The GSNorCal Troop Leader’s Checklist for a Successful New Year

by | Dec 21, 2017 | For Volunteers

The GSNorCal Troop Leader's Checklist for a Successful New Year

How is it possible that 2018 has already come and gone?! I don’t know about you, but I can’t believe we’re wrapping up yet another awesome year of game-changing, big-thinking, risk-taking Girl Scout fun here at GSNorCal.

I think we can all agree that there’s so much going on in December that preparing for the upcoming Girl Scout year may not be at the top of your priority list—and it shouldn’t be! December is all about relaxing, celebrating the holidays, and spending time with those you love (which hopefully includes some of your favorite Girl Scouts 😉 ).

All of that aside, if you’re a go-getter (which we all know you are—you’re a Girl Scout after all!), here’s a quick checklist to help you prepare for the New Year:

1. Relax and be present

Yes, this is #1 on the list for a reason. Remember to take care of yourself. It’s important to give yourself permission to just relax and spend time with friends and family as your close out the year. Even if it seems impossible in the moment, do your best to continue any important personal routines through this busy time, like moving around every day, cooking wholesome meals, drinking enough water, and getting enough sleep.

2. Tackle your cookie program planning

Get excited for your best cookie sale yet, because we’ve got tons of resources to help you and your girls get your #cookieboss on! If you’re looking to get ahead, here’s a list of to-dos to get you started:

  • Review all of the online resources for cookie sellers and volunteers
  • Take the online cookie program trainings for your role (troop volunteer, service unit volunteer, or parent volunteer)
  • Double check that all of your girls are registered to participate in the program—if not, they can register or renew online 24/7
  • Let your girls know about the Digital Cookie Day at every GSNorCal office, where our expert volunteers will help them set up their Digital Cookie platform and lead them through a variety of sweet cookie-related activities.

3. Infuse some fun into your spring meeting plan

Spring into action and register for any of those upcoming council events you’ve been putting off, like Golden Gate Bridging (the biggest bridging ceremony, ever!), Discoveree (our all-day volunteer and older girl learning event), or one of the other hundreds of events we offer.

And don’t forget about all the upcoming Girl Scout holidays that offer a chance to shake up your routine meetings, like World Thinking Day (February 22), Girl Scout Birthday (March 12), and Volunteer Appreciation Day (April 22)!

4. Make sure your troop families know that summer camp registration is open!

Yep, summer camp registration opened on December 1 this year, which makes this the perfect opportunity for your girls to receive the gift of camp for the holidays! We’ve put together some fun printable gift certificates for every occasion so that Roxy the Raccoon can help parents deliver the awesome news.

5. Ring in the New Year knowing you invested in girls

Finally, if you’re looking to do some charitable giving this season, consider donating to GSNorCal’s 2018 Year-End Campaign—our initiative to raise $25,000 to reach girls in under-resourced communities, send girls to camp and STEM workshops, and encourage older girls to participate in leadership training. We’re hoping you can help us reach the finish line for a great start to 2019!

Well, that’s all I have! We’ll be back to kick off the new year with a new post on Tuesday, January 8, 2019. Remember, the GSNorCal stores and offices will be closed for the winter holidays December 22, 2018 – January 1, 2019 (but don’t worry—our online shop is open 24/7).

Happy Holidays, and see you next year!

What to do next:

Marissa VesselsMarissa Vessels—Marissa is a lifelong Gold Award Girl Scout, and Director of Marketing at Girl Scout of Northern California. Though she’s originally from Southern California (Yay, Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio Council!), she moved to the East Bay to attend UC Berkeley and never looked back. One of her favorite things about Girl Scouting in the Bay Area is all the incredible hiking and camping options available to girls who love to explore the great outdoors.

The Trailhead