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May 2014 VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER 
Dear Volunteers,

Laura Muia, Board Secretary
With sadness we are remembering Laura Muia, who passed away last weekend. Laura spent a large portion of her Girl Scout career as a member of the Scranton Pocono Girl Scout Council, serving as an assistant troop leader, Mid Valley Neighborhood Chair, a member of the Wider Ops Committee and advisor to the Lackawanna County Older Girl Planning Board. As a member of the Board, she chaired the Nominating Committee, and served as Vice President and President.

 

Laura co-chaired the Council Realignment Committee which led to the formation of Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania in 2007. She joined GSHPA's Board of Directors in 2009 and was serving as Secretary of the Board when she passed away. While a member of the GSHPA Board, Laura served on two strategic planning efforts, co-chaired the council's CEO search, and chaired our annual meeting twice.

 

Laura was passionate about everything related to Girl Scouting. As a troop leader she loved taking girls camping at Camp Archbald, especially in the winter. In February of this year, when Laura was gravely ill, we asked her if there was anything we could do to support her; and she said, "Yes, you can have a girl come over and sell me some Girl Scout cookies. I haven't bought any yet and the girls need our support."

Left to Right: Carolyn Warman, Board Chair; Laura Muia, Board Secretary ;Dolly Lalvani, Board Treasurer; Karen F. Snider, Vice Chair

 

We will remember Laura for her warm sense of humor, her practical outlook and her sensible, brave approach to every challenge. The last GSHPA meeting in which Laura participated was a Strategic Planning Committee meeting in January. As we discussed the difficult trade-offs that a Girl Scout council with limited resources has to confront in any planning scenario, Laura stated that leaders need to have courage to make bold decisions. Indeed, Laura ended up naming GSHPA's new strategic plan which is forthcoming in December 2014. It will be called "Leadership: It Begins With Us!"

 

Laura generously asked that memorial contributions be sent to GSHPA. Thank you, Laura, for your leadership. The Girl Scout family will miss you sorely. 

 

Sincerely,

 

 
Signature - Jane Ransom
 Carolyn Warman Jane Ransom
 Board Chair   President & CEO
Early Bird is here: A patch. A video. Another action-packed year of adventures!

 

Early Bird Registration (now-June 30) is the perfect time to re-register for the 2014-2015 Girl Scout year and by re-registering online* she can get this awesome FREE *Early Bird patch (while supplies last)! 

 

It is quick and easy to secure her spot in minutes when you re-register her at  www.gshpa.org! The only requirements to receive the patch is that she has to be a current Girl Scout and she must re-register online!

 

While you're online, check out our brand new 2013-2014 Girl Scout ReCap Video highlighting fun, adventures, friendships and of course...Girl Scouts!

 

*Fun patches will be sent out in July via USPS mail to all girls who re-register online between April 15 and June 30, 2014. Girls who are re-registered online by their troop leaders are also eligible after completed membership form is received with guardian's signature.

 

Keep Movin' Dance Video Brought to you by Healthy Promise

Speaking of video... Has your troop made
their Keep Movin' video?

The two-year Healthy Promise Program is coming to an end and we need you to help us finish strong by inspiring our Girl Scouts to stay healthy and Keep Movin' by participating in our Dance Video Contest. Girls can have fun, stay active and maybe even take home the prize!

 

How do Girl Scouts participate? It is easy as lights, camera, and action!

  1.  Click here to learn the dance and watch the step-by-step instructional video 
  2. Get creative and brainstorm ideas (costumes, setting, music etc.) for the dance video
  3. *Record Girl Scouts doing the dance
  4. **Send the video file to healthypromise@gshpa.org by 11:59 p.m. on May 28th.

The Top 3 videos will be picked by a panel of GSHPA judges based on the music, setting, costumes, and dance and uploaded on YouTube from June 2- June 15. Vote for your favorite video by "liking" the video and then share the video with your friends, families and Girls Scouts to vote. Will your troop take home the prize?

  • 1st Place Winner will win a Dance Party! (Location to be determined by troop, prize must be redeemed by Sept. 30, 2014)
  • 2nd and 3rd Place Winners will win a Healthy Promise Party Pack to keep moving all summer long!

Important things to know!

 

*All girls participating in the video MUST be a registered Girl Scout AND sign a photo release form in order to participate! Click here to download the photo release form and send in with video submission with a list of all the girls' names.

** All videos must be 15 MB or less in size.

 

Click here to visit our Healthy Promise website page for more information about the dance video contest.   

Left to Right: Milani L., Sarah A. and Kendell M hand out Thank You card to donors at the blood drive. 

Pint-Sized Life Savers Inspire Others to Donate  

On March 29 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Girl Scout Community 706 in Lancaster County made an incredible impact - they organized a blood drive with American Red Cross (ARC) that could save up to *90 lives! For one huge impact it was one easy project. Stacey Joy, Community Lead for 706 shows us how!

 

Brainstorm + Plan

Stacey and troop leaders discussed potential projects until they decided a blood drive would be beneficial for the community. Once the project was decided, a community partnership had to be made. Stacey reached out to the ARC in December and within a week a date, time and a location was set.

 

Volunteers + Communication

Stacey made sure that she had enough volunteers to meet the ratio requirements and communicated their roles and time commitment (2 volunteers per 1 hour shift=10 volunteers). Parents even were encouraged to get involved by baking cookies to pass out to donors.

 

Engage Girl Scouts

Stacey challenged over 45 Girl Scouts (ages 5- 14) to be engaged in their service project by knowing the facts and marketing the event. She arranged for an ARC employee to give a presentation about blood donation to the girls. Stacey encouraged the girls to use that information to reach out to five adults to attend the drive, but was blown away by the girls' commitment to advertise through word-of-mouth and flyers.

 

Implement

Stacey, Girl Scout volunteers and girls worked with amazement as ARC volunteers drew 30 pints of blood meeting 150% of their goal! ARC volunteers announced their progress as Girl Scout volunteers supervised the girls as they handed out homemade cookies and thank you cards to the participating donors making them feel extra special!

 

All of this in what took roughly 6 hours of Stacey's time! "Don't be afraid to jump in! It's a learning experience," she advises all Girl Scout leaders! For anyone interested in learning more about how to plan a service project, either with a troop or a whole community, email general@gshpa.org.

 

*1 pint of blood can save 3 lives (www.redcross.org).

 

Starting on October 1

 

The Girl Scout membership year runs from October 1 - September 30 and it has for years, but for some reason our activities have never aligned with that schedule causing confusion for parents, volunteers, staff and girls. This year, we plan to fix that by aligning all of our activities (programs, product sales, troop meetings, events, etc) with that schedule.

 

What does that mean for you the troop leader? Your new troop year begins after October 1, Fall Product will not begin until October 10 and the girls you currently have registered for the 2013-2014 Girl Scout year can continue doing activities as a troop or an individual member until September 30! It also means that we can host a full-fledged Volunteer Kick-off Convention on Saturday, September 6 at the Holiday Inn & Convention Center in Grantville, PA so that you can have access to important information about the upcoming Girl Scout year prior to your first 2014-2015 troop meeting - mark your calendars today!


Your date with the future

Volunteering with the Girl Scouts-A Timeless Opportunity!


Help us spread the word about volunteering by sharing this video!  

 

Do you know someone who would make a great role model and can meet our minimal volunteer requirements to provide a great Girl Scout experience? Tell them how they can make a difference in thousands of girls' lives!

  • Meet the Minimum - There must be 5 girls per troop.
  • Hold Meetings - In the video Natalie Wood (Miracle on 34th Street and West Side Story) said that volunteers must hold 3 hour meetings, but in present day there are no time requirements. In fact, you work with your schedule to decide how many and how long meetings should be!
  • Free Training - GSHPA will train you on everything you need to know before you start!
  • Pass - All volunteers must pass a free background check
Share your story. Tell a friend. Email a coworker. Spread the word!
The Ultimate Girl's Weekend to Spectacular Salt Lake City!

Parents, volunteers, and alumnae can save the date for the 2014 National Girl Scout Convention on Oct. 16-19 in Salt Lake City, Utah and be part to a global movement to inspire Girl Scouts to "Discover, Connect, Take Action: Girls Change the World!"

 

Listen to moving speakers, check out exhibits and connect with Girl Scouts from around the country! Click here and take a sneak peek at what the Girl Scout Convention is all about!  

 

*Registration is now open! Visit www.girlscouts.org/convention for more information on registration, prices, lodging, agendas and more!

 

*GSHPA will not be covering expenses or handling registrations, travel or hotel reservations for visitors, but we would like to know the names of visitors from our council so we can include you in any planned get-togethers we may have for our delegation while at the convention. Please contact Shelly Sprenkle at ssprenkle@gshpa.org after you have submitted your registration no later than Sept. 15, 2014.

 

Don't worry! Girl Scouts can enjoy Salt Lake City too!

Girl Scout Leadership Institute Presentation TrailerThe Convention will be hosting special programs specifically for Girl Scouts (14+ years old) looking to sharpen their leadership skills at The Girl Scout Leadership Institute (October 16- 18) Click here for more details on how you can meet other Girl Scouts from around the country and make a difference in the world!  

 

Registration and hotel room reservations for GSLI participants and chaperones must be done by a GSHPA Representative. GSHPA is not responsible for any travel expenses. Financial Aid does not apply. To apply, contact Shelly Sprenkle at ssprenkle@gshpa.org or 1-800-692-7816.

 

In This Issue
Early Bird is Here: A Patch. A Video. Another action-packed year of adventures!
Speaking of Video... Has your troop made their Keep Movin' video?
Pint-Sized Life Savers Inspire Others to Donate
Starting on October 1




Like us on Facebook

View our videos on YouTube

Save the Date!

May 2 - July 31 - Troop Leader re-appointment meetings with Membership Associates


June 15 - August 8 - GSHPA Summer Camp


June 21 - Gold Award Ceremony at Founder's Hall in Hershey, PA

    

June 30 - Early Bird re-registration campaign ends

 

July 31 - Financial Reports Due to your Membership Associate

 

September 6 - 2014-2015 Volunteer Kick-off Convention @ Holiday Inn and Convention Center in Grantville, PA

 

September 10 - Inspiring Generations Gala in Hershey

 

October 5 - Thin Mint Sprint in State College

Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania | 350 Hale Avenue | Harrisburg, PA 17104
www.gshpa.org | general@gshpa.org | 1.800.692.7816