Calling all Councils!
In July, Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital joined over 10,000 Girl Scouts from all over the country for the 56th National Council Session (NCS).
This business meeting happens every three years and gives delegates from every Girl Scout council a chance to discuss, debate, and vote on issues that are key to the Girl Scout Movement. Additionally, during the event, delegates proudly elect national leaders who will help shape the path of our movement for the next three years.
| Image Credit: GSCNC Marketing & Communications | |
Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital had the highest attendance in council representation, including 33 National Council delegates who rocked bright green hats decorated in SWAPS.
A special thank you to all the staff who facilitated our Council's involvement in this event, including coverage by our Marketing and Communications team and Business Operations Manager Carrie Banachowski, who served as Council Delegation Liaison.
Credit: Marketing and Communications team; full article available on our website.
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Camp Season Closed
With autumn on the near horizon, summer camp season has come to a close, sending hundreds of Girl Scouts and Camp staff home with a multitude of valuable memories.
In a recent email, Camping Manager Denise Viau expressed her sincere appreciation of the myriad contributions our Council's staff made to the formation and maintenance of another fantastic camp season. To extend that gratitude, we're including some highlights of this help below.
Staff Recruitment
Camper Recruitment
Marketing
Finance
Budgeting
Program
Registration
Going to Camp (see Customer Care at camp in the image below!)
Equipment Deliveries
Program Kits
Camp Care Packages
SHARE
Staff Training
Phones, Internet, Copying, Filing
Moral Support
| Cheers to the 2023 summer camp season and to all who made it possible. In the words of Denise, "it takes a village!" |
Annual Shop Inventory
Retail Operations Manager Shari Harvey recently sent the Girl Scout Shop's annual reminder that inventory is upon us!
Each of our Shop locations are closed from August 30th through September 4th to take a deep-dive into the year's extensive roster of supplies, merchandise, and more.
Our Shop staff will be unable to take phone calls, emails, or orders while they work hard through the many steps of the inventory process. Your assistance in minimizing interruptions is sincerely appreciated!
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Off to Kick-Off!
On August 12th, Council staff and volunteers alike gathered at Lightridge High School in Aldie, VA to host and attend the 2023 Kick-Off to the new Girl Scout year.
This year's Kick-Off focused on the theme "We Belong" and emphasized updates to our Council's DEIA policy as well as mental health support. Among the day's detailed agenda, we also reviewed progress and projections for several Council departments and celebrated member achievements.
| Thank you to all who helped plan, set up, present, and clean up this important occasion! |
Girl Scouts Go Golfing
The Development Team was hard at work in the weeks leading up to the 2023 Girl Scout Golf Classic, which was held on August 21st at the Army Navy Country Club in Fairfax, Virginia.
In its fourth year, this annual fundraising outing is an opportunity for our vast Girl Scouts community to come together to support the next generation of female business and community leaders.
| Image Credit: GSCNC Marketing & Communications | |
Director of Development Betsy Thurston was excited to announce the great success of this year's Girl Scouts Golf Classic with a total of 93 players involved and nearly $100,000 raised!
Thank you to Annual Giving Specialist Shannon McCreesh and the entire Development Team, as well as the support from several other Council departments, for their outstanding work organizing this event.
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State Park Love
Five years ago, a national campaign between Girl Scouts USA and the National Association of State Park Directors set about connecting Girl Scouts with local opportunities to get outside and enjoy nature.
This year, in continuation of this partnership with the state parks in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, our Council is hosting a diverse array of self-guided patch programs at selected locations throughout the region's local parks.
The programs will be available September 9th and 10th. Click here for a registration flyer and check out more details about the various opportunities here.
Thank you to High Adventure Specialist Jade Harris for sharing this!
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SEPTEMBER 1
2 Hour Early Office Closure: Eve of Labor Day Weekend
SEPTEMBER 4
Offices Closed: Labor Day
SEPTEMBER 7
Virtual Staff Social: Pets
1:00 - 3:00 PM
SEPTEMBER 12
IDEA Committee Meeting
3:00 - 4:00 PM
Email [email protected] to join
SEPTEMBER 22
All Staff Meeting
Camp Brighton Woods
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
OCTOBER 10
Virtual All Staff Meeting
3:00 - 4:00 PM
OCTOBER 16
Boss Appreciation Day
OCTOBER 24
IDEA Committee Meeting
3:00 - 4:00 PM
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Check the Council's current COVID-19 Guidelines here.
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Sara Sanders joined the Council as a Volunteer Development Specialist on Monday, July 24th.
Prior to joining us, Sara served as a Training Specialist at National University. In this role, they worked as an Instructional Designer, responsible for developing training programs for various teams, including Academic Advisors, Financial Aid Advisors, and Student Support. Before their tenure at National University, Sara held the position of Coordinator of Student Life at Austin Community College.
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Sara holds a Master of Arts degree in Women and Gender History from Sarah Lawrence College. During their time at Sarah Lawrence College, they actively participated in various committees and councils focused on Diversity and development initiatives. |
Here are some of Sara's favorite things!
1. Reading! "I always have a book on me; if you see me around, ask me what I'm currently reading."
2. The West Wing! "This is my favorite show. I'm always re-watching it, and CJ Cregg is my role model."
3. Camping! "I love being outside and taking camping trips, and my hammock is my best friend!"
4. Solo travel! "I've been to almost thirty countries and love exploring a new places. I am always open to travel recommendations."
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Foster Kitty Graduate!
In July, foster kitten Cali graduated from her stay with Human Resources Manager Betsy West and her family.
While at the Wests' home, Cali earned the reputation of "pretty girl" due to her good looks and effortless charm. This fluffy feline now lives with her new family, including a Vet Tech mom and similarly three-footed feline sibling.
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Teambuilding with Team 5!
Membership Team 5, based out of our Kingstowne Office, recently went to Board & Brush to create custom wooden signs together and spend their teambuilding budget.
They had heaps of fun staining, painting, and crafting their personal decorations, and Membership Specialist Asadullah Nizam even compiled highlights of their outing into a short film to share with all of us! Click on the image to the left to view the video and experience some of the team's collaborative celebration.
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Share the good news!
Send celebrations to [email protected] to be included next time.
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Southwestern Waffle
Shared by Human Resources Manager Betsy West
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"I made the waffles with half protein waffle mix and half regular baking mix (to get the texture/taste more to my daughter, Ella's liking). I also used milk instead of water for additional calcium, vitamin D, and protein."
View and save a PDF of the full recipe here.
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Loaded Cucumber Avocado Sandwich
Shared by Human Resources Manager Betsy West
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"I packed this sandwich for Ella's lunch at camp (and sampled while I was making it – yum!)."
View and save a PDF of the full recipe here.
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Share your favorite eats with your coworkers!
Send recipes to [email protected] to be included next time.
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Internal Growth
& Development
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Kathy Beernink, Membership Support Coordinator, DC office, has accepted the position of Technology Support Specialist effective September 2, 2023.
Stephanie Budnicki, Membership Specialist, Martinsburg office, has accepted the position of Volunteer Development Specialist effective September 18, 2023.
Congratulations to all! May your new role bring you great satisfaction and exciting challenges.
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Girl Scouts in Service Unit 52-7 made a Fourth of July float and placed third in the Fairfax City parade! | |
In recognition of Women's Equality Day, Girl Scouts from Troop 52003 led a booth at the Lucy Barnes Museum where they helped folks make origami yellow roses in support of the suffragist movement. | |
Kiryu Japanese Girl Scout group visited our Council and experienced archery and tomahawk throwing at Camp Crowell! | |
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These "Girl Scout Proud" segments are featured from our social media.
Thank you to our Marketing and Communications team!
Click the buttons at the bottom of this newsletter to explore more.
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Staff enrolled in any of our CareFirst insurance plans have access to new personal health features through CareFirst WellBeing. This 24/7 individual health and wellness program is now partnering with Noom to offer free access to Noom’s award-winning app.
As a bonus, if you already use Noom, enrolling through CareFirst Wellbeing will reimburse you for your existing subscription and keep your progress!
Ready to see if Noom is right for you? Visit the CareFirst/Noom registration page.
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