NEW!
Customer Engagement Initiative (CEI)
We're so excited to share information about our brand new Customer Engagement Initiative with you! We've been talking about the benefits of our new platform for more than a year - now we're ready to unveil all the bells and whistles!

Here's what you can expect in the coming weeks:

1. Your Personal Invitation
All current registered adult members and parents/guardians of registered girl members will receive an email on Monday, August 22 telling you about the "Girl Scout Member Community." Our council will "go live" with the new platform on Tuesday, August 23, and we want all of our members to be ready.  On August 23 , all registered members and parents/guardians of registered girl members will receive a second email, this one will include your unique login information. This email will be delivered from   gsusacustomercare@girlscouts.org .
Please open this email promptly - it will give you the details you need to create your new user profile in the GS Member Community, or "My GS." This will be the place where you update your personal profile information.
We want every family connected to the Girl Scout Member Community.  Note: When accessing the community, we recommend using Firefox or Chrome. Can't find the email? Be sure to check your SPAM folder.

2. Simplified Troop Management
The new online Volunteer Toolkit (VTK), which will be released on  Tuesday, August 23 , will help troop volunteers get what they need - when they need it. Troops will be able to plan out their whole year and have a roster of all troop member information, accessible via computer or mobile device, and tools to facilitate communication between parents and troop leaders. The VTK is designed to help improve the girl and volunteer experience. Online resources will help volunteers work with their troops to plan troop activities, custom-fit with what their troop loves to do and coordinate it with a Journey. You'll have access to the VTK through "My GS" link from the gsewni.org website.

3. The Opportunity Catalog 
The new online Opportunity Catalog will allow parents and volunteers to search for troops, locations and meeting days that work for them and show the volunteer positions that need to be filled to get the troop off the ground. Our goal is to assign volunteers to troops within a week of expressing interest, instead of the 4 to 6 week process of our previous system. 

Click here to learn more about CEI.
Click here to read the Opportunity Catalog FAQs.

Stay tuned! We will roll out new information regarding CEI in each of our monthly adult newsletters.

UPCOMING EVENTS
Just the 2 of Us
Date:  Friday, August 19 - Sunday, August 21
Location: Camp Four Echoes
Address: 22799 S. Four Echoes Road, Worley, ID
Details: This weekend is open for you (a guy or gal adult) and your Girl Scout! Activities will include swim time, arts/crafts, and hiking. Please note that you may be sharing a cabin with another adult/girl duo.
Cost: $75/person. Meals are included.
How: Click here to register. Contact Marcy Mastel at mmastel@gsewni.org or 509-747-8091, ext. 226 with questions.

Dust Devils Baseball Scout Night & Sleepover
Date : Saturday, August 20
Time: 7:15pm (gates open at 6:15pm)
Location: Gesa Stadium
Address: 6200 Burden Boulevard, Pasco, WA
Details: Big 5 Sporting Goods presents Dust Devils Baseball Scout Night and Sleepover! Scout night participants will receive a post-game snack, the opportunity to spend the night on the Dust Devils baseball field, an entry into a Big 5 raffle, and an unforgettable experience with family, friends, and fellow scouts! Sleepover participants will receive a goodie bag, which includes a Big 5 drawstring knapsack, sports towel, and other fun items.
Cost: Tickets range between $8/person and $13/person depending on seating and overnight options.
How: Click here for more information and to download the Scout Night Order Form.

Happy Campers Are We 
Date: Friday, August 26 - Sunday, August 28
Time: Check-in Friday between 5pm - 7pm and Check-out Sunday at 11am.
Location: Camp Four Echoes
Address: 22799 S. Four Echoes Road, Worley, ID
Details: We are starting an annual Camp Four Echoes alumni event for past campers, staff, and friends of camp. Join us in a special mini-reunion and bring along your besties. Enjoy all the activities that you love and miss, including: archery, swimming, boating, crafting, and singing. We will also be hiking the expanse of camp, having fun beneath the trees, and simply enjoying ourselves on the beach. This weekend is for you to connect, relax, and return home re-energized!
Cost: $75/person; $25 non-refundable deposit will hold your spot. Dinner on Friday, all meals on Saturday, and breakfast/snack on Sunday included.
How:  Click here to register. Contact Marcy Mastel at 509-747-8091, ext 226 or  mmastel@gsewni.org with questions.

Girl Scout Family Camp
Date: Friday, September 2 - Monday, September 5
Location: Camp Four Echoes
Address: 22799 S. Four Echoes Road, Worley, ID
Details: Bring a camp stove and enough food for you and your family (meals not included). There will be a scheduled hike, stargazing and s'mores.
Cost: $60 per cabin (limit 6 people per cabin). Please note that you may be sharing units and some cooking space with other families.
How: Click here to register. Contact Marcy Mastel at mmastel@gsewni.org or 509-747-8091, ext. 226 with questions.

Women's Weekend 2016
Date: Friday, September 9 - Sunday, September 11
Location: Camp Four Echoes 
Address: 22799 S. Four Echoes Road, Worley, ID
Details: Need a getaway for you and your girlfriends? Women's Weekend is the event for you! Now in its 19th year, Women's Weekend is an important fundraising event for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Washington & Northern Idaho. This is the weekend to take the time to unwind and decompress.  We like to call it pampered camping. Best of all, you design your perfect day of activities. We have everything from kayaking and paddle boarding, to painting sessions and relaxing massages. 
Cost: $245/person. Your registration includes lodging, catered meals, all beverages and many activities. 
How: Click here to register. The weekend is filling fast and will sell out.  Register now to reserve your bunk. For additional information, email events@gsewni.orgBe sure to  "like" the Women's Weekend Facebook Page Women's Weekend Sponsorships and Silent Auction opportunities are still available! Please email   events@gsewni.org or call 509-747-8091, ext 204 for more information. 
Service Units:  Please email events@gsewni.org  if you are able to provide a gift basket. We appreciate your support!

Kellogg's Tour of Gymnastics Champions
Date:  Thursday, September 15
Time:  7:30pm
Location:  Spokane Arena
Address:  720 W Mallon Ave, Spokane, WA
Details:  Gymnastics fans will get to see the biggest names in the sport at the 2016 Kellogg's Tour of Gymnastic Champions!
Cost:  $20/Scout ticket, which includes a 2016 Kellogg's Tour of Gymnastics Champions Girl Scout patch. Deadline to purchase tickets is two weeks before the show.
How:  Click here to for more information or to register.

Cougars vs Vandals GSEWNI Family Group Game
Date:  Saturday, September 17
Time:  11am
Location:  Martin Stadium
Address:  1775 NE Stadium Way, Pullman, WA 99164
Details:  Washington State University invites all Girl Scout families to attend the September 17th WSU Cougar football game against the University of Idaho Vandals.
Cost:  $20/Scout ticket. $5 from each ticket goes to support Girl Scouts in your area. Please use promo code "GSEWNI".
How:  Click here to view the flyer for more information. Click here to to register.

Think Outside... at S'Mores!
Mark your calendars now for  September 23 - 25 for this year's S'mores Leader Enrichment Weekend at beautiful Camp Four Echoes. The theme is 'outdoors' to emphasize and embrace the new outdoor badges from GSUSA. The weekend event will include a variety of workshops pertaining to fun things you can do in a troop meeting with girls. You won't want to miss this!

Registration will be available on the council website SOON! Sign up by the end of July to take advantage of Early Bird pricing! When registration is open, you will be able to sign up via this link.

Early Bird - $50/person (Deadline: July 31)
On Time - $65/person (Deadline: August 31)
Late - $75/person (Deadline: September 15)

She and Me Camping at Wooten
Date:  Friday, September 30 - Sunday, October 2
Time: Check-in at 5:30pm
Location: Camp Wooten
Address: 2711 Tucannon Road, Pomeroy, WA
Details: This is the time for fun cabin camping at Candy Land! Girls and their She Adult (Mom, Grandma, Aunt, etc.) will experience a sweet adventure with some of your favorite Candy Land characters this fall at Camp Wooten. Activities will include colorful character transformations, crafting with the Gingerbread Man, climbing Candy Mountain, Candy Creations, Crossing the Chocolate River, and of course, playing the game! Plan your favorite Candy Land-themed skit with your cabin mates. Bring non-food SWAPS to trade if you'd like (not a requirement). Camp Wooten cabins sleep up to 11 people each, so keep in mind you will be sharing a cabin with others.
Cost: $60/person if registered by September 8. Late registrations will be accepted until September 15 (or earlier if camp fills up) at $65/person. Cost includes all program supplies, Friday evening snack, three Saturday meals and a Saturday snack, along with Sunday breakfast. A limited number of need-based camper scholarships are available.
How: Click here to register. Contact Margie Grant at grantms1@charter.net or 509-430-9616 with questions.


FEATURED STORY
Celebrating a Special Story of Sisterhood
August 7, 2016 is National Sister's Day, an annual holiday celebrated on the first Sunday in August recognizing the bond shared between sisters. Today we're taking a moment to reflect on a powerful bond between sisters through the perspective of one of our very own Girl Scout alumna, Courtney Grant. On June 18, 2016 she shared the best day of her life - the marriage between her and her new husband - with her Girl Scout sisters by her side.

Amanda, Shay, Savannah, and Courtney became friends over ten years ago when their troops merged. They also grew close with a fellow scout, Jenna, who was a part of a different troop in the same area. The girls' friendship has grown strong ever since through a numerous amount of memorable experiences, including volunteering, traveling, and attending school together. Courtney met her last bridesmaid, Fawn, at school when they had been assigned to the same group in their humanities class. Fawn recently joined the Girl Scout family and is currently working at Camp Four Echoes helping lead program activities for our summer resident campers. "When my boyfriend proposed to me it only made sense to have my Girl Scout sisters be my bridesmaids," said Courtney. "From Camp Wooten, to the Mall of America, through my Gold Award project, to New York City, back to Portland, off to college, and finally, down the aisle - I've been blessed to have the same lovely ladies by my side."

Courtney attributes the growth and success in her life to her friends, family, both past and present -  much of which has a strong affiliation to Girl Scouts. All within a month's time, she graduated from Eastern Washington University with a degree in Communications and Public Relations, married her special guy, and began a career with the Washington State Patrol. "Girl Scouts has been there to support me and teach me every step of the way," she cheerfully admits. "I'm not sure that I'd be doing what I'm doing now if I hadn't had my Girl Scout family there."

From earning her highest awards and being on the GSEWNI Gold Award committee, to being selected as a National Delegate, Courtney has made everyone who knows her proud. "I am so honored to be Courtney's mom," said Margie Grant, who has been a troop leader and volunteer for over 14 years. "I can't imagine having anyone other than her Girl Scout sisters by her side on her wedding day. I love these young women and couldn't be prouder of them. They really are a true blessing as well as amazing examples of courage, confidence, and character, who are making the world a better place," she continued.

Sisterhood is a common theme in Girl Scouting, most recently explored in Mission: Sisterhood, from the leadership journey It's Your Story - Tell It! Whether the last troop meeting took place yesterday or twenty years ago, the bond of sisterhood lasts forever.

Click here to view more pictures from Courtney's special day.

ADULT RELATED NEWS
Women & Children's Free Restaurant & Community Kitchen Teen Board
Attention Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors AKA Girl Scout 'Almost-Adults!' - (We apologize that this particular information should have gone in the August Girl Newsletter. We didn't know about this opportunity until right after our Girl Newsletter was distributed. Since we didn't want your Senior/Ambassador to miss out on this AMAZING opportunity, we are including it in the Adult August Newsletter and hope you share it with your Girl Scout!)

Women & Children's Free Restaurant & Community Kitchen is starting their first-ever Teen Board. They are currently looking for applicants to serve on the board for the 2016-2017 school year, starting this fall. 
 
Candidates must be going into the 10th, 11th or 12th grade and have strong leadership skills. Candidates will be expected to be ambassadors for the restaurant, raise money for a specified project, and be willing to volunteer at at least one of their fundraisers. 
 
If you're interested in being part of the WCFR Teen Board, please contact Mikayla Brickner at 509-324-1995, ext. 305 or  development@wcfrspokane.org  for a cover letter explaining more about the board, expectations and goals and to fill out an application.

Digital Girl Scout Volunteer Badge
At Girl Scouts, we love and appreciate our amazing volunteers - you're such a huge part of helping girls discover what they can do! And as much as we're so proud to have you with us on this incredible journey to prepare girls for a lifetime of raising their hands, speaking up and trying new things, we know your pride in the awesome work you do every day is even greater.

Now you can show off that pride across all of your social media profiles with this cool, new digital badge!

Click here to download your badge now.

NEW! Chief Operating Officer
We are excited to announce that Stuart Stark is the new Chief Operating Officer with Girl Scouts of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho.  He joins GSEWNI with a vast knowledge and experience in STEM and aviation/aerospace, along with a passion for seeing young adults succeed to become healthy well-educated citizens.

Stuart was directly involved with the building of a new 44 million dollar STEM High School, known as Raisbeck Aviation High School, located directly across from the Museum of Flight in Seattle. He has been exposed to the inner workings of a STEM educational facility, along with affiliated educational programs such as The Skunk Works and FIRST Robotics Team. Stuart serves on numerous prestigious boards and committees, including Northwest Business Aviation Association, Inland Northwest Aerospace Consortium, Greater Spokane Incorporated, Ronald McDonald House Charities Sponsorship and Outreach committee, National Air Transportation Association, and National Business Aviation Association. He is also an established Board Member of Washington FIRST Robotics, whose goal is to inspire students to pursue careers in science and technology by participating in fun, enriching, and worthwhile educational experiences. 

Stuart is proud to be associated with an organization deeply rooted in society for over 100 years, serving 2.7 million members worldwide.

2016 Fall Product Sale Training Dates
Are you as excited for this year's Fall Product Sale as we are? Be sure to mark your calendars for the two Service Unit Trainings:
  • Friday, August 26 from 6pm - 8pm in Tri-Cities, WA. Location TBD.
  • Saturday, August 27 from 10am - 12pm at the Girl Scout Program Center in Spokane, WA.
As a reminder, Fall Product Sale will take place Friday, October 7 - Sunday, October 23.

Click here for more information.

2017 National Convention
Save the Date: October 4 - 8, 2017 in Columbus, Ohio

There's always something fun happening in Ohio's capital city. In October 2017, that fun will be our next Girl Scout convention. So mark your calendars now to join us in Columbus!

The deadline to submit proposals to amend the national bylaws is September 30, 2016.

Stay tuned for more information!

Girl Scouts of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho is a United Way agency.
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