GSSA Leader Blog: The Virtual Volunteer

Camp Forms -- Filling them out may not be fun, but camp sure is!

2010-03-11T17:36:59Z

You've seen the camp programs, you probably know which camp your daughter wants to attend... Now, you just need to fill out the forms to get her there! We may be making this sound more complicated than it really is, but we want to be sure everyone knows which forms need to be filled out and when.

All campers need to fill out the:

· Camp Registration form

· Hold Harmless Agreement

· Camper health-care recommendations (the physical must be completed within 24 months prior to camp)

Fill out one Health History Form:

· Short term camper health history (3 nights or less)

· Camper health history (4 nights or more)

All of these instructions are on the forms, but here's the big picture...

· Complete the Health History Form and make a copy. Send the original, signed form by May 21 to the council.

· Complete the top of the Camper Health-care Recommendations form and provide the copy of the Health History to your child's health-care provider for review and completion. After it has been completed and signed by your child's health-care provider, return the health-care recommendations form by May 21.

The Camp Scholarship Application is due by April 23. (not postmark by April 23 like other programs)

All of these forms are on the Camps and Properties page, along with information about the different camp sessions. If you have any questions, please call Barbara Davis at extension 1902.

Call for 7 Day Camp Volunteers

2010-03-11T17:10:04Z

Association II day camp will be held June 14-18 at the Mobile Botanical Gardens. Volunteer Laura Doran is ready to host this great activity for the girls, but needs 7 volunteers in order to hold the camp. Volunteers should have either first aid training or leader training. The day camp runs from 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Registration forms for the day camp will be available the first of April.

Please contact Laura if you are interested in volunteering at 251.345.3328.

Girl Scouts on tomorrow's CBS Early Show

2010-03-10T22:18:12Z

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.) 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!

Everyone is celebrating Girl Scout week

2010-03-10T19:31:32Z

March 12, 2010 commemorates the 98^th birthday of Girl Scouting. It was that day in 1912 when Juliette Gordon Low formed the first Girl Scout troop of 18 girls. For years, Girl Scouts around the globe have been serving others. During this week, some honor Girl Scouting by indulging in their favorite cookies, while others are inspired by the classic trefoil and its historical background.

HGTV's blog takes a look at how the trefoil has been used in architecture throughout history. SunTrust tower in Tampa, Fla. lit up its tower with a green light for Girl Scout week.

Wherever you are and whatever you do this Girl Scout week, be sure to show your appreciation!

Celebrate Girl Scout Week

2010-03-08T21:56:51Z

Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama joins Girl Scouts around the country to make the world a better place as we celebrate Girl Scout Week and the 98^th anniversary of Girl Scouts from March 7-13. More than 3 million girls in the United States and more than 9,000 girls in southern Alabama are discovering their path to leadership through Girl Scouts.

Self-discovery and community service were core values that Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low sought to instill in girls from the earliest days. When the organization was founded in 1912, many girls' paths in life were limited and Low's vision was to establish an organization where any American girl could expand her personal horizon by having fun while exploring new interests and contributing to society. Low was determined to help expand opportunities and learning for the average American girl, and founded Girl Scouts on March 12, 1912.

Girl Scouts on NPR

2010-03-05T16:15:57Z

Elizabeth Farry, community relations manager for the Girl Scout Council of Colonial Coast, talks about using Girl Scout Cookies as ingredients in other recipes. Farry has tried many of the recipes on the Girl Scouts' Web site, including fried Caramel Delights, Thin Mint brownies and Do-Si-Dos peanut Thai chicken.

Girl Scout Cookies have been something of an institution in this country for more than 80 years, and the ads have been updated over time. But in 2010, the changes are going further. This season, girls are taking their pitches for the $700 million a year business online.

200 free patches for the Pink Princesses patch program

2010-03-04T19:25:16Z

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 agree our girls can benefit from those lessons.

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.

Start Planning Your 2010-2011 Camporees Now

2010-03-03T21:18:53Z

It's time to start planning those camporees for the fall of 2010 and the spring of 2011. The council will begin taking reservations on June 1, and as usual, we anticipate that slots will fill up quickly. To reserve Camp Sid or Camp Scoutshire Woods, contact Barbara Davis (extension 1902), and for Kamp Kiwanis and Camp Humming Hills, contact Nina Davis (extension 2902). Please note, there is a $50 deposit required to reserve camp for a camporee.

Information and reservation forms for each of our camps is on our Camps and Properties page. The Camporee Book has information on all the camps, as well as great recommendations for planning a camping trip.

2010 Thin Mint Sprint -- A cold, rainy AND fun event

2010-03-03T20:26:40Z

Well, the weather could have been better for the Thin Mint Sprint ... OK, it could have been a LOT better! Although it was cold and rainy, we still had a great turnout and a great time. We were so thankful for all the people who braved the chilly weather to support Girl Scouts and a healthy lifestyle.

We had over 300 runners registered for the 5K and more than 100 registered for the fun run. The kids had a great time at all the activities at the Healthy Family Fun Fair following the Sprint.

There are commemorative 2010 Thin Mint Sprint T-shirts for sale in the Mobile council shop. There aren't many left and are selling for $5 per shirt -- what a steal!

Check out our photo album and video from the event.

02.27.10 Thin Mint Sprint

Also, check out the overall race results and the award winners. Congratulations to all the participants and we appreciate your support of Girl Scouting!

Put the outing in Girl Scouting!

2010-03-03T16:21:14Z

Troops planning overnight trips or camping excursions (on non-council property) need to complete the Overnight Trip/Camping Application form.

And, don't forget that ALL adults who chaperone, drive or stay overnight must be registered members and have an approved Volunteer Application on file with the council.

Questions? Contact Cheryl Miller at 800.239.6636, ext.2302, or cmiller@girlscoutssa.org.

Celebrate International Women's Day

2010-02-25T23:40:09Z

Inspired by the best-selling book from Pulitzer-prize winning journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, Half the Sky LIVE will feature musical performances, celebrity commentary, and the world premiere of Woineshet, a powerful short film directed by Academy Award® Winner Marisa Tomei.

With Half the Sky LIVE, audiences can watch the pages of Half the Sky come to life onscreen as Woineshet chronicles the story of a teenaged Ethiopian girl who struggles with and ultimately triumphs over sexual violence and discrimination. To learn more about the film, find your local theater, and purchase tickets go to Half the Sky Live (www.halftheskylive.com.) This is showing in Mobile!

In honor of International Women's Day, CARE will present Half the Sky LIVE on Thursday, March 4, 2010 at 7:30p.m., in select movie theaters nationwide.
Volunteers with older girls (13-18) can celebrate International Women's Day by taking them to watch Half The Sky LIVE. CARE, in partnership with Girl Scouts, will be providing an accompanying discussion guide for leaders to use for post discussion.

SUBMIT STORIES FOR TICKETS TO THE EVENT!
Thanks to CARE, GSUSA has 20 FREE double passes to issue to volunteers who plan to attend the event at their local participating theater (in Mobile). Volunteers can simply submit their stories on how they are spreading the word on global girls' issues within their troop or in the community. We know our volunteers are amazing and we would love to hear it! Please submit stories to groups@care.org. The first 20 volunteers to do so will receive a complimentary ticket (one ticket per theater.)

A Special Letter to Our Hard-Working Volunteers

2010-02-25T21:23:54Z

Dear Colleagues,

I know how hard you have been working to make the 2010 cookie sale a success! I have heard numerous stories about new ways to sell cookies. We have many more girls involved in the cookie sale this year, and are poised for a very successful "cookie season."

This year, we have worked to make the sale even easier for you, our volunteers. We piloted a new drive-through delivery system trial in the Montgomery area and worked to make the online booth sale scheduler easier for volunteers to use. We also provided the cookie program books earlier, so leaders could work with girls on the program and integrate it into the girl activities. We worked hard to provide cookie bucks and other improved incentives for girl participation. There is considerable work and communication that transpires before the sale ever start, and the staff felt very positive about the prospects of the sale this year.

In spite of all of our best efforts, this has, however, been a frustrating cookie season in many ways. We work with the cookie baker in advance of the sale and do estimates of our beginning inventories for warehouses and cupboards. Last year, the cookie baker made too many Girl Scout cookies, so they put them in a landfill at the end of the sale. Because of the national decline in sales, the cookie baker is much more conscious of the number of cookies they are producing for the sale, which has translated into you not having enough cookies to fill your orders.

We were told we would have 10 percent more cookies in our warehouse than our initial order in 2009. That didn't happen. From the first day of deliveries, we did not have that amount of cookies. The cookie team has been on the phone continually talking to those we work with at the bakery to get more cookies to you. We all want this sale to be a success. To that end, we told the cookie baker last Thursday our cookie supplies were depleted; yet, we did not receive any shipment of cookies for 8 days. And when the shipment came in, it still didn't have all of the types of cookies we ordered. We have not had Trefoils for most of the sale, which is a top-selling cookie in this council.

I have been on the phone and sending e-mails trying to get your girls more cookies. We know here is nothing worse than having cookies sold with no product to deliver, and many of you have shared your understandable frustration. Know that those of us who work for you and your girls have been and are doing everything we possibly can to get cookies to you as quickly as we possibly can. Quality customer service is one of those issues that come into play when selecting a cookie baker. We will be scrutinizing responsiveness, quality of incentives and product going forward.

We thank you and appreciate all you do to make this a great council. We appreciate all your year-round hard work. Thank you for all you do that helps to build girls of courage, confidence and character.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth M. Brent, Ph.D.

CEO

Exciting additions for the Thin Mint Sprint

2010-02-22T21:33:23Z

The Thin Mint Sprint is almost here, and we keep getting exciting news that will make this event even more special! Radio personality Mason Lafayette, from Lite Mix 99.9, will be there before the race starts to get everyone pumped up, and Senator Vivian Davis Figures will be speaking at the post-race party about healthy living!

NEW this year will also be prizes for the fun run! We want kids to be motivated to stay fit and run, so there will be prizes for the top 3 girl winners and top 3 boy winners. Certificates will be given in age brackets: 3 years and under, 4 - 6, 7 - 9 and 10 - 12 year olds.

Last year we had Thin Mints for race participants, and this year we'll have Thin Mints with MILK - thanks to Dairy Fresh! How fun is that? Hope to see you there on Saturday!

Several volunteers unexpectedly cannot assist us Saturday morning. The volunteer work is fun, and you're done early. So, if you'd like to help us out, call Molly Smart at 251.344.3330, ext. 1402.

Have no fear, self defense lessons are here!

2010-02-22T19:58:41Z

If any of your girls are interested in learning to defend herself, Service Unit 826 is offering a self defense workshop on Sunday, March 21, in Mobile. There will be a workshop called "Stranger Danger", for Daisies, Brownies and Juniors. Cadettes and older girls will attend a hands-on self defense course The girls will be educated in how to react and what to do in dangerous situations.

The course will be held at Master Steeger's Ultimate Martial Arts, 4117 Government Blvd. The fee is $11 and includes a patch. If interested, contact Colleen Devoe, colleen@markdevoe.net, before March 3.

2010 Summer Resident Camp Sessions

2010-02-19T23:02:47Z

Give your Girl Scout the great outdoors this summer! Girls grow in confidence when they learn new skills and have new experiences away from home. With two camps to choose from, you just can't lose! Summer Resident Camp is offered at Camp Scoutshire Woods and Kamp Kiwanis; two special camps, each with a distinct personality of its own, offering a variety of summer resident camps there's sure to be one (or more) to intrigue your Girl Scout!

We have many exciting new additions to our summer resident camp sessions, and we are pleased to introduce them to you! Some of the changes include camp scholarships (formerly called financial aid), Circle of Friends camp, troop camping and a multi-council sailing camp at Camp Kugelman.

Camp registrations for girls who sold more than 600 boxes of cookies (girls who earned cookie camperships or cookie bucks) will be accepted starting March 22. Camp registrations for all other girls will be accepted beginning March 29.

All of the camp information can be found on the Camps and Properties page of our website.