November 2007, Issue No. 10
In this issue:
ANNOUNCEMENTS
TROOP NEWS
GIRL SCOUT PROGRAM OPPS
OTHER PROGRAM OPPS
VOLUNTEER OPPS FOR GIRLS / TROOPS
TRAINING OPPS
COUNCIL SHOP
COUNCIL CALENDAR
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
Indianapolis 2008: National Convention and fun!
Next fall the GSUSA National Convention will be held in Indianapolis.
The council will be taking a coach bus and you are invited to join
us, either as a national delegate or a tourist! Bring your troop
and see what the city has to offer! Day passes to the convention
for visitors will be available. To learn more about national conventions
and what to expect, contact Mary Duba at 920-277-1497 or mduba1id@aol.com.
She would be happy to come and talk with your group. If you are
interested in becoming a national delegate (all expenses paid),
fill out the National
Council Delegate Form by Dec. 31. Contact Janet White at 920-734-7069,
ext. 13 or jwhite@gsfra.org
Troops needed to host Holiday Folk Fair booths
If your troop likes to make crafts and wants to earn extra money,
reserve a booth now for the Holiday Folk Fair on Dec. 1 from 10
a.m.-2 p.m. at the program center. Contact Suzanne Moore at 920-734-7069,
ext. 16 or smoore@gsfra.org
Pressure to look perfect drives girls to
destructive behavior
Dove® and Hollywood team up to give girls a reality check
about what goes on behind-the-scenes
The Dove Self-Esteem Fund has come out with a new, two minute viral
video called 'ONSLAUGHT,' an attention grabbing viral film that
dramatizes the barrage of images and messages that girls constantly
face. Visit www.campaignforrealbeauty.com
Girls today are fixating on their flaws, causing them to belittle
themselves and even take destructive action. The onslaught of messages
and images they constantly receive sets an unrealistic standard
of beauty. The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty is partnering with
the entertainment industry to address this issue by giving girls
a reality check, educating them about what images are real versus
Hollywood magic. This global program is especially relevant as girls
today are measuring themselves against impossible beauty ideals.
The new campaign was developed to help girls realize what they
see in movies and magazines represents an unrealistic standard of
beauty, not an everyday achievable look. As part of its commitment
to build self-esteem in girls, the Dove Self-Esteem Fund is sponsoring
self-esteem building workshops with inspirational celebrities and
new online tools in an effort to educate moms, mentors and girls.
The program also features "Onslaught," an attention-grabbing
viral film that dramatizes the barrage of images and messages girls
constantly face. As with all Dove Campaigns, the impetus for the
program is grounded in startling new research about the factors
that influence girls' body image.
Girls fixate on flaws, self-esteem suffers
According to a recent survey conducted by the Dove Self-Esteem Fund
and Seventeen magazine, more than four in 10 girls and young women
only see their flaws when they look in the mirror.
This is not surprising considering more than half of girls and young
women say they get ideas for the way they want their bodies to look
from celebrities and media, and 56 percent of girls and young women
believe celebrities tend to have perfect bodies.
"Girls are increasingly looking to celebrities as their role
models because they are widely celebrated in media and society,"
commented Ann Kearney-Cooke, Ph.D., licensed psychologist and distinguished
scholar for the Partnership for Women's Health at Columbia University.
"Girls take away the message that these images represent a
societal norm, and as a result punish themselves for not living
up to impossible beauty ideals. The cycle continues to intensify
as these perceived flawless images further inundate their world
in overwhelming quantities."
Images surround girls
Girls are being besieged with all types of media in nearly every
corner of their lives:
- The average person sees between 400 and 600 advertisements per
day - equivalent to more than one message for every waking minute.
- The average US girl has the opportunity to see an estimated
77,546 commercials by the time she is 12 years old.
This growing phenomenon is having a direct impact on girls' self-image
and even causing some to engage in destructive behavior. The Dove
Self-Esteem Fund/Seventeen Body Image Survey also revealed:
93 percent of girls and young women report feeling anxiety or
stress about some aspect of their looks when getting ready in the
morning.
This could explain why more than 70 percent of girls and young
women avoid activities when they feel bad about their looks including
giving their opinion, attending school and even going to the doctor.
76 percent of girls and young women admit to partaking in unhealthy
activities when they feel badly about their bodies.
58 percent of girls describe themselves in negative terms, including
words like "disgusting" and "ugly," when feeling
badly about themselves.
Nearly four out of 10 engage in unhealthy eating behaviors, such
as anorexia or bulimia. More than one out of 10 girls has used cutting
or self-inflicted injury as a coping mechanism.
"Girls today are exposed to more messages from Hollywood and
the media than past generations which can impact their self-esteem,"
said Jessica Weiner, self-esteem expert and global ambassador for
the Dove Self-Esteem Fund. "Mothers, mentors and friends can
help change girls' perceptions with positive, self-esteem building
discussions and activities."
Hollywood takes action
The Dove Self-Esteem Fund is partnering with Step Up Women's Network,
a national non-profit membership organization dedicated to strengthening
community resources for women and girls, to help girls recognize
their own unique beauty. Together, they will conduct self-esteem
building workshops giving girls a reality check to distinguish what
is real versus Hollywood magic and hopefully inspiring girls to
think about their beauty role models in a new way.
During these events, celebrities and self-esteem experts reveal
secrets about the armies of stylists, makeup artists, photographers,
and staging and computer technicians behind-the-scenes who produce
the big screen and cover shots. Jessica Weiner will lead each session
and offer advice about interpreting the multitude of messages. Notable
female celebrities are volunteering their time with the Dove Self-Esteem
Fund to speak with girls and share their personal perspectives.
"We all have a responsibility as marketers, educators, mentors
and role models, to change the way we communicate with girls. The
entertainment industry can be a powerful partner in educating girls,"
said Kathy O'Brien, marketing director for Dove. "We may not
be able to decrease the number of messages girls receive, but we
can educate girls about how they perceive them."
The Dove Self-Esteem Fund set a new goal to reach 5 million girls
globally by 2010 with self-esteem building programming. It has several
online resources that educate girls about Hollywood and media imagery
as well as foster the development of self-esteem. Moms, mentors
and girls should visit campaignforrealbeauty.com to utilize new
self-esteem building tools, view behind-the-scenes footage from
the Dove Self-Esteem Fund/Step Up workshops, talk to experts and
watch "Onslaught." Visitors will also soon have the opportunity
to get an inside look at how real girls deal with self-esteem issues
in their daily lives.
1 Dittrich, L. "About-Face facts on the MEDIA."
http://www.about-face.org/r/facts/media.shtml.
Accessed June 2005.
1 The Nielsen Company, September 2007
1 Beyond Stereotypes: Rebuilding the Foundation
of Beauty Beliefs, A Global Report, 2005
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TROOP NEWS
First Aid information must be documented at council properties
All council properties have First Aid Kits. When injuries occur
and supplies are used, the injury MUST be documented in the First
Aid log book located in each of the kits, as we need record of the
incident, should the injury get worse or infected over time. This
includes documenting the use of band aids, aspirin, etc. Only the
certified First Aider should be giving the First Aid and documenting
it.
Money-earning guidelines: building
skills, meeting budgets
By planning and participating in money-earning activities, girls
build real-world skills that benefit their troop, council and community
- but most importantly, themselves. Girls can learn budgeting, goal-setting,
customer relations, good business practices, and public relations.
Girl Scout troops and service units typically finance their activities
through a variety of ways, such as dues, council-sponsored product
sales, event fees, and in-kind donations. Realizing that the cost
of some programs may make it necessary to seek additional funding,
GSUSA and local councils have developed money-earning guidelines
for girls and adults to follow. See Safety-Wise standards
28 and 29 and Volunteer Enrichment Guide (VEG) 'Money, Money,
Money' chapter. Please review these resources BEFORE planning any
money-earning activity. All troop and service unit money-earning
projects must have council approval prior to beginning the activities.
Following is a list of Do's regarding money-earning activities:
- Participate in Girl Scout council product sales
- Follow Safety-Wise standards and GSFRA's guidelines about
money-earning
- Make sure the need for additional funds is well established
- Make sure the event is part of the regular ongoing troop activities
that the girls have planned
- Make sure activities are age-appropriate, suited to the abilities
of the girls and consistent with the goals and principles of the
Girl Scout program
- Make sure the girls are trained, directed and supervised by adults
- Make sure each girl's participation is voluntary
- Complete the Money-Earning Application (VEG, page A-12)
and submit it to your membership staff person at least three
weeks prior to making any financial commitment
-Receive notification of approval of the money-earning activity
from the council
Community Service: girls going good
stuff in the community
Check out these outstanding community service projects! To submit
your troops project, complete and return the Community
Service Report Form . Here are some cool examples:
Girl Scout Troop 138 from Greenville decorated 'May' baskets with
stamps, markers and artificial flowers and filled them with homemade
cookies, Kleenex, tea bags and other small items and delivered them
to the residents of Golden Homes. The residents remembered May baskets
from when they were young and were excited to receive them. Leaders
are Linda VanderHeyden and Jackie Draws.
Girl Scout Troop 460 from Appleton volunteered at the Relay For
Life event in Neenah. The girls made luminaries which were placed
around the track in honor of or in memory of those who have cancer.
They also helped with games during the events. The girls learned
how cancer affects so many people and how if we work together, we
can make a difference and help in finding a cure. Leaders are Kara
Manuel and Rena Luedtke.
Junior Girl Scout Troop 185 from Appleton participated in numerous
community service projects this summer. They marched in the Memorial
Day Parade; distributed flags to parade viewers during the Flay
Day Parade; planned a two-night camping trip to High Cliff State
Park where they pulled an alien invasive plant called Garlic Mustard,
to help hinder the proliferation of the plant at the park; and visited
Build-A-Bear and made bears with their cookie sale profits and donated
them to the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. Leaders are Cheryl
Krueger and Joanne Wayner.
Members of Girl Scout Troop 204 from Appleton, Miranda Verhagen,
Madeline Helein and Rachael Pekarske-Siers, participated in the
2007 Quilt of Dreams promotion for St. Jude Children's Research
Hospital. Twenty hours of labor resulted in the creation of two
quilts by the eleven year old girls. The quilts were judged in the
district competition and earned the girls two blue ribbons for the
Under 18 category. They received a Best Use of Theme for their "Dreams
of a Child" quilt which used the friendship star pattern. Leader
is Mary Pekarske-Siers.
'Be A Reader' thanks
Congratulations on a job well done. Thank you to everyone who helped
the girls sell product and/or magazines, ordered product for your
families and friends, or organized the sale program within a Girl
Scout troop or service unit. We are able to offer many opportunities
to the girls because of you! Proceeds from the BAR program are allocated
as follows: 49 percent - council-wide program / 22 percent - troop
proceeds / 22 percent - financial grants / 7 percent - girl recognition.
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GIRL SCOUT PROGRAM OPPS
Visit here
for a complete list of council programs. Visit here
to register online.
Thank you to the wonderful volunteers who recently helped at council
events. Because of them, our programs run more smoothly, girls are
given more attention, and the activities are more fun! Thank you
Lisa Freeman, Stacey Kalies, Ashley Main, Lauren Miller, Nancy Peacock,
Danielle Polzin, Elizabeth Polzin, Alex Ziepke, and Marcy Ziepke
for volunteering at events in Oct. Visit here for more volunteer
opps.
Maxin' and Relaxin' held this weekend! You can still
register your girls!
Nov. 17 (10 a.m.)-18 (10 a.m.), 2007 / Girl Scout Program Center,
Appleton
Girls can hang out with friends and learn different ways to get
rid of stress through massage, skin care, karate, journaling, and
more! Special evening performance by PINK CONFUSION, an awesome
all-girl, teenage band from Green Bay. Event sponsored in part by
Kimberly-Clark.
Grade 6-12 / $20/girl or bring a non-GS friend and get in for $10
each with her $10 national dues
Holiday Folk Fair
Dec. 1, 2007, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. / Girl Scout Program Center, Appleton
Holiday fun with your troop or family! Experience art, food, and
entertainment from around the globe. Purchase holiday crafts made
by local Girl Scout troops, sample ethnic cuisine, and enjoy a cultural
dance performance. Attention Troop Leaders: if your troop
likes to make crafts and wants to earn extra money, reserve a booth
now! Troops can create crafts together by hand and sell them at
the Holiday Folk Fair. Contact Suzanne Moore at 920-734-7069, ext.
16 or smoore@gsfra.org for
more information. All welcome. $5/children under 18; $7/adults
uniquely ME! Perfect Match
Dec. 11, 2007, 6-8 p.m. / Girl Scout Program Center, Appleton
Girls can learn what goes into nail polish design, role-play careers
in science and engineering, and develop their very own nail color.
Grades 4-12 / $2/girl
Camper Reunion
Dec. 14 (6 p.m.)-15 (10 a.m.), 2007 / Girl Scout Program Center,
Appleton
Girls are invited to catch up with their camp friends and reconnect
with favorite camp counselors from Camp Winnecomac and Camp Birch
Trails. All ages welcome / $10/girl
uniquely ME! Green with Envy
Dec. 15, 2007, 2-3:30 p.m. / Player's Choice, Appleton
Girls will learn how to earn, spend and save money, and then get
tips in golf and soccer at the indoor driving range and soccer fields.
Grade 4-6 / $2/girl
Saturday Suitcases
Ongoing, free, available for check-out at the Girl Scout Program
Center, Appleton
Ever wonder why washing your hands is so important or how fast a
sneeze travels? These age-appropriate, 2-3 hour program kits contain
everything you need to develop healthy habits for a healthy life.
Discussions and activities focus on healthy living through hygiene,
nutrition, fitness, self-esteem, standing up to peer pressure, and
women's health issues. There are kits available for each of the
four age levels. Contact Liz Brobst at 920-734-7069, ext. 20 or
lbrobst@gsfra.org.
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OTHER PROGRAM OPPS
Ongoing opps
District Attorney Carrie Schneider offers program to girls
Girls are invited to meet with Outagamie County District Attorney
and former Girl Scout, Carrie Schneider. Learn about the law, her
job, the courthouse and earn components of various badge work. Contact
Carrie Schneider at 920-832-2225 or Schneider.carrie@mail.da.state.wi.us
Schedule your troop a visit to the council shop
Bring your troop for a tour of the Girl Scout Program Center and
Council Shop. Contact Linda Werner at 920-734-7069, ext. 35 or lwerner@gsfra.org
Woodturning opportunity for girls
Girls are invited to learn about woodturning, the process of fashioning
wooden pieces or blocks into various forms and shapes by means of
a lathe, through the Woodturners Club that meets at the Boys and
Girls Brigade in Neenah on the second Saturday of each month (Sept.-June)
from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Contact James Parker at 920-734-2017.
Hearthstone Historic House Museum offers badge earning activities
Troops can participate in a 2.5 hour session and complete one of
nine different Brownie Try-Its and choose out of ten Junior Badges
opportunities to earn. All materials, professional instruction and
tour of the award winning museum are included. Girls will complete
ALL requirements to gain their new badge. Cost varies based on the
try-it or badge. Contact Patty Lipka at 920-730-8204.
Cold Stone Creamery offers group tours
Learn some of the basics of the ice cream business! Bring your troop
to learn their customer service philosophy and share in the ice
cream production process. Participants will be allowed to make their
own 'creation.' Call 920-730-9065 (Fox River Mall location) or 920-954-9865
(Hwy KK at 441 location).
Dated opps
Fox Cities PAC first-ever holiday card contest
Design a holiday or winter themed picture for the Fox Cities Performing
Arts Center, and if your card is selected, it will be featured on
the official PAC holiday card! Open to children age 14 and under.
Due by Nov. 26. For more information and a downloadable entry form
visit http://www.foxcitiespac.com/EventsTickets/holidaycardcontest.html
Girl Scout tours at Appleton Police Department (APD)
Dec. 1, 2007, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. / Appleton Police Department
APD is not generally conducive to tours for children, but this special
session will offer a 30-minute tour and talk with an officer to
accommodate badge requirements. A squad car will also be available.
To register, contact 920-832-5865 or anne.strauch@appleton.org
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VOLUNTEER OPPS FOR GIRLS / TROOPS
Children's Hospital in need of blankets
The Children's Hospital of Wisconsin is in need of blankets of all
sizes (from baby blankets to twin size) for the Pediatric Unit.
The fleece tab blankets have been extremely popular. Contact Jenny
Krikava at 920-969-5303 or JKrikava@chw.org
Donations to LEAVEN
LEAVEN is a community based non-profit organization that provides
emergency financial assistance, referrals to other service agencies,
and limited advocacy and service coordination to help residents
of Calumet, Outagamie and Northeastern Winnebago Counties. They
are currently collecting in-kind donations for families in need.
Items include gasoline gift cards, local grocery store or Sam's
Club gift cards, diapers, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner,
toiletry items, cleaning supplies, garbage bags, tissue, creamer,
sugar and white copy paper. Contact leaven@new.rr.com
Carolina Manor Assisted Living looking for girl volunteers
Troops that are interested in doing activities like bingo, creating
greeting cards and art projects can contact Alyssa Grissman at 920-738-0118
or agrissman85@gmail.com
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TRAINING OPPS
Visit here
for all training opps.
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COUNCIL SHOP
Visit the Council
Shop for the latest shop hours and new items.
Thank you to all the participants who modeled in the recent Fall
Fashion Show.
The Council Shop will be closed Jan. 4 and 7 for inventory.
Holiday Open House and Snowflake Sale
Dec. 1, 2007, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., Council Shop, Appleton
One stop shopping…without the crowds! Everything from inexpensive
stocking stuffers to hand-blown glass ornaments for the serious
collector. Pick a snowflake for your discount!
Schedule your troop a visit to the council shop
Bring your troop for a tour of the Girl Scout Program Center and
Council Shop. Contact Linda Werner at 920-734-7069, ext. 35 or lwerner@gsfra.org
Cookie merchandise on sale
Order by Dec. 31 and receive a 15 percent discount on mugs, plate,
jar or related clothing. Visit here
for items.
Customer Service Center / Council Shop seeks part-time / seasonal
help
Girl Scout experience preferred, excellent math and money handling
skills, must enjoy working with people, and be proficient with a
computerized Point of Sale cash register system (or have excellent
computer skills). 8-15 hours a week, primarily afternoons, early
evenings and some Saturdays. Contact Linda Werner at 920-734-7069,
ext. 35 or lwerner@gsfra.org
by Nov. 30.
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COUNCIL CALENDAR
November calendar
of events
December calendar of
events
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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