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"Where will you be when the lights go out?"

Girl Scouts are invited by ARC Energy Consulting and Hampstead Institute Downtown Farm to join hundreds of millions of people across the globe in switching off the lights for one hour - Earth Hour!  Here's the event poster -- it looks great!

By taking part in this event, Girl Scouts will earn the GSUSA's 100^th Anniversary Forever Green Patch.  The Celebration lasts from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.  At 8:30 p.m. we will all turn out the lights!

We are looking for troops to facilitate and provide the activities.  If you would like your troop to lead a game, a craft, or hand out Forever Green stickers, please call (334)272-9164 ext 2205 or email Amy Farrar at afarrar@girlscoutssa.org   We are looking for energetic and enthusiastic girls who don't mind teaching and leading younger kids in activities.

This is a great opportunity to earn the100th Anniversary Forever Green Patch.  Girls will learn responsibility of their environment as well as all of the different ways they can help the planet!

Here's the link to the program details.

Earn the Make a Difference patch or Go Green patch before March 1^st and have your troop's photo on display at the Girl Scouts Rock Mobile celebration! More information can be found in our 100^th Anniversary Patch Book. Patches can be earned through the end of 2012, but paperwork and photos must received by March 1, 2012 to be included in the display at Girl Scouts Rock Mobile.

Here's a photo of girls from Brownie Troop 8100 in Gulf Shores earning the Make a Difference patch by making 100 cards to send to our troops overseas.

I suspect most of our girls are smitten with the celebrities they see on "Entertainment Tonight," the cover of People magazine or in the theater.   This focus and attention on celebrities has grown over time.   We used to know some of what on in celebrities' lives, but now with technology and the internet, we have real-time feeds of what is going on with celebrities day and night.   But what if you did something to make your community a better place and became a ROCK STAR!  

Take our own Erin.   Erin is a quiet, bright, capable individual.   I emphasize the word QUIET.    She doesn't necessarily relish attention.   For her Gold Award, she built a helipad for her small community, Citronelle.   It is sustainable because the community embraced it and will continue to use it, long after she has graduated from college and made her way in the world.  

For this excellent project, she was nominated to be an OUTSTANDING YOUNG WOMAN OF DISTINCTION at the GSUSA National Convention in November.   One of 159 nominated, she was selected as one of 10 young women whose project made a difference.   This is a great honor, but it comes with responsibilities.   One of those is to get up and speak in front of the audience about her project.   Imagine how scary that would be, to speak to thousands of people with lights and cameras, when you are quiet and don't seek attention. 

 Another responsibility of that honor is to attend the Girl Leadership Institute of the national convention and participate in various sessions in front of lots of girls.   Erin had worked at camp, so she was more comfortable in front of girls.   But still, this is hard to have everyone listening to what you say. 

 Erin faced her demons.   She was nervous, but she got up in front of thousands and talked about her project.   Because she was a celebrity at the Girl Leadership Institute, she was mobbed by girls as she walked around; they wanted to pose for photos with her.   And last weekend, Erin served as the Grand Marshall of the Citronelle Holiday Parade.   Who knew that earning a Girl Scout Gold award came with such celebrity and trappings?!    I have watched how Erin has grown in confidence because of this.   Erin has had to muster up plenty of courage to talk in front of all these people.   She has left her community a better place because of what she has done. 

Would you like to see? Here's the video produced by GSUSA of Erin and her project:

The new My Promise, My Faith Pin invites girls in grades K-12 to experience a faith journey through exploration of the Girl Scout Law and teachings from their faith.  

September 30, 2011 is the deadline for all Bronze and Silver Awards using the old Studio 2B requirements. Paperwork must be received in the council office no later than September 30, 2011. This is a GSUSA deadline, and we cannot extend it.

Also, the age levels for awards using the new requirements are different. Juniors working on the Bronze Award under the new requirements have until September 30 of their 6^th grade year to finish. Cadettes working on the Silver Award under the new requirements have until September 30 of their 9^th grade year to finish.

If you have any questions about the old or new awards requirements, please contact Mary Anne Brutkiewicz or Jeannie Napper.

A new patch program called Change of Mind is now available at council offices. Change of Mind seeks to educate girls about mental illness, as well as heighten awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with mental illnesses. It also serves to reduce stigma against people with mental illnesses.

Having access to reliable information on mental illness is crucial for a number of reasons. Mental and emotional problems are common among those ages 11-17 and need to be addressed, just like physical health problems. Even if girls have not experienced or will never experience a mental illness, it is very likely they know someone who has or will. Consider the following:

·        Mental illness affects one in every five people at any given time

·        The first symptoms of severe, chronic forms of mental illness (such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression) generally appear between the ages of 15 and 24

·        An estimated two-thirds of all young people with mental health issues are not receiving the help they need

·        Fear of stigma and resulting discrimination discourages individuals and families from getting the help they need

You don't have to have prior knowledge or experience with mental illness to complete this patch program. All activities include easy-to-follow plans complete with material lists and discussion questions. Change of Mind provides clear, factual information about mental illness, the biological component that makes it not much different from other illnesses, its causes, treatment and recovery.

A cool patch is available for purchase by all girls who complete the Change of Mind patch program and as an extra incentive - all girls will also receive a Change of Mind silicone bracelet! Just be sure to turn in an evaluation. Change of Mind was developed by the Alabama Department of Mental Health's Office of Public Information and Community Relations. ADMH is the state agency responsible for serving Alabama citizens with mental illnesses, intellectual disabilities and substance use disorders. Annually, ADMH serves more than 200,000 people through a broad network of state facilities and community-based services.

 

Perhaps you have heard about the upcoming Girl's Guide 2 Girl Scouting (GG2GS), which will be available in September.  If you have, we know you have plenty of questions, so we have a document that answers most of them.  Every level will have their ownGG2GS which will encompass the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, including badges and journeys.  Read all about it in this document, and get ready for a great new year!

KARMA- Kids Against Ridicule, Meanness and Aggression
Anti-Bullying Patch

For: Girl Scout Brownies, Juniors, Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors

Objective: To develop an understanding of the different types of bullying, how to prevent bullying and how to build a safe environment. To build self-respect and confidence to help girls overcome a bullying situation.

Guidelines: Brownies and Juniors will complete one activity from each session. Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors will complete two activities from each session, one of these must include the starred (*) activities.

Cost: $2.00 per patch

Read all of the requirements and activities in Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama patch book, and purchase the patches in our online shop!

Coming this Fall! The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting

Where can a girl find exciting new badges, the 100th Anniversary handbook, information on bridging and Bronze/Silver/Gold Awards, and much more all in one place? In The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting, of course! There is a Girl's Guide for each level of Girl Scouts from Daisies to Ambassadors.

The Girl's Guide features robust skill-building badge activities, updated and new awards, information on Girl Scout history and traditions, and -- most of all -- lots of fun!

With this fall release, girls can grow as leaders and build new skills with a complete National Program Portfolio: Journeys + The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting!

Take a peek. Let Brownie Elf tell you more...

See the Anatomy of a Badge, if you'd like something to print and share this exciting news with your troop!

Visit our online shop!