Header image  
Girl Scout Service Unit  
line decor
  
line decor

 
 
 
 
 
IN THE NEWS
Scroll down to see it all, or go directly to Centennail Countdown: 3/12/12, 2009 Cookie Record - 17,323 boxes, GSUSA News Releases, National Council/Convention Stories, News Stories in the Media: talking about us, Articles on Gold Award Projects, Silver Award projects, 2008 Grade Level Changes, Bronze Award projects, Parade News, and WAGGGS theme.

What about other GSNNJ Service Units. . .

To see what other GSNNJ communities are doing, try these links. There are interesting SU websites from elsewhere too, like these, in Delaware-Raritan, elsewhere in NJ, in Virginia, and in Texas . If you see ideas that you would like to try in Parsippany, let's talk!

GSUSA wins a Gracie

"Watch What You Watch" Nets a Gracie!"
You can watch the Public servcei announcement here: >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yn67gixQuMo

Girl Scouts of the USA has been awarded the much esteemed Gracie Award from the Alliance for Women in Media.

This award is to honor media by women, for women and about women. GSUSA's selection for a Gracie is in recognition of Girl Scouts of the USA’s role in spearheading innovative advocacy efforts to promote healthy media images. In October 2010, Girl Scouts hosted the Healthy Media for Youth Summit on Capitol Hill with our partners from The Creative Coalition, the National Association of Broadcasters, and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association. At the summit, the coalition unveiled the Watch What You Watch PSA for cable and broadcasting networks to use in raising awareness about healthy media images. As the convener of the coalition, GSUSA will be awarded a Gracie for that PSA in the Outstanding Public Service Announcement category.

They're Talking About Girl Scouts. . .

Centennial Countdown to 3/12/12

The countdown has started! April 10th, 2010 is the 100th day of the year and "Celebration Day: Plant" (ideas for the Centennial). Some troops and councils have already started planning & DOing. What do your girls want to do?

2011 GSUSA National Convention

It's in Texas and GSNNJ will have meetings beforehand to discuss the issues & help our representatives know what we want. Think about being a rep. yourself. GSNNJ pays for the trip.

2008 GSUSA National Convention

 Convention Proposals: Do you want your opinion to be considered when GSUSA strategy is set for the next 3 years? Do you have a view on the Nominating Committee's slate? Can/Should it be approved if it does not meet constitutional requirements?

Some Girl Scouts have thought about the proposals and are presenting their view on YouTube.

There are at least 6 proposals for October's convention, covering issues such as making the National Convention smaller, removing "local" and "regional" from the GSUSA by-laws/constitution, increasing dues as of October 1, 2009, allowing GSUSA membership for periods other than a year or lifetime, and giving the Board the ability to change/raise dues without National Convention approval or involvement. For more details, contact your SUM or a GSNNJ representative. There should be at least one representative at Parsippany's October Service Unit meeting.

The next National Convention for the Girl Scouts of America will be held October 30 – November 2, 2008 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. Delegates from every council, including Girl Scouts of Northern NJ should attending to vote on the board of directions and set strategy the direction of the Girl Scouts. Representatives and volunteers must be registered Girl Scouts at least 14 years old.

GSNNJ delegates must be at least 18 years old as the current bylaws require them to also vote on GSNNJ issues.

Held once every three years, the business of the National Council Session is to “hold elections, amend the Constitution, establish requirements for credentials, and shall determine the general lines of policy of the Girl Scout Movement and program by considering and acting upon proposals directed toward the fostering and improvement of Girl Scouting, by receiving and acting upon reports of its National Board of Directors, and by giving guidance to the National Board upon general lines of direction of the Movement and program”. Blue Book of Basic Documents, 2003.

The “National Convention” is the term used to describe all the activities and events that take place in conjunction with the National Council Session, such as the Hall of Exhibits, the National Equipment Service Superstore sales area, and special events, including a girl congress.

For more information, including volunteer applications, see: 2008 Convention FAQs for volunteers

Branding?

Dairy Queen Thin Mint Blizzard in the summer.

Thin Mint Shoe Vanessa and Angela Simmons launched Pastry Thin Mint line with backpacks and Sneakers in chocolate and white! (adult & children's sizes) The basic tenets of the Girl Scout philosophy scripted on the outsole of the shoe. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Girl Scouts of the USA. Foot Locker is supposed to carry them but I can't find any pictures there. Click to see photos on the Finish Line and Underground Station pictures. Hi-tops are expected to follow.

Gold Award Projects

As one report in 2009 said "As the highest award a teen Girl Scout can earn, the prestigious Gold Award is the single most demanding award that a Girl Scout strives toward, and it's not unusual for a girl to put in more than 200 hours to fulfill the requirements. Leadership, determination, perseverance and creativity - skills developed through the progressing levels of the Girl Scout program - are necessary to successfully complete the project. The essence of the Gold Award is a personal challenge for a girl to stretch her skills and abilities and step forward as a leader to meet a community need for which she has a passion and a will to create a sustainable change."

GSUSA News Releases

Selected ones are listed here. Click to go to New Releases from Girl Scouts of USA and see more. GSUSA has licensed Dairy Queen to produce and market a Blizzard® Treat incorporating Girl Scouts® Thin Mint cookies. At this time Dairy Queen has 8 test sites for the Girl Scouts Thin Mint Cookie Blizzard. They are being tested in the following cities: Eagan, MN; Woodinville, WA; Morehead City, NC; Murrieta, CA; Englewood, CO; Alabaster, AL; Rancho Cucamonga, CA; and Goshen, IN.

Did you know that there are now over 3.6 million Girl Scouts: 2.7 million girl members, in more than 236,000 troops and groups in over 90 countries? GSUSA is part of the WAGGGS family of over 10 million girls and adults in over 145 countries.

Girl Scout sets record for cookie sales with 17,323 boxes sold

A Girl Scout in Dearborn, Michigan nows holds the GSUSA record for the most cookies sold. While her council may have sold cookies for a week longer than ours, that would not have been enough for most of our girls to approach her numbers! Click here to go off-site and read more. There are plenty of articles on the internet about this one!

Silver Award Projects

Bronze Award Projects

2008 ch-ch-ch-ch Changes

As of 1 October 2008, white shirts and khaki pants or skirts is the uniform for all girls in Girl Scouts, the following grade levels and names. New program materials and levels were introduced.

Grades... Level Name
K-1 Girl Scout Daisy
2-3 Girl Scout Brownie
4-5 Girl Scout Junior
6-8 Girl Scout Cadette
9-10 Girl Scout Senior
11-12 Girl Scout Ambassador

Any girl that starts an award using the existing requiremetns will be allowed to finish following those requirements.

The new uniform code was to unite girls as Girl Scouts.

  • Girl Scouts will wear solid white shirts and khaki pants or skirts with their official uniform item, which will be required when they participate in ceremonies or officially represent the Girl Scout movement.
  • Girl Scouts at each level will have one official uniform item (e.g. tunic, vest, sash) for the display of official pins and awards. This uniform item will be required when girls participate in ceremonies or officially represent the Girl Scout Movement.
  • The adult uniforms will be a scarf worn with the membership pins for women and a tie for men. The scarf/tie and membership pins will be worn with navy blue business attire.

WAGGGS Theme

WAGGGS logo

Every three to six years, WAGGGS adopts a theme under which Member Organizations, troops and individual members throughout the world can organize projects and implement non-formal education. The World Board announced the WAGGGS theme for the 2009-2011 triennium: "together we can change the world." The World Thinking Day thjemes are also tied to UN GAT information.

  • WTD Theme 2012: Environment
  • WTD Theme 2011: Empowerment
  • WTD Theme 2010: Poverty and Hunger, "together we can end extreme poverty and hunger"
  • WTD Theme 2009: together “we can stop the spread of AIDS, malaria and other diseases.”

Announced in 2008, girls worldwide say “together we can change our world” is the new WAGGGS Global Action Theme (GAT). The WAGGGS theme for 2002-2008 was Our Rights, Our Responsibilities. A program to learn about the new theme is expected from WAGGGS &/or GSUSA.

Parsippany GS Memorial Day 2007 - Parade publicity

"Parsippany" has a lovely 2 page spread of the Memorial Day parade - and lots of Girl Scout troops. I know I am saving a copy to remind me what the troop banners looked like! Thanks to the leader(s) who organized many of the troops that marched - that made it easier for many of us and I am sure boosted the Girl Scout presence there! Video on the Go showed the Memorial Day parade through at least July 27 - check their schedule if you have missed it. http://www.pthsd.k12.nj.us/main/videogo.html

Publicity

When I was a girl, all the troops wrote up the minutes of their meetings and had them published in the local newspaper. I don't know if the Neighborhood News would be interested in doing 2 paragraphs from every troop's every meeting in their coverage. Don't know how many troops might start if someone else did. However, I am sure they would print longer bits about an event, field trip or service project, especially if there was a picture that accompanied it. Make sure you have photo releases and understand how much information can be released - to satisfy GSUSA and individual family requirements. We'll need to get a link to handling publicity, when photos and names can be printed. Our girls visiting Our Chalet and Pax Lodge will certainly get some coverage in August when they are back if they want it!

2007 Cookie Sales

Anna Ho, then our Product Sales Coordinator), talked about cookies in early 2007 and her words were picked up in an AP story. Perhaps that was the source for all or most of these stories last year. MSNBC: Girl Scout cookies toss out trans fats: Treats will be nearly free of harmful fat; sugar-free cookie debuts (Feb. 26, 2006) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17299077/

Girl Scouts Cut Cookie Trans Fats By David B. Caruso, Posted 23 February 2007 International Business Times http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20070223/diet-scout-cookies.htm Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/23/AR2007022300953.html Fox News:

Trans Fats Removed From Girl Scout Cookies, Sunday, February 25, 2007,

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,254517,00.html

 Website design provided by Eileen Michie