Recently in Other Opportunities Category

Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama has two scholarship programs available to graduating senior Girl Scouts.  

All Girl Scouts who sold $75 or more in Fall Product were entered into a contest to win a pair of toasty-warm and stylish Ugg boots!  Four pairs were available to win, one in each area of our council.

Drum roll please!  Here are our winners:

Madison of Troop 7374

Cadence of Troop 8087

Skyy of Troop  9215

and Elizabeth of Troop  9147

Congratulations and thank you so much for all your hard work!

One of our fellow sisters in Girl Scouting, Hailey from Johns Chapel, was involved in  a tragic ATV Accident and was air-lifted to Children's Hospital in Birmingham.  Hailey's injuries are very serious, and she will require several months in the hospital to recover.

As you can imagine, this is a very difficult time for Hailey's family, who wish to be at their daughter's side as much as possible.  Your troops can help Hailey by collecting soda tabs on her behalf. For every gallon of soda tabs collected, her parents can stay for a night at no charge at the Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham while Hailey is in the hospital. 

If your troop has any pop tops they would like to donate, please send them to the Birmingham Ronald McDonald House in Hailey's name.  Get well cards would also be most welcome.

Please contact your local field executive for more details or for help getting the tabs to the family. Thank you for all your support in helping one of our sisters. 

Do you love Disney World? Do you love Girl Scouts? Then this bridging ceremony is just for you! Girl Scouts and their families are invited to a special ceremony May 26 or 27 at Epcot. 

This isn't a Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama program, but is a wonderful opportunity to combine two things girls love -- Girl Scouting and Disney World -- into an unforgettable bridging event.

ttendees will participate in a ceremonial welcome and pledge before dividing into smaller groups for the bridging experience. Each Girl Scout will receive 1 commemorative event item and access to badge alignment e-materials. Disney characters will be on hand to surprise and congratulate the Girl Scouts. Add on youth programs are available.

Register before this event reaches capacity (or May 1, whichever comes first) and receive reduced ticket prices and hotel rooms (online).

Registration information :http://www.disneynow.com/accounts/register123/subaccount/dygp/events/youthgirlscouts/UPDATED_Girl_Scouts_at_Disney_Pricing_and_InformationFL_6.pdf

Note: this event is not sponsored by Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama. It is open to troops or individual Girl Scout families.  Answers to frequently asked questions:http://www.disneynow.com/accounts/register123/subaccount/dygp/events/youthgirlscouts/Bridging_into_the_Next_Century_Event_Frequently_Asked_Questions.pdf

GSUSA is sponsoring a contest: submit ideas for a PSA (that's like a TV commercial that promotes positive change in the world) that tells how you imagine the next hundred years for girls.  What would you like to change?  

Through a special partnership with the Navistar LPGA Classic, girls and adults from across the council are invited to volunteer at this prestigious golf tournament, which attracts well-known female golfers from around the country to Prattville's Robert Trent Jones Golf Course.  Girl volunteers, ages 11-17, are needed for Saturday, Sept. 17, and Sunday, Sept. 18, to serve as standard bearers.  Each girl will be paired with a golfer, carry their insignia and will walk the course with them that day.  Since the golfers tee off at different times, beginning around 7 a.m., we will assign each girl to a specific tee time.  Please note that girls are required to be there about an hour prior to the tee off time and will be on the golf course for several hours.
 
Adults are also asked to volunteer.  Some may serve as standard bearers, while others will assist in other duties for Navistar, as assigned.
 
Prior to the event, girls and adults will be asked to attend (in person or via conference call) an hour-long training sometime in August prior to the event.  
 
The price to attend this event is $12 per person. Girl and adult volunteers will receive a Navistar  LPGA Dri-fit T-shirt, special 100th anniversary Girl Scout cap (to be worn at the event...we want them to know you're a Girl Scout!), Navistar baseball cap or visor, five tickets for use during any day of the event, light refreshments while they are working and a commemorative patch.
 
We are only allowed to have 50-60 girls/adults volunteer on Saturday and only 20-30 on Sunday, so be sure to register soon!

Girl Scouts of the USA's National Convention is coming up in November, and we want our girls to be part of the fun by attending the GS Leadership Institute.  This event, which is just for girls and is part of the convention, will take place in Houston, Texas, on November 9-13, 2011. From ruling the world to space travel - past, present and future, 1200 girls 13 and older will hear from world-renowned leaders and innovators and gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge technology and professionals. Opportunities to market themselves, track products through development and marketing, and connect with Girl Scouts from across the country will abound. Girls will express why they love Girl Scouts and celebrate the movement's 100th birthday.

This event is open to all Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts in our council's jurisdiction. While official information on hotels, etc., is not available yet from GSUSA, we estimate that the cost to attend this event will be $950 for girls and $1,050 for adults (because their registration fee is higher).  This fee includes airfare, lodging (based on four girls to each room), breakfast and entry fees to the Leadership Institute.  Other meals and expenses will be covered by the attendees. GSSA will provide chaperones for the event, so girls may travel without a parent or guardian.

There are financial assistance funds available from GSUSA for this event, but we do not know yet what the application process will entail. Girls may also use cookie bucks to offset the costs, as well.

If you are interested in attending, please e-mail Karlyn Edmonds.  Please note, we are only allowed by GSUSA to take ten girls to this event, so space is limited.

Girl Scouts are finding ways to help their Sister Girl Scouts in Japan!  Here are three examples:

A second grade Girl Scout started a blog titled 1,000,000 Pennies for Girl Scouts of Japan. Elisabeth has decided to start on a journey to try to collect one million pennies, by her birthday in April, to be donated to the Girl Scouts of Japan to aid in their relief efforts. While a million pennies may seem an unreachable goal, half the fun is the journey! Currently, Elisabeth has collected 20,445 pennies! Help her on her way here: penniesforjapangs@yahoo.com.

In Oregon, KTVL News 10 reports that 50 Girl Scouts in Medford helped fold and link 1,000 paper cranes Saturday night to be sent to Girl Scouts in Japan as a token of friendship. After September 11th, Girl Scouts from Japan sent over strings of 1,000 cranes. In Asian countries the crane is a symbol of happiness, and the act of stringing together exactly 1,000 is a gesture of healing. Fifteen-year-old Girl Scout Cassie P. said it takes about 25 folding steps to make the cranes, but it was well worth it.

Because of the recent devastation in Japan, the policy that prohibits Girl Scouts from raising money for other organizations has been temporarily suspended. To contribute to earthquake and tsunami relief efforts, you can make an online donation to the newly established Girl Scouts of Japan Relief Efforts.

There are so many ways we can help our Sister Girl Scouts in Japan; what might your troop do to help?

Girl Scout Troop Leader Kelly Clark was rescued by first responders after a bad car accident.  In her gratitude she created National Thank You Day.  Here is the information she shared with us:

May 19 has been set aside as "National Thank You Day" for our First  Responders -  Police, Fire, Emergency Medical Technicians and Hospital Emergency Room personnel.  We need to thank them for protecting us and saving lives.

Let's make it a memorable day again!  One of the ways that troops can help with this fantastic service project, is to have the whole troop create personal thank you cards and then personally deliver those cards to local Police Departments, Fire Departments and hospital Emergency Rooms on May 19.  There are many more ideas at  http://bigtimethanks.wordpress.com/

Girl Scouts l create personal thank you cards!  They just need to say "Thank You for ALL You Do!" or any other phrase that seems appropriate to your troop.  Some might say "Thank You for saving my puppy" or "Thank You for catching bad guys" or something personal like that.  Let's just create stacks of personal thank you cards!

Make the cards and then your troop/group can deliver them to whichever department they choose.  It is an easy project  and would mean so, so much to those that receive the cards!    

Please see the links below for more information and ideas.  Also see the Youtube link to see many Girl Scouts delivering Thank You's!  You and your troop could be in the next video!

Kelly Avery Clark
SU 411/412
Troop 42272 & 42647
May 19th - National Thank You Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRwokmk-ELg
      Look for National Thank You Day Group on facebook
http://bigtimethanks.wordpress.com/