Maureen O’Toole Named CEO of Girl Scouts of Silver Sage Council



Maureen O’Toole Named CEO of Girl Scouts of Silver Sage Council

The Girl Scouts of Silver Sage has selected Maureen O’Toole to serve as the Council’s new Chief Executive Officer. She brings expertise in team building, training, strategic planning, business systems, public speaking, and organizational mission, vision and values alignment.

“We are excited to welcome Maureen to this important leadership position,” said Icon Credit Union CEO Connie Miller, who is chair of the Girl Scouts of Silver Sage Board of Directors. “She brings tremendous drive and a passion for helping youth identify and develop their potential.”

A retired military intelligence officer and public school teacher, O’Toole created and taught teen leadership classes and partnered with Idaho youth organizations to provide training. “Girl Scout programs are designed to help develop girls as leaders and build confidence by learning critical skills for success in the real world,” she said. “I can’t imagine a better place to be.”

O’Toole earned a BA in Anthropology from The College of William and Mary in Virginia, a BA in Bilingual Elementary Education from Boise State University, Idaho, and a Master’s of Organizational Leadership from George Fox University, Idaho campus. She is also certified as a Franklin-Covey facilitator.

She served in the U.S. Army and U.S. Army Reserves for 25 years, holding two command positions and earning the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. While in the military, she studied organizations and systems in depth in order to predict behavior.

Maureen’s 17 years as a teacher included private tutoring, private music instruction, K-8 curriculum and Spanish instruction. Leveraging off civilian and military teaching experiences, she created a leadership curriculum and instruction program to teach individual and group leadership and soft business skills.

Specifically, her program helped youth:  Identify gifts, talents and potential; set specific goals to creating powerful, positive lives; and participate in small group problem-solving and teamwork. She partnered with local youth-centric organizations to build leadership boot camps and, over the course of four years, these programs impacted over 700 Boise youth.

In her role as CEO of the Girl Scouts of Silver Sage, O’Toole will provide strategic and tactical direction to achieve the organization’s critical goals, which include outreach and collaboration with community partners, increased visibility and financial sustainability, membership recruitment and retention, and constituent engagement.

Maureen started at the Girl Scouts of Silver Sage on April 29, 2013. “I see this position as a perfect intersection of my professional background and passion for helping youth reach their potential with the Girl Scout mission to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place,” she said.

Girl Scouts of Silver Sage serves more than 5,000 girl members, 2,300 adult volunteers, and 400 troops in southern Idaho and parts of eastern Oregon and northern Nevada. The Girl Scout Leadership Experience includes several pathways for participation, including summer camps, series programs, travel opportunities, and troop activities for girl members and adult volunteers. To learn more, visit www.girlscouts-ssc.org.

Having it All: Girls & Financial Literacy

While lack of financial literacy is a growing concern for everyone today, relatively little research has been done on how young people think about and experience money and finances, with even fewer studies focusing on girls specifically. To address this gap, the Girl Scout Research Institute conducted a nationwide survey with over 1,000 girls ages 8−17 and their parents to better understand girls' level of financial literacy and their confidence about, attitudes towards, and experiences with money. Having It All: Girls and Financial Literacy reveals that girls need and want financial literacy skills to help them achieve their dreams, with 90 percent saying it is important for them to learn how to manage money. However, just 12 percent of girls surveyed feel "very confident" making financial decisions. Learn more about the financial literacy study. You'll find the summary and full report, along with the Girl Scouts Financial Empowerment Program materials here: http://www.girlscouts.org/research/publications/financial_literacy/



Girl Scouts of Silver Sage Donation Page is Active on Idaho Gives Campaign Website. Schedule Your Donation for May 2, 2013 Today!

On May 2nd, Idahoans will come together for a day of giving to support the nonprofits in communities across our state. From midnight -11:59pm a share of every dollar raised by Idaho nonprofits will be matched with funds from the Idaho Gives award pool. In addition, the top five organizations with the most unique donors (nonprofits are divided by size) will receive bonus grants of $3,000, $1,000, $500, $250, and $250 respectively.

Please help the Girl Scouts of Silver Sage raise $10,000 for our programs!

What can you do to spread the word about Idaho Gives?

•Like and follow Idaho Gives on Facebook and Twitter. Share the posts with friends.
•Promote Girl Scouts of Silver Sage participation in your emails, website, newsletters, groups and forums.
•Post flyers and hand out post cards with our donation page QR code at your workplace, school, church or club meetings (find these at the Girl Scouts of Silver Sage website: www.girlscouts-ssc.org on the Idaho Gives web page)
•Like the Girl Scouts of Silver Sage Facebook fan page. Follow our Blogger posts.
•Subscribe to our Girl Scouts of Silver Sage You Tube Channel. Follow us on Twitter.
•Tell your friends and family about Idaho Gives, even if they don't live in Idaho. They can schedule a donation for May 2nd so they don't forget about the incredible day of giving.
• Visit the Girl Scouts of Silver Sage donation page at www.idahogives.razoo.com and search for Girl Scouts.

If your company would like to offer a matching gift to the Girl Scouts of Silver Sage to encourage more donations on May 2, please contact Mary Ann at mreuter@girlscouts-ssc.org for details.

Silver Sage Council Girl Scout Cookie Booth Sales Begin Friday, April 5

Cookie Manager Clint Kofoed (aka the "Cookie Man") and Jeannie Pattan, program manager, staff the Silver Sage Council "cookie cupboard" in Boise. They will help troops load up their cookie supplies for booth sales, April 5 through April 21. Only a few short weeks to buy Girl Scout Cookies in southern Idaho!

BOISE – There’s more to Girl Scout Cookies than what’s in the box. That’s the message on every package of cookies sold by over than 400 Silver Sage Council troops this season. Some 3,500 girls will be selling Girl Scout cookies from community booths in southern Idaho beginning Friday, April 5.



Visit www.girlscoutcookies.org and enter your zip code in the “cookie finder” to locate a booth near you. The cookie finder is also available as a downloadable Smartphone app from the site. Booth sales end on April 21.



The Girl Scouts of Silver Sage is also sponsoring a 5 for 5 Cookie Contest this year. Customers who buy five boxes of cookies are entered into a contest with a chance to win five cases premium favorites, including Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs, Do-Si-Dos, Trefoils and Savannah Smiles. Look for details on the Silver Sage website: www.girlscouts-ssc.org. Freeze the extra cookies to serve for the holidays!



The Girl Scout Cookie Program is the largest girl-led business in the world. The new cookie box describes the five financial literacy and entrepreneurship skills the program teaches. These critical skills - goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics - will last girls a lifetime. Did you know that 80% of women business owners in the U.S. are former Girl Scouts?



To learn more about the local Girl Scout Cookie Program and the 5 Skills and Girl Scout Leadership Outcomes, visit the Girl Scout Cookie page on the Silver Sage website.

Girl Scouts of Silver Sage 2013 Annual Conference is April 26 and 27

Girl Scouts of Silver Sage 2013 Annual Conference

Friday and Saturday, April 26 and 27

Courtyard by Marriott, Meridian, Idaho

Friday workshops for volunteers, followed by a fundraiser/social on Friday night. Two keynote speakers on Saturday, plus a luncheon/awards ceremony and annual membership meeting. A highlight of the annual conference is the opportunity to honor and inspire our fabulous Girl Scout volunteers. Please plan to join the celebration!

Visit our conference web page at www.girlscouts-ssc.org for details.

Idaho Girl Scout Cookie Tax Exemption Legislation Hits a Roadblock in Democracy

Opinion by Girl Scouts of Silver Sage Council



It might be difficult for a girl studying political history in middle or high school to understand this, let alone a Girl Scout Daisy, but the governmental process allows for one person (a committee chairman) in the Idaho State Legislature to essentially vote for an entire committee by not allowing a bill to even have a hearing.



The committee hearing is part of a democratic process that allows a group proposing changes to state law to present their case, the committee members to discuss it, and these lawmakers, representing their constituents, to vote yes or no to send a bill out of committee to the full House of Representative or Senate for consideration.



In the case of the Girl Scout Cookie Program sales tax exemption, after passing unanimously through the House Revenue and Tax Committee to the full House of Representatives, where HB 250 passed without discussion by a 59-11 vote on March 19, 2013, the bill is being held by the Senate Local Government and Taxation Committee Chair, Senator Jeff Siddoway. Without a hearing, the bill will die.



With just one week left in this Legislative Session, Chairman Siddoway has yet to allow testimony on the bill to exclude the Girl Scouts from paying sales tax on the Girl Scout Cookie Program. Idaho is one of only two states to tax this financial literacy curriculum that teaches goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics.



The Girl Scouts want a hearing. We deserve the right to present our case. The committee members need the opportunity to vote on the matter. It’s unfair for one person to disrupt the democratic process by holding the bill in a desk drawer. It is bad policy and a bad example to Girl Scouts, who represent our future leaders, not to hold the hearing.



Please tell your legislators that all we want is a hearing. We encourage our supporters to email Senator Siddoway, Senator Hill, Senator Davis, Senator Fulcher and Senator Winder, all of Senate Leadership. EMAIL NOW at these email addresses: jsiddoway@senate.idaho.gov, bhill@senate.idaho.gov, bdavis@senate.idaho.gov, cwinder@senate.idaho.gov, rfulcher@senate.idaho.gov. Urge them to allow the democratic process to take place by a vote.

Cookie Season is Almost Here!

Girl Scouts of Silver Sage Cookie Season Starts Tomorrow!

It's that exciting time of year again! Preorders for Girl Scout cookies start tomorrow, February 15 for delivery in March! Public booth sales will begin in April.

Cookies are More Than What's in the Box
Everyone knows how delicious Girl Scout cookies are, but not everyone realizes how much of an impact the experience of cookie selling has on a girl.  

When you purchase your box (or 5) of your favorite Girl Scout cookies, you are providing an excellent opportunity for girls to learn how to set goals, make decisions, manage money, improve people skills and learn about business ethics.  Not only that, but girls earn "Cookie Dough" from your purchase that helps fund troop projects, summer camp tuition,and basic Girl Scout costs!

How to Buy Cookies
As you can tell, a successful cookie season isn't just measured by the amount of boxes sold, but also by the lessons and skills each girl learns through planning, setting goals, and engaging in quality interactions with buyers. Check out this cool that helps cookie buyers make sure that each Girl Scout gets the most out of her cookie selling experience.

 

See How Far Cookie Dough Can Go! 
It may seem like a daunting task for a girl to approach hundreds, if not thousands of people, to buy Girl Scout cookies but when you set a goal and see how far it can take you, it makes it much easier.  Just ask Nickee B. 

“Selling Girl Scout cookies may seem hard, and I'm not saying it's easy, but if the right steps are taken it becomes easier,” Nickee recounts, “I remember how hard it was going out on the weekends in the freezing cold and knocking on every door. But I learned to observe who actually bought from me, who answered their doors, when people were home, and what other neighborhoods I could sell from too.”

Nickee had set cookie sales goals high because she knew, with a little help from her parents and some sisterly advice, where she wanted to go and what she needed to succeed. She planned to earn enough to go on a destination.  

“I wanted to go on a destination because my sister had before me and she still hasn’t stopped talking about it. I just became old enough to go on one and my parents wanted me to learn from raising money and earning the destination.”  

Nickee has recently been accepted to the Adrenaline Rush Destination.  She will spend a week with 23 thrill seekers from around the county engaging in high adventure activities around greater Atlanta. She will get to raft the Ocoee River, fly through the air on zip lines, paddle lakes and ride horses in the Appalachian foothills. She will get to top all that excitement off with man-made thrills at one of the world class amusement parks in Atlanta.

So how did she do it? Here are a few tips from this seasoned selling pro of 13 years old:
·         Make a goal, not just cookie sales, but what you can do with Cookie Dough afterward!
·          Let customers know what you’re doing with your proceeds
·         Get as much pre-selling as possible. Sell to your relatives, friends, door to door.
·         Observe who buys, who answers doors, and when they are home.
·          Next is cookie booths sales, be at as many booths as you can possibly manage.
·         When you are selling be really friendly. Just keep smiling!  

Nickee’s last little bit of wisdom for girls, “You will not only learn from selling, but you’ll enjoy the trip more, it will have more significance to you.”