August 2004 Volume 30 Issue 7  

GSSJC honors its pearls at award luncheon

by Suzanne Engelke

Hundreds of friends and family members watched as Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council honored its valuable Girl Scout volunteers with awards for their years of service and membership during the annual GSSJC Recognition Luncheon on May 1 at the Westin Oaks Galleria.

This year’s theme was “pearls.” Council President and Chair of the Board Cora Ann Blytas said to the crowd, “We treasure all of you as gems in this organization whether you have five years of layers or fifty. Your pearls of wisdom are cherished each and every day.”

Several high honors were awarded as friends read speeches telling of the recipients accomplishments. Lyle Bauer, Gail Rankin, and Julie Ullrich received the Thanks Badge, a national award presented to adults for extraordinary service.

Chris Dunning, Nancy McGuire, Sarah Rushing, and Diana Walker were presented the Continuing Service Award. This Council award is presented to adults who have received the Thanks Badge and continue to give exceptional service.

Kay Baskett was honored with the Thanks Badge II. This national award recognizes an adult member who has already received the Thanks Badge and who has continued to contribute in extraordinary ways that benefit the total Council or the entire Girl Scout Movement.

The Family Award was presented to Laurel and Jack Bahr and Sheree and Ron Horton. Recipients of this award have made a profound impact on the lives of Girl Scouts.

The President’s Award recognizes the efforts of a geographic area team or program delivery team in helping to achieve the Council’s goals. It was given to Bending Bayous Service Unit, Singing Pines Service Unit, and Windchimes Service Unit.

   

Join the delegation to GSUSA’s National Convention in 2005

by CEO Mary Vitek

The 50th Convention of the National Council of Girl Scouts of the USA will be held October 7–10, 2005 in Atlanta, Georgia. National conventions are held every 3 years for the purpose of determining the general lines of policy of the Girl Scout Movement and the Girl Scout program. Each council is eligible to send delegates to the convention, and the combined delegate body is referred to as the National Council. The number of delegates each council will send is based on our membership at September 30, 2004. San Jacinto Council is generally allowed to send about 30 delegates to the convention.

Does this sound like something you would like to do? If so, the Council Nominating Committee would like to hear from you. There is an application form available on the GSSJC Web site. Please complete that form by September 30, 2004 if you are interested in representing GSSJC as a national delegate. If you are selected as a delegate, GSSJC will pay for your travel expenses to and from the convention as well as your expenses while you are

attending the convention. However, as the saying goes, “there is no such thing as a free meal.” By accepting this position, you are agreeing to attend an orientation meeting prior to the National Council Meeting and report back to the Council membership after the meeting.

Is this just for adults? No! Girls over the age of 14 are also eligible to serve as national delegates, and San Jacinto Council has historically made a point of including girls in our delegation. The Council Nominating Committee looks forward to receiving applications from both girls and adults.

This will be an exciting meeting. We will all get to meet our new national CEO Kathy Cloninger, participate in the election of the national board of directors, and consider proposals that will affect the future of the Girl Scout Movement. If you have questions about the application process, contact DeeDee Johnson at 713-292-0334 or djohnson@sjgs.org.