
◊ 110 people attended
◊ Small profit made for North Reading
Brownie Ready, Set, Go Camping Try-it Event
◊ 30 girls attended
◊ Feedback was VERY positive
◊ There are extra packets of bandanas available for purchase: $5/pack of 12 - contact Cindy Russell if interested
Me and My Pal Bowling
◊ 30 couples attended
◊ Patches are on order and will be delivered to attendees
Ice Cream Social
◊ Magician was good for 2nd graders, but not for the older girls
◊ Girls enjoyed their ice cream!
April Events
Gymnastics - Wednesday 4/20 1:30-3:30
◊ 10 spots remaining, these could be filled by Juniors at this point
Fancy Nancy Arty Party - Thursday 4/28 4-5:30
◊ Looking for older girls to help do setup around 3:00
Make-Up Attitude - Saturday 4/30 6-8:30
◊ Forms need to be in by Friday 4/15
◊ Don't forget to bring toiletry item for Food Pantry (Service Project portion of patch)
Fly-Up - Sunday 5/22 6-8
◊ At High School Auditorium
◊ Invitation Flyer will be going out to Fly Up Leaders via email and posted on the blog
◊ Found out that Boy Scout Black and Gold dinner is the same night and time - may need to juggle order
Memorial Day Parade - Monday 5/30
◊ Will be sending out guidelines
◊ Girls can march with other troops if their troop isn't going to officially march
Scavenger Hunt TBD
◊ Likely to be 2nd or 3rd weekend in June
◊ Currently 6th grade and up - may open up down to 4th graders, depending on size of facility
Ice Crystals Skating Show - Saturday 4/30 7pm, Sunday 5/1 2pm
◊ In Boxborough
◊ Discounts offered for scouts
◊ Info will be up on the blog for ticket ordering
Blog Update
Blog email subscription now appears to be working. Link is at top left of blog. If you enter your email address, you will receive an email when new items are posted to the blog.
We posted a troop written review on the blog for a troop working on their theater badge. Remember that you can use the Service Team as a resource for all sorts of things! Just ask!
Misc
Girl Council would like to collect email addresses for girls currently in 6th grade and up
◊ Will allow them to solicit feedback and notify older girls of events
◊ Leaders will need to ask parents if the email addresses can be shared with Girl Council
There was lots of discussion around the idea of creating an Event Committee
◊ Committee could help fill out calendar
◊ Committee would not be responsible for running every event
◊ Everyone agreed that Town-Wide events are important
◊ The numbers for Town-Wide events are really down
◊ There are always going to be conflicts and we shouldn't worry too much about that
◊ Need to start meetings during the summer in order to have events in the fall. Would be nice to have a fleshed-out calendar when the new year starts
◊ Fall events were really well attended
◊ 4th grade Juniors have not had many events
◊ Advanced calendar notification, even if it is just the month that the event will happen, will help Leaders with their yearly planning
◊ People might be more inclined to help run an event if they knew the whole thing wasn't going to fall on their shoulders
Cookie Update
◊ Incentives are arriving next week, will have to distribute by next Leaders Meeting
◊ If you would like your incentives earlier, contact Kerstin March
◊ 23,735 boxes sold - more door to door sales this year, fewer boxes from booth sales
◊ Still a small quantity of boxes still available
S.H.A.R.E. Update
◊ Collecting envelopes - they should go to Anne Valade
◊ Will continue to collect at the next Leaders Meeting
A short Fly-Up check-in followed.
◊ If anyone has Xmas Candy Cane yard decorations, Julia Slavin would like to borrow them to use as decorations
◊ Melissa Audier is collecting photos for the slide show. An email went out to all Fly Up Leaders. Alycia to resend. If you did not get it...contact Alycia McGoldrick
