Happy New Year Girl Scouts! Happy Cookie Time!
January is here which means that the Girl Scout Cookie Program is in full swing! Now more than ever it’s important for you to stay engaged with GSNETX so that you are equipped with the knowledge you need to lead!
Make sure you are a member of the New Leader Academy Facebook group, and know who your Troop Support Coordinator is
Mark your calendars for the January New Leader Virtual Meeting on January 23 and 24. You can find the times for the meetings, the Zoom link, and topics for the meeting in the Volunteer Learning section of this
newsletter. If you were unable to attend any of the prior New Leader
Virtual Meetings, you can find the PowerPoints in the archive section of the New Leader Rallyhood.
We love questions! Connect with the New Leader Engagement Team at newtroop@gsnetx.org.
Best wishes for a happy new year full of courage, confidence, and character!
This Month's Topics
• Membership
• Volunteer Learning
• Product Sales
• Camp
• Programs, Events & Activities
• Patches of the Month
• Mental Health & Wellness
• Troop Leader Resources
Still Need to Renew?
Are you a second-year troop and have girls and/or volunteers who need to renew? Invite your families to renew their lapsed memberships. Girl Scouts and Adult Volunteers whose memberships have expired won't be able to participate in cookies, troop meetings, or events. Renew in MYGS
How to Invite New Members to Join Your Troop
Use the “Invite Friends to Join Your Troop” feature located in your MY GS account on the bottom of the page of the My Troop(s) tab. Your new
members will be able to join directly into your troop regardless of whether the troop is listed online. You can also download and print Join Cards or share the Join My Troop flyer to spread the word about your new troop and invite new members to join. If you need additional support or would like to host a recruitment event, reach out to your GSNETX Membership Manager for help with finding new members.
Send Invites in MYGS
Build-A-Bear® Workshops
Get your reservations to Build-A-Bear Worskshop inside the JoAnn Fogg Girl Scout Shop. Check for available dates and times!
Reservations
January New Leader Virtual Meeting
Get the latest news and answers to your questions, LIVE! You have two options to attend – Tuesday, January 23 at 7 pm or Wednesday, January 24 at noon. Topics will include Girl Scout traditions, the Girl Scout Cookie Program, how to create a girl-led troop and more!
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/98769569379
Meeting ID: 987 6956 9379
Passcode: 222832
Volunteer Toolkit (VTK) Challenge
The VTK Challenge is designed to give troop leaders a self-paced hands-on keyboard learning experience to better understand, navigate, and utilize the Volunteer Toolkit to its full potential. Bonus: Complete the VTK Challenge and receive a patch created just for troop leaders!
GSLEARN
Learn More About Rallyhood in gsLearn
Rallyhood is an all-in-one platform that builds a more connected community by streamlining communication. Request a Rallyhood site for your troop.
Rallyhood in MYGS
Request a Rallyhood Site
TR402: Protecting Our Girls
This course is REQUIRED for all volunteers every 2 years. You can find this training in gsLearn in your mygs account.
TR402 Training
TR301: GSNETX Camping Certification
This is a BLENDED LEARNING course, meaning you take the class by
starting online in gsLearn (Part A), and finish by registering for an inperson part of the class that happens at one of our GSNETX Properties where you learn additional skills and do hands on learning (Part B).
TR401: First Aid/AED/CPR Certification
This course is conducted by a certified First Aid/CPR/AED instructor whose First Aid course has been reviewed and meets GSUSA course requirements. Any adult Girl Scout volunteer or parent may participate.
First Aid Training
Explore More in gsLearn
Log into gsLearn, our learning management system, from within your MY GS account. Click on the "Content Library" and view classes and video tutorials.
Camp Training Part A
Camp Training Part B
Camp
GSLEARN
Cookie Season 2024 is Here!
The 2024 Girl Scout Cookie Program runs from January 12 - February 25.
2024 Cookie Program Resources
Up your cookie-selling game with fun, useful materials you can print off at home. See link below.
Share the 2024 Cookie Program "How to Sell" Family Guide with your parents.
Printable Resources
Digital Cookie
Digital Cookie is the online platform that Girl Scouts can launch with the support of their parents/caregivers to take orders and process payments online from their customers and more.
Digital Cookie Resources
Questions on how to get started, rewards, ebudde How-To's? You can find answers to your questions at Resources for Cookie Sellers on our website.
Resources for Cookie Sellers
Cookie Tip: For the Parent Permission Form, make sure to provide families with the Troop #, Service Unit #, Troop Leader email and Troop Cookie Manager email address.
Did you know? All proceeds from Girl Scout Cookies® stay local!
Find out here
Bringing your Girl Scouts to camp is a great way to unplug and connect with one another and nature! Each of our camp properties offers something a little different. "Camp Properties at a Glance" contains a quick guide for each property.
Properties at a Glanceamily & Troop Camping is open January to May.
Do you need help registering for camp? Check out this youtube video, GSNETX - How to register for weekend camping. Ultra-Camp how-to.
Weekend Camping How-to-register
*NEW* Program Resource Guide
*NEW* Facilitator Guides
The Girl Programs Team has facilitator guides for many programs and badges! If you'd like to request a Facilitator Guide, please fill out the request form and Girl Programs will send it to you!
Visit gsnetx.org to view the Program Resource Guide. New events are added throughout the year!
Program Resource Guide
Workshops & Events
Facilitator Guides
Click on each image to see upcoming events sorted by your Girl Scout's program grade level (PGL).
*New* Trolls It Takes Two Challenge
Girl Scouts and DreamWorks TROLLS BAND
TOGETHER are teaming up to explore the Girl Scout Law in a whole new way: from a Troll’s-eye view! Unlock a limited-edition fun patch by completing the Girl Scouts’ Trolls It Takes Two Challenge.
January is National Poverty in America Awareness Month
So, lets “Tackle Hunger” as Girl Scouts learn about food insecurity and how they can make a difference in their community. This patch is available through February.
Activity Sheet Tackle Hunger
The RethinkCare app has twelve sleep training mini courses. You can learn to calm the wandering mind to improve the quality and duration of your own sleep. As a GSNETX volunteer, you have FREE access to 250+ science-based mini-courses covering a wide array of topics.
Create an Account
Mental Health & Wellness Info Center on Rallyhood
A source for mental health and wellness articles, videos, activities, and info sheets. Connect to Rallyhood and check out the Info Center.
INFO Center
Want to know more or have questions?
Contact GSNETX Mental Health and Wellness Manager, Brittany Kelly at bkelly@gsnetx.org.
Tip: Troop Financial Reporting to Troop Parents/Caregivers and Adults:
• Parents/caregivers of the girls in the Girl Scout troop/group always have the right to review the income and expenses of the Girl Scout troop.
• GSNETX recommends when troop leaders or troop treasures complete the troop financial report to notify parents/caregivers so they can be aware of the financial status of the troop. More information on the troop financial report is coming in late spring.
• Keeping Girl Scout troop income and expense records up-to-date will reduce misunderstandings with girls and their parents/caregivers about the use of Girl Scout troop funds.* Use the Troop Financial Ledger to track and share the troop’s spending and income with your troop parents.
*Taken From "Volunteer Policies and Procedures
Volunteer Policies and Procedures
Troop Crests
In the early days of Girl Scouting, troop crests were used to identify a troop. As more girls became Girl Scouts and more troops were formed, people started using numbers instead of crests to identify each troop. However, girls continued to choose crests for their troops. Which crest best shows the world what you want your group to stand for?
If you would like more information on Troop Crests, please send an email by clicking the link below.
NOTE - Troop Crests are for B/J/C/S/A
Troop CrestsMake A Mutli-Level Troop Work For You
Some leaders find that a multi-level troop is a great fit for them and their girls even if they originally started as a single grade level! Chrissy Schaeffer, a troop leader in Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania, shares how her multi-level troop came together and what makes it shine.
Read More
Does an activity need approval?
Are you considering a high adventure, high-risk activity? or an activity regarding a sensitive topic? Or money-earning activity? Camping at a nonGSNETX property? Or just not sure? Use the Activity Approval Decision Tree. This flow chart will show you when you do (and when you do not) need to submit a GSNETX Activity Approval Form. Activity Approval Decision Tree GSNETX
Volunteer Essentials and Safety Activity Checkpoints
Check out the Volunteer Essentials. This guide is designed to support busy troop volunteers on the go. You can easily find what you need to get started on your Girl Scout journey and search for answers throughout the troop year.
Volunteer Essentials
Adding a New Leader or Co-Leader to your troop?
Have you recently added a new volunteer as a co-leader to your troop? Send your troop number, the name of your new co-leader, his/her email address, and phone number to newtroop@gsnetx.org with the subject heading New Leader/Co-leader for Troop XXXX SUXXX. We will make
sure your new leader gets trained and receives resources and support created especially for first year leaders.
Find more resources, guides and more.
Resources
Have a question? Don't be shy! Contact us for more information.
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