Thank You to Medford’s Dedicated Volunteers!

April 19, 2015April 20, 2015Leave a comment

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 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.

Heading to Washington, DC for Spring Break or Summer Vacation? Earn a Patch While You Are There.

April 15, 2015July 5, 20152 Comments

Each Girl Scout Council in the U.S. has it own special patches and specific steps to earn them. If you are planning a trip to Washington, D.C., the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital invites you to earn their Discover the Nation’s Capital patch. This patch encourages girls to explore a variety of different sites in an around, D.C., with a special focus on women’s history.

In order to earn the patch, girls must visit one of the sites in each of the following categories: monuments and memorials, museums, arts, and government. The sites that qualify are listed in the program guide. In addition, they must visit two of the sites from the “women” category. The program guide also contains reflection questions for girls to answer after they visit the sites. When they return home, the girls must “take action” by sharing what they have learned with their troop, family, or another group.

In addition to the center patch, girls can also earn one, or more, of the three segment patches that surround the patch The themes for the additional segments are: gardens, transportation, and statuary. The program patch guide is attached to this post, or you can read more on the Girl Scouts Council of the Nation’s Capital website.

Once you have completed the patch program, you can stop by the Girl Scout store in Washington, DC to purchase it in person, or you can order it online. The store is located at:

Nation’s Capital Main Shop
4301 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008
202-274-3312 or 800-523-7898 x212
Mon – Fri: 9:00am – 5:00pm
Thurs: 9:00am – 8:00pm
Open Saturdays (Sept-Jun): 10:00am – 4:00pm

When you are in Washington, D.C., you can line-up for a tour of the U.S. Capitol, or you can contact Medford’s representative, Congresswoman Katherine Clark, who represents Massachusetts’ 5th District. Her website also has information about how to request a tour of the White House, Library of Congress, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and the Supreme Court. Her website lets her constituents know that, “all tickets are provided to my constituents on a first-come, first-served basis. Due to the large number of visitors, please request them as early as possible in order to maximize your chances.”

While you are there, why don’t you see if you can make an appointment to meet Congresswoman Clark in person? She is one of only 84 women who are elected representatives, out of a total of 435. You could talk to her about aspects of life in Medford which could be improved and you could ask her if she was a Girl Scout, too.

Click here to download the Nation’s Capital patch program instructions.

Drawing and Painting and Pottery, oh my!

April 7, 2015April 8, 2015Leave a comment

Girl Scouts of all ages have the opportunity to earn badges while exploring their creative side. Brownies on up can earn a variety of different artistic badges, such as:

Potter (Brownies)
Painting (Brownies)
Drawing (Juniors)
Comic Artist (Cadette)
Textile Artist (Senior)
Photographer (Ambassador)

A great local resource is the Arlington Center for the Arts. Located at 41 Foster Street in East Arlington, the center is open to arranging for specific workshops for local troops who are interesting in working on these badges or other artistic pursuits. For more information, contact Pam Shanley at 617-872-5143 or pam@acarts.org.

Another local studio which will organize special pottery workshops for Girl Scouts is Mud Flat Studio at 81 Broadway St. in East Somerville. For information about to book a pottery workshop for a troop, call Mud Flat at 617-628-0589 and speak to Gabrielle.

First Aid Badge Ideas

March 29, 2015March 29, 2015Leave a comment

The First Aid badge is one of seven legacy badges that have been a part of Girl Scouting for decades. Girls Scouts from Brownies to Ambassadors can earn this badge and here are some ideas and resources to help.

Student volunteers at Tufts University run the Tufts Emergency Medical Service (TEMS), which provides emergency medical care to students, faculty, staff, and visitors on the Medford Campus. The students are Massachusetts-certified emergency medical technicians and they respond to more than 400 requests for aid each year. The TEMS students have let Medford Girl Scouts know that they would be happy to come out to help local girl scout troops learn specific first aid skills and more about how to handle emergency situations. You can reach the TEMS coordinator at tems@tufts.edu.

If you are a troop leader or volunteer, another way to help individual Girl Scouts and/or a troop earn the First Aid badge is to become CPR/First Aid certified and lead some of the steps yourself. Click here to search for upcoming GSEM Medic First Aid and CPR trainings. Steps you will be able to lead if you become certified include:

Brownies: Step 1) Find out how to get help from 911; and Step 3) Make a first aid kit.
Juniors: Step 1) Learn the first steps in an emergency (check, call, and care); and Step 3) Make a portable first aid kit.
Cadettes: Step 2) Know how to use everything in a first aid kit; and Step 3) How to recognize the treat shock
Seniors: Step 2) Know how to help someone with a head or neck injury; and Step 3) Learn how to use everyday objects to make splints.

Encourage Girls to Lead with the Ban Bossy program materials

March 19, 2015March 25, 20153 Comments

Ban Bossy is a new program from Girl Scouts and LeanIn.org that encourages girls to aspire to be leaders and to learn leadership skills. If you are looking for some programming ideas for your troop, the Ban Bossy site has suggested activities for girls aged 7 and up. For example, the “G.I.R.L.” decision making process helps girls learn effective decision making skills and there is another activity that gives girls an opportunity to practice using “I-Statements,” a great tool for resolving conflicts.

Check out the “For Troop Leaders” section of the website http://www.banbossy.com to download the “Leadership Tips for Troop Leaders” guide, which includes information about how to lead these, and other, activities.

GSEMA Troop Terrific Patch

March 14, 2015May 22, 2018Leave a comment

Girl Scouts of Eastern Mass recently updated the requirements for troops to earn the Troop Terrific patch. The purpose of this patch is to recognize girls and troops for their Girl Scout pride, and to assist volunteers and girls in planning a balanced troop year, by incorporating:

Journeys and the Girls Guide to Girl Scouting
The three keys to leadership: Discover, Connect, and Take Action
The three processes: Girl Led, Cooperative Learning, Learning by Doing
Interaction with troops across Eastern Massachusetts
Community Service
Service Unit Participation
GSEMA Program Participation
Volunteer Team and Volunteer Training

This patch program is based on troop participation, rather than individual girl achievement. If the troop completes the activities, individual girls are not excluded from earning the patch because they missed one or some of the activities.

Click here for the GSEMA Troop Terrific badge requirements

A Girl Scout Sunday in Medford Shout Out of Thanks!

March 10, 2015April 19, 2015Leave a comment

A big Girl Scout shout out and thank you to Grace Episcopal, First Community United Methodist, First Baptist Church, and St. Raphael Parish for holding special Girl Scout Sunday services last weekend!