Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania



	ENEWS November 28, 2007 News You Can Use Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania made an impact at the recent Pennsylvania Governor's Conference for Women on November 8, 2007, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Center City, Philadelphia. The Conference celebrated women of power and influence while providing empowering workshops and speakers. GSEP s Marketing team spearheaded our booth design and created a postcard used to recruit volunteers, alumnae, corporate sponsors and "friends." Ours was the best looking booth there and was "wo-manned" by staff in Girl Scout uniforms. Fifty attendees chose to fill out our postcard and leave it at the booth. Hundreds of others took cards with them. We gave away bagged cookies and emery boards with the GSEP logo and web address. After the conference, a debriefing was held to ensure appropriate and timely follow up with all the potential new volunteers. This conference returns to Philadelphia in 2009 and plans for increasing our presence are being made. Thanks to all who helped make this event truly a success. _____________________ Our Congratulations to the following: Madiha Irfan of Troop #41069! Madiha was one of two Girl Scouts selected to read their essays at the First Person Arts Festival held on Sunday November 11. Madiha's essay was about life as a Pakistani-American teenager and the different challenges she faces. Madiha is in the 10th grade at Villa Maria Academy. Junior Troop #7620! They participated in the Cheltenham Township Harvest Festival Hay Ride Contest on October 13th and won first place. The girls spent over a month preparing for the Harvest Festival and making props. Their ghoulish props and scenes were a hit. Sandra Walther and Rosemarie Palmer-Sungail! They have been recognized by DuPont for their many years of outstanding volunteer service. As Troop leaders in the Kennett and Unionville School Districts, they've led their troops in community service projects and taught young Girl Scouts leadership skills. Sandra also helped form two new troops and mentored eight other troops. Between troop and service unit meetings and fund-raising, the ladies also volunteer at least 15 hours per month. As full-time DuPont employees and parents, their volunteer efforts represent a significant commitment. They are involved in Girl Scouts because they love to teach girls how to be strong, smart and independent. GSEP salutes you for helping to build girls of courage, confidence and character. _____________________ Older Girl Scholarship Opportunity Applications for the Elks National Foundation's 2008 Most Valuable Student contest are available now at your local Elks Lodge, online or by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the Foundation. The Elks National Foundation will award 500 four-year scholarships to the highest-rated applicants in the 2008 competition. Applications for the 2008 contest have to be submitted to your local Elks Lodge by January 11, 2008. Any high school senior who is a citizen of the United States is eligible to apply. Applicants need not be related to a member of the Elks. College students are not eligible to apply. Applicants must be citizens of the United States on the date their applications are signed; resident alien status does not qualify. Male and female students compete separately. Applicants will be judged on scholarship, leadership, and financial need. All scholarships are in the form of certificates of award conditional upon the full-time enrollment of the winner in an accredited U.S. college or university. Applications must advance through local, district and state competition to reach the national competition. The Chicago office of the Elks National Foundation will announce the 500 national winners, and notify them in writing, around May 15, 2008. (Many local Lodges, districts and state Elks associations award their own scholarships through this program. _____________________ Spotlight! During this time of Thanksgiving many of us enjoy the comfort of our homes and the company of friends and loved ones. Like the crisp breeze stirring through autumn leaves, it's easy to let our mind caress old memories. So while we reflect on our thankfulness for turkey dinners and cozy slippers, let us remember to also be thankful for the country we live in. Volunteer Maureen Long made sure she did just that with her girls. Long, a new Volunteer Leader of Brownie Troop #5462, was planning to hold a Flag Investiture Ceremony. However, her dollar store flag was small, plastic, and uninspiring to say the least. At a training meeting one of the Volunteer Trainers told Long that politicians and government officials sometimes donate flags to Girl Scout Troops. Long hastily began making phone calls. With a Troop meeting spot in Norwood and the home addresses of her Brownie Troop scattered throughout Chestnut Hill, Long had the opportunity to contact politicians in multiple districts. In just two short weeks she received a brand new 4'x 6' flag from Nick Micozzie and his staff. Along with the flag, Long and her Troop also received dozens of brochures outlining the proper care and handling of our patriotic flag. The Brownie girls were thrilled! On a cool, autumn evening they learned all about patriotism, proper flag care, and how to perform a Flag Investiture Ceremony. The event was a great success. Every month GS News will feature a different SPOTLIGHT! article. If you know of a great volunteer or motivating project that is taking place, please contact Tonya Towles at ttowles@gsep.org or (215) 564-2030, ext. 1043. _____________________ Upcoming Events Program Opportunity: ZING! Reading Museum Exhibit Visit the Reading Public Museum for an interactive exhibit called ZING! The exhibit will help your Girl Scouts earn several science badges and try-its! This highly interactive exhibit teaches girls about sound, magnetism, motion, balance, energy transfer, and simple machines. Girls will be able to do activities such as: * "B-B-Bounce" (Energy Transfer) - Use transferred energy to bounce a ball up to 10 feet high. * "Pipes of Pan" (Sound, Resonance) - Hit the ends of a giant Pan Pipe with paddles to play a tune. * "Ping-Pong Plumbing" (Forces, Motion and Engineering) - Create a fun maze with pipes, Velcro and ping pong balls. * "Angular Momentum" (Forces and Motion) - Stand and spin on a disk mounted on a raised, padded platform to learn about forces and motion. ZING! is produced by the Carnegie Science Center. This exhibit runs until December 31, 2007. Admission prices are $7.00 for adults and $5.00 for children. For more information contact the Museum at (610) 371-5850. Hours of operation: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Sat 11:00 am -5:00 pm Friday 11:00 am - 8:00 pm Sunday 12 noon - 5:00 pm Location: 500 Museum Road, Reading, PA 19611 Each month the Program Department will feature new and exciting ideas for leaders to explore with girls. If you have any ideas to share, please send them to Sharon Pirelli at Spirelli@gsep.org. _____________________ Volunteer Opportunity This Saturday Looking for a way to help the Council? Come this Saturday to spend some enjoyable time with fellow Girl Scout volunteers. We can use your strong data entry skills. Come join us! We need volunteers, aged 14 and older, to help us get the E-Council membership database up-to-date. Workers will be at both Shelly Ridge and Lehigh Valley Service Centers this Saturday, December 1st from 9 am to 5 pm. Come join us for one hour, two, or the whole day. Whatever you can give is greatly appreciated. Continental breakfast, lunch and snacks will be provided. Girls can receive community service hours for their time. If you're interested in volunteering, please contact Loretta Rudzinski at lrudzinski@gsep.org or 888/215-564-2030 ext. 1049. _____________________ Program Corner New Programs Take Charge! Date: December 15-16, 2007 Time: 8:30 am on Saturday to 1:00 pm on Sunday Ages: 12-17 Location: Valley Forge Service Center, 100 Juliette Low Way, Valley Forge, PA 19482 Cost: $15.00 - includes meals, lodging, materials, workbook, certificate, & parting gift Deadline to Register: December 10, 2007 The American Bar Association and GSUSA have collaborated to pilot "Take Charge! Violence Prevention, Conflict Resolution and Law" for girls ages 12-17. This innovative program will take place overnight on the weekend of December 15-16, 2007, at the Valley Forge Service Center. The first day will consist of activities related to conflict resolution, violence prevention, school safety, teen dating, careers in law, and the impact of the law in our lives. On the second day, the girls will participate in a Mock Trial with the guidance of volunteer lawyers serving as coaches. Please register using the form in the Program Guide Program Registration, P.O. Box 27540, Phila, PA 19118. For more information contact Maureen A. Streeter (Membership Director) at mstreeter@gsep.org or (215) 745-1717 ext. 1202. 10th Annual Young Women's Conference Date: January 12, 2008 Time: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Ages: Girls age 13-18 Location: Plymouth Whitemarsh High School, Whitemarsh, PA Cost: $15.00 - includes lunch, patch, door prizes, gift bags, and workshops Experience the power and fun of being with hundreds of Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts from across Eastern Pennsylvania. Meet new friends and explore a variety of topics including: self-defense, yoga, college, dance, writing, acting, singing, culinary arts, business, fashion and beauty, sports, careers, home decoration and more. Gold Award review will be available to those who send in their proposals by December 20. Individual young women, as well as troops, are encouraged to attend. An adult workshop track is planned for Girl Scout Leaders who attend, including Cadette and Senior Leader Training. Register online at www.gsep.org under the Program section. Adult workshop facilitators needed and welcome. Contact jsaul@gsep.org to obtain more information. Program Guide The 2007-2008 Program Guide was mailed to every registered Girl Scout household in early October. If you have not received your copy, please contact your nearest Service Center for a copy. The Program Guide is your source for Council-sponsored programs that help girls connect with other girls from all across the Council and earn some of the harder-to-earn badges, try-its, and interest projects. Listed below are upcoming programs listed in the Program Guide that still have space available. Please see the Program Guide for more complete information, including costs and an expanded description. You can register either online at www.gsep.org or by mail using the Registration Form found in your Program Guide. Conflict Resolution Date: December 9, 2007 Place: National Liberty Museum, Philadelphia Time: 1 pm - 2:30 pm Age Level: Cadette, Senior Learn good techniques to solve problems so you can always feel safe and strong while improving your communication skills. Then practice 10 easy to resolve conflicts and prevent bullying that work toward the Conflict Resolution IP. Making Hobbies Date: December 15, 2007 Time: 1 pm - 3 pm Place: Shelly Ridge Cost: $10 per girl Age Level: Junior Create pins and bracelets, then decoupage a gift box and make your own wrapping paper from printed leaves. Me and My Robot Date: February 16, 2008 Time: 9 am to 12 noon OR 1 pm to 4 pm Place: Valley Forge Service Center Age Level: 6th through 12th grade Cost: $10 per girl Bring your favorite adult guy on a robotics adventure to design and program a robot with the help of IBM experts. By the end of the workshop, you will compete in a robotics obstacle course! _____________________ Announcements Announcements from Adult Development Volunteer Application Update: If you haven't yet completed your volunteer application, please do so without delay. The process includes the four page completed application, submission of four references, and consent for GSEP to conduct a criminal background check. Please include the $5 fee to share the cost of processing with GSEP. All forms can be accessed at http://www.gsep.org/pages/adult_training.html. You may also stop in at one of the Council Service Centers to obtain a packet of these materials. You will receive a letter from GSEP upon completion of the processing of your application. If you have not yet heard from us, it is likely that we don't have all the pieces of your file. We appreciate your understanding in this very important process, which ultimately protects the girls we serve. The GSEP Volunteer Policies state that the following positions require a volunteer application/background clearance: All Leaders and Co-Leaders (position code 01 and 02) Anyone who handles money, such as Product Sales Managers (Cookie Managers and Fall Product Sales (Cookie Booth Coordinators are not required) All adults accompanying troops on overnight trips Training Information for leaders: Did you know that Girl Scout Trainers/Learning Facilitators are volunteers, just like you? They are often troop leaders and service team members themselves, with a wealth of Girl Scout knowledge. We are trying to reach out to all communities and make training convenient. Our trainers are here to serve you, share their own personal experiences, and prepare you for your leadership role. There are three steps in GSEP Leadership Training: Orientation (online at http://training.girlscouts.org or via home study packet - contact Teresa at tvanarsdale@gsep.org or at (866) 564-2030, ext. 1021) *Essentials (a welcome to Girl Scouts workshop - filled with the essential tools of leadership) *Age Level Training (a workshop designed to the specific program age level you're working with) The sooner your training is completed, the better prepared you will be to lead your girls. Training should be completed within the first year. If possible, complete Orientation and Essentials prior to Age Level Training. Volunteer Learning Opportunities: The GSEP training schedule is updated on the GSEP website each week. Visit http://www.gsep.org/pages/adult_training.html. To access our schedule of learning opportunities with registration instructions, click on the "Training Information" link. Online Registration is available through E-Council for all trainings. Printed schedules are also available through our Service Centers. The Adult Development Team is here to serve you: Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Lehigh, and Northampton Counties - contact Jill Sober at (610) 791-2411, ext. 1504 or jsober@gsep.org. Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties - contact Devon Miller at (610) 933-7555 or (800) 355-3847, ext. 1419 or dmiller@gsep.org. Adult Development Coordinator: Contact Teresa VanArsdale at (866) 564-2030, ext 1021 or tvanarsdale@gsep.org. Adult Recruitment Manager / Volunteer Application Process: Contact Dale Moelter (866) 564-2030, ext. 1019 or dmoelter@gsep.org. Adult Development Director: Contact Lorrie Klaric (866) 564-2030, ext. 1025 or lklaric@gsep.org. Announcements from our Shops: With the holidays approaching, please note that the Service Centers and Shops will be closed on the following dates and times: December 12 - closed all day December 24 - closed after 1 pm December 25 through January 1 - CLOSED January 21 - closed all day _____________________ Mission Mantra "If you need something done, ask a busy woman." - Hazel Bliss, Leader, Troop #71697 Calling all wise sages: If you have an inspiring quote you live by, we would love to hear it. Please email Tonya Towles at ttowles@gsep.org. Be sure to include Mission Mantra in the title of the email. _____________________ Contact Us GS News Hard Copies If you know of a Leader or Service Unit Manager who does not receive GS News because she/he does not have access to a computer, please have them contact us for a mailed copy of the GS News. Please call or email Loretta Rudzinski at (215) 564-2030, ext. 1049 or lrudzinski@gsep.org.