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.”

Help Local Girl Scouts Help Others in the Community

In the summer of 2012, Sergeant Michael McConnel, stationed in Sinai, Egypt, opened the four packages he received from his aunt in Ontario, Oregon.

“As soon as everyone saw them they were drawn to them like flies to honey,” Sgt McConnel wrote in a thank you note to the Ontario Girl Scout troop who sent several boxes of Thin Mints, Samoas and Tagalongs to the Multinational Force and Observers, an independent international peacekeeping organization.

The cookies were donated through the Gift of Caring program, in which troops can donate cookies to nonprofit groups or other humanitarian causes. It’s one of many community service projects that helps build girls of courage, confident and character – the mission of Girl Scouts.

Girl Scouts of Silver Sage is able to provide such opportunities to girls in improving the well-being of our communities and country through generous contributions from individuals like you.

With the holiday season already in full swing, many of us choose this time of year to donate to local charities and organizations. A financial donation to Girl Scouts of Silver Sage ensures all our girls, regardless of financial situation, can experience all that Girl Scouting has to offer.

Top Five Ways Your Gift Will Benefit Our Girls:

1. Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE) – In this over-arching program, girls build self-esteem, confidence, independence and life-long leadership skills.

2. Camperships – Every girl deserves the opportunity to experience Girl Scout Camp. Camp sponsorships remove financial barriers so all interested girls can attend one of many camp sessions each summer.

3. Visions – This in-school program for 4th-6th grade girls centers on age-appropriate topics such as Self Identity, Family & Community, Bullying, Body Image and Healthy Relationships.

4. STEM – The STEM program encourages girls interested in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math to explore these fields.

5. Travel – Girls have opportunities to travel across the country with their troops and independently around the world through the destinations program.

Girl Scouts of Silver Sage offers many opportunities for girls to become strong, capable and independent women. To donate to these programs and learn more about them, please visit our website at girlscouts-ssc.org. Click the Donate! button at the top of the page to make your tax-deductible contribution.

Selina Carver,
Director of Development
Girl Scouts of Silver Sage

Reflections of a Troop Leader

Excerpt from November 2011 issue
Treasure Valley Family Magazine
Publisher’s Thoughts, “The ‘Out’ in Scout”

I’ve been fortunate to have the time (and at one time, the energy!) to be involved with the many activities our daughter was engaged in throughout her life: sports, music, book clubs, and dance, just to name a few. But the one activity that has left the fondest memories for me was being the leader of Brownie Troop 54. When I look through our scrapbook and photos, I reflect back on all the fun things we did in our community and the friendships that we made.

Kathryn Buckingham

We marched in the Veterans Day parade and donated our time to help local groups, the Christmas Shoebox, and Heifer International. We attended performances, participated in a national postcard exchange with other Scouts, studied careers, went rock climbing, hiked and camped. We sold Girl Scout cookies every winter to help the girls learn about money management and fund our troop’s field events, crafts, crafts, and projects. Our vests and sashes were adorned with a variety of badges, pins, and honors.

Fortunately I’m still connected to many of the girls, adult leaders, and friends that I made along the way. It warms my heart occasionally hear a girl say to me, “Remember when we…?”

Liz Buckingham and Kathryn,
celebrating her 18th birthday in
Germany, June 2012

After I was a leader, I volunteered for the Visions© program offered then through the Girl Scouts. Its focus was self-esteem, respect, breaking through barriers and clichés, and preparing for the middle school years. You never know the impact you might have as a volunteer, but I hope, for this different group of girls, that it was a positive experience and offered some help for personal development.

Liz Buckingham, Publisher
www.treasurevalleyfamily.com

Top 10 Holiday Picks from the Girl Scout Store

by Uschi De Rose, Store Manager

Now is the time to stock up for the holidays with gifts for your troop or girl scout, so stop in to shop at the Girl Scouts of Silver Sage Council Store or visit us on the website at www.girlscouts-ssc.org.

If you shop between December 3 and December 17, you will receive a free Girl Scout water bottle with any purchase totaling $40 or more (in stock items only, excludes sale merchandise).

Our Top 10 Holiday Picks are:

1. Reversible Laptop Case $32.00

2. Quilted bag $20.00

3. Pewter Heart Girl Scout Ornament $16.50

4. Webkinz Stuffed Animal $6.00

5. Holiday Snowman Pin $1.25

6. Year of the Girl Glass Ornament $20.00

7. Holiday Patches (variety) $1.00

8. I Love Girl Scouts Lanyard $4.00

9. Giraffe Design Journal $6.00

10. LED Carabiner $2.50

Best wishes for a safe and joyful holiday season, and happy shopping!


Also, be sure to check out this playful store promotion video produced by cadettes in Troop #44. These girls earned digital movie maker badges for their production, posted to the Girl Scouts of Silver Sage You Tube Channel.

The Five Best Things About Being a Camp Counselor

My summer as a camp counselor was one of the most memorable, meaningful and worthwhile summers of my life. But it was not always easy. I had bad days, I got overwhelmed, I laughed, I cried, I laughed until I cried, and sometimes things didn’t go as planned. But despite it all, being a counselor is one of the best ways to spend a summer.

Here are the five best things about being a camp counselor (in no particular order):

The Kids
Children are some of the funniest, quirkiest, and best people to be around. I think it’s safe to say that I learned just as much, if not more, from the kids as the kids learned from me. It’s incredible to see the potential and ability of each child and working with them is electrifying. Campers will challenge your creativity, keep you on your toes, crack you up, and surprise you every day.

The Camp Experience
Who wouldn’t want to spend the summer horseback riding, kayaking, performing skits, swimming, canoeing, singing, painting, weaving, crafting, and just acting silly all day every day? The beauty of being a camp counselor is that you get to go to camp too. It is thrilling to be able to spend every day outside, being active, and having fun.

The Lovely People
Camp introduced me to some seriously wonderful individuals and lifelong friends. After months of being around the same people everyday, we bonded quickly and really got to appreciate each other’s differences and quirks. It’s both beautiful and strange how close we became by the end of the summer and how close we all remain even after camp. (p.s. I miss my camp family!)

The Gratification
Camp counselors can make a huge difference in a child’s life. It is incredibly rewarding to be able to help make a child’s summer memorable. You will also see first hand how much these kids grow and learn over the week. You watch them conquer their fears, come out of their shells, explore their creativity, make friends, learn new skills and become stronger individuals. It is an amazing feeling to know that you played a part in that.

The Personal Growth
Camp is just as valuable for a counselor as it is for a camper. I’ve never worked as hard or as much as I did at camp and I've never grown so much over such a short period of time. I learned how to push my limits, communicate clearer, think on the spot, go with the flow and how to not let the little things get me down. I learned to take things as they come and everything will always work out.

Being a camp counselor is a fantastic experience. Sure, I had to clean up puke every once in a while or jump into a lake at seven in the morning and or work long, jam-packed days, but at the end of the summer, I feel like a better person for it.

-Iris, 2012 Silver Sage Girl Scouts Camp Counselor