Volunteer Connections by Girl Scouts of Nassau County

Don’t Leave Home Without Them! To save time and extra trips to the bank make sure you have done the following BEFORE opening your account: Choose a Bank – (consult your Association Service Team for bank suggestions) Decide who will be on the account - Required is a minimum of 2 signatures –one of the Troop Leaders and the other a member of the Association Service Team (Treasurer or CAV). Request a letter from Council on Council letterhead: Once you have the names of the signers, the bank you wish to open the account in, and your Troop number, go to our website’s Forms/Documents Library and click on Bank Account Request Web Form . Or, contact your volunteerism or membership staff person to assist you. Once you receive the letter (which also indicates the Council’s ID number) you can go to the bank and get signature cards for your new account. IMPORTANT: Remember to indicate that all bank statements be mailed to the Leader’s address - not the Council’s address....

What’s your dream? You might dream of owning an animal shelter, being a musician, or even being a better friend.  What do you think you need to do to reach your dream? Share your dreams with us by January 16th to zippere@gsnc.org and you may see them somewhere special. Leaders - Looking for ways to help your girls achieve their dreams?  Here are a few tips: Think back to a time when you were your girls’ age and an adult made a choice for you.  Maybe it was what you had for lunch, what club or sport you should have joined, or what instrument you played.  Were you excited about that choice?  Probably not as much as if you had a role in making the decision.  The same goes for your girls.  If you let them have a role in choosing what dream to follow, they’ll be more successful and have a lot more fun.  Does your group need a little structure to help get their ideas flowing?  Here are a few ideas: Try giving them a few “feelings” words ...

Build a team of support for the girls and the Troop Leaders.  Most people will help if you ask, and more people will help if you give them a specific task. So, don’t be afraid to ask! Most parents want to support their daughters and the Troop, but many just don't know where to start.   So, Troop Leaders, be specific in your requests for help.   Start by posting a chart or sending an email asking for what you need and when you need it. Whether it is snacks, a craft helper (no experience required), a Troop Cookie Manager, a chaperone for a trip, a Troop Treasurer…   be specific and simple, and give an estimate of how much time it will take for the person to do the activity or tasks. If you have parents with special talents that would benefit the Troop, ask the parent if they can do a demonstration for the girls or talk about their skill or job.   Beyond the parents, partner with older Troops or individual girls to serve as helpers or to lead some acti...

Keep Girl Scout Troop Meetings FUN for the girls and for YOU.  If it isn't fun for you, it won't be fun for them!    Girls of all ages like to have fun.   If they are learning something at the same time, that is even better.   Plan activities that you will enjoy doing and learning along with the girls... For young girls, try to remember the things that made your heart sing at their age.   Don't be afraid to get messy, dirty or loud (while being mindful of the proper preparations for messy… since as Girl Scouts, we like to leave things cleaner then we found it and any restraints on being loud… we do need to be courteous to others).   Silly hats, rhymes and goofy prizes make everyone laugh.   From arts and crafts, to games and songs, to neighborhood trips, to having a Cookie Booth Sale, to going camping, or planning for that BIG trip to Europe, focus on the fun and then weave in the Journeys, Badges and lessons of a lifetime!  ...

Becoming a new Girl Scout Leader can be intimidating, so take some advice from some seasoned leaders…   Include your Girl Scouts when planning for the Troop year.   Your Girl Scouts know what they find fun and interesting, so include them when planning your Troop meetings. This will keep them excited. Remember, the older your girls, the more they should be involved in the planning process. ~ Debbie Plan in advance, but be flexible! Match together your Association calendar with the school calendar. Once you have matched these two calendars together, working with your girls, plan your Troop calendar around school and Association events. But, as much as you plan, you will also have to be ready, because sometimes, the plan may go out the window… this is okay. ~ Anna   Think about and focus on the outcome! You may not see the results right away, but you will see results. Girl Scouts is all about the long-term plan and the long-term results... they stick. 10...

Girl Scout Troop Banking Tips for Troop Leaders - Don’t Leave Home Without Them To save time and extra trips to the bank make sure you have done the following BEFORE opening your Girl Scout Troop account: Choose a bank – (consult your Association Service Team for bank suggestions) Decide who will be on the account - Required is a minimum of 2 signatures – one of the Troop Leader and the other a member of the Association Service Team (Treasurer or CAV). R equest a letter from Council on Council letterhead: Once you have the names of the signers, the bank you wish to open the account in, and your troop number, contact the GSNC Service Center for the letter. Once you receive the letter (which also indicates the Council’s ID number) you can go to the bank and get signature cards for your new account. IMPORTANT: Remember to indicate that all bank statements be mailed to the Leader’s address - not the council’s address.