Monday, January 4, 2016

What's New - January GSCCC eBulletin

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

SAVE THE DATE - ANNUAL MEETING, Saturday, April 9, 2016, Ventura County location TBD.  Theme: Celebrating 100 years of the Gold Award.  All Gold Award recipients are invited to attend the Annual Meeting and share in the celebration. Free camping will be available at Camp Arnaz for attendees. If you earned, or know someone who earned the Gold Award, or its predecessors First Class, Curved Bar, or Golden Eaglet, please let us know so that we can extend the invitation. Contact: Sheila swalsh@girlscoutsccc.org

WELCOME TO NEW STAFF Michelle Ortiz will join the Castroville team on January 4, as a Membership Manager serving girls in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties. Michelle has extensive experience in sales management and volunteer management and is looking forward to using her strong customer service skills to grow area membership and volunteer engagement. Michelle and her family live in Hollister where she volunteered for years with Little League. She is passionate about Girl Scouts and enthusiastic about working to further the Girl Scout mission.





SELLING COOKIES HELPS EARN HONOR TROOP BADGE

January starts the Girl Scout Cookie Season. Girls and parents must be registered to sell and help at booths, so make your life easier and register for the 2015-2016 Girl Scout year now. Be ready to go for the cookie program and help your troop earn Honor Troop at the same time.


Questions about registration? Contact Maria mramirez@girlscoutsccc.org
Questions about Honor Troop? Contact Camille cjaque@girlscoutsccc.org


COOKIE BOOTHS PROMOTE GIRL SCOUTING
Cookie season is when Girl Scouts are most visible. Troops are often questioned about how to join Girl Scouts during booth sales. Spreading the word was never easier. Every troop will have buttons to wear, dual-sided business cards to pass out and a sign featuring a number to text for more information. Thank you for helping to spread the word as your troop experiences the practical side of financial literacy. Questions? Contact Camille cjaque@girlscoutsccc.org
AMAZON SMILE SUPPORTS GSCCC
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support GSCCC every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you'll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to GSCCC.

On your first visit to AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), make sure Girl Scouts of California's Central Coast is selected to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. Amazon will remember your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make at smile.amazon.com will result in a donation.

It's that easy! Questions? Contact Jody jskenderian@girlscoutsccc.org


DISCOVER, CONNECT, AND TAKE ACTION
UPCOMING PROGRAM EVENTS


The following is just a partial listing of the many programs happening in coming months. Be sure to visit the GSCCC Events Calendar for more information, and to register!
  • Cookie U, January 9: Conejo, Santa Maria, and Goleta
  • Brownie Inventor Badge Workshop, January 9, Capitola
  • Archery - Level 1, January 10, Arnaz
  • Cookie U, January 16: Salinas, Camp Arnaz, and Templeton
  • Girl Scout Night with the Cal Poly Women's Basketball Team, San Luis Obispo, January 23
  • Dive DEEP at the Mariners Club meeting, February 9, Ojai
  • Dive DEEP at the Conejo Gem and Mineral Club meeting, February 11, Thousand Oaks
  • USNS Mercy: Compassion and Leadership Around the World, February 19, Camp Arnaz (see below)
  • Engineering Challenge, February 27, San Luis Obispo 


COOKIE U - REGISTRATION EXTENDED
Cookie U is coming to a location near you on January 9 and 16. Please check the Events Calendar and sign up. Hurry! Registration has been extended to January 4 for January 9 events, and January 11 for January 16 events.

We are also seeking volunteers to help stage our Cookie U events. If you would like to volunteer for one or more of the events, please use the following links to sign up:
January 16: Camp Arnaz
January 16: Castroville
Register via the GSCCC Events Calendar.  Questions? Contact programs@girlscoutsccc.org  

USNS MERCY - SPECIAL EVENT AND TOUR

The United States Naval Ship Mercy provides rapid, flexible, and mobile acute medical and surgical services to support US forces deployed ashore and afloat. It also provides support for disaster or humanitarian operations during peacetime.
We have a very special opportunity to meet with the Commander of the USNS Mercy, Captain Melanie Merrick, at Camp Arnaz on Friday, February 19 to learn about the Mercy, its role in world relations, and lessons in leadership. This will be followed up by a very special opportunity to travel down to San Diego in April to tour the Mercy in person! Participants in one program are not required to sign up for both. Watch the GSCCC Events Calendar for an opportunity to register for one or both programs.


TRAVEL AND DESTINATIONS

Girl Scout Destinations are the ultimate adventure for individual girls ages 11 and older! With different trips every year, there's something amazing for everyone to experience. Make friends from all over the country as you travel with Girl Scouts from different states, see and learn new things, and pack your bags full of inspiring, life-changing experiences and memories. To find out more about the Destinations program, please visit the GSCCC Destinations pageApplications for Round-2 of Destinations are due to council offices no later than Monday, February 1, 2016. Send questions to Melissa Baffa at mbaffa@girlscoutsccc.org
If you are looking for great opportunities to travel as a troop (or within a GSCCC group), you should look in to the Travel opportunities being highlighted on the council website. Trips are currently being planned to Savannah, Europe, and Costa Rica! Send questions to Brenda Cusick attravel@girlscoutsccc.org
If a trip to Puerto Rico sounds more your style, join 16 other Girl Scouts on a weeklong adventure in the Caribbean. Participants will explore parts of one of the largest cave systems in the world by kayak, swim in a bioluminescent bay, enjoy the thrill of a zip line and rappelling adventure, boat through mangrove tunnels, hike through an endangered rainforest, snorkel off a pristine island, and see the world heritage sites of Old San Juan.  Contact Sue Hrychyk  at shrychyk@yahoo.com for more information.

GOLD AWARD CENTENNIAL VIDEO CASTING CALL FOR FEBRUARY
If you're currently working on a Gold Award project to be earned during this program year, are in the process of submitting an application, or have previously earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, please contact media@girlscoutsccc.org to participate in the GSCCC Gold Award Centennial video production in February. Please place Gold Award Video in the subject line and provide name, phone number, email and Gold Award project name and year earning/earned. A photo shoot of those planned to complete their Gold Award during the cenntenial year will also be held at this time. The video will be featured during the Gold Award Celebration event in April. Information will be sent to those who have submitted their Gold Award application. 



CAMP ARNAZ MASTER PLAN


As we consider the future of Camp Arnaz, we are seeking YOUR input! There are many ways that you can contribute to the development of a Master Plan for Camp Arnaz.
  1. Send us your input no later than February 29, 2016 online athttps://www.cognitoforms.com/Camparnazgirlscoutscccorg/CampArnazMasterPlan
  2. Come to the community meeting at Camp Arnaz on February 17 from 6:00-8:00 pm to lend your voice to the discussion. Please RSVP to camparnaz@girlscoutsccc.org
  3. Join the Camp Arnaz Master Plan Committee. Send an email tocamparnaz@girlscoutsccc.org if you are interested in joining. The Committee will meet in March to review responses from the online form and community meeting, and determine next steps (and further meetings) at that time.
VOLUNTEER ADULT AWARDS - DEADLINE COMING SOON!

Has an adult volunteer really gone the extra mile in serving girls, fellow adults, the needs of the council, or the movement overall? Recognize those tremendous efforts by submitting a nomination for an adult award! There are many different kinds of awards, some of which can be approved and handed out at the Service Unit level, and some of which require applications to be sent to the council. Nominations for awards should be in recognition of efforts during the 2014-15 Girl Scout year. All information can be found in the Adult Awards Guide. Additionally, we have created a version of the Nomination and Endorsement forms that can be filled out online and printed, to make the nomination process a little easier.
Any applications that require submission to the council must be received by February 19, 2016. For questions, please contact Melissa Baffa at mbaffa@girlscoutsccc.org

FALL PRODUCT SALE

Thank you to all who participated in the 2015 Fall Product Sale.  We had a record year for participation.  Your Cookie Chairs will receive a list of all the troops who qualified for the Fall Sale Bonus for Cookie Season.  All troops with a 24 PGA on Nut items, will receive an additional $0.05 for each box of cookies sold during the 2016 Cookie Program. Congratulations! 

COOKIE SALE PROGRAM 2016 STARTS JANUARY 23!


Get familiar with all things cookies by visiting the GSCCC website and checking out the resources available to you.
Resources for Troop Leaders


INTRO TO COOKIES WEBINAR If you missed it in November, please take time to view the recording and the presentation slides now: 

Thanks to all who attended webinars and trainings. We have reviewed some of our rewards and want to clarify some questions. Please click here for the Update on Rewards FAQ.  

Register for upcoming webinars on the GSCCC calendar.

Staff and volunteers are already working hard to get ready!  Questions? Initially, contact your local Volunteer Troop or Service Unit Cookie Chair.
Should you need to contact staff:

RETAIL SHOP
Join us at Cookie U, shop on-line or visit our council shops to get all of your Cookie Promotion and Fun needs.

Click here to view the Cookie Promotion Flyer.



Drawstring or Reusable Bag - free with minimum purchase.

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