Life is full of disappointments and set-backs, and I know that I have to work harder at looking for the positive in every situation. OK, so it’s raining outside and the flooding makes driving hazardous BUT it could be a hurricane, monsoon, tidal wave – there’s a reason to celebrate. We DO need the rain which will make our lawns green again, help our flowers survive and help the overall water condition of the state. Another reason to celebrate.

So I don’t get to enjoy the out-of-doors; I have plenty of projects and activities that can be done indoors. And why not throw a blanket on the floor and have an indoor picnic? This is a minor setback in the overall scheme of things. In today’s environment there are many reasons to be disappointed, unhappy and worried, but being angry, worried or upset doesn’t help and often makes things worse. By allowing ourselves to focus on the negative, we open ourselves up to even more disappointment. So, let’s “accentuate the positive,” “eliminate the negative” and focus our thoughts on celebrating what we can.

By focusing our energies on the benefits of each situation, by looking for the good in everything and everybody, and by living our lives recognizing that we can’t control everything, we can be healthier, happier people – and won’t that truly make the world a better place?!  I’m trying to look on the bright side in situations and to allow myself to let go of those things I can’t control and learn how to manage what I can control.

Believe me, I know that it’s not always easy to see the good in every situation, but it’s there if we just look for it!

Even though this is a busy time, I’d like to ask everyone to add one more small task to your ‘to-do’ list.

If you were at the Annual Meeting or have read the June edition of GS Express, you know we’re studying our properties closely and will soon be trying to decide if our main Service Center would be better suited to a different location in our council.  The Office Relocation Task Group will begin their work this summer and would like to have your input before they begin so a very short survey has been developed for that purpose.

A link to that survey was included in the latest GS Express and it’s also proivded here. We’d really like to receive your input and invite you to participate in this survey (prior to June 19 would be very helpful).

Just click on this link to get to the survey.

Thanks in advance for your feedback – we’ll share the results of the survey at the end of June.

Of course I had to adjust to my home routine too – getting back to my exercise regime and healthy eating. I’ll admit that the first session with my Personal Trainer when I returned left me with sore muscles for a couple days, and although I jumped back into my new eating habits immediately, it wasn’t easy and I long for those carbs I allowed myself on vacation. My dog wasn’t exactly sure how to react to my return either. He adjusted quickly to a new routine while I was gone and now he’s back to being alone most of the day – I’m not sure he’s very happy with that but he’ll adjust, too.

But one of the great things I found when I returned was that it was ‘business as normal’ while I was gone – that’s what I love about this organization. People are involved because they are committed to the mission, because they love what we’re able to do for girls, because they really do want to make a difference in the world – this goes for everyone, volunteers and employed staff.  Yes, my specific tasks were still waiting for me but between my great executive assistant and chief operating officer, my important messages had already been answered and prioritized, all questions and/or situations I would normally have dealt with had been handled and it affirmed for me the trust I have in those around me is justified.

Certainly we still have kinks to work out in our systems and we’re continually assessing our ways of work to make sure we’re providing the best service possible but we are making progress. We appreciate everyone’s understanding that we’re still dealing with “growing pains” and adjusting to a new staffing structure because of our recent need to eliminate some positions. We have a vision for the future – and we’re all looking at what that really looks like, how to get to that place and what our individual and team legacy will be.

What about you? What will your legacy be for Girl Scouts of West Central Florida? In 20 years, will people remember what you did?

For example, it was two weeks ago that we held our 2nd Annual Meeting as Girl Scouts of West Central Florida and it seems like yesterday. As always the Annual Meeting is a great time to see old friends, provide recognition for some of our very special volunteers, conduct the business of the organization and provide information to and receive feedback from our members.

This year’s Annual Meeting was no exception. Prior to the business meeting, Board members shared important information in two separate forums – one regarding the properties of GSWCF and the other regarding our finances. Those who were present were given an opportunity to ask questions, make comments and offer suggestions. Lots of great information was shared and lots of great questions and suggestions were offered.

As the Executive Committee of the Board traveled around the council looking at all of our properties, they developed lists identifying our “needs” and our “wishes” for each one. Considering the current economy and financial status, we know that right now we will just be maintaining our properties as there is limited opportunity for development and/or expansion. In addition to looking at all of our camp properties, they also considered our best usage of office space.

Overall the long-term goal will be to divest ourselves of both the Tampa and Lakeland offices and find new office space convenient to the interstate travel patterns of our area. Additionally the plan would be to renovate the “Welcome Center” at Camp Wildwood and move the services from the current Ocala office to that space. While these plans are not scheduled to occur immediately, the Board has set in place a “Relocation Task Group” who will manage this process.

So, for now all three of these offices will remain open. Changes have been made to the Ocala office to make room for a Resource Center for the convenience of the leaders in that area and the store at the Lakeland office will remain operational. The Tampa office will continue to be the corporate headquarters.

This may take some time and will surely take a lot of research and investigation to determine exactly what our needs are but time is the one thing we have plenty of……..even though it flies by faster than we expect!

Let me begin by saying a huge “THANK YOU” to all of the women and men who devote time, resources and energy into being Girl Scout leaders – now, in the past and in the future. These dedicated volunteers truly are helping make a difference in our world to make it a better place. I know that very few parents or community observers recognize the number of hours it takes to plan good troop meetings, the patience it takes to guide girls into making good decisions, the energy it takes to help make girls’ dreams and plans become reality or the personal sacrifices a Girl Scout leader makes in order to always ‘be there’ for the girls. Whether it’s just time to lend an ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on or to drop other personal plans to attend a special event or camping weekend with the girls, Girl Scout leaders really are worth their weight in gold. They do this work because they believe in what this program does for girls, because they love knowing they’re making a difference in a girl’s life and their reward is often in the smile on a girl’s face when she tries something new and succeeds, in the satisfaction of having one of “her/his” girls reach a goal and in hearing the giggles coming from a tent on an overnight camping trip.

Here’s a poem I have always enjoyed – the Author is unknown but I always get chills and a tear in my eye when I hear it.

THE GREEN ANGEL

I dreamed I went to Heaven
And saw among the dead
An Angel dressed in Green
A halo round her head,
And she looked kind of funny
Midst all the glaring white.
The others asked her jealously
What gave her such a right.
“I’m just a Girl Scout leader,
I lay no hold to fame.
But being such a person
Means more than just a name.
My jobs on earth were many,
Praises and thanks were few.
I did more work in one day
Than ten people ought to do.
I was a tin can cooker
A hiker, a pathfinder –
I’ve also been an artist
A sailor, a bookbinder.
I taught jumping Jills to dance.
I taught parrots to sing.
I made saints out of hoodlums
While Mama had her fling.
I walked the streets till my feet
Felt like a ton of bricks
Selling Girl Scout cookies till
The mere thought made me sick.
But it was a lot of fun,
Life never was a bore.
See - - this role isn’t new to me - -
I’ve been an Angel before.”

If you know a Girl Scout Leader, please give her/him a hug today and say “thanks for helping make the world a better place.”

The Senior staff of Girl Scouts of West Central Florida has worked diligently to cut expenses in areas that will not affect direct service to girls in order to achieve a balanced budget in 2009.  Additional cuts in expenditures are being implemented and will include printing, supplies, marketing, cell phones, staff development, and much more.  A portion of those expense cuts have moved us closer to maintaining current services for girls and continuing to be fiscally responsible as we end the first quarter of 2009 and make plans for the future.

However, the amount of revenue shortfalls in grant-funded programs, United Way support, and council fundraisers could not be absorbed by administrative actions alone and we have found the need to reduce salary expenses.  We have initiated a pay freeze for all employees and I have taken a 10% cut in pay. Additional cuts were necessary however and Girl Scouts of West Central Florida implemented a revised staff structure effective Friday, April 3, which eliminated nine staff positions.  Our service to girls and volunteers is our number one priority.  Please be assured we haven’t eliminated the services the staff members provided you, rather they have been assigned to other staff members.

We will be introducing our revised staff structure on Monday, April 6th and will post this information along with updated staff contact information on our website (www.gswcf.org) by Thursday, April 9.

You’ll have an opportunity to learn more about our financial status and our future plans at the council’s Annual meeting on April 18th.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

Signs of the economy “tanking” and one of the worst market falls was in October – just at the time that our own Devil Rays were in the World Series. In November, our country’s citizens voted for “change” by electing Barack Obama to the presidency, Girl Scouts from across the country gathered together in Indianapolis to help set the future direction of our leadership program and now we’re all anxious to see the results of both because we’re all looking for the hope of the future.  On a personal note, I resolved to be more “fit” and healthy by hiring a personal trainer and taking control of my weight – and then fractured a bone in my foot on a treadmill.

Our January Dessert First fundraising event in Lakeland fell short of its financial goal and yet, a record number of camp scholarships and Cookies From Home for our troops were purchased that evening. The Board officers agreed to develop plans for our properties, visiting each to determine current needs and future needs based on feedback from our members while the year end financials ended in a deficit position. We entered this year’s cookie program with a great plan, new marketing materials, a booth locator on- line, several TV promotions but the result (at least right now) is a sale that is lower than last year’s sale.

Everywhere you turn, retail stores are offering tremendous savings and sales are common but most of us are “tightening our belts” by spending less and many stores are closing their doors. Speaking of “tightening our belts”, my new eating and exercising plan has resulted in a need for a new wardrobe – the good news is there are a number of “deals” out there and most women I know would like to have that problem; the bad news is that I’m trying to control my expenses and conserve my resources because of the unstable economy.  And, at a time when I sometimes feel like the “walls are crumbling around me”, I received two great honors – one was an email message sent by one of our volunteers to a friend in another state lauding the work we had done at GSWCF to make our realignment work and the other was being named “2009 Executive Woman of the Year” by the Network of Executive Women in Tampa.
Do you see what I mean about schizophrenic? I want to only concentrate on the hills, on the good news, and on the future of hope………..what about you?

I think I’m constantly looking these days for glimmers of hope and things that make me smile. It seems like the news is filled with stories of “gloom and doom” and all of us are consumed with daily thoughts of how we’ll get through this current economy. We all need to find those things that make us smile and give us hope – here are some of the things that have made me smile recently:

• Reconnecting with old friends – thanks to Facebook, I have begun communicating regularly with people I had lost touch with over the years as well as having closer communication with my nieces who all live in other states

• Learning that one of our former girl members was selected for an internship for WAGGGS – we were pleased to help her with a reference for this position and thrilled to hear she will be spending the summer in England for this experience

• Hearing from a parent that her daughter is having a great time in Girl Scouts!

• Trying on a pair of pants that were once too tight and are now too loose

• Finding a ring under the dresser that I thought was lost forever

• Having a good hair day!

• Receiving an unexpected phone call from a friend I don’t see often – just to chat and catch up

• Visiting with my sister and brother in law who I hadn’t seen for a couple years

• Seeing the jacket I fell in love with now on sale!

• Learning that I’m a finalist for an award from the Network for Executive Women

• Getting the OK from my doctor to get back to my walking routine – which I hadn’t been able to do since I fractured a bone in my foot in October

• Finding time to take Spencer for a long walk in the neighborhood on a sunny day

• Getting tickets to see Jeff Foxworthy at the Strawberry Festival

• Finally setting up the Wii Fit system that has been sitting at my house for months – and using it for the first time

• Deciding on the perfect gift for a friend’s birthday

• Planning for a family reunion this summer – where we’ll all be together for the first time in over six years

• Getting back out on the golf course after not playing for way too long – and actually having a few good shots and at least one super putt!

• Receiving a compliment – “you look great”

• Having an opportunity to see girls at camp having a great time.

• Spring Training – and looking forward to another great year for the Rays

• Seeing Jerry Seinfeld at the Mahaffey Theater – as funny as ever

• Anticipating a vacation in May, cruising with a friend who now lives in Europe and I don’t see often

I know that we all need to smile more, be more hopeful and find the good in life – now more than ever. So, what is making YOU smile these days?

“Showcase of Skills” was in full swing while we were there which added to the experience for the Board members who were able to meet and interact with troop leaders and trainers in different workshops and at lunch.

Linda (our Board Chair) and I also facilitated a session in the afternoon with a “free to ask whatever you want” agenda. The attendance was small and most of the questions were better answered by the other volunteers in the group or other council staff, but we wanted to make sure that we’re offering the opportunity to everyone to get to know us better and to demonstrate our willingness to listen and share in an open atmosphere.

One of the questions I received was, “How do you decide what to write about in your blog?” Thanks for asking, Janice – as you will now see, the topics I cover in this blog come to me through a variety of ways. Sometimes staff is working on an issue and it prompts me to write about it, sometimes it is created from conversations I’ve had with volunteers or in my own personal network and sometimes it just “pops” into my head (usually when I’m in the shower!).

When she asked me this question, however, it made me wonder if there are specific topics YOU would like to have me discuss in this blog. After all, this is meant to be a way for all of us to share with each other.  There is much going on in our council, our community and in our environment and I’d like to know what YOU would like to discuss…………..so, let me know!

My name is Darlene Harris and I currently serve as the Director of Product Sales for Girl Scouts of West Central Florida. I love working with the Cookie and QSP/Nut Programs year-round, but especially with the volunteers and girls who drive their success! I was very excited when asked to be a guest blogger on Jody’s blog to discuss the 2009 Cookie Program and I hope you find that this message resonates with all of you as you work towards those 2009 Cookie goals!

In a few weeks, Girl Scout troops will be receiving their 2009 Cookie Program proceeds which could add up to a lot of money in their troop accounts. Last year, more than 12,000 Girl Scouts in West Central Florida received more than $1.2 million from the 2008 Cookie Program. What a perfect opportunity for the troop leaders and advisors to educate our girls on how they can plan the troop’s financial future and start practicing money management skills!

We have been saying how the cookie program is the leading financial literacy program for girls ages 5-17 and now we can prove that statement by working with the girls to plan their program and camping activities, select their community service projects and philanthropic ideas (budget the costs), put away some money for the future (membership dues, summer activities, trips), build a budget and then track their expenses as they come in. What other program provides the opportunity for girls to learn first-hand how to manage money now and in their futures? Now is the best time for girls and volunteers to discuss how the troop can be self-sufficient by using their cookie proceeds wisely.

Girls will only understand what all this planning and budgeting means if they see the entire process from beginning to end so sharing the expenses and income amounts with them is an essential part of the education process. Each Girl Scout should take part of every entry in the check book, reconcilement of the troop bank account and the final year-end financial report to help them gain those life skills that Girl Scouting is all about!

Imagine If…..girls learned to budget through the cookie program and made wise choices in college or buying a car! Imagine If…it all started with that first box of Girl Scout cookies! Imagine the possibilities!!!

Girl Scout Cookies are a lasting investment in our community! Through the cookie program girls learn money management, teamwork, and valuable business and marketing skills, but only if we share our knowledge with them and allow them to plan their own futures.

What is your troop doing this year to teach financial literacy skills and make a lasting investment in our Girl Scouts’ futures?