Dear GSWNY Members,
Please see the important announcements below and for questions, please contact Customer Care customercare@gswny.org or call 1-888-837-6410. In an emergency, please call 1-800-882-9268.
Thank you for all you do!
On behalf of the GSWNY Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee, we are celebrating Black History Month by highlighting Black women who were pioneers in fields that reflect our four program pillars: Life Skills, Entrepreneurship, STEM, and Outdoors. Each week we’ll share a blog post with her story, as well as other information and activities to help you celebrate the month, too!
We selected Susan McKinney Steward, M.D., for STEM because she is hailed as the third Black woman to earn a medical degree in the United States and the first African American female physician in New York state. While those are great accomplishments for any person, they are even more powerful when you consider what she had to overcome due to racism and sexism at the time. Steward’s story is impossible to summarize in a few short paragraphs.
Introducing gsLearn
Take your experience to the next level with gsLearn, our new online training forum. You’ll find great training and support resources like Volunteer Toolkit tutorials, Girl Scouts in the Outdoors, Facilitating Virtual Troop Meetings, and more!
To access gsLearn, click MYGS/VTK on on our website (gswny.org), log in to your account, and click gsLearn on the welcome screen.
Retail Item of the Week: Girl Scout Cookies Customizable Door Sign
Let everyone know that you are a Girl Scout who is selling cookies. Customizable to write: First name, Troop Number, URL and Parent Contact. Comes with 2 door sign hangers. 18” x 18”
Price: $15.00 each
Email your local Girl Scout Shop to order today!
Click here to check out more gear for the cookie season, including the Cookie Booth Kit
Girl Scout Volunteer Spotlight
Behind every girl is a caring adult who is passionate about seeing girls succeed. We want to celebrate the work of our amazing Girl Scout volunteers and we need your help! Weekly, GSWNY will spotlight 1-2 Girl Scout volunteers who will be featured in the Member Essentials email and on GSWNY’s social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and etc.
Please take a few minutes to fill out the information in the survey below about a Girl Scout volunteer who should be spotlighted for their great work in supporting girls. Please note that the spotlights will be text only with no photos. If you have any questions, contact GSWNY Communications (1-888-837-6410 or communications@gswny.org). Thank you.
REMINDER:Our Virtual Campfire is tonight at 7 p.m.
This FREE virtual campfire is open to ALL AGES! Join us for songs, games, and other campfire fun! Register for the free virtual campfire using the provided link below. You must be pre-registered to receive the Zoom info to attend.
World Thinking Day
Each year on February 22, girls celebrate international friendship with Girl Guides and Girl Scouts around the world through activities and projects around an annual global theme. It is a special day in the Girl Scout year when we remember we are part of a worldwide movement.
The World Thinking Day 2021 Theme is Peacebuilding. This year, we’ll celebrate what it means to be a peacebuilder in the context of our Global Movement. In this year’s activities, we’ll expand our understanding of these concepts and practice the skills to resolve conflict in peaceful ways and Take Action to make our world and communities more peaceful places.
Visit the Girl Scout website for more information and activities for all levels.
World Thinking Day 2021 Patch
The World Thinking Day 2021 patch is available through our shops. Place your order via email by emailing the shop location you want to pick it up from. Include a daytime phone number for the shop staff to contact you.
Buffalo Service Center 716.935.6035 – Shop.Buffalo@gswny.org
Rochester Service Center 585.239.7901 – Shop.Rochester@gswny.org
Lockport Service Center 716.935.6080 – Shop.Lockport@gswny.org
Jamestown Service Center 716.935.6040 – Shop.Jamestown@gswny.org
You can also order it online here.
The World Thinking Day Award is an official award and therefore it may be worn on the front of the official uniform sash or vest and placed where other earned badges are worn. 2″ round sew-on photo patch. Made in USA. Cost is $3.00 each
The GSWNY Volunteer Experience Team is hosting our 2nd New Leader Welcome Meeting via Zoom “Face to Face with GSWNY!” for new co-leaders on Wednesday, February 17, 2021. The purpose of the virtual meeting will be for them to meet GSWNY staff face to face, learn about our council’s various departments and what they do through a series of short presentations, and network with other volunteers. Service Unit Team members are also invited; come meet and greet your new volunteers.
Meeting Agenda
- 6:30 – 6:40 Welcoming remarks
- 6:40 – 7:30 Support Department presentations
- 7:30 – 8:00 Q & A
Please sign up to attend using the Zoom registration link below. Registration will be open through the start of the meeting! Please come join us for an opportunity for YOU to have some Face to Face Time with GSWNY and new co leaders in your Service Unit!
Register in advance for this meeting.
REGISTER FOR NEW LEADER MEETING
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
If you have any questions contact our Customer Care Team at 1-888-837-6410 or customercare@gswny.org.
Silver Trefoil Memory Garden Commemorative Bricks
Silver Trefoil is a group of Girl Scout Alumnae with 20+ years of Girl Scout membership who assist Service Units in Girl Scout traditions and maintain the Memory Garden located at Camp Windy Meadows, Lockport Service Center.
We want to create a new path in the Memory Garden and we need your help! We are raising money to fund the upkeep of the garden by offering the opportunity to purchase a 4” x 8” brick engraved with a message of your choice! Included in the price is a commemorative 4” x 4” tile coaster for you to keep. Anyone can order a commemorative brick to honor a troop, group, In Memoriam, Gold Award Girl Scout, Lifetime Member, or Service Unit.
Use the link below to learn more about the Commemorative Bricks, see examples, and place your order today!
LEARN MORE ABOUT COMMEMORATIVE BRICKS
Cookie Program Updates
Watch out for Wacky Weather Warrior Days! When Mother Nature decides not to be so nice, we declare it wacky and give you the chance to win a special Cookie Program Survival Kit!
We’ll share the photo on your Facebook and then you can share your photos from being out in the wacky weather in the comments. Each time we post, we’ll randomly select one winner.
Coffee Break with Your Product Program Team is happening now!
Every Friday at 10 a.m., our Product Program Team is going live to go over different topics and answer your cookie questions.
All videos will premiere on our Facebook page and be available after for viewing on demand. Check out past videos on our YouTube here.
She THRIVES: Building Positive Mental Health Practices – C/S/A
Saturday, April 17 | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Girls asked for mental health programs and we’ve answered! GSWNY is proud to work with our sponsors The Thinkers and the Girl Scouts NY State Training Cohort to bring this exciting program to our members!
Vetted facilitators from Google, NASA, Emmy Award Winners, New York University, and Georgetown University will deliver 3 sessions to participants:
- Daily Self-Care Practices for Positive, Inner Growth
- Be Mindful: Tips to Prevent and Manage Anxiety & Stress
Build Healthy and Authentic Friendships & Relationships
Appreciating You: A Day to Recharge + Renew – For Adults & Volunteers
Saturday, May 15 | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Volunteers and adult members have asked for mental health programs and we’ve answered! GSWNY is proud to work with our sponsors The Thinkers and the Girl Scouts NY State Training Cohort to bring this exciting program to our council!
Vetted facilitators from Google, NASA, Emmy Award Winners, New York University, and Georgetown University will deliver 3 sessions to participants:
- Beat Burn-Out When Caretaking & Supporting Others
- Supporting Youth Through Mental Health Challenges
Building Strong Bonds with Youth: How to build positive relationships and cultivate positive attention with youth
Looking for more programs? Visit gswny.org today!
Girl Scouting at Home
Looking for ways to stay involved with Girl Scouts? Check out our Girl Scouting at Home page today! New resources are added regularly.
Awesome Girls: Start Your Engines with Automotive Design
Saturday, February 27, 2021, at 11:00am
Start your engines and get ready to design a brand-new vehicle! Explore how vehicles go from just an idea to something that can drive on the street.
Girls who participate will get a chance to complete an activity from the brand-new Automotive Engineering badge series, hear from a professional at General Motors and earn a FREE Automotive Engineering Patch! *Limited supply available.
This event is open to all girls in grades K-5, no previous experience needed! Don’t miss out. Secure your girl’s spot today by registering online.
Please note: This event is hosted by Girl Scouts of the USA and is not operated by our GSWNY council.
REGISTER FOR START YOUR ENGINES
If you are interested in your girl attending this program and they are not available for the live event, please go ahead and still register. A playback link will be sent out after the program that can be viewed.
Looking for more options? Head to girlscouts.org for even more at-home opportunities for your Girl Scout.
Girl Scouts Doing Good Things
Troop 30188 donated candy and valentines to Eden Heights of W.S. assisted living.
We are #GirlScoutStrong! Looking forward to talking to you next Tuesday! In the meantime, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at Customer Care customercare@gswny.org or call 1-888-837-6410. In an emergency, please call 1-800-882-9268.
Categories: Member Essentials, Uncategorized
GSWNY Blog 