The Virtual Volunteer

Make it a special weekend! Attend the Mobile International Festival during the day, and spend an exciting overnight on the USS ALABAMA in Mobile.  The program includes a tour of Battleship USS ALABAMA, Submarine USS DRUM, Aircraft Pavilion, Nature Observatory and other displays and activities.  The cost includes a USS ALABAMA Girl Scout patch, pizza dinner, snack and light breakfast.

Age Level: All

Date:   November 21, 2009                                       

Contact: Chris Shavers at 334.272.9164, ext: 2202

Get all of the program information, on our Events and Programs Calendar.

You're invited to kick off the Girl Scout year at the Service Unit Team Kickoffs!  The kickoffs will be July 18 and a light lunch will be served.  To attend, RSVP by July 10 to Teri for Mobile and Cheryl for Montgomery.  We hope to see you there!

Mobile

10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Earline Locke Volunteer Center

3483 Springhill Avenue

teversole@girlscoutssa.org, ext. 1302

Montgomery

10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Montgomery

2810 Atlanta Highway

cmiller@girlscoutssa.org, ext. 2302

We're making plans for the 2010 Cookie Sale, and we need your input! Please encourage your girls to take our quick survey to help decide which recognitions to offer during the Cookie Sale. We want your input, too!

All the recognitions are fun and cute, so check them out and let us know your favorites!

"Have you ever felt bad about being different?" Parton asks Girl Scouts. "I'll bet you have, but you shouldn't--being different is what makes you special!"

Parton immortalized her coat of many colors in her 1971 song of the same name. Parton's mother sewed the now famous garment from rags. Young Dolly proudly wore the coat to school, only to find classmates making fun of it.

Parton turned the devastating experience into a signature song; now, through Tanasi Council, the "Coat of Many Colors" is a patch program helping Girl Scouts develop self-esteem and compassion for others.

The first 450 girls who earned the patch were from Parton's native East Tennessee, and she honored them at her Dollywood theme park Saturday, June 13 with colorful patches and huge hugs.  She also performed the legendary song, weaving a strong connection with an audience a generation apart in age, but strongly united in spirit.

Parton became a lifetime member of Girl Scouts in 2007 and wore her own Girl Scout uniform, complete with patches representing her own lifetime of accomplishments, for the celebration.

"Now, I think twice before saying something to someone who looks or seems different; I don't want to hurt their feelings," says Girl Scout Melia Killion. "Plus, you can be rich without having a lot of money, as long as you have people who love you ... And I am rich!"

The Coat of Many Colors patch is now available to all councils.  Please note, however, that the patch is on order and it will be approximately 4-6 weeks before the patch is actually in their store.  The cost is $1.50 per patch.

I've been interning with Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama for five weeks now and already I feel like part of the team. I wonder if they would make me a special Internship badge?

I have begun traveling to Kamp Kiwanis in Eclectic every Monday to take pictures and videotape the campers. So far, I have been to the first three camp sessions and I went before camp officially started to interview a few of the counselors. Everyone is so nice and accepting, and I've already been coined with a camp nickname, "Chevy."

At first I was nervous about going to Kamp Kiwanis. How was I going to find my way around this place I had never been to? How were these girls going to react to some stranger taking their picture? But the girls were great! They didn't mind at all and fortunately some of them became hams and posed for me.

I have loved watching these young girls learn how to canoe and learn new swim strokes because it has been a long time since I have done anything like that.

I traveled to Camp Scoutshire Woods in Citronelle, Ala. last week to record some videos there and loved it. It is a little different than Kiwanis, for example, there is no air conditioning! But other than swimming and canoeing, Scoutshire has a stable with horses that the girls ride every day. The best part about my visit to Camp Scoutshire was that I got to go "creek stompin'" with a group of girls. I learned about the surrounding wildlife and was eaten up by mosquitoes.

I am excited about going back and also about traveling to Camp Sid Edmonds. My internship is half-over and I feel like I've just begun!

First 100 to Register for NPLD and World Water Monitoring Day will Receive Free Test Kit

Hopefully we are all familiar with the saying, "Water is life."  While true, this phrase could be improved--"Clean water is life."  In the United States and throughout the developed world, people tend to take the availability of clean water for granted.  We turn on a faucet and have water to drink, we dive into a lake and don't get ill--for the most part.  How is this possible?

Throughout the U.S., groups of volunteers dedicate their time to monitoring the quality of the nation's waterways.  If something doesn't look quite right, they investigate and may eventually seek action from environmental agencies to identify and solve the problem.  What are these water quality monitors looking for? 

While conducting a river clean-up, or working in a park near a body of water for National Public Lands Day (NPLD), why not seize the opportunity to learn a little bit about water quality?  It's easy--simply register for World Water Monitoring Day as well, and order an easy-to-use water quality test kit.  Monitor your waterway (along with tens of thousands of others around the globe) and then report your data.  Information for how to do this can be found at www.WorldWaterMonitoringDay.org.

In order to encourage more NPLD groups to also take part in World Water Monitoring Day, the program is offering a FREE water test kit to the first 100 groups that register on the WWMD website and identify themselves as being associated with National Public Lands Day. 

For more information about WWMD or the free test kit offer, please contact Lorien Walsh at lwalsh@wef.org.

Great opportunity from the Mobile Area Jewish Federation - a musical performance by the Israeli Scouts!

Monday, July 6, at the Main Library, Burnheim Hall, 701 Government St.
 

About Tzofim Friendship Caravan

The Friendship Caravan consists of four traveling groups, 5 male and 5 female 17-year-old Tzofim (Israel Scouts) in each, who crisscross North America each summer as emissaries, sharing their lives in Israel through song, dance and story.  Participants are chosen after undergoing an extensive auditioning and interviewing process, ensuring that above all, they are true representatives of Israeli culture and spirit.  In 2008, the Tzofim Friendship Caravan reached 35 states, including 250 camps, community centers, churches, senior homes and schools, performing for an audience totaling nearly 100,000 people.

Each teen in the Friendship Caravan, like all 100 Delegation members visiting North America, is a member of the 60,000 member strong Tzofim (Israel Scouts) Movement which, in turn, is part of the International Scouting movement. The Tzofim Movement is the only non-political and non-sectarian youth movement in Israel. Each Delegate must exhibit leadership capabilities, a high level of scouting and extensive knowledge of Israeli and Jewish history.

For more information about the Israeli Scouts visit: http://www.israelscouts.org/ and click on: Tzofim Friendship Caravan.

One of our Girl Scout Brownies in southern Alabama has leukemia, and she needs our help.  Frances Grace was cancer free for 4 years, but has relapsed.  She is currently in Children's Hospital in Birmingham and has a need for type O blood.  She is in a 2 year chemotherapy plan and will need blood off and on during that time.  You can donate blood in your hometown for Frances Grace.  Simply contact Susan at the Red Cross office in Mobile, and she'll tell you how to donate close to home.  Susan's contact number is 251.662.2615.

Kids looking for summer jobs can take a class at Infirmary West that trains them to be baby sitters.  Safe Sitter, a national program designed for girls and boys ages 11 to 13, teaches basic child care skills and how to handle emergencies when caring for younger children.

The one-day course is scheduled Saturday, June 27, from 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. in the Infirmary West Auditorium. The goal of Safe Sitter is to reduce the number of accidental and preventable deaths among children being cared for by baby sitters. Thousands of young adolescents across the country have been trained by Safe Sitter to handle life-threatening emergencies.

Certified instructors from Infirmary West teach the course, which includes hands-on practice in basic lifesaving techniques and CPR so the students are prepared to act in a crisis. Safe Sitter participants receive helpful tips to make them more confident caregivers such as safety and security precautions, what to do when a stranger comes to the door and when and how to call for help. They also learn about child development, age-appropriate activities and the business aspect of baby-sitting.

To successfully complete the Safe Sitter program, students must pass a rigorous practical and written exam to show that they have mastered the key concepts and have the skills necessary to handle an emergency.

The cost of the program is $35.  For registration or more information, contact the Infirmary West Public Relations Department at (251) 435-3912 or jennifer.vellianitis@infirmaryhealth.org

Peanut butter and chocolate always has been a popular flavor combination. Now Dairy Queen has taken that flavor profile to new heights with the introduction of the first-ever Girl Scouts Tagalongs Peanut Butter Patties Blizzard Flavor Treat, slated as the Blizzard of the Month for July.

This marks the second year that Dairy Queen is partnering with Girl Scouts of the USA, which last year culminated with the debut of the Girl Scouts Thin Mint Cookie Blizzard Treat.  The Thin Mint Blizzard will be the Blizzard of the Month for August.  Last summer, Dairy Queen served more than 10 million Girl Scouts Thin Mint Cookie Blizzards, making it the most popular limited time Blizzard flavor ever.

"You might say it's a Girl Scout summer at Dairy Queen with these two Blizzard flavors on our menu in July and August," said Michael Keller, chief brand officer for International Dairy Queen, Inc. "But the relationship goes beyond that. During the week of July 20, we are hosting DQ Girl Scouts Appreciation Week. Through events at our local Dairy Queen and DQ Grill & Chill® locations around the country, we will support this preeminent leadership organization in building girls of courage, confidence and character."

During Girl Scouts Appreciation Week use this coupon for $1 off your Peanut Butter Pattie Blizzard!  To find participating stores visit www.dairyqueen.com or call DQ Customer Service at 866-793-7582.

Girls can also develop their entrepreneurial skills with a behind-the-scenes tour of a DQ store. Girls will learn how to run a successful business, gain insight into the product development process, and enhance their financial literacy skills. Your tour will be topped off by an opportunity to make a DQ cone with a twirl the way the experts do it!  Troops should schedule a store tour during July 20 - 26.

Steps for a Successful DQ Store Tour

• Call stores at least one week in advance to schedule their tour.
• Ask the DQ owner what time and day is most convenient for a tour.
• Review the DQ Activity Guide prior to your tour.