o Connect: Girls care about, inspire and team with others locally and globally.

o Take Action: Girls act to make the world a better place.

The Girl Scout Leadership Experience provides three processes for adults to incorporate in activities when partnering with girls: Girl- Led, Cooperative Learning and Learning by Doing. These three processes promote the fun and friendship that, for nearly 100 years, have been integral to Girl Scouting. But they do even more—when girls lead, when they learn by doing and when they engage in cooperative learning, the 15 leadership outcomes (or benefits) discussed in the preceding section are far more likely to be understood and achieved. The key to achieving these results using the program processes is to ensure progression takes place as girls transition from one Girl Scout Grade Level to another. For example, Girl Scout Daisies will be guided by the adult leadership through the Learning by Doing process but when they become Girl Scout Seniors they may be guiding themselves through that process or asking much deeper questions.

The Girl Scout Research Institute, based in New York City, provides a focus for our program development and advocacy efforts as it produces original research on what girls say about important topics of the day, and share what they need for healthy development into leadership.

For more information, contact: ssmith@girlscoutsccs.org

            I hope everyone had a great holiday season filled with family and lots of joy! I have enjoyed my winter break back at home, and I will shortly be back to UC Santa Barbara. Over break Hope and I were able to attend a Christmas party at the down town library. The kids were able to participate in crafts and take pictures with Santa, and of course read to the dogs! Hope is a great reading buddy because he never corrects the children’s pronunciation and is a great listener!

            We were also able to attend a group visit to the Valley Health Care Center with other members of TDI (Therapy Dogs International) Fresno.  Hope was able to socialize with his TDI friends and spread some holiday cheer to those living in the center.

            I was very excited to finish my first semester in college. It was a very rewarding and somewhat relieving feeling to know finals were over and I would be returning to my family and friends. After some relaxation, I’m ready to go back to school next week and start my second quarter. Hope all is well and that there is a great year head of all of us!

                        Sincerely,

                        Megan Talbert and Hope

• Cookie Biz: January 12 Lemoore

• Pre-Sale Orders Start: January 25

• Mega Drop: February 24 (Fresno, Visalia, Bakersfield)

• Boothing: March 1 – March 24

Eight 2013 Varieties!

Where does the money from Cookie Sales go?

All funds remain local, and a portion of the funds goes back to the Troop for educational trips, service projects and personal rewards.

Girls Learn While They Earn!

The Girl Scout Cookie Program, for girls in grade K-12, has become a sophisticated leadership program where girls learn valuable life and business skills. The program calls for the entire Girl Scout troop to collaborate in goal-setting and then follow their plan so that they can earn funds for service projects, educations field trips and other leadership activities. In addition to learning business ethics, public speaking, and money and time management, the girls can earn personal recognition’s such as clothing or an adventure trip.

What else can you do with Cookies?

• Click here for delicious recipes with Girl Scout cookies!

• Click here for Cookie fun facts!

• Operation Gratitude is our to support military men and women overseas. Just purchase a box of cookies and then donate it to our Operation Gratitude program, and it will be sent overseas to our dedicated soldiers.

2013 Cookie Sales Goal – 1,090,000

2013 Cookie Incentives

750 boxes sold – Cali Girl Trip

• June 22, 2013 – Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, CA
• August 24, 2013 – Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach, CA
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500 boxes sold – July 27, 2013 McDermont Field House, Lindsay, CA

2012 SSSSH Girls

Click here!

Resources:

ABC Smart Cookie Volunteer Resource is a great resource for volunteers to find age specific learning activities, family resource guides, safety information, and great graphics!

ABC Smart Cookie Girl Resource website allows girls to track their individual goals, send e-cards to friends and family members, learn sales techniques, play fun games and cast their vote on fun cookie sale themes for upcoming years.

Cookie Sale tracking is a SNAP! This Troop volunteer only tracking site helps volunteers to report, record and track their Girl Scout and Troops progress throughout the sale. Troop volunteers must first go through training to receive their SNAP Log-in.

2013 Cookie Documents:

2013 Cookie TROOP COOKIE CHAIR GUIDE

2013 Cookie SNAP GUIDE

2013 Cookie SERVICE UNIT COOKIE CHAIR GUIDE

2013 Cookie Sale Parent Permission Slip

2013 Cookie SAGE MOBILE GUIDE

2013 Cookie Program Troop Proceeds in Lieu of Recognitions Agreement

2013 Cookie Program Troop Agreement

2013 Cookie Program SUPC Agreement

2013 Cookie Program Pantry Manager Agreement

2013 Cookie Program Delinquent Account Report

2013 Cookie Program ACH.EFT Agreement

2013 Cookie PANTRY GUIDE

2013 Cookie FAMILY GUIDE

Addendum to Council Volunteer Policy & Procedures and Volunteer Essentials

GUIDANCE ON GIRL REWARDS AND TROOP PROCEEDS

• First, call your Membership Specialist and arrange to have a new leader orientation.
• Then look at the training calendar and sign up for Leadership Essentials 1 and  Program Level
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NEXT! Do you want to go on fun trips with your troop? You will need the follow trainings if so:

• Trip Planning– Learn how to work with girls and adults to plan, carry out and evaluate day trips, overnight sleepovers at a home, school, church or hotel. This class is offered face to face or as a take home study course and covers budgeting, safety requirements, emergency procedures, transportation, equipment, insurance and other essential information needed for overnight trips. Required for all meetings outside of your regular meeting place. (one adult per troop).
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• First Aid/CPR– This training consists of hands-on, lecture and visual information on administering CPR and first aid to adults and children. Required if your trip is more than15 minutes away from emergency response, see Safety Activity Checkpoints for additional requirements.(one adult per troop).
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• Extended Trip – Troop leaders will learn the requirements for extended trip travel, insurance, finances and forms. Complete prior to any trip lasting longer than 72 hours or an international trip.
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Wanting to take your troop camping? Be sure to sign up for this training!

• Outdoor Training A & B – Learn the basics of camping, outdoor skills, outdoor cooking and how to work with your Troop to plan a really great trip. This training includes an evening pre-meeting class (part A) and a full day of outdoor fun! Complete both part A & B prior to a troop camping trip and/or cooking over an open flame (one adult per troop).
• 
  

Interested in hosting an event in your Service Unit?

• Sign up for Event-Planning to learn all the basics of planning a fun, successful event!
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Other fun training’s:

Facilitating Adult Learning – Previously known as “Train the Trainer.” Required to become a Volunteer Council Trainer.

Enrichment Training’s – Girl Scouts of Central California South offers a variety of adult learning enrichment opportunities to provide new knowledge and skills that you can apply to your own Troop/group. We encourage Troop Leaders to participate in as much of this extra type of training as possible, and go back to your Troops and share the fun. Sign-up to not only enhance your experience but increase the quality of the program for the girls you serve.

 Volunteer Carousel/Faire– This annual event is a fun day of learning and networking. There will be a wide variety of workshops to enrich your leadership experience, including hands on activities, crafts, songs and more.

This is just the beginning! There are many more fun training classes for leaders. Be sure to visit our online calendar often for new classes. www.girlscoutsccs.org/full-calendar .

FAQ’s eBiz\Online Registration

Renew your Girl Scout membership online now!

Girl Scouts of Central California South (GSCCS) members can renew their membership online for 2012-2013 membership year with a credit or debit card using Personify eBiz. If you are a current Girl Scout member, click on the online registration tab to the right of this page.

If you have questions that are not answered on this page, please or call 1 (800) 490-8653 option 5   between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

ONLINE MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL

Who is able to register or renew online?

Girls and adults registered in 2011-12 who have a valid email address in the council’s database or first time members who have never been a part of Girl Scouting. The new membership year begins October 1, 2012.

What payment methods are accepted to renew an individual’s membership online?

Credit and debit cards are accepted. Check, Cash, Cookie Credit, Nut Bucks and Financial Aid require use of paper registration forms.

What are the benefits of online membership renewal for parents?

It’s green. It’s fast, easy and convenient. It provides accurate spelling and contact information.

What are the benefits of online membership renewal for Troop leaders?

No collecting forms. No depositing money at the bank. No completing registration summaries and Troop worksheets. No waiting to know who’s registered.

How do parents/guardians and adults renew memberships?

Parents/guardians of 2012-13 registered girls and registered adults click here.

Step-by-step online registration instructions:

1. Once at the Online Registration site, click on the “FIRST TIME HERE – Create Login” button if you have not previously used Online Registration.

Click on the “RETURNING MEMBER – Login Here” button if you have used Online Registration previously.First Time Visitors: Each member has a record in the system.

To create a login for each member, enter the member’s First Name, Last Name and Email Address in the proper fields then click on “Continue” to validate customer/member status in the database.

2. Receive confirmation email validating customer/member status in the database. Open email. Click on link or copy and paste both parts of the link, in order and without spaces, into your web browser in order to create a User Name and Password.

3. Create User Name and Password. Choose a Hint question. Click on Create Account.

4. Receive confirmation message of successful log in to eBiz site.

5. Click on “Renew” to renew membership using a credit or debit card. (Log on separately for each member using each member’s UserName and Password.)

6. Become a Girl Scout of Central California South Family Giving Partner. Click here to view an inspirational video about all of the good your donation can do. Select a donation amount(s) on the payment page when you renew.

How do lapsed adult members renew their membership after 10/1?

Adults previously registered with GSCCS but not in 2012-13 may renew their Girl Scout membership online after 10/1.

1. Click here. Complete steps 1-4 for renewing a membership. See above.

2. Click on My Account in the left navigation bar.

3. Click on Join Now.

4. Click on the Adult Membership 2012 or Lifetime Membership product from the list of membership products.

5. Click on “Add to Cart” then on “Checkout“

6. Fill in the fields marked in bold on the Member Profile.

7. In the Member Profile screen, select a position and a Troop for the current membership year. Click on Add Position. Repeat process for multiple positions and/or Troops.

I clicked on the link that was sent to activate my eBiz account and I received a “page not found” message. What do I do?

The link to activate your account is very long and some email clients break it to fit their character count. Please copy and paste both parts of the link, in order, into your web browser. This will take you to the proper page to finish your online membership renewal.

Is a separate log-on required for each person?

Yes. Each individual must have a unique user name and password to access her/his account, renew a membership, and make a donation. The log-on is linked to an individual’s customer account. Only Troop leaders with a 01 position code can see multiple members — Troop members — through online Troop management. Therefore, a parent of two Girl Scouts needs to have two separate log-ons to renew each daughter’s membership and make a donation.

What can a parent/guardian do when renewing a girl and/or adult registration?

• -Execute an existing membership renewal order in Personify
• -Update demographic and contact information
• -Make a donation to GSCCS
• -Pay for the membership and the donation
• -Print a membership card for the current membership year
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Is a parent/guardian signature required for online membership renewal?

No. The parent/guardian’s online purchase of a Girl Scout membership replaces the need for a signature.

What happens if a girl wants to renew her membership but is transferring to another Troop?

Renewals are existing orders in Personify so renewing and switching Troops is a two-step process:

1. A girl’s parent/guardian purchases existing order online to renew membership with the existing Troop on record

2. The current or new Troop leader initiates a Troop transfer using the Troop Change Form.

Transfers are made offline by council staff.

Is online membership registration available in Spanish?

Not at this time.  Paper forms must be used to register in Spanish.

What types of transactions must be done offline (or back office) by Council staff in the online membership renewal environment?

• -Lifetime memberships at the discounted rate–graduating ambassadors only–must be processed by council staff and therefore require the use of paper membership registration forms.
• -Grade changes must be done by Council staff. The Troop Change Form is used for this process.
• -Name changes must be done by Council staff, for example, spelling corrections, hyphenated names, new last names. Email onlineregistration@girlscoutsccs.org.
• -Position code assignments must be done by Council staff. To request a position code/assignment with multiple Troops, please use the eBiz Self-Reporting Feature available during membership renewal and from My Account. Requests can also be made from the Troop Change Form.
• -School changes must be done by Council staff. The Troop Change Form is used for this process.
• -Troop transfers must be done by Council staff. The Troop Change Form is used for this process.
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ONLINE TROOP MANAGEMENT

What is online Troop management?

Personify eBiz includes a page for leaders called the Troop Management Hub for managing Troop communications, membership registration, in-person adult training course registration, etc.

What are the benefits of online Troop management for Troop leaders?

• -Know who’s registered in the Troop and who’s not
• -Email parents (the email address in the “Form” is the Troop leader’s)
• -Print rosters
• -Update girls and parents’ contact information
• -Update Troop meeting information, including the Troop’s grade level
• -Print membership cards for girl and adult members 
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Who has access to online Troop management?

What information can leaders see in the Troop Management Hub?

The leader can see each individual’s registration status and the information that is contained on a member registration form only: contact information; grade; school; age; Girl Scout history; custodial care; racial/ethnic background. The leader does not have access to the order processed by the parent.

Should Troop leaders renew memberships through online Troop management?

It’s preferable for everyone that parents/guardians renew girl memberships online and adults renew their own membership online. An individual renewing their membership online is a one-step process. It’s green. It ensures accurate spelling and contact information. It saves a leader time. It’s cost effective.

If, however, a Troop decides with the consent of the parents and guardians (signed registration form, email authorization, OR a signed roster authorizing registration) to have the Troop pay for each girl and/or adult’s Girl Scout membership, then it is recommended that the Troop leader use the Troop’s bank account debit card to pay for the online membership renewals using online Troop management. Using online Troop management to renew members is only available from the open date of online renewal through 9/29, 8:59 PM. (Personify is on East Coast time.)

What happens to the Troop Management Hub roster after 9/30?

Girls/adults who have not renewed their membership for the new Girl Scout membership year will be removed from the roster. The roster will only include registered members for the current Girl Scout membership year.

Should Troop leaders use online Troop management after 9/30 to renew lapsed members (prior year members who did not renew?)

No. Adding previously registered girls/adults via the Troop Management Hub after 9/30 will create duplicates in the database. To make sure all girls and adults continuing in Troops appear on the Troop roster, Troop leaders should enter members’ missing email addresses in the Troop Hub, email parents/adult members the “Membership Renewal Invitation/Instructions,” which is a link located under Useful Links on the Troop Hub, and remind them to renew by 9/30.

How do Troop leaders use the Troop Hub to register new members into existing Troops?

In order to affiliate a new girl/adult with a Troop, the Troop Hub must be used to register the new member.

The Troop Hub’s “Add Girl” and “Add Adult” features are used to register new members into an existing Troop. New girls/adults are defined as new girls/adults to GSCCS whether or not they have been registered with another Girl Scout council. (If a girl/adult is registered for the current membership year in another council and is transferring to GSCCS, then an inter-council transfer must be executed. Send an email to onlineregistration@girlscoutsccs.org to initiate this process.) Girls registered with GSCCS prior to 2012-13 but not registered in 2012-13 should use the offline membership registration process in order to avoid creating duplicate records. Adults, on the other hand, may register online with a specific Troop by activating their existing Online Registration account, purchasing an adult membership, and requesting to be affiliated with a specific Troop. Click here for step-by-step instructions. Or, they can register offline.

Click here for a demo of registering new girls/adults to an existing Troop:

Below are the seven steps for completing the entire process:

1. Troop leader distributes paper membership registration forms and family giving promo to parents of new girls joining the Troop

2. Parent completes a paper registration form and selects a family giving amount on the form

3. Troop leader collects form and $20.00 cash/check plus family giving contribution

4. Troop leader deposits GSUSA dues and family giving donation in GSCCS’ bank account

5. Troop leader purchases membership and donation products and pays with Troop debit card and enters parent’s cc # in Online Registration (the three-digit security code is required).  Transactions using the Troop debit card and individual credit cards are separate.

6. Troop leader blocks out cc#/security code, if provided, and keeps the registration form in a secure location until the end of the annual membership year.

7. Troop leader sends email to parent with instructions on how to activate Online Registration account so they can see order history and renew membership online for the next Girl Scout year.

What should be done with documents collected and used for online membership registration using online Troop management?

The Troop leader keeps the documents—registration forms, emails, or roster with parent authorization—used for online registration using online Troop management. The Troop leader is responsible for blacking out credit card numbers on documents after they have been used for online registration. The documents must be kept in a secure location until the end of the annual membership year, which is September 30, and then shredded.

ONLINE REGISTRATION OF NEW MEMBERS

How do new girls and adults joining Troops register online?

Online registration of new girls/adults into an existing Troop and new Troop must be done using online Troop management in order to affiliate the girl/adult with a Troop.

Girls registered with GSCCS prior to 2012-13 but not registered in 2012-13 should use the offline membership registration process in order to avoid creating duplicate records. Lapsed adults, registered prior to 2012-13, may register online.

What are the benefits of online membership registration for Troop leaders?

• -It is faster and more cost effective than paper (offline) registration.
• -It increases the accuracy of the information provided.
• -It generates a Troop roster quickly and efficiently.
• -It eliminates the need to complete a “Dues Summary” and “Troop Registration Worksheet.”
• -It generates membership cards.
• -It promotes the Council’s and Girl Scouts’ “go green” initiative.
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How do Troop leaders use the Troop Hub to register new members into existing Troops?

In order to affiliate a girl/adult with a Troop, the Troop Hub must be used to register the new member. The Troop Hub’s “Add Girl” and “Add Adult” features are used to register new members into an existing Troop. New girls/adults are defined as new girls/adults to GSCCS whether or not they have been registered with another Girl Scout council. (If a girl/adult is registered for the current membership year in another council and is transferring to GSCCS, then an inter-council transfer must be executed. Send an email to onlineregistration@girlscoutsccs.org to initiate this process.) Girls registered with GSCCS prior to 2012-13 but not registered in 2012-13 should use the offline membership registration process in order to avoid creating duplicate records. Adults, on the other hand, may register online with a specific Troop by activating their existing Online Registration account, purchasing an adult membership, and requesting to be affiliated with a specific Troop. Or, they can register offline.

Click here for a demo of registering new girls/adults to a new Troop:

http://ceslearning.girlscouts.org/ebizdemos/standalones/TrpNewMbrCoverPage.htm

Below are the steps to register new girls/adults to a new Troop:

1. Troop leader distributes paper membership registration forms and Family Giving promo to parents of new girls joining the Troop.

2. Parent completes a paper registration form and selects a family giving amount on the form (optional).

3. Troop leader collects form and $20 for girl registrations and $12 for adult registrations (cash/check/cookie dollars/nut bucks) plus family giving contribution.

4. Troop leader deposits GSUSA dues and family giving donation (optional) in Troop bank account.

5. Troop leader purchases membership and donation products and pays with Troop debit card or enters parent’s cc # in Online Registration (the three-digit security code is needed). Transactions using the Troop debit card and individual credit cards are separate.

6. Troop leader blacks out cc#/security code, if provided, and keeps registration form in a secure location until the end of the annual membership year

7. Troop leader sends email to parent via Troop Hub with instructions on how to activate Online Registration account so they can see order history, and renew membership online for next year. Click on the Troop Hub’s “New Girl/Adult Member Registration Confirmation” link for an email template.

What should be done with documents collected and used for online membership registration using online Troop management?

The Troop leader keeps the documents—registration forms, emails, or roster with parent authorization—used for online registration using online Troop management. The Troop leader is responsible for blacking out credit card numbers on documents after they have been used for online registration. The documents must be kept in a secure location until the end of the annual membership year, which is September 30, and then shredded.

IN HOUSE (GSCCS OFFICE) MEMBERSHIP REGISTRATION

Which membership registrations cannot be done online?

Payment Type: Cookie Credit, Nut Bucks and Financial Aid

Troop Type: Troops without a bank account

Membership Type: New girls not joining a Troop; Graduating Ambassadors to Lifetime members–Discounted rate only; Girls registered with GSCCS prior to 2011-12, but not registered in 2012-13.

What is the process for in house membership registration?

The in house membership registration process consists of the following steps:

1. Parent/Guardian or adult completes blank membership registration form.

2. Troop leader collects forms and money.

3. Troop leader completes dues summary and Troop worksheet.

4. Troop leader or Service Unit Registrar deposits cash and checks at a local Wells Fargo bank using the deposit slips provided by the council.

5. Troop leader submits membership forms, dues summary, Troop worksheet as well as the deposit slip and bank receipt if money was deposited at bank to the Service Unit Registrar.

6. Service Unit Registrar prepares registration materials for submittal to local office.

7. Service Unit Registrar sends materials to local office.

Where can I get paper registration forms for in house membership registration?

Paper 2012-13 membership registration forms are available at: www.girlscoutsccs.org/forms

What types of transactions must be done in house (or GSCCS office) by Council staff in the online membership registration environment?

• -Lifetime memberships at the discounted rate–graduating ambassadors only–must be processed by council staff and therefore require the use of paper membership registration forms.
• -Memberships paid for with cookie credit, nut buck or financial aid must be processed by council staff and therefore require the use of paper membership registration forms.
• -Memberships for new girls and adults not joining an existing Troop require the use of paper registration forms.
• -Troop transfers must be done by Council staff. The Troop Change Form is used for this process.
• -Position code assignments must be done by Council staff. To request a position code/assignment with multiple Troops, please use the Online Registration Self-Reporting Feature available during membership renewal and from My Account.
• -Grade changes must be done by Council staff. The Troop Change Form is used for this process.
• -School changes must be done by Council staff. The Troop Change Form is used for this process.
• -Name changes must be done by Council staff; for example, spelling corrections, hyphenated names, new last names. Email onlineregistration@girlscoutsccs.org.
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GENERAL

What is Online Registration?

Online registration is powered by Personify, an off-the-shelf Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system hosted, maintained, and supported by TMA Resources, Inc. that has been configured by GSUSA and councils for Girl Scout use. TMA, the vendor, set up a virtual portal for Girl Scouts. In this virtual portal, the templates and functionality are shared but the data is specific to each council. The primary advantage of using a virtual portal is enhancements, bug fixes, and other code changes need only to be deployed once, allowing for faster, more frequent and less costly patches. The primary disadvantage is that the level of customization is limited.

Which browsers work with Online Registration?

Current versions of Internet Explorer and FireFox are the only browsers supported at this time.  Safari and Chrome, while not supported, work for some users.

Why does Online Registration refer to members as customers rather than as members?

All girls and adults (volunteers, parents/guardians, emergency contacts) who have records in our database are customers.  Only those who purchase a Girl Scout membership are members.  Girl Scout members are a subset of customers.

What do I do if I made an Online Registration purchase in error?

Refunds will be processed for requests received in writing within 10 business days of the online transaction error.  Requests should be emailed to onlineregistration@girlscoutsccs.org or mailed to: Girl Scouts of Central California South 1377 W. Shaw Ave., Fresno, CA. 93711 Attn.: Registrar.

What security measures are in place for online transactions using Online Registration?

The safety and security of your online experience is of the utmost concern to us. We ensure the appropriate physical, electronic, and managerial procedures are in place to safeguard and help prevent unauthorized access, maintain data security, and correctly use the information we collect online.

Protecting the safety of your credit card information is also important to us. We use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology to protect the security of your credit card information as it is transmitted to us. SSL is the industry standard in Internet encryption technology, which is a highly sophisticated method of scrambling data as it travels from your computer to our Web site servers. We also encrypt your credit card number when we store your order and whenever we transfer that information to participating merchants.

To make sure you are accessing our secure server before you submit personal financial information, look at the lower left-hand corner of your browser.  If you see an unbroken key or a closed lock (depending upon your browser), then SSL is active.  To double-check for security, look at the URL or Address line of your browser. If you have accessed a secure server, the first characters of the address in that line should change from “http” to “https.”

It is important for you to protect against unauthorized access to your password and to your computer. Be sure to sign off when finished using a shared computer.

When is Online Registration not available?

Online Registration will be down for normal maintenance 9 p.m. Saturday through 3 a.m. Sunday, and this may cause downtime or slowness.

What are the benefits of Online Registration for Service Units?

One of the benefits of online registration is that the database is updated daily; there is only a one-day delay between when a parent registers and when the data is available. All memberships purchased online (by a parent or a Troop leader) on Monday, for example, can be viewed by Troop leaders in the Troop Hub and accessed through reports on Tuesday. Therefore, everyone will have access to more timely information.

To make sure Service Unit Team members have the information they need to perform their volunteer roles, staff will email reports (PDF and Excel versions) that contain the data needed. Service Unit Team volunteers are encouraged to contact their CDD to identify the reports they need and develop a schedule for automated delivery of the reports.

How are the emails in the database used?

Troops will be able to communicate with parents via email through the Troop Management Hub. Service Units and the Council will be able to communicate important information to parents via email through Excel file exports.

On #GivingTuesday, November 27, 2012, you can help by donating to those who can’t be home this holiday season – our military personnel serving overseas – through Operation Gratitude.

For every $5 donation to Girl Scouts of Central California South between now and November 30, 2012, we will send a can of Girl Scout nuts, or a magazine subscription, to our military troops through Operation Gratitude. Help us put a smile on the faces of 1,000 deserving servicemen and women!

GIRL SCOUTS IS GIVING BACK TOO!

For every dollar donated to Girl Scouts of Central California South between now and December 31, 2012, our staff and volunteers will donate one hour, volunteering in our community. We will “Take Action” and help at the food bank, do a litter clean-up, read to children, etc. Your partnership with us could make a difference to community organizations and the people they serve – seniors, vets and others in need.

DONATE NOW

About Girl Scout Connect:

Every year, more than 4,000 at-risk girls in our local communities start their Girl Scout journey with this program. They learn values, practical life skills and leadership skills, that prepare them for their future lives and careers. Girls meet with trained mentors after-school at schools, community centers and public housing. They are motivated to stay in school and become productive citizens who can comfortably provide for their own future families. They are inspired to focus on a positive future, rather than being sidetracked by negative influences. This program follows a proven national Girl Scout curriculum that builds confidence in the girls and provides them with practical benefits of staying in school, and encourages them to aim high and work towards meaningful careers. Grants, sponsorships and donor funding help offset the costs of program delivery and cover program materials, Girl Scout sashes and badges.

Who says Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics are just for boys? Today’s world is widely influenced by these industries, but unfortunately most girls aren’t pursuing them. Girl Scouts has made a movement through S.T.E.M. workshops to introduce girls to the opportunities and role models in these specific fields. Are these workshops working? Well we heard straight from girls themselves!

 More than 20 local girls attended the two day S.T.E.M. Careers workshop at Chevron in Bakersfield. The group of six seventh-grade girls experienced Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics through games, activities and guest speakers. They felt that learning about these fields is important for Girl Scouts because it encourages them to pursue better jobs and enter fields they previously didn’t know about. They discovered that there are a broad range of diverse careers for women in S.T.E.M. fields. An area they enjoyed learning about was the variety of engineering jobs available.  Overall, their favorite activities of the day were learning about the pharmaceutical industry by filling M&M “prescriptions” and creating a design for their very own website.

The contest is open to all currently registered Girl Scouts (except Girl Scout Adults) of all grade levels belonging to one of the eight Girl Scout councils in California.