Spring River Service Unit Team Committee Members: Marge Blake, Caroline Compton, Jessica Glawe, Jennifer Hauch, Tiffany Mlsna, Olivia Pettit, Melissa Toltzman This hard-working team met as a group and individually via Zoom many times to figure out how to best serve girls in the service unit once pandemic restrictions went into place. Team members created quality monthly leader meetings, all via Zoom, once the pandemic hit. They included team building activities leaders could take back to their troops, along with events either via Zoom or “in-a-box” style, along with badge activity education at each meeting. The team hosted a Leader Holiday Party with games and prizes via Zoom and a Leader Appreciation BINGO Night with prizes to keep leaders engaged during the pandemic. They also provided gift cards instead of gifts for their annual community service to the Adopt an Angel program. Team members had to think creatively to produce events for girls while under quarantine restrictions. When they couldn’t hold their highest awards and bridging event, they created a video to share with the service unit, making sure to honor each girl and troop involved. They re-created their “Girls 4 Change” Camporee, so girls could learn about the women’s suffrage movement. They even generated a mock voting with lollipops, so each girl could learn about voting from home. There was also an educational guided Me & My Guy Hike at camp with limited capacity. Groups of 10 were allowed to hike by signing up for different time slots, turning a normal 2-hour event into a full afternoon event. In addition, they hosted “in a bag” style events “Make an Ornament/Give an Ornament” and a Cookie Fun Fair with activities for girls to get excited about the Girl Scout Cookie Program!
Thanks Badge The Thanks Badge honors an individual whose ongoing commitment, leadership, and service have impacted the council or the entire Girl Scout Movement.
Erin Berry Nominated by Michelle Rossi Erin has supported the delivery of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience through her two troops, Park North Stateline Service Unit, Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois, and Girl Scouts of the United States. One specific example of Erin’s exemplary delivery of the GSLE is how she practices what she preaches. When she sees a need, she fills it. GSNI installed gnomes at Camp McCormick but—due to the pandemic—was struggling with getting girls to go to camp. Erin knew leaders liked packaged programs that directly related to badgework and were differentiated for different levels and abilities. So, she—along with her daughters—went to camp with her GPS and created a gnome seeking mission, the official GSNI Gnome Hunt! She collaborated with GSNI Director of
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