In the month of March as we celebrate the Girl Scouts birthday we will focus on what is quite possibly the easiest adult award that can be given – the Green Angel Award!

Green Angel Awards can be given as a pin, patch, or certificate. There is no paperwork involved. This is a nice, semi-formal way to say thank you to a volunteer or adult who has provided a great service to Girl Scouts. The Green Angel can be awarded to troop co-leaders, committee members, troop parents, and more! This award is given as a thank you in recognition of a short or long-term service to a troop or Service Unit. For example, a troop was camping and the co-leaders forgot to pack their s’mores supplies. A co-leader called a troop parent who went to the store, purchased the supplies, and drove them all the way out to Camp Seven Hills! You could give the parent a Green Angel pin as an official way to show gratitude. 

Green Angel Awards may be presented by a Troop Leader or the Service Unit Adult Recognition Committee. No paperwork or nomination form is necessary! Pins and patches may be purchased any GSWNY shop; the certificate can be downloaded and printed from the GSWNY forms library. First a person may earn the certificate, then the patch, then the pin. For more information about this awards and all other GSWNY adult awards, please read our Adult Awards and Recognitions Quick Guide or check out our Adult Recognition web page.

Considering giving some Green Angel Awards at a Service Unit Recognition Event. Review the last page of our Quick Guide and our volunteer appreciation bullseye to learn more about hosting a year-end volunteer appreciation event. The event can be as formal or relaxed as you’d like. It can be a fun potluck or a formal Court of Awards. The most important part is ensuring volunteers feel appreciated! You can always reach out to a member of the Volunteer Experience team for more ideas! Email us at volunteer@gswny.org. Thank you!

UPDATED: The original deadline for award nominations was February 1, but the deadline was extended to February 8. We have corrected this in the below post which originally only mentioned the Feb 1 date.

This month we will once again explore the Volunteer of Excellence Pin. Because all Council approved formal award nominations are by February 8th, we will spend the rest of the year looking at Service Unit approved adult awards. The Volunteer of Excellence is an opportunity to recognize volunteers who have contributed outstanding service in support of mission delivery to girl and adult members at a troop or Service Unit level. Submit the Volunteer of Excellence (VOE) nomination for to your SU Adult Recognitions coordinator/committee.

If you miss the February 8 extended awards deadline, there is still plenty of time this year to recognize one another. Volunteer of Excellence is a great springboard to giving adult recognitions in your Service Unit. It is a meaningful award, and relatively easy to give! Creating a robust system of adult recognitions is the key to meaningful volunteer appreciation. Giving a combination of awards like Year of Service and Tenure, the Appreciation Pin, and the Volunteer of Excellence, will ensure a wide array of volunteers are appreciated for the service they have given. Check out our volunteer appreciation bullseye to learn more!

Can you remind me – what does a Volunteer of Excellence look like? A Volunteer of Excellence goes above and beyond the call of duty as a troop co-leader or Service Unit Team member. For example, Sabrina leads a large, multi-age troop. She never says no to girls looking for an excellent Girl Scout experience so her troop has grown to over 25 girls! Last year Sabrina coordinated a very successful camping experience for her troop which the girls loved. Sabrina is also dedicated to making Girl Scouts a girl-led experience – which is no small feat considering the size of her troop! In this example, Sabrina is definitely a Volunteer of Excellence.

To earn the Volunteer of Excellence award, a fellow volunteer must nominate the awardee and one peer reference is needed to endorse this nomination. Download and complete the nomination form, located on the Adult Recognition page of our website, and submit it your Service Unit team. Celebrate the recipients of the VOE award at Service Unit leaders’ meeting, awards ceremony, or other Service Unit function. Council will acknowledge all awardees in print at our Annual Recognition Event. Remember to submit a complete list of awardees in your Service Unit to Council prior to May 1.

For more information about the Volunteer of Excellence Award, and all other GSWNY adult awards, please read our Adult Awards and Recognitions Quick Guide or check out our Adult Recognition web page. You can always reach out to a member of the Volunteer Experience team for more information by emailing us at volunteer@gswny.org. Thank you!

Welcome Back! We’re going to kick off the New Year learning about the Thanks Badge and Thanks Badge II – which are the highest awards volunteers can earn! The Thanks Badges recognizes volunteer service which has had an impact on the entire council or entire Girl Scout movement. The Thanks Badge II is the highest award given to an individual volunteer. Only previous Thanks Badge recipients can earn the Thanks Badge II.

Who should you consider for the Thanks badges? Volunteers who are actively giving service impacting the entire council or the Girl Scout movement as a whole. An example of a Thanks Badge candidate is Angie. As an Outdoor Skills Council Trainer, Angie has provided leaders the tools and resources they need to succeed in their troops and at camp.

As a Council and National Delegate, she provides girl and adult voice to all governance matters. She is a visible and well-known Girl Scout in her community as well as throughout GSWNY. She was recently awarded the Women of Distinction award for her success in impacting girls’ lives. Once Angie is awarded the Thanks Badge, she might be nominated again in a few years for continuing her service to the Girl Scout movement with a nomination her for the Thanks Badge II. For example, Angie has continued her delegate work and facilitating Outdoor Skills Training, but now she has also stepped up to be a Gold Award mentor too.   

To nominate someone for the Thanks badges, fill out the Survey Monkey form, or download and complete a paper form, located on the Adult Recognition page of our website. The deadline to apply is February 1. Two peer references will be needed to endorse this nominations. Council acknowledges Awardees in print and at Annual Recognition Event the pins. It is important to acknowledge the recipient of this prestigious award at Service Unit meeting or Service Unit awards ceremony.Please remember, nominations for the Thanks Badge(s), Honor Pin, Appreciation Pin, and President’s Award are all due to council by February 1. For more information about all GSWNY adult awards, please read our Adult Awards and Recognitions Quick Guide or check out our Adult Recognition web page. Email us at volunteer@gswny.org if you have questions or need any support completing nominations. Thank you for all that you do!

For the month of December we will explore the Volunteer of Excellence Pin. This is a great award to give as we think about this season of giving! The Volunteer of Excellence is similar to the Appreciation Pin, but is awarded at the Service Unit level, not the council level. This award is approved by your Service Unit Adult Recognition Coordinator or Service Unit Adult Recognition Committee. There is no set deadline to submit a nomination – so it can be given at any time!

Volunteer of Excellence is an opportunity to recognize volunteers who have contributed outstanding service in support of mission delivery to girl and adult members at a troop or Service Unit level.

What’s a Volunteer of Excellent look like? Carrie took over for five older girls who wanted to stay in Girl Scouts when their former co-leader decided to step down. She encouraged and helped three of her girls to complete their Silver Award and now is encouraging them to complete their Gold Awards. Carrie is an active member of the Service Team and is always willing to help with activities that supports girls. In this example, Carrie is definitely a Volunteer of Excellence!

To earn the Volunteer of Excellence pin, a fellow volunteer must nominate the awardee and one peer reference is needed to endorse the nomination. Download and complete the nomination form, located on the Adult Recognition page of our website, and submit it your Service Unit team. Celebrate the recipients of the Volunteer of Excellence award at Service Unit leaders’ meeting, awards ceremony, or other Service Unit function. Council will acknowledge all awardees in print at our Annual Recognition Event. Remember to submit a complete list of awardees in your Service Unit to Council prior to May 1.

Why is recognizing volunteers so important? Volunteers need to feel appreciated and know that they are having an impact on the community in which they serve. The result is volunteer retention! When volunteers feel appreciated and important, they are more likely to feel connected to the program and continue their involvement. There are several reasons to recognize and celebrate those involved in service: to highlight their achievements, to educate and inspire others, and simply to have fun!

For more information about the Volunteer of Excellence Pin, and all other GSWNY adult awards, please read our Adult Awards and Recognitions Quick Guide or check out our Adult Recognition web page. You can always reach out to a member of the Volunteer Experience team for more information! Connect with us by emailing volunteer@gswny.org. Thank you for all that you do!

Last month we learned how the Appreciation Pin which celebrates a volunteer who has given outstanding service to their own Service Unit. This month we will focus on the Honor Pin. The Honor Pin recognizes volunteer service which has a measurable impact on two or more service units or geographic areas. In the month of November as we celebrate Thanksgiving, please think about who you can give thanks to in your Service Unit!

Who should be considered for the Honor Pin? A volunteer in your Service Unit who has made a great impact in more than one Service Unit. For example, Tina has been instrumental in supporting archery training throughout council and is the coordinator of a large Cookie Mega Drop that serve the entire counties. Tina doesn’t only work to help the girls and leaders in her own Service Unit, she helps out everyone around her! It definitely sounds like Tina deserves the Honor Pin! If you know someone who truly “bleeds green” – nominate them for this award!

To earn the Honor Pin, a volunteer must nominate the awardee, and the nomination must be approved by the GSWNY Adult Recognition Committee. One peer reference is needed to endorse this nomination. Nominate an awardee by filling out the Survey Monkey form, or downloading and completing a paper nomination form located on the Adult Recognition page of our website. Please note the deadline to submit nominations for this award is February 1. Council will acknowledge Awardees in print and at Annual Recognition Event with the pin. Remember to acknowledge the recipient at Service Unit meeting, awards ceremony, or other Service Unit function.

Creating a strong system of adult recognitions is the key to robust, meaningful volunteer appreciation. Giving a combination of awards like the Honor Pin, Appreciation Pin, and Years of Service or Tenure will ensure a wide array of volunteers are appreciated for the level of service they have given. Check out our volunteer appreciation bullseye to learn more!

For more information about the Honor Pin, and all other GSWNY adult awards, please read our Adult Awards and Recognitions Quick Guide or check out our Adult Recognition web page. You can always reach out to a member of the Volunteer Experience team for more information by emailing us at volunteer@gswny.org. Thank you for all that you do!

We are kicking off the 2021 Membership Year with a focus on The Appreciation Pin! This award recognizes a volunteer that has shown a measurable impact, giving outstanding service delivery to one service unit or geographic area.

Who should be considered for the Appreciation Pin? Great question! Nominate a volunteer in your Service Unit who has gone above and beyond at the Service Unit level. For example, Beth is a new Service Unit Manager who already plans the annual SUCO, and has been a true go-getter. She has increased Girl Scouts’ visibility in the community through recruitment and dynamic programs. She has built a sense of Girl Scout community by increased parent engagement and volunteer involvement in Service Unit meetings. Beth definitely deserves an Appreciation Pin!

To earn the Appreciation Pin, a volunteer must nominate the awardee, and the nomination must be approved by the GSWNY Adult Recognition Committee. One peer reference is needed to endorse this nomination. Nominate an awardee by filling out the Survey Monkey form, or downloading and completing a paper nomination form located on the Adult Recognition page of our website. The deadline to apply is February 1 – so mark your calendars! Council acknowledges Awardees in print and at Annual Recognition Event with the pin. Acknowledge the award recipient at SU meeting, awards ceremony, or SU function.

The driving factors that lead people to volunteer their time include the fact organization (GSWNY) is a part of their family’s values and traditions; people volunteer to socialize with existing friends, and develop new connection; and people step up to volunteer as a response to a specific concern or they see need in their community. The greatest gift a person can give you is their time. The least we can do is formally recognize our volunteers for their hard work and dedication. The Appreciation Pin is a great way to thank volunteers who have made significant improvements within your Service unit.

For more information about this award and all other GSWNY adult awards, please read our Adult Awards and Recognitions Quick Guide or check out our Adult Recognition web page. You can always reach out to a member of the Volunteer Experience team for more information! Email us at volunteer@gswny.org. Thank you for all that you do!

Every month this year we will be highlighting the different adult awards that Girl Scout volunteers can earn. To start things off we are going to focus on Years of Service and Tenure pins in September. These are an easy first step to recognizing volunteers. Tenure and Years of Service pins are given to recognize volunteers for the time they have been registered Girl Scout members, given in 5-year increments.

• Tenure pins are given for the total years a person has a Girl Scout, including youth and adult years.
• Years of Service pins recognize the number of years a person has been a Girl Scout volunteer.

Did you know GSWNY will gives out FREE pins for 15 years for Tenure, and 10 Years of Service? You just have to submit and complete the form for each award!

The nomination process for Years of Service and Tenure pins is easy as pie! You can request a pin for yourself or for a fellow volunteer in your Service Unit through our easy Survey Monkey form. You can also mail or email in a pin request by downloading a paper form, located on the Adult Recognition page of our website. Council acknowledges Awardees with more than 20 Years of Service and/or Tenure in print and with numeral guard at the Annual Recognition Event. All others years of commitment should be recognized within the Service Unit.

The greatest gift a person can give you is their time. The least we can do is formally thank one another and recognize each volunteer’s hard work and dedication. The Years of Service and Tenure Pins do just that – thank people for the time they have given to the Girl Scouts. Giving Years of Service and Tenure pins is a great way to kick off the Girl Scout year during a rededication or investiture ceremony.

Why is recognizing volunteers so important? Volunteers need to feel appreciated and know that they are having an impact on the community in which they serve. The result is volunteer retention! When volunteers feel appreciated and important, they are more likely to feel connected to the program and continue their involvement. There are several reasons to recognize and celebrate those involved in service: to highlight their achievements, to educate and inspire others, and simply to have fun!

For more information about the Years of Service and Tenure pins, and all other GSWNY adult awards, please read our Adult Awards and Recognitions Quick Guide or check out our Adult Recognition web page. You can always reach out to a member of the Volunteer Experience team for more information! Connect with us at volunteer@gswny.org. Thank you for all that you do! We’re looking forward to a great Girl Scout year!