Volunteer Connections by Girl Scouts of Nassau County

At Girl Scouts of Nassau County’s Annual Luncheon we once again turn to an outstanding woman in our community and present her with the Juliette Low Award of Distinction. Over the past 22 years our honorees have embodied the best and brightest of the women in our community, women who excel in business, the professions, arts and volunteer service. Beyond individual accomplishments, which are legion, each of these women demonstrates her commitment to the life of the community through service and philanthropy. This year Girl Scouts is proud to salute Emily F. Franchina, Esq.   Emily is an attorney concentrating in Elder Law, Wills, Trusts, Estate Planning, Estate Administration, and adoption. She is a graduate of Hofstra University School of Law. Active in law and the community at large, Emily currently serves as President of the Nassau County Bar Association. Her dedication to the elderly, disabled, and their families is evidenced through her many committee affiliations. She is active ...

Congratulations to Robyn M. of Troop 3262 whose winning entry was chosen for this year’s GIRLFEST   patch!   GIRLFEST   is Sunday, October 4th! Thanks to the Broadway Mall in Hicksville,  Girl Scouts of Nassau County will once again present GIRLFEST   in its spacious corridors … GIRLFEST  is an opportunity for girls and Girl Scouts of all ages to come together for FUN, friendship and to share program ideas and activities … Last year over 1000 girls came out for the fun! Many of our great vendors who promote their programs through our  Possibilities publication will be giving demonstrations and providing more info on the opportunities available from their companies and organizations.  This is a great chance for Troop Leaders and girls to get a better idea on the program activities available, which will help as the girls plan their year and set their goals.   There will be opportunities to learn more about the Girl Scout Journeys , about the Girl Scout special interest groups, such as...

When Girl Scouts of Nassau County was named by AARP to be one of the 50 Best Places to Work in the United States, it merely confirmed what I’ve known for some time—that there is something very special about this place, and I count myself lucky to work here.  But what is it that sets us apart from so many other (the 50 choices came from companies big and small, for-profit, and not-for-profit)? Well, for one thing, there is an incredible team work ethic. [Note: I didn’t say ‘teamwork.’ There’s a difference.] It’s not just that people can play nice together when they work on a project. That’s a given. Staff here sees the entire corporate structure as a team, employees and volunteers alike. But day to day, what is it like to work here?  After all, no place is perfect, people get in a snit with one another sometimes, and there are other kinks too, but still . . .  First (and perhaps most important) is the balancing act where management achieves a sort of equilibrium between the needs of th...

How many back to school essays begin just this way…   The Girl Scouts of Nassau County stayed on the move… Summer Camp kept girls and their counselors active and involved.  The new Low Ropes Course at Camp Blue Bay provided athletic challenges, but it is really all about teaching problem solving and teamwork.  Recent upgrades to the Activity Building allowed girls to now be able to hear themselves think while they play. – Although June and July had lots of rain, our Day Campers at Cantiague and Wantagh Parks were able to spend most of their days in the park, with just a few calls to the “rainy day” location.  Each of our Day Camps benefit from the great swimming pools in their respective parks, and the Nassau County Parks Department staffers who extend themselves to the Girl Scouts …I salute our colleagues and our Camp Counselors for all they do to further the Girl Scout Mission, and I thank the parents who trust us with the care and guidance of their girls. GSNC also provided Girl S...

On Monday, August 10th, Girl Scouts of Nassau County held its 25th annual “ Go for the Green ” Golf Outing. It always amazes me what golfers will endure for their sport. In the 9 years that I have been supporting this event, weather has always been a factor. If it is not hot, in the high 90’s, there is a chance of rain or the humidity is oppressive. Not to mention the freak hail storm we had last year. Yesterday was no exception. Still the golfers come! Golfers are an interesting breed of athletes. What is so amazing is the passion that they bring with them. The passion for the game of golf and for the cause they are supporting. When I think about our honoree, Jim Adelis of Adelis International Security who brought his own brand of passion to GSNC Operation Cookie and then to the golf outing by accepting the role of honoree, I am overwhelmed. He then reached out to his family, friends and colleagues to support the event and the work of GSNC. Anthony Martillotti and Stephen Grieco of ...

Recently I received a mailing from a nearby friend about buying Girl Scout cookies, and I had to pause. No, not over the fact that soon I’d soon have some yummy Thin Mints to munch. Instead, I marveled over the realization that Girl Scouts of Nassau County is now in its 97th year. Nearly a century later – in a post-feminist world, no less – the Girl Scouts of Nassau County is still thriving.   Ninety-seven years is a long time. And in that stretch, women have accomplished a lot: Think women’s rights activist Gloria Steinem, the first female Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, designer Vera Wang, Olympic Gold Medal Skater Dorothy Hamill, each of them Girl Scouts alumnus. You get the picture. Women are world-class leaders in virtually every field imaginable, from government to business to sports and beyond.   These days, you don’t have to look far to find inspirational trailblazers. Many moms are busy juggling rewarding careers while also running their homes. The result? Girls c...

You may have noticed that we as a Council have warmly embraced a new way of communicating with our supporters, troop leaders, and Girl Scouts of Nassau County past and present. That’s right, we’ve jumped on board the social media bandwagon! Now, you can find us on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter . You’ll see that we’ve tried to be more interactive on these sites and our website by adding video and audio podcasts. And, even more so, we’ve started this blog as yet another way to reach out to our community. As always, thank you for reading! As a fun adventure, we thought it would be entertaining to put together what we have coined, “The Great Girl Scout Trivia Contest.” Each week for 6 weeks, we will announce a trivia question via our Twitter and Facebook Fan Page sites. To play along simply answer the trivia question. If you answer correctly, you will be eligible to win a Girl Scout goodie bag which includes two boxes of our famous Girl Scout Cookies . Answers and wi...