Is it true that all Girl Scouts have to wear a full uniform to all Girl Scout events?

What makes a Girl Scout a Girl Scout is becoming a yearly member, wearing the Membership Pin, and subscribing to the Girl Scout Promise and Law. Girl Scouts are encouraged to purchase a Girl Scout vest or sash to display patches they have earned, a full Girl Scout uniform is not required.

According to Safetywise, all Girl Scout members wear the Membership Pin when participating in Girl Scout activities. Since Girl Scouting is a uniformed organization, girl and adult members are informed, at the time they become members, that they are entitled to wear the Girl Scout uniform appropriate for their age level. Although the wearing of the uniform is encouraged, it should be clearly conveyed that the wearing of the uniform is not required to be a Girl Scout. Uniforms are not required for members to participate in Girl Scout activities. Girl Scout uniforms can be an important contributor to group identity and promote a greater sense of unity and parity among members at each age level. When appropriate, the official uniform is used to identify traveling groups or individuals representing the organization.

We strive to make Girl Scouting affordable to all girls and make sure finances are not a barrier to the Girl Scout experience. There are funds available through the Girl Scouts – Foothills Council, Inc. to purchase a Girl Scout vest or sash. Call 733-2391 for more details.

I am concerned about the apparent lack of United Way funding for the upcoming year.  Could you please explain what happened?

We share your concern about the change in funding from our largest United Way in the Foothills Council area.  In fact, the continued decline in the ability of some United Ways to adequately fund our programs was cited as a reason we needed to consider selling the camp property.

Recently, the United Way of the Valley and the Greater Utica Area have merged, however, the 2008/2009 funding requests were submitted separately to community based volunteers.  Our presentations to the allocation panels were very well received and we expected some level of funding.  The programs which were funded in the prior two-year cycle had exceeded goals and met the desired outcomes.  The council did not receive funding for three targeted programs from the Greater Utica Area proposal and will not be eligible to reapply for three years.  The United Way of Greater Utica Area cited limited funding and a change in focus of priorities as factors in choosing not to award the Girl Scouts funding.

In past years, the Foothills council has received funding from nine United Ways and Community Chests.  These have included United Ways of Greater Oneida, Rome & Western Oneida County, the Valley, and the Greater Utica Area.  The Community Chests that have supported Girl Scouting include Little Falls, Canastota, Sherrill/Kenwood, Sullivan, and Hamilton.   We have been fortunate to receive increased support from many of these organizations based on the quality of our programs. 

I have noticed that Girl Scout Cookies are available for purchase on ebay.  Is this how the program is supposed to be carried out by girls?

Selling Girl Scout Cookies online is not how the annual Cookie Program Activity is intended to be carried out.  Girl Scouts of the USA has established an Internet Sales Policy that clearly states, “Sales on a website on the Internet of any products sold in council-sponsored product sales, such as Girl Scout Cookies, candy, nuts, calendars, or magazine subscriptions, may not be conducted by anyone at any time.”

Going against GSUSA’s policy does not uphold the Girl Scout Promise and Law of being honest and fair.  Additionally, Internet sales do not ensure fair sales competition or that sales are being made locally.

With an increase in sales activities on the Internet, Girl Scout councils across the country have an increased concern for:

• The personal safety and security of girls.  There is no way to control who sees the solicitation for cookie sales and who can contact the girl.  GSUSA considers these activities a significant security risk to girls.

• Fraud.  There is no way to verify that the order for cookies goes to an actual Girl Scout.  Anybody can set up a website and sell cookies.

• Tax-exempt status.  Internal Revenue Service scrutiny of how local Girl Scout cookie sales are conducted is ever present.  Selling on the Internet could easily be viewed as a commercial activity.  GSUSA has been advised on numerous occasions to avoid any activity that could be construed as commercializing the cookie sale.  If the IRS believes the sale is being carried on as a commercial activity, it could take the position that revenue from the cookie sale would be taxable.

These policies have been developed to protect our membership, limit the risk of fraud, and ensure that we can defend our tax-exempt status.

We hope that all local Girl Scouts will help us maintain the integrity of this program by selling cookies door-to-door, at local businesses, and at booth sales.  Additionally, we ask for cooperation from our adult volunteers to comply by GSUSA’s policies and set a good example for our Girl Scouts.

Can my mom volunteer at Camp Agaliha?  This is my first time at camp and I would like her there!

Volunteer support is integral to the success of our camp program.  We are pleased to welcome parents and other adults who would like to help make the summer camping experience a memorable one for local girls.

If your mom is interested in volunteering, she must first complete a volunteer position application which can be found in the “Forms” section of our website.  Upon successful completion of our criminal background check, all volunteers must also attend the mandatory sections of our pre-camp training, which include: risk management, child abuse, and camp safety.

One of the goals of the Girl Scout camp experience is to foster independence and friendships among all campers.  For that reason, volunteers are placed in a program separate from their own children or relatives.  With the exception of camp-wide activities, such as meals in the dining hall or swimming, there is little or no interaction between adult volunteers and their own children at camp. 

If you have any questions about volunteer opportunities at Camp Agaliha, please contact Karen Lubecki, Camp Director, at (315) 733-2391, ext. 28 or klubecki@girlscoutsfoothills.org. 

What is Camp Agaliha like?  Will my child go swimming and do other things besides the program she signs up for?  Also, can you please post photos of the camp on your website?

We are excited your daughter may join us for a summer of adventure and fun at Camp Agaliha!  It’s a place where girls can make new friends, develop new skills, and make memories to last a lifetime.

Each of our specially designed camp programs includes traditional camp activities such as cookouts, camp sing-a-longs, swimming, boating (canoes, paddle boats and row boats), and crafts.  There are also plenty of trails for hiking and we even have a few surprises in store to make Camp Agaliha’s inaugural season one to remember!

Because this is our first season offering day and resident camp programs on the Camp Kingsley and Camp Sitrin properties, we do not have any photos to share on our website.  If you and your daughter would like a first-hand look at one or both of the properties, please make plans to attend our Open Houses that are scheduled for June.  This is a perfect time for you to tour the property, meet our staff, and have all of your questions answered!

Open House

Camp Agaliha at Kingsley

June 1, from 2 – 4 p.m.

Camp Agaliha at Sitrin

June 10, from 6 – 8 p.m.

Will there be a girls-only environment on the Camp Kingsley property during Camp Agaliha programming?

Yes.  We have coordinated schedules with the Boy Scouts to ensure there will be NO BOYS on the property while Girl Scouts are there.  That means it will be just us girls enjoying sunny days and starry nights.

When realignment takes place next June, will funds for Senior Scholarships and Mary Haggerty Memorial Travel Scholarships be kept within the present Girl Scouts – Foothills Council area?

When the five current councils realign next year, there will be a lot of decisions for the new council to consider. Girl Scouts and volunteers from all of the five councils may have similar questions about what will happen to each specific scholarship, fund, or event. All of the decisions will be up to the new council, but the council will take into consideration a number of criteria when making any decisions.

The council, as always, will have the best interest of all of the girls involved when making any important decision. Two questions that the new council has asked of the merging councils are:

- Any cherished customs or heroines/heroes that are important to your council?

- Are there special events or activities that need to be continued?

Carrying on cherished customs, the stories of heroines/heroes, and special events and activities from the five merging councils is very important to the new council. The Girl Scouts are built on the passing on of traditions. The Mary Haggerty Memorial Travel Scholarships are an important part of the Foothills Council tradition, and information about these special scholarships and Mary has been included under the two questions the new council has asked. The strong, positive response to these scholarships in our council sends an important message to the new council about how vital these funds are to our Girl Scouts.

A big goal of the council after the merge is to make sure that the council acts as one. No one will be left out, and the five realigned councils will do their very best to share their past traditions with new members to create new traditions for the future.

Will QSP sales continue?