By Leslie Flood, Chief Business Officer

April 1 is the start of our Early Bird Registration and Renewal for the 2015 membership year at Girl Scouts – NC Coastal Pines! Here are the top 5 reasons to register now:

1. Beat the “back-to-school” madness. There’s so much to do in the fall – new teacher, buying school clothes and supplies, school fees – it’s crazy. Don’t add Girl Scout registration to the madness – Register Now!

2. Confirm girl and adult participation in your troop. With early registration, you know who is returning and who might need some extra encouragement. Early Bird helps identify those few extra spots to fill or if you need to recruit some additional parent support!

3. Your troop can hit the ground running in the fall! This year’s memberships expire on September 30. Have member registration out of the way so you can jump right into planning fall activities.

4. Girls will be excited for Back-to-Troop! We all want to know we have a place in the group. Help girls know that the troop is continuing and that everyone will be part of the troop again in the fall!

5. Girl Scouts is FUN! Girls have new experiences that inspire them to look forward to what they’re doing today, tomorrow, and years from now. And adults can be part of the fun too – Volunteer today!

If these reasons aren’t enough to sway you, check out our Early Bird incentives:

• Early Bird Patches for all girls and leaders! Who doesn’t love a new Girl Scout patch?

• $15 Early Bird Gift Card to the council shop or for council activities. To qualify troops must have at least 5 girls and 2 adults* registered.

• 15% off Camp and Event Fees – Parents/Guardians will receive one discount coupon for one camp session or council-sponsored event from May 1, 2014 – May 31, 2015.

• Cash Prizes – Weekly drawings for troops to win cash awards: 3 troops per week will win $150 in April, $75 in May, and $50 in June. To qualify troops must have at least 5 girls and 2 adults* registered.

• $500 Grand Prize – One lucky troop with at least 5 girls and 2 adults* registered by June 30 will win a $500 cash award.

Extra! Extra! Troops will get additional chances to win for each 5 girls registered during the drawing period. The earlier the troop registers and the more girls, the more chances to win!

Start the FUN! Click here to register and renew today! It’s quick, efficient and environmentally friendly.

* For registration purposes, Adult Membership is associated with one specific troop only. In other words, you can’t be counted as an adult in each troop you’re associated with.

**All troops that meet the qualifications will be included in each drawing going forward, so register early for best odds to win