Friday, May 3, 2024

Communication Information and Guidelines


Need to post about an event you are hosting? Want to send out an email reminder? Read through these guidelines to make it happen.  

Please be mindful that we are all volunteers and requests for information to be sent out immediately may not be possible. It is best to plan ahead :)  

All requests for blog posts, emails, and Facebook posts (for those without an accounts) should be sent to pima.neighborhood@gmail.com.

BLOG POST

In an email, send your blog post with the Who, What, When, and Where details
written as you would like it to appear. Do not send this information via Word document, text, jpg, or pdf because those do not allow for a cut and paste of the information.  

It is best to already have your sign up form completed so that the link can be included in the original blog post.  We generally use Google forms for sign ups.  Please add pima.neighborhood@gmail.com and pimamoneymanager@gmail.com as "editors" to any forms you create.

Be sure to include costs and how to pay. Reminder, troops must pay for all neighborhood events must be troop checks written out to Pima Neighborhood.  Individual families only may pay via Venmo for their own expenses only. Venmo details and physical addresses for individuals will NOT be published on the web.  It is best to look at old posts to see how this is handled.

Attach a jpg of any clipart you'd like to include and send request to pima.neighborhood@gmail.com. 

It is best to announce any neighborhood event at least two months in advance to ensure good attendance.  Experience also suggests that events discussed at the monthly leaders' meeting have better attendance.

EMAIL

The blog is our main vehicle to disseminate information. Our email account is nothing fancy and is monitored by a single individual with no ability for recipients to "unsubscribe." Many individuals are sensitive to the number of emails they receive and, although we may not view our email as "junk," recipients often do not feel the same way.  Additionally, Gmail also considers the account a nuisance if we send out too many group emails in a short period of time and flags the account if that happens, shutting it down for a period of time.


For this reason, we almost always used eBudde ONLY to convey information to leaders and cookie managers about the cookie sale. Please do not turn off your notification settings in eBudde since you will be cutting off your only avenue for important information.  Cookie email requests will always be re-directed back to eBudde.


Within these parameters, the neighborhood strives to send no more that two to three emails a month, including a monthly meeting agenda with a summary of "what's happening" and otherwise only for urgent information.  We do our best to combine information; therefore the email list is not to be used for "reminders" unless absolutely necessary.  Once an event is off the ground, please use the participant list to target those attending.

If you believe an email is necessary, please write the email you want sent, complete with your contact information.  Do not send an email that says "please send an email" without providing the text you want sent out. Doing this prevents misunderstandings about the information you wish to convey and saves time. An email asking for an email without the text you wish to send will simply generate a response to provide the text.

FACEBOOK

Everyone does not have a Facebook account but many do so do not count this avenue out as a way to disseminate information.  The account is private and once you are a member you can post information.  Please be mindful that the site is to be used only to share information about Girl Scouts but otherwise, you are free to post as you please.

If you do NOT have Facebook account, you can send a request for your information to be posted to pima.neighborhood@gmail.com. Do not send pdfs.  They cannot be posted.  If you have a graphic to post, it must be sent as a jpeg. Otherwise, follow the same guidelines as with an email and send the text and contact information you wish to have posted.

OTHER COMMUNICATION OPTIONS

Finally, the service team continually reviews our communications options.  Group sites like Rallyhood are only as good as individuals' willingness to use the platform. Repeatedly, we have been told that another app is not the answer so until we find a better route that everyone is willing to use, these are the chosen routes.  You are welcome to suggest other solutions and also to advertise your event through any means, but experience suggests these three routes are best.

Send questions to pima.neighborhood@gmail.com

Friday, March 29, 2024

Early Registration


Early Registration for 2024-2025 starts on April 1.  Here are the incentives available;

Incentives to Troops 

Register your troop by April 15

Any troop who registers at least five girls and two adults by April 15 will be entered into a drawing for a MY25 Cookie Kit which includes a wagon, yard signs, table, tablecloth, Girl Scout branded canopy, and a feather flag sign. 20 winners will be selected.

Register from April 1 to April 30

  • Exclusive Cookie Booth Round for the 2025 season
  • Renew at least five girls and two adults to be eligible. 

Register from April 1 - May 30*

  • Receive up to four free troop leader membership renewals.  
  • Troops with 5-9 girls – two troop leader registration fees paid.
  • Troops with 10-15 girls – three troop leader registration fees paid.
  • Troops with 16+ girls – four troop leader registration fees paid. 

*To take advantage of this offer, Renew the girls in your troop by April 30 (Do not renew the leaders who will be registered for free), and submit this brief form to tell us which leaders you would like us to renew. 

Register from April 1 – June 30

  • Receive the 2025 Early Registration Patch. 

Incentives to Service Units

Service Units that renew 60% or higher will receive 50% off their 2024 encampment fees (percentage off is limited to building reservations only). 


2024-2025 Leader Meeting Dates

Please mark the following dates on your calendar now for our leader meetings next year.  ANY adult
volunteer is welcome to attend these meetings. 

Please  alert your cookie managers about the November 4th training dates.  We encourage everyone who will be involved in cookie management to attend.

Meetings will once again be held at the Boys and Girls Club at 10 am and 7 pm. The evening meeting will be followed by a social hour, starting at 8:15 pm, generally at Goldies.

The Boys and Girls club is located at 10515 E. Lakeview Drive, Scottsdale AZ 85258.  

  • August 12
  • September 9
  • October 14
  • November 4  **Cookie Training 10:00-11:30 a.m. and 6:30-8:00 p.m.**
  • December 9
  • January 13
  • February 3
  • March 3
  • April 7 (6:30. Leader's gala evening only, no morning meeting) 
  • May 5

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

2024-2025 Calendar

TENTATIVE 2024-2025 Calendar

AUGUST & SEPTEMBER
Recruitment Event: Pool Party
Recruitment Event: Ice Skating
Recruitment Event: Badge Workshop
Recruitment Event: Ice Cream Social

SEPTEMBER
Recommended Troop Activity: Ballet Under the Stars
 
OCTOBER
October 18-20, Encampment, Willow Springs

NOVEMBER
Recommended Troop Activity: ASU Earth and Space Exploration Day
November 2 (tentative), Juliette Low Birthday Party
November 4, Cookie Training

DECEMBER
Recommended Troop Activity: Hike Pinnacle Peak (holiday story usually can be found along the trail during the month of December)
December 4 or 11, Leader's Holiday Social

JANUARY
Cookie Rally
January 18 or 19, Cookie Delivery
January 20, Cookie Sales Begin

FEBRUARY
February 23, Thinking Day

MARCH
Recommended Troop Activity: McDowell Sonoran Preserve Family Day

APRIL
April 7, Leader's Gala

MAY
May 7, Older Girl Bridging

June
Day Camp

Saturday, March 9, 2024

Service Project: Toys for Animal Shelters


Date:
April 7, 2024, 1-3 pm

Cost: Cost is $5 per girl and includes a patch. Please send individual girl payments via Venmo to Pima/Diana or for troop payments, please write a troop check payable to Pima Neighborhood and mail it to her by April 2nd.

Please sign up here

Location: Scottsdale Ranch Park, Ramada 10

Description: We will be making fleece blankets, dog and cat toys to donate to animal shelters and learn about the importance of spaying/neutering.

PuppyLuv will be bringing puppies to this event!


We will be collecting items for animal shelters at this event. 

-Old sheets and towels

-Costco puppy food

-Diamond puppy food

-Puppy pads

-Royal Canine Feline / kitten canned food

-Purina Fancy Feast Wet Kitten food

-Bounty paper towels

-Clorox wipes

-Disposable gloves

-Sandwich and gallon baggies

-Poop disposal bags

-Pill pockets

-Trash bags

-Gerber baby food chicken or turkey

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Vista del Camino Food Drive


We are collecting any non-perishable foods to be donated to the Vista Del Camino Food Bank

Date: May 5-12, 2024

Drop-Off Location: Diana’s House

There will be a box located out front where you can place any non-perishable food items you would like to donate.


Any food donations can be dropped off at Diana's House on one of those days or you can bring your donations with you to the Community Service Day on May 11! 


The food bank is in dire need of cans of soup as well as jars of jelly. 


Email: pima.neighborhood@gmail.com

Community Service Day


Date: May 11, 2024, 1-3 pm

Cost: Cost is $5 per girl and includes a patch. Please send individual girl/family payments via Venmo to Pima/Diana or for troop payments, write a troop check payable to Pima Neighborhood and mail it to her by May 1.

Please fill out this form to sign up

If you are in 6-12th grade I would love your help running stations so please fill out this form instead.

Location: Scottsdale Ranch Park, Ramada 9

Description: We will have a variety of fun community service projects set up in the park. All ages are welcome and encouraged to participate. Just walk around from booth to booth and do each fun activity to help out our community.

It would also be a great help if everyone brought non-perishable foods to donate to our Vista Del Camino food drive.

If you will not be able to make it to the event we would still love your food donations. The Vista Del Camino Food Drive will run from May 5-12, drop off at Diana’s House.

Questions? Email pima.neighborhood@gmail.com

Sunday, March 3, 2024

Pima Neighborhood Older Girl Recognition and Bridging Ceremony

 


Pima Neighborhood

Girl Recognition Event


Wednesday, May 1, 6:30-7:30 pm
 Congregation Or Tzion 
16415 N 90th St, Scottsdale, AZ 85260

Pima is proud to host its ith girl recognition event. If you have girls who have earned the Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award, please invite them to this event. This is an opportunity for you to present their awards (that you have purchased) or to publicly acknowledge their accomplishments. Pima will provide flowers for Ambassador bridgers and Gold Award recipients. There will be a reception for girls and their supporting troops and families.

Girls who have earned their Gold Award should plan to bring their gold notebook and board to the event. 


If you have a girls who are in eighth, tenth, or twelfth grade, they may bridge at this event.  All girls will bridge together with girls from other troops in their grade. Please send me a list of names of girls who are bridging. 

This is a formal, "uniform" event.  Please ask your girls to wear white shirts and black bottoms plus a vest or sash.

For the program, I need the following:
  • Troop #
  • Correct spelling of all girls' names
  • A list of awards.  We recognize "metal" awards earned in since the beginning of the current Girl Scout year. "Metal" awards include Presidential Service Awards, service bars and leadership torches, as well as the Bronze, Silver, and Gold awards.  If you wish to recognize other accomplishments, please check with Diana.  
  • A complete record of neighborhood event volunteer service to the neighborhood by each girl.
Graduating Seniors! Please to submit a headshot (in uniform).

You may also email this information to pima.neighborhood@gmail.com
Deadline for submission is April 22
Absolutely NO Exceptions

If information is not submitted by April 22, it will not be included in the program

Friday, March 1, 2024

Mother's Day Tea Party

 


Calling all Girl Scouts and their beloved moms, maternal figures, and grandmothers! 

Get ready to indulge in a morning of bonding, laughter, and delicious treats at our upcoming Mother-Daughter Tea event. Please mark your calendars for a delightful experience that promises to strengthen the special bond between mothers, maternal figures, grandmothers, and daughters while celebrating the spirit of sisterhood within our Girl Scout community.

Date: May 4, 2024 

Time: 9 am - 11 am

Location: Granite Reef Senior Center, 1700 N Granite Reef Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85257

Cost: $7 per person (includes a patch for the girls). Payment can be made via Venmo to @Diana-Laulainen-Schein for individual girls and their guests. Payment for troops must be mace via troop check.

Sign Up: here

We can’t wait to see you there!

Note: Please RSVP by April 13, 2024, to secure your spot at this enchanting event. Space is limited; please RSVP ASAP. 

Monday, February 26, 2024

March Leader's Meetings

 


Our leader's meeting will be at either 10 am or 7 pm on Monday, March 4th. 

Where: Meetings will be held in-person at the Boys and Girls Club (10515 E Lakeview Dr, Scottsdale, AZ 85258). 

Social gathering at Goldies following the evening meeting (approximately 8:15 pm)

NEW BUSINESS
OLD BUSINESS
  • Babysitter's List 2023-2024
CALENDAR

March 2024
Community Service Project: Jared Boxes
Recommended Troop Activity: McDowell Sonoran Preserve Family Day (at the Lost Dog Trailhead)
March 2-3: Camp BASIC

April 2024
April 8, 6:30 pm: Leader's Gala (Luau!)
April 13-14: All-neighborhood Encampment at Parsons (Daisies too!)
April 27: Annual Meeting 

May 2024
May 4, 9-11 am: Mother's Day Tea (Troop 4637)

June

Thursday, February 8, 2024

Military Cookie Donations


Troop donations for the military can be dropped off at Diana's house from February 26th to March 13th.

Small donations (less than 3 cases) can be left at my front door, just let me know you are coming. Please do not place them directly in front of the door; this is a tripping hazard.

Large donations: text  ahead so that we can transfer them directly into the garage. (Addresses and emails are on the neighborhood roster or in the private Facebook group).

Please bring your cookies in the right cases! Even if it is just one box, please bring all cookies in the right case.  The donations will be in the thousands and the base needs to pallet them up for the
journey. We need full cases in the right boxes to do that. 


Tuesday, February 6, 2024

Summer Day Camp 2024: Flashback

Summer Day Camp 2024: Flashback

REGISTRATION CLOSED for girls in grades K-5. Girls in Grades 6 and up who are interested in the PA program can register here.

Girls in grades K-5 may join our Wait List here.

What is Summer Day Camp?

An awesome, week-long summer day camp. The theme this year is "Flashback," celebrating different decades throughout history.


Daily activities include swaps & crafts, science, dance, music, and sports. Our day camp fills up fast because it's so fun, so register as soon as registration opens!


Day Camp is planned and organized by Girl Scout Troop 2256, a multi-level Girl Scout troop from Pima Neighborhood (part of Girl Scouts―Arizona Cactus-Pine Council, Inc.). Camp activities are led by volunteer Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador Girl Scouts and supervised by adult volunteers. 


When?

We have scheduled camp for June 17-21 (Monday-Friday), 9 am-2 pm daily.  Girls can be dropped off starting at 8:45 each day so that their camp day can start promptly at 9 am.


Where?

Notre Dame Preparatory

9701 E Bell Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85260


Who Can Attend?

Day Camp is limited to 100 campers who are registered in a Pima neighborhood troop (Daisy, Brownie, and Junior Girl Scouts, who have just completed K-5 grades in May). An independent girl member living in our area may also attend. Our staff will be 20 older girl volunteers (grades 8+) and at least 20 adult volunteers (18+ years). 


If your daughter is in a troop outside of the Pima Neighborhood, she may attend day camp but you must be a registered and background checked volunteer who is willing to volunteer for at least two days to assist us in meeting girl/adult ratio. Cost for out-of-neighborhood Girl Scouts is $200.


**Girls must have current membership with Girl Scouts.** 


Girls living in the Desert Mountain High School complex or who attend BASIS, Archway Scottsdale, Rancho Solano, Scottsdale Prep, Pinnacle Peak, Sonoran Sky, or Grayhawk elementary schools who are not Girl Scout members may also attend but will be required to join Girl Scouts. Membership is $25 and girls need not join a troop (although we are happy to assist you in finding a permanent Girl Scout home).  Please contact us to discuss a $35 membership option that would extend membership benefits through September 2025.


Program Aide Program for Grades 6+

Girl Scouts who have just completed grades 6-9 may register for a special older girl program.  This program is designed to give them the leadership skills to be camp counselors and to assist with other neighborhood programs.  Girls who enroll in this program will earn their Program Aide award during the week, as well as a variety of certifications, badges, and other awards. This program is limited to the first 20 registrants. The fee for PA girls is $75 if paid before May 1st and $100 after that date.


What is the Cost?

$100 per girl for Pima campers who register and pay before May 1st.  

$150 per girl for Pima camper who register and pay from May 1st to May 14th

$200 after May 14th if space allows


Please take note of the late fees.  If you do not pay your camp fee before May 1st, the cost is $150. If you do not pay by May 14th, the cost is $200.


There will be no refunds or partial refunds for any reason except for camp cancellation. 


All registrations, fees, and paperwork need to be remitted by June 1st to ensure your daughter has a spot at camp. We will cancel unpaid registrations on that date along with any registrations with missing paperwork.


We need adult volunteers who are registered/background checked members of GSUSA.  To guarantee a spot for your camper, agree to help as an adult volunteer!  (Adult volunteer link is here)


How Do I Register?


Register your campers here.

If you have completed your PA training and want to work at camp, the link to apply is here.

Complete and mail in this form.


Could Camp Be Canceled?


Our annual challenge is to staff the camp with registered adult volunteers to meet safety guidelines. Chaperones are able to work remotely from camp insofar as they have no other duties other than sitting in the rooms and being present.


If canceled, all campers will be notified and registration fees refunded. You can help us out by giving us a day or two of your time! (Adult volunteer link here)


What Does my Girl Scout Need to Bring?


Everyone should bring their own sack lunch Monday through Friday. Everyone should also bring a bottle of water each day. Refrigerators and microwaves are not available.  


Girls need to wear closed-toe shoes and we encourage girls to dress according to the theme each day.


The themes for the week are as follows:


Monday: The 20s

Tuesday: The 50s

Wednesday: The 60s

Thursday: The 70s

Friday: The 80s


Drop Off, Pick Up, and Safety


We will strive to meet every Girl Scout safety recommendation.  All girls must be signed in and out by a parent/guardian each day.  If she is going home with someone else, we must receive a note from the parent.  Please pick up your camper on time.  No supervision will be provided before 8:45 or after 2:15 pm.  


What About...?


For more information, please contact Girl Scout Troop 2256 at girlscouttroop2256@gmail.com