News

The Board of Directors for Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay meets six times per year to set strategic direction for the council, ensure that GSCB has the necessary resources and provide oversight when necessary. 

At the most recent Board of Directors meeting on September 20, 2017 they voted on the following agenda items: 

1. Approval of 2017-2018 Association Chairs: 

• Association I: Maria Knox
• Association II: Beth Mayson
• Association III: Terri Mulliken
• Association IV: Denise Matz
• Association V: Cheri Stewart
• Association VI: Joan Przywara

2. Board Committee Chair Appointments: 

• Vanessa Phillips: Diversity Committee
• Barbara Dodge: Long Range Property Task Group
• Tammy Ordway: Investment Committee

3. Approval of 2017-2018 Strategic Priorities:

• To grow girl membership base
• To develop a sustainable model for volunteering
• To diversify funding to drive sustainability

4. Approval of 2017-2018 Budget

If you are interested in joining our Board of Directors or serving on our Board Development Committee, send us an application or contact Amy Benson. 

When I became a Girl Scout Brownie, I was about six or seven and lived in small, rural community in Western New York. I had no idea at the time that I would be making friends that I have kept in touch with for over 30 years and that I’d become the leader of my own daughter’s Girl Scout troop 33 years later.

In this fast paced, technology driven, social media age we now live in, it has become difficult for adults and kids to form the kind of bonds of lifelong friendship that seemed so easy to do back when I was a six year old Brownie in pig tails and a sash back in my hometown circa 1986-1987.

Starting simple conversations and forming connections without being behind a keyboard or some kind of device has become awkward for a lot of people. This has given way to the premise that young girls and young people today are just another part of the “me” generation and only want to be known best for their individual achievements shared on social media platforms rather than developing leadership skills as members of a larger group.

Becoming reacquainted with Girl Scouts as the leader of my daughter’s troop has given my daughter, my scouts and me a chance to change that narrative. I realized that now I have the chance to show the community we live in and maybe even the world that young girls, in particular, are so much more than superficial kids who have no permanent fixture in society who would rather be reduced to a sound bite, tweet, like or share.

With...

Several troops and Service Units have reached out to the offices at GSCB asking what they can do to help our sister Girl Scouts affected by the hurricanes. Recently, GSUSA lifted fundraising restrictions in light of Hurricane Harvey. They are also in the process of surveyed the damage by Hurricane Irma. This story will be updated once decisions have been made.

Fundraising efforts are in place with the intention of providing membership scholarships to impacted girls: dues, uniforms, insignia and Girl Scout materials. To contribute to this effort, go to www.girlscouts.org/hurricaneharvey or text HurricaneHarvey to 41444. You can give to the fund for all four councils, which GSUSA will distribute based on their need, or you can choose a specific council. 

How else can you help? Get your girls involved and help them make a difference in the life of a sister Girl Scout! Girl Scouts of San Jacinto in Houston, TX is asking troops to print and decorate a Trefoil with a special note of encouragement and mail it to: Girl Scouts of San Jacino Council, Attn: Development - Help for Harvey, 3110 Southwest Fwy., Houston, TX 77098. 

Please check back here for more information on how Gi...

Excited about the new STEM journeys, but not sure where to start? Our STEM Specialist is hosting several two-hour training sessions that cover the new STEM content for Daisies, Brownies and Juniors. Each training includes the structure for journeys and the activities in each journey or badge. 

Each training will go through Think Like an Engineer, Think Like a Programmer, and Think Like a Citizen Scientist for that grade level. You'll also learn about the badges offered for those journeys, what the engineering design process is, how you teach computational thinking, and how you organize a citizen scientist project.

Daisy Training

September 20, 2017, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Northern Resource Center, 225 Old Baltimore Pike, Newark, DE 19702

Brownie Training

September 22, 2017, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Northern Resource Center, 225 Old Baltimore Pike, Newark, DE 19702

Junior Training

September 25, 2017, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Northern Resource Center, 225 Old Baltimore Pike, Newark, DE 19702

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All registered Girl Scouts age 14 and older are invited to attend Association Meetings. The focus of these meetings will be the upcoming 2017 National Council Session proposals and Adult Recognitions. 

 Association I: September 25, 2017 at 6:30 p.m.

Service Unit 89

Market Street UMC, Front Assembly Hall

75 Market St. Onancock, VA

 Association II: September 21, 2017 at 6:30 p.m. 

Service Units 6, 7, 10, 14, 15, 97

GSCB Peninsula Resource Center

1246 Belmont Ave., Salisbury, MD

 Association III: September 19, 2017 at 6:30 p.m.

Service Units 4, 34, 36, 88

Program Center at Camp Todd...

Recently, House Bill 240 was introduced which would change aspects of the personal income tax code. In this proposed bill, the charitable gift deduction will be eliminated. This change would have a negative impact on individual giving which pays for services to Delaware citizens.

In other states which restricted the charitable gift deduction, giving decreased almost immediately, In fact, Hawaii which capped the gift deduction in 2012 eliminated the restriction the follow year due to the devastating reduction in charitable giving. Michigan lawmakers are considering bringing back the charitable gift deduction they eliminated in 2011. 

With sizeable state government funding reductions for services which care for our most vulnerable citizens, the proposed removal of the charitable gift deduction in HB240 would impact every community-based organization across the state. 

Girl Scouts is proud to partner with organizations and coalitions in the nonprofit sector to ensure that nonprofits not only survive but flourish as employers who provide essential services. We support policies that help nonprofits screen, recruit, and retain staff and volunteers, as well as incentivize charitable giving. Girl Scouts is also committed to supporting policies that help us deliver on our mission and increase our capacity to serve girls. To that end, we educate policymakers on the value of having a strong nonprofit sector.

What can you do? 

...

We are only a few short weeks away from our new online membership system! Thank you all so much for your patience and your help through this process. All of our data has successfully migrated from Personify to Volunteer Systems, and we will be working through next week to test the system. 

There is one major update with Volunteer Systems.  Our Go-Live date has been moved to Wednesday, May 24th.  Parents, you will be receiving an email on Monday, May 22nd that invites you to create your account on Volunteer Systems.  On Tuesday, May 23rd troop leaders will receive an additional email to help them set up their accounts as well. This means that if you are at troop leader and your daughter is a Girl Scout, you will be receiving two different emails.  The Early Bird dates are not changing. Early Bird will still run from May 22-July 31. Learn more about Early Bird here. 

Have you heard about the Volunteer Toolkit, or the VTK yet? This tool will revolutionize your Girl Scout experience!  Here are just a few ways the VTK will improve the lives of troop  leaders: 

Plan the troop's calender year Email parents with one click  View Daisy, Brownie and Junior Journeys and badges to plan for troop meetings Access the VTK as a multilevel troop Explore individual meeting plans that show a brea...

This is the big week where all of our data is migrating from Personify to Volunteer Systems!  Thank you for all of your hard work updating troop information.  This has been critical in the success of this process. In preparation for Migration Weekend, we will be postponing membership processing so that we can work in one system. Starting Friday May 5^th, you will see a maintenance page appear on Personify, and you will be asked to contact council. If you have new membership information that needs to be processed, it will be held until we go live with Volunteer Systems on May 22^nd. 

Speaking of going live on May 22^nd--that is also when we are kicking off Early Bird registration! As we are getting ready to move into this new system, keep an eye on your inbox.  You will receive an email from gsusacustomercare@girlscouts.org on Saturday May 20^th to help you set up your user profile. Troop leaders will receive an additional email on Sunday, May 21^st. Setting up your user profile allows you to access your membership, make any changes and renew for next year! Troop leaders will have access to the Volunteer Toolkit (VTK) which will help you plan your year and revolutionize your Girl Scout experience. 

On Monday, May 22nd, you will notice a gold "My GS" tab that appears next to "SUPPORT" on our website. This is where you will log in to the Member C...

More than 85 out of 112 councils have moved onto CEI. Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay are a few short weeks away from going live, so here are a few updates on what we have been working on:

• We completed our business simulation. Thank you to everyone who helped clean up troop data in Personify. We will continue to clean up our data through the end of May. If you know of any changes to your troop, or if you can add missing data regarding addresses, emails and/or primary guardians, please update the information in Personify or email Robert Biscaro.
• We defined our new organizational structure. In order to align with Volunteer Systems, which will be replacing Personify in May, we have reorganized our staff to work more efficiently. We have also added a Member Care department to ensure that any issues are resolved faster. 
• We have completed training on Volunteer Systems. On Thursday, the majority of the GSCB staff participated in an all-day training on Volunteer Systems. As we move closer to our go-live date, we will be going through more in-depth training based on job function. 
• Our Early Bird campaign this year will be May 22-July 31. So that we are not working in Volunteer Systems and Personify, we are postponing our Early Bird campaign until May 22. More information will be going out about Early Bird closer to the date. 

Do you know about the Volunteer Toolkit (VTK)?...

Girl Scout volunteers are a special brand of volunteer. These incredible women (and men!) generously give their time to mentor and inspire girls throughout the Delmarva Peninsula with a little bit of patience, a lot of love and deep dedication to the Girl Scout mission. They know how important it is to give girls the tools to become leaders in their own lives and discover the world around them. 

From organizing service projects to camp-outs and travel experiences girls will never forget, out Girl Scout volunteers give their all to help girls thrive. There are not enough words to express how important volunteers are to Girl Scouts.  Without their commitment to unleashing the the G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-Taker, Leader)^TM in every girl, we couldn't and wouldn't be the largest girls' leadership organization in the wold. 

Join us in celebrating our amazing volunteers this April during National Volunteer Month, National Volunteer Week (April 23-29) and on Girl Scout Leader's Day, April 22. We hope you'll take a moment to say thank you to the Girl Scout volunteer who made a difference in your life. 

Here are just a few ways to say thank you: 

Make something. Who doesn't love a homemade gift from the heart? Show your favorite Girl Scout volunteer just how much they mean to you and get creativ...

SoDel Concepts presents the 5th annual Girl Scout Cookie Throwdown at Northeast Seafood Kitchen in Ocean View. Sample 11 chef inspired desserts all featuring a Girl Scout Cookie, vote on your favorite, and cheer for the winner who will be awarded the coveted Matt Haley Girl Scout Cookie Cup. This event is free and open to the public. Appetizers and full bar available for purchase.  

Girl Scout Cookie Throwdown

Thursday March 30, 2017

6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

NorthEast Seafood Kitchen, 29 F Atlantic Avenue,

Ocean View, DE 19970

Here are just a few of the wonderful desserts you have to look forward to:

Bluecoast

Toffeetastic Candy Bar Salted Toffetasic Rice Krispy Treat, Dark Chocolate Carmel Sauce and Carmel Almond Crisps 

Fish ON!

S'mores Brownie Cheesecake Chocolate Ganache, Torched Marshmallo...

Whether you are working with your first or your fifth Girl Scout troop, you'd be amazed at what resources Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay has!  We are hosting three Leader Resource Fairs throughout the council for you to learn more about what resources we have.  Some of the resources you'll learn about are:

• Our new online property reservation system, Doubleknot
• How to use UltraCamp to register your girl for camp, or how to register your entire troop for an event
• Sneak peek at the 2017 Fall Product Program
• Highest Awards (Bronze, Silver and Gold)
• STEM Kits you can use with your troops
• Sneak peek at our new Volunteer Systems
• Summer Camp
• and so much more!!

These Leader Resource Fairs are FREE and for all troop leaders and volunteers who want to learn more about what is available for your troop. 

Tuesday, April 4th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Camp Todd in Denton, MD

Monday, April 10th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Peninsula Resource Center in Salisbury, MD

Thursday, April 13th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Northern Resource Center in Newark, DE

For quest...

From Monday, March 27, 2017 until Monday, April 10, 2017 troops are encouraged to participate in our fun Cookie Clean-up Contest! Troops will be able to pick up clean-up cookies from the Newark or Salisbury Cupboards by calling 302-456-7121 and scheduling an appointment between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.  At this time, we do not have weekend hours available. 

For every case of cookies sold, your troop will earn an entry into a drawing for one of two $100 Walmart gift cards! Don't forget when selling clean-up cookies, troops receive $0.70 per box and all girls who participate earn the Cookie Clean-up Superseller patch. Cookies must be paid for at return by troop check or ACH only.  Cash is not accepted.  Clean-up cookies can be sold at a booth, to friends and family, and with the temperatures warming up, it's a great time for a walk-a-bout or neighborhood tailgating!  

All troops can participate in this contest, but cookies picked up prior to the start of this contest are not eligible. Traditional rules for booths and tailgating still apply. Cookies that are taken out of the cupboards during this time are the only cookies returnable.  All pick-ups and returns must be done during the contest period between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.  

If you have any questions, please email productprograms@...

Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay honored Kate Hackett, Executive Director of Delaware Wild Lands, as the 2017 Woman of Distinction at the Hotel du Pont in Wilmington.

Honoree Ms. Hackett has more than 20 years of leadership experience in land and water conservation and management. Her work in the environmental arena includes land acquisition, protection of land and water resources, public policy, government relations, fundraising and constituency building. When Governor Carney was elected, he appointed her to serve in his Transition Team.

Throughout her career, Ms. Hackett has led regional initiatives that improve the quality of natural resources while also protecting the economic vitality of working landscapes. She has collaborated on these issues with a broad range of stakeholders in various regions, including the Mid-Atlantic, the Rocky Mountains, the Great Lakes, and northeastern Africa (Nairobi, Kenya and Eritrea).

The Women of Distinction event also features a panel discussion for 65 teen Girl Scouts, moderated by Ms. Hackett, with four distinguished career women. This year’s panel included Natalia Duchini, Marketing Executive and Chemical Engineer for The Chemours Company; Jennifer Adkins, Executive Director at the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary; Yolanda Williams-Bey, PhD, Education Program Manager for the Delaware Environmental Institute (DENIN) at University of Delaware; and Tracy Surles, Deputy County Administrative Officer for New Cas...

When Girl Scouts are working on the Girl Scout Cookie Program, they are doing a lot more than just selling cookies. They are developing important business skills that will help them throughout their lives. They’re also thinking of ways that they can change their community and the world.

When Troop 537 was putting together their plan for 2017, they knew that they wanted to give back. The girls always participate in Operation Taste of Home, which has provided over 322,000 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies to troops overseas and to local organizations across the Delmarva Peninsula. This year—the girls wanted to make their own deliveries. They asked customers at cookie booths and their family and friends to sponsor a box of cookies. Even their messaging on their Digital Cookie websites included sponsoring a box of cookies for someone in need. Because of the targeted messaging centered on giving back to the community, the troop exceeded their goal for the year.

The girls received enough cookies to donate 24 boxes of cookies each to the Delaware Center for Homeless Veterans and the Little Sisters of the Poor for Valentine’s Day. They also included other goodies, like socks, chapstick and tissues. They also learned about other volunteering opportunities at each of the sites.

In November 2016, Governor Jack Markell bestowed the highest honor a governor can award, the Order of the First State, to Lifetime Girl Scout Joan Przywara for dedicating decades of her life to inspiring generations of girls. After working for Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay, Joan began a career as a professional Girl Scout volunteer.

Not only has Joan served more than five decades as a Girl Scout volunteer, but she has also given more than 10 years to the Alzheimer’s Association and AARP Delaware. Joan has touched countless lives and has given thousands of hours throughout her lifetime in service. Girl Scouts builds girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place, and no one exemplifies that mission more than Joan.

Through her 53+ years as a Girl Scout volunteer, Joan has served and continues to serve on numerous committees, including Archives, Women of Distinction, Fund Development Advancement and Annual Meeting committees. Joan has also serviced on the GSCB Board of Directors and is the liaison between GSCB and the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington. She ensures that any girl wishing to earn her religious award has an advocate.

Joan consistently goes out of her way to best serve Girl Scouts and volunteers. She is the first person to show up and the last person to leave. She is not only a role model for Girl Scouts, but for all Delawareans. Rarely do you find someone who is so willing to give of herself to help others in an...

On Wednesday, September 14, as part of Back to School Week, the White House hosted a summit on Computer Science for All. The event marked progress on expanding computer science education since President Obama’s call to action in his State of the Union eight months ago, and celebrate new commitments in support of the effort.

Six girls from Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay participated in today’s summit representing the Girl Scouts organization. Students from around the country were selected to present their computer science projects during a showcase following the White House Summit.

“I am interested in code because it allows me to innovate and create anything I can dream of, “ said tenth grader C’Yenna, who presented her website design project at the White House.

As an organization, Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay has made a commitment to offering STEM programming to girls across the Delmarva Peninsula. Two programs in particular teach girls how to code—Making It From Scratch and Website Designer. The five projects displayed during the Computer Science for All Summit include a website coded in HTML5 and CSS, created by Sarah Metcalf and C’Yenna Jaynes, two games created in Scratch by CyNai Jaynes and Kaitlyn Fintak, and text-based role playing games. Seven year old Autumn Johns wrote the story for game using a pre-written PythonTM template, while 15 year-old Samantha Nicholson a game with 3,000 lines of batch script code....