Julia Garcia, Associate Director of Community-Based Programming, on Girl Scouts in your community

 

 

First, Julia gave us some facts about Girl Scouts. Juliette Gordon Low founded Girl Scouts in 1912.  There are 3.2 million Girl Scouts and 891,000 adult members, who primarily work as volunteers.  In the U.S. there are over 100 councils (local offices) that support the troops of Girl Scouts.  Leadership skills are developed as girls participate in Girl Scout activities.  Today, the majority of women in the U.S. Congress were Girl Scouts.  (Of the 75 women in the House of Representatives 45 were Girl Scouts.  Ten of the 17 women in the Senate were Girl Scouts.)  The highest honor for a Girl Scout to achieve is the Gold Award.  In order to receive the Gold Award, the Girl Scout must identify a local or global need then perform a service project to address this need.  Furthermore, the project must be sustainable.  The requirements for achieving the Gold Award are so rigorous that only 300 Girl Scouts received a Gold Award last year.

Next, Julia told us about the community-based Girl Scout programs that she starts in communities.  Girls have many more options for after school activities today than they did years ago.  As a result, membership is down.  The goal of the community-based programs is to find where the girls are and offer them 8 to 10 week programs focused on topics such as, “Fit and Fabulous” and “Finance and Business.”  The programs are run out of existing community organizations such as after school activity centers, recreation departments, and libraries.


Next meeting on May 22, 5:45 p.m. at Nancy’s Air Field Café, John Pecora, Nashoba Hills that Speak.

 

Membership question for May 22: What does RYLA stand for?  What is its purpose?

Hint: go to http://rotary.org/ or ask Bob Johnson!

 

Guests:

  • Julia Garcia, speaker

 

Club Announcements:

  • Local projects:
    • Wings & Wheels: Please sign up for the Nashoba nights!
    • Wine tasting fundraiser: please give Natascha money and any unused tickets.
    • Stow Springfest is scheduled for May 17 rain or shine. This event is good for recruitment and service.  We will have a table promoting our club and a second table promoting Wings & Wheels.  We will also help with logistics for Springfest, especially directing cars to the parking lot at Bose.  More volunteers are needed.  Contact Chris to volunteer.
    • At our May Board meeting, we agreed to be a $250-level sponsor for the Bolton 5-K road race.
    • RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) Conference: Volunteers are needed to help at the RYLA Conference over the June 27-29 weekend at Worcester State.  Contact Bob to volunteer!
    • Women in Rotary 25th anniversary bash planning (summer event): contact Natascha for more information.
    • Spirit of Hudson is August 16. Nanci reported that $6,000 has already been raised!  Print advertising will begin in mid to late May.  Contact Nanci to help plan, volunteer or find sponsors for this event.
    • Healthcare Fair on October 20 at NRHS!  It will be a Reality Fair with healthcare providers in attendance.  Contact Jim for more info.
       
  • International projects:
    • Stop Hunger Now: Our meal packages have shipped to Foursquare Children of Promise International in Cambodia!
    • Natascha is meeting with a contact who was featured in the Rotarian for a hygiene project in the Dominican Republic.
       
  • Foundation Minute: Richard reported that we received a check for our We Are One project from a dentist in CT.  The mobile dental clinic in the Dominican Republic is getting outfitted with dental equipment.  He also told us that Mary Ann made contact with the RFK Center in Lancaster and they will take a group of us on a tour of their facility possibly next week.  Information gathered during the tour will be used to develop a District grant project for next year.
     
  • Membership Minute: Ron Bott said that he joined Rotary to give back to the community.  He stays in Rotary because of the great people and that giving back to the community makes him feel good.  What we may not know about Ron is that he had a hole in one at the Wedgewood Pines Golf Club in Stow a couple of years ago!
     
  • Membership Corner:
    • This week’s four-part question was,
      1. What year was Rotary created? (February 23, 1905)
      2. By whom? (Paul Harris)
      3. How many members do we currently have in Rotary International? (1.2 million)
      4. In how many countries are we located? (Over 200)
         
  • Member Announcement: Next year Laura will be the District Public Image Chair!
     
  • Activities galore!
    • Springfest: May 17 – Contact Chris if you want to help.
    • RYLA Conference support: June 27-29.  Contact Bob for more information.
    • Women in Rotary 25th anniversary bash planning (summer event): contact Natascha for more information.
    • Spirit of Hudson: August 16.  Contact Nanci to volunteer.
    • Healthcare Fair on October 20 at NRHS!  Contact Jim for more information.
       
  • Dues news:
    • To cover RI and district dues, we’ll be increasing dues to $150/year ($75 semi-annually) starting July 1, 2014.
       
  • Laura has posted the Best Club award criteria and the updated 2013-2014 Calendar of Activities on our website www.nashobarotary.org.

 

Other Club and General Rotary Announcements (Capitalized events earn points for our club!)

  • May 16-18: DISTRICT CONFERENCE (Holiday Inn Boxborough)
    • Register online and get more info here: http://rotaryma.org/rotary-district-7910-conference/index.html
    • Includes a Stop Hunger Now event on Saturday morning (same time as Springfest)
    • Laura will M.C. the lunch on Saturday, May 17!
    • Pay only for food: Paul Harris dinner on Friday, awards dinner on Saturday
    • Bring canned foods, donations for local food pantries
    • Rotary Expo featuring the 5 avenues of service on Saturday afternoon
    • Hospitality suite on Friday and Saturday nights (dessert and beverages).  Contact Laura to help.
  • Peace Corps and Rotary International partnership: one-year pilot program in Philippines, Thailand, and Togo.  For more information: https://www.rotary.org/en/peace-corps-and-rotary-kickoff-historic-collaboration

 

Non-Rotary/public announcements:

  • Trinity Church Congregational Yard Sale (Wattaquadock Hill Road in Bolton) on May 17 from 9 to 3 p.m.
  • Bolton Repair Café: May 31 from 9-1 in Davis Hall at First Parish Church of Bolton.  Contact Ray Pfau if interested in helping.
  • Bolton 5K Road Race is June 14: Anyone interested in sponsoring, donating items to raffle, or participating go to http://bolton5krally.com/.  Proceeds will go to the RFK Center in Lancaster.  You can Like the Facebook page: “Bolton 5K Rally.”

 

Birthdays

  • Nancy McPherson: May 19
  • Bill Bosworth: May 23
  • Carol Toomey: May 25

 

Happy/Sad Fines:

  • Mary Ann: happy to be here
  • Ron: sad about the Bruins
  • Matt: happy for his son’s birthday and having his daughter back from college
  • Carol: happy for two family birthdays (including her mother’s 90th) and for publishing a bridal magazine
  • Richard:  happy to spend time with his grandkids and for attending the Worcester meeting that day
  • Bob: happy to be going to district conference
  • Jim: happy to have attended a Maynard Club meeting to enlist support for the fall Healthcare fair
  • Rich: happy for a Mother’s Day celebration and for his daughter’s promotion
  • Bill: happy for the weather
  • Laura: sad that Deb Kotlarz had an accident and was in the hospital for two days (better now!), sad that Nanci was unable to attend the meeting due to issues regarding her house in Gloucester, and happy (Can’t remember why!)