GSMH CEO Resigns

Jennifer M. Orban, who has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland for over three years, announced her resignation on November 16. On December 1, Jennifer joined SIFE as the Vice President of Programs to help college students prepare for business.

During her time as CEO, Jennifer led the organization through a time of change as five Girl Scout Councils merged to establish Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland. In its third year of existence, GSMH achieved record growth with an 18% increase in girl membership and a 1.4% increase in adult membership. Out of 112 councils, this positions Missouri Heartland third in overall membership growth across the country.

"Partnering with Jennifer during the past three years to develop a high performing council and board of directors has been a pleasure," said Tina Stillwell, board chair. "Under Jennifer's leadership GSMH has completed a Strategic Learning process which resulted in new strategic priorities for the council; was awarded a new three-year charter from Girl Scouts of the USA; and has laid the foundation for a successful 100th Anniversary Campaign and Celebration in 2012. On behalf of the board, I thank Jennifer for her advocacy for Girl Scouting and her service and dedication to the over 17,000 girls and 4,900 volunteers in southern and central Missouri, southeast Kansas, and northeast Oklahoma."

Anne Soots, Chief Operating Officer for Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland, has been appointed Interim CEO effective December 1. We will be conducting a national CEO search over the next several months and will keep you informed of the process as we progress.

Honor Your Fellow Volunteers!

Do you know an outstanding adult in Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland who has gone above and beyond expectations, and had a definite impact on service unit(s) and/or the council? Nominate her/him for a council award! Candidates will be recognized at the Volunteer Recognition Ceremony immediately following the Annual Meeting on March 31. All volunteers are invited to attend the Annual Meeting, Recognition Ceremony, and the 100th Anniversary Celebration events that will be taking place throughout the day.

Submit completed forms to the Senior Manager for Volunteer Development, either:

1. Via e-mail, no later than December 28, 2011, to sstevens@girlscoutsmoheartland.org - or -
2. Postmarked by December 23, 2011 to:
   Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland
   Attn: Recognitions - Shirley Stevens
   1432 Kurre Lane
   Cape Girardeau, MO 63701

The nominating individual will be notified whether the candidate was approved by February 1, 2012. In mid-February, approved candidates will receive a special invitation to attend (with one guest) the 100th Anniversary Celebration and recognition event to be held on March 31, 2012. They will not, however, be notified of the specific recognition with which they will be honored.

For more information, descriptions of the possible recognition categories, and nomination forms and endorsement forms, visit the GSMH Recognitions page:
www.girlscoutsmoheartland.org/recognitions

New Online Trainings for Series and Service Unit Events

Girl Scouts of the USA has added another excellent online training opportunity designed for volunteers working with series and service unit events. It takes approximately 30-35 minutes to complete and can be accessed at http://training.girlscouts.org or through the council website.

Select "Volunteering for Girl Scouts Series and Events" from the menu and complete the personal contact information for council tracking purposes. The password is: volunteer

Both Girl Scouting 101 and Volunteering for Girl Scouts Series and Events are now available in Spanish.

Service Unit Membership Incentive

All service units that meet their membership goals (both girl and adult) by March 12, 2012 will receive a $100 bonus and recognition in the April Volunteer Connections newsletter. Goals will be shared at service unit meetings in the month of December. Checks will be mailed in the month of April.

Girl Program Events

Don't miss out. Registration deadlines are just around the corner! 
Age levels are denoted by initial after each program title (D=Daisy; B=Brownie; J=Junior; C=Cadette; S=Senior; A=Ambassador).

Program Center Winter Closings

The following Program Centers will be closed for the winter and will reopen in the spring.

• Sacajawea East – closed for camping; riding facility open
• Cherokee Ridge - closed for camping, riding facility open, weather- permitting
• Green Berry Acres – closed as of November 14
• Mintahama – closed as of November 1
• Suzanne – closed as of November 1

The following Program Centers will have limited availability:

• Finbrooke – closed through November; Lodge and Troop House open December 1-17 only and reopen January 2 for the rest of the season
• Latonka – closed through November; Troop House open December 1-19 only and reopen January 2 for the rest of the season
• Silver Meadows – closed through November; open December 1-19 only and and reopen January 2 for the rest of the season
• Friendship Fields – closed December 20-January 2
• Sacajawea West – closed December 20-January 2

100th Anniversary History Exhibits -
Items and Assistance Needed

As part of the year-long celebration of Girl Scouts 100th Anniversary, GSMH is developing exhibits throughout the council area that will focus on the history of Girl Scouts in our regions. The dates and locations for these exhibits vary widely and last through much of 2012. In order to make these exhibits happen, the council is seeking loaner Girl Scout memorabilia -- such as uniforms and badges, books and materials, photos and stories -- primarily from the council area.

This is also a perfect opportunity for a troop near an exhibit location to take on the planning and building of an exhibit as a project (in conjunction and with the assistance of the council and the exhibit's host)! Some of the currently planned history exhibits we have scheduled include:

• Boone County Historical Society Museum - Columbia, MO
• Missouri State Fair - Sedalia, MO
• Cape Girardeau Public Library - Cape Girardeau, MO
• Dexter Public Library - Dexter, MO
• Barry County Museum - Cassville, MO
• Bonniebrook Historical Society - Near Branson, MO
• History Museum of Springfield/Greene County - Springfield, MO
• Library Center and Library Station - Springfield, MO
• White River Valley Historical Society - Forsyth, MO
• Joplin Public Library - Joplin, MO

We will be updating this list in future Volunteer Connections as more hosts are confirmed. If your troop would be interested in adopting one of these exhibits, or if you have loaner items that you feel would be a valuable addition to any of our exhibits, or you would like more information, please contact Joan Gibson at 877-312-4764 x1118 or jgibson@girlscoutsmoheartland.org.

Sharing the Girl Scout Story

Girl Scout Daisy Troop 70070 recently got a behind-the-scenes tour at a local radio station, where they met some of the broadcasters and got to record their own public service announcement about what Girl Scouts means to them. Check it out! (1MB MOV file)

Taking Action in the Community

(click for larger image)

Girl Scout Troop 10250 wanted to help with the "Extreme Home Makeover" 7-home build in Joplin. They contributed by using rubble and scrap materials from Joplin to make a mosaic for a nearby park that was also being restored during the build.

Badge Activity Sets Are Here!

The badge activity sets, that complement the Girl Scout Journeys and can be inserted into the Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting, are in stock at all GSMH retail shops!

Great Gifts!

Don't forget to stop by our retail shops for your holiday shopping. New items coming just in time for the holidays include: new Adora dolls, Precious Moments collectibles, Missouri Heartland polo shirts, and great new 100th Anniversary merchandise.

News & Updates

• GSMH CEO Resigns
• Honor Your Fellow Volunteers!
• New Online Trainings for Series and Service Unit Events
• Service Unit Membership Incentive

Programs & Events

• Girl Program Events
• Program Center Winter Closings

100th Anniversary Info

• 100th Anniversary History Exhibits - Items and Assistance Needed

What Did You Do Today?

• Sharing the Girl Scout Story
• Taking Action in the Community

Shop News

• Badge Activity Sets Are Here!
• Great Gifts!

TO DO THIS MONTH

• Check with your service unit for Girl Scout Cookie Program training dates.
  
  
• Select/elect service unit delegates.
  
  
• Submit entries for the Girl Scout Essay Contest (girl and adult entries are encouraged! Details are in the Volunteer 411).

VOLUNTEER WEB PORTAL

Do you need something from the Volunteer Resources CD? A product program order form? The tax exempt certificate?

Get what you need from the Volunteer Web Portal. Access it from the council Web site, or the link above, and use the following username & password for the 2011-2012 year:

• Username:
  gsmhleader
  
  
• Password:
  2BestBerry

NOVEMBER & DECEMBER HOURS

Service Centers & Retail Shops
Monday - Friday
8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Closed (except Springfield)
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Retail Shops
Holiday Open House!
Saturday, December 3, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
(Cape Girardeau, Dexter, Jefferson City, and Springfield)

Joplin Satellite Office Open House
Saturday, December 10, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
1202 S. Range Line RD, Suite 8
Joplin, MO

All Service Centers/Shops Closed:
Wednesday, December 7 (Staff Meeting)
December 24 - January 2 (Winter Holiday)

GSMH SOCIAL MEDIA

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest changes and information, read our blog for news and stories from around the council, and see great Girl Scouts-related videos on YouTube .