November/December 2004 Volume 30 Issue 10  

Membership
Girl Scouting: For every girl, everywhere

Membership Staff
Vice President - Membership
Carolyn Johnson

Directors
Gladys Birdwell
Sandee Williams

Team Leaders
Kathy Denton
Tracy Gillin
Deepa Seetepalli
Karyn Smith
Pam Soles
Nina Williams
Sue Zingleman

Membership Managers
Alex DeReinzi
Stephanie Finleon
Lynn Flournoy
Dawn Francis
Gina Galloway
Cecilia Garcia
Gloria Gracia Johnson
Milly Garzon
JoAnna Harris
Sheila Hauser
Laura Hernadez
Selina Howard
Sandra Johnson
Elizabeth Leas
Alicia McWilliams
Parina Paripoonnanonda
Wendy Rea
Juana Rhoden
Donna Robinson
Maria Roldan
Abby Sibley
Jamie Stiyer
Theresa Thomas
Celia Valles
Purvi Zaver

Cate Teague, Administrative Assistant
Linda Pharris, Departmental Assistant
Jean Rhoden, Secretary

713-292-0300

Best practices - ideas from around the Council

by Sandee Williams

A “best practice” is defined as an innovative way of work that has proven to be very successful. Commonly, it accomplishes what it is designed to do so well that it becomes a standard procedure for the group. The volunteers and staff of GSSJC have many “best practices” effectively operating throughout our Council. The best part about a best practice is … it is free for the taking. You can always adopt a best practice and make it work for you! Listed below are the great ideas and concepts that were shared by several service units at the 2003 Membership Development Conference.

  • Nominating committee members serve as “hospitality hostesses” at service unit meetings. They greet and sign-in attendees, answer questions, and coordinate refreshments. This practice helps leaders feel welcomed and assists the nominating committee to get to know everyone. Great way to identify future candidates for service unit positions!
  • Post signs in the yards of troop leaders, providing the date, time, and place of upcoming recruitment rallies. This promotes Girl Scout visibility while identifying the “Girl Scout contacts” for those residing in the neighborhood.
  • Hold a Girl Scout rally at the end of the school year to sign-up new leaders for the coming membership year. How about a “Getting to Know You” summer time picnic for those recruited. Encourage leaders to get trained during the summer to they will be ready to start in the fall.
  • Distribute “Girl Scout bucks” for volunteers participating in service unit and Council events and activities. Hold a shopping day at a service unit meeting to purchase Girl Scout items with the bucks they have earned.
  • Request a booth at community events to promote Girl Scout awareness to the public. Providing a quick and easy craft is a great way to attract girls and parents to the booth. Have a sign-up sheet available for those girls and adults wanting to become Girl Scout members.
  • Develop an e-mail distribution list of leaders, parents, and/or girls to keep them up to date on meeting dates, events, and activities.
  • Reward leaders who take training by having them complete a card indicating their name and the training they attended since the last service unit meeting. Hold a prize drawing at the end of the meeting for all those who qualify.
  • Create a “burning questions pot.” Allow leaders to write their questions and drop them into the pot. At the end of the service unit meeting, share the questions and answers with the group.
  • Publish a service unit roster that not only includes the leader and co-leader’s name and pertinent information but also includes their troop number level and meeting place. Distribute copies of to everyone in the service unit. Great reference throughout the year for placing girls and adults in existing troops/groups.
  • Indicate the name, level, and telephone of a girl wanting to be in a troop/group on a paper doll cut out. Display the dolls at service unit meetings. Ask leaders to take one or several paper dolls and contact the girl for troop placement.
  • Help leaders and co-leaders to know whom they can approach for assistance by color-coding service unit nametags by program levels. This system can also be used to identify service unit administrators and service team members.
  • For easy access, design and distribute a refrigerator magnet with the names and phone numbers of the service unit administrative team. Also list the date, time, and place of the monthly service unit meetings.
  • Design a form letter that troop/group leaders can use to notify parents that their daughter has been placed in their troop. Write-in sections for the troop/group program level, meeting day, place and time along with the leader’s name and number should be included.
  • Organize a one-hour “Little Daisy-To-Be Tea” at a local church, school or community center for girls entering Kindergarten in the fall. Invite girls to attend with a parent or guardian for songs, crafts and refreshments. Sign-up parents as leaders and register girls as members.
  • If you or your service unit has a great best practice, feel free to share it. Forward all best practice ideas to Carolyn Johnson, vice president of Membership at cjohnson@sjgs.org or mail to 3110 Southwest Freeway, Houston, TX 77098.
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