COUNCIL & PROGRAM UPDATES
Camp Indian Echo
Closed Until Further Notice
We regret to inform you that Camp Indian Echo will be closed until
further notice. The water well that supplies all water in the camp
has dried up. We are in the beginning processes of getting estimates
and securing permitting from the county to replace the well, and
will keep you informed as we learn more.
If you have a reservation for camping or plans to attend an event at Camp Indian Echo, we will gladly credit you or refund your money; please contact Kristie Wiley: (813) 262-1765.
We apologize for any inconvenience that this unforeseen circumstance may cause, and invite you to visit one of our other camp properties in the meantime.
The Ocala Office
Is Moving to Camp Wildwood
In an effort to continually evaluate the effectiveness and usage of
all of our properties, the decision was recently proposed by the
Office Relocation Task Group and approved by the GSWCF Board of
Directors to relocate the Ocala office to Camp Wildwood, effective
at the end of 2009.
Making decisions about our properties continues to be a major focus for the board. Prior to making these recommendations, this group considered the responses to a member survey regarding the location of our Tampa Service Center, along with feedback from town hall meetings in 2008 and forums at the 2009 annual meeting, and utilized maps showing the population trends and accessibility of all of our office sites in our eight county jurisdiction. The operating budget was also looked at as we continue to work in an economically challenging time.
The office and store at Camp Wildwood will officially open on Monday, Jan. 4, 2010. Hours will be Tuesday – Thursday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., and Saturdays, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. The office and store will be closed Sundays and Mondays.
Please click here to read a Q&A document regarding the move.
Thank you for your understanding, and we look forward to seeing you at Camp Wildwood!
We
Need Your Feedback!
Take our
PR/Marketing survey and enter in a drawing to win a
$25 gift card to Macy’s*. Please take few moments to
complete the
PR/Marketing member survey, which will help GSWCF
staff evaluate and improve our efforts based on your
direct feedback.
*One name will be drawn in early December; winner will be notified via e-mail. The survey closes on Dec. 5.
Marine Lab at Camp Wai Lani Reopens!
The Marine Lab at Camp Wai Lani is now open to Girl
Scout troops! This project was a joint venture between
Girl Scouts from Troop 89 as their Silver Award
project, and adult volunteers Laura McMeekin, service
unit manager, Crystal Waters; and Barbara Lueth and
Julia Marshall from Beautiful Waters.
If you would like to reserve the Marine Lab for your next troop meeting, please contact Kristie Wiley at extension 1765.
Support Girl Scouts and Save $$$ On Bucs Tickets
Through Our Partnership with the Bucs!
Through
our partnership with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Girl
Scouts can purchase their Tampa Bay Buccaneers tickets
by
clicking here.
Up to $10 from each ticket supports girls in West
Central Florida!
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will support Girl Scouts as an integral non-profit in our community – building nearly 30,000 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.”
Girl Scouts of West Central Florida Scholarship Funds
Girl Scouts of West Central Florida offers two annual
scholarships to graduating seniors pursuing a higher
education. These scholarships are in honor of Ann
Hensler and Marion Stephenson; application deadline is
Wednesday, April 1, 2010.
Eligibility Criteria to Receive GSWCF Scholarship Funds
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Candidate must be a Gold Award recipient by March 1, 2010.
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Candidate must be a registered member of Girl Scouts of West Central Florida and have been a registered Girl Scout for the last three years preceding her application.
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Candidate must be a graduating high school senior.
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Candidate must have a high school G.P.A. of 3.0 (unweighted) or higher.
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Candidate must complete the application form and submit all materials to Girl Scouts of West Central Florida, ATTN: Scholarship Selection Committee, P.O. Box 18066, Tampa, FL 33679-8066.
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Application must include Girl Scout accomplishments.
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Application must include list of awards, community and volunteer activities.
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Application must include academic and school activities (i.e., school clubs, sports, etc.).
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Candidate must submit a 500-word essay with application.
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Scholarship candidates may be interviewed by the members of the selection committee.
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There will be at least two recipients of the funds each year with each award being a maximum of $500.
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The scholarship must be used during the academic year for which it is awarded.
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The scholarship can be used for the pursuit of any type of higher education.
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All decisions and discussion within the selection committee will remain confidential.
Scholarships
for Girl Scouts
Colleges and universities recognize the merits of the
Girl Scout experience by making scholarships and grants
available to Girl Scouts and recipients of the
Girl Scout Gold Award.
Girls seeking scholarships should contact their high
school guidance counselor or the financial aid office
at the school they wish to attend for information on
any scholarships that might be available to Girl
Scouts. For a full list of scholarships for Girl
Scouts, as well as stories and more information about
college scholarships,
click here.
Need Help Completing Your College Applications or Applying for Student Aid?
Gold
Award Tidbits
Service v. Take Action
Some community service projects address an immediate
need in the community: girls organize a book or
clothing drive, paint walls to cover up graffiti, or
hold a one‐time march or fair to highlight a community
problem. Although these projects address a need in the
community, they do so for only a short period of time.
Defining Take
Action
A Take Action project picks up from where a short‐term project
leaves off. For example, the girls organizing the book or clothing
drive could make their project a Take Action project by holding the
drive annually and getting a sponsor to advertise and organize it
every year. The girls who painted the walls to cover up graffiti can
create a club that travels around the city painting beautiful murals
on buildings that have been defaced. And the girls who held the
march or fair could expand the event to include community artisans
and make it an annual gathering. For each project, girls can
publicize and get people in the community to come out and support.
They can even get community leaders involved.
When girls pursue Take Action projects, they take time to identify and understand the root cause of the issue they are addressing. Girls also must make sure that each project is sustainable and that the impact is measurable. Because these two words are nebulous and difficult to define, take the time to define each with participants.
• Measurable: The success of the project can be determined based on the number of people the project helped, the number of people who were involved, any reduction in the community’s need, and other concrete numbers.
• Sustainable: Girls must make arrangements (such as collaborating with community leaders and/or organizations; building alliances with mentors) to ensure that the project creates lasting change and is not a one‐time event
Short-Term Service Project – a one‐time effort; has short‐term impact
Take Action Project – identifies the root cause; has long‐term benefits and sustainable support)
Examples:
Issue:
An uninsured
family’s home is destroyed by a fire.
Solution: Collect clothes, household goods and food for the family.
Take Action: A solution could be to establish a Habitat for Humanity group in the community or work with an existing Habitat group and organize a work group to rebuild the family’s home.
Issue: Racial tensions exist in the community.
Solution: Organize a one‐time diversity celebration.
Take Action: One solution could be to create an organization that holds regular seminars, meetings or workshops about racial tolerance and understanding other cultures.
Issue: Families are going hungry.
Solution: Hold a food drive for families in need.
Take Action: One solution could be to come up with easy to make recipes (in a free booklet) that include ingredients the families regularly receive from food pantries.
The Gold Award is a leadership award intended to be completed by an individual girl. Gold Award Projects have to go beyond service (beautification projects/collect & donate). Girls should try to address the root cause of an issue and develop a “take action” project that is sustainable, ongoing and easily recognized and traceable to their work that will carry on after they are finished with their projects. Also, remember the idea of the Gold Award is not piggy backing on something that already exists, but something that they initiate and implement.
Click here to watch a video with some real Gold Award Projects that will give examples of sustainability.
If you have any questions regarding Silver or Gold Awards, please contact Shari Money: 800-881-4475, ext. 1833.
2010
Centenary Celebrations
Celebrate 100 years of International Girl Guiding and
Girl Scouting. Spectacular events for Girl Guides, Girl
Scouts and volunteers are happening all over the world
in 2010.
Girls interested in participating in the Girl Guiding UK Centennial Camp can apply through destinations.
Groups/troops interested in participating in any of the 2010 Centenary Celebrations can apply directly to the event. For applications that require the International Commissioners stamp or questions, please e-mail globalgirlscouting@girlscouts.org.
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! Questions about troop camping? Contact
Kristie Wiley: 813-262-1765.