Welcome! Thank you for coming out on this cold, winter night. Thank you for all you do for the girls!

Please see Item 11 at the bottom of this page to assist the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Thank you.

1. Caroling Party

   • Thank you to Karen H. (Park Ridge) for a successful caroling party.
   • Thanks to all the troops that participated and donated to the service project.
   • 80 families were fed meats, fish and other healthy foods at Christmas thanks to your donations.

2. Fall Product Sale
   

   • Thank you to Chris W. (Park Ridge), Sue S. (Park Ridge), Joyce M. (Niles/Morton Grove) and Susie S. (Skokie/Lincolnwood) for a successful fall product sale.
   • All of your comments and suggestions were read and condensed into a letter that has been forwarded to Kathy S. at council. 
   • Your troop’s incentives should have been picked up by this VISTA 5 meeting. If you have any questions, please contact your community partner for fall product sale.

1. Recognitions and Awards -- Margaret T. (Park Ridge)
   

   • The Appreciation Pin [www.girlscoutsgcnwi.org/media/forms/rec_appreciation.pdf], Honor Pin, [www.girlscoutsgcnwi.org/media/forms/rec_honor.pdf], Thanks Badge, [www.girlscoutsgcnwi.org/media/forms/rec_thanks.pdf], Thanks Badge II,  [www.girlscoutsgcnwi.org/media/forms/rec_thanksii.pdf] and President’s Award [www.girlscoutsgcnwi.org/media/forms/rec_president.pdf] are GSUSA awards that require board of director approval. These awards require nomination forms [www.girlscoutsgcnwi.org/media/forms/rec_gsusaawardnominationform.pdf] and letters of endorsement [www.girlscoutsgcnwi.org/media/forms/rec_letterendorsement.pdf] to be submitted to the Lisle Service Center by 5:00 pm on January 29, 2010, the last business day in January.
   • Click on the specific award above to download the criteria for that award. Click here [www.girlscoutsgcnwi.org/for-volunteers/adult-recognition/] for complete information on Adult Recognition Awards.
   • Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana
     Lisle Regional Service Center
     2400 Ogden Ave., Suite 400
     Lisle, Illinois 60532-3933
     T 630 544 5900 F 630 544 5999
   • In addition to the GSUSA awards, there are additional awards that only require approval at the SUVA (Service Unit/VISTA/Association) level. Two of them are the Outstanding Leader Pin [www.girlscoutsgcnwi.org/media/forms/rec_outstandingleaderdescription.pdf] and Outstanding Volunteer Pin [www.girlscoutsgcnwi.org/media/forms/rec_outstandingvolunteerdescription.pdf]. The paperwork for these awards should be submitted to Margaret T. (Park Ridge) by February 26, 2010. Click here to download the VISTA 5 forms for these awards.
   • Additionally, specific to VISTA 5, is our Honor Roll. The paperwork for this award should also be submitted to Margaret T. by February 26, 2010. Click here to download the VISTA 5 form for this award.
   • There are two new awards being given by Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana. They are the Hidden Heroine Award [www.girlscoutsgcnwi.org/media/forms/rec_hhdescription.pdf] and the New Found Treasure Award [www.girlscoutsgcnwi.org/media/forms/rec_nftdescription.pdf]. (These awards replace the former Beaman/Denoyer Award.) The paperwork for these awards should be submitted to Margaret T. (Park Ridge) by February 26, 2010. Click on the specific award to download the criteria for these awards.

2. Thinking Day 2010 -- Amy H. (Park Ridge)
   

   • Thinking Day 2010 "U Can Make a Difference"
   • Saturday, February 27, 2010
   • 9:00 - 11:45 am
   • Emerson Middle School, 8101 N. Cumberland Ave., Niles
   • Jennifer M. (Park Ridge) is the event coordinator.
   • Cost: $10 per girl, includes patch. (There is no charge for adults)
   • Registration information was distributed at the VISTA 5 meeting and is available by clicking here or going to the Events sections of our VISTA 5 web site.
   • Deadline for registration is February 6, 2010. Registration is on a first come, first served basis.
   • Maximum girls: 300
   • Service Project: each girl is encouraged to bring a gently used stuffed animal to be donated to the SAFE [www.stuffedanimalsforemergencies.org/] (Stuffed Animnals For Emergencies) organization.
   • Girls will go from station to station and learn how charitable organizations, both local and global, help our communities. Heifer International [www.heifer.org/] is just one of the global organizations that will be represented. By the end of the day, 100 lunches will be prepared for the local Uncle Pete’s initiative to feed the homeless in the Chicagoland area.
   • Volunteers are still needed to man the stations, giving presentations about the different charities. A couple of troops are needed to help teach songs, and to shuttle the younger girls from the entrance (circle drive) into the building. Please contact Jennifer M. (Park Ridge) or Amy H. (Park Ridge) if you are interested in volunteering.
   • No trip application is needed for this event.

3. VISTA 5 Events -- Amy H. (Park Ridge)

   • Leader/Daughter Event

   • Saturday, May 15, 2010; 6:00 pm performance.
   • Lake Zurich Performing Arts Center, 300 Church St., Lake Zurich
   • Cheryl B. (Park Ridge) is the event coordinator.
   • All leaders and their daughters are invited to see Peter Pan performed by the CYT Performing Group. Cost of the event includes tickets and a patch.

   • Brownie Girl Scout Day

   • This event is specific to Brownies in 2nd and 3rd grade.
   • This event is in it’s planning stage, and information will be available shortly. If you are interested in joining the committee, please contact Amy H. (Park Ridge).

   • Leader Appreciation Night

   • Thank you to Mary Beth C. (Park Ridge) for volunteering to coordinate this event.
   • This event usually takes place on the evening of our last VISTA 5 meeting, which will be May 12, 2010.
   • Information will be available shortly.

   • Older Girl Event

   • Volunteer organizers are still needed for this event.

4. Documentation / Training

   • All completed training documentation and trip applications must be turned into your community partner.
   • Park Ridge -- Sue S.
   • Niles / Morton Grove -- Michael M.
   • Skokie / Lincolnwood -- Susie S.
   • Please call these people if you have any questions. It is also helpful if you identify yourself by school and troop number, especially when e-mailing.

5. Trip Applications

   • Please check Safety-Wise before taking a trip.
   • Every trip must have a trip application on file. Please don’t forget that you will need a CPR/First Aider and Girls on the Move person with you.
   • Forms can be accessed by going to the Vernon Hills Regional Service Center web site at www.ilcrossroads.org, and clicking on Forms. Click here to go directly to the list of forms. Scroll to Trip Forms.
   • Even if you are only traveling within a 5 mile radius from your meeting location, you need to complete a trip application form.
   • Generally speaking, after you have submitted your form to your community partner (see above), if you do not hear back from them, you may assume your application was accepted.

6. Fund raisers and Contracts
   

   • Troops are allowed to have additional fund raisers only if they have participated in both the Fall Product Sale and the GS Cookie Sale. 
   • You will need to submit a completed application (Money Earning Activity Application) to your Community Partner.
   • Park Ridge -- Sue S.
   • Niles / Morton Grove -- Michael M.
   • Skokie / Lincolnwood -- Susie S.
   • CONTRACTS: Girl Scout leaders are not allowed to sign any contracts. Please contact Sara N., our VISTA 5 council liaison, at the Vernon Hills Regional Service Center, 847-573-0500, for further directions.
   • BUS COMPANIES: Girl Scouts may only use bus companies from an approved list. Please contact Sue S. (Park Ridge), our VISTA 5 Manager for further information.
   • Any trips to a ranch or horseback riding events must be done at approved locations. Please contact Sue S. for further information.

7. VISTA 5 Roster Update
   

   • Each troop should receive a one-page list of corrected information.

8. Cookie and Site Sales

   • VISTA 5 Cookie Managers: Cathy K. (Park Ridge) and Jessica R. (Skokie)
   • Park Ridge Cookie Manager: Cathy K.
   • Niles / Morton Grove Cookie Manager: Joyce M.
   • Skokie / Lincolnwood Cookie Manager: Susie S.
   • The site sale process has reverted back to the former way whereby each community is responsible for locating and scheduling sites for troops to have their site sales. Please contact your Community Cookie Manager for complete details.
   • Cookies for site sales should be ordered with your initial order of cookies, however you do not need to pay for your site sale cookies (also referred to as booth sales) when you submit your initial order, even if your troop has chosen to collect money during the order-taking process.
   • Trailers will be available in various locations starting sometime in February for pick up of extra cookies. Dates, times and locations are usually available when you pick up your initial cookie order.
   • The option to collect money during the order-taking process or at delivery is a troop-by-troop decision in Park Ridge, Skokie and Lincolnwood.
   • Niles and Morton Grove have decided as a community to collect money during the order-taking process.
   • When you add cookies for donations to your order, one of the organizations is Yellow Ribbon which supports the veterans of the armed services.

9. Sharing Time
   

   • One of our leaders shared with us that her troop assisted the Feed My Starving Children organization based in Aurora, IL. You can access their web site at www.fmsc.org.
   • Another leader praised the STEM Saturday program at the Center for Leadership and Innovation, 770 N Halsted, Chicago, IL 60642, and praised the center itself. The center has officially been renamed Journey World. Click here [www.girlscoutsgcnwi.org/journey-world/] for the full story.

10. Council Liaison -- Sara N.
    

    • Sara brought to our meeting a number of interesting ideas about workshops and other trainings to numerous to mention here. Please contact Sara at the Vernon Hills Regional Service Center if you are looking for troop ideas, training information, or just have a general council question.
    • Updated Training Calendars for Winter 2009-10 are available.

11. PLEASE HELP!
    

    • Girl Scouts can assist with the humanitarian relief work going on now in Haiti. Please click on the link below to see Kathy Cloninger’s public statement regarding the earthquake in Haiti. Kathy Cloninger is the Chief Executive Officer of the Girl Scouts of the USA. Please click here [www.girlscouts.org/news/news_releases/2010/haiti_earthquake.asp] to go to the national Girl Scout web site. The full link is: http://www.girlscouts.org/news/news_releases/2010/haiti_earthquake.asp
      
       

12. Brief Community Meetings

    • No community held an official community meeting, but lots of people stayed afterwards to chat!

13. 66 Days till Spring
    

    • For those of you who are waiting for spring, hang in there!
    • For those of you who love winter, enjoy the next 66 days!

    Thanks for coming to our VISTA 5 meeting! Stay warm!

Next Meeting of the full VISTA

Wednesday, February 10, 2010 at 7:00 pm

St. John Brebeuf Ministry Center