Ontario Girl Guides of Canada

Alphabet soup! What do all these acronyms mean?

Sometimes it feels like members of Guiding speak a language all our own! Here are some commonly used acronyms you might hear or read and what they mean:

AC - Administrative Community
ACL - Administrative Community Leader
ACLA - Administrative Community Leader Adviser
ACS - Accessible Customer Service (now part of Orientation to Guiding)
CBA Form – Centralized Banking Authorization Form
CG – Community Guider
CGA – Community Guider Adviser
CPC- Community Planning Coordinator
CRC – Canadian Red Cross
CWFF – Canadian World Friendship Fund
DPC -Deputy Provincial Commissioner
EC – Event Coordinator
EP – Event Planner
GA – Girl Assistant
GGC- Girl Guides of Canada – Guides du Canada
GGCON – Girl Guides of Canada, Ontario Council
GM – Guiding Mosaic
IAS – Integrated Accessibility Standards
IR – Image Release
LDP - Leadership Development Program
LPESC - Local Property Extreme Specialty Community
NMV – Non-member volunteers
NSP – National Service Project
OAL – Outdoor Activity Leadership
OCCFA – ON Council Code of Financial Accountability for Independent Trips
ORCKA – Ontario Recreational Canoeing and Kayaking Association
OTG – Orientation to Guiding
P Card – Purchase Card (Visa, not Debit)
PC - Provincial Commissioner
PMBR – Potential Members
PRC – Police Record Check
RG – Responsible Guider
SA – Safe Guide Adviser/Assessor
SG – Safe Guide
TEAM – Training and Enrichment for Adult Members
TNJL – Try Now Join Later
TPSP – Third Party Service Provider
UA - Unit Administrator
UBA – Unit Banking Administrator
UBC – Unit Banking Clerk
UFSC – Unit Finance Specialty Community
WAGGGS – World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts

Unit Guider best practices - September

Unit administration

• Check your unit roster often. There are often many changes in first few weeks of meetings
• Reach out more than once before the first unit meeting to capture any new or transferred girls
• Confirm start date and first meeting information directly with parents (use this fillable template)
• Have the school or facility permit with you. You may be asked to show it to verify your approved attendance
• Make sure you have someone in each mandatory role in your unit: Contact Guider, Treasurer, P-Card holder, Cookie Orderer

Q: What if a girl shows up to the unit meeting that is not on my roster?

A: At this time of year, girls can change units or register at the last minute, so you may not have a chance to check your most current roster before your unit meetings.

What steps can you take during the meeting?

• Be welcoming! This girl and her family are excited to be attending (maybe for the first time!)
• Be flexible – there are lots of different ways to get her involved and make her feel included even if you were not expecting a 16th girl to attend

Be honest with the parents – let them know you’ll do your best to adapt the evening’s activities to include their daughter – even if it isn’t perfect – and ensure the family fills out a Health Form with all of the emergency contact information and all important medical details to ensure a safe and fun meeting.

What steps can you take after the meeting has finished?

• Check your roster – once a girl has registered or transferred online, she will be added to the unit roster
• Contact your UA – if you do not see her listed (sometimes the roster is slow to update so the UA may be able to confirm that she is registered to your unit)
• Once it’s been confirmed that she is registered, send a welcome email to the girl and her family! Let them know what to expect for your upcoming meetings and any important information to help them plan and prepare for upcoming activities

Registrations

• Do not collect registration forms or membership fees
• Refer parents to the office if they are having difficulties registering
• Let us know if girls are attending but aren't registered so that we can get them registered
• Adults who do not appear on the roster should NOT be attending units regularly as leaders
• Have adults in the screening process contact the Membership team if they don’t know ‘next steps’

Cookies

• Assign a cookie tracking person to balance cookies ordered with those sold and funds deposited
• Track unsold cases to ensure sale by freshness guarantee date
• Ensure parent/Guider signatures for cookies being picked up
• Deposit all funds. Never use collected cash for unit purchases

Finances

• Make a budget
• A cash advance can be requested (use as petty cash)
• It is possible to request a credit limit increase when making large unit purchases
• Avoid unit going into deficit at all costs
• Co-Guiders can have a shadow account (read-only access to banking system)
• Finances are the responsibility of the leadership team
• Ensure open and ongoing communication regarding unit purchases among leadership team members
• Ensure all purchases can be budgeted for and unit doesn’t go into a deficit position

Submitting Safe Guide forms
Remember the following timelines for Safe Guide submissions apply:

• For yellow events: 14 days prior to your activity or event.
• For red events: 21 days prior to your activity/event 
• For green events: Safe Guide forms do not need to be submitted

In Ontario, Safe Guide forms are submitted online by using My Safe Guide Place/Fluid review.

Don’t forget to check out training opportunities for leaders on the Events Calendar and in your Friday Event eNews.

And most important of all……Work with the girls in the units to plan interesting and challenging activities so you can all HAVE FUN!

Who ya gonna call? A list of who to contact for answers to your Guiding questions

Registration
Girl (info for parents and Guiders): Find the Unit Administrator for your Community
Fee subsidy requests (info for parents): Unit Support (Jasmine) at girlreg.admin2@guidesontario.org
Tech help with the online registration system: Find the Unit Administrator for your Community
Third party payments (e.g. JumpStart): Unit Administration Supervisor (Maryse) at unit.superviser@guidesontario.org
Refund requests: Unit Administration Supervisor (Maryse) at unit.superviser@guidesontario.org

Adult Registration and Renewals
Application form: Application Information
Questions about screening or booking an interview: Screening Coordinator (Linda) at screening.coord@guidesontario.org
PRC or references: Membership Support (Megan) at membersupport.admin@guidesontario.org
Non-Member volunteers: Membership Support (Nina) at membersupport.admin4@guidesontario.org
Renewal/request to fill a unit position: Membership, Unit Readiness at unitreadiness@guidesontario.org

Unit Details and Administration
Finding meeting details - start time/location: Unit Finder
Requesting changes to unit details (info for Guiders): Find your Community Planning Coordinator
School Board permit applications: Membership Support (Laura) at membersupport.admin2@guidesontario.org
Regular meeting space contracts: Membership Support (Laura) at membersupport.admin2@guidesontario.org
Membership pin report for units: Find the Unit Administrator for your community
Unit camperships: Find the Unit Administrator for your community

Training
What TEAM training is available? Event Calendar and Registration
Adding external trainings to your profile: Find the Unit Administrator for your community
First Aid requirements and training: First Aid information
Questions about the e-Learning library: Event Admin (Marika) at event.admin3@guidesontario.org

Unit Banking
Find your Unit Banking Clerk: Unit Banking contact list
Unit Finance Specialty Community - volunteers: UFSC team list - contact by community
Unit Banking Help Desk: 1-877-323-4545 ext. 2500

Trips and Events
Questions about planning trips: trips@guidesontario.org
Questions about planning events: event.registration@guidesontario.org
Safe Guide forms or process: safeguide@guidesontario.org
Contracts for trips or events: contracts@guidesontario.org

Cookies:
Cookie Coordinator (Georgina) at cookie.coord@guidesontario.org
Cookie Admin (Hausalya) at cookie.admin@guidesontario.org

Other Contacts
Find your ACL (Administrative community Leader): ACL listing
Find your Community Guider: Unit Roster
Contact us: staff listing (email and phone)

October Unit Guider best practices

Unit administration

• The automatic Online Registration system emails started October 5^th; the Contact Guider will now get a notice every time a new girl has joined the unit.
• Membership pins for girls in your unit should be presented in the Fall. Contact your Unit Administrator for the Membership Pin Year Report to find out which ones you need to order from the store.
• Did you know that the Community Guider for your unit is listed on your Unit Roster? Reach out to her as a mentor if you have questions or need support. Check out the Community Guider job description to learn about the scope of her position.
• Do you have completed health forms for every girl in your unit? The entire leadership team needs to have quick access in the case of an emergency, but they do contain private information so secure storage is very important!
• Have the school or facility permit with you, you may be asked for it to verify your approved attendance
• Some units still need roles filled. Work together to have someone in each of these positions to ensure the unit runs smoothly and workload is shared: Contact Guider, Treasurer, P-Card holder, Cookie Orderer

 Registrations

• Do not collect registration forms or membership fees
• Refer parents to office if having difficulties registering
• Let us know if girls are attending but aren't registered so that we can get them registered
• Adults who do not appear on the roster should NOT be attending units regularly as leaders
• Have Adults in the screening process contact the Membership team if they don’t know ‘next steps’

 Cookies

• Post your cookie sale event on the Cookie Finder Map to boost awareness and sales!
• Check out all the Cookie tips and resources on our website in the Cookie Jar for Guiders
• Assign a cookie tracking person – to balance cookies ordered with those sold and funds deposited
  • Track unsold cases to ensure sale by freshness guarantee date
• Ensure parent/Guider signatures for cookies being picked up
• Deposit all funds, never use collected cash for unit purchases

Finances 

• Make a budget
• Cash Advance can be requested (use as petty cash)
• It is possible to request credit limit increase when marking large unit purchases
• Avoid unit going into deficit at all costs
• Co-Guiders can have a shadow account (read-only access to banking system)
• Finances are the responsibility of the leadership team
• Ensure open and ongoing communication regarding unit purchases among leadership team
  • Ensure all purchases can be budgeted for and unit doesn’t go into deficit position

Submitting Safe Guide forms

Remember the following timelines for Safe Guide submissions apply:

• For yellow events: 14 days prior to your activity or event.
• For red events: 21 days prior to your activity/event 
• For green events: safe guide forms do not need to be submitted 

In Ontario, Safe Guide forms are submitted online by using My Safe Guide Place/Fluid review 

Don’t forget to check out training opportunities for leaders on the Events Calendar. 

And most important of all……Work with the girls in the units to plan interesting and challenging activities so you can all HAVE FUN!