MoCo-OwCo SU Newsletter
July 2020
Virtual SU Meeting
6:00 - 7:00 SU Leader/Volunteer Meeting
7:00 - 8:00 SU TEAM Meeting (and all those interested in a position on the TEAM)
MoCo-OwCo Service Unit Leader Meeting
Time: May 21, 2020 06:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/99921024161?pwd=ckM1RjAwTHRON3pKVVBUOWFmd0g0Zz09
Meeting ID: 999 2102 4161
Password: Girl Scout
Dial by your location
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
Meeting ID: 999 2102 4161
Password: 027880
Thursday, May 21, 2020, 06:00 PM
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End-of-Year Matters From Your Service Unit
Join Our Meeting! Thursday, May 21 6 p.m.
All leaders and volunteers are encouraged to join our May SU meeting. We miss your faces!
The link is above.
SU TEAM Planning for Next Year Meeting: Thursday, May 21, 7 p.m.
We have an amazing group of ladies who help make our TEAM one of the best. They work very well together, have positive and creative ideas to make our GS program as supportive as it can be to all of the girls, leaders, and volunteers in our Monroe and Owen counties. Each year we plan ahead to make sure we have all positions filled for the next GS year.
We have a couple of spots that have opened up on our team and we want to give those that are on the team an opportunity to try something different (if they choose) and open up the spots to new members. We've created a survey to help us organize this task. Here is a list of all of the positions and their duties. It holds the names of those who have been on the TEAM this current year. If they want to move to a different position - a spot may open up! And, as we all know, things can change throughout a year and we'd like to know who is interested in what positions!
We are asking EVERYONE on the current TEAM and those interested (even a little) to fill out this quick survey. THANK YOU!
Wrap-Up the Year
Although the GS year doesn't end until the end of September, many troops stop meetings at the end of May to coincide with the school year. (If you want to keep meeting over the summer - go for it!) Here is a great video link to help you wrap-up the year created by GSCI!
Early Bird Registration has its PERKS! May 15 - June 23
This year, GSCI is upping the perks for renewal! The first 500 girls (and leaders) who renew will receive earbuds and a patch! The biggest perk is for troops who register 80% of their girls and two leaders (with assigned cookie and fall product managers) by June 30! They will be reimbursed the two adult membership fees. That's a $50 value! For more details on the perks for Early Bird Registration - check out the short video above under "Wrap-Up the Year."
Voices Count Surveys from Council
Please encourage your families to fill out the survey from council. It is important that they know what is working for you and what is not. You need to let them know what resources you are missing the most during this pandemic, as we don't realize what we really miss until it's gone! Do you miss going into the shop or Service Center for supplies - let them know how important it is to you. Do you enjoy having more online resources for your troop - let them know! And always - if it is something our Service Unit Team can do better don't wait for a survey to let us know. We want to do what we can to do the best we can!
Annual Reports DUE by June 30
Each troop will be responsible for turning in their annual financial report through the Volunteer Tool Kit. Here is a video link to help you! And as always, you can reach out to members on our SU Team or council for help.
Many troops personally hold bridging celebrations over the summer and move their girls into their next level to coordinate with the next school year. Normally, our SU offers a large bridging celebration for many troops to attend at one time in May. Although we cannot have a large bridging celebration this year, feel free to find a way to do this for those girls who are moving up a level in the safest manner possible. It might mean waiting until fall or even doing it virtually with an in-person celebration later. Here is a link to help you plan a Virtual Bridging Ceremony.
Cookie Prizes and a Survey
Cookie prizes will be in soon and once they are divided up by troop, you will be contacted to pick them up (in a safe way).
Can you help our SU by completing this very QUICK survey about your experience with our cookie program? Please be honest! We only want to get better! SURVEY LINK
GS Day Camp 2020
Day Camp at McCormick's Creek is canceled for this summer.
The theme "Cartoon Mania" will be used next summer.
If you registered for camp and have not had your check returned, please email Julie Pointer at
Troop Meetings
Click here for GSCI's most recent updates regarding meetings held in-person.
You are still encouraged to meet virtually if possible! If you need help with this, please contact any of us to help! Here is a great link to help you be safe about it!
If you cannot meet virtually, please consider reaching out to talk or video chat with each of your girls in your troop every 2 weeks. Our troops become family and more so than ever, we need to keep that connection with our girls.
Virtual Meeting Resources
We are also making some badge BLUEPRINTS that can be shared with our girls while they are home. Click here to find this resource in our shared drive file.
Another idea is to put together kits of supplies for your girls to work on. You could offer to 'porch-drop' them or have the girls' parents swing by to get them from your porch.
At our last SU Meeting, leaders discussed other ways to stay organized and to have fun with the girls:
* Use Google Classroom to organize badges and add links.
* Find things to do in a virtual meeting that are a lot of fun! (sleepover, karaoke, Kahoot trivia, bingo, charades, etc.)
Do you have other ideas!?! Please share them at our next meeting!
THANK YOU TO ALL OUR VOLUNTEERS
Some of our friends have been honored officially through the GS awards process. You can check out the Award Recipients book here.
Daisy by Mail - Help us Spread the Word!
Share this link with families interested in Daisy by Mail https://gsci2016.wufoo.com/forms/z8r9i4a0v686bx/
For $35, girls will get FOUR interactive magazines, one each month in May, June, July and August.
This also includes her membership for next school year! Daisy by Mail is based on Indiana Kindergarten Readiness standards. We are excited this year to not only have flyers in Spanish, but the entire program! Registration, also bilingual, is open and will run through May 15. Questions?
From Council!
Daisy by Mail registration will remain open through May 15th. It is offered in both Spanish and English. This is a great opportunity for girls to begin their Girl Scout experience from home. In addition to three months of at-home activities, DBM also includes their membership for the 21 membership year. Girls will be contacted upon completion of the program in August to help find them a Daisy troop. Financial Assistance is available.
Virtual Resources - What creative ideas are flowing from each of you! Thank you for continuing to engage your leaders and encourage them to stay connected with their girls. When you have time check out Girl Scouts at Home. Badges and resources are being added regularly. Another great site is GSUSA’s Tips for Troop Leaders. Do you have girls who aren’t connecting right now but want to stay engaged? Check out the new resource Keep Girl Scouts Going. It’s a great guide to help adults with Girl Scouts activities. For a paper copy of this guide, contact customer care.
Graduating Troops- Congratulations to all Girl Scout Ambassadors who are graduating this year. We hope your time in Girl Scouts has given you life-lasting memories and helped you become the leader you are today. We’ll be here for you in these next stages of life. If you’d like to keep in touch, please consider joining our GSCI Alum Network. For the volunteers who have supported GS Ambassadors for 12 or 13 years, thank you for the time, talents and treasures you have given. From Daisy to Ambassador is an impressive commitment to our mission. Our sincere gratitude!
Voices Count - Please share this information with all of your families! At Girl Scouts, we care about your experience, good or bad, and we want to hear from you! In May, we’ll be conducting a national online survey with all parents/caregivers and troop leaders called Girl Scout Voices Count. We use your feedback to find out what’s working and what’s not, and to improve the Girl Scout experience for all families and volunteers. On May 6, you will be emailed an invitation to take the survey. If you are a troop leader who is also a parent or caregiver of a Girl Scout, you will receive the troop leader survey only. If you have a girl in Girl Scouts, her survey links will be included in this email as well so that all survey links for a family will be in one place. Save the date and be sure to check your email. Everyone who completes the survey has a chance to win one of 20 $50 gift cards.
Virtual Training Opportunities
Does your troop use the Volunteer Toolkit? Would you like a mini-training on how to use it? Contact Meg Booth or 317.924.6839.
Kaleidoscope! Oct. 9-11
This event is our annual weekend of learning where leaders from Daisy to Ambassador can choose to attend classes in STEM, grade level, outdoor and enrichments related to Journeys or topics your Girl Scouts are experiencing.
Get prepared to guide your girls to a great year of fun, learning and growing in Girl Scouts. And bring a friend!
Save the Dates October 9-11th! Registration will open at the end of August.
50% off for all adults whose troops renew by June 30th.
Resources!
Use this link to find all handouts and Service Unit (SU) information
Upcoming Events Link
Use this link to keep track of upcoming links in our SU and area
MoCo OwCo Facebook Link for Leaders
Join our group page to stay in contact with other leaders
Events and Programming Link for GSCI
Use this link to find local and regional events planned just for Girl Scouts
Important Forms from GSCI
You can find forms from banking to permission slips here
Community & Patch Programs Link
Find local and regional groups that offer GS approved events/activities
Does your troop use the Volunteer Toolkit? Would you like a mini-training on how to use it? Contact Meg Booth or 317.924.6839.
CHECK OUT THIS LINK TO ALL ONLINE TRAINING RESOURCES FROM GSCI!
SHOPPING RESOURCES
Sign Up for 15% off at JoAnn Fabrics
http://www.joann.com/girl-scouts/
Girl Scout Merchandise is offering free shipping on all online orders until further notice. CLICK HERE TO SHOP NOW!
Bronze and Silver Awards can be purchased from GSUSA while shops are closed.
For information about how to purchase these awards, contact Ann Jackson, ajackson@girlscoutsindiana.org or Kendra Nowell, knowell@girlscoutsindiana.org
Who do I go to?
Laura Dahncke, Membership Manager
ldahncke@girlscoutsindiana.org
Service Unit General Questions:
Jen Newton, SU Co-Manager or
Jill Ferguson, SU Co-Manager
monroe.gs.service.team@gmail.com
Cookie Program Questions:
Beth Rosales or
Jodie Latiolais
Monroe & Owen Counties Service Unit TEAM
Email: gs.newsletter.monroe@gmail.com
Website: https://www.girlscoutsindiana.org/
Phone: 317-924-6800
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1105091399509123/