Keeping You Posted Newsletter for Administrative Volunteers watch the leaves turn."
Transcription
Keeping You Posted Newsletter for Administrative Volunteers watch the leaves turn."
Keeping You Posted Newsletter for Administrative Volunteers Dates to Remember October 25, 2014 SU Cookie Kickoff February 7, 2015 Submission Deadline for adults to be recognized at Annual Meeting March 6, 2015 President’s Circle Dinner March 16, 2015 Deadline for Gold Award submissions for In Your Honor April 25, 2015 Annual Meeting & Maker Fair May 9, 2015 In Your Honor Gold Award & Senior Trefoil Awards Ceremony July 17-19, 2015 Camp Getaway Retreat for Administrative Volunteers Inside this issue: Membership 5 Product Sales 8 Girl Program 11 Camping 14 Volunteer Dev. 16 Development 19 Girl Scout Shop 20 "Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn." Elizabeth Lawrence Horticulturalist 1905-1985 Volunteer Essentials Available Your patience in waiting for the update to this important resource has been greatly appreciated and we hope you will feel it was worth the wait. This version will take us through the next two and half years of Girl Scouting in what we hope will prove to be a much more user friendly format. We also worked hard to provide clarity and consistency. Here is what you can find: Refreshed: map and council contact information safety on cyber guidelines, activity checkpoints and procedures for accidents and emergencies troop formation steps Newly Added: association and service unit information details on roles of SU team members troop finances chapter with specific sections on: accounts, accountability, money earning, financial aid, program grants/loans four chapters on: girl programing, cookie program, camp/outdoor program, field trips & travel “what girls do”—full color program overviews camp properties amenities chart Membership Specialist are distributing copies to troops during fall service unit meetings. Additional copies are available for $2.00 in the shop, and an online version is located on the website under “Publications.”♦ Germantown Office Opens We are proud to announce the recent opening of our Germantown office and in tandem the promotion of Tonia Lafond to Area Membership Manager, serving the Girl Scout membership in Montgomery and Frederick Counties, MD. Previously, Tonia was Senior Membership Specialist where she was successful in growing and retaining our Girl Scout membership and increasing visibility for Girl Scouts in the upper Montgomery area. Tonia is a strong leader and passionate about Girl Scouting. Her team will be located in our new Germantown Girl Scout Office, which also includes a new Girl Scout Shop! Our office space in Frederick will be home to our Archives collection and provide space to host girl program, meetings and trainings. We will be renovating the space in the coming months with a targeted re-opening in March 2015 just in time to celebrate Girl Scout Week. Shop hours: Tuesday: 3 pm to 7 pm Wednesday: 10 am to 3 pm Thursday: 10 am to 7 pm Friday: 10 am to 3 pm Saturday: 10 am to 1 pm 20201 Century Blvd. Suite 100 Germantown, Maryland 20874 All are welcome to attend an Open House at the new Germantown Girl Scout office, held Monday, October 6 from 4:00 to 7:00 pm. RSVP here http://bit.ly/germantownopenhouse ♦ Council-wide Girl Scout Weekend— Huge Success Girl Scout Nation’s Capital staff, volunteers and Girl Scouts spent three days (September 5-8) at 50 different sites across Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia to promote Girl Scouts and recruit new members and volunteers. They were at grocery stores, parks, farmers markets, flea markets, soccer fields, malls and food venues—giving girls and their families a taste of Girl Scouting. Our CEO, Lidia Soto-Harmon threw the first pitch at the National’s baseball game that weekend to promote and spread the name of Girl Scouting. To see pictures from the weekend visit our Facebook page. ♦ Membership Survey Highlights Last year, we established a new annual membership survey to gain feedback on how we are doing. In October 2013 and in May 2014, we surveyed 16,000 of our registered adult members and the news was positive. Eighty-three percent of our members rate their overall Girl Scout experience as excellent – 33% or good – 50% (see graph). While we are receiving a good cross section of our adults, we hope to increase the number of overall responses – only 2,600 participants in October and 2,400 participants in May responded. We will be surveying our adults each spring and ask that you encourage all your leaders and parents to participate. We really do want to hear what you think.♦ Keeping You Posted Page 2 Focus on Service Units—Leadership Tools for Success We know that Service Units and Associations make Girl Scouting happen. In the last few years, we have focused on strengthening Service Units as they contribute to the health and vibrancy at all levels within our large organization. We have 5 tools to support success, see more below. (1) This monthly guide bullets topics to cover and upcoming activities to prepare for at each SU meeting. (2) This resource binder has commonly used information and handouts in addition to a new 6-hour class. (3) Adult educators are increasing their local, “responsive” support to volunteers, see more on pg. 17 (4) Membership Specialists in every area will host annual workshops for volunteers in these roles to cover procedural changes for these positions. (5) Topical short trainings to be administered at service unit meetings and used in conjunction with monthly service unit meeting guide♦ Keeping KeepingYou YouPosted Posted Page 33 Page Save the Dates: Girl Scout Leadership Conferences Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital is pleased to announce the dates for our 2015 leadership conferences. This year we are holding 100 spots for current Girl Scouts and 100 spots for non-Girl Scouts in middle and high school at each conference. More information coming soon! Art Contest Joins Maker Fair Sign Up for Sudden Service TODAY! Stay Current on Everything Girl Scouts, Join Us Online Keeping You Posted Page 4 October 2014 Membership Dates: October 23, 2014 October 31, 2014, at 11:59 PM January 2015 April 2015 August 22, 2015 On Time Registration for Financial Assistance to Mem. Specialist On Time Registration closes Growing Daisies Recruitment Early Bird 2014-2015 information distributed to troop leaders Girl Scout 2015-2016 Kickoff Applause For Our New Director Of Membership! A new role for longtime Girl Scout volunteer and staff member Kathryn Benison! Kathryn has been with Girl Scouts Nation's Capital for the past 21 years. Initially, she was an active volunteer in support of her daughter's participation. In June 2003, she joined the Council staff as a Membership Specialist serving Fairfax County, VA. During her five years in the position, she grew membership in her area by 2.5%. For the past five years, Kathryn has served as an Area Manager. Under her leadership, membership in the District of Columbia has grown 7% largely through the formation of new troops. Kathryn has demonstrated leadership within the Membership department and the Council. She has been an advocate for consistent training of our service unit and association volunteers and has developed tools to support that process. She coordinated the development of a new leader packet this past year. For the past several years, she has regularly gathered data from all department and prepared the State of the Association reports for our volunteers. A proponent of travel as a key to retaining older girls, she created the Council-wide travel committee in FY13. We wish Kathryn the best in her new role as Director of Membership. ♦ College Students & Young Professionals Ready to Volunteer For YOU Young Leaders Program (YLP) has college students and young professionals who want to share their energy, enthusiasm, and time with you and your girls. Our volunteers are especially interested in one-day events. If you need an extra adult for an event, please email [email protected] with details and we will post it on our volunteer calendar.♦ Keeping You Posted—Membership Page 5 Locate Your Early Bird Coupon A $20 Shop Coupon is awarded to troops that register at least 5 girls and 50% of the troop. Coupons will be distributed at the October Service Unit Meeting by your membership specialist. Coupon Expires December 15, 2014! (There will be no exceptions, coupon not valid on online shop) ♦ Re-registrations by Parents begins October 1 After September 29 @ 11:59pm troop leaders will no longer have access to re-register members for the 2014 year. Parents or guardians must create a login and purchase memberships for each daughter. 1. Go to www.gscnc.org and click on Registration. 2. Click on New Online Account. 3. Parents must create an account under their own name. Your child(ren) will be automatically linked to the parent’s account. If you do not see them in the My Family tab of your account, please contact council at [email protected]. 4. Once logged in please go to My Family and click the boxes of the girls you are re-registering. 5. Go to the I want to: pull down menu and select Purchase Girl Scout Membership. 6. A list of all selected members (girls/adults) will appear. 7. The system will walk you through editing the information in each girls’ account. Please make sure you provide all required information. 8. Once every record is edited, you can proceed to the shopping cart to pay. ♦ Somos Familia Girl Scout Expo 2014 As a closing event for the celebration of the Hispanic Heritage Month, join us on the first Somos Familia- Girl Scout Expo. It will take place at Marymount University on October 11 from 10am1pm. This is a recruitment event and families are invited from all areas. Girls (K-5) will be assigned into a unit and will earn the Chicas Patch (http://www.gscnc.org/files/pdf/patches/chicas.pdf) Girls in middle school and high school will participate in workshops regarding leadership opportunities available for girls their age when the join Girl Scouts. Adults are invited to participate in a Girl Scout informational session (what is Girl Scouts and how to start a troop) as well as a an amazing programs and vendor expo. Lunch is included and transportation will be available from different areas across council. For more information, please contact Veronica Rosales-Beck at [email protected]. ♦ Keeping You Posted—Membership Page 6 Inclusion Resource Center/K.I.T. Resources Is there a troop leader in your Service Unit who’s having difficulty engaging a girl with a disability? Are you finding behavior management to be a trending issue for the troop leaders you serve? GSCNC continues to maintain its partnership with Kids Included Together (K.I.T.), the leader in providing best practices to community-based organizations that work with children with disabilities. As a partner, GSCNC volunteers have access to live/online trainings, an online learning center with tools and resources, and other resources that specifically address the needs of troop leaders and other volunteers that engage girls with disabilities. For more information, please contact Andraéa LaVant at [email protected].♦ Join the Hispanic/Inclusion Task Force Do you have a desire to increase the inclusiveness and diversity within our Council? Please join us as part of the Hispanic/Inclusion Task Force. These bi-monthly meetings (every other third Wednesday of the month) focus on increasing and supporting the membership of Hispanic adults and girls and adults and girls with disabilities. If interested in joining, please contact Andraéa LaVant, Inclusion Specialist, at [email protected]. ♦ Spanish Language Resources To support our Spanish speaking parents, volunteers and troop leaders we have developed resources and tools available in Spanish. The following tools are available to you and your volunteers by following the links or contacting Veronica Rosales-Beck at [email protected]. The New Leader Packets including the First 6 meeting guides are now available in Spanish. Bilingual Intro to Girl Scouts PowerPoint for Parents Meetings with Spanish Audio Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital Forms - http://www.gscnc.org/formularios.html Girl Scout 101 Online Training - http://www.gslearning.org/girlscouting101sp/ GSUSA Resources and Publications - http://www.girlscouts.org/program/basics/spanish/ It’s Your Planet Love It! Healthy Habits Booklets in Spanish - http://www.gscnc.org/journeyplanner.html ♦ Join The University of Maryland Kappa Delta Sorority for ... ‘International Girls Day’ Event Girl Scouts Brownies, Juniors, and Cadettes are invited to participate in the Dove Free Being Me program. Participants will explore issues of beauty, body confidence and build their leadership skills. Saturday, November 1st 12pm-2pm at the University of Maryland, College Park, Stamp Student Union. To Register: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/IGD2014 For more information, contact: Brittany Kelly at [email protected].♦ Money Manager, a Financial Fitness Challenge Event Girl Scouts Brownies are invited to take part in the Capital One Financial Fitness Challenge by earning the Money Manager Badge and learning to make wise decisions while making purchases! Saturday, October 11th 12pm-1:30pm at The Kappa Delta House, College Park, MD To Register: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KDFF2014 For more information, contact: Brittany Kelly at [email protected].♦ Keeping You Posted—Membership Page 7 October 2014 Product Sales Dates: Sept. 22– Oct. 24, 2014 Dec. 19 - Jan. 20, 2015 February 9 – 20, 2015 February 20 - March 22, 2015 February 25, 2015 March 22– March 29, 2015 March 29, 2015 Fall Product Sale Girls take initial Cookie Orders Initial orders are delivered, order taking continues Booth sales begin, order taking continues Cookie Cupboards open Cookie On the Go Week Cookie Program ends 2014 Dive Into Fall Product Sale! Get ready to make a splash with the Fall Product Sale! Remember, Associations earn a growth incentive of 1% of the total sales if they reach a 3% increase over the previous year. Last year, we saw ½ of Associations earn the proceeds. We would LOVE to see it hit 100% this year. Goal driven success in the Fall Product Sale will pay off during the Cookie Sale. Troops that reach a $175 Per Selling Girl Average will receive an additional $0.02 in troop proceeds during the Cookie program! If each girl in the troop sells: •A Sports Illustrated; Highlights and In Style magazine subscription •A can of Cashews and pistachios and a Girl Scout Tin with truffles •And one hard cover photo-book then the troop will earn the additional proceeds. In 2014 the per girl average council wide in Fall Product was $126 so a $175 PGA is attainable with good goal setting and hard work!♦ Keeping You Posted—Product Sales Page 8 Service Unit Cookie Kickoff, October 25, 2014 Service Unit Managers, be in-the-know and ready for the Cookie Sale Program. You, along with your Service Unit Cookie Volunteers, will receive invitations by September 30 for the Service Unit Cookie Kickoff at the Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel in Virginia on October 25, 2014, 9:00am—12:30pm. It’s going to be an information packed event! Registration is required. Plan to join us. ♦ Rah– Rah Raisin, New Cookie! We will have a new cookie in 2015 but we just couldn’t give up any of the Super 6! So the order card will feature seven delicious cookies! So give a cheer for …..Rah-Rah Raisin. This is a crispy oatmeal raisin cookie with Greek yogurt flavored nuggets. ♦ Toffee-tastic Gluten– Free Cookie Pilot A new rich, buttery cookie packed with golden toffee bits will be able to satisfy the craving for Girl Scout cookies for those customers that choose gluten-free products. This cookie is being offered through a Pilot with our baker with limited inventory. Communications have gone out to Cookie Volunteers and ALL Troops had the opportunity to offer this variety to their customers during Booth Sales. Toffee-tastic will not be available for pre-sell so it will not be on the girls order cards. As is the case for many gluten free products, this cookie will sell for more than the rest of the cookies – with a $5.00 retail. As a Council, we will submit a FIRM order to the bakery on October 1st. It is a one time order and no additional cases will be available. We will NOT be stocking the cookie cupboards with it.♦ Inter-Troop Cookie Transfers via the Pixie List During the cookie sale, your girls might find they need additional cookie varieties, or have a surplus to share with another troops. Use the Pixie List, our Girl Scout version of Craig’s list, to post under “Cookies Available” and “Cookies Wanted” to work with other troops. Post an add on www.thepixielist.com today! ♦ Keeping You Posted—Product Sales Page 9 National Cookie Week This year the National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend will be February 27- March 1! With Booth Sales in full swing, it will be a rocking good time!♦ Samoas 40th Birthday As they say…Lordy, Lordy! Looks whose 40! Samoas turn 40 this year and everyone is invited to the party! The virtual event will be held January 10th @ 2 PM Nationwide! Guaranteed to be a great time!♦ Keeping You Posted—Product Sales Page 10 October 2014 Program Dates: October 10-12, 2014 November 1-2,2014 November 15, 2014 December 6, 2014 March 7, 2015 Cadette Breathe Journey Leadership Weekend, Camp Potomac Woods Junior Get Moving! Journey Leadership Weekend, Camp Winona Cookie Program Aide, Howard University Business School Cookie College, Howard University Business School DC Step Show, Trinity Washington University, Washington, D.C. Journey Planners to the Rescue! Once you have bought your Journeys and Girl’s Guides, we know that there are a lot of questions about how to use them. How do you balance your Girl Scout year to include Journeys, badges, and traditions? We heard you loud and clear that this was an area where you needed help, and we created the Nation’s Capital Journey Planners. These brand new resources are here to help. The planners help troop leaders work on a Journey with their troops while navigating the traditions, badges, and activities that make up a full Girl Scout year. The planner will help you weave Journey requirements into those fun traditions. Planners for all of the Brownie and Junior Journeys are now available online. Coming up for this year…the Daisy and Cadette Journey Planners. We hope you find these useful!♦ Keeping You Posted—Program Page 11 Made with Code—Google Partnership To continue our focus on STEM, we have entered into a partnership with Google to engage girls in coding. Google is providing us with a custom link for girls ages 13 and above to click on to be able to play 5 short games that teach them basic coding skills in a fun, engaging way. This is part of their Made with Code program. One of these games includes designing your own text bracelet that you can see on the screen – once you design it, Google prints it on a 3-d printer and sends it to you! Visit http://www.gscnc.org/madewithcode.html to learn more ♦ Maker Fair—April 25, 2014 Making encourages creation and invention. It can be woven into any subject at any skill level and can help girls uncover their hidden STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math plus Art) talents—combining interests in math and art, science and theater, or engineering and design. Help girls make their ideas into reality by letting them explore, test prototypes, make mistakes, and try again! Help your girls become Girl Scout Makers: Tell us if you’re interested in becoming a Maker or a Maker Adviser through this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XC2LK7G Register your troop to participate in the first Nation’s Capital Maker Fair in April at the Annual Meeting. Join the Maker Steering Committee and help make Maker happen. Contact Sara Tyler at [email protected]. Follow us on Facebook.com/GSCNC to get updates on our Maker event. For more information on how to get involved, contact: Sara Tyler: [email protected] ♦ Program and Outdoor Volunteer Focus Group Calling all service unit program and outdoor volunteers! We want to hear from you about the resources you need from the council, what kinds of programs you hold and how you want to work together. Join us on either Saturday, November 8, 10 am at Camp Potomac Woods, or on Wednesday, November 19, 7 pm at the council office in Washington, DC. To register, please email [email protected] and let us know which date you will attend.♦ Keeping You Posted—Program Page 12 Make the Connection for Girl Scout Juniors—Ambassadors Make the Connection is an innovative mentorship program that pairs Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH) employees with Girl Scout Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors in a series of workshops where girls explore their skills, aptitudes and interests with some of the region’s brightest and best corporate leaders. In addition to Make the Connection, which serves girls in grades 6-12, we are continuing Make the Connection Jr. for Girl Scout Juniors in grades 4-5. At Make the Connection Jr., girls will work side-by-side with Booz Allen Hamilton employees to learn more about STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) careers while engaging in hands-on STEM activities. Because girls’ confidence and interest in STEM begins to decline between 4th and 6th grade, this program is designed to show girls all of the opportunities STEM can offer. Information about Make the Connection and Make the Connection Jr. can be found at http://www.gscnc.org/make_the_connection.html. Registration will open 2 months before each program. Questions can be directed to [email protected]. Make the Connection: Making Impressions- Saturday October 25, 2014 Make the Connection: Career Exploration- Sunday January 11, 2015 Make the Connection Jr.: Science, Technology, Engineering & Math: Oh My!- Sunday March 1, 2015 Make the Connection: Me to We: Teambuilding- Saturday April 18, 2015 ♦ Year Three for Financial Fitness Challenge The Capital One Financial Fitness Challenge is back this year to challenge all 164 Service Units to become financially literate using Girl Scouts’ new national financial literacy curriculum and Capital One-branded supplemental educational materials, resources and events. Once girls have earned a Cookie Business or Financial Literacy Badge let us know and earn an additional patch from Capital One! See our Financial Fitness Challenge webpage at http://www.gscnc.org/capitalone.html for the link to enter your information and mailing address to receive your free patch.♦ Silver Award Online Resources Starting on Oct. 1, we will introduce the new and improved online tool for girls and leaders to use together. This is designed to help girls think through the award process. We will transition into this being a requirement for the purchase of awards by March 2015. Another tool is a Silver Award handout that simplifies the process described in the Girls Guide to Girl Scouting and helps point out red flags for girls and leaders. We will also highlight great Silver Award projects through social media so girls can see what other girls are doing. ♦ Keeping You Posted—Program Page 13 October 2014 Camping/Property Dates: November 1, 2014 November 1, 2014 November 14, 2014 Registration Opens for Activity Days Registration Opens for Spring Core Camps Applications Due for Spring Service Unit Encampments New Camping Registration Eliminates the B220 Form! We are excited to announce that we will be launching a new Campsite Reservation System in October. The site will allow Troop Leaders and those in charge of making reservations to: 1. Make day-site and weeknight overnight reservations Monday through Thursday 2. Make weekend overnight reservations Friday through Sunday 3. Register for High Adventure activities with a properly certified adult 4. Enter Camping Qualified and First Aid Certified adult names and date of training at the time of the reservation, doing away with the need to submit a Campsite Eligibility form (B220) on a yearly basis. Please note: The keyword to enter the site is changing You will be able to browse the sites available in a calendar view or see if there are sites available on a specific date You will be required to create a new login Payment will be due at the time the reservation is made Reservations that are currently in the old system will be migrated into the new system. ♦ Note: Adult Educators continue to use the current process of reserving training locations via the “Adult Educator Campsite Application Form” through Gustavo Martinez x253 Keeping Department KeepingYou YouPosted—Camping Posted—Camping Page 14 Page 14 2014 Spring Core Camps & Activity Days Core Camps are fun weekend opportunities at our camps, where the program is provided for you. Designed and organized by volunteers and teens, Core Camps are perfect for troops (and leaders) new to camping. Registration for our spring Core Camps opens on November 1, 2014. For more information go to our website under “For Adults”, “Camping Information” and click on “Core Camps” or “Activity Days.” Some of our spring core camps are listed below: April 17-19 Climbing/Archery (Grades 4-12), May Flather April 24-26 Climbing/Backpacking/Challenge Course/Archery (Grades 4-12), Camp May Flather April 26 Kayak Day (Grades 4-12) Camp Coles Trip May 8-9 Mother & Daughter Core Camp (Grades K-3), Camp Potomac Woods ♦ Kayak, Archery and Low Ropes at OUR Camps Did you know our camps have amazing high adventure sites and supplies you can use for canoeing, kayaking, archery, and low ropes? Learn more about the opportunities offered and how to reserve our courses, ranges, and boats on our website. Each of these activities require a certified adult, so be sure to check out the outdoor training on our website under “For Adults” and “Training and Support” or put a request out through our resource volunteers. These certified volunteers are often willing to help lead these activities with troops and groups. For more information or to join, contact Susan Kabat, Camping Specialist at [email protected] ♦ Service Unit Encampments Applications for Service Unit Encampments are now being accepted. To download the application, see information on camp capacities and more, go to our website (www.gscnc.org) under “For Adults”, “Camping Information” and then click on “Service Unit Encampments”. Application Deadline: November 14, 2014 Notifications Sent: November 21, 2014 $150 Deposit Due: January 16, 2015 Final Payment Due: March 6, 2015 Please Note: Cancelation anytime after January 15, 2015 will result in loss of deposit and priority placement for Fall 2015 and all 2016 dates. Applications may be submitted for the following camps/dates: Date Aquasco Brighton Woods April 10-12 Coles Trip Crowell May Flather X Potomac Woods White Rock Winona X April 24-26 May 1-3 May 8-10 X X May 15-17 Keeping You Posted—Camping X X X X X X X X X X X X X Page 15 X October 2014 Adult Educator Dates: September 23, 2014 September 24– October 31, 2014 January 30– February 1, 2015 March 26, 2015 March 27-April 30, 2015 July 17-19, 2015 ATM meeting, Washington D.C. Girl Scout office Fall Educator Meetings, held locally Winter Weekend 2015 Potomac Woods ATM Spring Meeting, Washington D.C. Girl Scout Office Spring Educator Meetings, held locally Camp Getaway Recognition Dates: Oct. 20, 2014, SU/Association Recognition Chairs webinar on using the automated recognition system Feb. 17, 2015, Deadline for nominations to be completed for presentation at the Annual Meeting Training Blitz Days Here are the training days we have on the 2014-2015 calendar so far: Potomac Woods Blitz-August 27 Frederick County Blitz- September 13 Montgomery County Superblitz- September 19-21 Washington D.C & Prince George’s County Blitz—October 4 Manassas Blitz- October 11 Prince George’s Country Mini Blitz—October 25 Camp Crowell Blitz- October 30 Front Royal Blitz– November 1 Arlington Blitz—November 1 Camp Winona Blitz– November 7-8 Burke Blitz– November 8 South Fairfax Blitz– November 15 Prince George’s Country Mini Blitz—November 22 To view the complete list, visit www.gscnc.org/foradults, “Training Days”♦ Keeping You Posted—Volunteer Development Page 16 Adult Educators Give Responsive Trainings to Service Units In addition to the traditional in-persons classes that our volunteers register to attend, our adult educators are increasing their local, “responsive” support to volunteers. Hopefully folks can find classes through the registration system, but now, with Educators working more closely as members of the service unit teams, they can respond to service unit requests for specific topics to be covered before, during, after service unit meetings, or on a one-on-one basis to consult as needed. Participants and educators get credit for this by the certificates that are handed out and by the education reports that are submitted afterwards. At least 250 participants were reported so far this past year as benefitting from subject ranging from “Men-in green” to “Troop Trips” and “Forms.”♦ Look for New Classes Open for Registration on These Dates For adult volunteers ready to take in-person classes on Girl Scouting topics- watch for our upcoming training blitz dates for winter and spring. This year courses will be posted on different dates throughout the calendar year. So look for new classes available for registration on the following dates: November 17, 2014 January 19, 2015 April 13, 2015 July 20, 2015 September 7, 2015 November 16, 2015 To view the many offerings and to register, go to www.gscnc.org, and click on “For Adults” and “Training Days.” ♦ Request a First Aid Class In Your Area Every troop needs a First Aider. The courses on our registration system are hosted by ETR NOVA, a subsidiary of the Emergency Care & Safety Institute. Offering in-person courses for $44 per person (Level 1) and $15 (Level 2) or an online course with an in-person skills review, for $55 (Level 1 only) - our primary vendor is willing to bring classes to you. Do you have a meeting space, a conference room or a local religious organization that could accommodate a First Aid class? Let us know a date, time and place, and council staff will work with ETR NOVA to set it up. We have five deadlines through the year for all of our training classes to be posted on our website for registration see the dates above. (You can also request Wilderness First Aid). For the request form please visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FA_setup. We will partner with ETR NOVA to schedule instructors and post the course on our registration site to advertise the opportunity for other Girl Scout volunteers. Get a course posted in your area and help your local troops get the most out of Girl Scouting. ♦ Keeping You Posted—Volunteer Development Page 17 Proof of Attendance - Education Certificates At the end of many classes, such as Basic Leadership, Program Level or Cookout & Campout, the Adult Educators pass out certificates for the participants to fill out and retain for their files. These blank certificates are also available at the end of the online tutorials for Program Level courses. Their purpose is to have a tangible item that can be passed along to a member of the service unit team who may be tracking leader training. Adult Educators can also distribute these certificates when they are offering local coaching, or responsive education sessions for volunteers in their service unit area. Educators can replenish their stockpile of certificates from the educator supply boxes at their local Girl Scout office. For any questions regarding education certificates, email Danielle Durst at [email protected]. ♦ Driving New Leaders to Basic Leadership In-Person The language around training requirements for new leaders has been altered to encourage more volunteers to take the Basic Leadership class in-person. The online versions of this class have been successful, with over 1,400 participants taking Nation’s Capital’s version (Girl Scouting 102) and 1,300 participants taking Girl Scouts of the USA’s version (Girl Scouting 101) this past year. We are pleased to offer this convenience but were disappointed by the small number of only 188 participants who registered for the in-person version of the class. For the next year, we want to experiment and see if increasing person to person interaction will increase leader retention rate. The new edition of Volunteer Essentials (page 21), under the section “Taking Advantage of Learning Opportunities”, now reads: “Within three months of your first troop meeting complete your Basic Leadership course in-person and Program Level courses, online or in-person.” This language will be mirrored on the new leader cards and on the website. The online Basic Leadership classes will not be pulled from the website and troop volunteers can continue learning from this tutorial while its future is being determined. Service unit teams should encourage their new leaders to take the Basic Leadership class in person if they can and Adult Educators should plan to increase the number of courses offered, as needed. ♦ Recognition System Open for Submissions In 2012, we had 464 adult recognitions awarded. In 2013, with the help of Kathy Beernink’s adult recognition system, which made nominations easier than ever, we saw a 62% increase - with 749 nominations completed! Start thinking about who you want to recognize next year, or maybe there is someone from this past summer who is overdue for an award? The system opened on September 1st; make sure you check it out. ♦ Keeping You Posted—Volunteer Development Page 18 October 2014 Development Dates: October 5, 2014 November 6, 2014 March 6, 2015 Juliette Low Legacy Society Tea Meet the President Breakfast: for donors of $500 and above President’s Circle Dinner Friendship Circle Announcing our new monthly giving program, the Friendship Circle. By giving monthly, you become part of a group of dedicated donors who provide ongoing funding for Girl Scout programs year round. Anyone who joins the Friendship Circle this year will be considered founding members and will be recognized on the website and in the online annual report for as long as you are an active monthly donor. Friendship Circle messaging will be incorporated into Service Unit SHARE Leader talking points throughout the year.♦ President’s Circle Dinner The President’s Circle Dinner is our annual stewardship event which will honor individuals who contribute $1,000 or more to the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital this year. The dinner will be held on Friday, March 6, 2015 at Sequoia Restaurant in Georgetown. Your gift of $1,000 can sponsor supports mentoring and leadership programming for girls. You will receive an invitation for a guest as well for the dinner! ♦ SHARE Participation Patch Once again, we’re offering troops the opportunity to earn a patch based on SHARE participation. Last year, over 350 troops earned the SHARE patch. Hats off to all of you who have earned this great patch! This year, troops will be eligible to earn the patch once 2/3 of the families in a troop make a contribution to SHARE. Please continue to spread the message about the SHARE patch and let leaders know of this opportunity to ask friends and families to make contributions to SHARE.♦ Keeping You Posted—Development Page 19 October 2014 Main Girl Scout Shop 4301 Connecticut Ave N.W. Washington, DC 20008 (202) 274-3312 or (800) 523-7898 Ext. 212 Hours: --- Starting Labor Day to Mid-June Monday - Tuesday - Wednesday - Friday ...... 9:00am - 5:00pm Thursday ...... 9:00am-8:00pm Saturday ...... 10:00am-4:00pm Summer Hours: (Mid June to Labor Day) MONDAY THRU FRIDAY 9:00am - 5:00pm Main Shop Accessible by Metro on the Red line (Van Ness/UDC stop) Parking available Underground off of Veazey Terrace (We Validate) Martinsburg, WV Shop Centreville, VA Shop 153 McMillan Court, Martinsburg, West Virginia 25404 Phone: (304) 263-8833 5952 Centreville Crest Lane Centreville, Virginia 20121 Phone: (703) 266-4437 Monday - Friday 10:00 - 4:00 Saturdays 10:00 – 2:00 (10/4, 10/11, 10/18, 10/25, 11/1, 11/8, 11/15, 11/22, 12/6) Visit http://www.gscnc.org/ Centreville_Mini_Shop.html for directions/hours Mobile Shop Germantown, MD Shop Phone in your order (202) 237-1670 Ext. 249 and pick it up at the mobile shop. Payments at Mobile Shop must be made by check or money order - NO CASH Century Blvd. Suite 100 Germantown, Maryland 20874 Phone: (301) 987-8718 Visit http://www.gscnc.org/ Germantown_Mini_Shop.html for directions/hours Name, phone #, & Mobile stop needed on all orders Place orders 5 days in advance Credit Card orders must be placed ahead of pick-up If we are unable to make a scheduled stop, you will be notified by phone How To Shop Phone, fax, e-mail [email protected], or mail your order in. Please supply us your name, address, phone #, credit card info w/ expiration date and your order. Credit Card Accepted: Visa, Mastercard, AmEx & Discover PHONE (202) 237-1670 Ext. 248 OR (800) 523-7898 Ext. 248 FAX (202) 274-2161 attn: GS Shop Orders are usually processed and mailed within 1-2 business days. Checks accepted with mailed in orders. Keeping You Development Keeping You Posted—Fund Posted—Girl Scout Shop Department Page20 20 Page INFORMATION SERVICES Bassett, Laura Director, Information Services DC 202-534-3799 259 Parsons, Angela On-Line & Publications Specialist DC 202-274-2166 266 Reinmann, Kendra Senior Technology Specialist DC 202-274-3328 228 Hagerty, Elizabeth Database Coordinator DC 202-274-3327 227 Reynolds, Erin Database Specialist DC 202-534-3788 295 Offutt, Katherine Database Coordinator DC 202-534-3871 281 Quiroz, Paloma Database Coordinator DC 202-274-2169 269 Registration DEVELOPMENT Thurston, Betsy Director of Development DC 202-274-3330 230 Yarborough, Page Grants Officer DC 202-274-3306 206 Castellano, Stephanie Administration and Operations Specialist DC 202-534-3790 290 Davis, Amanda Administrative Assistant DC 202-274-3317 217 Shaw, Carrie Annual Giving Specialist DC 202-534-3785 285 Moore, Catherine Individual Giving Officer DC 202-534-3796 256 Wood, Nancy Director of Public Relations DC 202-274-3304 204 Genota, Zofeea Marketing Specialist DC 202-534-3787 287 Eider, Michelle Administrative Assistant & Public Relations Writer DC 202 274-3307 207 PUBLIC RELATIONS DORR AVENUE EQUIPMENT CENTER 2711 E Dorr Avenue, Fairfax, VA 22031 (703) 560-5072 (PHONE); (703) 208-1415 (Fax) Meidlinger, Robert ; Teets, David Keeping You Posted—Staff Directory Page 21 PRODUCT SALES DC 202-274-3332 232 DC 202-274-2171 255 Senior Product Sales & Retail Operations Specialist Martinsburg 304-263-8833 734 Viau, Denise Camping Manager DC 202-274-3308 208 Kabat, Susan Camping Specialist DC 202-274-3305 205 Martinez, Gustavo Administrative Assistant DC 202-534-3793 253 Macios, Jenn Camping Specialist DC 202-274-3309 209 Armbruster, Nicole Day Camps Specialist DC 202-274-3329 229 Carlson, Julie Manager of Product Sales Product Sales Specialist/ Green, Allison ProInspire Fellow Johnson, Judy CAMPING SERVICES PROGRAM SERVICES Howe, Brigid Manager of Program Services DC 202-274-3311 211 Onyahgo, Marymagdaline Administrative Assistant DC 202-274-2170 270 Taniguchi, Rhianna Program Specialist DC 202-274-3338 238 Roland, Elise Program Specialist DC 202-274-3310 210 Tyler, Sara Program Specialist DC 202-534-3770 310 Warren, Ashlee Teen Program Specialist DC 202-274-3336 236 Warneka, Mary Manager, Volunteer Development DC 202-274-2167 267 Horvath, Lisa Administrative Assistant DC 202-534-3776 240 Durst, Danielle Senior Volunteer Development Specialist DC 202-534-3774 250 Mower, Katie Volunteer Development Specialist DC 202-534-3768 268 Carver, Adrienne Volunteer Development Specialist DC 202-534-3771 311 VOLUNTEER DEVELOPMENT Keeping You Posted—Staff Directory Page 22 PROPERTY Worcester, Tammy Property Manager 703-909-5644 Quesenberry, Abie Caretaker at Camp Potomac Woods 703-727-1394 Daggy, Don Caretaker at May Flather 540-490-8081 Fessler, Raymond Caretaker at White Rock and Gore 540-533-2557 Jensen, Gregg Caretaker at Camp Brighton Woods and Camp Crowell 703-517-0624 Roberts, Mike Caretaker at Camp Winona and Camp Aquasco 301-885-9544 Machuca, Salvador Caretaker at Camp Coles Trip 703-587-4368 GIRL SCOUT SHOP Banachowski, Carrie Manager, Retail Operations & Executive Projects DC 202-534-3782 282 Castellano, Alice Shop Clerk DC 202-274-3312 212 Harvey, Shari Assistant Manager, Retail Operations DC 202-534-3766 246 Thomas, Shernette Shop Clerk DC 202-274-3312 212 Webster-Hall, Dawn Mobile Shop Operator DC 202-274-3312 212 Williams, Joyce Shop Clerk DC 202-274-3312 212 Benison, Kathryn Director of Membership DC 202-534-3769 369 Babe-Thomas, Shannon Membership Initiatives Manager DC 202-274-3318 218 LaFond, Tonia Membership Area Manager, Area B Germantown 301-978-3875 3005 Vacant Membership Area Manager, Area A Waldorf 301-861-5868 4029 Deffer, Kathy Membership Area Manager, Area E Martinsburg 304-596-9930 730 Vacant Membership Area Manager, Area C Lorton 703-372-4347 216 Spetz, Patricia Membership Area Manager, Area D South Riding 703-840-2074 7207 MEMBERSHIP SERVICES Keeping You Posted—Staff Directory Page 23 Allen, Pam Administrative Assistant Martinsburg 304-596-9931 731 Barvir, Jane Senior Membership Specialist, Assoc 14, WV Martinsburg 304-596-9940 740 Bayne, Cindy Receptionist Martinsburg 304-596-9932 732 Boyden, Maggie Assoc 12, MD Waldorf Vacant Assoc 31, MD Germantown 301-978-3867 258 Brokamp, Runia Assoc 80, VA Lorton 703-372-4348 5081 Coates, Barbara Assoc 53, VA Lorton 703-372-4342 5053 Cunningham, Loretta Administrative Assistant DC Davis, Lori Administrative Assistant Waldorf 301-861-5860 4020 Eskilson, Trish Assoc 90, VA South Riding 703-840-2075 7204 Rodriquez, Zoe Linguistic Outreach Specialist DC Happell, Nadine Assoc 11, MD Waldorf 301-861-5861 4011 Gilbert, Pamela Assoc 56, VA Lorton 703-372-4345 5056 Kelly, Brittany Young Leaders Program DC 202-534-3792 525 Jang, Jinny Young Leaders Program DC 202-534-3778 407 Jenkins Payne, Toni Administrative Assistant Lorton 571-642-0253 5000 Vacant Assoc 70, VA South Riding 703-840-2072 7073 Vacant Assoc 50, VA DC Kennedy, Paula Assoc 60, VA Waldorf Kooken, Lori Assoc 14, WV & MD Home-based Martinsburg Vacant Assoc 32, MD DC 202-274-3323 223 LaVant, Andraea Inclusion Specialist DC 202-534-3791 251 Lawrence, Sue Administrative Assistant Germantown Martin, Phyllis Assoc 40, DC DC Shackleford, Lisa Administrative Assistant South Riding Keeping You Posted—Staff Directory Page 24 301-861-5866 4012 202-274-3322 202-274-3315 202-534-3775 222 215 575 301-861-5867 4060 301-359-9540 741 (M) 304-596-9941 301-978-3865 3000 202-274-3325 225 703-840-2070 7200 Megill, René Assoc 52, VA Lorton 703-372-4344 5055 Mohler, Lauren Assoc 10, MD Waldorf 301-861-5863 4010 Vacant Assoc 55, VA DC 202-534-3786 286 Munyasia, Christine Assoc 80, VA Lorton 703-372-4349 5082 Olausen, Carol Assoc 34, MD Germantown 301-978-3870 286 Vacant Assoc 37, MD Frederick 301-662-5106 12 Wheeler, Melony Assoc 21, MD Waldorf 301-861-5864 4021 McConnell, Cara Assoc 51, VA DC 202-534-3775 575 Rollins, Annette Administrative Assistant DC 202-274-3321 221 Rosales-Beck, Veronica Linguistic Outreach Specialist DC 202-534-3779 586 Seekins, Kaitlynn Assoc 70, VA South Riding 703-840-2071 7071 Sedhai, Sujan Assoc 90, VA South Riding 703-840-2076 7205 Smith, Laura Assoc 10, Charles County Waldorf 301-861-5862 4012 Smoot, Darylle Assoc 14, MD & WV Martinsburg 304-596-9948 748 Soule, Beverly Assoc 14, VA Home-based Martinsburg 540-313-4191 304596-9942 742 (M) Starr, Janna Assoc 70, VA South Riding 703-840-2073 7202 Thompson, Lynn Assoc 33, MD Germantown 301-978-3869 3300 Wilbert, Kim Membership Operations Specialist DC 202-534-3767 247 Venzor, Abeo Assoc 42, DC DC 202-534-3764 244 Fontaine, Kate Assoc 54, VA Lorton 703-372-4343 5054 Wilson, Charmaine Assoc 22, MD Waldorf 301-861-5865 4022 Ekanger, Gina Assoc 37, MD Germantown 301-978-3874 3702 Wiseman, Jennifer Assoc 14, VA & WV Martinsburg 304-596-9944 744 Keeping You Posted—Staff Directory Page 25