Category: Volunteers and Leaders

Everything is Coming Up Daisies

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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.

Troop 62732 

  • Schools: All
  • Leaders: Rachael and Courtney
  • Meetings: Every two weeks on Thursdays, 6:30 – 7:30 pm at the Columbus School Cafeteria

Troop 62969

  • Schools: Roberts, McGlynn and St. Clement Elementary
  • Leaders: Melissa and Shalena
  • Meetings: Every two weeks on Tuesdays, 6:15 – 7:15 pm at the First Community United Methodist Church, 55 Otis St. (day and place to be confirmed)

Troop 62970

  • Schools: Brooks and Columbus Elementary
  • Leaders: Kerri and Meghan
  • Meetings: Every two weeks on Wednesdays, 6-7 pm at Andrew Realty, 12 High St.

Troop 62971

  • Schools: St. Raphael’s Parish School
  • Leaders: Eve and Lynde
  • Meetings: First and third Monday of each month, 2:15 – 3:30 pm at St. Raphael’s Parish School

Troop 62974

  • School: Brooks Elementary
  • Leaders: Jessica and Lisa
  • Meetings:  Every two weeks on Wednesdays, 1:30 – 2:30 pm in the Brooks Elementary Parents’ Room

Troop 62976

  • School: St. Joseph Parish School
  • Leaders: Rosaleen and Nicole
  • Meetings: Monthly on Mondays, 3:30 – 4:30 pm at St. Joseph Parish School (day and time to be confirmed)

A few things to note…

  • Adults are encouraged to register if the want to help with the troop.  Adults who register will receive an email from Verified Volunteers to begin the two-step criminal background check process.
  • Fees are non-refundable or transferable to another person.
  • Financial aid is available upon request.

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

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Three Tips for Helping Girls Earn Badges

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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.

Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts | Blog

troop68137atpondshelterspring2016 Rebecca Scott (top right) with her co-troop leaders and Junior troop 68137

Volunteers are at the heart of our organization. They carry their responsibilities with so much care, and we value all of the hard work they do to help girls try new things and find their spark.

Rebecca Scott, a co-troop leader for Junior troop 68137 in Medford, shares three tips for helping girls earn badges:

troop68137cookiebooth troop 68137 selling cookies

1. Start with a vote

At the beginning of the troop year, all troop members and their caregiver(s) are asked to review possible badges. The Badge Explorer page on the Girl Scouts website is a useful tool for giving girls an overview of the steps required to earn each badge. At the next meeting, we post all the different badges on the wall and give each troop member three stickers, each representing one vote. Each girl places her stickers…

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Medford Girl Scouts Wins 2016 President’s Award

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Medford Girl Scouts is thrilled to announce that our city-wide Service Unit will be awarded a 2016 President’s Award from Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts.  The President’s Award is for a team who “whose exemplary service in support of delivering the Girl Scout Leadership Experience surpassed team goals and resulted in significant, measurable impact toward reaching the council’s overall goals.”

volunteer2In the nomination, Rebecca Scott (Medford Girl Scout Organizer and Brownie Troop 68137 Co-Leader) was proud to report that “the Medford Service Unit had blown our 2015/16 recruitment goals out of the water by December 2015. We started out in August with about 210 girl and adult members in total and our goal was to welcome at a total of 342 girl and adult members for the 2015/16 year. As of February 4, 2016, we had started eight new Daisy and Brownie troops and enrolled 274 girls and 125 adults, for a total of 399 members. That is a 90% increase in members from August to December!”  But the numbers don’t tell the whole story.  Evalyn O’Rourke is the Coordinator for Medford Girl Scouts (as well as being one of the leaders of Troop 65226) and she highlights the reason more members is important when she explains that, “Medford Girl Scouts has become a vibrant, thriving organization where girls and adults alike can feel safe to share ideas and participate. We have created an environment where girls can build courage, confidence, character, and learn to make the world a better place.”  Heather Gaspar, the staff liaison for Medford from Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts, sums it up by when she says, “I am excited for the future of Girl Scouting in Medford!”

apprecation pinIn addition to the President’s Award, six of Medford Girl Scout’s adult volunteers have been selected to receive Appreciation Pins from Girl Scouts USA.  These volunteers are being recognized for “actively giving exemplary service in support of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience.”  Medford’s 2016 Appreciation Pin award winners are:

  • Nancy Carbone, Past-Registrar,  Junior Troop 65456
  • Gretchen Gingo, Brownie Troop 68137 and Cadette Troop 75198
  • Jenna Labissoniere, Troop Pathway Orientation Trainer, Daisy/Brownie Troop 69039
  • Lindsay Nordstrom, Troop Pathway Orientation Trainer, Cadette Troop 75198
  • Sammy Parris, Cookie Booth Coordinator, Junior Troop 65226
  • Caren Sarno, Daisy Troop 72093 and Cadette Troop 71205
  • Rebecca Scott, Volunteer and New Member Organizer, Brownie Troop 68137

All Medford Adult Volunteers are invited to come to the award ceremony and Volunteer Recognition Luncheon on Saturday, May 14, 2016 at the Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center.  The cost is $25 per person.  Spaces are limited.  Click here to register and join us for the celebration on the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts website.

 

Bring on the New Troops

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Medford Troop Leaders
A whole bunch of Medford Girl Scout Troop Leaders and Volunteers getting trained for the 2015/16 cookie sale.

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

  • Leaders: Sharon McCarthy and Melissa Deignan
  • Meets: Twice a month on Saturdays from 10:45 am – 12:00 pm

Daisy Troop 72095 – Grade:  K

  • Leaders: Keely Benson McAlack and Kathy Mumma
  • Meets: Twice a month on Saturdays from 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm

Daisy Troop 72103 – Grade:  K

  • Leaders: Debbie Hayes and Tracy Keene
  • Meets: Twice a month on Tuesdays from 6 – 7 pm

Daisy Troop 79027 – Grade:  K/1

  • Leaders: Jenn Iacopucci and Julie Bankovich
  • Meets: Twice a month on Fridays from 2:15-3:30 pm

Daisy Troop 72093 – Grade:  1

  • Leaders: Caren Sarno, Janine Bono, and Seana Smith
  • Meets: First Friday of each month from 2:15 – 3:45 pm

Daisy Troop 72096 – Grade:  1

  • Leaders: Carina Myteveli and Lisa Bouley
  • Meets: Twice a month on Sundays from 1:30 – 2:30 pm

Brownie Troop 72094 – Grade:  2

  • Leaders: Andrea Taddeo, Florence Hamilton, John Pappas
  • Meets: Twice a month on Tuesdays from 6:30 – 7:30 pm

Brownie Troop 72102 – Grade:  2

  • Leaders: Paul Ruseau and Kathryn Giles
  • Meets: Twice a month on Wednesdays from 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm

be a girl scoutIf 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

Medford Girl Scouts is Looking for Adults to Volunteer to be Troop Leaders

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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:

  • Daisies, grades K-1
  • Brownies, grades 2-3
  • Juniors, grades 4-5
  • Cadettes, grades 6-8
  • Seniors, grades 9-10
  • Ambassadors, grades 11-12

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.

Incentives for Early Bird Membership Renewal

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065d7668-aa65-4fdd-832a-39e24c4bc982Re-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.

  1. Lunch with the CEO:  The three Service Units with the highest renewal percentage of girls and adults combined will win an opportunity for lunch with the CEO. The lunch will be available to 3-5 key volunteers within the Service Unit.
  2. First choice of encampment date and location for spring 2016:  The first two Service Units who reach 60% of their membership goal during spring renewal will earn their first choice of encampment date and location for spring 2016.  All property rental paperwork as well as payment must be received in the Boston office by October 15, 2015.
    • An encampment provides a safe, fun, educational outdoor experience for multiple troops /groups from the same service unit for 1 or 2 nights. A trained Encampment Director from your service unit must rent at least half of the camp sites at the camp of your choosing. All training and certifications must be submitted with your camp site rental form. In the event of a cancellation, written notice MUST be received 6 weeks prior to your date to receive a refund.

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.

  • Girls and adults can re-register themselves on the E-Biz site.
  • Alternatively, troop leaders can renew memberships on behalf of the members of their troop.  If a troop leader is renewing the membership on behalf of a girl or adult volunteer, the leader would receive a check or cash from the girl or adult member and then use their troop credit card to renew the membership through the E-Biz site.

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.

Click here for the Renewal Party How-to

Click here for the Renewal Party Postcards

Thank You to Medford’s Dedicated Volunteers!

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11149233_847595375329464_3262333328538346064_nGirl 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 Honor Pin  – Evalyn O’Rourke
The Girl Scouts of the USA Honor Pin recognizes volunteers actively giving outstanding service in support of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience in two or more geographic areas. The Honor Pin requires one nomination, one endorsement, and the approval of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts Board of Directors. The recognition criterion includes:
  • Registered Girl Scout adult.
  • Significantly contributed to meeting one or more council goals in membership growth and retention, fund development or increased community visibility in two or more geographic areas.
  • Actively recognizes, understands and practices the values of inclusive behavior.
15 Year Sustained Service Award – Brenda Briggs
The Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts’ Five, Ten, Fifteen, Twenty, Twenty-five and Thirty Year Sustained Service Awards recognizes volunteers actively giving service to Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts for five to thirty consecutive years since receiving their last formal Girl Scouts of the USA volunteer recognition. The Sustained Service Award requires one nomination, one endorsement, and the approval of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts’ Board of Directors. The recognition criteria includes:
  • Registered Girl Scout adult
  • Previous Appreciation Pin, Honor Pin, Thanks Badge, or Thanks II recipient
  • Completed appropriate training for the position
  • Continued performance at a level that exceeds expectations of his/her position description for one of the following areas since receiving a volunteer award: Membership, Fund Development, Product Sales, Program, Adult Development, and Community Collaborations.
Appreciation Pin:  Jennifer Briggs, Andralyn Farro, Carolyn Heald, Amy Jayne McCabe, Monique O’Connell, and Leigh Kinsella

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:

  • Registered Girl Scout adult
  • Significantly contributed to meeting one or more council goals in membership growth and retention, fund development or increased community visibility in one geographic area
  • Actively recognizes, understands and practices the values of inclusive behavior
The following volunteers will be recognized at the next Medford Girl Scouts Service Unit volunteer meeting on Monday, May 11th, at Bertucci’s in Medford, 6:45 pm. The Medford Girl Scout Service Unit will provide appetizers, soft drinks and good cheer. This will be our May Leader meeting, where we will review some “business”, but the focus will be on celebrating our volunteers. Please RSVP to Evalyn O’Rourke by May 1st ekgorourke@yahoo.com.

The Volunteer of Excellence Pin:  Gretchen Gingo, Samantha Parris, Caren Sarno, Rebecca Scott, and Elizabeth White
  • The Volunteer of Excellence Pin recognizes volunteers who have contributed outstanding service while partnering directly with girls in any pathway (troop, camp, event, etc.) to implement the Girl Scout Leadership Experience through use of the National Program Portfolio (Journeys and /or The Girls Guide to Girl Scouting); or who contributed outstanding service in support of the council’s mission delivery to girl and adult members.


The Green and Growing Pin:  Jenna Labissoniere and Cheryl Rodriguez

  • The Green & Growing Award is a Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts Pin awarded to volunteers who have volunteered for less than 2 years with a troop or series, completed the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts Learning Plan (Girl Scouting 101, Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts Orientation, “Essentials” for appropriate level) , participated in at least one service unit or council event or program , kept troop open to new members, shows commitment to the troop through early registration for following year and implements Girl Scout Leadership Experience within troop programming.