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NEWS & UPDATES
Tell Us What You Think!
By Anne Soots, CEO
Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland
Girls, Parents and Volunteers:
We are very glad to have you involved in Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland. Providing an exciting Girl Scout program that gives girls opportunities to grow, learn, and have fun is very important to us. And we need your help to make sure our council keeps up-to-date with what is important to our girls.
Over the next year our council will be going through a process called Strategic Learning. We will be using the proven best practices of Strategic Learning to gather and review a lot of information from girls and adults across our council. Girls and adults will have the opportunity to tell us what they like about Girl Scouts and what they would like to see happening in Girl Scouts. Girls, parents, and volunteers are encouraged to complete the online surveys listed below. You may complete a survey in more than one of the categories, if applicable. Please encourage any girls, Girl Scout parents, or Girl Scout volunteers that you know to complete the survey online no later than March 1, 2013. The more people who participate, the richer the pool of data we will have to use in our Strategic Learning process.
You can participate in the surveys by clicking on the shortcuts below, or by visiting our blog at blog.girlscoutsmoheartland.org, scrolling to the January 30 post and using the shortcuts there.
Girl Survey
Parent Survey
Volunteer Survey
Thank you for helping us with this very important project. Your information will help lead Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland into the future.
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Don't Miss the Troop Bucks Opportunity!
Your troop can now earn Troops Buck during the direct sale of this cookie season! Troops Bucks are dollar amounts (similar to cookie credit, but for troop use) that can be used at GSMH to provide the Girl Scout Experience at the local level. Troop Bucks can be used to pay troop membership dues, reserve GSMH program properties, pay council-sponsored event registration fees, or make purchases in GSMH retail shops for the troop.
Troops that sell 40 cases of Girl Scout cookies during the direct sale season will receive $40 in Troop Bucks and one entry in the Grand Prize Drawing. The next tier is for troops that sell 80 cases of Girl Scout cookies during the direct sale season. These troops will earn $80 of troop bucks and two entries in the drawing. Troops that sell 100 cases of Girl Scout cookies during the direct sale season will receive $100 in Troop Bucks and three entries into the Grand Prize Drawing. These recognitions are not cumulative.
The Grand Prize Drawing winner will receive a "Dinner with CEO" Experience, troop photo displayed in an upcoming GSMH publication, and 2014 re-registration troop membership dues paid!
You don't need to do anything to enter. Simply sell 40, 80, or 100 cases of cookies during the direct sale season and you'll automatically earn these recognitions and entries into the Grand Prize Drawing.
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Cookie Cupboards are Open Later
We have extended our Thursday Cookie Cupboard hours at the service centers! Service center cupboards will now be open from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (same hours as Fridays) every Thursday.
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World Thinking Day
World Thinking Day on February 22 celebrates the sisterhood between Girl Scouts around the globe. Every year, a global action theme unites Girl Scout members in services; for 2013 it is "Together we can save children's lives." All Girl Scouts are encouraged to celebrate world cultures and give service on World Thinking Day. Why not take part in activities such as:
- Learn a song or dance from another country
- Have a guest speaker from another country
- Pick a country and make a meal native to that land.
Five countries of focus were selected for World Thinking Day  2013 to represent five regions: Jordan (Arab Region), Malawi (Africa), Pakistan (Asia/Pacific), Republic of Ireland (Europe), and Venezuela (Western Hemisphere).
The World Thinking Day 2013 fun patch is available for purchase in all GSMH retail shops.
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March 10-16 is Girl Scout Week
Girl Scout Week is coming up March 10-16! Girl Scout Week always includes March 12 (Girl Scout Birthday), begins with Girl Scout Sunday and ends with Girl Scout Sabbath. Girl Scout Sunday and Girl Scout Sabbath give girls an opportunity to attend their place of worship and be recognized as Girl Scouts.
A Sunday Insert is available for download at girlscoutsmoheartland.org/resources under Girl Scout holidays. Girl Scouts can print these inserts for church bulletins to inform their places of worship about the Girl Scout Movement. |
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Small Craft Safety and Basic Water Rescue Training
GSMH will offer American Red Cross Small Craft Safety and Basic Water Rescue Training to provide individuals with information and skills necessary to prevent, recognize, and respond to small craft emergencies.
The course will also prepare individuals for small craft emergencies by teaching them how to protect themselves while assisting others, and certify you to instruct girls on basic canoeing skills for flat water such as lakes or ponds at most of our program centers. Moving water skills for rivers will not be covered.
Training will be offered Saturday, May 18 and Saturday, August 10. You only need to attend one training to complete the course. All trainings will take place at Finbrooke Program Center in Rogersville and will begin at 8:30 a.m. The training will take approximately 8 hours to complete. Cost is $50 per participant and each participant will have to pass a swim and written test with a score of 80 percent at the end of the course.
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Register Now for Leader's Weekend
All GSMH volunteers are invited to Leader's Weekend April 12-14 at Finbrooke Program Center. Complete program information and registration packet is available at www.girlscoutsmoheartland.org/leadersweekend. Registration closes March 4, 2013.
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Girl Newsletter Camp Guide Edition Arriving in Mailboxes Now!
The latest edition of the girl newsletters are in the mail and should arrive in your mailbox any day! This is a very special edition because it contains all the information you need to get your Girl Scout registered for summer camp! These newsletters are available online at girlscoutsmoheartland.org/pages/girlnews or you can view the online camp guide with only camp information at girlscoutsmoheartland.org/camp.
Also, please note the cost for all sessions of Sea Horses was incorrectly listed on page 27 of the newsletters. The Sea Horses session cost is $290.
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THE GIRL SCOUT PATHWAY NEWS
Save this Golden Date! 
If you have a young woman "Going for the Gold," please put Saturday, June 1 on your calendar because we want to celebrate her achievements! The 2013 Young Women of Distinction Celebration will be held in Cape Girardeau at the Drury Lodge. |
Reminders for Upcoming Girl Event Deadlines
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).
Night at the Museum: Discovery Center Lock-in (DBJ)
3/1-3/2/13 Springfield
Registration Deadline: 2/18/13
Brownie Journey Day (B)
3/9/13 Cape Girardeau 4/6/13 Hallsville, MO
Registration Deadlines: 2/20/13 and 3/22/13
Magic of Chemistry: Fun with Polymers (JC)3/9/13 Columbia
Registration Deadline: 2/22/13
Magic of Chemistry Volunteer Training (CSA)3/3/13 Columbia
Registration Deadline: 2/22/13
De-Stress from Cookie Success! (DBJCSA)
3/16/13 Pittsburg, KS
Registration Deadline: 3/1/13
Archery at Silver Meadows (JCSA)4/6/13 Boone County
Registration Deadline: 3/19/13
College 101 (CSA)4/6/13 Springfield
Registration Deadline: 3/25/13
To see what other event registration deadlines are coming up this month check out your copy of the Volunteer 411 or read it online at: girlscoutsmoheartland.org/resources.
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SHOP WITH US
Last Chance for 100th Anniversary, Year of the Girl, and Other Clearance Items
Take an additional 50 percent off already reduced 100th Anniversary merchandise! Year of the Girl merchandise is now 50 percent off the original price and don't miss our blowout clearance prices on previously marked down items!
New Spring Merchandise is Coming Soon!
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DISCOVER, CONNECT, TAKE ACTION
Advanced Cookie Chefs Events Take Place Throughout the Council
"Members of Columbia Cadette Troop 30461 enjoyed attending Advanced Cookie Chefs at Silver Meadows. [Leadership and Learning Specialist] Karen Lawrence did an awesome job of organizing and leading this event," Girl Scout Volunteer Sherrie Neff said.
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| Quick Notes | TO DO THIS MONTH
- Help your Girl Scouts deliver cookies!
- Continue holding cookie booth sales
- Complete the GSMH surveys that apply to you
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 website, or the link above, and use the following username & password for the 2012-2013 year: Username gsmhleader Password CadettesCarry3Cards These passwords are also valid for all online forms that require a password.
WINTER HOURS Service Centers & Retail Shops
Monday - Friday
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Closed (except Springfield)
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Saturday Retail Shop Hours Shops in all locations will be open Saturday, March 2 from 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Closed Dates Service centers and retail shops will be closed in all locations February 18. |
| 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 Scout-related videos on YouTube.
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