Me2 Magazine sale

Beginning February 17^th girls will be able to register online at www.girlscoutmagazines.com/gscm and begin creating their Me2, an avatar that looks like them. Girls simply send emails to friends and family asking them to purchase magazines that will support her troop and Girl Scouts of Central Maryland.  It’s easy and fun for the girls to learn e-commerce and e-marketing skills.

Here’s what your Girl Scout needs to know to get started:

• Her Council (Girl Scouts of Central Maryland)
• Her Troop Number

There is no work involved for the adult troop volunteers. However, a troop volunteer can login into the system to track their girl’s progress. The troop will earn 15% of the profits.

Girls can earn patches too!

• The “#Sparkle” patch for sending 15 emails.
• The “Do the Bright Thing” patch for selling 1 magazine
• The “Dare to Dazzle” Patch for selling 3 magazines
• Plus: if a girl sells 6 magazine subscriptions she will earn a personalized patch with her name and Me2 avatar.
• One troop leader per troop can earn a volunteer avatar patch if she logs into the online system and the troop reaches $250.00 in total troop sales

Also, for all of the girls who sold 100 boxes of cookies in the Girl Scout Cookie program, you are eligible to receive the patch below. All you have to do is send out 15 emails in the magazine program and you will earn this once in a lifetime patch.

Remember: In order to have qualified for this patch, you must have already sold 100 boxes of cookies in the Girl Scout Cookie program and you will need to send 15 emails in the Me2 Magazine Program.

There’s one more webinar before the sale begins for parents to learn more about the magazine sale and how girls earn the patches. Join us on February 16 at 6pm. Register here.

The webinars will be recorded and posted to GSCM’s website for future reference.

On February 17, the sales link (www.girlscoutmagazines.com/gscm) will open for girls to start their store-front, set-up, and send emails! Please note that the link will not be live until 2/17/17.

If you have any questions regarding the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland Me2 Magazine Sale, please email membercare@gscm.org.

Stella and Dot and Girl Scouts

GSUSA’s announcement regarding a partnership with the Stella and Dot cause marketing campaign may have created some confusion about Girl Scouts and Girl Scout volunteers’ involvement with the campaign. Here are some facts that should answer any questions regarding girls’ and volunteers’ involvement with this retail company:

This is NOT an approved money earning activity.

According to GS USA’s Volunteer Essentials (p.73), Girl Scouts should avoid fundraising for other organizations. Further Girl Scouts should avoid selling or endorsing commercial products: “commercial products” is any product sold at retail. Since 1939, girls and volunteers have not been allowed to endorse, provide a testimonial for, or sell such products.

Stella and Dot is a cause marketing campaign and as part of the campaign, they will donate all net proceeds from eligible sales (with a commitment of no less than 20 percent of the retail purchase price) of its “Wishing Bracelet Protective Eye” during the period of February 18 – March 18, 2017 to Girl Scouting programs.  Below are excerpts from GSUSA’s statement regarding independent stylists:

Can Girl Scout volunteers or council employees spread the word or host trunk shows for the bracelet?

This is a promotion being conducted by Stella & Dot and its network of independent stylists. We understand that some Girl Scout volunteers and employees may also be Stella & Dot Stylists. However, note that any trunk show-hosting involvement is to be conducted in an individual capacity and not on behalf of Girl Scouts.

As a Stylist, can I donate my commission to Girl Scouts?

A Stella & Dot Stylist, like any other individual, can choose to make a donation to Girl Scouts. As described above, any stylist activity should be carried out in an individual capacity rather than a Girl Scout capacity.

Recognizing Volunteer Service with an Adult Recognition

Girl Scouts of Central Maryland volunteers give generously of their time, talents and skills and deserve to be recognized for the valuable work they do. When volunteers have given significant service above and beyond their position, they should be considered for a GSUSA or GSCM award. If you know of an outstanding volunteer who deserves one of these awards, please take the time to nominate them. A full listing of award deadlines and information on each of the awards can be found in the Volunteer Recognitions section of our website.

The spring deadline to submit nominations for Adult Recognitions is February 28. (Please note, we also have the GSCM Daisy Award – nominations are accepted year round for this award and require Service Team approval.)

If you have any questions, please contact membercare@gscm.org

As a reminder, the following awards require Board Approval and are not available for presentation in late April – Appreciation, Black-Eyed Susan, Honor (presented at Annual Council Meeting in May), Thanks Badge and Thanks Badge II (presented at the Annual Council Meeting), and the President’s Award (presented at the Annual Meeting).

Submit Your Work for the Kris Dunbar Nature Art Center’s First Annual Nature Art Exhibition

The Kris Dunbar Nature Art Center (KDNAC) is hosting its First Annual Nature Art Exhibition at the BIG Outdoors Event on Sunday, April 23, 2017, 10am – 3pm, at GSCM’s Camp Ilchester, in Ellicott City, Maryland. 

This is a non-juried art exhibition. There will be no judging of any pieces exhibited. Girl Scouts and members of the public are invited to view the nature artwork displayed during this exhibition.

This exhibit invites Girl Scout artists to create their own interpretations of nature in any or all of the following four categories:

1. The Face of Nature: Imagine how your face or the face(s) of other people would look if some of the features were replaced by elements from nature. For example, hair replaced by leaves, pine needles, seeds or even the entire canopy of a tree or forest; nuts, shells, stones, leaves or others as eyes, nose, lips, or ears. Your entry could be a collage using found materials from nature. Alternatively, you may wish to paint or “Photoshop” your nature-face. Sculpture may work well in this category. This is open to your interpretation as to how to create your submission.
2. Passage of Time: Portray the same location or object/group at different times. For instance, a favorite tree during each of the four seasons. Maybe a snowman from creation through final melt down. Choice of media and technique is entirely at your discretion.
3. Pollinator Pop Art: This year’s BIG Outdoors Event theme is pollinators. Show us your vision of pollinators working, living, playing using pop art forms such as anime, manga, cartoon, comic book, exaggeration, and so on. This should be loads of fun!
4. Girl Scouts’ Art in the Outdoors: Show us what you produced while earning the Art in the Outdoors badge for your level. Any and ALL art created in support of earning the badges in this series will be accepted.

Click here for more information and to find entry rules and guidelines.

Camp Registration is open!

Whether your Girl Scout is a first-time camper or a veteran seeking new adventures, she’ll find fun, friendship and memories to last a lifetime at Girl Scout summer camp! Find the perfect camp session for her in Great Adventures or view our programs by grade level at gscm.org. See the adventure that awaits in the video below:

First Aid/CPR Class

Date: Saturday, March 4
Time: 9am – 1pm
Location:  Clementine Peterson Activity Center
Level: Adults

This training will cover basic First Aid and CPR training for adults, children, and infants. The fee for this course is $40.

Register here.