Service Unit
meeting minutes 1/9/14
1.
Marina (Sue Leigh's
daughter) earned her Gold Award and she came to the meeting to talk about her
experience. Congratulations Marina!!
2.
Treasurer's Report (Monica via
Vicky): last month at te Team meeting, the budget was finally approved and the
annual assessment fee was raised to $2/Scout (minimum). This assessment is
requested from cookie-selling troops to help fund the lifetime memberships that
the service Unit gifts to graduating Girl Scouts each year.
3.
Recruitment Update (Vicky): Melissa
F was welcomed to her first Service Unit meeting. In addition to her brownie
troop, she is now leading the new Kindergarten Daisy troop for Woodbridge. They
meet on Sundays. Bethany still needs a leader and a troop.
4.
Registrar Report (Mary): with
cookie sales started, registrations are finally pouring in and we have over 300
girls registered.
5.
Cookie Sales
Update
(Sue L, vis Vicky): use your meetings to set goals, learn about cookies
and role play sales. Sue will only communicate with troop Cookie mom/manager.
Don't try to intervene-you will only confuse things. If you have a cookie
question, ask your cookie mom/manager first. If she doesn't know, SHE
should contact Sue Leigh, not the leader or anyone else.
6.
Website Update (Clio): if you
like getting inspiration for projects, we also set up an Amity Girl Scouts
Pinterest board. Please email me ideas or follow the board and suggest pins.
There is a link from our website "Great Links" page. Minutes
and Training moments also have their own tabs/pages now on our website www.amitygirlscouts.blogspot.com
7.
Service Unit
Calendar (Vicky):
·
1/25 Bowling with the boys (Deb & Deb)-still has room. Sign up
deadline was 1/12. Participants must prepay. No walkins. Everyone is
asked to bring socks for the homeless shelter.
·
3/2 Thinking Day (Clio/Karen) send in your country preferences ASAP.
See emailed flyer for details. Troops and individual scouts and friends
will be encouraged to attend -they do not need to prepare a country table
to participate. It can be a great recruiting opportunity and also a nice way
for Daisies to see what older girls are doing. We will use stage again and have
a great sound system courtesy of a Girl Scout dad.
·
6/6-8 Camporee (Mary): she was trained and Camporee rules are being
strictly enforced by Council. We need to meet 80% occupancy in order to
reserve entire campground so April 11th deadline is critical. Reservation with
council requires a 2 night payment because we need it all day Saturday. The
theme will be CLUE. 3/1 is the deadline for for 2914/2015 reservation.
8.
Delegate update (Karen): there
was an open membership meeting for GSofCT in December but it was not well
attended and many of us forgot. Winter membership meeting is an open forum so
it's a good opportunity to speak directly with board members about governance
issues although the meeting notes mentioned that most discussions focused on
operational issues.
9.
Council Update (Anita):
·
Campsites: please use our campsites during vacations and days off.
They are free after 3pm Sundays until 3pm Fridays. Great opportunity. Both
AnSeOx and Katoyah are very close-Katoyah is on the Orange border but
unfortunately now it is closed because of the new pool construction. Murray
isn’t that far either. Using a campsite on weekends is $3/pp per night
and $4.50/pp/night for a Camporee. Look for the Connie the Catepillar council
badge-girls love visiting all the properties and building the caterpillar.
·
Cookie rallies were great. They were free family events.
·
Cookie hints:
·
Girls should write thank you'd for cookies or make little thank you
gifts--bottle cap Magnets
·
People Skill handouts
·
Bookmark tips
·
Chest sheets for prices
·
Buy extra cookies to give to people who host meetings (janitors,
secretaries).
·
Bethany needs another recruiting event so someone should make a
flyer.
·
She demonstrated Valentine craft using Dollar Store items. She also
reminded us that she has excess craft items at council if you are in a bind.
·
GS Program Consultant – new position - if you are having a guest
speaker at a troop meeting-20 minute online course for them.
·
Big Sing & Swap on 2/15-hoping to sell out 3000 seats. Great
fun. Plenty of swap ideas online.
·
2/28 No Haven SU having Zumba Heart Sisters event and we are
invited.
·
Hamden SU is planning a first aid training next week if you want to
attend.
·
Recognitions Committee has released a new guidebook. Don't forget to
start thinking from now about Helping Hands and Leading the Way, Outstanding
volunteer and Outstanding Leader. Process has changed this year to make it
easier. Clio is the SU
Recognitions Committee Chair and is looking for more help. Vicky will be receiving her 20 yr pin
this year-hopefully she will go to the Annual meeting on May!
10. Training Moment (Vicky): Troop Trip Form-in
Volunteer Essentials book online or p. 125 in old version hard copy. If an event is held somewhere other
than a meeting place, you must do a troop trip form. They should be sent to
Vicky along with the participant lift (girls and adults). Usually easiest to
just send entire roster with form. Troop trip form not needed for Council
events or Service Unt events but troops are still required to get Permission
slips and always carry troop paperwork (registration, health and consent
forms).
Best Practices advice: place your troop forms in a manila or plastic
envelope or small binder and always carry it with you. For backup copies,
our tech savvy leaders suggested setting up a Dropbox account and give access
to your leaders.
Next meeting 2/13/2014
