Union 1 District Newsletter – April 2008

District Meeting Next Sunday – NOTE NEW TIMES!!!!

Sunday, April 13th, 2008 2:00-3:30pm

New Leaders meet at 1:30pm

 

Remember this meeting:

Bring filled theme baskets to auction off at the Destinations Dinner & Auction

Pick up your Early Bird Packets

Pick up Cookie Awards

 

Mark Your Calendars.  District meetings are always the 2nd Sunday of the month, September thru April.

Message From Gail

Hello Leaders.  Here are a few items of importance to pass on to you before I see you this Sunday at our District meeting. 

1.  Outstanding Troop Award sheet is due to Council by April 30th.  Attached to it should be your Annual Troop Report and your most recent copy of your troop bank statement.  Your can choose to have your awards mailed to you (for an additional cost of $1.34) or you can receive them at our District Leader Banquet on May 31st. 

Please remember that this information is sent to Council, not to Robin, our Awards consultant.  Also, since you are sending in your Annual Troop report with the Outstanding Troop Award sheet, please send me a copy of your ATR/bank statement.

If you are not submitting for Outstanding Troop, your Annual Troop Report and attached bank statement are due to me by our May District meeting.  ALL TROOPS are required to submit an ATR, even Daisy troops. 

You can print off an ATR from the Council website:  www.hngirlscouts.org

2.  Within the next few weeks you will receive an email from our District Team requesting that you complete a survey for us.  It is very important that you complete the survey so that we can plan appropriately for our next Girl Scout year.  We want and value your input, so please make your voice heard by completing the survey when it arrives in your email.

3.  Speaking of next year--We have positions open on our Team.  These are Family Campaign Coordinator, Sponsorship Coordinator and Daisy Age-level consultant.  If you have an interest in any of these positions, please contact me for additional details.  Our District remains as strong as our volunteer leadership.  Consider "stepping up."

4.  Please remember to give information to your girls/families in a timely manner.  Even if you are not interested in a particular event or activity, your girls' families may be.  Let them decide.  (It will also increase their support of our efforts).

5.  The Carnival/Auction in support of our 9 Destinations girls is on for May 3rd.  We are seeking donations of a "themed" basket from each troop.  We will have "samples" to show you on Sunday.  We will accept these donations up until the day of the auction. 

6.  Some others who are seeking donations for various projects are:  Troop 263--books for a nearby elementary school, Troop 2860--travel size toiletries for a program sponsored by the Union County Health Department. Jacqui is collecting books appropriate for teens as part of her Gold Award project.

7.  Destinations girls will be selling their "wares" again at Sunday's District meeting.

8.  Early Bird registrations can be given to Sharon at the District meeting and will be accepted through May 30th. 

See you Sunday.

Gail

April Service Project:  Destinations Themed Baskets

Make a themed basket to be auctioned off in May at the Destinations Dinner & Auction. Proceeds benefit the 10 Union1 Girl Scouts going on a Destinations trip this year.

Early Bird Registration

Hello, Leaders!  It is that time of year again to register early and receive a FREE patch and EXTRA cash for our District!  We will receive $1.00 for every girl registered by May 31, 2008.   You can mail your registrations to Sharon or drop them off at her house.  Our District holds an Early Bird dinner for all leaders and co-leaders who register their troops early.  Each troop is encouraged to register Early Bird.  Doing this will cut down on the new membership year paperwork in the fall.  If you didn’t pick up your Early Bird Packet at the March District Meeting, please pick it up at the April meeting.  A few reminders:

n      Please make sure each parent has signed the forms.

n      Make sure all categories are filled out on the form.

n      Make sure checks are payable to GSHNC.

n      Please make sure the leader's portion at the bottom right corner is filled out.

n      Troop numbers and adult positions are printed correctly.

n      If a girl or adult does not have a pre-printed form, you will need to use a blank registration form.  You can pick these up at the District Meetings, at Council, at my house or you can print them off our Union 1 website.

n      All registrations should have a Dues Summary attached.  My suggestion is to make copies of the Dues Summary for you to use throughout the year.

If you have any questions about Early Bird, please contact Sharon.  Thank you.

Daisy Leaders

Daisy Leaders are you interested in coming to an event for just Daisy Scouts?  On May 10, there will be an event for all Union1 Daisy Girl Scouts and their leaders.  Pick up your flyer on the pick-up table Sunday.  Registrations and money will be due by the next leader's meeting on April 13th.  Call or email Kathleen with any questions.

District Bridging Ceremony

The District Bridging Ceremony will be held on Sunday, June 1st at 3:00pm.

Lead Delegate’s Report on GSHNC’s Annual Meeting

Seven Union 1 delegates attended GSHNC's Annual Meeting on April 1st at the US National White Water Center.  A highlight of the evening was the selection of a name for the new camp property in Iredell County.  Six double-spaced pages of names were short-listed to three (Fourth Creek, Oak Springs and Potawatomi) by a group of 80-100 volunteers, staff and board members.  The delegates voted on the final three and Oak Springs was selected.  This name combines two features of the property - oak trees and natural springs.  Oak trees are commonly used as a symbol for strength and endurance.  The property has several springs which will ultimately be the source to fill the proposed lake.  Springs/rivers have symbolisms that represent the linear flow of time; water is the symbol of the generation of life.

 

The meeting's theme was "New Beginnings" and an update on the new property was provided. An attachment to GSHNC's April 4th Leader Update has some spring events that you can attend at Oak Springs.  Register through E-Council.

 

Negotiations are starting this month to merge the five central and western NC councils into one.  The merger will be complete mid-late 2009.  This fall you will be able to register your troop to use the camp facilities in these other councils.  Meanwhile, you can register through the Pisgah Council to use a recently renovated troop facility in Asheville if you are planning to visit the area. 

 

The council has a new initiative, The Woza Moya Quilting Project.  On Saturday, October 4, 2008, 1-4 pm, mothers and daughters are invited to learn about HIV AIDS orphans in South Africa and be involved in a Girl Scout service project. More information will follow in the FYI. GSHNC's Taryn Rimland is the point of contact.

 

This spring GSHNC will award $6,600 in endowed scholarship funds to Gold Award recipients - another reason to encourage older girls to stay in Girl Scouts.

 

The 2007 Year in Review was presented by Gold Award recipient, Amber.  She implemented an anti-drug use and peer pressure resistance program at two after school sites in Charlotte.  She is the senior class president at her high school and an outstanding scholar.

 

GSHNC membership has increased 20% over the last three years and is now 14,121 girls strong.  The council also saw a 100% increased in Family Campaign contributions over last year.  Average giving was $.72 per girl in 2001 and is now up to $4.37 per girl for 2007.  For comparison, Atlanta's council is at $17.70 per girl and the Mecklenburg County Boy Scouts of America is at $19.08 per boy.  

 

2008-09 delegates will vote on the council merger and new board members.  Serving as a delegate is a great way to serve Union 1 and learn more about the big picture for Girl Scouts in North Carolina. (Marcia, Lead Delegate).

Thank You by Emily, Junior, Troop #269, 2008 Destinations- Timbers Trek- Trailblazers

Thank you for supporting me by buying swaps at Thinking Day. I had fun talking with the girls and telling them about my trip.  We had a great turnout at the pancake breakfast. It was a lot of fun helping to take pictures with the Easter Bunny.  I hope you will come to our carnival and auction on May 3rd. It is going to be a lot of fun!

Brownies Visit Waxhaw Mayor by Kristen, Leader, Troop #3056

Brownie Troop 3056 in Waxhaw visited with the town's Mayor Duane Gardner in March. It was an exciting day for the girls as they learned about the Mayor's role and responsibilities as well as some of the changes the Town Hall administration is making to improve the community. The Brownie Troop first met Mayor Gardner when she was campaigning last Fall at a polling location. The girls were working on their Citizen Near & Far Try-It and were visiting the polling location to learn morel about the voting process. At the time, Ms. Gardner stopped to talk with the girls about the importance of getting out to vote and about her campaign's focus. She then welcomed the girls to come visit her at Waxhaw's Town Hall if she were to be elected. Consider that one campaign promise fulfilled! It was a meaningful visit to see the Mayor in action and here about the things that are important to her in her new role. It was also a great example of 'girl power' for our future leaders!

Camp Occoneechee Adventure by Kim, Leader, Troop #1279

Jr. Troop #1279, Jr. Troop #3724 and Cadette Troop #851 joined in an adventure to Camp Occoneechee for fun and adventure. Unfortunately, our outdoor activities were cancelled due to the rains but we still had a grand time. The Older Girls shared their experience with the Juniors describing their process in achieving the Silver Award and their plans to attain the Gold Award. They also shared how to make no-sew quilts and together 5 lap quilts were completed to donate to residents at a retirement home.  We also made pendants from tumbled glass, decorated T-shirts, made bracelets, necklaces, lanyards and origami. We played games, made swaps, made pictures, sang Karaoke and had impromptu talent demonstrations. In all we made new friends, ate a lot and had a great time!  Pictures from the event have been uploaded to the website.  Click on the Union1 Photo link and select “Troop Events.”

District Team

A complete listing can be found at http://www.union1girlscouts.com/team.php

Newsletter Submissions

You or one of your girls write an article about your trip or service project and see if it gets featured in the newsletter next month. Each troop newsletter submission earns $5 Daisy Dollars. Submit to: Donna 

District Website & E-mail

Check out the Union1 Girl Scout website at www.union1girlscouts.com

Available items:  a complete list of District Team Members and the ability to e-mail them, a District Calendar, a list of District Service Projects, past and current District Newsletters, popular District forms, craft links, and other leader resources.

Keep your e-mail address current so you can receive District E-mails.

Questions - contact Donna

Forms

Community Service - Remember that for each community service project (including those that are District sponsored), submit 1 copy of the service project form to Council prior to the event.

Troop Trip - For each trip, submit 1 copy of the permission form to Gail prior to the event.

We need record of your troop outings and community service.

Training Records

Update your training records.   Forms should be turned into Robin.  Click below for Training Information Form: http://members.aol.com/dianemnc/TrainingRecords.jpg

Science Bin Registrations

The contact is Cindy.  Click below for information:  http://www.union1girlscouts.com/science.html. 

See you at the District Meeting!  Remember the NEW TIME!