What is gsLearn?

GSUSA has a new Learning Management System (LMS) for all of us to use for various Girl Scout Adult courses.

At Girl Scouts of Maine, we are just beginning to work in it. You may see it on our website when you go to the MY GS tab around the end of this month. You are welcome to poke around if you like, but you are NOT required to do so.

We’ve made it live in a soft launch so those of us working on the administrative side of it can get to know it and be able to provide plenty of support for all users once we go live statewide.

Stay tuned for more information coming soon! 

How to add another volunteer in your troop to the cookie role

1. Go to http://www.girlscoutsofmaine.org/.

2. Click on MYGS/VTK.

3. Click on the “Troops” tab and click "Add" next to the adult volunteer you are adding to the role.

4. Select the Cookie Program Volunteer role for the volunteer you are adding. Make sure the you are adding the role for the correct troop. 

5. After selecting the Cookie Program Volunteer role, click next and follow the prompts to complete adding the role. 

How to add the Cookie Program Volunteer Role for yourself

1. Go to http://www.girlscoutsofmaine.org/.

2. Click on MYGS/VTK.

3. In the membership tab, click "Add Role" below your name.

4. Enter your troop number in the Troop # box and then click on the search button (do not click on the magnifying glass).

5. The roles available in your troop will display here. Click on the Cookie Program Volunteer roll. After you've selected the role, click next and follow the prompts to complete adding the role. 

Cookie Program Volunteer Role and Responsibilities

1.  If you are not already registered, register and choose role of Cookie Program Volunteer, if you have not completed a background check, this will prompt one for you. You will receive an email from The Advocates at Sterling Volunteers for your background check.

2.  If you are already registered as a volunteer and have a completed background check, log into MY GS and follow the prompts to add the role of Cookie Program Volunteer for your troop (limited to one adult per troop).

3.  Attend your local Cookie Program training.

4.  Ensure that all selling girls in your troop are registered for the current year, ensure that each girl has a completed, current Annual Parent Permission slip on file with the troop leader prior to selling.

5.  Train the girls and adults in your troop.

6.  Enter each girl’s sales data and submit via Smart Cookies by the deadline provided by your Service Unit Cookie Supervisor.

7.  Arrange pick up of your initial cookie order as directed by your Service Unit Cookie Supervisor.

8.  Sign up for booth sale opportunities as directed by your Service Unit Cookie Supervisor.

9.  Assume financial responsibility for all cookies received by the troop. Each troop is required to submit a bank information form to GSME, check with your troop’s leadership team to make sure a bank information form has been submitted.

10. Distribute cookies to parents/guardians.  Obtain parental/guardian signature on the Girl Order Report.

11. Handle money properly and deposit into the troop account frequently. Ensure that receipts are provided to customers, parents/guardians, and volunteers when money exchanges hands for the payment of cookies.   

12. Report outstanding debt to GSME product sales department by completing a Parent to Collection Form(s) and submitting by deadline set by GSME.

13. Any volunteer who owes GSME outstanding monies will be released from volunteer responsibilities. 

14. Copy and supply all cookie records to the troop leader at the end of the sale.

⃞ I have read the aforementioned responsibilities outlined for the Cookie Program Volunteer role and agree to assume these responsibilities as listed above. I understand as the Cookie Program Volunteer I am the custodian of all monies collected for the annual Cookie Program and as such agree to pay the troop and GSME in full by the established deadlines.

Dirigo Service Unit Best Practices by Amy Broadbent

The Dirigo service unit held their first leader meeting of the new Girl Scout membership year on September 5 and they addressed some changes to their future meetings. The service unit has two eighth grade girls as part of their service team whom are both babysitter certified and CPR certified, so as a unit they decided to start adding babysitting to their meetings. It is up to the girls, with some guidance from their mentor, to plan what they will be offering during this time since one of the biggest comments from leaders is lack of child care. They have reserved two rooms for each meeting and a member of the service team will watch the girls while their parents are in the meeting. The service unit has also built in extra insurance so they can accommodate Tagalongs (non-registered brothers and sisters) as part of their babysitting service. At this first meeting, the babysitting offering brought in at least six more leaders who wouldn’t have been able to attend without it...plus all the kids had fun!  

Hoping to find more ways to include leaders, they added technology to their meetings by utilizing Facebook Live. The service team worked together so they would have the best livestream experience possible. They decided to have one service team member hold the iPad in a stationary position so there wouldn't be a lot of movement. Before they went live, they also asked that side conversations be kept to a minimum so their audience could hear them clearly. It was a success! When they went live for the first time, they noted: 

• The lack of camera movement minimized distractions;
• They could easily answer questions from their laptop that were coming in during the livestream;
• Answering questions online kept the conversation moving forward without stalling the conversation;
• Questions kept the audience engaged and kept them connected.

Throughout their Facebook Live, they would ask people to wave if they were watching as a way to check attendance and gauge people's interest. The service team found that a huge benefit to doing this was that everyone was getting the same information at the same time.  The morning after they went live on Facebook, they asked for feedback from their audience about their overall experience. The only thing that people would want others to know is that you may need headphones for better audio. We call that a successful Facebook Live! 

If you have any questions about Facebook Live, feel free to reach out to Amy Broadbent at broadbam76@hotmail.com.