VISTA 8:

VISTA MANAGERS:

Sara Sullins, sullinss@bcbsil.com(847)733-2953
Kris Kelsh, evgs@comcast.net (847)492-1124

REGISTRATION AMBASSADOR:

Jan Sarkor, 929 Washington St, Evanston, IL 60202 jansarkor@yahoo.com, (847) 866-7508

LEADER MEETING DATES:

WED May 13 Leader Recognition Celebration

Introductions

News from Council – Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana

There is a new Girl Incentive Patch for girls who register in the spring.

1. There is a young scout from VISTA 2 that was just diagnosed with bone cancer. She is a 5th grade Junior Scout in Troop 40414. Her family is accepting cards to wish her well. Some of our girls may wish to send her cards.
The address is:

Lindsey Eyles
317 N. Prospect Manor Ave.
Mt. Prospect, IL

2. Sign up for the Girl Scout Alumni Association at: GSusa.org and join the GS Advocacy network.
To sign up as a GS Alumnae: http://www.girlscouts.org/for_adults/alumnae/
To sign up for the Advocacy Network: http://capwiz.com/girlscouts/home/

Enact Legislation for the Girl Scouts Commemorative Coin! The Girl Scouts USA Centennial Commemorative Coin Act

In celebration of 100 years of Girl Scouting, we need your help to pass legislation introduced in the 111th Congress that will authorize the U.S. Mint to issue a Girl Scout Commemorative Coin. For this to happen, we need you to contact your Members of Congress to encourage them to pass The Girl Scouts USA Centennial Commemorative Coin Act.

If you have any specific questions, please email the Public Policy and Advocacy office at advocacy@girlscouts.org, or call us directly at (202) 659-3780.

2008-2009 Registration Update:

Please pick up your troop’s Spring Registration packet at the leader meeting on Thursday, April 23. Data entry for 2010 registration will begin on May 1, 2009. The deadline for submitting your registration materials to Jan is Friday, June 19, 2009. If your troop participates in Spring Registration you will receive a special patch as an incentive at the first leader meeting in the fall. Passwords for data entry are the same as last year. A new data entry waiver form is not required. If you have any questions about registration, please e-mail Jan at jansarkor@yahoo.com or call 224-723-0735.

New Leader Orientation:

Please contact Marisa Naujokas at 847-332-2829 or anothermarisa@comcast.net if you are interested in becoming a new leader or if you have a new leader joining your troop. The next orientations will be held in late May.

Brownie/Junior Training:

The next Brownie training will be in the summer. If any leaders want to do the self-study workbook option, they can contact Ellen Schwarzbach for the workbooks.  Leaders can also contact Ellen at ellens114@aol.com with any post-training follow up questions regardless of which training method you use - online, workbook or in-person.  Leaders are required to attend this level specific training within six months of becoming a leader or moving up to the next level.

Next Year’s Vista Positions:

We need to fill New Leader Orientation Specialist (Marisa’s current position). As an Orientation Specialist, it is a great way to spread enthusiasm for Girl Scouts, and encourage new leaders as they take that first step. The first step is important to help leaders get over the hump when they are most unsure, and it is very rewarding to hear the new leaders share stories of the wonderful time they have had with their new troop. You set the dates and place for trainings, and you have minimal paperwork as follow-through. It is a great way to help the VISTA and making it fit into your schedule.

Brownie/Junior Trainer (Ellen’s current position), and the Cookie Ambassador (Mary Fitch’s current position). Please talk with Marisa, Ellen, Mary, Sara or Kris if you have any questions about the roles.

Cookies:

A cookie ambassador and team are needed for next year.

Earth Day:

Frances Berg was responsible for brainstorming this event and getting the corporate sponsors, and she had the rest of leaders of Troop 49 around for suggestions & help on specific booths.

Evan Finamore’s 3-D "Lake Impressions" art from the event will be hung in the Ecology Center during its Earth Day celebration. She had the scouts form impressions from natural objects onto a clay made from recycled coffee grounds (thank you Starbucks) and is hanging the dried work from an armature made of fallen tree branches. Check it out if you’re at the Ecology Center!

Publicity:

If any Evanston troops would like to share information with the community via the Evanston Review, The Roundtable, etc. please send information to Elizabeth Hubbard via email (Tblackdogs@aol.com) You can use this opportunity to share exciting news (like troops getting a Bronze Award), publicize events like the Daisy/Brownie skating party, or to solicit donations or help for service projects (collecting books or DVDs?). Let’s let the community know what a large and vibrant Vista we are.

VISTA Website:

Thank you to all of you who submitted brief descriptions of your troop’s activities, and/or send in pictures! The Vista site now has 21 pictures with captions. Please visit http://www.ilcrossroads.org/vistas/8/photos/ to see the pictures, and click on Troop Activities under http://www.ilcrossroads.org/vistas/8/resources/ourvista/ for activity ideas from what other troops have done. If you have your troop’s activities and pictures to share, please send them to Ivy Sundell at crowwoods1@aim.com

Upcoming Events:

CoCo Key Water Park: Sunday, April 26 organized by Jennifer Forby (janmillion@aol.com)
Leader Recognition Ceremony: Wed, May 13
July 4: Parade

Planning Activities:

Check SafetyWise when you are planning your activities. Put your health cards and registration forms together on a clipboard or in a binder so you will have them at all times. We need to use permission slips EVERY time we take the troops somewhere other than our regular meeting place.