October 3, 2022 Leader Meeting Notes

Product Sales Updates

  • Remember, the deadline to enter in paper order card orders is October 15
  • End of the digital sale is November 15
  • Has anyone done a troop Fall Product rally, or held a meeting or an event to promote the Fall Product Sale? If so, please send Paty a note and tell her about it. There’s a special patch available.

Communications

We’re trying to figure out what is keeping folks from attending the Service Unit leader meetings? Attendance is dramatically low and we’re curious as to why. What’s the friction that makes it hard for folks to attend? What would make the meetings more valuable / useful / relevant to you? The SU team is here to help, but we can’t be useful if you don’t show up. How do we make that better? Let us know!

Troop Activity Spotlight

This month we highlighted some activities from Troop 42002 and Troop 41006. Keep an eye on the website and social media channels for their features, posting on the next two Mondays.

Did your troop do something cool this month? We want to know about it! Send it to us along with some photos to be featured in the next month’s troop activity spotlight section at the meeting, and online on our website and social media channels.

CSA Weekend

The Cadette CSA weekend planning committee has a spectacular, yet-to-be-titled camping weekend planned for the end of October! Activities include a presentation on the Florida Panther by Florida Fish and Wildlife (and there’s a real-life Florida Panther living at Nocatee!) a wilderness first-aid hike, archery, slingshots, super-cool crafts, and possibly even a rainy-day movie!

Halloween costumes are encouraged!

Rosters and deposits are due by this Friday, October 7

See this post for the full details on the CSA weekend

Daisy Teddy Bear Picnic

This past weekend’s annual Daisy Teddy Bear picnic was a great success. 8 Daisy Girl Scouts and 1 gopher tortoise were in attendance with a lot of fun activities!

Daisy / Brownie Juliette Low Valentine Tea Party

Save the date for January 7, 2023 for our Daisy / Brownie Juliette Low Valentine Tea Party – happening early this year to avoid cookie season. More details will be coming later, but Daisy / Brownie leaders – mark your calendars now!

Parades

Responding to leaders previously expressing interest, Gemini Service Unit will be participating in Fort Pierce and Port St Lucie’s holiday parades in December.

Dec 3, 2022 – Port St Lucie – “Frost and Flannels” theme
Dec 4, 2022 – Fort Pierce – “Country Christmas” theme

Gemini SU is actively seeking girls and adults to help plan these parades. We can simply march on foot in uniform, make costumes, or even design a float. The level of participation and complexity will be directly related to the level of troop and volunteer participation. (We hear you, we know you want to participate. We need your support in order to make this happen. Let us know if you can help.

Leader Dinner and Holiday Party

The December leader dinner and holiday party now has a theme! The Great Fake Bake-off! Inspired by the popular UK and US cooking competitions, you won’t want to miss this celebration!

6:30pm on Dec 5, 2022 at Nativity Episcopal Church, 1151 SW Del Rio Blvd, Port St. Lucie, FL 34953.

This pot-luck dinner and party will be open to both leaders and adult volunteers. We’ll also be conducting a new leader investiture ceremony and a leader rededication ceremony as part of the celebration. Mark your calendars now!

Updates from Council

  • Congratulations Gemini! We have earned our $900 service unit membership incentive by increasing our membership by 9% over MY22.
  • We currently have 31 active troops in the service unit
  • There’s a new Daisy troop at Renaissance Charter School at Tradition – room for kinder girls! Kristin Skarie will be at RSCT’s Fall Festival on October 15 to help build out this troop and create a few more!
  • New troops forming at Lakewood Park, Renaissance Charter School of St Lucie, Bayshore Elementary, Manatee Elementary, and in Okeechobee at South and Central Elementary schools.
  • Upcoming recruitment events – we need girls to come represent! Community service hours and a special patch are available! Contact Kristin to help out at one of these events!
    • October 15 – Fall Festival at Renaissance Charter School at Tradition
    • October 15 – PSL Botanical Garden Festival
    • October 19 – All Villages Trunk or Treat (PSL)
    • October 22 – Boys and Girls Club Chili Cook-off
    • October 22 – Indian River Lagoon Science Festival
    • October 25 – Texas Roadhouse Trunk or Treat
    • October 28 – Mid-Florida Event Center Fall Festival
  • Friday Fun – Recruitment Event – Nov 4 at Lyngate Park in Fort Pierce from 5 – 6:30pm – we need a host troop to help us host a fun friday party and recruitment event for prospective Girl Scouts. Crafts, fire safety, and s’mores are just the beginning. Kristin has hosted several of these events around the Treasure Coast and they have been a blast for both the host troops and the prospective new members! S‘mores and other materials will be provided, we just need a Fort Pierce troop to play host for us!
  • We’re close to our new girl membership goal for MY2023 – our goal is 430 registered girl scouts, and we’re only 113 members away!

TCT Training Opportunity

There’s an upcoming Troop Camp Training session in November. Remember that troops must have a TCT trained leader in attendance in order to participate in camping activities. TCT sessions take place over two weekends – one day event and one overnight event. The day session will be on Nov 5, 2022 at Camp Nocatee, and the overnight will be Nov 19-20, 2022 at Camp Welaka.

Register on GSSEF.org

Silver Award Showcase

The special council-wide event allows Girl Scouts and guests to meet this year’s Silver Award Girl Scouts, discover all their projects on display, speak directly with girls and their Leaders about the process, and see them receive their awards on stage.

Troop Leaders are encouraged to bring girls of all ages, and other parents, to this casual showcase-style event so they can learn more about the national award and get inspired to take their own Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award journey!

This event would be of particular interest to second year Juniors or first year Cadettes interested in pursuing their own Silver Award.

Register on GSSEF.org