Girl Scout Leader Meeting

Girl Scout Leader Meeting – Minutes for Sept 6, 2007

Troops in attendance: Brownie 222, 696, 2546, 2805, Junior 2245, 2552, 2676, 301, Cadette 2079, Senior 1035

Council Mini-Training

Sponsors, Donations & Solicitations

Paperwork

All Leaders and Service Team members must sign their Annual Position Description and Appointment forms. Please return them to Nancy ASAP. If you were not at the meeting, your co-leader should have the forms for you.
Checking account change forms need to be signed by any troop making changes at Citizens. Please sign and return to Nancy ASAP. If you want to return them yourself, please bring them to the Derry branch and ask for Katrina.
Bank Account Report form for Swift Water is due to me by November 11^th(founding your new year packet)
Each troop has a “New Year” packet of forms. We reviewed their contents.

Survey

In June I sent out an email survey to parents. Overall, the results were positive. Some recurring comments were that parents would like to see more service projects done. Girls would like to receive their badges more often. Some parents didn’t feel that their troop earned enough badges. Some parents wanted a little more advanced notice of trips and activities. Some asked that all Chester girl scouts are invited to town-wide events even if the leaders aren’t able to attend.

If a troop decides to do a service project, open it up to all girl scouts in town (if feasible) or organize more town-wide projects. A contact list for all leaders was requested. I will send that out shortly.
Give badges as soon as they are earned. Remind girls (especially younger ones) what they did to earn it and then do a 5 minute ceremony to give badges. Girls need instant gratification. Does a girl who earned a badge in September remember what she did to earn it if you don’t give it to her until January or June?
Have girls set goals for number of badges they would like to earn for the year and work towards that goal.
Invite all troop to town-wide events, even if leader can’t attend. In some circumstances, we’d need parents to attend if leader isn’t there to supervise. I would also like to try to set up an e-newsletter to all Chester families. Forms were given to all troops. Please return them to me ASAP.
Remember that communication with parents is very important. Notify them of upcoming events, fund-raisers, etc. as soon as you know about them. Use things like email, newsletters and our web site for getting your message across.

Recruiting Night

Recruiting night at Chester Academy on Friday, September 14^th from 7 to 8:30 PM. If you have openings, please try to attend or let me know how many girls your troop can take along with your meeting day, time, frequency and location.

Chester Fair

Parade starts at noon at Town Office Complex. Have girls there by 11:30 in uniform to march. Bring your troop flags and/or banners.

MIDWAY: Jodie, Debbie and Jean are setting up.

16 people (girls and adults) are needed for each time-slot (minimum 4 adults)

after parade – 1:30 1^st Shift 2245 & 301

1:30 – 3:00 2^nd shift 2676 & 2079

3:00 – 4:30 3^rd shift 779 & 2597

4:30 – 6:00 4^th shift & clean up 2552 & 1035

(will close midway to customers at 5:30 to start packing up. No cars allowed on the field until 6 PM)

Do we have enough tables, cards for the games, markers, lollipops?

We will need a table or two with chairs for the crafts.

Please bring your easy-up canopies. It’s suppose to be a hot day.

Fall Product Sale

Sale runs Sept 14^th to October 21^st. Please give me name and email address of your troop’s Fall Product Sale Manager. If it is someone other than the leader, they must be registered, complete application and background check forms. Jane will forward more info to each troop’s FPSM as soon as she receives it from council. This will include dates that things are due, etc.

Your troop must be registered for the 07-08 year in order to participate in this sale. Registrations are due by Oct 1^st to Corinna.

Make A Wish Walk

Sept 30^th, Meadow Fox Lane/Pheasant Run, Chester. Girls can not walk as Girl Scouts for any other organization, but they can help with registration table, water station for walkers, making pins, centerpieces for reception after, etc.

Fall Girl’s Event

October 21^st, 1 – 4 PM at MPR. Theme “Fall Fun”. We decided last month that 4^th grade girls and up will lead at 2 stations and will rotate only between these 2, not to all stations.

Craft ideas: (6 stations needed)

Scarecrow face with paper plate

Fall leaves wreath with paper plate and silk leaves

Apple print tote bags

Make colorful leaves with cardboard cut-outs and tissue paper

Decorate small pumpkins. Could be real pumpkins or small styrofoam ones they could paint.

Fall colored necklaces or bracelet with pony beads and leaf charms

Fall-themed game?

snack

Other ideas? Please send them to Nancy or bring them to the Oct. leader meeting. A final decision will need to be made at that meeting.

Date for Investiture

November 2^nd, 700 at the MPR. Let parents know ASAP.

Older Girl Committee

I would like to form an older girl committee made up of Cadettes and Senior Girls. This committee, made up of 5 to 7 girls, would have input into our ceremonies, help us plan events and plan their own “older girl” events. I spoke with the girls at the Camporee about this and they seemed very interested in having this opportunity to have more of a voice on town events. They would get feedback from their troop-mates to help us make these decisions.

Camporee

Application due by October 15^th for 2008 Camporee through Swift Water. Amber proposed looking outside Swift Water to Camp Lincoln. She attended that camp with her troop last year. It’s closer and has many amenities. She will look into pricing for us. Anticipated cost is about $10 per person. Cost of 2007 camporee was only $635.

Basic Outdoor Living Skills Training

Troops that do not have a BOLS trained adult in your troop, please consider taking this training:

Portsmouth, NH: Preplan: Mon 9/24 6pm. Overnight: Fri 9/28 6pm - Sun 9/29 8pm. For people who plan to take girls hiking, camping or cooking outdoors, this course will train participants in safely introducing girls to hiking, fire building, meal preparation, beginning safety, knot tying, map and compass reading, the natural environment and ecology. This course also provides experiences in shelters, overnights, first aid, ropes, and an understanding of the ecosystem.

Fee: There is a $22.00 fee for the text. Additional cost for food during the overnight is determined at the preplan meeting.

Our next Meeting is October 4th