What's New - April GSCCC eBulletin

VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION WEEK IS APRIL 10TH-16TH PARENTS - PLAN AHEAD TO THANK YOUR LEADER on Friday, April 22 Traditionally this is a special day to honor all the volunteers who work as leaders and mentors in partnership with girls. On this day, girls and their families, find special ways to thank their adult Girl Scout volunteers. Here are some suggestions of ways to thank your Leader.  Hand-written notes from girls or parents Surprise bouquet of flowers Hand-crafted items with girls signatures on them Gift cards to a coffee shop or restaurant Gift from the GS Online Shop Personal phone call on April 22 to express your gratitude Ask the girls to think of a special Thank You

GOLD AWARD CENTENNIAL - CELEBRATING 100 Days of Gold! Watch for more information as GSCCC celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Girl Scout Gold Award and predecessor awards during 2016, first during the upcoming sold-out Annual Meeting Gold Award Celebration event April 9, in Ventura.  This historical milestone is a great time for women to reconnect with Girl Scouts. If you know of an alumni who has earned one of these highest awards, please contact Sheila:  swalsh@girlscoutsccc.org Like the council's Facebook page as we honor Gold Award recipients during the 100 Days of Gold! Visit the Ventura office to view the Gold Award Centennial display curated by the GSCCC Heritage Committee.

GIRL SCOUT ANNUAL SURVEY At Girl Scouts, we care about your experience, good or bad, and we want to hear from you! In early April, Girl Scouts of the USA will be emailing invitations to take part in a national survey called Girl Scout Voices Count. The purpose of this survey is to find out what's working, and what's not, in Girl Scouts. We will use your feedback to improve our services and programs. Please keep an eye on your email inbox for more information on how to participate. We can't wait to hear from you!  EARLY BIRD RE-REGISTRATION BEGINS MAY 1!  LEADERS: PREPARE - CHECK the Troop Management roster NOW to make sure all girls in the troop are listed. Take advantage of the easy use of Troop Management to re-register current members GET this colorful EARLY BIRD PATCH for each girl you renew! The 2017 Early Bird Re-registration Campaign runs May 1 - June 30, 2016 GSUSA Membership Fee is $15 for the 2017 year Patches will be distributed to the Service Units before the new Girl Scout year begins on 10/1/16 Need Help? Contact Us button in eBiz, or contact the local Service Unit team or Membership Manager for assistance MY PROMISE, MY FAITH Passover, Easter, and Ridvan are celebrated in March and April. What a great time to focus on  My Promise, My Faith . Several religions have partnerships and/or shared religious awards with Girl Scouts, i.e. Catholic, United Methodist, African Methodist Episcopal, Jewish, Baha'I, etc. Check out the GSUSA website for more information. Need a little help getting started? Check out the Girl Guide or contact your Service Unit and/or your Membership Manager. Questions? Contact Camillecjaque@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! Girl Scouts Surf Day, April 2, Monterey Senior Robotics Workshop, April 9, Capitola Naturalist Legacy Badge Workshop (Brownie Bugs Badge, Cadette Trees Badge, or Junior Flower Badge), April 10, Santa Barbara PA Core Training, April 16, Los Osos Food Forward - A Community Harvest, April 23, West Ventura County Hearst Castle Tour, April 23, Cambria Kayaking, Level One, April 30, Santa Barbara Designs on Chocolate, May 7, Salinas Hooked on Fishing, June 4, Ventura  ADULT VOLUNTEER STE[A]M OPEN HOUSE! Are you interested in providing amazing Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Math (STE[A]M) activities for your girls? We want to provide YOU with the resources to do so! Learn about STEM & STE[A]M role models; including simple, affordable take-away activities you can do at troop meetings! Friday, May 7, 2016 from 3:00pm-6:00pm at the Arnaz Program Center. Register via  GSCCC Events Calendar. CAMP NAWIC - CONSTRUCTION DAY CAMP FOR OLDER GIRLS! Join GSCCC and the National Association of Women in Construction for a unique one-week hands-on training camp which teaches the basic skills of the trades such as carpentry, electrical, plumbing, painting, and masonry! Camp NAWIC is scheduled for Monday, July 25 through Friday, July 29 from 8:00am to 3:00pm. This day camp is open to 13 year-old Cadettes and up! Adult Volunteers are welcome! For more information and registration, please visit the  GSCCC Events Calendar.  Questions? Contact: Amandaahofmann-handy@girlscoutsccc.org NEW WEB RESOURCES AVAILABLE Did you know that GSCCC has several patch programs available online? Learn about California Missions, discover a treasure trove along our coast, or a universe around us when you participate in one of the programs available. Visit our Council's Own page to learn more. If you are looking for fun and easy-to-use resources for your next troop meeting, try one of our Do-It-Yourself Kits. With options for several age levels, our DIY kits are available for check-out at your nearest council office. Find out more by visiting our new DIY Kit page on the website. BACKPACKING BASICS WITH REI REI will take the mystery out of Backpacking in this show and tell session. The event will cover backpacking essentials: choosing a pack; selecting proper clothing; the right footwear; and understanding the basic gear you need to reach your destination. No experience necessary! Register via GSCCC Events Calendar . Questions? Contact: Amanda ahofmann-handy@girlscoutsccc.org KALEIDOSCOPE 2017  A weekend  camporee for Junior, Cadette, Senior and Ambassador Troops that includes outdoor skills challenges, tent camping, fun & friendship.  Planning has begun. Committee Members Needed!  Committee meetings will be held monthly at the Goleta GS office. Needed: Set-up/Tear-down Coordinator and Supply Master.  Questions? Contact: Volunteer Co-Chairs: Marsha Hill,  thehills@sbceo.org  or Holly Nishida,  gollyholly@aol.com. COOKIE SALE PROGRAM 2016 THANKS to you and your troops, the 2016 Girl Scout Cookie season was a success despite our many hurdles and SNAP setbacks!  Over 770 troops participated in this year's cookie program, selling 1,240,296 boxes. Throughout the season girls showed us how they put the 5 Skills into action. We loved seeing troops' ingenuity in promoting their booths and cookie program.  Click hereto view a video of a few of the pictures. If you have additional pictures you would like to share with us, please send them to  media@girlscoutsccc.org THE GSCCC BLING YOUR BOOTH WINNERS 1st Place , $100 - Troop 65207  2nd Place, $75 - Troop 45304  3rd Place, $50 - Troop 23491  Thank you to all who participated! A HUGE SHOUT OUT  and congratulations to our Top #CookieBosses!  WHAT'S NEXT...  Cookie Rewards Our goal is to get girl rewards out to service units by early May. Super Seller and Surf & Turf Experiences Please make your choices in SNAP so we can plan accordingly. Questions? Contact cookies@girlscoutsccc.org Cookie promotion items are now on clearance  at both store locations as long as supplies last. Council's own items available as well. April is Volunteer and Leader Appreciation time, be sure to shop online for your special Girl Scout Adult.    Bridging and Award Season is right around the corner. Remember to shop early. Come see our new Bridging kits at the Castroville and Ventura shops. Drawstring or Reusable Bag - free with minimum purchase. ADDITIONAL WAYS TO SUPPORT YOUR COUNCIL 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 , select Girl Scouts of California's Central Coast 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 Read the full newsletter here!