Volunteer Connections by Girl Scouts of Nassau County

Grab your favorite cold weather beverage (mine is hot chocolate), a blanket, and anything to help you get extra cozy to listen to our December podcast episode! Join us for the last episode in 2022, “Winter Activities.” You’ll learn about badges, patches, and SWAPS to offer your troop, so you have plenty to discuss and they have options to decide how they want their Girl Scout experience to be this season! Pro Tip: Keep your meetings fun in the winter by offering something extra special that your troop would only do during the cold months. Have them come dressed for a slumber party in their favorite winter PJ’s or have a dance party. Put it to a vote! The December episode airs on Thursday, December 29 at 9:00 AM, and consecutively on the last Thursday of every month. However, you can listen on demand! That means you can tune in anytime, anywhere that works for you. Be sure to follow the podcast and turn on notifications, so you’ll know when new episodes are released.  You can ...

One of the most inspiring parts of volunteering with Girl Scouts is getting to witness girls discover their strengths through engaging in activities in STEM, financial literacy, the outdoors, art, and more. When it does come time to introduce new topics to Girl Scouts, many leaders feel intimidated because they do not have experience in these fields. Volunteers don’t need to be an expert or a scientist to bring these activities to their troops! There are a variety of ways for Girl Scout volunteers to build their confidence and positively impact their Girl Scouts through new experiences. Find an expert – volunteers can use their network of peers to identify someone who is a professional or has knowledge of the badge or activity the troop is working on. Let that individual take the lead! Participate in the activity alongside the girls to join in on the fun and learn something new. Prepare – review the materials needed to earn a badge or complete an activity. Make any modificati...

On Monday, November 14 the Volunteer Training and Resource team and special guest speaker, Theresa, met with Girl Scouts of Nassau County volunteers for a discussion about volunteering, professional development, resume writing, and more! Theresa, who is a parent, Girl Scout volunteer, and human resources professional with over 20 years of experience, spoke to the attendees about how to leverage their volunteer efforts in professional and other leadership settings. She shared insight into current resume trends and helped volunteers understand the importance of creating a personal brand statement. What are the skills you develop when you volunteer? This is a question the volunteers were asked to consider. Together they came up with a list of skills that included: Public speaking Organization Networking Management Community relations  One volunteer even shared that being a volunteer has helped her to step out of her comfort zone! Toward the end of the evening, there was a...

Start your December troop meetings by celebrating National Women Support Women Day with your troop and co-leaders. National Women Support Women Day was established in 2018 to celebrate women for their accomplishments in the arts, politics, education, and other fields. Juliette Gordon Low, our founder, was a strong believer in supporting women and girls. Starting with a selfless act of selling her pearls, Juliette launched her idea of an organization for girls, led by girls. This resulted in a space for girls to build character and self-sufficiency to make the world a better place. Her friends honored her efforts by establishing the Juliette Low World Friendship Fund, an organization that finances international projects for Girl Scouts and Girl Guides. Her work continues to be carried on today through your hard work as a troop leader, and volunteers that are change makers for their girls, other volunteers, and in their communities. Celebrate with your Troop by: Sending flowe...

  “Organizing and planning Girl Scout meetings during the beginning of the year is SUPER easy”- said no Girl Scout volunteer ever! That’s why the first episode of our brand new podcast, “Starting Your Girl Scout Year Strong” will cover our most important tips and resources that will help you as you start diving back in to planning. Mark your calendars! The first episode launches today (Thursday, October 27) , and thereafter the last Thursday of every month. Here what you’ll learn about in this month’s episode:  Time management tips  How to build a strong Co-Leader relationship  How to plan Girl-Led meetings  Money Earning Activities We know you work smarter, not harder. That’s why we’re giving you all of the follow up resources you need in the description of each episode! There, you’ll find time stamps that tells you when each topic is talked about. No need to waste time and listen to the entire thing again, just jump ahead to the specified time stamp! You’l...

On Monday, October 10 the Volunteer Training and Resource team hosted the first Volunteer Connections (Live Meeting) of the 2022/2023 Girl Scout year! The purpose of the monthly live meetings is for volunteers to learn how their efforts fit into the Girl Scout Movement, while supporting their own personal and professional development. At this meeting, the team connected with volunteers from all different service units to discuss Time Management Essentials. What is time management? Time management is a person’s ability to prioritize, plan, and manage the hours in their day effectively. It’s all about making the most out of the time we have available! Some ways to effectively manage time are to: Analyze how you’re using it . Identify the biggest “time-stealers” throughout the day, like scrolling through social media! Look for opportunities to save time and to, “work smarter, not harder.” Prioritize your responsibilities . Sort through the activities and tasks that you have going on in yo...