We are seeking volunteers to learn the how to support the Medford Service unit and sustain our future Girl Scout troops. We have seasoned leaders who will guide and mentor new leaders to support as you learn the ropes!
The following Service Unit roles are needed for the 26-27 Girl Scout year. Read the descriptions and reach out to amandafosmire@gmail.com if you are interested.
For more opportunities to volunteer check out the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts site.
As Girl Scout troop activities wind down for the summer, it’s a good opportunity to look back and celebrate. Medford Girl Scouts had a great year building girls of courage, confidence and character and here are some stats that back up that claim.
The following troops bridged to the next level
The following new leaders received the Green and Growing Award. This award is for leaders and assistant troop leaders who have lead a troop for less than two years, who have completed their required trainings, participated in at least one Medford Girl Scout or GSEMA event or program, participated in the cookie sale, welcomed new members to the troop.
In addition, the following Medford leaders were awarded the Volunteer of Excellence pin for going above and beyond their troop roles to help organize city-wide events or support Medford Girl Scouts and GSEMA in other ways.
Medford Girl Scouts was pleased to celebrate its fantastic volunteer troop leaders at our last monthly leader meeting of the year. Without all our troop leaders, assistant troop leaders, and other volunteers, there wouldn’t be troop meetings, field trips, camping trips, or cookie sales. Quite simply, Medford’s Girl Scout volunteers are helping the leaders of tomorrow to grow, learn new skills, try new things, have fun, and make friends to last a lifetime.
This year, Medford Girl Scouts honored some of its newest troop leaders and assistant troop leaders with the Green and Growing Award. This award is for volunteers who have lead a troop for less than two years, who have completed their required trainings, participated in at least one Medford Girl Scout or GSEMA event or program, participated in the cookie sale, welcomed new members to the troop this year and next.
Congratulations to the following 2017 Green and Growing Awardees
Not all men are Man Enough to be a Girl Scout and Medford Girl Scouts gave a special shout out to the men who volunteer as troop leaders.
Medford Girl Scout Leaders also took the opportunity to nominate their fellow volunteers and, through that process, the following leaders were honored with a Treasured Volunteer Award.
The Girl Scout membership year officially runs from October 1 to September 30 but Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts is offering special incentives for girls, troops and for Medford when girls and adult volunteers re-register early.
To re-register, go to http://www.gsema.org/en/about-girl-scouts/renew.html or call customer care at 844-306-GSEM (4736).
Please note, the membership fees for next year will go up to $40 for girls ($25 for Girl Scouts USA and $15 for Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts) and $25 for adults (for Girl Scouts USA). Girl Scouts is committed to making sure that ability to pay will never be a barrier to being a member and financial aid is available upon request. Look for the check-box to request financial aid in the renewal process.
GIRL INCENTIVES
Girls who renew before April 25 will receive:
If a girl renews between April 26 and June 13, 2017, she will receive the Spring Renewal patch.
TROOP INCENTIVES
Renew 75% of your girls in your troop (and two adult volunteers) by June 13 and receive:
Note: To qualify for troop incentive, troop must renew a minimum of four girls and two adult volunteers, have no Product Sales debt, and submit a troop financial report by June 30, 2017.
MEDFORD SERVICE UNIT INCENTIVES
If we renew the following percentages of girls by June 13, we will receive a cash bonus that we can use to benefit Medford Girl Scouts:
Last year, we re-registered more than 50% of our girls and we received $300 that we used to buy a set of Girl Scout flags which we can use for city-wide events and which troops can use for their own flag ceremonies. Click here for more information about our new set of flags.
Additionally:
Medford Girl Scouts has a bumper crop of new Daisy troops for kindergarten girls and its not too late to join. Most troops are still in the early stages of getting started and they all have room for more members.
All registration for Girl Scouts is now done online. To join, go to gsema.org/join and, when you register, search for the troop number for the troop that works best with your family’s schedule. Troop numbers, meeting times, and locations are listed below.
A few things to note…
Questions along the way?
Call the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts customer care line at 844-306-4736 or email customercare@gsema.org
Stay connected with Medford Girl Scouts
Rebecca Scott, Co-Troop Leader for Medford Troop 68137, was a guest writer for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts blog. Her post shares tips for helping girls earn badges as a troop or on their own.
Medford Girl Scouts is pleased to welcome 8 new troops to town this year! A special welcome and thanks to all the adults who have volunteered as troop leaders and troop volunteers. We couldn’t imagine better people to help build girls of courage, confidence, and character who will make the world a better place.
Daisy Troop 72091 – Grade: K
Daisy Troop 72095 – Grade: K
Daisy Troop 72103 – Grade: K
Daisy Troop 79027 – Grade: K/1
Daisy Troop 72093 – Grade: 1
Daisy Troop 72096 – Grade: 1
Brownie Troop 72094 – Grade: 2
Brownie Troop 72102 – Grade: 2
If you know anyone who is interested in joining a troop, please ask them to fill out the form on this page: medfordgirlscouts.org/contact-us
Ask not what Girl Scouts can do for you but what you can do for Girl Scouts…
Medford Girl Scouts is actively recruiting adults to help lead troops. We currently have more girls who want to be Girl Scouts then we have troops to place them in!
Being a Girl Scout troop leader, or an assistant troop leader, is lots of fun. Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts holds regular trainings and there are ready-made programming ideas. One of the most important aspects of Girl Scouts is that it is girl-led and the goal of being an adult volunteer is to help the girls learn how to discover new skills and activities, connect with each other, and take action to make the world a better place.
Both men and women can volunteer to be troop leaders. You can either start a new troop or join a troop that is looking for volunteers to be assistant troop leaders. All troops must have at least two adults at every meeting so, if you want to start a troop, you can either find someone to start it with or Medford Girl Scouts will help you identify a co-leader. If you start a new troop, you and your co-leader will decide where, when, how often your troop will meet.
We are especially looking for Daisy and Brownie troop leaders (Kindergarten to 3rd grade.) As the girls get older, they stay with same troop and the troop ages with them. Here are the different types of Girl Scouts and their ages:
If you are interested in learning more, or if you have questions about how it all works and what’s involved, contact Rebecca Scott (Medford Girl Scouts Service Unit Organizer and Brownie Troop Leader) by filling out the form on this page: medfordgirlscouts.org/contact-us
You can also learn more about the troop leader trainings and review the “New Troop Checklist” by clicking on the links below.
– Troop Leader Learning Plan Flowchart
– New Troop Getting Started Check-List
If you are interested volunteering, it would be ideal to start planning now so you could hold your first troop meeting in the fall. We will help you publicize the troop to invite girls to sign up.
Re-registration has begun and now is the time for girls and adult volunteers to renew their Girl Scout membership for the 2015/16 year. Re-registering is an important way for leaders to begin planning for next year. It also allows our Medford Service Unit to focus on enrolling new Girl Scouts in the fall.
There are incentives at both the troop level and the Medford Service Unit level to renew memberships by June 30. Let’s see what we can do together to secure these fun benefits for Medford!
Service Unit Incentives
If we renew 60% of our girl and adult membership by June 30, we will be in the running for the following incentives. In Medford, re-registering 60% of our members means we need to renew 137 girls and 62 adults.
Troop Incentives
Girl members who renew during this period will receive a free fun patch (see the picture above for what the fun patch looks like). In addition, they will be invited to the Spring Renewal Exclusive: Ultimate Program Sneak Peek on September 12 for free.
This event at Camp Cedar Hill will showcase the amazing additions on the property, like the new high ropes course, as well as having an opportunity to sample some of the fun and exciting activities that highlight the 2015-2016 Ultimate Guide programs.
How to Re-Register
The Spring Renewal incentive period runs until June 30 and is for online registrations only. Paper forms for families requesting financial aid will be accepted. For details about how to apply for financial aid, contact our Recruitment Specialist, Heather Gaspar, at hgaspar@girlscoutseasternmass.org.
The cost of membership is $25 for girls ($15 for Girl Scouts USA and $10 for Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts) and $15 for adults (for Girl Scouts USA). Memberships run from October 1 – September 30.
Looking to make it more fun? GSEM has some suggestions for how to host a “Troop Membership Renewal Party.” See below to download a party how-to sheet and a PDF of invitations you can use.
If you have any questions, please contact the CES Help Desk, Monday through Friday 8:30 AM – 5 PM, at cessupport@girlscoutseasternmass.org. The Help Desk staff is prepared to assist anyone who needs online registration support.
Girl Scout Leader’s Day is April 22 and, to celebrate, a number of Medford’s dedicated volunteers were selected to be honored by Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts or by our Medford Service Unit. On behalf of all Medford Girl Scouts and their families, congratulations to the following volunteers! You give Medford Girl Scouts your best and your hard work and dedication are deeply appreciated.
The following Medford honorees will be recognized at the 2015 Volunteer Recognition Dinner on Tuesday, May 5, 2015 at 7:30 PM at the Marlborough Holiday Inn. Please join us at the dinner to celebrate the dedication and commitment these volunteers demonstrate. Pre-registration is required, $25.00/PP. Preceding the dinner at 6:00 is the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts Annual Meeting. Pre-registration is required to attend the Annual Meeting.
The Girl Scouts of the USA Appreciation Pin recognizes volunteers actively giving outstanding service in support of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience in at least one geographic area or program delivery audience. The Appreciation Pin requires one nomination, one endorsement, and the approval of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts Board of Directors. The recognition criteria includes:
The Green and Growing Pin: Jenna Labissoniere and Cheryl Rodriguez
Medford Girl Scouts 