While the school year is winding down, we’re looking to the future — next year, that is!

Early Bird starts today, and we couldn’t be more excited about it! From $500 giveaways to patches , here are five of our favorite reasons you should renew your membership during Early Bird.

1. Give her amazing experiences for another year!

When your girl continues another year with Girl Scouts, she’ll have another years’ worth of opportunities to stand up, speak up, and take the lead. She’ll discover her inner G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)™, and you’ll be able to watch her shine, again and again.

Will she find a sustainable solution to a problem in her community? Will she explore the great outdoors? Build a robot? Learn to code? Conduct an experiment? With Girl Scouts, the possibilities are truly endless. Renewing during Early Bird means she’ll discover all she can be and everything she can accomplish when she has the right tools and a safe space to shine.

2. Win up to $500!

Volunteers are the lifeblood of our Movement, and we know troops are more successful when they’ve got an awesome team! So we want to help out the amazing volunteers who make your girls’ experience what it is.

When your troop renews two troop leaders and one product sales manager (three separate adults) during the first three days of Early Bird (April 16-18, 2018), you’ll be entered into a drawing for $500 for your troop! Yes, please! A total of 10 troops will win.

3. Patches

Who doesn’t love a good patch? Well, during Early Bird your girl has the opportunity for not just one, but two awesome patches!

Last year, we unveiled new, exclusive patches just for Girl Scouts in our council who renew during Early Bird! The 2018-2019 patches feature Izzy the Innovator, a tall, thoughtful golden bird who’s always thinking outside the box.

Like your girl, Izzy can’t wait for all the new adventures she will explore with her sister Girl Scouts! Plus, she’s part of the Early Bird series we started last year!

Plus, when your girl brings a friend along to her troop next year, she also gets the brand new Invite a Friend patch! That’s two awesome patches, just for renewing during Early Bird with a friend!

4. Increased cookie earnings

What awesome things has your troop done with your cookie earnings? We bet a lot! Maybe you pay the membership fees for the girls and volunteers in your troop, or you gather supplies for a local animal shelter. Whatever it is, we want to help you earn more next year!

Troops who renew at least five girls and two adults during Early Bird and participate in the 2018 Fall Product Sale will receive an additional 5 cents per box of cookies sold in 2019. That adds up quickly! Just think of all of the additional amazing things you’ll get to do next year with increased earnings!

5. $250 to the Service Unit!

New this year! Service Units that hit their Early Bird goal will receive $250 to support Service Unit activities during the 2018-2019 troop year! That’s sure to make your next Service Unit event even more special!

6. You don’t have to think about it over the summer!

When summer finally comes around, the last thing you want is one more thing to add to your to do list, right? So cross this one off early!

When you renew during Early Bird, you’re getting ahead of the game. You don’t have to worry about renewing your troop during the summer or crazy back-to-school season. Or, if parents and caregivers are the ones in charge of renewing girls in your troop, you don’t have to bother them about it all summer!

When you renew during Early Bird, everyone gets to enjoy their summer!

So what are you waiting for?! Head on over to gswo.org/renew today!