November 12, 2014 Service Unit Meeting Minutes

1. Welcome and intro by Vicky, our Service Unit Manager
2. Recruiting is in full swing -- all three towns have new Daisy troops and leaders are being trained!
3. Registration Update: Early Bird badges are ready and being distributed.  A friendly reminder from Mary that you need to send her DUPLICATES of all registration forms and Dues Summary forms.
4. Secretary Update - trying to build a Service Unit parent email list.  Will try to get list from council.
5. Council Delegate Elections:  Jessica Kenty-Drane and Nina Ruckes were elected as Delegates and Alternate Delegates to GS of CT.  Congratulations!
6. Service Unit Event Calendar:
1. March 8, 2015: Thinking Day celebration (A. Mislow/Troop 60145, Chair)
2. June 5-7, 2015: Camporee at An-Se-Ox (K. Kravetz/Troop 61099, Chair)
3. Man in Your Life event (C. O'Conner, Chair) ** per GS of CT regulations, this event needs to be called "Special Person in Your Life" event.  Can't be gender specific anymore.  Discussed different ideas and scheduling.
4. Camporee 2016: needs to be reserved by March.  Need new troop to chair.
7. Cookie Training: update from Susan Leigh.  Begins 1/2/15.  40th Birthday for Samoas.  Everyone needs training even if already a Cookie Manager/Mom because of new Digital Cookie sales - a first for GSUSA and GSofCT.  2 new flavors: Rah Rah Raison and Toffee Tastic.  Training dates to come via email.  All girls must be registered to sell cookies.  Resolve registration disputes with Mary Cassidy, Registrar.
8. Service Unit Job Opportunities:  We need a Treasurer & Registrar.  Ideas for recruiting for these SU positions?  It doesn't have to be a current leader or even a GS mom.  Just someone who wants to volunteer time!
9. Council News: Anita Silvestro.  
1. Cookie Rallies for girls and families on January 10 at malls throughout the state.  Closest one is Meriden Mall.  Older girls are needed to help man the booths.  
2. Cookie Recognitions will be awarded at Fun Fest in May at Durham Fairgrounds.  
3. Register your troops for Fun Fest - it is a huge Girl Scout festival for scouts and families.  Only $20 now.  Prices go up soon. 
4. Community Partner Awards:  make sure you are recognizing the partners who are hosting your meetings (Schools) and cookie booths.  
5. Girls need to go online to GS of CT and vote on outdoor badges (result of GS USA National Convention initiative)
6. Bring A Friend events:  Thinking Day or other Service Unit or troop events.  Talk to Anita for badges to award the girls if they bring a friend who joins Girl Scouts.
10. Training Moment: Go to www.GSofCT.org and look at training area.  Regional Training Day sin April and May (5/2 at An-Se-Ox).  Make sure your leaders are current!  Laurel is going to Girlz Rule training on 1/31/15 - program that helps with conflict resolution.  Talk to her if interested in going.
11. QSP Update: A big WAHOO from Debbie Siena.  The Amity Service Unit DOVE IN to QSP sales.  18 troops participated and did an awesome job.
12. Next 3 meetings: December 10, January 14, February 11

Bring Your Troop, Bring Your Friends and Join us for Amity Girl Scouts' Thinking Day 2015

Thinking Day 2015

2015 Thinking Day Theme: 

“We Can Create Peace through Partnerships”

Hosted by Cadette Troop 60145 and Junior Troop 60858

 

Sunday March 8, 2015

2:30pm – 4:30pm

*Set up at 2:00 pm

Holy Infant Gym * 450 Racebrook Road * Orange

New this year: 
Amity Girl Scouts Chorus
Join our Girl Scout Chorus for a performance of “We Are the World” at the conclusion of the Thinking Day presentations.   The Chorus will be led by Suzanne Vick of RVP Studios. Come join the fun!   Mandatory rehearsals for Chorus:  Sundays, February 22nd and March 1st
at Orange Congregational Church, From 3 – 4:15 p.m. in the Sanctuary, 205 Meetinghouse Lane, Orange.  Please RSVP to Allison at amislow at metlife.com with any Troops or individual Girl Scouts who would like to participate! 

This Year's Service Project:  Amity Girl Scouts Support ReRun Shoes

In keeping with the theme and to do something to help developing countries, we ask all the Girl Scouts in the service unit collect gently used shoes, to bring to Thinking Day. Even if your troop can't come, we hope you can join in on this Service Unit service project. Rerun shoes collects gently used shoes, sneakers, sport sandals, women's flats, and cleats (no flip flops, heels, Crocs, boots) to help the less fortunate in African countries.  Rerun promotes sustainable development-by helping the micro-entrepreneurs in poor African nations and keeping good reusable shoes out of landfills.  In addition, Rerun employs people with disabilities here in the US to prepare the shoes for shipment to Africa.

Election Day/Week Cookie Booths

Girl Scout Cookies - Yum Yum!  Election Day Booth Sales take place this week.  If you are having a craving, or want to support your local Girl Scout troop, go here:
http://www.gsofct.org/general/booth-locations.php  
to see where you can pick up your favorite flavors!  We said goodbye to Dulce de Leche and Thank You Berry Much but we welcome a new cookie:  Rah Rah Raisin!

SU Meeting Minutes 10/15/14

1. Service Unit Manager Vicky Burford welcomed everyone, especially our newest leaders Laura & Becky!!
2. For Recognitions, Clio overlooked Lori Blair, who should have received a 5 yr Volunteer & 5 Yr. Membership pin and will receive it hopefully by the November meeting.  She also congratulated Monica Blum, SU Treasurer, for her 20 yr. pin!
3. QSP Sales - we are half way through.  There is still time to "dive in".   Any questions, call Debbie Siena our QSP Manager for the SU.
4. Vicky was also pleased to report, on behalf of our SU Cookie Manager, that we have 6 Election Day booths (which can take place anytime during Election Day week).  Spread the word and check Cookie Booth times at:  http://www.gsofct.org/general/booth-locations.php
5. Vicky updated us on recruiting efforts.  Woodbridge has a new Kindergarten troop, Bethany is having a parent meeting soon and Orange recruiting is underway.
6. Online registration is rolling out.  All leaders are asked to do the webinar training. 
7. There are "job" opportunities in the Service Unit.  A new Treasurer is needed as well as a Registrar.  Please think about volunteers or potential volunteers who can fill these spots.
8. Upcoming Service Unit events:  Thinking Day Feb/March 2015 (Allison Mislow/Troop 60145, Camporee June 5-7, 2015 (Karen Kravetz, Troop 61099), Man in Your Life event (TBD) (Connie O'Connor Troop 60537), Sup & Sing (spring, chair needed).
9. Council Delegate update:  Jessica Kenty-Drane has accepted the nomination for SU Delegate.  We still need an alternate delegate.  Elections will be at the next meeting, Wednesday November 12.
10. Council News:  Anita reported that our Council Delegates are on their way to the National Convention in Utah.  Save the date for the Fun Fest in May 2015.  Pre-register your troops now for lowest price.
11. Training Moment: Ready? Set? Go! now replaces Fire, Food & Fun.  Upcoming Regional Training Days enable you to get Out & About  & Ready? Set? Go! in one day.

Amity Delegates to GS of CT: Nominees needed

Last call for nominations for Delegate & Alternate Delegate to represent the Amity Service Unit to Girl Scouts of Connecticut. Currently we have one nominee for Delegate and looking for a nominee for Alternate Delegate. Delegates can be Girls or Adults, but Girls must be at least 14 years old.
Serving as a Delegate or Alternate is great for someone interested in the governance and future of Girl Scouting. (Some Delegates later go on to serve as Delegates to the National Convention of GSUSA.).

• A Delegate or Alternate must be 14 years of age or older, registered as a Girl Scout, and live or work in the Service Unit area. 
• Delegates or Alternates are required to attend one training session, a fall and spring membership meeting, and the Annual Meeting. 
• Delegates and Alternates should be open minded and good communicators, and be willing to share their knowledge with the Service Unit, as well as talk to volunteers to learn their opinions about governance issues important to Girl Scouts. **The term is one-year (Begins Jan 1). 
• Elections are governed by the Bylaws of Girl Scouts of Connecticut. A copy of the Bylaws can be found in the Resource and Form Library at http://www.GSOFCT.org under Governance. 
• Elections will take place at the next Service Unit meeting on November 12, where delegate nominees are expected to attend.

If you are interested in becoming a delegate or nominating someone, please contact Vicky or Clio directly.

Service Unit Meeting Minutes 9/18/2014

Anyone who came to the meeting on Thursday were greeted by Debbie Siena, our Service Unit QSP Manager, who was clearly ready to DIVE IN to kickoff our Service Unit QSP sales!!

Troops will received 15% of magazine and snack sales as well as $2 for each completed address book (8 addresses).  Everyone in attendance can vouch for the delicious snacks:  chocolate covered pretzels, huge chocolate covered raisins, carmel clusters, to name a few!  

Girls can set up their own websites, personalized with photos, to sell the magazines and snacks.  Please encourage your troop to participate!  A girl MUST be registered and the troop must have a signed Annual Consent Form in order to participate in QSP sales.  

Don't delay!  QSP Sales run October 1 - October 31 and will be delivered in time for the holidays (they all make fantastic holiday gifts for teachers, bus drivers, mailmen, etc.)

• As the meeting began, everyone introduced themselves.  Vicky then reminded us of the big event for Girl Scouts of Connecticut in May is the Fun Fest at the Durham Fairgrounds.  Troops will have the opportunity to show off their service projects.  Go to www.gsofct.org for more information about sharing your projects at the Fun Fest.  We've been assured that parking and food will be much improved from our last experience there for the Jubilee.

• The National Convention is soon.  Our Connecticut delegates have a survey for us to fill out here:   http://www.gsofct.org/content-files/File/Convention2014/National%20Convention%20Proposals%20and%20Discussion%20Topic.pdf

• Training Update:  Fire, Food & Fun is getting retired.  If you want to take your troop to a Camporee, you can take a 5 hour course "Ready Set Go", instead of the overnight Camping Adventures.  You will still need volunteers training in Camping Adventures if you want to go on a troop camping trip.

• Recruiting:  Lawn signs for GS of CT are available.  If you live in a high-traffic area, please consider placing a sign.  The Woodbridge Recruiting Carnival is 9/23 and Orange is having a recruiting event on 9/30.  Bethany still needs a hand with coordinating a recruiting event.

• Registrar Mary Cassidy is happy to report that there are 27 troops, 260 girls and over 100 adults registered as of today!  

• Recognitions were given out for those in attendance who had missed the Volunteer Dinner in June.  Deb Urban received the Distinguished Leader Award, Mary Cassidy a 10 yr Member Award, and Allyson Rogers and Stacey Wyner received 5 year member awards.  (member awards include years registered as both a girl and adult Girl Scout.

• Delegates are needed for 2015.  Clio Nicolakis has nominated Jessica Kenty-Drane.  We are still looking for more nominees for Delegate and Alternate Delegate.

• Upcoming Events:
• Quassy Day Sunday October 5th --- fun GS activities and good food
• Amity Thinking Day - date to be determined
• Camporee June 5-6-7

• The meeting ended with the QSP training and sampling of the yummy QSP snacks!

Dive into QSP to raise money for your troop!

Hello QSP Managers and Troop Leaders!

Debbie, our QSP manager, ready to "dive in" to QSP!

I am thrilled to be the Amity Service Unit QSP Trainer!

We had a teriffic turnout for the QSP Training and just to remind you that the sale begins on October 1st and runs only 30 days, till November 1st.

The Managers and Leaders in attendance last week are ready to DIVE into this years Fundraiser and make a splash into their Troop bank account with valuable Troop Funds!

For those REGISTERED Troops that were unable to send their QSP manager andor a represenative to the training last week, your QSP Packet and GIRL Packets are located at: 890 Greenway Road, Woodbridge.

Each Packet can be identified by your Troop number and has the total number of registered Girls listed. There is enough parent letters, money envelopes and girl packets in the rubbermaid box located on a bench in front of my home by the garage.

You are to distribute the packets to each girl at your next Troop Meeting.

You will find an organized agenda on the inside cover of your blue QSP manual.

Remember to take ONLY the number of Girl Packets that are listed on your QSP Packet out of the box along with your QSP Envelope. The Girl packets have been pre-counted. Anyone who registers additional girls will be allowed to pick up additional packets from me once Mary Cassidy has given me the OK!

For those Troops that have not yet turned in their Registrations and check to Mary Cassidy you have until October 1st to do so. NO Girl Packets will be distributed to any Troops that have not submitted their registrations.

I will make myself available to anyone who needs some time to go over the QSP material. My cell is the best way to reach me. My email is debbie.siena at yahoo.com.

Dive in and have fun!

Debbie Siena, Amity Service Unit QSP Manager