Tag Archives: Council News

Cookies, Cookies Volunteers, Council News, Volunteer News

Meet the GSCO Product Program Team

Jamie Haxton – Chief Product Program Officer

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Jamie oversees the entire Product Program Team statewide and sits on several national advisory boards. She is considered a thought leader, peer-to-peer mentor, visionary, and strategic planner across the Girl Scout movement.  Among her many duties here in Colorado, she secures, manages, and works with vendors for both the Fall Product Program and Girl Scout Cookie Program, supporting girls in reaching their goals and giving back to their communities. She has more than 20 years of experience with Girls Scouts, including eight years with Girl Scouts of Colorado. Jamie also served twelve years as Chief Financial Officer for Girl Scouts Sooner Council.

Beth Homeijer – Product Program Analyst

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Beth oversees the vendor software, uploads, event coordination, sales analysis, DOC, and many other internal logistical items.

Stephanie Sanders – Product Program Administrative Assistant

Stephanie is the admin for the entire team, overseeing Formstack databases, communication overflows, mailings, meeting coordination, and many other items that keep the department running smoothly.

Laura Aguon– Product Program Manager

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Laura oversees the Product Program Specialists.  Laura is the primary staff support and resource for product program issues and management.

Rychelle Arnold – Product Program Design Manager

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Rychelle oversees the training content, manuals, guides, training designs, printed materials, assists with overall product program designs.

Product Program Specialists are the main Product Program Support for regional staff teams as well as responsible for managing the volunteer needs.  They are responsible for the key volunteer recruitment and design for their regions.  Each is tasked with the success of the campaigns, material distribution, rewards distribution, trainings, communications, and many other items within each region.

Mary Ann Deard- Regions 1, 2, & 5

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Melissa Hall– Regions 3 & 4

Sharon Ewing- Region 6

Julie Gallagher- Region 7

 

** Note: This in no way is the extent of all of their responsibilities. Rather, a snippet to help you direct your questions appropriately. 

Council News

GSCO Retail Shop update: April 2018

The GSCO Retail Shop will have new merchandise in stock for all our Girl Scout Ambassadors out there who are ready to graduate! They can walk down that graduation aisle beaming with Girl Scout pride for all of their accomplishments.  You can order these items online or come in to the retail shop and purchase.

Also, summer is around the corner and camps will be in full swing. Don’t forget that there will be no trading posts at Tomahawk Ranch this year, but we do have a pre-order form for Tomahawk swag and camp kits. Sky High Ranch will have their trading post up and running, but there is also a pre-order form.

https://gscolorado.formstack.com/forms/2018_skyhigh_camp_preorder_form

https://gscolorado.formstack.com/forms/2018_tomahawk_camp_preorder_form

Staff at the retail shop will contact you and get a form of payment and your shipping request.

Please remember cookie cards are only available to use through Girl Scouts of Colorado and not available to use online at girlscoutshop.com.  However, if you would like to purchase online, you can do so using your own credit card and submit a form for reimbursement.

http://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/content/girlscoutsofcolorado/en/for-volunteers/forms-and-resources/credit-reimbursement0.html

The last Saturday of the spring season will be May 19, 2018. After that, summer hours start on May 22. We have an amazing retail team, and we are here to make our volunteers/members happy, confident and to represent Girl Scouts to their full potential.

Council News, Volunteer News

Gold Award mentors statewide awarded President’s Award

Adult recognition awards are designed to recognize volunteers who have gone above and beyond the expectations of the volunteer role they hold, and who have deeply impacted Girl Scouts in ways that support and further GSCO’s goals and mission. The prestigious President’s Award recognizes the efforts of a service-delivery team or committee whose exemplary service in support of delivering the Girl Scout Leadership Experience surpassed team goals and resulted in significant, measurable, impact toward reaching the council’s overall goals.

As girls earn the highest distinction in Girl Scouts, we expect their mentors to help them meet our high standards and expectations of team building, measurability, sustainability, global/national connection, and uniqueness – the foundations of the Gold Award. Gold Award mentors/committee members across the state went above and beyond to support the development and implementation of the Girl Scout Gold Award program in the 2015-16 membership year and continue to do so today. The position asks that each member attend a Gold Award training and stay up to date on changes, review all project proposals, final reports, and presentation, work individually with mentees, observe girls in action, attend 75% of monthly meetings, and participate in celebrations. All members have met each expectation and exceeded expectations.

Several members reviewed the Gold Award training design, made improvements, and are now active Gold Award trainers who facilitate in-person trainings across the state. In the 2015-16 membership year, more than 200 girls and 115 adults received Gold Award training across the state.

Gold Award brainstorming sessions were offered in Denver, Longmont, and Grand Junction with mentors attending all and helping girls one-on-one explore ideas and establish next steps.

Six regional Highest Awards celebrations were held across the state and each one of them was volunteer supported. These events would not have been successful without the participation/support from all the Gold Award mentors/committee members.

Sarah Greichen, 2016 Gold Award Girl Scout and National Young Woman of Distinction wrote in her endorsement for this award, “Girl Scouts in pursuit of their Gold Awards are greatly impacted by their Gold Award mentors. Gold Award mentors teach girls vital skills such as organization, public speaking, leadership, business skills, etc. They serve as role models who provide guidance, advice, and critique. All Girl Scouts are positively impacted by their mentors.”

Jan Lucas, Gold Award Girl Scout and member of the GSCO Board of Directors, wrote in her endorsement of the award, “The Girl Scouts pursing their Gold Award are motivated, challenged, and supported through their mentor. This is an invaluable and life long relationship that is developed to even help them through other challenging times in their life. This committee is more than just a committee to help with this one project – the mission of this committee has given way to a bigger vision and that is a relationship for a lifetime.”

Highlights from 2015-16 include:

– Total Highest Awardees statewide = 1,618
– 48 Gold Award recipients (mentored by 17 different mentors)
– 393 Silver Award recipients (increase of 10.1% from 2015)
– 1,177 Bronze Award recipients (increase of 14.7% from 2015)
– Approximate total of girls who RSVP’d for celebrations = 692
– Approximate total girls at celebrations = 637
– Mentor/volunteer lead trainings and brainstorming sessions
– Mentor assistance with conflict resolution
– Mentor support for staff decisions and implementation
– Second annual Gold Award mentor retreat with representation from each region

27 Gold Award mentors were officially given their award spring 2017 and many were presented with their certificate at the 2017 Gold Award Mentor Retreat in November at Hamp Hut. The mentors who received this exciting award are:

Alison Clark-Hardesty
Alyssa Street
Amy Bissell
Bonnie Ledet
Cara Heist
Carey Hofner
Cindy Miller
Connie Campbell
Debbie Haskins
Diana Smith
Eva Bauer
Heidi Ragsdale
Jennifer Colosimo
Karen Wilson
Kathi Reddan
Katie Hess
Kay Shaw
Leslee Randolph
Linda Robinson
Lorrie Marzulla
Maggie Murray
Nancy Mucklow
Rachael TerLouw
Sandy Jackson
Shauna Clemmer
Sheryl Blish
Stephani Vick

Since spring 2017, nine new Gold Award mentors have joined and we continue to onboard new members each month.

Congratulations GSCO Gold Award mentors! We appreciate all your hard work and dedication to the Gold Award program in Colorado!

Alumnae News, Cookies Volunteers, Council News, Events, Volunteer News

Pikes Peak Region to host open house

The Pikes Peak Region of Girl Scouts of Colorado will host an open house at its office on Wednesday, February 21, 2018 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. The office is located at 5353 N. Union Blvd., Suite 101 in Colorado Springs. Anyone is welcome to attend, and while an RSVP is not required, it is appreciated. Please call Debbie Swanson at 719-304-8322, or contact her at debbie.swanson@gscolorado.org, to give her your reservation.

The invitation to attend has been sent to community and business leaders in the area, along with donors, alumnae, and volunteers. Guests will sample Girl Scout Cookies and learn how to find cookie booths in their area, so they can purchase cookies. They will also see a demonstration of the online cookie ordering process for those guests who are acquainted with a Girl Scout with whom an order can be placed. Other snacks and beverages will be provided.

Guests will also hear about what the Girl Scouts will be doing in the Pikes Peak Region for 2018. This will include an Outreach Program to enroll girls who come from low-resource areas, the Gold Award, and some potential fundraisers. All are invited to come and learn more about the Girl Scouts of Colorado!