Girl Scout Western Oklahoma Adult Awards & Recognitions

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1 Girl Scout Western Oklahoma Adult Awards & Recognitions Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma Mary Nichols' Family Leadership Center 6100 N. Robinson Ave., Okc, OK I info@gswestok.org

WELCOME Welcome to the Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma Adult Awards & Recognitions Guide.

the informal ways girls and adults can show volunteers how much they are appreciated.

Do you know a volunteer who has made an exceptional contribution to furthering the Girl Scout mission?

Included in this guide is a section on Adult Recognitions in Girl Scouting: the why, who, what behind adult awards and recognitions.

2 WELCOME Welcome to the Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma Adult Awards & Recognitions Guide. Girls and adults in girl Scouting can show their appreciation for an adult volunteer in many ways a simple smile or thank you, flowers or handmade card are just a few of the informal ways girls and adults can show volunteers how much they are appreciated. In addition to these informal ways of showing appreciation, Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma has a formal system for honoring our outstanding adult volunteers. Do you know a volunteer who has made an exceptional contribution to furthering the Girl Scout mission? This guide contains information to nominate that volunteer for an award and bring their accomplishments to the attention of the service unit and/or council. Included in this guide is a section on Adult Recognitions in Girl Scouting: the why, who, what behind adult awards and recognitions. There is a matrix of our Girl Scout national and councillevel adult awards, with descriptions of who should be nominated and what is needed to make a formal nomination. There is also a section on how to receive a years of service pin. We look forward to hearing from you and receiving your nominations. If you have questions regarding this guide, or the adult awards and recognitions process, please contact Adult Development at , , or by at, info@gswestok.org.

3 ADULT RECOGNITIONS IN GIRL SCOUTING Why do they volunteer? People volunteer for countless reasons, but underneath it all, most volunteers are motivated by the quality of their service and the people for whom they are serving. When volunteers know their time and energy are appreciated and that they are valued, they commit themselves even more to the organization and its mission. Volunteers also want to know that their service is helping the greater good that together we can all make a difference. Therefore, volunteer recognition can be one of the most powerful tools for retaining the invaluable women and men who volunteer for Girl Scouts. The key to successfully recognizing volunteers is: Do it well. Do it consistently. Make it meaningful. How to create an attitude of appreciation? Be aware of the extra effort put forth by an individual. Take the time to mention a person s service, or simply say thank you for a job well done. Help people to attain a higher level of achievement. Develop a climate wherein work is sincerely noticed and noted at all levels. When and how a recipient is recognized will make the expression of gratitude memorable. Recognitions might be made on special Girl Scout holidays, at Service Unit meetings, at a special event, immediately following service rendered, or at a community event. Who to consider for recognition? Consider adult volunteers serving Girl Scouts at any capacity. And please note, oftentimes good, consistent service goes overlooked. Consider people or organizations outside Girl Scouting who have provided invaluable support to the Girl Scout movement. Informal Recognitions Some ways to say an informal thank you or good job could include: A simple note. A framed photograph of a project or event. Flowers, candy, or gift card. Create a special award. Formal Recognitions For truly significant service, there is a formal adult awards program in Girl Scouting. These council and national awards recognized outstanding accomplishments that go beyond what would be expected for the position held. These awards are determined through a nomination process. On the next pages is an explanation of what these awards are and the process by which to nominate a volunteer.

NOMINATION & APPROVAL PROCEDURES 1. An individual or group familiar with the service performed (e.g.troop/group leaders or volunteer, parents,staff,etc.

2. The Nomination Form is an online form and can be found at www.gwestok.org. Click on Volunteers and then on Volunteer Recognition. 3.

Included onthe nomination form, must bethe correct amount of 'endorsements ' (similar to references) for the nominee.

4 NOMINATION & APPROVAL PROCEDURES 1. An individual or group familiar with the service performed (e.g.troop/group leaders or volunteer, parents,staff,etc.) recognizes service provided, and fills out the nomination form for Adult Awards and Recognitions. It is important to remember that this award isfor service providedfor the current membership year. 2. The Nomination Form is an online form and can be found at Click on Volunteers and then on Volunteer Recognition. 3. A separate nomination form must befilled out and submitted for each volunteer being nominated for an award. 3. Included onthe nomination form, must bethe correct amount of 'endorsements ' (similar to references) for the nominee.refer to 'Adult Recognitions AtaGlance' pagefor correct amount of endorsements for an award. People listed as 'endorsers' for the volunteer may becontacted by the council for full endorsement for nominee (please remember to ask the endorsers permission to list them for the nominee). 5. Nomination forms should include specific information about the nominee's qualifications for the award. 6. The Adult Recognitions Committee reviews and holds inconfidence allapplications for recognitions.ifa nominee requests to know who nominated them upon receiving an award, the Committee will contact the nominator to seek approval. 7. Volunteers may not receive the same award more than once. 8. Any Girl Scout volunteer who iscurrently registered with GSUSA and is in good standing with Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma can be nominated for an award regardless of the length of time they have been a volunteer (remember however,the award isfor service providedin the current membership year not a previous year). 9. Awards are awarded based on service provided. Awards are not awarded in any particular order. To receive an award, the volunteer must meet the award s criteria. * New in : The Appreciation Pin and Volunteer of Excellence Pin will be given to Service Units for disbursement [SU meeting, SU Appreciation gathering, directly to volunteer, etc.]. The Honor Pin and Thanks Badges will be disbursed at the Girl and Adult Awards Banquet in May [if volunteer is able to attend]. Forms must besubmitted to Adult Development at Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma no later than March 31 to guarantee distribution [nomination form is online].

5 *Awards are not earned in sequence. Awards are earned and awarded based on service rendered.

NOMINATION FORM TIPS Help make sure your candidates and nominees receive the recognition they deserve for their hard work with Girl Scouts. Access the form at www.gswestok.

If you don t tell them about the service and accomplishments of your nominee, they won t know.

If possible, tell the committee how you feel the person has shown growth in her/his contributions to Girl Scouting. Be results oriented.

Explain any personal connection to the candidate, if applicable. Include endorsers for your nominee.

It is assumed that this is a nice person who you like and think positively of; otherwise you probably wouldn t be nominating them for an award.

6 NOMINATION FORM TIPS Help make sure your candidates and nominees receive the recognition they deserve for their hard work with Girl Scouts. Access the form at DO: Tell us all you can. The Recognition Committee can only work with what is in front of them. If you don t tell them about the service and accomplishments of your nominee, they won t know. Include as much and as many personal insights and anecdotes as you can pertaining to your nominee. Show the growth of your nominee. If possible, tell the committee how you feel the person has shown growth in her/his contributions to Girl Scouting. Be results oriented. Stay away from statements like, the candidate is responsible, friendly, etc. tell what how they achieved and how Girl Scouting was impacted. Explain any personal connection to the candidate, if applicable. Include endorsers for your nominee. These endorsers may be contacted by the committee, as references for your nominee. Remember that details are important. DON T: Do not be vague. It is assumed that this is a nice person who you like and think positively of; otherwise you probably wouldn t be nominating them for an award. Do not write about the many positions the candidate holds unless you have personal experience working with the candidate in these roles and it is a part of the award criteria. Holding a lot of positions doesn t always equate to excellent service. Do not make assumptions about the responsibilities of your candidate. Some positions may vary make sure you are familiar with their service. Do not just look at a job description and tell us she/he does each of these things these are considered part of a position and don t always equate to great service.

Adult Recognitions HANDBOOK

Girl Scouts of Maine Saying Thanks The Care & Keeping of Adult Volunteers Adult Recognitions HANDBOOK 1 The Girl Scout Law I will do my best to be Honest and fair Friendly and helpful, Considerate and