Ontario Girl Guides of Canada

• Actively supports GGC policies, procedures and practices
• Participates in Administrative Community Leader forums twice a year
• Monitors email and voicemail regularly and responds in a timely manner
• Provides reports as requested by Deputy Provincial Commissioner – Administration
• Participates in mandatory ACL training within first six months in this position. This is also a requirement for co-ACLs.

Index
Section A - Getting started
Section B - Community Guiders
Section C - Ongoing
Section D – Community Planning
Section E - Communication with Unit Guiders
Section F - Awards and recognition
Section G - Problem solving
Section H – Suggestions and helpful hints

Section A
Getting Started

When appointed:
1. Orientation to position

• Review online ACL manual
• Review organizational charts for volunteers and staff
• Read and understand job descriptions and expectations for ACL, ACL Adviser, Community Guider and Unit Guider
• Read and understand job descriptions for Unit Administrator and Community Planning Coordinator
• Become familiar with the Ontario Council website
• Find the map of your community
• Look at locations of your units on the Unit Finder on the national website
• Participate in ACL training
• Read Community Planning binder found on OneNote
• Review reports that ACL receives and determine what ACL does with reports – what information is included in reports, what to look for, what ACL needs to do with information.
  Reports include:
• Community Rosters – available through Member Zone
• Placement Specialty Community report – lists newly screened members who need to be placed
• Unit Readiness report – check to see if all units have Guiders, Treasurer, Purchase Card Holder, Cookie Orderer, meet Safe Guide ratio
• Unit Readiness reports and Unit Capacity reports (# girls registered, max, full, wait list)
• Cancellations due to PRC expiry sent monthly
• Safe Guide Suspended Specialty Community - Cancellations due to noncompliance with Safe Guide training sent monthly
• Potential Member report – lists new potential members in your community who are currently being screened
• Unit Guider Renewal reports – responses from Guiders about their plans for next year. Changes in positions and/or units need ACL approval

2. Make arrangements for the necessary technology

• Phone - Put a message on your phone line identifying that caller has reached ACL for Community (#) (even if ACL phone is forwarded to personal line)
• Email – all ACL business should use GGC email. Standard signature line on ACL email is consistent with brand standards, Canada’s Anti-Spam legislation (CASL) and guidelines including privacy statement
• Let your ACL Adviser know that your phone and email are set up as outlined above

3. Finance

• Submit your application for a purchase card
• Read ACL expense guidelines
• Review current budget and spending for your community

4. Introduce yourself to team:

• Community Guiders
• Any current specialty committee members
• ACL Adviser – set up a meeting or call
• Community Planning Coordinator – set up a meeting to review your community membership needs
• Unit Administrator

5. Introduce yourself to Guiders

• Send an introductory email through the GuidePost.
• Work with Community Guiders to create a plan for unit visits on regular basis.

Section B
Community Guiders

Work with Community Guiders to fulfill their job expectations supporting Unit Guiders and ACL.

Monthly

• Check in with each Community Guider by email or phone.
• Identify what tasks they are working on, successes, concerns and problems.
• Assist in developing coaching skills

Yearly

• Review job expectations with Community Guider
• By May 30th, appoint Community Guiders for next Guiding year
• Assign units that each Community Guider will work with
• Update information to staff for adding to iMIS

Section C
Ongoing

Community Rosters

• Review community roster and provide changes/updates to staff for iMIS inputting
• Ensure all Guiders who are no longer active in units are removed from Community roster
• Ensure all adults working in units are screened members
• Do this monthly or more often
• Priority times might include:
• Late spring (Guider renewal time)
• Mid-summer (preparing for start up)
• Late fall (start up of units completed)

Placing newly screened members

• Members who complete screening will be contacted by the Community Planning Coordinators to determine their placement into a unit. CPC is in discussion with ACL to plan placement for new members
• Placement Specialty Community report - lists newly screened members who need action from ACL to be placed
• Work with your Community Guider to function as the new member's mentor
• Plan to help new member become part of leadership team
• Identify training needs and provide information about taking training
• Have individual work with experienced Guider

Safe Guide Compliance

• Review list of Guiders who are Safe Guide suspended monthly
• Work with Community Guiders to ensure Safe Guide ratios are met at unit meetings until training is completed
• Work with Guider to complete Safe Guide training
• Review Unit Readiness reports to ensure every unit meets minimum Safe Guide ratios for unit meetings

PRC expiry

• Review list of Guiders with upcoming PRC expiry dates
• Remind Guiders to complete PRC renewal before expiry
• If Guider is cancelled due to PRC expiry:
• Work with Community Guider to ensure Safe Guide ratios are met at unit meetings
• Contact Guider about her plans to renew PRC

Section D
Community Planning

Refer to your Community Planning Binder found on OneNote, in Community Planning Key Dates, for specific details.

• Confirm rosters - all Guiders on roster are active in the unit, all adults participating in the unit are registered, all girls in unit are registered
• Hold a meeting with all Community Guiders
• Volunteer Awards submissions
• PRC and Safe Guide suspensions and cancellations
• Monthly ongoing ACL tasks

• Review community gaps/needs for upcoming Guiding year, engaging Community Guiders to reach out to unit Guiders for an understanding of potential intentions
• Work with your Community Guider team to create work plans to address gaps/needs for the next Guiding year
• Confirm units that will be available to accept girl registrations for the upcoming Guiding year. Unit finder will be updated
• Notify staff of units that will be closed for next year or any changes to unit meeting locations, meeting nights, or meeting times
• Email new Guiders to touch base and welcome them to the community
• Begin to consider who can be the next ACL for the community (if applicable)
• Consider new/old Community Guider appointments
• PRC and Safe Guide suspensions and cancellations
• Monthly ongoing ACL tasks

• Submit change of unit meeting locations when known
• Submit change of unit meeting day/time when known
• Plan for units that might be closing; evaluate if closing the only option. Is there need for the unit? Yes - what actions can be taken to keep unit open. No - what is plan for girls eligible to return to the unit?
• Identify which units have space and will be able to participate in Try Now Join Later
• Schedule meeting with Community Guiders to start planning for coming year
• Start planning year end events
• Start writing Thank You cards
• PRC and Safe Guide suspensions and cancellations
• Monthly ongoing ACL tasks

• Registration for girls returning to the same unit opens online
• Unit Guider membership renewal begins
• Meet with Community Guiders to develop work plans for growing membership in community, addressing upcoming gaps/needs
• Review list of current Unit Guiders who are not to be renewed to any or all of their current positions
• Speak to Guiders who are not to be reappointed about the decision and their options for upcoming Guiding year (in person or by phone)
• Confirm with ACL Advisers that you have notified Unit Guiders not being reappointed
• Review unit capacity and track suggested changes to be submitted
• Schedule an Introduction to Guiding (or another adult recruitment) event in your community
• Confirm details for year-end event
• PRC and Safe Guide suspensions and cancellations
• Monthly ongoing ACL tasks

• Registration for returning girls changing units opens online
• Reappoint/recruit Community Guiders
• Work with Unit Guiders and Community Guiders to resolve needs identified by wait lists
• Review units full or near full and identify steps to increase capacity
• Work with Community Guiders to make unit visits to thank Guiders, present year pins, and recruit parents
• Review the Local Specialty Community lists for the community and re-appoint as necessary
• PRC and Safe Guide suspensions and cancellations
• Monthly ongoing ACL tasks

• Open registration for all girls including new girl members opens online
• Assign Community Guiders to units, ensuring that every unit in your community has a Community Guider. Connect with the Community Guider Adviser if you require assistance
• Work with Unit Guiders and Community Guiders to resolve needs identified by wait lists
• Review units full or near full and identify steps to increase capacity
• Host an Introduction to Guiding or adult recruitment event in the community
• Beginning planning for fall trainings
• PRC and Safe Guide suspensions and cancellations
• Monthly ongoing ACL tasks

• Work with Community Guiders to develop targeted adult recruitment action plan for units without full leadership team to meet Safe Guide supervision ratios
• Follow up with units that do not have Contact Guider and/or Treasurer and discuss with the leadership team who to appoint to the position
• Work with Unit Guiders and Community Guiders to resolve needs identified by wait lists
• Review units full or near full and identify steps to increase capacity
• Hold a Community Guider meeting for new Community Guiders to be onboarded
• Confirm training week plans
• Coordinate participation in summer festivals
• PRC and Safe Guide suspensions and cancellations
• Monthly ongoing ACL tasks

• Have Community Guiders reach out to Unit Guiders with a reminder to be checking rosters regularly and contacting parents with information about unit meetings and unit start date
• Work with Unit Guiders and Community Guiders to resolve needs identified by wait lists
• Review units full or near full and identify steps to increase capacity
• Review plans for units with low registration with Community Guiders. Units without leaders or a plan in place will need to be closed
• Host a summer gathering for Guiders
• Promote Provincial Training Week
• PRC and Safe Guide suspensions and cancellations
• Monthly ongoing ACL tasks

• You are ready!
• Work with Unit Guiders and Community Guiders to resolve needs identified by wait lists
• Review units full or near full and identify steps to increase capacity
• Review units with low registration. Work with Community Guiders and Unit Guiders on targeted girl recruitment plans
• Continue to encourage and promote Provincial Training Week
• Coordinate in recruitment events and volunteer events
• Host a welcome back event for Guiders (pot luck, tea time, active activity)
• PRC and Safe Guide suspensions and cancellations
• Monthly ongoing ACL tasks

• Confirm rosters - all Guiders on roster are active in the unit, all adults participating in the unit are registered, all girls in unit are registered
• Work with Unit Guiders and Community Guiders to resolve needs identified by wait lists
• Review units with low registration. Work with Community Guiders and Unit Guiders on targeted girl recruitment plans
• Participate in cookie day events
• PRC and Safe Guide suspensions and cancellations
• Monthly ongoing ACL tasks

• Work with Community Guiders to develop targeted adult engagement action plan to engage Guiders and create sisterhood and training opportunities
• Review user space functionality
• Begin nomination committee for Ontario Volunteer Awards
• PRC and Safe Guide suspensions and cancellations
• Monthly ongoing ACL tasks

• Beginning planning Thinking Day
• Confirm rosters - all Guiders on roster are active in the unit, all adults participating in the unit are registered, all girls in unit are registered
• PRC and Safe Guide suspensions and cancellations
• Monthly ongoing ACL tasks

Section E
Communication with Unit Guiders

Develop a yearly communication plan for local messages. Include at least four GuidePost messages a year from ACL. For example, Welcome back in early September, Thinking Day, Training needs in April, Thank you at end of Guiding year.

• Provide local information
• Adult training
• Promote participation in Provincial Training Week
• Identify training/development needs of your Guiders for Trainers

Check ACL manual under Marketing and Communications for submission deadlines.

Section F
Awards and recognition

Create plan for recognizing volunteers and accomplishments of members yearly.

• Research awards available
• Identify candidates
• Nominate
• Plan Presentation and attend if possible

What help do I need to organize recognition events in my community?

Section G
Problem solving

Read and understand Adult Member Support Module 3: Performance and Conduct Management

• Deal with conflict and performance issues promptly
• Steps to investigate and resolve:
• Call the individuals involved
• Assure them that this matter will be kept as confidential as possible and that the investication of the issue in no way implies guilt
• Stay neutral as you gather the facts
• Listen and identify what has happened in the situation for all concerned
• Document all conversations and meetings
• Determine a resolution and communicate it back to those involved
• Document outcomes and save it in an electronic format
• If conflicts and performance issues persist or escalate despite corrective action or if the matter is a conduct issue, contact your ACL Adviser and Deputy Provincial Commissioner for assistance

Section H
Suggestions and helpful hints

Refer to the ACL Community Planning page
Planning for your meetings

• Meetings can be in person or by phone.
• Do some planning to identify your goal for meeting.
• Think about if those participating in meeting have their own goals?
• How might that affect what you want to accomplish.
• If goals for meeting are extensive, divide up goals and plan more than one meeting.
• Topics to consider:
• What you want to accomplish in community during year
• Expectations for those in various positions
• Expectations for keeping ACL informed
• Decide on length of meeting (and stick to it!)
• Create agenda
• Share agenda in advance with participants

Suggestions

• Wear your uniform out in public
• Participate in Provincial Training Week events
• Participate in Thinking Day events
• Plan sisterhood event for adults
• In your community can you do one event/one location or do you need multiple locations? How often? One per year?
• Look at ACL budget to determine how much you have to spend on these events