WHAT DOES A GIRL NEED?

More than you know

Girls need the experiences that Girl Scouting provides – friends, new adventures, and community service. But there are many other things, not as visible, that Girl Scouts need to make their Girl Scouting experience complete:

• Trained volunteers and professional staff to ensure high quality and safe programming;
• Technology to deliver information and resources to girls, volunteers, and families;
• Well-maintained and accessible camping and program facilities;
• Financial assistance for girls from economically disadvantaged families.

Proceeds from the Cookie Program Activity and Fall Product Program bring in far less than the amount needed to provide quality programming to every Girl Scout. That is why we turn to you, the Girl Scout family. Your Family Fundraising contribution helps make the Girl Scouting experiences complete.

Why give to the Family Fundraising Campaign?

• Current fees do not cover the entire cost of programs. River Valleys subsidizes these costs so fees are affordable to parents and volunteers.
• Annual registration dues of $12 go directly to Girl Scouts of the USA and do not help cover the cost of programs for local Girl Scouts.
• Family Fundraising gifts are tax deductible (to the extent allowed by law).
• A high percentage of family participation in the Family Fundraising Campaign demonstrates to corporations and foundations that Girl Scouts is strongly supported by those who benefit from its programs.

Whether your gift is $25, $100, $250, or more, every gift matters. If your family gives:

• $25 or more, your family will be entered in a drawing for fabulous prizes.
• $100 or more, your family will be entered in a drawing to become the Stellar Girl Scout Family of 2009 (which includes a free family photo session and a free 8” x 10” family portrait).

Families that join the Family Fundraising Promise Club ($10 or more a month for 12 months) will receive a River Valleys carry-all bag. All gifts are accepted and appreciated. If there any questions, please contact famfundraising@girlscoutsrv.org or 800-845-0787. To make a donation online, please visit the Support Girl Scouts page. Thank you for your support!

Eight amazing women

“Being in Girl Scouts has helped me develop many skills as a leader, a problem solver, a listener, and, most importantly, it has allowed me to discover that in me there is a woman with so much potential.” – Jessica Lara, girl speaker

Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys is pleased to share that our inaugural Women of Distinction luncheon was a great success! More than 450 guests attended the April 16 event at the McNamara Alumni Center at the University of Minnesota, recognizing the accomplishments of eight amazing women in our community, all former Girl Scouts and exceptional role models for girls.

We were honored to have United States Senator Amy Klobuchar and Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak speak at the event. Girl speaker Jessica Lara brought the audience to tears as she shared her story about how Girl Scouting has greatly impacted her life. Other Girl Scouts of all ages participated in the event—greeting guests, serving as hostesses, and selling cookies.

River Valleys raised more than $70,000 at the event, which will provide much-needed assistance for Girl Scouting in our communities. Community support ensures that girls like Jessica can continue to enjoy exceptional Girl Scout programming, helping them build courage, confidence, and character to become the next generation of Women of Distinction.

We thank the 2009 Women of Distinction, our sponsors, and everyone who contributed to the event. Please save the date and join us next year for the second annual Girl Scouts Women of Distinction luncheon on April 8, 2010.

View videos, photos, and bios from the 2009 event!

Honorees

LAKAMAGA ADULT EDUCATION CONFERENCE

Fun and Learning for Life

Enhance your effectiveness in working with girls by attending the 2009 Lakamaga Adult Education Conference, Fun and Learning for Life, at Camp Lakamaga, August 14-16. We will offer a variety of sessions and opportunities to meet hundreds of friends, enjoy hours of laughter, and relax and rejuvenate in preparation for the upcoming program year.

New this year is a girl money-earning troop boutique, your choice of T-shirt color with early registration, and on Saturday night, back again by popular demand, Ann Reed, Minnesota-based singer/songwriter.

Come for the day or stay for the weekend. The weekend fee of just $50 includes all three days of workshops, meals, overnight accommodations, and entertainment. The day fee of $30 covers the sessions, meals, and entertainment for Saturday only. Register early, as some workshops fill up quickly. Online registration will be available in June.

A message from our leadership

FINANCIAL UPDATE AND SHORT-TERM PROPERTIES PLAN

Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys began the year by investing in the council infrastructure to help achieve the organizational goals. This investment was reflected in the 2009 budget (a deficit budget) that was approved by the board of directors in September of 2008. By December 2008, the economic crisis rendered many of the budget assumptions out of date and River Valleys identified additional revenue risk due to the declining economy. To help close the gap and get back to the approved 2009 budget, we made some tough decisions, including, staff reductions, salary freezes, and suspending 2009 summer resident programs at Camps Greenwood and Sanderson.

As we look ahead to 2010, River Valleys will face additional challenges. Industry experts are saying that nonprofits will continue to feel the impact of the economic downturn through 2010, possibly into 2011. Given this situation, we are taking a conservative approach to projecting our revenues for next year. We also know that River Valleys needs a balanced budget in 2010 because this is an important indicator of financial responsibility that individual, corporate, and foundation donors consider when supporting nonprofit organizations. Even with the full-year impact of the 2009 cuts, we will not be able to achieve a balanced budget for 2010 without additional expense reductions. Property-related overhead is one of the few remaining expense categories we can tap for reductions that have the least impact on girl programming.

In addition to dealing with the 2010 budget issues, our strategic planning process has identified that we must take a critical look at River Valleys’ property portfolio in light of how it supports the long-term needs and interests of our girl membership. Currently, the cost of operating and maintaining our 17 properties far exceeds the revenues generated from these sources. Although properties are partially subsidized by cookie revenues, there is still a large gap – in excess of $2 million annually – that must be funded out of other income sources, leaving fewer dollars available to support other programs and services that girls want and volunteers need.

In order to create a sustainable financial structure for River Valleys, the board of directors established a volunteer task force comprised of Girl Scout members, as well as financial and property management professionals, who will evaluate all River Valleys properties – including camps and service centers. The task force is charged with developing a long-term plan that will adjust the property portfolio to meet the needs and interests of our girls at an affordable cost. The recommendations will be presented to the board of directors in December 2009.

While the task force is working on the long-term plan, we will again need to consolidate summer camp programs and suspend usage at some council properties in order to meet our 2010 budget goals. The plan for 2010 summer camp is based on 3,200 girls (comparable to our projection for this year at approximately 1/3 of our total capacity). This plan provides a variety of rich camping experiences for River Valleys Girl Scouts and contains sufficient flexibility to accommodate additional campers if more girls want to attend.

Following is a summary of the plan that will be implemented for 2010. This plan was approved by the Board of Directors on May 16. While we understand some members may be disappointed about the changes for specific properties, we are confident that Girl Scout troops and members will discover and enjoy the many top-notch facilities that River Valleys has available.

• No changes to property rental/programs

• Lakamaga: year-round rentals; programs; summer resident camp/day camp
• Lockeslea: year-round rentals; programs; summer day camp
• Rolling Ridges: year-round rentals; programs; summer day camp
• Sagata: year-round rentals

• Modified property rental/programs

• Edith Mayo: no year-round rentals for lodge; troop house rentals will continue; fewer day camp offerings (shared seasonal staff)
• Greenwood: no summer rentals; programs; summer lease to outside group
• Elk River: year-round rentals; programs; shortened summer programs
• Northwoods: closed winter for rentals and programs; shortened summer programs (shared seasonal staff with Elk River)
• Singing Hills/Sanderson: closed winter for rentals and programs; shortened summer programs/rentals (shared seasonal staff)

• Suspended property rental/programs for the entire year

• Piper Hills
• Whispering Hills
• Windy Acres (at Rolling Ridges)

For more information about the short-term property plan, download the Frequently Asked Questions.

Join us for the next Council Chat

Girl Scout members and families are invited to join the council leadership team for the monthly Council Chat phone discussion on Thursday, June 25, 6:30-7:30 p.m. The topic is Meeting Girls’ Needs: Short and Long-Term Strategies for River Valleys’ Properties. Register online to participate in the Council Chat.

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

Rachel Androli

As the assistant county attorney for Waseca County, and the mother of two children, Rachel Androli has little, if any time, to spend volunteering. With two preschool children at home, and no one yet old enough to be a Girl Scout, volunteering for Girl Scouts was something that had not crossed Rachel’s mind. But, when her daycare provider asked Rachel if she would be interested in becoming the service unit manager for the Waterville-Elysian-Morristown Service Unit, Rachel didn’t hesitate.

“Girl Scouts has always had a special place in my heart,” said Rachel. “The need was there, and it was something I could do to give back to the organization that meant so much to me growing up.”

A lifelong Girl Scout, Rachel grew up in San Diego and participated in all of the usual Girl Scout activities, including earning her Girl Scout Silver Award. “I had some fun times and did lots of activities with my troop,” said Rachel.

Rachel credits her Girl Scout experiences for helping her become the person she is today. “Girl Scouts taught me leadership and speaking skills, and I learned to become an independent thinker,” said Rachel.

As the service unit manager for the past three years, Rachel has led her service unit through multiple community service projects. “I strongly believe in teaching the girls the importance of giving back to the community,” said Rachel. “The girls enjoy the different projects. At our cookie party one year, the girls made blankets that they gave away. They enjoyed that so much, that the next year the service unit did a blanket drive.”

“As a service unit, we take pride in our community projects and we have fun in our recruiting and retaining events,” said Rachel.

Rachel feels that it is to her advantage that she has no children yet enrolled in Girl Scouts. “I am able to see all of the troops equally,” She explained. “I make decisions based on what’s best for the service unit. I take this responsibility seriously and try to be fair in all I do.” She sees her role as service unit manager more of a mediator than manager. “I listen to all sides and encourage dialogue.”

Rachel looks forward to the day that her daughter can become a Girl Scout. “I can’t wait to share this with my daughter. I can’t wait for her to have all this fun in learning, life experiences, and helping others.”

Community support sends Girl Scouts to summer camp

“I’ve been a Girl Scout since kindergarten, and for as long as I can remember I’ve been going to camp. I love the camp environment. It helps make leaders for tomorrow and improves upon the leadership skills girls already have.” –Camp Elk River Counselor In Training alumna Katie

Katie, who will be a camp counselor this summer and attending Augsburg College to pursue a degree in elementary education in the fall, is one of more than 5,600 girls who enjoyed the outdoors at River Valleys camp in 2008.

With hundreds of camp sessions available,one of River Valleys’ goals is to provide an unparalleled camp adventure where all girls can participate and gain new skills.

The average cost for one week at camp is $325 per girl. In 2008, River Valleys provided more than $132,000 in financial assistance for girls to attend camp through the Grants for Girls program. Without financial contributions from our generous supporters, 400 girls would have missed learning archery, riding horses, exploring their natural environment, connecting with other girls, canoeing, kayaking, backpacking, and so much more.

Our goal this year is to raise $200,000 for financial assistance to help girls attend one of our amazing summer camps. We have already received nearly $14,000 in donations from supporters like the Mardag Foundation in honor of Judge Wilhelmina Wright, the Margaret Conkey Goodwin Campership fund, and several individual donors.

We need the full support of our community to reach our goal. If you would like to help send a girl to camp, please call the fund development department at 800-845-0787.

Corporate support of Girl Scout camp

River Valleys was recently awarded a $10,000 grant from the General Mills Foundation through its Champions for Healthy Kids initiative. Katie and her mom, Julie, a General Mills Sales Division employee, brought the grant opportunity to River Valleys and advocated on our behalf. Katie was thrilled to learn that her favorite organization received this national award.

This grant allows River Valleys to integrate fitness and nutrition into camp programming for all girls this summer. The program links nutrition with exercise so that girls see how their choices directly impact their health, and it provides girls with the skills to continue healthy living beyond their camp experience.

The Champions for Healthy Kids initiative provided 25 grants across the country this year to organizations committed to promoting good, healthy lifestyle habits that will last a lifetime for America’s youth.

“The quality of the applications was excellent, and we are proud to support such exciting organizations and programs in our local communities,” said Ellen Goldberg Luger, executive director of the General Mills Foundation and a General Mills vice president. “Each year we’re honored to help support some of the nation’s best and most innovative programs that focus on the important work of teaching children how to live healthy and active lifestyles. We know from numerous studies that a child’s diet and level of activity affects his or her school performance, mental and emotional wellbeing, and long-term physical health.”

General Mills invites you to learn more about the Champions program at www.generalmills.com/foundation. River Valleys thanks the General Mills Foundation for their generous support of River Valleys Girl Scouts.

NEW

Fall Product Program

River Valleys is introducing the 2009 Fall Product Program. Three of River Valleys’ five service centers have been participating in the GSUSA Fall Product Program for many years, selling high quality nut and chocolate products and/or magazine subscriptions to friends and family.

The theme for the Fall Product Program is “Ready, Set, Investigate!” River Valleys Girl Scouts will unlock the mysteries of day-to-day life by becoming a “GSI: Girl Scout Investigator!” Snoops the bloodhound and his friends Megan, Sonya, and Vanessa will help girls discover more about themselves and their values through fun activities.

This council-approved troop money earning program will help troops put money in their accounts in the fall and get girls engaged early with activities, council-sponsored program events, and community service projects. This program also complements the Cookie Program Activity, allowing troops/girls to build on valuable business skills as well as to “self-fund” their entire program year.

Fall Product Program kickoff events will be offered in August beginning with the Fall Launch events August 3-10. If your service unit is interested in participating or has questions about the River Valleys Fall Product Program, e-mail productsales@girlscoutsrv.org or call 800-845-0787.

Fall Product materials will begin arriving in September, and girls will begin taking orders on October 3. Visit www.ashdonfarms.com and www.qsp.com to learn more about River Valleys Fall Product Program partners.

GIRL SCOUT GOLD AND SILVER AWARD

2009 honorees

More than 125 River Valleys Girl Scouts from the Twin Cities metro area, southern Minnesota, and western Wisconsin collectively contributed more than 8,000 hours to make the world a better place by working on Girl Scout Gold Award projects. The recipients will be honored during springtime ceremonies. River Valleys consistently sees about 10 percent of the council’s eligible Girl Scouts achieve their Girl Scout Gold Award; twice the national Girl Scouts of the USA average.

The Girl Scout Gold Award has been described as being “what you really want to be remembered for” in Girl Scouting. The Girl Scout Gold Award project is developed by each girl to match her area of interest and address a specific need in her local or global community. To earn the award, eligible Girl Scouts in grades 10-12 must fulfill requirements related to leadership, career exploration, and community service. Each girl must spend at least 65 hours planning and implementing her project, which assess a need in the community and develops innovative ways to address it, and she must work with to put her plan into action.

“For many girls, the leadership skills, organizational skills, and sense of community pride and commitment that come from ‘going for the Gold’ set the foundation for a lifetime of active citizenship,” said Linda B. Keene, chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys. “The Girl Scout Gold Award recipients of today are the women leaders of tomorrow.”

GIRL SCOUTS AND DAIRY QUEEN

Girl Scout cookies have met their perfect match

Girl Scouts is once again partnering with Minnesota-based Dairy Queen to celebrate Girl Scouting and teach girls business skills from successful franchise owners.

This year Girl Scout cookies will be featured in two Dairy Queen Blizzard treats! July will showcase the brand new Girl Scout Tagalongs Peanut Butter Patties Blizzard. August will feature the return of the most popular Blizzard treat in history: the Girl Scouts Thin Mint Blizzard.

Features in 2009:

• An electronic coupon can be downloaded and printed or e-mailed among Girl Scouts to be used by July 31 for savings on a Girl Scouts Tagalongs Peanut Butter Patties Blizzard treat or cake.
• GSUSA and DQ have created additional business and financial literacy programs for girls and troops which will be available at GirlScoutsRV.org this month.

Service unit managers will receive a letter in the next few days instructing them how to make arrangements for tours of Dairy Queens and how to set up informational booths at Dairy Queens in their communities. To ensure that all Dairy Queen stores have some basic information about River Valleys, we will mail each store a small public relations kit.

If you have questions about the Dairy Queen partnership, please contact communications@girlscoutsrv.org.

Take Flight into 2010

It’s not too early to register for 2010. Beat the fall registration rush and make sure there is no lapse in receiving information from River Valleys—and you get a fun patch! If you submit your completed registration materials (postmarked or delivered to your service unit or service center) by June 15, you will receive the Early Bird 2010 patch.

Please note: Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) has changed its national dues to $12 per member, effective for the 2010 membership year. One hundred percent of the dues go directly to GSUSA. River Valleys is committed to ensuring all girls who want to be in Girl Scouts can participate. Financial assistance is available.

BRING A FRIEND TO GIRL SCOUTS

Receive a free patch

If you bring a friend to Girl Scouts between February 1 and July 31, and she registers to be a Girl Scout, you and your friend will receive a special Bring a Friend Patch! All you have to do is download and fill out the Bring a Friend flier and attach it to your friend’s registration form, and you’ll get your patch in the mail.

500+ Club events

River Valleys will be rolling out the green carpet with our “500+ Club” events for all girls who achieved sales of 500+ packages of cookies during the 2009 Cookie Program Activity. Girls will participate in a day of fun at River Valleys Camps: June 20 at Camp Singing Hills or June 27 at Camp Elk River. Congratulations to all our 500+ Club girls. We look forward to seeing you later in June.

GIRL FEST 2010

Everything cool about being a girl

What’s cool about being a girl? Everything!

Mark your calendars for the inaugural Girl Fest event scheduled for Saturday, January 9, 2010. Enjoy demonstrations, exhibits, and live performances. Explore your personal best while participating in many hands-on activities that may apply to Try-Its, badges, and interest projects. Plus, enter contests to win special prizes.

Calling all creative girls!

River Valleys is in need of a patch design for this inaugural event. Please send your patch design ideas in color to Shelly Burzinski, girl program director, 5601 Brooklyn Blvd., Brooklyn Center, MN 55429 or shelly.burzinski@girlscoutsrv.org by July 1. The patch design chosen may be used in additional promotional materials.

Girl Fest volunteers needed

Share your skills and talents and lend a helping hand. River Valleys is currently looking for volunteers to help with planning the inaugural “GirlFest 2010—Everything Cool About Being A Girl” event scheduled for Saturday, January 9, 2010. If you have interest in serving on the planning committee, please contact Shelly Burzinski, girl program director, at shelly.burzinski@girlscoutsrv.org or 800-845-0787.

CONGRATULATIONS

Gates Millennium Scholarship honorees

Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys wants to congratulate five outstanding young women we are proud to call Girl Scouts. Kia Lor, Tiffany Vang, Lily Voravong, Niajee Washington, and Eunsong Park are among 17 young men and women from Minnesota who recently were announced as winners of the Gates Millennium Scholarship.

Only 1,000 youths nationwide received the scholarship this year. Park is also among 125 Girl Scouts who earned the Girl Scout Gold Award this year, the highest honor a girl can earn in Girl Scouts.

Girls Scouts has always been about leadership and these young ladies truly exemplify the mission of building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Girls like Lor, Park, Vang, Voravong, and Washington discover their own talents, connect with their communities, and take action to change the world.

The successes of these young women serve as inspiration for other Girl Scouts. Congratulations to these young ladies and good luck to them as they embark on their exciting journey into higher education. We expect this will not be the last time you see or hear their names in connection with remarkable achievements.

Help shape the future of Leader magazine

In April Girl Scouts announced the Girl Scouts Leader Magazine Survey. We have now extended the survey deadline and have added a prize to the raffle. Please give a few minutes of your time to complete the Girl Scouts Leader Magazine Survey.

If you’ve already submitted the survey, there’s no need to take it again. You will automatically be entered into a raffle for a free tour of Europe or a new Singer® sewing machine!

For information and to provide feedback, please contact bchristie@girlscouts.org.

CAMP ESSENTIALS

River Valleys Girl Scout Shop

It’s Girl Scout camp season! The Girl Scout Shop carries tons of camp needs, like dunk bags, seat cushions that make great sit-upons, T-shirts, patches, and water bottles.

Camp care packages are available. The camp care package is gift for the Girl Scout when she arrives at camp. Two different kits are available, $25 and $15. Order forms will be sent to registered campers.

After your camp memories are made, put together all the pictures in a scrapbook. We have a great variety of papers and stickers. River Valleys Girl Scout Shops also offer a variety of fun patches for your summer fun activities, as well as new River Valleys apparel. There is something for everyone.

Remember, you can redeem your Cookie Credits at the Girl Scout Shop and trading post at camp. Visit the Girl Scout Shop online to view store hours and locations.

DAY CAMP OPPORTUNITIES

Robotics and Sailing

Robotics Day Camp Level 1

Girl Scout Junior and Cadette

Tuesday, July 7 – Thursday, July 9

Camp Lockeslea, Fridley, MN

Tuesday, July 14 – Thursday, July 16

St. Michaels Church, Farmington, MN

Tuesday, August 4 – Thursday, August 6

Camp Rolling Ridges, Hudson, WI

Become an ace engineer by designing, building, and programming robots. Use sensors, gears, levers, and pulleys to create and operate a vehicle and a structure. Test your imagination and work in a team. No experience is necessary. We will teach you everything you need to know.

Robotics Day Camp Level 2

Girl Scout Junior and Cadette

Tuesday, July 14 – Thursday, July16

St. Michaels Church, Farmington, MN

Tuesday, August 4 – Thursday, August 6

Camp Rolling Ridges, Hudson, WI (

You’ve been to Robotics Day Camp Level 1. Now build on that knowledge and become a Level 2 Engineer. Team up with other experienced engineers to meet new design challenges. Try out new sensors and expand your programming skills.

Sailing Day Camps

Monday, June 15 – Friday, June 19 or Monday, June 22 – Friday, June 26

9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Wayzata Yacht Club on Lake Minnetonka

Earn the Smooth Sailing interest project at Wayzata Community Sailing Center sailing day camps for ages 12-18. No previous experience is necessary. Applications, directions, and course information are available at www.wayzatasailing.org or 952-476-5875.

CONGRATULATIONS

2009 council level award winners

On April 4, River Valleys honored 2009 council level volunteer adult award winners on the beautiful Gustavus Adolphus College campus. We congratulate all of the 2009 adult award winners and thank them for their continued support and service to River Valleys.

This year’s honors include: 59 Appreciation pins, seven Honor pins, four Commitment to Inclusiveness honors, four Service Unit Award for Excellence Level II honors, eight Extraordinary Event awards, and 189 membership numerals 25+ and/or years of service 20+.

View photos from the event.

THANK YOU

for supporting Cookie Creations

Thank you all for making Cookie Creations a great event this year. Nearly 400 attendees participated in this unique event featuring fine chefs from Rochester area restaurants who created dishes - appetizers, entrees, desserts and drinks using Girl Scout cookies in the recipe. The event brought in $50,000 in monetary and in-kind donations to benefit girls served by Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys.

Cookie Creations is also a culinary competition. Both a panel of celebrity judges and a people's choice award, in each category, is given.  These are the winners from the event are listed below:

Celebrity Judges' Selections:

• Appetizer category: Roscoe's BBQ - Baby Back Ribs with Trefoil Crunch Coating
• Entree category: Q Catering - Caramel Chipotle Crusted Shrimp with Lemon Verbena Sauce
• Dessert category: Ramada (Teresa's) - Dulce de Banana Crunch Ice Cream
• Drink category: Jewel - White Chocolate Mint Martini

People's Choice:

• Appetizer category: Rainbow Cafe - Mini Tagalong Cheeseburgers
• Entree category: Ramada (Teresa's) - Lemon Basil Tortellini
• Dessert category: Ramada (Teresa's) - Dulce de Banana Crunch Ice Cream
• Drink category: Vintage Light - Dulce de Leche Chai Tea Shake

Runner Ups:

• Appetizer category: Paradise Pete's - Trefoil Pumkin Soup
• Entree category: Signature's - Rosemary Roasted Leg of Lamb
• Drink category: Paradise Pete's - Pete's Thin Mint Smoothie
• Dessert category: Sodexo - Trefoil Isu & Sonte's - Tres Leche Parfait = Tied as Runners Up

An extra Thank You to our Celebrity Judges:

Wendi Russo, Mrs.Minnesota 2008 • Joyce Gibbs, Civil Rights Activist • Greg Sellnow, Post-Bulletin • Ericka Miller, ABC 6 Newss-KAAL • Darrell Thompson, Executive Director, Bolder Options • Nick Inch, Defenseman, Minnesota Swarm

Thanks to all who made this event a grand success!

This event brought to you by the following generous contributors:

RIVER VALLEYS ONLINE

Social networking

River Valleys has joined Girl Scout members, volunteers, and parents on social networking sites many of us use every day. Come find us, and be sure to say hello.

Facebook

Become a fan of Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys on Facebook. On our fan page you will find photos, events, blog posts, videos, and other Girl Scouts. You will also receive occasional updates about the council, and you'll have easy access to the latest and greatest information. You can also start discussions, upload your own Girl Scout photos, and connect with other Girl Scouts, parents, and volunteers throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Girl Scouts Blog

River Valleys Girl Scouts Blog is the perfect place to share all the great things your troop has been up to. Send your photos and stories to communications@girlscoutsrv.org, and we will update the blog with your information. And share your thoughts in the comments section. We love to hear from you.

Twitter

River Valleys' Twitter is all about making connections and sharing information. We will let you know if a great event still has openings, if we received fun photos of River Valleys Girl Scouts, or if one of our community partners has a new opportunity to share. Follow @GirlScoutsRV for quick 140-or-fewer-character tid bits that will keep you informed about River Valleys.

IT'S NOT TOO LATE

to register for summer camp

River Valleys has plenty of great sessions available at Girl Scout summer camps. Check out the sampling below, then visit the Camp page to see more and register.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Girl Scout summer camp

How do I find out which camp sessions are available?

Summer camp 2009 session information is online. You can search by the camp, grade level, or type of program. Or download the Rates & Dates PDF of available sessions.

Which camp is right for me?

Visit Camp Facilities/Camper Information to learn more about the summer programs and facilities at each camp. On these pages you will find pictures of the facilities and camper information packets.

How do I register?

When you are ready to register for a camp session, click Register for Camp, where you will find registration instructions and forms. You can either register via e-mail, or print a form to mail or fax.

Which price do I pay?

One of River Valleys’ goals is to provide an unparalleled camp adventure using the Girl Scout Leadership Experience program model – where all girls can participate regardless of their family’s ability to pay. To that end, we have created a three-tiered pricing structure, which provides families three pricing options for camp.

• Families choose to support River Valleys summer camp at a level that they can afford by checking the appropriate box on the registration form.
• This pricing structure is confidential and will not in any way affect a girl’s experience at camp.
• You do not need to provide any additional information to choose a lower tier.

Tier A is our full fee, covering many of the direct costs for a camper to participate in the camp session. We ask families to pay this amount if they have the financial means to do so.

Tier B is partially subsidized by River Valleys and is for those families that cannot afford the full fee, yet still want to support camps.

Tier C the lowest of the tiers; we encourage families to use this tier if this is the most affordable. This is the most heavily council-subsidized fee.

How do I select my pricing tier?

Choosing a tier is easy. Simply check the box of the tier you wish to pay and fill in that amount in the fee box on the registration form. There is no extra processes to go through.

Please note: Tiered fee levels are only available for resident camp sessions. Troop, Adult & Me, and Family Camp have only one fee option.

Is any additional financial assistance available?

Financial assistance is also available through the Grants for Girls program. Grants for Girls forms can be downloaded from our website on the Register for Camp page. We encourage families to apply if needed. Remember, you can also use Girl Scout Cookie Credits to pay for camp.

Where can I find more information?

Session dates, times, registration forms, and other details may be found online. An initial deposit is necessary to reserve a place at camp. If you do not have Internet access, please contact us at 800-845-0787 for assistance.