Read MONDAY MAILINGS from Council
or just go to the Council website
Girl Scouts of Northern California

DISCOVEREE 2010
Saturday, Feb. 6
Alvarado Middle School, Union City
— MORE information & online registration (Council)
— GET the brochure (pdf; Council)

SURVEY: OUTDOOR PROGRAMMING & CAMPS
from Patricia Buckley, GS NorCal, Jan. 2010
COUNCIL invests a lot of money to support camp properties and camp programs. What do we hope to achieve with this investment? Where do outdoor programs, camp and camp properties fit in the Program Model? How do camp properties and outdoor programs help us achieve our mission and vision?.
— Get the survey (rtf; open with Word or other text-editing program). DEADLINE FOR RESPONSES is Jan. 20.

TRIP FAQs
from Matilda Stubbs, CDD, Jan. 2007
ARE you planning a trip and are unsure about what forms need to be submitted and to whom? This handy set of FAQs and accompanying map will help you through the requirements.
— Get the Trip FAQs and map (PDF

MORE Girl Scouting LINKS

PRIVACY IS IMPORTANT: Handling healthcare information
from Monday Mailing, Aug. 23, 2004, but still vital information
ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and HIPAA (Health Information Privacy Protection Act) mandate that medical information and P.I., Personal Information, are kept in a secure place and only disclosed to those that have a legitimate need to know. This applies to information about minors as well as about adults.

As you know, Safety Wise requires us to collect health information for girls, adults and volunteers participating in various activities like sports, trips and camping. In April of 2003, the Council adopted the health information privacy procedures for our staff as required by law. Please put the following procedures into place to ensure we comply with these important rules for everyone’s protection.

Definition of Personal Information: This includes all information such as names, addresses, social security numbers, lists of prescription medication, doctor’s notes, health records, immunization records, etc.

Maintenance of Records: First Aiders should keep all health forms in a private, secure location where they cannot be accessed by others. One inexpensive way to do this is to keep medical forms in a confidential envelope, tape it shut, and write your name over the tape and envelope to ensure no one has access. If you have access to more sophisticated methods, like locked cabinets or a locking briefcase, please use those to store this very sensitive information.

Confidentiality: Information about anyone’s health, medications or health history should not be shared with anyone who does not have a legitimate need to know. This includes friends, family, parents, troop leaders and other children. For example, if a parent asks a first aider which children are on anti-depressants, the first aider should not share this information. A first aider or anyone else with medical knowledge about a child or adult should not discuss the condition with his or her friends or family, unless there is a legitimate informational need.

When you can share information: A legitimate need might be sharing that one of the girls contracted bacterial meningitis or some other communicable disease. In this case, it would be vital for the information to be communicated to anyone who had contact with the person. If an adult appeared to be suffering from shock during an event and someone knew of a medical condition they had, it would be important to share that with a first aid trained person or emergency medical technician. Sharing medical information with appropriate authorities in cases involving abuse or neglect would also be appropriate.

In addition, if you as a volunteer are uncomfortable providing medical information required under Safety Wise, you may choose to keep that information in a sealed envelope to be opened only in the event of an emergency.