Be a Girl Scout Daisy!

Transcription

1 d Grades K 1 Have tons of fun Make new friends Experience more wow moments than I ever imagined Be a Girl Scout Daisy! Parent Orientation Packet

2 What are Girl Scouts? As the preeminent leadership development organization for girls, Girl Scouts help build girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. Girl Scouts is a volunteer-led organization where adults volunteer their time to create a cooperative learning experience for girls with hands-on, girl-led activities. If you took the time to look up Girl Scouts in the dictionary, you may find this definition Girl Scout (noun): a member of a scouting program of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America for girls in grades kindergarten through 12th grade. At Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline, we believe that Girl Scouts is actually a VERB! Girl Scout verb Being a Girl Scout is something you DO, and it is an EXPERIENCE that no girl should miss! As a girl in Kindergarten or 1st grade, your daughter would be a Daisy Girl Scout! So what are you waiting for? Find out what your daughter can DO! What do Girl Scouts do? As a Daisy Girl Scout, your daughter would have the opportunity to have FUN, make new friends, travel to exciting places, enjoy council programs, experience outdoor activities and learn new life skills. Don t forget how much she will love selling Girl Scout cookies! The opportunities are endless in Girl Scouting! Girls earn badges and awards as they learn and live by the Girl Scout Promise & Law. Your daughter would have the opportunity to learn leadership skills and experience what it means to have the confidence in herself and her abilities to provide community service to others in need. She will learn the value of giving back and paying it forward! Girl Scout volunteers use a three-part approach in building leadership skiills in girls. This approach is called The Three Keys of Leadership. Girl Scout Promise On my honor, I will try: To serve God, and my country, To help people at all times, And to live by the Girl Scout Law. Girl Scout Law I will do my best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what I say and do, and to respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place, and be a sister to every Girl Scout. First, girls DISCOVER their special skills, talents and interests. Second, girls CONNECT with others, learning how to team up, solve conflicts and have healthy relationships. Finally, girls TAKE ACTION to make the world a better place. What are the costs? The basic costs of Girl Scouting for you and your daughter include: 1. Annual Girl Scout membership fee: $17 for girls and $15 for adults. 2. Troop dues: Troop dues are determined by the needs of the girls in the troop and average between $15 30 per membership year. 3. Uniform: A uniform is not required. However, Girl Scouts is a uniform organization. We highly recommend that parents purchase a Daisy vest or tunic for their daughters earned Girl Scout awards and pins. A complete uniform is optional. Visit gsvsc.org/shop for pricing. Uniform details will be discussed in your Troop Parent Meeting. 4. Handbooks, Badges & Awards: Some troops expect each girl to purchase her own Journey books, Daisy Girl s Guide, badges, pins and awards. Visit gsvsc.org/shop for pricing. 5. Financial assistance is available. Contact the Registrar at memberships@gsvsc.org to request a form. There may be additional costs for events, travel and camping. Council-sponsored product sale fundraisers are designed to minimize troop dues and costs to parents and offer girls the opportunity to Earn & Learn. Girls are encouraged to participate in the Fall Product Sale (September November) and the Cookie Sale (January March). Ready to join? 1 Girl Scout Daisy Parent Orientation Packet Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline Council

3 What Daisies Do Use The Girl s Guide to Girl Scouting Choose a Journey Lupe petal Honest and Fair Sunny petal Friendly and Helpful Vi petal Be a Sister to Every Girl Scout Zinni petal Considerate and Caring Rosie petal Make the World a Better Place Amazing Daisy Promise Center Clover petal Use Resources Wisely Mari petal Responsible for What I Say and Do Financial Literacy Leaves Gerri petal Respect Authority Gloria petal Respect Myself and Others Making Choices It! Ru Y ou rb us ine ss It s Cookie Business Leaves ni t! Money Counts Tula petal Courageous and Strong Count It Up It u Yo s u rb sin es s Ru n Talk It Up * Remember to add in trips, outdoor adventures, the cookie sale and more! See ideas in all the girl s books. When you become a Girl Scout Daisy, you may: Earn Girl Scout Daisy Petals as you learn about Girl Scouting. Put together a scrapbook about yourself and your family. Visit and explore a fire station, animal farm or local park. Adopt a grandparent in a nursing home. Exchange SWAPS with fellow Girl Scouts. Create crafts and have fun with face painting. Learn life skills selling Girl Scout cookies: Goal Setting, Decision Making, Money Management, People Skills and Business Ethics. Visit a Girl Scout Brownie troop. For Daisy uniform essentials: 3663 Peters Creek Rd., NW, Roanoke, VA Check the Skyline Shop website for current shop hours Shop online, anytime: Call/ us an order: or skylineshop@gsvsc.org

4 My daughter can t wait to join! What are our options? The troop experience is especially popular with girls in kindergarten through 5 th grade. As a volunteer-led organization, troop availability depends on adults volunteering to start and lead troops. Being a Girl Scout member does not guarantee a troop for your daughter. To guarantee her a troop, you can volunteer to start a new troop! 2 leaders + $ First Aid/CPR Product Sales Outdoor/Camping Start a troop! What does it take to start a troop? The desire to make a difference in the life of your daughter and other girls her age! To start a troop, you will need two unrelated adult volunteers to serve as leaders and a minimum of 5 girls. No prior Girl Scout experience is necessary to become a troop leader! Free Girl Scout training is provided to all volunteers. New to your community or not sure where to start? Your Girl Scout Community/County has local Girl Scout volunteers and a council staff ready to help you organize a new troop. There may be girls on the waiting list ready to join! You can also talk to your friends, neighbors, and parents of your daughter s friends about teaming up with you to lead a new Girl Scout troop. Ask them if their daughters, nieces, or granddaughters are interested in joining. Dads are welcome to be Girl Scout leaders too! The recommended size for troops is at least 10 girls! Girl Scout troops should be large enough to provide a cooperative learning environment and small enough to allow for the development of individual girls. Recommended troop sizes are as follows: Girl Scout Daisies, kindergarten & 1 st grade: girls Girl Scout Brownies, 2 nd & 3 rd grade: girls Girl Scout Juniors, 4 th & 5 th grade: girls Girl Scout Cadettes, 6 th, 7 th & 8 th grade: girls Girl Scout Seniors, 9 th & 10 th grade: girls Girl Scout Ambassadors, 11 th & 12 th grade: girls When, where, and how often should our troop meet? When: Troop meetings are based around the volunteers family and work schedules. Many troop leaders work fulltime or have full-time family commitments. The benefits of being a troop leader, you can create a routine troop schedule that works for you and your family! Where: Troops can meet at local schools, libraries, churches or community centers, etc. How often: Most Daisy troops meet twice a month. To get started, we recommend new troops host meetings at least once a month and incorporate exciting field trips that enhance the Girl Scout experience. What are the top 5 benefits of being a troop leader? 1. Make memories with your daughter and all of her new friends 2. Be a role model in your community 3. Opportunities for fun and friendship 4. Expand your personal resume and local network 5. Exciting trips and adventures Wait for a troop Drivers/Chaperones Not everyone can set aside time to start a troop. So, we do have the option of placing your daughter on a waiting list. Your daughter will remain on the waiting list until leaders are identified and trained to start a new troop. Girls and adults can join yearround by registering to be individual Girl Scout members. All members can participate in activities, programs, trips and camps throughout our council while waiting for a troop to begin. When a new troop is available, a local volunteer will invite you to attend the new troop parent meeting. You will be contacted via or phone call to attend. It is important that you respond quickly, as new troops fill up fast! Ready to get started? See the 7 Steps to Become a Girl Scout Leader! (opposite page) 3 Girl Scout Daisy Parent Orientation Packet Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline Council

5 7 Steps to Become a Girl Scout Leader 1. Complete your volunteer application Submit your volunteer application and background check online ( or complete the form on page 8. Date: Receive Welcome Letter from Council, confirming receipt of your volunteer application and providing you with training information. Date: Reminder: To be approved as a volunteer, a Leader/Co- Leader must successfully complete a volunteer application and background check and complete the required training (GS101, GS102, and GS103). All troops must have a minimum of two approved adult leaders and at least five girls to start. 2. Start your required training online or in-person GS101: Password: aboutgs101 Date: GS101 Review: Date: GS102* Date: GS103* Date: *New Leader Orientation is required for volunteers taking GS102 online. These trainings are free. 3. Decide on a Troop Meeting location, date(s), and time Meeting Place: Date(s): Time: Helpful Hint: Schedule your troop meetings around your availability. As much as possible, you should take into account your family needs, scheduled events, religious holidays, and, of course, availability of your meeting place. Troops meet at many locations, including schools, churches and local community centers. 4. Schedule and hold a Parent/Guardian Meeting Meeting Place: Date: Time: Troop number is issued after completing GS102 To join Girl Scouts, visit and follow along with the New Parent ebiz Instructions (next page). If you would like to request financial assistance or a paper membership registration form, please call the GSVSC Registrar at (or toll-free: ) or a request for forms to membership@gsvsc.org. 5. Get to know your resources Girl Scout Community Meeting Your official GSVSC Welcome Letter will have information about your local Girl Scout Community. Your Girl Scout Community Meetings will be the best source of information for you as a new leader. At the meetings, you will meet experienced leaders who will be able to answer your questions about planning activities, earning money, bridging and much more. You will also meet new leaders like yourself! Girl Scout Community Team Volunteer Essentials: GS Community Biz e-newsletter: Sky s the Limit (published 2x yearly): Safety Activity Checkpoints: GSVSC website: Girl Scouts of the USA website: Quick-Start Guides (Daisy, Junior & Junior): Journey books The Girl s Guides to Girl Scouting 6. Open a Girl Scout Bank Account All Girl Scout troops must have a troop bank account at a council-approved bank. If you need assistance, contact the Finance Manager at volunteerfinance@gsvsc.org. 7. Hold your first Troop Meeting GS103 will teach you about planning Troop Meetings. Thank you for helping us to build girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. Enjoy your volunteer adventure! Girl Scout Daisy Junior Parent Orientation Packet Girl Scouts of of Virginia Skyline Council 4

6 My Family New Parent Instructions ebiz Membership Registration Go to As a First-time user, please view instructional videos posted When you are ready to proceed, click on Go to ebiz site Once on the ebiz site, First-time users, click on the New Online Account to create username and password Remember, only adults have access to the system and are able to view or manage membership & program records through this account In order to register your daughter, click Add a Family Member, enter her basic mailing and contact information Once family members are added, go to My Family tab to register members Select name(s) by checking the box next to each name. Select Purchase Girl Scout Memberships in the drop box next to I want to and click Go Follow the registration steps to answer questions for each member Be sure to select the CORRECT membership year from the drop down box. Depending on the time of year, you may have more than one option To register with a troop, have the troop number handy! In the PATHWAY ENTRY section, select Troop, and insert the troop number using 5 digits by adding zeroes as needed. (Ex. Troop 292 would be entered as 00292) To register as an individual Girl Scout, skip the PATHWAY ENTRY section. By not inserting a troop number, your daughter will be registered with GSVSC as an IRGS (Individually Registered Girl Scout). To have your daughter transferred into the Girl Scout Community in which she lives or to a troop, contact the ebiz Manager at ebiz@gsvsc.org to request a transfer. Process and payment. You must process each person individually before being added to the shopping cart. Remember, memberships are NOT active until you have processed payment and received a receipt Don t forget to return to ebiz to register your daughter(s) for FUN Girl Scout Council Programs! Parents use ebiz site to: Manage your online account Update your/your daughter(s) contact information Renew your/your daughter(s) membership Register you/your daughter(s) for programs Register for in-person adult learning courses Print membership card for the current year Need assistance? If you have created an adult record and do not see your daughter(s) records under My Family tab, please CES/ ebiz Manager at ebiz@gsvsc.org If a child is labeled as managed by another adult, that adult must log in to renew her membership. If the website indicates to contact GSVSC for any reason, please CES/eBiz Manager at ebiz@gsvsc.org and include: Full legal name, address, & birthdate (month/day/year) How do we join? Girls and adults can join Girl Scouts any time of the year. Simply sign up and pay the Girl Scout membership fees. To join Girl Scouts, visit and follow along with the New Parent Instructions (shown on left). If you would like to request financial assistance or a paper membership registration form, please call the GSVSC Registrar at (or toll-free: ) or a request for forms to membership@gsvsc.org. Once registered as Girl Scout members, you and your daughter can sign up to participate in activities and events throughout the membership year. Ready for more fun? Events, Programs, Travel, Summer Camps and MORE! Check out the GSVSC Calendar at to join the fun! Girl Scout summer camp and other fun events can be found on our website, in The Sky s the Limit and in Summertime Sensations. You can register for these activities online through ebiz at So what are you waiting for? Join the FUN today! Parent Participation As a registered adult Girl Scout member, there are many ways you can help just submit the volunteer application and background check! You can volunteer for any of these troop positions: Troop Leader First Aid/CPR Driver/Chaperone Product Sales (Fall & Cookie) Outdoor/Camping It takes a village to make sure girls have the opportunity to join Girl Scouts in the 36 counties our council serves! Actually, it takes a Girl Scout volunteer team! In addition to the positions listed above, there are many key volunteer team positions that may be available in your GS Community/County. Please contact your GSVSC Volunteer Services Manager ( org/who-we-are/staff-directory/) for more information about volunteering in your Girl Scout Community/County! 5 Girl Scout Daisy Parent Orientation Packet Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline Council

7 Need further assistance? Need help starting a new troop or want your daughter placed on the waiting list? Please contact the volunteer Membership Placement Facilitator (find yours online at join/find-a-troop). If a local volunteer is not available, please contact the GSVSC Membership Manager. Local Contacts: Position: Home: ( ) Cell: ( ) Position: Home: ( ) Cell: ( ) Position: Home: ( ) Cell: ( ) Position: Home: ( ) Cell: ( ) Position: Home: ( ) Cell: ( ) Position: Home: ( ) Cell: ( ) Online Resources: Everything you need to volunteer is located online: You can fill out your volunteer application, initiate the background check and start your training! What could be easier? Girl Scout Daisy Parent Orientation Packet Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline Council 6

8 For your records: Criminal Background Check Policy and Procedures Protecting the girls and young women in our charge is a top priority, and screenings are integral parts of our due diligence process and risk management policy. At Girl Scouts, the screening of volunteers (and employees) includes criminal background checks, which are performed by Intellicorp, an independent, third-party, background-screening agency. The criminal history record, as received from the report agencies, may include arrest and conviction data, plea bargains, deferred adjudication, as well as social security verification. It may also include information regarding driving history. This information will be used, in part, to determine eligibility for a volunteer position with this organization. The criminal background check may be repeated at any time. All information received during the volunteer screening process will be treated confidentially and will be used only by Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline Council staff directly involved with the screening of a particular volunteer. The reports come only to GSVSC and not to any other agencies or organizations. When a record of criminal history is received, the volunteer services specialist will review the record. If the history contains a conviction for any of the crimes listed in the policy statement, it will be referred to the Chief Executive Officer or his/her designated representative. A letter of pre-adverse action with a copy of the report will be sent to the individual by certified mail. The individual will have 10 days from the date of receipt to respond and take appropriate action to resolve the matter as described above. If the matter is not resolved within that timeframe, the Chief Executive Officer will send the adverse action letter to the individual by certified mail. A letter of rejection (containing no confidential information) will be sent to the Virginia Skyline Council supervisor of the applicant/volunteer, and the staff supervisor will receive a copy. All records and information concerning positive background checks will be handled discreetly and confidentially. Records will be kept in a locked cabinet and accessed by the Chief Executive Officer or his/her designated representative. 7 Girl Scout Daisy Parent Orientation Packet Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline Council

9 Verified Volunteers Current volunteer? No Yes GIRL SCOUT VOLUNTEER APPLICATION What position are you applying for? Troop leader/co-leader Driver/chaperone Product sales One-time event Camp Training/facilitator Other (specify) What grade/program level (if applicable)? Kindergarten/Daisy 1 st grade/daisy 2 nd grade/brownie 3 rd grade/brownie 4 th grade/junior 5 th grade/junior 6 th grade/cadette 7 th grade/cadette 8 th grade/cadette 9 th grade/senior 10 th grade/senior 11 th grade/ambassador 12 th grade/ambassador Girl Scout Community/Service Unit/County: School (if applicable): Troop number (if applicable): Are you available to volunteer (check all that apply): Days Evenings Weekends PERSONAL INFORMATION (required). Please provide your complete LEGAL name. First Middle Last Suffix (if applicable) Previous legal name/maiden (if applicable) Nickname/alias (if applicable) SS #: - - Date of birth: Driver s license #: Mailing address: City: State: Zip: County(ies) and state(s) of residence for 10 past years: Permanent address (if different from above): City: State: Zip: Length of time at current address: Phone number: - - This number is for: cell home work Best time to contact: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. 5-8 p.m. Best way to contact: phone Have you ever been convicted of a criminal offense either a misdemeanor or a felony, including traffic violations? No Yes If yes, please give date, nature of offense, city/state/country, and disposition: (A criminal record will not necessarily bar an applicant; a criminal record will be considered as it relates to the specifics of the position for which you have applied.) 4249 R 10/2014

10 Has your driver s license ever been suspended, revoked or disqualified, or is it currently revoked, suspended or disqualified (including for medical purposes)? No Yes If yes, when? EXPERIENCE Girl Scout experience (girl or adult): Community/campus involvement: Organization Position(s) Date Started What talents and skills are you willing to share to benefit Girl Scouting? This is an application for a volunteer position working with girls for Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline. A background check will be conducted on all applicants. In the selection of adults, there shall be no discrimination against an otherwise qualified adult on the basis of race, ethnicity, sex, creed, national origin, socioeconomic status, age, or disability. I authorize GSVSC to conduct a background check on me as required by state and/or federal law. I certify that my answers to the above questions are true and complete and that I have not knowingly withheld any information requested. I understand that any misrepresentation or omission of facts will be cause for disqualification of this application or for later dismissal. If appointed as a volunteer, I agree to abide by the philosophies as stated in the Girl Scout Promise and Law and in the policies of Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline Council, to register with Girl Scouts of the USA, and to fulfill the volunteer responsibilities to the best of my ability, including taking the required training for the position. Applicant s signature: Date: To protect your confidentiality, place the completed application in an envelope and return it immediately to: Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline Council, Attn: Membership & Volunteer Services Specialist, 3663 Peters Creek Road, NW, Roanoke, VA Or you may fax it to Any questions? Call Please allow 5-7 business days for processing R 10/2014

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