Girl Scouts of the Commonwealth of Virginia Cookie Kick-Off Events

Girl Scouts of the Commonwealth of Virginia invites Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast Council to participate in their annual cookie kick-off event, Cookie Craze.

Girl Scout Cookie Craze is the annual kick-off event for the world’s largest girl-led business – Girl Scout Cookies! Cookie Craze is a night where Girl Scouts and our famous cookies are put in the spotlight. This event brings together Girl Scouts, families, friends and Girl Scout cookie lovers to celebrate girl power. Girl Scouts will focus on building skills around goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics—aspects essential to leadership, to success, and to life.

We know our Girl Scouts are smart cookies but we also know they like to play! So after all the goal setting is done and sales techniques are learned, we will all play! Cookie Craze will feature over 100,000 square feet of off the chart, family-friendly fun for all ages! We end our night rocking out with a live concert by X-Factor Finalists and girl super group Fifth Harmony!

 As a special bonus, Girl Scouts of the Commonwealth of Virginia is offering Girl Scouts of Colonial Coast members an additional $10 off any full price ticket by using the promotional code 10FRIEND10. Additionally, they are offering a fantastic group rate for groups of 20 or more. Group tickets can be purchased by calling 1 (800) 4 SCOUT 4.

 

For additional information, email gscookiecraze@comgirlscouts.org.

2014 Volunteer Support Team Retreat - "We're All in this Together!"

JANUARY 17-18, 2014

Volunteer Support Team Retreat 2014

"We're All In This Together" will be the theme of the Volunteer Support Team and Adult Learning Facilitator Retreat that will be held January 17-18, 2014, in Camp Skimino's Enmeier Center.  This retreat is for Community and Service Unit level volunteer support team members (includes adult learning facilitators).

Friday night we will open the doors for check-in at 6 p.m. Saturday will be a full day of activities from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m..  Join us for team building and professional development workshops plus a lot of fun activities. View event details here, and register now here.

Overnight Accommodations:

There is still time to reserve a hotel room (at your own expense) or you can stay at Camp Skimino.  You can decide where you want to spend the night!  

The two hotels where we have blocks of rooms under "GSCCC" are listed below.  

  

Days Inn Williamsburg

902 Richmond Road

Williamsburg, VA 23185

757-229-5060

Rates:  $48.23 for up to 4 people in a room (includes tax)

Must reserve by January 10, 2014

OR

Holiday Inn Express

720 Lightfoot Road

Williamsburg, VA 23188

757-220-0062

Rates:  $68.54 for up to 4 people in a room (tax and occupancy fee already included)

Deadline Extended!  Must reserve by January 10, 2014

Block of rooms for both hotels is listed under “GSCCC”.

Please contact Cheryl McGrenra, Adult Learning Manager, at 757-410-0595 or cherylm@gsccc.org with any questions.

Delegate Training Webinar Recording

Service unit delegates who were unable to attend the face-to-face meeting or one of the webinars can now view a recording of the webinar. Register through ebiz, and you will receive an email message with the link to the recording.  At the end of the recording, you will be asked to complete a short questionnaire.  You will receive credit for completing this training requirement once the questionnaire is submitted.

Register for the webinar recording here.

(https://gsusa.ebiz.uapps.net/vp/FamilyManagement/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductId=222322796&featured=1)

For questions, contact Cheryl McGrenra, Adult Learning Manager, at adultlearning@gsccc.org.

Helping Hands Food Drive 2014 - Service Unit Coordinators Needed

Save the Date!

The 2014 Girl Scouts of Colonial Coast Helping Hands Food Drive will be held as a month long community service project in April, a time when local food banks have the biggest need.

 

Girls can collect food in many ways. Consider a food drive competition at your school or meeting place, in your neighborhood, or at a local business. Bring the food you’ve collected to a local food bank agency food pantry or the food bank location nearest to you. On April 26, 2014, food bank and food pantry trucks will be available at several locations throughout the council to collect any food that has not been delivered to a pantry or food bank.

 

Adult Opportunities

• Food Drive Coordinators -  one needed per service unit
• Provide food drive information and support to your service unit
• Attend webinar training,  January 30, 2014 -  8-9 p.m.
• Food Drive Collection Site Coordinators - one needed for each collection site. Collection site locations will be posted on the website and in GO!

Girl Opportunities

• Collecting non-perishable food items
• Volunteering at a collection site alongside the food bank volunteers

Enter the pounds and pounds contest!

The troop that collects the most pounds of food per girl will win a workshop with Spectrum Puppets! Best of luck, have fun with it and remember you are part of a long standing tradition of Girl Scouts giving back to the community!

Helping Hands Food Drive Patch

Complete the requirements for the Helping Hands Food Drive Patch (available on gsccc.org in January) as you collect food and learn about hunger in Virginia and North Carolina. Helping Hands Food Drive patches will be available for purchase in the council shops.

 

 

Food Bank Tours

Food bank tours will be available at the following locations:

• Food Bank of the Albemarle – Contact Carolyn Anderson, Food Resource Coordinator at 252-335-4035 ext. 114.
• Southeastern Virginia Food Bank –http://vhub.at/GirlScouts to schedule your tour.
• Peninsula Food Bank – Contact Donna Tighe at dtighe@hrfoodbank.org or 757.596.7188 to schedule a tour.

Additional details will be available in GO! and on the gsccc.org website. 

Questions? Jacqueline Brooks - jacquelineb@gsccc.org

 

 

 

 

GSCCC Scrapbooking Group

The December 14 meeting of the GSCCC Scrapbooking Group has been cancelled. The next scheduled gathering will be January 11 at Riverside Methodist Church in Elizabeth City. For more information, email scrapbooking@gsccc.org.

Look Ahead to 2014!

The Girl Scouts annual cycle of activities and events is based on seasons, school calendars, facility availability, etc.  The Service Unit Operations Calendar & Agendas are tools for service unit volunteer support teams to use when planning monthly leader/volunteer meetings. Look ahead and get a jump on 2014! 

GSCCC Holiday Hours

The Peninsula office and retail shop and the Chesapeake retail shop will be closed on Friday, December 13, 2013. The Chesapeake office will be open regular hours on December 13.

All offices and shops will be closed beginning Tuesday, December 24 and will resume regular hours January 2, 2014.

Have a safe and happy holiday!

Be A Joy Maker This Holiday Season with generationOn

This holiday season generationOn is asking kids of all ages to give joy and Be a Joy Maker by turning acts of service into donations of toys and games for kids in need. From now through December 20, 2013, for each action a child or teen takes to help others, Hasbro will donate a toy or game to Toys for Tots - up to 1 million dollars’ worth!

In communities across America, thousands of kids and teens are wrapping toys for military families, conducting canned food drives, collecting clothes and blankets for homeless shelters and doing other acts of kindness. As part of the fourth annual Be a Joy Maker program, 32 young celebrities from TV, films and music are encouraging their nearly 3 million Twitter and Facebook fans – and inspiring young people everywhere - to “give joy” this holiday season.

Click here to see a video created by generationOn’s celebrity “Joy Makers” and go to givejoy.generationOn.org for details on how to make your action count.

Shop News

December 10 – 12 only:  Holiday Madness Sale. Receive 15% 0ff anything in the store. (Cannot be combined with any other promotion, coupon, or discount.)

The Chesapeake and Peninsula retail shops will be closed on Friday, December 13, 2013.

December 10 –23
Spend $50 or more and receive a GSCCC ornament for FREE! *
20% off scrap-booking kits accessories *
20% dolls and doll clothing *

* While supplies last on all items. In-store purchases only. Cannot be combined with any other promotion, coupon, or discount. Not affiliated with any GSUSA offers or promotions. Promotions good on in-stock items only.

Read more about these great stocking stuffers.

Crystal Bracelets $8.00		Knit Gloves $8.50
Trefoil Pattern Mouse Pad, $4.99		Zipper Bracelet, $5.50

New Items:

Girl Scout Zip-Front Fleece Jacket $24.95

Girl Scout Loom Band  Kit $11.95

The State of Girls: Unfinished Business

Girl Scouts of the USA has released a new study today from the Girl Scout Research Institute. The State of Girls: Unfinished Business stakes out the key issues and major trends affecting girls’ healthy development in the United States today and shares demographic trends in the country.

The study finds that there is promising news for girls in regards to their educational attainment, extracurricular and volunteer activities, reduction of risk behaviors and connection to the digital world. However, the report also states that girls are being left behind—they are struggling in their everyday lives at school, at home and in other social situations with issues such as relational aggression, bullying and depression.

Within this newly reported data, the study finds that girls are not faring the same. African American and Hispanic girls face significant challenges in making successful transitions to adulthood. Poverty and lack of resources limit many African American and Hispanic girls from having access to good healthcare and nutrition, the opportunity to prioritize education and the chance to explore extracurricular activities.

With this information, it is important to recognize that data is not destiny. Girl Scouts is committed to ensuring that all girls reach their full potential by continuing to develop programs that meet the needs of all girls.

Young Audiences of Virginia presents: The Arts Are Wild!

CELEBRATE LITERACY & ARTS-IN-EDUCATION
Saturday, May 3, 2014

11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Virginia Zoo, Norfolk 

Regular Zoo admission pricing applies


The Safari of Fun begins at 11 am and will continue until 4 pm. The cost of this event is included in the General Admission to the Zoo - there is no additional charge for any of the Young Audiences of Virginia (YAV) performances or featured artists.

 

Visit Young Audiences of Virginia Literacy Exploration Stations:

Meet the Author
Anna Dewdney • Marsha Diane Arnold • Irene Smalls • Terri Sloat • Chris DeMarest • Jean Vinson • Judy Schachner • Eric Kimmel • Betsy & Giulio Maestrol • Connie Porter • Jerry Pallotta • Jane Yolen • Author/Illustrator, Bentley Boyd • Poet, Brod Bagert


Story Boarding
Graphic Visual Artists lead participants through the same process Steven Spielberg uses to develop a story. Children will build the story by describing it then drawing it.


Poet Tree Station
Poets introduce children to the world of prose. Inspiration and creativity are the name of the game as participants learn the art of poetry. The children will then decorate and hang their poems on the "POET TREE"! This station helps keep the timeless art of poetry alive by developing young poets.


Heroes Journey  A roll of the dice helps children select a character ("Papa Smurf" to "Darth Vador"), scenario, conflict, and resolution. They are then guided through the process of drawing or writing the stories that emerge.

Book Nook  Featuring a "Basket-o-Books"! Guest readers delight young listeners with animated fun. Reading comes alive with the Tableaux Theater acting out the story as it’s being read.

Imagine Nation  This inspiring station offers a unique view from a child’s perspective of what America has been, is now, or will be. Visual artists guide children through the process of putting their perspectives on paper. Children develop and strengthen their identities as Americans, and cultivate a sense of investment in their country.


Mask Making & Puppeteer
Puppeteers and Visual artists lead children through an exploration of ancient cultures. They will examine meanings of patterns and symbols found in various cultures masks. Children will then create masks using patterns and symbols they just learned as well as be inspired to create their own.


Musical ‘Petting’ Zoo
Musical artists dive into the world of instruments including homemade instruments. This hands-on station exposes children to a wide range of instruments and guidance from real musicians. Children explore their own musical creativity during this unique opportunity using a wide-range of musical tools.


Character Eyes
Manga art instructor provides an inside look at the widely popular comic book art style. Children will learn how characters are visualized and emerge from the story writer or illustrator. They will learn how to draw their favorite characters.

 

 

 

Volunteer Opportunity
Young Audiences of Virginia is looking for Girl Scout Volunteers to volunteer at their stations.

To find out more about volunteer opportunities, contact:

  Michael Kerry Williams

Executive Director, Young Audiences – Arts for Learning – Virginia
Phone: 757.466.7555 ext. 305
Toll Free: 1.800.314.ARTS
Executivedirector@yav.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Service Unit Delegate Training

All delegate chairs, delegates and alternates are expected to attend training for their positions.  If you haven't attended the face-to-face training or the first webinar, you can still register for the webinar on Tuesday, December 3rd.  Please register here.

Plan to attend the Annual Council Meeting on Saturday, March 8, 2014, at Norfolk State University. Registration details will be forthcoming.

GS Program Basics Classes

Do you still need to attend the GS Program Basics class?  Please register NOW to check it off your "To Do List" for 2013.

There are two classes scheduled, so pick the date that works for you.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013
6:30-9:30 p.m.
A Place for Girls, Chesapeake

OR

Thursday, December 12, 2013 (rescheduled from Monday, December 9, 2013)
6:30-9:30 p.m.
St. Luke's United Methodist Church, Virginia Beach

You must register for the class, and you can register here.  Please contact support@gsccc.org if you need assistance registering.

Crests to Caverns - Luray Caverns and Natural Bridge

April 12-15, 2014
$450* (all inclusive)
Non‐refundable $50 deposit due at registration
Payment in full required by March 15, 2014
Registration Deadline – December 31, 2013
Open to Girl Scout Juniors, Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors

Trip highlights:
· Luray Caverns & Garden Maze
· Bear Mountain Zip Lines
· Natural Bridge Park
· Virginia Safari Park

The West Kempsville Service Unit offers a new Spring Trip opportunity, a “mini‐trip” to explore two of Virginia’s natural treasures, Luray Caverns and Natural Bridge.

 Adult spaces are limited to maximize girl participation.
Adults over the pre-set limit will be placed on a wait list in case girl spaces do not fill to capacity.

*This trip is still in the early planning stages. All information, including cost and activities, are subject to change.

Questions? Contact Brandi Morgan at webmaster.wksu@gmail.com
For more information visit: www.wksu‐travelpathway.weebly.com