Results tagged “100” from GSSA Leader Blog: The Virtual Volunteer

Be a part of the Girl Scouts 100th Anniversary Float in the Tournament of Roses Parade on January 2, 2012! The spectacular float, designed and decorated by Girl Scouts, will celebrate our centennial anniversary and be viewed by an international audience of
more than 50 million!
  
Girl Scouts hopes that all girls, adults, staff and volunteers will want to join in the excitement and ride "virtually" on the float. For a $5 donation, which will support the float, anyone can make a Float Flower Dedication and specify a name of their choice to be put on the float and "ride" the parade route. People have dedicated flowers for their daughters, troop leaders, volunteers, mothers or in memory of a loved one--the possibilities are endless.
  
Please consider joining in on this unique opportunity and telling your friends too! Visit this website or www.girlscoutsla.org to get your name on the float or make a dedication in honor of a Girl Scout, alumna, troop leader, family member or friend today. And don't forget to watch the Girl Scouts' float live on January 2, 2012, in the Tournament of Roses Parade! For questions about dedications, please e-mail floatdedications@girlscoutsla.org.

After summer camp is over, we take some time to catch our breath and start planning for fall.   The time between camp and school beginning isn't long, but we have been busy, working toward everyone having a fantastic 100^th anniversary year!   The membership staff had their retreat, and they are off and running, working to increase the number of girls whose lives are changed through interaction with our wonderful volunteers and opportunities being a Girl Scout has to offer.   The council goal for girl members is 9,500 this year.   Although secretly, the membership staff is aimed at 10,000!

We have made some positive changes in our fall product sale.   For starters, we've added a component for those who have new troops, so they can sell magazines after the sale to raise funds if they are formed after fall product is completed.   We've also changed the vendor and added incentives for girls who are top sellers to that program.

The cookie program is moving to a direct sale, which we hope will be easier on our volunteers.   We made this change to cut steps out of the sale process, and the majority of the feedback we've received on that discussion has been positive.    We have worked to address the comments that shared concerns about that change.   For that program, we've added incentives for adults who work with this, since many of you do a great deal of work to make that program a success.

We are fortunate to have both purchased and received lots of equipment this summer to enrich the girls' experience.   We have a bass boat, sailboats, stand up paddle boards and GPS units.   The next task on my list is to get that out, so the girls can use these items during the course of the year.    All of this was used during the summer, and the girls gave all of it rave reviews.   So those who didn't get a chance to attend summer camp should have an opportunity to test their skills, as well.

This is the year of the 100^th anniversary.   As usual, we have great programs planned for the year, but there are added programs because of the 100^th anniversary celebrations, making it even more special.   We hope you are as excited as we are for a fantastic year for the girls!

Every three years, GSUSA holds a national convention where they transact business for the organization. Each council has a designated number of delegates for the convention. For about two days, the delegations listen to the pros and cons on business before the body.   In between, there are a few speakers and the exhibitors' hall. At the last convention, that was my favorite place because they had a live penguin in there.   The fall product and cookie bakers also had free food. So, that was a good respite from the slow movement of the democratic process.
 
In November, it is again time for this convention. We have a delegation from our council, voted on at the annual meeting in April.  They will travel to Houston for the convention.  The host council, Houston, assures us that this will be a once in a lifetime experience.

During the convention they will also have a girl leadership institute.  At the last convention this happened ahead of the convention so those girls who were older could actually be convention delegates.  This time the girl leadership institute runs concurrent with the convention.  We have 10 spaces available for girls 13 and older to attend this institute.   The dates are November 9-12.   The cost is around $1,000.  We do have some limited scholarship funds available.   If you know of an older girl who would like to attend, please contact me.

If you are interested in the proposed changes for the convention, we will be posting those on our website and welcome your comments.   As convention delegates, they should reflect the views of the membership of this council.   Comments are forwarded on to our convention delegation.

Don't forget that July 31 is the final day to submit your recipes for our 100th anniversary cookbook!  Our goal is to have 200 recipes in this special book, and right now we need about 75 more, so we still need your help.  You may say you don't cook, but almost everyone has a special recipe from their mother, grandmother or a special friend they can share.
 
To enter your recipes or those of your troop, simply go to:  http://cookbookpublishers.com/utypeit/login.cfm.  Our login is girlscout and our password is girls. Please make sure to enter your name and/or your troop number/location, so everyone knows who you are and where you're from.
 
Once you've entered your recipes, please continue to spread the word to other volunteers and friends in the community about this exciting project.  Time is running out!

Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama and Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama inducted a bi-partisan delegation of legislators into the Alabama Honorary Girl Scout Troop 1912 on Thursday, June 2.  The ceremony took place in the Capitol Auditorium.

"In honor of Girl Scouts' 100th Anniversary, this honorary legislative troop is called Troop 1912 for the year Girl Scouting was founded," said Trish Coghlan, chief executive officer for the Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama. "Troop 1912's purpose is to be the voice for girls in the legislature. We're excited to have a diverse group representing Alabama's girls."

Senate members include Linda Coleman (D), Priscilla Dunn (D), Vivian Figures (D), Mark Keahey (D), Hank Sanders (D), Bobby Singleton (D), Harri Anne Smith (I) and Cam Ward (R).

House of Representatives members include Mike Hubbard, Speaker of the House (R), Alan Baker (R), Elaine Beech (D), Barbara Boyd (D), Terri Collins (R), Merika Coleman (D), Paul DeMarco (R), Juandalyn Givan (D), Laura Hall (D), Jamie Ison (R), Yvonne Kennedy (D), Mary Sue McClurkin (R), Joseph Mitchell (D), Mary Moore (D), Becky Nordgren (R), Patricia Todd (D), Mark Tuggle (R), Pebblin Warren (D), Kurt Wallace (R) and April Weaver (R).

Additionally, Representative Paul DeMarco presented a resolution recognizing June 2 as Girl Scout day and the formation of Troop 1912.

For more photos, click here.

Pictured L-R: Kurt Wallace, Mary Sue McClurkin, Jamie Ison, Paul DeMarco, Terri Collins, Barbara Boyd, Elaine Beech, Cam Ward and GSSA Board Member Marian Loftin