What did you do for your Gold Award project? For my Gold Award project, I chose to take on the the disconnect between domestic violence resources and the public as well as break the stigma surrounding domestic violence victims. How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience? My audience was the women in Castle Rock and surrounding towns. I reached a total of around 90 people through my event, Facebook page, website, and pledge for people to be allies against domestic violence. I also measured an impact to my audience through the 11 purses and one baby bag that were stuffed with necessities and sent over to the Crisis Center in Castle Rock. How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement? My project is sustainable through all of the channels my materials have been passed on to. I have passed on all paper materials to the Crisis Center for possible future use. I have also partnered with some teachers and counselors from Douglas County School District to pass along  paper materials, to help establish an understanding of domestic violence and creating healthy relationships at an early age. What is your project’s global and/or national connection? My national connection is through the media. This topic first peaked my interest because of local news stories as well as national news stories and I saw a disconnect of resources and those affected. My national connection really was what began my project. What did you learn about yourself? This project was quite an undertaking for me and I feel like I gained a lot more knowledge about myself because of it. Mostly, I took this experience as the beginning of what the real world looks like. In that in everyday life you have to learn how to be around people and to work with people. In this project, I learned that I must be patient with people because the world doesn’t always work on your time. Along with that, I learned about how to communicate my ideas better and listen to my mentors and try to better myself. I also learned how I deal with tasks under different types of deadlines and pressure- things I will take with me to the future as I plan to study journalism in college. How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future? I am well versed in the knowledge that the journalism world has many deadlines. In fact, it revolves around such things. It is for that reason alone I know that my Gold Award will help me in the future because I had defined deadlines for myself at multiple stages in this project process and I pushed myself to meet said deadlines in record time. I have also learned better ways to communicate with a team and how to grow the bigger picture with the help of others in addition to oneself. Just like my mentor and advisers did for me. How did earning your Gold Award help you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? My Gold Award helped me to become a G.I.R.L through teaching me how to get out of my comfort zone and be a risk-taker. I took a lot of risks mostly with my timing of my project as well as the topic I picked because I wasn’t quite sure of the obstacles that I would encounter because I chose a more difficult cause like domestic violence. **IMPORTANT NOTE: This blog represents only a small fraction of the hard work, dedication and requirements that go into earning a Girl Scout Gold Award. It is simply a brief summary, which is meant to inspire Girl Scouts to Go Gold in the future. For more information on earning your Gold Award, please email highestawards@gscolorado.org #GoldAward #HighestAwards #CrisisCenter #MetroDenver #TakeAction #CastleRock #DouglasCountySchoolDistrict

Submitted by GSCO Board Chair-Elect Rae Ann Dougherty The 2017 Leadership Summits have begun! The first was in Colorado Springs and a wonderful opportunity to obtain training, updates, as well as build our Girl Scout networks.  All are important as we begin a new Girl Scout year.  While in training, I reflected on some of my past experiences as a Girl Scout Cadette troop leader… Back in the 1980’s, I served as a Cadette troop leader.  While the traditions of Girl Scouts were the same then as they are today, as leaders we did not use the phrase “girl-led” as much as we do today.  None-the-less the way troops were run were similar and the results were similar. One spring, although not asked, the girls in my troop announced they wanted to go on an overnight trip that was NOT camping.  Fine. As their leader, I immediately began to facilitate the process by asking the questions associated with planning such an event.  After discussion, we considered going to a theme park and staying in a hotel. That started the girl’s minds going. Lo and behold, while I had not suggested that they do any between-meeting research, the next meeting they came prepared!  Girls had, unbeknownst to me, obtained hotel options, knew ticket prices, knew the distance and how many cars/adults would be required, set up a budget, and more. Mind you as this was decades before the convenience of the internet, cell phones, Google maps, or other technology to which we have become accustomed.  As such, the research was significantly more involved than it would be today.  No worries, they quickly figured out how to use 1-800 phone numbers for the various hotel chains, how to read a map, etc.!  Needless to say I was blown away, but so proud of them! We continued to plan and ultimately went on the trip.  Since they had lead the process so well, while at the theme park I followed their lead making sure that they were safe, but doing what they wanted and joining with them on the rides that they wanted to go on.  Since we were following their lead, my co-leaders and I did not pay much attention … until I ended up on one of those roller coasters that did TWO upside down loop-deloops!  (This is NOT the type of ride I seek.)  After I recovered from that experience, I continued to follow them, but suggested that I wait for them whenever they then decided to go on any more thrill rides.  I guess they were fine as long as I went with them.  Ultimately, they enjoyed the rest of the day without more thrill rides.  (I have yet to go on another roller coaster like that!) Along the way we added a few activities so they were able to earn the “Travel” Interest Project as well. The non-formal learning the Girl Scout program offers continues to impress me.  This was a memorable experience for me and one that I remain proud of all that those girls accomplished.  Although this was not intentionally a “girl-led” experience, it certainly became one.  Why?  Because that is the way Girl Scouts is, it just naturally flows for the girls to grow and develop their leadership. Do you have a “girl-led” story to share?  Use the Share Your Stories form. Leadership Summits are here and coming to your area in the coming weeks (Metro Denver, September 16, 2017; Northern Colorado, September 23; Grand Junction, September 20; Pueblo, October 14).  My experience at the Colorado Springs event on Saturday, August 26 was fabulous.  I was even asked for  feedback and insight to enhance the service unit experience. To register or find one in your area, use this link: http://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/en/events/training-events.html #girlled #LeadershipSummit #VolunteerNews

Colorado Girl Scouts are unleashing the power of G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)™ to accomplish amazing things. In fact, Colorado Girl Scouts were so successful during the 2017 Girl Scout Cookie Season that Little Brownie Bakers® plans to feature the girls in its national promotional campaign for the 2019-2020 season. The girls will be spotlighted in marketing materials ranging from informational brochures to motivational videos. In 2017, through the annual Girl Scout Cookie Program, 16,000 Girl Scouts® in Colorado sold about 4.5 million packages of cookies. Of this total, 357,409 were sold online through the Girl Scouts Digital Cookie™ platform, an easy-to-use online tool that helps girls superpower their sale. Determined to succeed, and supported by volunteers, Colorado Girl Scouts met their cookie goals early on. Once girls delivered on their goals, they set new milestones and accomplished even more. Colorado Girl Scouts achieved a per-girl average of 273 boxes sold. The top seller in the state moved more than 7,000 packages of cookies. Add up all the numbers, and it’s easy to see Colorado Girl Scouts are true cookie entrepreneurs who shine as present and future leaders. The Little Brownie team appreciated how many girls took the lead and used both traditional and digital marketing strategies to reach high goals. Over the next few months, LBB marketing representatives will travel to Colorado, with their video/photography crew, to interview Girl Scouts statewide about how they use five Girl Scouting skills to reach their cookie goals and fund their big adventures. Girl Scouts of Colorado will be looking for girls to participate in this special opportunity and others. If you’re the parent or guardian of a Colorado Girl Scout who might be interested, please email GSCO Public Relations Director AnneMarie Harper at annemarie.harper@gscolorado.org. ******************************** Girl Scouts of Colorado (GSCO) is part of Girl Scouts of the USA, the preeminent leadership development organization for girls. As one of 112 Girl Scout councils across the country, GSCO has a 100-year history of building girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. Little Brownie Bakers is one of two bakers licensed by Girl Scouts of the USA and has been baking Girl Scout Cookies since 1973. Little Brownie Bakers’ mission is to provide cookies and support services of the highest quality to Girl Scout councils to help teach girls a wide range of life skills and generate income for Girl Scout troops and councils via the annual Cookie Program. The Girl Scout Cookie Program® is the largest girl-led entrepreneurial program in the world and helps girls earn money for educational activities, community projects and travel opportunities. All net revenue raised from cookie sales (100 percent) stays with the local councils and troops. #20192020cookieprogram #GirlScoutCookieProgram #LittleBrownieBakers

Did you raise your hand to collect payments for your troop? Hats off to you! Girl Scouts of Colorado wants to make your life just a little bit easier. We’ve partnered with Cheddar Up to give troops all of the tools they need to create a payment collection page in minutes. Creating a collection is easy. After you create your troop’s account at https://my.cheddarup.com/orgs/girlscoutsco/signup, you will have access to customized libraries created just for Girl Scouts of Colorado. You name it, you can collect for it: outing, event, dues, gear, fundraiser… the list goes on. Even better? You can collect information as well. Have an event coming up and need to collect payments plus a waiver? Girl Scouts of Colorado has pre-loaded forms that you can add to your collection page. Create an online collection for your troop and enjoy: ONLINE PAYMENTS: Accept payments by credit card and cash or check. You’ll be able to track online and offline payments. ONLINE FORMS: Add form fields to your collection to eliminate paper and move all information-collecting online. AUTOMATIC TRACKING: Cheddar Up tracks all payments and information online. In one click, easily export to Excel. COMPLETE OVERSITE: Securely transfer funds directly to your units bank account with an online record of all withdrawals.And, every volunteer’s dream: EASY HANDOFF: Replicate collections year after year—with saved history for always-there online records. To see these features in action watch the quick video tutorial: https://vimeo.com/226958020/9e5c78607e Sign up for free and get started: http://go.cheddarup.com/girlscoutsco. #CheddarUp #VolunteerNews

What did you do for your Gold Award project? My Gold Award project was creating a guidebook for incoming International Baccalaureate students to help them weigh their options for their academics at Niwot High School. The International Baccalaureate (IB) Program is a rigorous academic pathway that offers a lot of challenge to students, but sometimes the challenge is underestimated. I designed a questionnaire about the IB program for current students to complete, then used their responses to make a guidebook full of advice and reflections from these students. This information, I think, will be extremely helpful to incoming IB students. I know I would have liked to have it when I was an incoming student. My project can be viewed on my website here: https://sites.google.com/site/ibstudentguidebook How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience? Given that my target audience is incoming IB students, I unfortunately won’t be able to see a measurable impact for about two years when they finish their IB courses. However, I did send out my guidebook to incoming IB students this year unofficially, and some responded saying the information was helpful and helped their decision in doing International Baccalaureate or Advanced Placement programs. How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement? My project is sustainable because it can be repeated by IB students in the future. Because the student input collected in the book is valuable to teachers, administrators, and especially incoming IB students, the repetition of the survey will help provide an accurate snapshot of the IB program at Niwot High School at the time. It can be repeated for as long as IB is offered at Niwot. What is your project’s global and/or national connection? The information was used in the IB audit. Every five years, an auditor comes to Niwot High School to evaluate the IB program at the school. The information I collected was made available to this auditor, who may use the information at the summit for the IB program in Switzerland. What did you learn about yourself? I learned I really am capable of more than I thought. In finishing this project, I proved to myself I can study for school, go to sports practice, have a job, and be able to complete valuable and fulfilling projects like this. It was not required that I get my Gold Award, and there was no consequence in not getting in other than letting myself down. I didn’t let myself down and I followed through. How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future? I will remember the communication, organization, and patience skills I developed in my project for several years. In college and in my workplace in the future, I will be able to communicate my ideas clearly, work with others collaboratively, and be more patient with myself and others. Earning my Gold Award definitely helped me mature for the future. Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience? It was very important to me that I finish the final rank of Girl Scouts since I have devoted so much of my life to it. I began as a Daisy when I started first grade, and now I finished my Gold Award as I graduate high school. Girl Scouts has been a constant thing In my life, and I felt I would be doing myself a disservice if I didn’t take advantage of the opportunity to complete Girl Scouts to the highest level. How did earning your Gold Award help you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? I definitely did a lot of go-getting for this project, which strengthened these skills a lot. I realized I am very capable of getting things done if I really want them to get done. Earning my Gold Award helped me become a confident young woman who can accomplish anything I want to accomplish. **IMPORTANT NOTE: This blog represents only a small fraction of the hard work, dedication and requirements that go into earning a Girl Scout Gold Award. It is simply a brief summary, which is meant to inspire Girl Scouts to Go Gold in the future. For more information on earning your Gold Award, please email highestawards@gscolorado.org #GoldAward #Niwot #HighestAwards #NorthernampNortheasternCO #TakeAction

How long have you been a Girl Scout? I have been a Girl Scout for 47 years.  Some of those were girl years, but most of them are adult years. I have  been a leader of every level except Girl Scout Daisies. My favorites were 30+ years as an older girl leader/advisor. Those were great years and I have kept in touch with many of “my girls.”  It is wonderful to see how they have changed from girl to woman. How long have you been on MCC? This will be my second time to be on the MCC. My first time was in 2012 for two terms, I think. What inspired you to join MCC? I love Girl Scouts and I want as many girls as possible to get to be a Girl Scout. My part of Colorado covers lots of miles and there are very few girls who participate in Girl Scouting in this area.  I want to make Girl Scouting available to girls in small towns.  I want to be able to help them achieve Highest Awards, travel abroad, and go on Destinations.  I also want to show girls and leaders that they can lead and that their dreams and goals can be met through Girl Scouting.  Lack of communication is a real problem here because so many do not have internet access and, since so much of Girls Scouting is now online, I would like to see more communications through other ways. I hope that progress can be made through MCC to help GSCO realize that there are big gaps in online communications that is not the girls’ faults.  There has to be another way to deliver program. What have you learned through being part of this committee? The more people work together to achieve a common goal, the better the experience and the outcome.  Working together is also a great example for girls to learn.  When they see what can happen with a group working together for a common goal, they will be more likely to use that in their lives, too.  Usually, the more people that share a goal and are willing to work for it, the better the committee will be in the future and the more likely that they will share their skills in team building with their troops who, in turn, will use it as they work for a girl-led troop and the more confidence that they will have to achieve it. Why would you recommend being a member of MCC to other volunteers? I have noticed, when I do trainings, that most of the leaders have no idea as to how GSCO works, how decisions are made, and what it takes to make Girl Scouting possible.  MCC is a good way to “get your feet wet.”  It does a lot of it’s work by phone, isn’t so expensive that most people could handle it.  You don’t have to travel a long way several times a year. An MCC member gets to know a lot of people in her territory as she talks to them about various concerns. I like it because I get to talk face-to-face with them and can answer questions, and, most of all, establish and a network of people who want to help the troop and the girl and the adult succeed, a relationship that can lead to better understanding of how GSCO works and they have someone they have met who is an person who really cares about girls and the Girl Scout program. Tell us about yourself. I am 71-years-old and my husband, Wayne, and I will celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary this summer.  I was born in Texas, went to school in Texas, married in Texas, lived for 2 1/2 years in Canada teaching in a coed boarding school while my husband was in Vietnam.  We have two children, a son, Terry (he and his wife Heather live in Broomfield) and a daughter, Beth (she and her husband Todd, live in Fort Worth and they have our three grandsons, Justyn, Jaxson, and Joshua.  Beth is a Gold Award recipient and Lifetime Girl Scout  and is the principal of an elementary school. Terry will be starting a new job in June. Wayne and I love to travel.  We have been to almost all 50 states, all but two of the Canadian provinces, Europe, Africa, Ukraine, Vietnam, Ireland, and Central America.  Both of us are now retired and we were in Vietnam, Hong Kong, Singapore, and China in January and our anniversary gift to each other will be a trip to England and Scotland in August. My Girl Scout experience began as a Brownie in Texas when cookies were around $1 a package.  I earned my First Class Award in high school.  I have been a day camp director, took girls to Macy Conference Center in New York, attended the WAGGGS international conference the year it was held at Macy. I was an alternate to the Vermont Round-Up and, as an adult was on the program staff twice  for a Wider Opportunity with 1,200 girls in   Tennessee. One year I was the music leader and another year I was the ceremonies director.  I was elected for two terms as the president of the Board of Directors for the Columbine Girl Scout  region here in southeastern Colorado.  I am currently a trainer, program resource person, on three different Gold Award Mentors committees right now, the GSCO History Committee,  GSCO Global Girl Scouting committee, and will begin my second time to be on MCC. I am also a Lifetime member of GSUSA and I am looking forward to 2020 to celebrate 50 years as a Girl Scout.  I was on the 100th GSUSA celebration state committee in 2012. I coordinated the library display here in Pueblo and did the Flat Juliette activities for the state event.  AND…I love being a Girl Scout! I am the youth ministry leader at our church.  One of my duties with that is Vacation Bible School.  This is my  5th year to write my own curriculum and it’s a lot of fun!  I am responsible for the children’s classes at our church and I teach two classes every week.  I am retired from Dillards.  My favorite hobbies are reading and music.  I am currently trying to declutter our house and it should be finished some time in the next century! I love romance books and historical books and my favorite book is the Bible.  I have an Associate of Arts degree from Lubbock Christian University (College back then) and a Bachelor of Science in Education from Abilene Christian University (College back then).  I also did some post -graduate work at ACC, but, I never finished it. I may have left something out, but, this is MORE than enough! Girl Scouts of Colorado is lucky to have a unique governance system with the Membership Connection Committee as the centerpiece of our democratic process and a way to give our members a strong voice in the issues they care most about. Would you like to be a voice for Girl Scouts of Colorado? Speak up and contribute our success together! To reach the MCC, e-mail GSCO.MCC@gscolorado.org #VolunteerNews #volunteerspotlight #MembershipConnectionCommittee #MCC #Pueblo #PuebloampSoutheasternCO

We’re looking for troops and Girl Scouts who can share STEM projects for Energy Day Colorado on Sept. 23, 2017. GSCO is hosting a booth and we have an opportunity to showcase the great STEM work our girls have done. All Girl Scouts, who have a great STEM project they want to share, are invited to participate. Come share your great work and enjoy the festival! Energy Day Colorado is planned for Saturday, Sept. 23 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Denver at East High School. This new family festival features hands on science, technology, innovation, and conservation activities. The festival is new to Denver, but has been a popular activity in Houston the past few years with thousands of families enjoying the event. It’s a great opportunity for girls to explore different STEM activities and learn about STEM careers. All Girl Scouts, friends, and family are invited to this community event. Come enjoy music, food, games, and prizes. Energy Day Colorado is hosted by the Consumer Energy Alliance in partnership with local energy organizations. To share your troop’s STEM project at our GSCO booth, please contact Amanda Eckert at amanda.eckert@gscolorado.org. For more information about the festival, please check www.energydayfestival.org or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2GpXPFv6rw. #ConsumerEnergyAlliance #STEM #Communitypartnerships #Denver #EastHighSchool #EnergyDayColorado #MetroDenver

Submitted by Meghan Sullivan Metro Denver Broomfield Elite Dance Academy would like to host troops looking to fulfill badge requirements for My Best Self, Dancer, Staying Fit, and Practicing with a Purpose. Elite has locations in Boulder and Broomfield, and can provide classes/workshops in either location. Please let us know if there’s any other way we may serve you and your troop! We would love to invite all Girl Scout Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors to come and dance with us. Please call our studio for additional information. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #Dancer #StayingFit #GirlScoutbadges #Brownies #Broomfield #Daisies #MyBestSelf #dance #Juniors #MetroDenver #PracticingwithaPurpose #EliteDanceAcademy #badges

Girl Scout Junior troops are invited to spend the day at Lincoln Hills, an outdoor education center in Black Hawk, for a day of outdoor skills and adventure on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017. Activities include fly fishing, archery, and survival skills. Lincoln Hills staff will lead these activities at their beautiful location in the mountains in a four-hour session from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cost is $9/girl and free for leaders. The program is limited to Girl Scout Juniors only. To allow enough space for girls, we are requesting that only two troop leaders attend for adult supervision, but can make that exception for one more adult per troop if you need extra adults to carpool. Troops will need to bring a sack lunch. To sign up go to https://goo.gl/LdjRJn . Registration deadline is September 18. This event will fill fast, so sign-up quickly to secure your spot. Lincoln Hills Cares is an organization committed to youth outdoor education. Their mission is to create unforgettable Colorado experiences for youth by forming a connection to cultural history, science, technology, art, and environmental conservation. Founded in 1922, Lincoln Hills has been providing outdoor programs for over 90 years. To learn more about Lincoln Hills visit http://lincolnhillscares.org. #outdoors #BlackHawk #GSCOevents #GirlScoutJuniors #LincolnHills #MetroDenver

Join Girl Scouts of Colorado in celebrating “20 years of Amazing Women” by honoring all the Women of Distinction of the Denver-metro region. This year’s Event Chairs are Maria Garcia Berry, Woman of Distinction ’97; Jean Galloway, Woman of Distinction ’97; and Arlene Hirschfeld, Woman of Distinction ’97. Since the Women of Distinction program began in 1997, Girl Scouts of Colorado has honored 426 top women leaders in our community based on their remarkable achievements as business, community, and civic leaders. They are examples of corporate, civic, and philanthropic leadership and serve as role models for female leaders of tomorrow. The Women of Distinction program brings together a group of women dedicated to raising support for Girl Scout leadership programs. To celebrate the 20th anniversary, seven incredible women leaders are being recognized for their significant and positive impact on their communities and for their dedication to making the world a better place. These Women of Distinction were voted by a group of their peers, and will receive an award in the following category at the 2017 Thin Mint Dinner: Advocacy for Youth – Elaine Gantz Berman ’02, Former Member, State Board of Education Progressive Community Leader – Juana Bordas ’03, President, Mestiza Leadership International Accomplished Philanthropist – Arlene Hirschfeld ’97, Community Volunteer Dedication to Girl Scouts – Jean C. Jones ’07, Former CEO, Girl Scouts Mile Hi Council Lifetime Achievement – LaRae Orullian ’97, Retired National President, Girl Scouts of the USA Advocate for Women & Girls – Jill S. Tietjen ’97, P.E., President and CEO, Technically Speaking, Inc. Commitment to Public Service – Hon. Elbra M. Wedgeworth ’04, Chief Government and Community Relations Officer, Denver Health The Thin Mint Dinner is October 19, 2017 at the Denver Marriott Tech Center from 5:30 to 8: 30 p.m. The event includes Thin Mint Cocktails and dessert made with Thin Mints, three-course meal, and event program. Thank you to our 20th Anniversary Thin Mint Dinner Bronze Presenting Sponsor, CoBiz Financial. For information regarding tickets and sponsorships, visit girlscoutsofcolorado.org/woddenver or contact Heidi Books at 303-607-4833 or at heidi.books@gscolorado.org. #GSCOevents #Denver #funddevelopment #MetroDenver #WomenofDistinction

Regis University’s College of Computer and Information Sciences invites all Girl Scout Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors to the Cyber Girlz Summit on Sept. 23, 2017. What is Cyber Girlz? The Cyber Girlz Summit is the first effort in a long-term commitment to include outreach efforts that are targeted toward young middle school and high school women, inspiring them to engage in the exciting fields of Computer Science and Cybersecurity. How does it work? Through the use of female role-model mentors, table top conversations, and small group activities, young girls participating in the program are offered the chance to learn thrilling computer skills, as well as gaining knowledge from leading women in the field of Computer Science and Cybersecurity. When is it? September 23, 2017 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Mountain View Room Regis University 3333 Regis Boulevard, Denver CO 80221 *Registration is free but space is limited. Please register at www.regonline.com/cybergirlz2017 Questions? Please contact GSCO Community Partnerships Manager Lori Thompson at lori.thompson@gscolroado.org. Become a part of the movement. Help us inspire the next generation of Cybersecurity leaders today! #GSCOevents #STEM #oldergirls #Communitypartnerships #Denver #RegisUniversity #MetroDenver

Submitted by GSCO Volunteer Support Specialist Allison Ellington Western Colorado Grand Junction We’ve all heard the quote, “It takes a village to raise a child.” As a mother and a part of the GSUSA sisterhood, I couldn’t agree more. I love the fact that our Girl Scouts are around so many positive influences. I’ve noticed the troops that seem to function the best are the ones that have many different family members involved in helping with the troop. There are so many ways to get involved, but we’ve heard troop volunteers say that it’s hard to ask for help and some don’t know what to ask for. On the flip side, we’ve heard families tell us they want to help, but leaders never ask for it or don’t have something for the adults to do when they do offer. GSCO recommends a family meeting to start the year off on the right foot. There are some great details on how to have one of these meetings, who to include, and what to cover in our newly released Volunteer Essentials. A parent/guardian/family meeting, or a meeting of your friends-and-family network (as encouraged in many of the leadership Journeys), is a chance for you to get to know the families of the girls in your group. This is also a time to get a Family Agreement in writing. Below is a great example of one you can use with your troop, but feel free to customize it to your needs. If you have any questions about the family involvement meeting or creating a group agreement, please reach out to your volunteer support specialist. Don’t know who that is? Email inquiry@gscolorado.org. Group Agreement Example #FamilyAgreement #VolunteerEssentials #VolunteerNews