COUNCIL & PROGRAM UPDATES

Fall Guide Now Available for Download!
The new fall guide (formerly referred to as the fall program calendar) is now available to download on a computer near you! Visit the Program & Activities page to download your copy today! Printed copies (one per troop) will be available mid-month and will be provided to the community development managers to give out at service team meetings.

Registration for fall events begins Saturday, Sept. 5, so you’ll have plenty of time to choose the programs and dates that interest you.

New!
This year’s guide includes not only girl programming, but adult learning course offerings and a community resource directory as well!

Changes/Additions to the Fall Guide
Since the PDFs were posted to the website Aug. 13, a few changes/additions have been made. Revised versions of the PDFs will be posted to the website Oct. 5.

Please visit the webpage set up to reflect these changes/additions periodically to see new events that have been added and will soon be open for registration.

Celebrate National Public Lands Day with GSWCF at the
Serve to Preserve Kick-off
Change your world by signing up for our fall signature event, Be an Eco-Hero: Serve to Preserve. The date is Saturday, Sept. 26 and registration is open. Help us kick off the new program year, new Girl Scout Journeys and our initiative “It’s Your Earth – Care for It!” Purchase items from the Girl Scout Store, which will be on site, and get active with the 2010  Girl Scout Cookie activities. The Florida Aquarium, Lowry Park Zoo and MOSI are a few community partners that will be delivering programs, along with our host site, Brooker Creek Preserve. Sign up today! Two sessions are available: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 1 - 4 p.m.

Girls are also encouraged to monitor water on Sept. 18, World Water Monitoring Day. See below for more information on how to receive a FREE water test kit.* First 100 to Register for NPLD and World Water Monitoring Day will Receive Free Test Kit

Hopefully we are all familiar with the saying, “Water is life.”  While true, this phrase could be improved—“Clean water is life.”  In the United States and throughout the developed world, people tend to take the availability of clean water for granted.  We turn on a faucet and have water to drink, we dive into a lake and don’t get ill—for the most part.  How is this possible?

Throughout the U.S., groups of volunteers dedicate their time to monitoring the quality of the nation’s waterways.  If something doesn’t look quite right, they investigate and may eventually seek action from environmental agencies to identify and solve the problem.  What are these water quality monitors looking for? 

While conducting a river clean-up, or working in a park near a body of water for National Public Lands Day (NPLD), why not seize the opportunity to learn a little bit about water quality?  It’s easy—simply register for World Water Monitoring Day as well, and order an easy-to-use water quality test kit.  Monitor your waterway (along with tens of thousands of others around the globe) and then report your data.  Information for how to do this can be found at www.WorldWaterMonitoringDay.org.  

* In order to encourage more NPLD groups to also take part in World Water Monitoring Day, the program is offering a FREE water test kit to the first 100 groups that register on the WWMD website and identify themselves as being associated with National Public Lands Day. 

For more information about WWMD or the free test kit offer, please contact Lorien Walsh.

GSWCF Partners with the Bucs!
Girl Scouts of West Central Florida is pleased to announce a partnership with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 2009-2010 NFL season!

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will support Girl Scouts as an integral non-profit in our community – building more than 20,000 girls’ leadership development skills. Through partnering with the Bucs, Girl Scouts of West Central Florida will be able to:

  • increase Girl Scout awareness in our community;
  • fundraise by offering tickets to all regular season games at a discounted, exclusive rate for Girl Scouts, friends and families (with focus on Jan. 3 game);
  • sell cookies at the stadium following the Jan. 3 home game v. the Atlanta Falcons;
  • promote the launch of the 2010 cookie season; and offer unique girl program experiences.
     

“We are very excited about partnering with the Tampa Bay Bucs for the 2009-2010 season,” said Jody Johnston, CEO, GSWCF, “and look forward to developing a long-term relationship between our organizations that will ultimately offer girls more opportunities to grow into successful, confident young women.”

Tickets will be available soon through an online ordering site exclusive to Girl Scouts of West Central Florida. More information will be distributed in the next few weeks to all Girl Scout members, alumnae and our community about how to purchase tickets to all regular season games and support Girl Scouts. A troop lottery will be conducted for the cookie booth opportunity closer to the date of the game.

Trip Insurance Update
United of Omaha has confirmed its trip and event insurance rates for the next membership/program year. The rates will be, effective Oct. 1, 2009:

  • Event (“tag”) Insurance – remains at 11 cents per person per day
  • Secondary Trip Insurance – remains at 29 cents per person per day
  • Primary Trip Insurance – increases to 70 cents per person per day
  • International/Cruise Insurance – remains at $1.17 per person per day

 

You’ll note that only Primary Trip Insurance (Plan 3P) is increasing. Continue to use the current rate (67 cents per person per day) until Sept. 30, but for any trips starting Oct. 1 or beyond, use the new rate.

Contact Kathy Sandy if you have questions: (813) 262-1771.

Bronze, Silver & Gold Awards Update
Girl Scouts of the USA recently provided us with the new requirements for the Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards. GSUSA has established a two-year transition period that will run through Sept. 30, 2012. In order for GSWCF to facilitate the award process, support volunteers and girls, we will not make any changes to the current requirements until October 2010.

Girls should continue to work under the current guidelines until then. However, if the majority of the work on earning the award will occur after fall 2010, girls can begin using the new guidelines by working on a Journey this membership year, and then next membership year (October 2010), begin working on their project. We will fully implement the new requirements October 2012, so if the majority of the work will be done during the 2012 membership year, the new guidelines must be used. 

NOTE: The Girl Scout Stores carry all supplies for Silver & Gold Award requirements. If they are out of what you need, you should ask them to place an order for you, or you can borrow from the Resource Centers. Girls should not be using the requirements that are written in the Cadette and Senior Handbooks; they should be using the Silver/Gold Award Go For It! Interest Project & Focus books (formally STUDIO 2B books).

For more information on the new requirements, click here.

For more information on these awards, please visit our website or contact:
Bronze Award: Terri Costello – (813) 262-1688
Silver/Gold Awards: Shari Money – (813) 262-1833

Register to Win a Dell Computer!
Anyone ages 13 and up – including non-Girl Scout members – can register to win a brand new Dell desktop computer, courtesy of the LMK program, a partnership with GSUSA and Microsoft Windows. Visit the website for official rules and the online entry form; sweepstakes ends Monday, Sept. 7. 

Casting Call – Girl Media Team
We’re putting out a call to all Girl Scouts who may be interested in working with the media and at special events held throughout the year. Are you interested in talking with a reporter about your Girl Scout experiences? How about attending grand openings and special events representing GSWCF?

This year, we’re hoping to expand the Girl Media Team and add some cool elements… but can’t reveal them just yet!

If this sounds like fun, please e-mail the public relations manager to become a part of our Girl Media Team.

Availability note: please be aware that media opportunities can arise at any time.

Spaghetti Dinner Benefits Camp Wai Lani
Beautiful Waters Service Unit is holding an All-You-Can-Eat Spaghetti Dinner Sunday, Oct. 25 from 4 – 7 p.m. at the Camp Wai Lani Dining Hall. All monies raised from the event will benefit a service project at Camp Wai Lani. 

The dinner menu includes spaghetti sauce (with and without meat) and noodles, garlic bread, green salad, cold drink and dessert. Tours of the campgrounds will be available until dark. 

  • Adults (12 and over): $10/each

  • Children (3-11): $5/each

  • Under 3: free

  • Please add $2 to each ticket price if purchased at the door on the day of the event.

If you’d like to attend, please send your name, troop number, phone number, address, the number of adults and children attending, and check number, and mail to Girl Scouts – Beautiful Waters, P.O. Box 2493, Tarpon Springs, FL  34688.

Questions? Please call Debbie McKinney: (727) 804-2994.

Have You Made Your Camp Reservations?
Please be sure to make your troop camping reservations! Check out the availability calendar and make your reservations today!

GS EXPRESS

September 1, 2009

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