Sunny Palms Community
September 2015 Update
Hello Sunny Palms Troop Leaders
Here is a brief summary of events in our community. Please contact me with any ideas, comments or questions. In this update, you'll find:
-Liz
- Meeting schedule--next meeting is September 14th
- Renew your membership
- Sunny Palms--new check request form
- Send Liz your charitable hours contributions
- Fall product information
- Upcoming events in our area
- Volunteer toolkit
- Troop camp reservation system
- Five Camp Songs Every Girl Scout Should Know
- Pictures
- GSWCF contacts
- Contributing to future updates
- Past updates
-Liz
Sunny Palms Community Leader Meeting Schedule and Key Dates
Mark your calendars! Our leader meetings are held on the first Monday of each month at St. John's Episcopal Church Parish Hall at 902 S Orleans, Tampa, FL 33606 from 7-8pm.
October 5th
November 2nd
December 7th
January 4th
February 1st
March 7th
April 4th
May 2nd
June 6th
Key Dates (see Upcoming Events section for more details):
Older Girl Scout Kickoff is October 10th
GS Fest for K-5 is October 24th
Encampment is February 5-7, 2016
Renew your Registration before September 30th!
If you haven't had a chance to register for 2015-2016, now is the perfect time!
Renew now: here.
Renew now: here.
Send Liz your charitable contributions
Liz would like to start tracking each Troops charitable endeavors, including hours and donations from the past year. Whether it is singing at a nursing home or buying books she'd like to track then for Sunny Palms. Example: 16 girls, 3 adults singing at a nursing home and visiting = 36 hours. Email Liz at: landmand3@aol.com
What's New in the Fall Product Program?
The Fall Product Program is 2 weeks away! Here is a preview of the new Ashdon Farms products added to the order card. PLUS, we’re giving you a glimpse of the awesome rewards you and your troop can earn by participating.
Info: here.
- Paper orders runs from Sept. 18 through Oct. 19 - 2 weeks longer
- Online order runs from Oct. 1 through Oct. 19
Info: here.
Upcoming Events in Our Area
Thin Mint Sprint: Join us for the third annual Thin Mint Sprint and Tagalong Trot on Saturday, September 26th. Safety Harbor Marina. Registration and info: here.
Older Girl Kickoff: Activities for Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors. Registration is now open for the Older Girl Kickoff on Saturday, October 10th from 11am-9pm. Registration: here.
Girl Scout Fest 2015: Activities for K-5. Don't miss GS Fest 2015 on Saturday, October 24th from 10am-3pm. Registration: here.
Sunny Palms Encampment will be February 5-7 this year.
Here are great activities for our troops and adults in September here.
And, the Fall Event Program Guide: here.
Volunteer Toolkit
The all new Volunteer Toolkit was launched this past membership year with much success. It can be a tremendous help with planning your Girl Scout year, weekly meetings, and activities and has been a great time saver for many volunteers.
In preparation for the upcoming membership year, all 2014/15 year plans were removed from the Volunteer Toolkit on August 1 so that volunteers can begin to build their new year plans. An update later in the year will bring back access to your past year plans that have been archived so that you may reference them as needed. May the planning begin!
VTK Tutorials
In preparation for the upcoming membership year, all 2014/15 year plans were removed from the Volunteer Toolkit on August 1 so that volunteers can begin to build their new year plans. An update later in the year will bring back access to your past year plans that have been archived so that you may reference them as needed. May the planning begin!
VTK Tutorials
Troop Camp Reservations
There's a new online reservation system for troop camping. The system has been working great! Troop leaders are easily making reservations, payments are collected immediately, and the GSWCF HQ can more accurately monitor the camp usage.
Click here, locate the camp of interest, and follow the link to reserve online: camp info
Contact: Troop camping reservation questions call 813-262-1770, e-mail campreservations@gswcf.org.
Click here, locate the camp of interest, and follow the link to reserve online: camp info
Contact: Troop camping reservation questions call 813-262-1770, e-mail campreservations@gswcf.org.
Five Camp Songs Every Girl Scout Should Know
Troop Camping season is finally upon us! The Online Troop Camping Reservations system is open for 2015-2016. To prepare campers for the ultimate sing-along session, GSWCG asked their Facebook audience for the best Girl Scout camp songs. Here are the Top 5—check them out and see if your favorite is among them.
Top Five Songs: here.
Top Five Songs: here.
Pictures from our Troops!
If you have pictures you'd like to share from your Troop, please send to: sdheine@me.com, with a brief description and we'll feature in a future update.
Troop 2202
Great encampment pic!
Troop 2202
Look at this fabulous cookie booth!
Troop 2202
Troop 2202 visits Florida orthopedic institute for first aid badge.
Troop 665
Troop 665 spent a fun beach day at Caladesi Island State Park.
Bridging Ceremony
May volunteer award!
Kim Bell!
May volunteer award!
Rich Rochford!
Troop 493
Had a great time at the Clearwater Aquarium Sleepover. The simulate turtle nest & tracks were great!
Useful GSWCF Contacts
From GSWCF: Here are contacts of people in the GSWCF office who can help you with Troop questions.
Robin Roup – External Recruitment Manager (South Pinellas and West Hillsborough County): responsible for recruiting new girl and adult members, working with the Community Recruiter to support community initiated recruitment events and activities, facilitate and assist with parent meetings as necessary to form new troops, expand the overall Girl Scout awareness outside of school based recruitment efforts by attending events and networking within the community. Her office phone number is 813.262.1692, and her email is RRoup@gswcf.org
Tiffany Wingard – Internal Recruitment Specialist (works with an supports the efforts of Robin Roup and Kevin Blair): responsible for placement of girls into new and existing troops, initial phases of getting a new troop leader registered and background screened, assigning troop numbers, etc. Her office phone number is T 813.262.1809, and her email is TWingard@gswcf.org
Layne Gregory – Community Membership Manager: Staff support for community teams are called Community Membership Managers (or CMMs) and are the primary support of volunteers holding community team positions. Their primary functions are to recruit, train, and manage the Community Teams in her assigned areas, attending Community meetings and handling conflict resolution.
Her office phone number is 813.262.1599, and her email is lgregory@gswcf.org
Troop Support – Troop support is for troop leader support at the council level. They are set up to help with individual troop rosters as requested, the Volunteer Toolkit, new leader orientation, troop renewal reminders and support and troop leader support for journey program and troop activities
K-5th Contacts are Erin Hollen Ehollen@gswcf.org and Lisa Ranon LRanon@gswcf.org
6-12th/STEM Contacts are Alison Wenickie awernickie@gswcf.org and Alice Benefiel abenefiel@gswcf.org
Customer Connections – this is our general customer support system for the entire council. If you have a girl that needs to be moved between troops, need help with registering for membership or events, making payments, password resets, etc. they are likely the people who can help. If you email customerconnections@gswcf.org a case will be opened within our system to ensure that your requests are being met in a timely fashion.
Robin Roup – External Recruitment Manager (South Pinellas and West Hillsborough County): responsible for recruiting new girl and adult members, working with the Community Recruiter to support community initiated recruitment events and activities, facilitate and assist with parent meetings as necessary to form new troops, expand the overall Girl Scout awareness outside of school based recruitment efforts by attending events and networking within the community. Her office phone number is 813.262.1692, and her email is RRoup@gswcf.org
Tiffany Wingard – Internal Recruitment Specialist (works with an supports the efforts of Robin Roup and Kevin Blair): responsible for placement of girls into new and existing troops, initial phases of getting a new troop leader registered and background screened, assigning troop numbers, etc. Her office phone number is T 813.262.1809, and her email is TWingard@gswcf.org
Layne Gregory – Community Membership Manager: Staff support for community teams are called Community Membership Managers (or CMMs) and are the primary support of volunteers holding community team positions. Their primary functions are to recruit, train, and manage the Community Teams in her assigned areas, attending Community meetings and handling conflict resolution.
Her office phone number is 813.262.1599, and her email is lgregory@gswcf.org
Troop Support – Troop support is for troop leader support at the council level. They are set up to help with individual troop rosters as requested, the Volunteer Toolkit, new leader orientation, troop renewal reminders and support and troop leader support for journey program and troop activities
K-5th Contacts are Erin Hollen Ehollen@gswcf.org and Lisa Ranon LRanon@gswcf.org
6-12th/STEM Contacts are Alison Wenickie awernickie@gswcf.org and Alice Benefiel abenefiel@gswcf.org
Customer Connections – this is our general customer support system for the entire council. If you have a girl that needs to be moved between troops, need help with registering for membership or events, making payments, password resets, etc. they are likely the people who can help. If you email customerconnections@gswcf.org a case will be opened within our system to ensure that your requests are being met in a timely fashion.
Future Updates
If you have anything to contribute to future updates, please contact Liz at: landmand3@aol.com