Adult Recognitions

Even though there are deadlines for recognitions, we love to have you submit nominations year around. Don't wait until the next Feb. 1 or Aug. 1st deadline to get started in applauding the great volunteers in your communities. Any adult can nominate an outstanding leader, hard-working parent, or dedicated service unit manager. If you don't nominate her / him, who will? You know best who is working the hardest!

Here is a break down of the awards available to recognize those exceptional people working as Girl Scout Volunteers:

Atta Girl / Atta Boy - (Redwood Falls Service Center's sponsored award)

• Someone doing great work as a registered volunteer in their local community. This is the first level of recognition and acknowledges hard work and dedication to the Girl Scout Organization. Candidates can be cookie chairs, troop leaders, new SUMS, hard-working parents, task force members, day camp directors, swim team supporters, etc.
  
• New this fall is the Atta Boy baseball cap as an effort to applaud those dedicated dads, grandpas, or helpful community leaders who do so much to help out our organization. All nominees must be registered as adult Girl Scouts which they should be if they are assisting at GS activities. (Once registered, they become covered under Girl Scout liability insurance.) Here finally, is your chance to give those great male leaders, parents, & helpers a pat on the back.

Outstanding Leader - Awarded through Girl Scouts of the USA

• Recognizes that leader who is doing great work as a leader of girls within a troop setting. She / he treats each girl with respect, challenges each to learn new skills, relates all their activities to the Girl Scout Promise & Law, and works diligently with families to ensure they are well informed and included in the troop's activities. This nomination must be supported with two letters of endorsement by girls or parents so get started early to get all the needed paperwork completed.
  
• Any adult can nominate a leader for this award.

Outstanding Volunteer - Awarded through Girl Scouts of the USA

• This individual continues to work as an exceptional volunteer within their local service unit and has often already received the Atta Girl / Atta Boy. (There is no order that volunteers receive awards, however.) It might be a parent, service unit manager, leader, nut / cookie chair, day camp chair, etc. This award only requires the nomination form to be complete.
  
• Any adult can nominate someone for this award. It does not need to be done by the Service Unit Manager or council staff.
  

Appreciation Pin - Awarded through Girl Scouts of the USA

• This award is presented to someone who has continued to give volunteer service to their local community over a length of time. This is a wonderful award to present to long-term Service Unit Managers, product sales coordinators, day camp directors, etc. who continue to help your community year after year. It is also an award that you can nominate Redwood Falls Service Center staff for.
  
• Any adult can nominate someone for this award but there needs to be two letters of endorsement in addition to the nomination. These are just brief letters noting how the nominee has worked within Girl Scouting. You can download these forms from the webpage for your convenience.

Honor Pin - Awarded through Girl Scouts of the USA

• This volunteer has gone beyond just service to her / his local community. A candidate may have served on a Redwood Falls Service Center task force, committee, helped a neighboring community with their work in Girl Scouting, or been supportive with work at Camp Sanderson. Perhaps they were mentors to another community and helped them to plan an event or regularly included invited neighboring towns on trips?
  
• Any adult can nominate someone for this award but there must be three letters of support beyond the nomination form.

Thanks Badge - Awarded through Girl Scouts of the USA

• This is the highest award a volunteer can be recognized with and recognizes outstanding service that benefits the total council or entire Girl Scout organization. This award is often given to long term service unit managers who are active within the council on committees, have served as volunteers for major council events, are long time council staff members, or board chairs. This award is recognition for years of hard work and dedication beyond what their duties are.
  
• Any adult can nominate someone for this high award but there must be four letters of support beyond the nomination form. If you plan to nominate someone for this high award, get started early because it takes some work to assemble all the forms but it is well worth your time and effort!
  
  

Awards are your chance to tell others how great these Girl Scout volunteers are. They give so much to the girls and the Girl Scout organization and we want them to be recognized with awards. Please help us nominate those people that have touched the lives of your daughters.

Submit your nominations today so that they can be in place for spring. For nomination forms, you may access the forms by clicking on the Title of the Award, or contact the council office at 800-332-4475. The next deadline is Thurs., Feb. 1st, 2007.