Walnut Creek Service Unit Meeting

Minutes

March 3, 2005

Meeting started at 6:35 p.m.

Thinking Day

Thinking Day was a big success with 185 people in attendance and Penny received very positive comments on the evaluations.  Christy Curry suggested that for next year, we have the girls not in the Parade of Nations to spread out evenly around the room so it will flow better.  Next year Thinking Day will end at 12:30 p.m. (instead of 1 p.m.) as per some participant’s suggestion.  It was also suggested that Thinking Day be held the weekend after cookie sales end so that there is not a conflict.  This will be voted on at the 2005-2006 planning meeting in June.  Tami Hunt knows a couple that will come and act out a skit about Lord and Lady Baden-Powell for next year’s Thinking Day.  They have done this in the past for the Boy Scouts.  A lot of money was collected through the banks that Becky Chen made for Thinking Day.

Texas Independence Day Celebration

As part of the Texas Independence Day celebration at the state capital on Wednesday, March 2^nd, Penny took 6 of the girls from our service unit to help with the swearing in of Elizabeth Ames Jones as the new Texas Railroad Commissioner.  The girls led the representatives in the Pledge of Allegiance and the Pledge of Texas.

Brownie Day

Brownie Day will be held on Saturday, March 19^th from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Walnut Creek Park.  The girls will complete all the requirements for 3 badges:  Travel Right, Outdoor Adventure and Earth is Our Home.  If older girls would like to help out on this day, which would earn them their Junior Aid badge, they may contact Heather Cook.  

Spring Camp Out

The Service Unit Spring Campout will be on April 22-24, 2005 at Krause Springs in Spicewood, Texas.  There is a $15 fee per person that includes a two night stay, Saturday’s dinner, a patch and lots of activities.  Money and registration packets should have been turned in to Cathy Carrillo at this leader’s meeting.  If you did not do so, make sure you get her the money and forms by next week.  They will be selling t-shirts for the camp-out and Cathy will show their design at the April leader’s meeting.  Orders will need to be placed prior to the camp-out.

Service Unit News – Michaelle Pomerleau

• The leaders are required to have Scoot training in order to stay at Camp Texlake with their troops
• The new Girl Scout Center is available for use during the day.  They are still working on overnight stays capability at the facility.  The technology lab is up and running with about 15 – 20 computers in operation.  The lab is available for use after school.  The center will be available for use during the summer.  Penny is going to look into possibly holding our leader’s meetings there.

New Goodwill Community Center

The new Goodwill Community Center is located by the Wal-Mart at Norwood Park (where we sell cookies).  Penny said the facility is very community friendly and they would like the people in the community to take advantage of the things they offer, such as:  meditation room, weight room, computer labs, and meeting rooms.  Penny is going to look into possibly having our leader’s meetings here as well.  This center also supports the GO Program in AISD that helps teenagers (and older) earn their GED’s and helps them with job placement.

Keep Austin Beautiful

The Keep Austin Beautiful campaign offers grants for girls wanting to help with a community service project that would help beautify the community in which they live.  Penny is looking at possibly having our service unit maintain a portion of the grounds (flower beds) at the new council facility.

Chili Cook-Off

The Chili Cook-Off will be on Saturday, April 2^nd at the St. Francis School gymnasium from 3:30 p.m. to approximately 6:45 p.m.  Participants should make their chili at home and then bring it up to the cook-off.  You should also bring an undecorated cake (for the cake decorating contest) and if possible, bring your own table to set up on.  The schedule will be as follows:

*           3:30 p.m.                                Arrive and set-up

*           4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.           Judging

*           4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.           Activities

*           5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.           Eat

*           6:30 p.m.                                Awards

*           6:45 p.m.                                Clean-Up

Dixie passed out sheets for items that people need to bring for this event.  The list was broken out alphabetically by families’ last names and the list is as follows:

*           A-E     bring cornbread

*           F-J      bring crackers or chips

*           K-O     bring veggies (carrot sticks, chopped onions, jalapenos, etc)

*           P-S     bring grated cheese

*           T-Z      bring sour cream or guacamole

FOG envelopes were distributed at the meeting and they should be used as your ticket to this event.  Anyone may attend this event, but the hope is that the Dads will participate. If you plan to attend this event, please R.S.V.P. to Mona by March 20^th at 835-0231.

Senior/Cadet Day

Pam is still working on organizing this but is considering having the girls go to a beauty school and being able to be pampered. 

Samantha Adelman’s Service Project

Samantha is working on a service project to send school supplies to Iraq.  She is collecting pencils, pens, paper, glue, etc.  She will also be collecting family oriented CD’s and DVD’s to start a library for the children there to watch.  You may bring your donation items to the next leader’s meeting or e-mail Gus (Samantha’s mom) at adelman@arlet.utexas.edu to coordinate getting them the items.

Cookie Wrap-Up

Bring any cases of cookies your troop is returning to Penny by March 8^th so that she may take them to the warehouse on March 9^th.  Several people were unhappy with the warehouse this year because they changed the pick-up and delivery schedules without giving us any notice.  It worked out better to have cookie pick-up only once a week, so Penny will continue doing it that way next year.  Melida collected cookie reports at the meeting for Sheri.

Miscellaneous

• Cookie credits will be mailed on April 1^st.
• Cookie Celebration is on April 9^th.  Several girls in our service unit sold over 1,000 boxes. Camille Curry was the highest seller in the Lone Star Council with over 3,500 boxes.
• Penny would like every troop to earn the Lone Star Trooper Pin.
• Council would like all current leaders to switch their CPR/1^st aid training/renewal cycle to the spring time in order to ensure training space for new leaders in the service unit.  If you take the CPR/1^st Aid Challenge this will not affect you.

The meeting adjourned at 7:30 p.m.

Minutes submitted by:

Jamie Riscen

3-7-05