Navigating the VOLUNTEER TOOLKIT

Transcription

1 Navigating the VOLUNTEER TOOLKIT The new Volunteer Toolkit web app allows you to plan and organize your troop s activities with ease so you can focus on the important part having fun! LEARN MORE NOW The Volunteer Toolkit (VTK) is a comprehensive online organizational, planning, and curriculum tool for leading your troop! It s accessible via the web on your computer, smartphone, or tablet. IN THIS GUIDE Log In...2 Choose a Year Plan...2 Set the Date & Location for Troop Meetings...2 Customize the Year Plan...3 Inside the Meeting Plan...4 Customize the Meeting Agenda...5 More than Meeting Plans...5 I like to direct new and experienced leaders to VTK because you can instantly access entire meeting plans for both the Journeys and badges anytime and anywhere. Kelly, Service Unit Coordinator,, 1

2 LOG IN 1. Go to gsema.org and click on "My GS" on the right side of the menu bar 2. Select Volunteer Toolkit from the drop-down menu 3. Log in your username is your address 4. If you have not set up a password, or don t know it, click "Forgot My Password" 5. Follow instructions in the to set up password and log in 6. Questions or need assistance, contact Customer Care at CustomerCare@gsema.org or GSEM (4736) TIP - Use Google Chrome as your browser and allow pop-ups, if possible. CHOOSE A YEAR PLAN After logging in to the VTK, you will see Year Plan options available for your troop You will have access to the Year Plans for the registered grade level of your troop. There are four options for Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors: multiple Journey years, one badge year, and one Create Your Own Year Plan. Look around to find what works best for your girls! You will also have access to individual meeting plans for other grade levels Only Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador troops have access to Create Your Own Year Plan Each Year Plan is pre-populated with 15 suggested meetings in default order Skim through the Year Plans to become familiar with them The first two meetings for all Year Plans are identical: intro: girls get to know one another, learn or review the Girl Scout Promise and Law, and decide what type of year they want to plan jump into journeys/badges: girls sample activities and choose a plan Select a Year Plan to begin, but don t purchase supplies too far in advance until girls have made a decision about their year. Once girls have come to an agreement, you can change your Year Plan selection if needed by clicking "Year Plan Library" THINGS TO KNOW - The VTK does not contain all of the badges and Journeys. SET THE DATE & LOCATION FOR TROOP MEETINGS To set the dates and location for meetings, go to "Specify Dates and Locations" Enter the date for the first meeting It must be in the future The system defaults to 15 meetings biweekly The default will schedule meetings through June 30 (you can add meetings later in the year when you customize) From the list of holidays, unselect the holiday weeks when your troop will be meeting Go to the "Locations" tab to add locations for your meetings (you can enter multiple locations) Select which meeting dates to apply to specific locations THINGS TO KNOW - Important council dates will show up highlighted in orange on your year plan. 2

3 CUSTOMIZE THE YEAR PLAN move a meeting Drag and drop to move meetings and activites in the year plan add a meeting Go to Year Plan Select "Add Meeting" Choose grade level or levels meetings for Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors are available Select the type of meeting Choose category or Journey if needed. If you don t know the category of the badge you are looking for, select them all Click on "View Meeting Plans" Click the "Select Meeting" box for those you would like to add (you can select multiple meetings) Click on "Add to Year Plan" New meetings are added to the end of your Year Plan. You can add meetings after June 30. Drag and drop the new meeting into the desired date of the Year Plan (the meeting dates will adjust) combine meetings Make sure that all meetings you want to combine are in the meeting plan Select the calendar icon next to the first meeting you wish to combine Select Combine Meetings Select the meetings to combine and click Continue Select the date for the combined meetings and click Save replace a meeting Choose the meeting that you would like to replace Open the meeting plan Click on "Replace This Meeting" at the top Follow the steps to locate a replacement meeting cancel a meeting Choose the meeting that you would like to cancel Click on Cancel Meeting Select the meeting to cancel Click Save and verify decision TIP - Meeting plans can be combined. This allows planning for multiple levels in one meeting. Example: Meet together for opening and closing and break into levels for badges. 3

4 change the date for a specific meeting Select the calendar icon next to the meeting you wish to change and make the changes The change will only affect the selected meeting change the date for a series of meetings To make changes to an entire series of upcoming meetings, go to Specify Meeting Dates and Locations Select the gear icon to the right of the first meeting to change in the series. Configure the calendar going forward by changing the date for this meeting. add a custom activity Select Add Activity and go to Custom Activity Tab Enter information and date and click Add Activity to insert into the Year Plan add a council activity Select Add Activity and go to Council Activity Tab Search for council activity Click on Select Activity and Register for Event to add the chosen event to your year plan You will need to register for the event on ebiz INSIDE THE MEETING PLAN "Meeting Overview" provides introduction, leader tips, and a quick description of the meeting "Activity Plan" provides a step-by-step plan for the meeting s activities "Materials List" provides a list of supplies and materials you will need for that meeting "Meeting Aids" are used with girls during meetings and can include worksheets, song lyrics, and other types of reference materials that can be printed Meeting agenda items are set to a default time and order Daisy meetings are planned for 60 minutes and all others are 90 minutes, but you can further modify this TIP - Download or print the Meeting Overview and Activity Plan. Make sure that all troop leaders and Family & Friends volunteers who are helping with the meeting have a copy of the Activity Plan in advance. 4

5 CUSTOMIZE THE MEETING AGENDA to change the order of activities Drag and drop agenda items to switch the order change time allotment for agenda item Select and open the Agenda Item Go to time drop-down box in upper right corner, select desired time, and click Save. delete agenda item Select and open the Agenda Item Go to time drop-down box in upper right corner and click Delete this Agenda Item add agenda item Select and open "Add Agenda Item" Enter time and description and click Save add meeting aid Click on Add Meeting Aids to open list of meeting aids Select "Meeting Aid" and click Add to Meeting MORE THAN MEETING PLANS resources tab Here you can search the Volunteer Toolkit for meeting aids, meeting overviews, and additional resources and information you may need Meeting Aids can be added to meetings from the Resources section by clicking on Add to Meeting my troop tab View and renew troop members here s that you send to troop members will not come from your personal address and replies will not come back to you. Type your own address at the front of the text so that families can easily respond to you. parent view Parents can view the year plan and the meeting plans in the Volunteer Toolkit Parents cannot make changes TIP - Keep your Year Plan up-to-date so you ll have clear, easy communication with troop families. QUESTIONS? Contact CustomerCare@gsema.org or GSEM (4736) 5