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Coronavirus Updates: Working Together to Keep Our GSNorCal Community Healthy

Updated as of May 15, 12:00 PM (PST)

At Girl Scouts, there is nothing we take more seriously than the safety and well-being of our members. As novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to be of growing concern in Northern California, Girl Scouts of Northern California will take all possible and appropriate measures to ensure girls continue to have a safe, fun, one-of-a-kind experience at Girl Scouts.

Our current decisions, based on Governor Gavin Newsom's April 28 announcement for phased reopening, public health, CDC, and local school district guidelines, are summarized below. If you have specific questions about any of these programs, events, or meetings, please email: info@gsnorcal.org.

Recent Updates At-A-Glance

All council-run summer camp programs for summer 2020 have been cancelled and full refunds will be provided.
Graduating Ambassadors are eligible to extend their end-of-year plans and Reward Card/troop fund usage for planned activities that were cancelled due to the pandemic.
All Cookie Program reward experiences through July 18 have been cancelled, and eligible girls have been contacted about alternative options.
All programs and events are cancelled through July 18; we are issuing refunds to all registrants, as applicable.
All property reservations are cancelled through June 1.
Troops and service units are required to cancel all in-person events through June 1 as well.
The deadline for GSNorCal Highest Award applicants (Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award Girl Scouts) whose original deadline was September 30, 2020, has been extended to September 30, 2021.

Adult Meetings (Council & Service Unit)

We are canceling or postponing all council-organized Girl Scout in-person business and in-person recruiting meetings through June 1. We are asking service units to cancel or postpone in person service unit team and troop leader meetings and in-person trainings.

To the extent possible, we are working on ways to provide support for phone-conferencing and also are looking forward to trying new virtual ways to share Girls Scouts with potential new members.

Cookie Program

Cookie Program Rewards

April 17, 2020

We hope that you and your family are staying safe, healthy, and connected to your Girl Scout community from home.

Cookie reward items below are on their way to Service Unit Cookie Managers by mid-May:

Apple Air Pods (800+)
Polaroid Pops (1100+)
Hoverboards (1100+)
DJI drones (3000+) will be mailed directly to the girls who earned them.
1000+ acrylic awards are delayed as our usual local vendor is closed during shelter in place
Reward Cards are still in process. More info to come about those soon.

With the April 14 update and press conference from CA Governor Newsom regarding the six key indicators to modifying our stay at home order, we are sadly announcing that we are cancelling our 600+ Cookie Club Celebration, our 800+ Water Experiences, and our 1500+ Disneyland planned for 2020. At this time, we are not cancelling the October 2500+ Fleet Week Lunch Cruise. Girls who reached the 2000+ Meet Marina experiences will be contacted this week with a virtual connection opportunity, and we are committed to rescheduling smaller events with Marina when able to do so. Please click here for more information on the Governor’s update.

"The prospect of mass gatherings is negligible at best until we get to herd immunity, and we get to a vaccine. So large-scale events that bring in hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of strangers all together across every conceivable difference, health and otherwise, is not in the cards based upon our current guidelines and current expectations," Newsom said.

We remain committed to providing a way to celebrate girl achievements and are emailing impacted girls directly.

600+ Cookie Club: We will be providing a one-of-a-kind 600+ Cookie Club Kit that includes a personalized hoodie, a Santa Cruz beach blanket, a 2020 Cookie Program stainless water bottle, and a Hershey’s S’mores Kit for families to set up their own S’mores Station – PLUS a $50 Reward Card. We’re excited to see #gsnorcalentrepreneur family pictures cuddled up outside in the backyard noshing on homemade S’mores.

800+ Water Adventures: Girls now have the option of choosing one option below by April 23. We expect the Air Pods 2 choice to be shipped to Service Unit Cookie Managers by mid-May.

Apple Air Pods 2
$100 GSNorCal Reward Card
$100 GSUSA online store gift card for girlscoutshop.com

1500+ Disneyland to the Max: We are celebrating girls by sending a personalized Mickey Mouse necklace to commemorate their 2020 Cookie Program achievement. Girls also have a choice of one of the following options by April 23.

Your 3 Park Hopper passes valid for our summer 2021 Cookie Program Reward Experience (date and details TBD)
$250 GSNorCal Reward Card
$250 GSUSA online store gift card for girlscoutshop.com

From our cookie family to yours, we are so impressed by your accomplishments. We certainly join in your disappointment but do hope that having the option to choose a replacement reward or use your passes next summer—if Disneyland is open for business—will make things a little bit sweeter. Congratulations again!

Council Programs & Property Reservations

In accordance with the latested CDC guidance, all council-run events are cancelled through July 18, 2020.

Property reservations are cancelled through June 1, 2020.

We will issue refunds starting Monday, March 16 (due to a higher volume of requests, refunds could take up to 4 weeks to return to your account). We are communicating with program partners who do their own event registration and request participants contact outside partners regarding cancellation of their refund policy.

Graduating Ambassadors

Troops with graduating Ambassadors who were planning end-of-school-year or summer activities, projects, travel, etc.—and are not able to complete these activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic—are eligible to extend their timelines, and the associated spending of troop funds, for participating in these activities.

These troops will be allowed to extend their plans for a full membership year (September 30, 2020 through October 1, 2021) by meeting the following criteria:

All participating graduates must be registered as adult members for the 2020–21 membership year no later than October 1, 2020. Registration may be paid using troop funds or Product Program Reward Cards.
A completed Ambassador Plan Delay Notification Form must be submitted no later than October 1, 2020 (please submit, even if you do not have an exact date for rescheduling).
Troop funds should continue to be managed through the existing troop bank account.
All Girl Scout activities/trips must comply with current CDC, federal, state, and local government agencies.

Troop Finance Reports (TFRs) should be submitted as usual before May 31, 2020. If the troop’s ending balance is more than $500, please indicate what the girls’ plans are for use of these funds. Make sure to include any overview of the trips, events, activities, etc., that are being rescheduled.

If your troop has continuing girl members, the troop and bank account will continue as usual. Graduating girls will participate as adult members.

Key Dates

May 15, 2020: MY20 Troop Finance Reports due
October 1, 2020: Graduating girls must register as adult members for MY21
October 1, 2020: Ambassador Plan Delay Notification Form is due
October 1, 2020: Troop bank accounts will close for Ambassador troops who are not rescheduling trips, events, activities, etc.
October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2021: Rescheduled trips, events, and activities can be take place

Please refer any questions to info@gsnorcal.org.

Guidance for Cancelling Service Unit/Troop Events

In response to recent state and local government announcements regarding extending Shelter-in-Place, school closures, and social distancing, GSNorCal is directing that all service unit and troop events and programming be cancelled through June 1.

This guidance is being issued to assist service unit and troop leaders in making decisions regarding cancelling Girl Scout events that are scheduled to take place after June 1.

Current applicable state or local restrictions regarding shelter-in-place, travel, or group gatherings must be followed in all cases. Please note recent announcements on the extension of the Shelter-in-Place requirements in the 6 Bay Area counties to May 3, 2020, and the recommendation by California Governor Gavin Newsom that all schools stay closed and focus on virtual learning through the end of the school year.
This guidance may be considered in evaluating options for all events, small and large, including Camporees, overnights, skills days, social, or troop gatherings (e.g. troop leaders and daughters), ceremonies such as Bridging or Year-End/Court of Award ceremonies, participation in community events (parades).
If you have questions or would like to discuss your options, please do not hesitate to contact Mary-Jane Strom at mstrom@gsnorcal.org.

Indicators that your event needs to be cancelled or postponed:

Shelter-in-place is extended past May 3
Shelter-in-place has lifted, but local or regional strong social distancing requirements stay in place
Your local school district is still closed
Non-essential businesses in your area are still closed, either by order or voluntarily
Health care emergency systems are overwhelmed in April and May
Decline in rate of transmission generally, but curve is not flattened enough in your local area so hospital and medical care is still challenged or at risk in your area
Testing is still limited to only high-risk individuals
Attendance is not limited to a small, controlled geographic region, whose COVID-19 status is known
Media attention re: severe illness / death being seen in younger patients
Parent & volunteer comfort, based on feedback from your local Girl Scout community or families

Indicators that you can keep planning for a successful event:

Shelter-in-place has been lifted for your area several weeks before
Social distancing and other community restrictions or recommendations have been lifted
Restrictions on event and gatherings have been lifted
Schools are back in session
Local businesses have reopened and are experiencing positive results
Local community spaces (performance centers, playgrounds, parks, trails, city or county buildings, etc.) are open
Reported declines in rate of reported new cases (e.g. effective flattening of curve) or other positive news on local spread and risk
Effective testing, quarantine, and health care systems are in place and available to everyone in your community

Ways to substitue with a virtual event:

Find inspiration for badges and activities at Girl Scouts at Home: www.gsnorcal.org/at-home
GSNorCal LIVE!: Our Facebook group filled with ots of ideas for crafts, activities, etc.
Review outcomes of event and consider how you could accomplish at some of those through a virtual event. For examples, a My Buddy and Me Dance meant to give girls time with a caring family member could happen on Zoom with plans for all to keep theme, send people a playlist, and set up Zoom so everyone sending video of themselves dancing at home.
Review what preparations girls have done to date in anticipation of the event. How can that work be continued virtually so girls feel some sense of accomplishment and evidence of their contribution? For example, girls who were going to do workshop on outdoor cooking for a camporee could put together a cookbook to send to all registered troops and offer individual videos of them each preparing a favorite recipe at home, camping-style outside.
For Camporees, consider what badges were you going to do. You could provide directions on how to do most of the elements at home, end the day with a virtual campfire on Zoom, and include an option for people to share what they did.
With community service projects, what can individuals do at home to make a difference? For example, girls could collect supplies to deliver, offer items needed in their communities, or do crafts for delivery later.
If you can’t do the event virtually, what could you do virtually that would provide service, fun, or community to the girls in your group? Be flexible and creative to provide awesome Girl Scout experience!

Ways to lower risk at in-person events:

Have people bring their own food to your event and do not serve communal foods
If you offer shared equipment, make sure you can clean the equipment between use and have the supplies to do the necessary cleaning
Change activities so that they don't require shared equipment
Turn overnights into a day activity only
If overnight, provide sleeping arrangements by family and don't have communal sleeping locations
Be sure that you have plenty of handwashing stations both in and outside of bathrooms all around the event
Communicate to all that are attending that if the individual or someone in the individual’s household is feeling ill, none of them should attend

Best Practices for Cancelling Events

Determine whether you can postpone and reschedule the event or need to cancel it. This decision will depend on your event, it’s current date, your groups’ needs and your capacity to reschedule.
Inform all registered attendees as soon as possible of your intention to cancel or reschedule. You do not need to announce the reschedule date at this time if you don’t have the date/location secured yet. With so many things uncertain, people will understand and appreciate that you need time to finalize any future plans.
We recommend that you inform registrants of your intention and that you will follow up with additional information about new dates and/or plans for refunds as soon as possible. Again, ask for their understanding and flexibility as you need time to manage this situation.
Contact your registered attendees via email and announce on your groups’ communication and social media platform if available.
If your event was scheduled at a GSNorCal property your reservation has already been cancelled and a refund is being processed. You will receive a full refund for your reservation. Please allow at least four weeks due to the high volume of cancellations. If you are interested in finding a new date or location to reschedule your event, please visit the website or email us at info@gsnorcal.org.
If your event was scheduled at an outside property, contact them as soon as possible to request a refund or reschedule. Most vendors have been very cooperative in giving refunds. If you need support in working with a vendor, please contact us at info@gsnorcal.org.
Issue refunds as needed per your usual practices. If you need to issue refunds and have any concerns or questions, please contact us at info@gsnorcal.org.

Insurance and Event Notification Forms

If you have submitted a Service Unit Event Notification Form and/or arranged insurance for your event, please send an email to travel@gsnorcal.org to notify us of your change. Please do not submit a new Event Notification Form.

Your email should include:

Old event date
Your decision to either CANCEL or POSTPONE/RESCHEDULE
New event date, if you know it
Name of the event
Service unit # of troop # hosting the event
Event/activity planner’s email address and mobile phone number
Where the event was scheduled to be held

Event Insurance

If you have the postpone an event, we will arrange for the transfer of additional insurance to the new date/location when we receive your email.

Insurance that was purchased for a series of service unit or troop meetings or events will stay in place ready for meetings or events resume.

If you have any immediate questions specifically about insurance, please contact insurance@gsnorcal.org.

Other Cancellation Concerns

If you have any program management questions please contact us at info@gsnorcal.org. We are ready to assist you with your concerns including on the following topics:

Cancellation notification language
Thinking through what to do with supplies, food, patches, etc. already purchased
How to keep people excited about the event if you reschedule

Hosting Virtual Meetings

We have created detailed instructions for hosting virtual meetings, which you can find on our Girl Scouts at Home page at www.gsnorcal.org/at-home!

Golden Gate Bridging & Town Halls

Town Halls

Updated April 6

Before COVID-19 changed so many plans, I (Marina) had announced town halls this spring in eight locations around our council. We will now re-schedule these town halls as virtual meetings. Stay tuned! Our topics will be similar to the topics we plan to discuss with members at the annual meeting: state of the council, our COVID-19 response and recovery, strategic priorities for our next three-year plan (2021–2023), and proposals to be discussed at the next National Council Session (currently planned for October 2020).

Golden Gate Bridging

Per the San Francisco public health mandate issued Friday, March 13, 2020, which calls for all large events to be cancelled through April 30, we’re regretful to announce that we have cancelled Golden Gate Bridging (GGB).

We understand this is a disappointment for all of our sisters who planned, saved, and worked hard to be able to participate in this event. We are disappointed as well, but know that this is the right thing to do in the time of a national health crisis.

We have heard from many of you, asking to postpone GGB until fall. Unfortunately, permitting of this level is issued almost a full year in advance from multiple local, state, and federal government agencies. During these uncertain times, we don't believe postponement will be possible. We will, however, let you know by September 2020 what our plans are for GGB in 2021.

Currently, we are focused on making sure everyone who registered for GGB receives a 100% refund of all registration and lunch fees. The following FAQ has answers to the most pressing questions you may have today:

How and when will we get a 100% refund for our registration fees and lunches?  Our Member Services team will issue an automatic refund for registration and lunches. If you already received a 50% refund, we will refund the balance.  Please do NOT request a refund for registration fees and lunches, as it will be automatic.  Please also be patient, as we estimate it may take up to 4 weeks to issue all refunds. This is a big event, and we are working through challenging times with cancellations of all events and property reservations, in addition to GGB.
What about our reservations to stay at GSNorCal properties and camps during GGB?  We will cancel and refund 100% of ALL GSNorCal owned property reservations for GGB weekend.
How do we get refunds of our airfare, hotel deposits, etc. Unfortunately, we cannot help you with non GSNorCal out-of-pocket costs. We understand the hardship. It is impacting all of us. Please reach out to your carrier to discuss your options.
I purchased some GGB registrations from another troop or individual, not directly from GSNorCal. How do I get my refund?  To expedite refunds, we are issuing all refunds to the original purchaser. We hope everyone will operate from a place of honesty and kindness. We will issue the refund to the individual who purchased the original event registration. You should reach out to your seller to arrange to receive the refund. If the seller refuses to issue the refund to you, please send an email to registration@gsnorcal.org letting us know your name, the seller's name (and Girl Scout council, if you know it), and the number of registrations. We will try to the best of our ability to work with the seller and their council to ensure that we all live by the Girl Scout Promise and Law.

What about 2021—will you extend GGB to this years' participants?  At this time, we don't know, and it will be some time before we can answer that question.  Every year, the GGB event dates and number of participants are subject to the permits that government agencies issue. We will let you know when we have time and more information from the government agencies we work with. This will likely be some time from now. 
What about the GGB t-shirts and sweatshirts we purchased from GSNorCal?  We will honor our 60-day refund policy.  Please note: our offices are closed to the public and all staff are working from home, including our retail shop staff, which may delay your refund. Your patience is requested. Consider checking with your girls, as they might want to keep their apparel.

If you have any additional questions, please email registration@gsnorcal.org and our Member Services team will get back to you as soon as possible with answers.

As Girl Scouts, we strive to do the right thing, even when it can be hard. We admire the effort and hard work our girls, parents, and volunteers have invested in GGB—our hope is that, by cancelling this event, we can all do our part to prevent the spread of a devastating disease and protect our families and communities to the best of our ability.

In Girl Scouting,

Marina H. Park, CEO
Mary-Jane Strom, Senior Director, Program and Outdoor Program

Highest Awards

Updated March 31

Dear Girl Scouts,

We are doing our best to respond to the rapidly evolving situation regarding the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. For many of our members, school has moved entirely online, and extracurricular programming is cancelled. Shelter-in-place orders have also been implemented statewide. We recognize that for many, this means that progress on Highest Awards will face unforeseen challenges and delays.

GSNorCal is offering a special extension of one membership year to girls who are currently approaching their deadlines and unable to proceed as planned due to the impact of COVID-19. This applies to 5th grade Juniors, 8th grade Cadettes, and 12th grade Ambassadors who will officially complete their program level on September 30, 2020, and would typically no longer be eligible to earn the Bronze, Silver or Gold Award, respectively.

	Girl Scouts Eligible for Deadline Extension	New Deadline	Award Requirements	Other Changes
Gold Award	12th grade girls currently in-progress with an original deadline of September 30, 2020, or their 18th birthday	9/30/2021	Same as before, please refer to Gold Award page	Reward Card Conversions for the Gold Award will still be available throughout this extension
Silver Award	Teams containing (or individual) 8th graders with an original deadline of September 30, 2020	9/30/2021	Same as before, please refer to Silver Award page	Reward Card Conversions for the Silver Award will still be available throughout this extension
Bronze Award	Teams containing (or individual) 5th graders with an original deadline of September 30, 2020	9/30/2021	Same as before, please refer to Bronze Award page	Reward Card Conversions are not currently available at this level

The intention of this deadline extension is to respond to the needs of our Girl Scouts and communities during this unprecedented situation given the uncertain circumstances we are all working with. GSNorCal staff, some of whom earned their Highest Awards, recognize that some girls may be facing having to start over completely, and that pivoting in this way takes time. Dealing with uncertainty can also be very challenging, and we know that some girls may be feeling very impacted by the stress of the situation. It is okay to need a break.

We encourage girls first and foremost to take care of themselves and stay safe. Follow the safety guidelines set for your community, and prioritize your health and the health of those around you.

To learn more about how girls can engage with their projects during shelter-in-place, and more specifics about how this will impact girls at each program level, please visit the Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award webpages. We hope that this deadline extension and solutions-oriented framework will help girls move forward with their Highest Awards intentionally and without undue stress.

Please reach out to the Awards team by contacting awards@gsnorcal.org with further questions or comments.

Troop & Service Unit Activities

Troop Meetings, Activities, and Travel: In accordance with the latest CDC guidance, all troops must cancel in-person meetings, activities, and travel now through June 1. If your school has closed, you should not meet until the later of June 1, 2020 and your school re-opening. We are working on best practices and recommendations for holding virtual meetings and will share those as soon as we can! You can also join our new Facebook group, GSNorCal LIVE! (norcal.gs/live) where we're sharing virtual programs and events for your girls.

Service Unit-Run Programs and Events: In accordance with the latest CDC guidance, all service units must cancel their planned programs and events, including the use of program centers, now through June 1.

Offices & Shops

Shops: Our retail shops will be closed to in-person visitors beginning Monday, March 16. Our online shop remains open for business, with some limitations. Any GSNorCal-branded apparel (think: council t-shirts, patches, or tote bags) will not ship until our retail staff is able to return to their respective office locations, as each county has different procedures in place.

Office Visitors: In accordance with CDC guidelines for workplace safety and current public health mandates, our offices is closed to all staff and visitors.

Our staff are still working remotely and here to support you! Contact us at 800-447-4475 or email info@gsnorcal.org.

Summer Camp

Updated May 15

Dear GSNorCal camper families,

The health and safety of our campers and families is our top and most important priority. It is with this in mind that we've come to the difficult decision to cancel all council-run resident camp programs scheduled at Camps Bothin, Hidden Falls, Skylark Ranch, and Sugar Pine for the summer of 2020. We know that this will be as disappointing for you and your camper as it is for all of us. We also know it's the right thing to do to keep everyone safe and well.

We will begin to process full refunds for all camp sessions mentioned above beginning next week.
If you ordered a camp care kit with your camp registration, this purchase will also be fully refunded.
All payments will be returned to the original payment method, with the exception of Cookie Program Reward Cards. If you used a Cookie Reward Card, we cannot refund the rewards to the original card so we will mail you a new card with the refunded amount.
You do not need to request any of these refunds, they will happen automatically.
Please understand this may take us up to four weeks to complete. If you have any questions please reach out to registration@gsnorcal.org.

Below, I've included a special video message from our camp staff. If you are able, please play and watch with your camper. We have been planning programming for this summer since last September and are heartbroken that we won’t get to provide it in the way we had planned.

But we just couldn’t let a summer go by without seeing our campers, so we hope you’ll join us at our all-new hybrid summer camp, Tajar's Treehouse!

Developed by our team of outdoor professionals, Tajar's Treehouse is a space for all of our camp sisters to connect, belong, and take action while we can't gather in person. The activities and resources will be facilitated by our expert staff and will include both on- and offline activities, age-based cabin groups, campfires, and activities that encourage girls to stay healthy, active, and outside at home.

Registration will open next week, so keep an eye on camp.gsnorcal.org/tajars-treehouse!

Girl Scouts are strong and resilient and our camping tradition is long. As soon as it is safe to gather around the campfire again, that’s where we’ll be. Until then, we will continue to keep our campers in our hearts and minds and plan for the many camp summers to come.

Mary-Jane Strom
Chief Program Officer
Girl Scouts of Northern California

If your camper is struggling with the news of her summer camp cancellation, we've compiled some tips to help your girl navigate the grieving process.

Please Note: All other in-person council, service unit, troop, and Cookie Program events are cancelled through June 1 at this time. You can find our latest updates at norcal.gs/COVID-19.

Thank you for your help in keeping Girl Scouts a safe, fun space for everyone! If you have questions about how novel coronavirus may impact Girl Scout activities, please contact us at info@gsnorcal.org or 800-447-4475—we're here for you.

Be a Source of Comfort and Calm for Girls

Girl Scouts of the USA has developed a helpful resource for How to Talk to Your Girl About Coronavirus to help minimize stress and worry in your Girl Scout’s life and give her a sense of calm and control.

Throughout our history, Girl Scouts have played an important role in helping to keep our country safe. The 1947 Girl Scout Handbook explains: "A Girl Scout is ready to help out wherever she is needed. Willingness to serve is not enough; you must know how to do the job well, even in an emergency." During World War II, Girl Scouts tended victory gardens, sold war bonds, and collected scrap metal. The work of today’s Girl Scouts is just as essential.

Girl Scouts can continue to demonstrate leadership in the fight against coronavirus by teaching proper handwashing and other hygiene practices to their peers. They can learn about how coronavirus is spread and how to protect themselves and share this information with others. Girl Scouts can be a force for good by confronting misinformation about Asian-Americans, who increasingly have been the targets of racist attacks and discrimination.

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