A monthly newsletter by our CEO, Rusine Mitchell Sinclair
Rusine Mitchell Sinclair
CEO, Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines council
More than 160 adult volunteers had a great time exploring memories and getting ready for our 100th birthday at Spring Leaderee 2010 in early April at Camp Graham. Workshops included training in photography, tatting, campfire music, games, letterboxing, geocaching, and gangs and bullying. Friday night, “Ghosts of Girl Scouts Past” visited our stout-hearted participants. The food was great throughout the weekend, and the camaraderie wonderful.
Mark your calendars and save the dates:
- August 7 - Administrative Team Conference, Campbell University
- October 1-3 – Fall Leaderee, CMA
- March 5, 2011, 2011 GS-NCCP Annual Meeting, DoubleTree Hotel, Fayetteville
- April 8-10, 2011 - Spring Leaderee, Location TBD
Our Council sponsored five FIRST LEGO League robotics teams this year. Middle-school girls had the opportunity to use technology in a fun new way, learn about team work and work on an important community issue. Three of our teams (two from the Triangle and one from Pitt County) competed in regional tournaments, and two qualified for the state tournament held in Greensboro last month! We will celebrate all five teams at an exhibition event on May 15 from 1-3 p.m. at Camp Mary Atkinson. Girls interested in robotics are invited to come see what all the excitement is about. On a personal note, I spent a very exciting two days judging the NC Inaugural FIRST Robotics Competition for high school students held a few weeks ago here in Raleigh. While the event attracts teens with an engineering aptitude, each team needs members that can develop a business plan, create a marketing theme and engage in fund raising.
By the way, if you haven’t yet signed your girl up for Girl Scout summer camp, you better do it soon. Sessions are filling fast! And if you would like to help send a girl who might not otherwise get to go to camp this summer, please visit http://www.nccoastalpines.org/BPWC/Documents/Send%20a%20Girl%20to%20Camp%202010.pdf
I’m pleased to tell you that we have two new video offerings on our web site: One is an online mini-training tutorial for adults interested in volunteering as Day Camp business managers. To find it, go to http://www.nccoastalpines.org/home/training/Camp_Training.aspx. The second is aimed at parents of first-time campers (Off To Camp at http://www.nccoastalpines.org/home/camps.aspx) and it tells them a little about how to get their girls ready for summer resident camp. Both are well worth your time!
Any of our Girl Scouts who is a high school junior or senior is encouraged to enter an essay contest on the Bill of Rights. Seven girls nationally will be chosen to each receive a $3,000 college scholarship and an all-expenses-paid trip to the Annual Conference of the National Foundation for Women Legislators (NFWL) Nov. 18–22, 2010 in Orlando, Florida. At the conference, the girls will get the opportunity to network and be mentored by hundreds of women lawmakers from across the United States. Entries are due July 30th. More information about the essay contest and its rules are available at http://www.womenlegislators.org/events/scholarship-program.php. As part of your application, you must be sponsored by a woman legislator. To find the names of all the women currently elected to the North Carolina General Assembly, click on http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/homePage.pl.
Just a reminder to sign up on our new online membership data and e-Business system at http://www.nccoastalpines.org/home/member_signin.aspx - if you haven’t already. Troop leaders can use it to manage Troop membership and member contact information. Girls and volunteers can access their membership information, and parents can log on to update their daughter’s information. Adult members can sign up for council training opportunities.