Volunteer Connections by Girl Scouts of Nassau County

Alyssa Parker, Troop Cookie Manager for Troop 2268 How do you get your troop excited for the Cookie season? Before beginning the cookie season, we prepare the girls by talking about the power of our team. We discuss all that we can do for our troop and others if we have a successful selling year. We emphasize the importance of having a partnership between the girls and their parents. Being able to gain the support of the parents is a key component. Next, we set up a whole meeting to discuss what we will do with the proceeds that we make from cookie sales. We decide on a trip or two, and then figure out how many boxes that each girl would have to sell in order to earn those trips. Finally, we will talk about ways we can use the proceeds to either host a meeting or event for a younger troop or support to a charity. How does the troop set their goals for the season? The girls have set their goals based on their interests in where they would want to travel to as a group. We look at all the...

Girl Scout Dads Volunteer Their Time to Help Their Daughters Get the Girl Scout Experience The Girl Scouts of Nassau County (GSNC) are getting ready for Father’s Day by celebrating the men who make Girl Scouting happen for their Girls! The amount of Girl Scout Troops available throughout Nassau County would not be possible if not for the many fathers who volunteer their time as Troop Leaders, Cookie Dads or members of the GSNC governance process. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of dual-income families in America increased 31 percent between 1996 and 2007. The 2013 report revealed that 59 percent of American families with children under 18 have two working parents, so it’s no surprise some Troops are led by mothers and some by fathers. Girl Scouting allows fathers to make a difference in girls lives through volunteering, as well as provide them the opportunity to participate in activities that strengthen their relationships with their daughters. ...

Top Five Tips for Girl Scout Leaders Keep it FUN for the girls and for YOU.  If it isn't fun for you, it won't be fun for them!  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! Be gracious and generous to ALL the girls in your Troop and to their parents, even the parents who are difficult. Give every girl a ROLE in the Troop, and a VOICE IN THE CHOICE.   Let GIRLS LEAD at levels that are age and developmentally appropriate.   If YOUR DAUGHTER is in your Troop, help her to be part of the Troop, not your special helper. Special thanks to Joyce Wagner, Girl Scouts of Nassau County's Chief Mission Delivery Officer, for her input on this edition.

When I was younger, I always remembered my mom, Troop leaders and other volunteers talking about their times at GSNC’s Oktoberfest weekend—the different themes each year, the camping and the weekend away. They always had fond memories and new skills to bring back to the Troop. I had always wanted to go! Last October, after Oktoberfest took a year hiatus, I was finally able to experience Oktoberfest for myself. Because I was puppy-sitting, I was only able to go for the day, but when I arrived, there was non-stop chatter about the night before. There was anticipation in the air; both girls (because now older girls can attend Oktoberfest… not the case when I was a girl) and adults alike were excited to spend the weekend in tents with their friends, eating camp food and learning new and different skills that would   be offered through the many workshops that day. Last year’s theme was Harry Potter, so some people were dressed in costume ready for their time at Hogwar...