May 1 is Early Bird Renewal!

Early Bird registration is now open, so don't miss a moment and renew your Girl Scout membership today! Girl Scouts believes in the power of G.I.R.L. which is why we inspire girls to be Go-Getters, Innovators, Risk-Takers, and Leaders every day.

Use the "MyGS" tab on the website to re-register current members and ensure their place is saved for the coming year!

GET TWO patches for each girl you renew. A colorful EARLY BIRD PATCH and the POWER OF G.I.R.L.

2017 Early Bird Renewal Campaign runs May 1 - June 30
GSUSA Membership Dues are $25 for the 2017 - 2018 year
Patches will be distributed to the Service Units by October 1
Need Help? Contact info@girlscoutsccc.org or 800-822-2427

In 2015, GSUSA announced an increase in membership dues from $15 to $25 to be implemented for the 2018 membership year, effective October 1, 2017. This new amount will be collected during Early-Bird registration which started in April 2017. For more info, please read GSUSA's FAQ's.

GSCCC's 10th Annual Meeting in Aptos on April 22

On April 22, GSCCC held their 10th Annual Meeting at the Seascape Beach Resort in Aptos, California. GSCCC celebrated the Girl Scout Gold Award Centennial and included 18 Gold Award recipients from past and present, as the luncheon honored their achievement of earning the highest award in Girl Scouting - The Girl Scout Gold Award and predecessor awards of First Class and Curved Bar.

The event kicked off with a flag ceremony, followed by ballot results announcing the Council's new Board Members (names forthcoming), and a panel discussion "Imagine Her STEM Future," with Jacob Martinez (CEO, Digital Nest), Chelsea Seabron (Program Manager, Google.org), and Jody Skenderian (Interim CEO, GSCCC), moderated by GSCCC Board Chair Tammie Helmuth.

Our Council celebrated our Girl Scouts and our devoted Girl Scout volunteers, with a special thanks to the Heritage Committee who maintains artifacts and in doing so preserves memories for generations of Girl Scouts to follow!

A new bylaw-required committee, the Membership Connection Committee, was announced at the Annual Meeting. This committee will allow direct flow of information to and from the Board and CEO directly to our membership. 

National Delegates 2017 - 2020 were also installed in preparation for Girl Scouts of the USA's national G.I.R.L. 2017 convention to be held in October in Columbus, OH.
 
Finally, our devoted volunteers were honored with Volunteer of Excellence Awards, (Katherine Brown - Service Unit 155, Coastal Redwoods; Pam Caine - Service Unit 356, Monterey Bay and Laurie Bend, also from Service Unit 356 in Monterey Bay) and Appreciation Pins, (Kristin Escalle - Service Unit 452, San Luis Obispo and Dawn Scearcy - Service Unit 553, Valley of the Flowers) for their outstanding volunteer work.

Volunteer of Excellence Awards recognize volunteers who have contributed outstanding service in support of the Council’s mission delivery to girl and adult members. Appreciation Pins recognize an individual’s exemplary service in support of delivering the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE).

A big thank you to everyone for helping make our 2017 Annual Meeting a success!

DNA of a G.I.R.L.!

Celebrate Earth Day on Saturday, April 22!

Earth Day is observed around the world on April 22. The first Earth Day was celebrated 47 years ago on April 22, 1970. The goal is to fight pollution so can all have clean water to drink and clean air to breathe.

There are simple steps you can to stay green year round, like remembering the three R's: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle:

Help your parents set up a separate bin to dispose of recyclables in your house, such as paper products and aluminum cans. These items can be re-purposed--meaning made into other "new" products, including recycled paper for notebooks and printers.

Turn off lights and the TV when you leave a room to help conserve--or "save"--energy.

Don't litter. Garbage can end up in rivers and streams, killing fish and other wildlife, and destroying their habitat.

Going shopping? Make sure to take your reusable bags. Encourage your parents to keep some in the car so you never forget!

Plant some seeds, outdoors or for an indoor plant. Even better, plant a tree in your backyard with your parents help!

Take a moment to reflect on what you can do to celebrate our planet on this very special day. Visit the GSCCC Activities page here to find meaningful ways to participate in a variety of activities. How will your troop celebrate Earth Day this year?

Northern Council Areas - Programs for Troops & Individual Girl Scouts

Northern Council Areas - Programs for Troops & Individual Girl Scouts Just some of the exciting GSCCC PROGRAMS coming your way: Note: Some of the programs listed below are not on the activity page but they are open for registration on eBiz. April Girl Scouts Surf Day, Capitola, April 30 Cadette, Senior & Ambassador Girls @ Elkhorn Slough Reserve, Watsonville, April 29 May Girl Scout Beach Heroes, Marina, May 5  Daisy & Brownie Girls @ Elkhorn Slough Reserve, Watsonville, May 6 Designs on Chocolate, Salinas, May 6 Train the Coach Workshop, Castroville, May 7 (This is a great opportunity for older girls working on a LiA or Cadette Service to Girl Scouting Bar) Junk Drawer Robotics, Salinas, May 13 Tombstone Tales, Santa Cruz, May 20 Tennis Play Day, Soquel, May 20 Girl Scouts Surf Day, Monterey, May 21 June Girl Scout Surf Camp, Salinas, June 2 & June 3 August Career Exploration, Pinnacles National Park, August 12 (S / A) Hold the Date, registration open soon: August - Girl Scout Kick-Off at the Mall, August 26 Council's Own Justice Patch Program - Develop a Sense of Fairness (D/B/J/C/S/A)   Earn it: Download the Girl Scouts Justice Patch Program. When finished, fill out this form to get your FREE patch. Find More Events

Take Three Steps to an Amazing Global Youth Services Day!

Get ready to experience the unstoppable power of young people on a global level!

Because April 21 is Global Youth Service Day, when kids and teens from around the globe unite to make the world a better place. Sound familiar? (Hint: look no further than a green trefoil.)

This year, Girl Scouts across the United States will roll up their sleeves and lead the charge in bringing innovative, youth-led solutions to real-world problems.

And it's not too late to get in on the action! Here's how, in just three steps:

Raise your hand. Ask your troop leader or council staff for information on how to participate in your area. Or look up information on getting involved individually, with an organization, at school, or with your family.

Pick your project. Make a difference in one of six key areas: health, environment, poverty and hunger, education, human rights, or community building.

Take action! Get out there and change the world! Show everyone how Girl Scouts take the lead to improve ourselves, our families, our communities, and our world.
Want some inspiration? Look no further than your Girl Scout sisters! Check out Our Stories to see what Girl Scouts are doing every day to make the world a better place!

Let us know how you, as a G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)™, will celebrate Global Youth Service Day. Share your story, and you could be featured on the Girl Scout Blog or in future Our Stories articles and videos.

Girl Scouts—and all young citizens of the world—can make a big difference. Let's do this!

(from GSUSA)

Troop 61055 Gives Back at Easter

Mi CaSa Troop 61055 has created ten Easter baskets to be delivered to kids in the pediatric unit at Ventura County Medical Center (VCMC) during Easter.

They hope to bring a smile to the faces of children having to spend this Easter in the hospital. 

The Girl Scout Brownies used their cookie proceeds to purchase items to fill the baskets. 

Way to go Troop 61055, and Happy Easter to all!