July 2007, Issue No. 6
In this issue:
ANNOUNCEMENTS
TROOP NEWS
PROGRAMS
TROOP OPPS
VOLUNTEER OPPS FOR GIRLS / TROOPS
TRAINING OPPS
COUNCIL SHOP
Welcome to Council Connection!
Council Connection is emailed to all volunteers who provided us
with an email address. This ‘up to the minute’ email will
feature news that YOU need to know to support girls ... like opportunities
in program, community service, training, volunteering, and more!
Many emails and flyers are combined into this one, comprehensive
email. We encourage you to forward it on to parents!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Board / Council Realignment Committee change in leadership
Due to the departure of Elise Oppmann, board president, Sharon Pickering
will be assuming the position of the president of the board and
Patti Van Ryzin will be assuming the position of the Council Realignment
Committee representative.
Realignment updates
We want you to be as informed as possible about the realignment
process. Here are some updates from the June Council Realignment
Committee (CRC) meeting.
~ Our CRC has begun the real work of realignment, with the first
phase being 'due diligence' and the formation of the subcommittees
that will make recommendations to the CRC.
~ The "due diligence" process involves gathering and reviewing
all legal and regulatory documents from each council in preparation
for the merging and formation of a new corporation. Each council
will have their own attorney go through their council's documents
first, highlighting anything unique or any potential liabilities.
Next, this information will be sent on to the law firm contracted
by GSUSA (pro-bono) to review them collectively. The process of
initial council review will take place over the next 60 days.
~ CRC sub-committees to address each dept/area of realignment are
currently being formed with representation from each council, either
staff and/or volunteer. Each sub-committee also has a GSUSA consultant
to assist them.
~ The CRC reviewed all sub-committee "charges" (their
responsibilities), making changes to the GSUSA templates to meet
our needs. These will be shared with sub-committee members over
the next 30 days.
~ The CRC is developing an overall timeline for realignment based
on sub-committee work timelines.
~ The presidents from our CRC voted to use the national firm JWT
Employment Communications, contracted through GSUSA, for a national
CEO search.
~ The CRC has set monthly meetings from now through December of
2007. Meetings for 2008 will be set later in the year based on need.
In addition, the CEOs will meet or teleconference monthly.
All Council Fall Association Meeting, save the date
An All Council Fall Association Meeting will be held on the evening
of Tuesday, October 23, at the Girl Scout Program Center. The CRC
will be meeting the week before, so this association meeting will
be an ideal opportunity for all members to hear the latest on our
realignment progress. More details regarding this meeting will be
sent at a later time.
Personal Success Seminar for women,
presented by former US Army Soldier of the Year, Elise Sargent
Anyone interested in personal achievement for women and girls is
invited to this free seminar on Thur., July 26, at The Meadows
in Neenah from 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. Register at www.AngelsByChoice.com
In this powerful, life-changing program, you'll learn how to:
~ Build stronger self-esteem easily and naturally
~ Get past the old mental "programs" that hold you back
~ Take control of your life--starting NOW!
~ Improve health and fitness; achieve and maintain your ideal weight
~ Increase your level of career or school achievement
~ Make key choices regarding your money and finances
~ Improve your relationships with family, friends and peers
~ Find more happiness and joy in every day…and much more!
Sargent has appeared on many radio and TV programs, including repeat
appearances on Lifetime TV and the 700 Club. She not only teaches
others to believe they can win in life, but she also proves it.
She was a major prize winner on both the Wheel of Fortune and The
Price is Right, stressing the concept of "you can if you think
you can."
Prior to managing four separate careers as author, professional
speaker, successful business woman, and family woman, Sargent was
a distinguished soldier, earning one of her country's top honors
as Soldier of the Year out of 145,000 military men and women in
Europe. Sargent is author of Self-Talk for Women.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Fox Valley Region looking for
youth to be mentored
Big Brothers Big Sisters are looking for young girls (especially
ages 6 - 11) to be matched with a mentor. There is list of female
volunteers looking to be matched with a younger girl. If you know
of any girls in your troop that could benefit from a mentor, pass
this information on to them. Contact Tanya Arps at 920-739-3542
or TArps@bemybig.com
Sailboats needed
We are looking for donated sailboats (under 12 feet, one sail) for
Camp Birch Trails in hopes of having a sailing program in 2008.
No trailer needed. Contact Connie at 920-734-7069, ext. 23 or cpirner@gsfra.org
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TROOP NEWS
Spring Registration reminder
It's not too late to register your troop now and be all ready for
the fall. Even though the deadline to qualify for prizes has passed,
we encourage you to register your troop as soon as possible. If
you don't have your registration packet, contact your membership
staff person to arrange a pick-up or email membership@gsfra.org
Girls encouraged to vote for 2008 Girl Scout Cookie Program
recognitions
Girls can vote here for their
favorite recognitions through Aug. 23.
Community Service: girls doing good stuff in the community
Check out these outstanding community service projects! To submit
your troops project, complete and return this
form. Here are some cool examples of what girls are doing…
Girl Scout Troop 438 from Shawano
held a Cookie Cook-O-Rama with their service unit and incorporated
a booth sale for customers to purchase cookies for wounded service
people in a Germany hospital. 240 boxes were purchased and sent,
as well as cards and words of encouragement. Leader is Peggy Michonski.
Junior Girl Scout Troop 008 from Sherwood helped the women and children
served by the W.I.C. program of Calumet County by using $149 of
their cookie profits to purchase fleece material. Then they made
warm fleece blankets to help a young child feel warm and secure.
Leader is Kay Goeser.
Junior Girl Scout Troop 546 from Shawano developed a dinner menu,
shopping list and approximate budget and then went shopping and
compared prices in preparation for a meal for 30. The girls made
a dinner of fresh fruit salad, chicken pot pie and brownies for
30 people. After cooking for nearly three hours, the girls delivered
a hot meal to their local abuse shelter. The girls learned how to
shop and compare prices and how to multiply a recipe x5! Leader
is Elizabeth Colon.
Girl Scout Troop 223 of Appleton used money earned through this
year's cookie sales and gave back to the Huntley School staff by
giving their lounge a "makeover." The girls unveiled their
gift of appreciation at a breakfast buffet for the staff to kick
off Teacher Appreciation Week. Leader is Bobbi Jo Huss.
Junior Girl Scout Troop 526 from Appleton volunteered to babysit
for children whose parents were attending teacher conferences at
their school. The girls did this for both fall and spring conferences
and received a lot of feedback on how the parents were appreciative.
Some of the parents made a donation to the girls, who in return,
donated it to the Fox Valley Humane Association while earning their
Pet Care Badge. Leader is Ranae Sommers.
Brownie Girl Scout Troop76 from Oshkosh designed and completed
a colorful "cookie share" box for the Christine Ann Center
for the women and children to enjoy. They also created and delivered
over 20 cards and posters for patients at Mercy Medical in Oshkosh
that said Perk-Up, Get Well, Know That You're Thought of ad Prayed
For, etc. Leader is Jenifer Jensen.
Brownie Girl Scout Troop 76 from Oshkosh performed a presentation
of a "bug's life" for the Be Your Best collection. Over
200 items were collected and delivered to the Christine Ann Center
in Oshkosh. Leader is Jenifer Jensen.
Girl Scout Troops 80 and 378 from Kimberly made 41 Easter baskets
for the children at the Harbor House. Each girl donated a stuffed
animal, book or small toy for the baskets. The girls also bought
candy and filled fill-n-thrill eggs. The girls realized that not
all children live in a safe environment and were glad they could
provide them with a Holiday gift. Leader is Linda Beyer.
STUDIO 2B Girl Scout Troop 155 of Menasha, along with troops 229
and 236, collected items at Maplewood Middle school to be donated
to the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in Neenah. Five overflowing
paper bags of toys, puzzles, books, and more were collected and
donated to the hospital in honor of Girl Scouts Make the World A
Better Place Week. Leaders are Angela Burke, Debbie Adams and Laura
Burrows.
STUDIO 2B Girl Scout Troop 155 of Menasha participated in an Earth
Day Pick-Up A Park project. After an Oshkosh YMCA lock-in, the girls
went to Smith and Doty Park in Neenah and Jefferson Park in Menasha
and filled over four trash bags with everything from cans and bottles
to full meals left on picnic tables. The girls found this project
startling and thought our parks are taken for granted. Leader is
Angela Burke.
Brownie Girl Scout Troop 535 and Daisy Troop 38 from Neenah weeded
the flower beds in front of Taft School, trimmed the bushes (with
help from parents), placed new mulch in the flower beds and planted
new plants that they picked out. The girls learned a lot about different
types of plants. Leaders are Karoloe Hrobsky, Tammy McCarry and
Kristi Calaway.
Girl Scout Service Unit 651 from Shawano placed flags on Veterans
graves at Woodlawn Cemetery. The Girls experienced teamwork and
paid respect for the Veterans. Leader is Peggy Michonski.
(PIC)Junior Girl Scout Troop 174 of Greenville, in working toward
their Bronze award, made bird houses and hung them for the residents
at Greenville Manor to enjoy. Each of the ten houses was designed
and painted uniquely by each girl. Leaders are Chris Goulet and
Linda Brown.
Brownie Troop 31 of Seymour contributed to the service unit's coat
drive, picked up garbage in the RockLedge Park area and around the
Scout House, and collected items for Be Your Best. Leader is Danielle
Goetz.
Brownie and Junior Girl Scouts in Shawano helped other children
(and the elderly) to make 38 key chains out of foam sheets and foam
stickers for Father's Day. This project was done in conjunction
with Qualheim's Up, Up and Away Summer Hobbies for Families event.
The girls also hosted a Girl Scout booth that featured photos and
information on what Girl Scout is all about. Leader is Peggy Michonski.
Honor Troop Patch Program announces
recipients
This voluntary program was created to motivate all troops to strive
for excellence during their Girl Scout troop year and recognizes
outstanding achievement and management within a troop. Each troop
has the opportunity to nominate itself (see page 78 of the Volunteer
Enrichment Guide). 12 of the 16 requirements must be completed.
Congratulations to the following Honor Troop achievers!
Senior Troop 179 from the New London Service Unit with trained
leader Deb Stoeger.
Cadette Troop 514 from the Marion Service Unit with trained leader
Kathy Kraeger.
Brownie Troop 220 from the Appleton 604 Service Unit with trained
leader Paula Lietzke.
Brownie/Junior Troop 547 from the Appleton 606 Service Unit with
trained leader Dawn Fritzell.
Brownie Troop 489 from the Clintonville Service Unit with trained
leader Lynette Edwards.
Daisy Troop 197 from the Appleton 604 Service Unit with trained
leader Lynn Hunter.
Junior Troop 259 from the Appleton 606 Service Unit with trained
leader Sue Krahenbuhl.
Brownie Troop 76 from the Oshkosh Service Unit with trained leader
Jenifer Jensen.
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PROGRAMS
2007 Be A Reader Program scheduled Oct. 20 - Nov. 4
Magazines, books, music, nuts, and candy will be sold Oct. 20 -
Nov. 4. Checkout the products
for purchase and the recognitions
that girls can earn.
This is a great opportunity to support the council and troops to
enable us to continue our many fine programs for girls.
Silver and Gold Award: NEW guidelines in place
The Gold and Silver Award guidelines introduced in 2004 by GSUSA
are now fully in place. Current guidelines and forms are available
here. It is highly
recommended that girls utilize the online forms and word-process
their Project Proposals and Final Reports. Please remember all
Gold Award Projects need to be proposed to and approved by the council
before girls begin!
Updated Gold and Silver Award kits available for check-out at the
program center are great resources for troops or individuals considering
"going for the Gold or Silver." The kits include guidelines,
sample forms, helpful hints, and books that girls will use while
working on their awards. The kits are for informational purposes
only and are not to be used by the girls to earn awards. There is
a two-week check-out limit for this kit and a fully-refundable $34
deposit is required.
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TROOP OPPS
Boys and Girls Clubs of the Fox Valley offers MY CHOICE program
Peer pressure and a desire to fit in can often lead adolescents
and teens into actions they may later regret. A major concern for
many parents is whether or not a child might engage in sexual activity
before he or she is emotionally ready. That's why the Boys &
Girls Clubs of the Fox Valley is offering a healthy relationship
program this summer called MY CHOICE. MY CHOICE is free and open
to any youth ages 11 - 18, with parental permission. It teaches
techniques on how to be assertive and confident. Through the course
of the two-week program, which consists of four one-hour sessions
three days each week, youth will learn that they have a right to
say "no."
Throughout the course, the concepts of
self-esteem, setting and achieving goals, and understanding the
consequences of one's action will be explored. There are two remaining
sessions for the summer:
Session 3: July 23 - Aug. 3; Session 4: Aug. 6 - 17. Parents must
sign a permission slip in order for a child to attend. At the end
of the two-week session, participants will be invited to a pizza
party and a trip to FunSet Boulevard. Contact Jaime Kriewaldt at
920-731-0555.
5th Annual Best Friends Children's Fair
You and your troop/family are invited to Riverside Park in Neenah
on Sat., Aug. 4, from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Activities include clowns,
carnival games, inflatables, climbing wall, mini golf, petting zoo,
craft projects, and more! Mr. Billy will be performing at noon.
Cost is $5 in advance or $7 day of event per child under age 10
and $7 in advance or $9 day of event for ages 10+. Contact Best
Friends of Neenah-Menasha at 729-5600 or visit www.bestfriendsnm.org
YMCA Badge Earning Clinic
Junior Girl Scout Jamboree, a special 4-day event, will be held
Aug. 20 - 23 from 1 - 4 p.m. at Fox West YMCA. There is an opportunity
to earn the Let's Get Cooking, Dance, and Art in 3-D Badges. Cost
is $20 for YMCA members or $30 for general public. Contact Jean
Gloudemans at 920-757-9820, ext. 353.
Back to School Day at the Park, free event sponsored by Think
UnGeek
Think UnGeek and Cumulus Broadcasting are sponsoring Back to School
Day at the Park on Aug. 26, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. or 2 - 6 p.m.
at Telulah Park. Parents of the Fox Cities can go back to school
shopping hassle free! This event is free to the public. Parents
are asked to sign up ahead of time to ensure a spot in the day's
event. Sign up begins Aug. 1. Contact 920-202-3939 or sign up at
1218 S. Madison St., Appleton.
McDonald's restaurant tours available
McDonald's (on the corner of Northland Ave. and Richmond/Hwy. 47)
is inviting Girl Scout troops to enjoy a behind the scenes tour
of their restaurant. The tour includes learning how employees prepare
and serve food, free ice cream, a chance to meet Grimace, and some
time in Playland. Tours can be scheduled for any time. No group
size limit. Contact Danielle Chase at 920-734-4500.
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VOLUNTEER OPPS FOR GIRLS / TROOPS
Menominee Park Zoo activity opportunity
Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts are needed to develop a fun activity
and share it with others through a booth at a book give-away event
at the Menominee Park Zoo in Oshkosh on Aug. 7 - 9. The theme of
the event is "Conservation Carnival." Developing and running
this booth could be a great project for a Cadette or Senior Girl
Scout troop or a Girl Scout working on her Leadership or Silver
Award. Contact Memuna Khan at 920-233-4831 or khanm@ripon.edu
AseraCare Hospice looking for troops to help with activities
AseraCare Hospice is looking for a group of individuals who would
be interested in doing projects with their patients at specific
facilities in Appleton. Projects would include, but are not limited
to: playing bingo, creating holiday projects (i.e. coloring Easter
eggs during Easter), singing songs/sing-a-long. One adult contact
person (i.e. troop leader) would need to accompany the troop into
the facility per state regulations. Some preparation is required.
Contact Mandy Sarazen at 920-497-4672 or 866-268-3203 or amanda.sarazen@aseracare.com
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TRAINING OPPS
Check out the trainings
that will be offered this fall. Sign up today!
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COUNCIL SHOP
Visit our shop this summer to check out the new items for all age
levels arriving daily! Remember to use your product sale coupons
to purchase new items or great clearance bargains.
Is your daughter going to camp this summer? Items will also be
available for purchase at the "Trading Post." You may
deposit money into an account for your daughter to use while at
camp. Product sale coupons and gift certificates are also accepted
as payment.
Visit the Council Shop for
the latest shop hours and new highlighted and clearance items.
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If your email address will be changing, please send an email
to asager@gsfra.org with your
name, new email address, troop number, and city. Be sure to note
if the email address of other registered family members will be
changing as well.
Girl Scouts of the Fox River Area, Inc.
4693 N. Lynndale Drive, Appleton WI 54913-9614
Ph 920-734-4559 or 800-924-1211
Fax 920-734-1304
Web www.gsfra.org
General email office@gsfra.org
Council Connection email girlscoutnews@gsfra.org
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