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!

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". 

"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!

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.

Old Navy is partnering with Girl Scouts to bring you super cute Girl Scout cookie merchandise! They are now offering limited edition tees with vintage Girl Scout logos and the Thin Mint, Tagalong and Samoa cookie characters. The shirts are fun, stylish and would look great on you and the rest of your troop at booth sales.

Speaking of booth sales, Old Navy is also now allowing troop booth sales during cookie season at some of their locations. What a fun booth sale location! Tell your troop leader about this exciting opportunity, you don't want to miss out on the fun.

Applicants chosen for camp spend five days at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala. Camp concludes with a mock disaster, which participants respond to and a graduation ceremony held the last morning of camp. Visit Be Ready camp's website for more information. The camp is free for those selected. This is a great opportunity for you, Girl Scouts!

Attention high school seniors! Planning on going to college? Your volunteer work could help you get a scholarship. The Junior League of Mobile is now accepting applications for their Young Woman Leadership Scholarship. This scholarship is available to young women in their senior year of high school and is available to one young woman in Mobile County and one in Baldwin County. The two scholarship recipients will be awarded a $1500 scholarship each.

Applicants should demonstrate a commitment to volunteering and community improvement, innovative and creative actions that reach out to and motivate others, commitment to continued education, and at least one year volunteer experience in addition to school related service requirements. This scholarship sounds perfect for a Girl Scout, who fulfills all of these requirements!

The registration deadline is March 15, and there are several requirements to apply.  If you would like an application, call or e-mail Mary Anne Brutkiewicz at 251.344.3330, ext. 1202.

Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama offers two college scholarships and a lifetime membership scholarship to deserving girls

The deadline for all scholarships is March 1.

Named in honor of a past Girl Scouts of the Deep South board president, the Loucretia Hollingsworth Scholarship of $1,000 is awarded each year to a graduating senior Girl Scout who will be enrolled full time at an accredited college or university.

The aim of this scholarship is to reach the girl who may or may not have outstanding academic achievements, but has the ability to develop in college and who has demonstrated a commitment to helping other people.

Selections will be based first and foremost on the applicant's contribution to society through service and her desire to continue this contribution through a career of helping others.

The Ellen Autrey Anderson Girl Scout Award is named in honor of a past Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of South Central Alabama, and donated by her family. This one-time scholarship of $500 is awarded annually to a graduating Senior Girl Scout who best meets the scholarship criteria. Applicants must be enrolled full time in an accredited college or university, have earned the Girl Scout Gold Award through Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama, and have a GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale.

The Blanchard Hinton Lifetime Membership Scholarship is awarded yearly to a deserving Girl Scout who plans to continue to be active as an adult volunteer. An essay is required.

Girl Scouts shine online during cookie season! What goes together like Thin Mints and a glass of milk? Girl Scout Cookies and computer savvy! Getting Connected is the theme for this year's Girl Scout Cookie Activity Pin. It's all about safe ways for girls to use tech savvy and connect with customers during the Girl Scout Cookie Experience.

For more information on earning the pin, see these guidelines.