Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama

Spring is on the way, and so is prom season for all older girls. Prom is one of the most memorable moments of high school, unfortunately some young women have to miss out. If you or a fellow Girl Scout is in need of a prom dress, but can't afford one, there may be an answer to your problem.

United Way informed us that over 300 prom dresses were collected in Montgomery this year for students who may be experiencing tough times in the economy.  Thanks to the support of the community, this years' event will be open to anyone who may need a prom dress, but simply cannot afford one.

Thursday, March 18, 2010, all dresses will be given away at the ASU Acadome (back entrance) from 2--6p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Dresses will be limited to one per female. Girls will be able to pick and try on dresses during this time.  The dresses were all donated from the River Region community and cleaned by Jim Massey cleaners.

In Mobile, Pretty in Pink Boutique will be offering free prom dresses to girls in need also. The Pretty in Pink Boutique, located in Bel Air Mall, will have hundreds of sizes and styles available on a first come first serve basis. The boutique will be open on March 13 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. to all girls, as long as they have a valid high school ID or proof of enrollment. Don't let missing out on prom become a problem for any girl, spread the word!

GSUSA just let us know that in celebration of Girl Scout Week, the CBS Early Show will air a Girl Scout segment tomorrow morning (Thursday, March 11, 2010) beginning at 7:30 a.m. (We believe this is Eastern Standard Time, but haven't been able to confirm yet.)  If you're already on your way to school at that hour, maybe someone you know can Tivo it!

At about 8:30 a.m., one of the hosts will conduct an interview with Laurel Richie, Chief Marketing Officer, about new things going on in Girl Scouting.   Laurel Richie is the special guest speaker at our annual meeting, March 27!

Girl Scouts from at least five Tri-State area councils will fill the CBS plaza; and former Girl Scout Gold Award earner Chelsea Masterson--along with current Girl Scout Troop Leader from Girl Scouts of Jersey Shore (see Troop Web site: www.orgsites.com) is expected to chat alongside Laurel about the benefits of Girl Scouting.

Happy Girl Scout Week!  

We introduced the Pink Princesses Patch Program November 4.  This patch program was developed by a high school girl in Baldwin county.  She feels very passionate about teaching girls to stand up for their beliefs, and work on ways to resist pressure to behave in ways that contradict their beliefs or violate their individuality.   The program encourages girls to model their good character and independence for all to see!  I think we can all benefit from those lessons, while having fun!

Thanks to a Girl Scout supporter, we are able to offer the first 200 girls that complete this program a free patch!  (If you need to have the patches mailed, you will need to pay for shipping charges.)  Ask your parent or troop leader to check this out!

All you need are comfortable shoes, a little red wagon and cookies!  Load up your wagon and walk around your neighborhood to ask your neighbors to buy cookies before they're all gone. Don't forget to follow your cookie safety guidelines when selling your cookies. 

·         Encourage customers to load up on their favorites.

·         Call customers from your initial order card and see if they would like any more.

·         Promote extra sales by creating cute bundles.

·         Turn your driveway into a red wagon.  Create a yard sign to advertise your red wagon sale and set up a cookie booth drive - thru at your house.

·         Make a point to inform customers that Girl Scout cookies freeze very well, especially Thin Mints.

·         Consider making a bundle tag that states "freeze me". 

It's time to celebrate and congratulate fellow Girl Scouts for their top honors. Every year, Girl Scouts across nation salute outstanding women for their display of values stated in the Girl Scout Promise and Law. Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama is always proud to recognize these women at our Women of Distinction Awards Gala and Auction. This year, two of your fellow Girl Scouts, Abigail B. and Miranda S. will be honored as Young Women of Distinction. This is such an honor for these girls, put your hands together and give them a round of applause.

"GS Endeavour 2010" is a blog following six high school girls from Girl Scouts of Northern California who were chosen to attend the launch of the space shuttle Endeavour. Each of these girls has a special interest in science and technology. You can follow the girls as they spend eight days exploring Florida's Space Coast, and comment on their experiences!

Alright girls, your initial cookie orders are in and it's time to start booth sales. Are you going for the top prizes? This year you don't want to miss out on the cool prizes you can win by being a top seller. Top three sellers win an iPod, Nintendo DSi, Wii or Xbox.  You can also win money toward a destination.  Not only are you rewarded with cool prizes, but your troop benefits, too. Imagine the fun trips or activities you can plan with proceeds from cookie sales. Remember, working hard at booth sales may be just what you need to reach the top. You can do it!

Girl Scout Seniors in Grades 9-10 are invited to participate in an online art show for the months of March and April 2010. Girls will be able to share their artistic visions through painting, sculpture, video or another medium they choose and then share it with others across the country through an online art show. This is open to Girl Scouts nationwide but there are a few entry guidelines and rules:

Some of your fellow Girl Scouts have recently been featured in Disney FamilyFun magazine. Disney turned to Girl Scouts for a list of fun things groups and families can do together. Eight troops ideas were chosen from over 550 submissions. The troops whose ideas were chosen received $250, a complete set of Disney FamilyFun craft and activity books and a free digital and print subscription to the magazine.

The Disney FamilyFun published ideas and troops are:

• A Pajama Party That Also Collects PJs for Women in Need, Brownie Troop 96, Scottsville, New York
• Pudding Served Up in an Ice-Cream Cone, Brownie Troop 155, Marietta, Ohio
• Catnip Mice for the Local Pet Shelter, Junior Girl Scout Troop 1332, Littleton, Colorado
• Going Green with Plantable Greeting Cards, Girl Scout Troop 496, Bristow, Oklahoma
• A Twist on Tradition: S'mores in a Bag, Brownie Troop 1169, Scottsboro, Alabama
• Compliment Sheets Share the Love, Junior Girl Scout Troop 24259, Woodstock, Georgia
• A Pass-the-Mirror Game That Teaches Self-Esteem, Daisy Troop 1486, Maricopa, Arizona
• Hula Hoop Game: It's a Group Effort, Cadette Girl Scout Troop 1486, Kirkwood, Missouri

Maybe you can even try some of the activities with your troop or family! Congrats to all eight troops and their councils, and thanks for sharing the Girl Scout spirit.