Girl Scout Council August 2011 News

Blowout sale: up to 75 percent off GS Sportswear for girls, teens, and adults, accessories, novelties, and books! Pocket Stew, our popular outdoor cooking cookbook is 50 percent off: only $5!

We will be taking pre-orders for The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting, due to be available in the shops this fall, shortly. Want to know more about The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting? Click here for frequently asked questions.

Texas Roadhouse is August Scouting for Supper location

texas roadhouse

The August Scouting for Supper is at Texas Roadhouse, on Monday, August 29. From 4 - 10 p.m., join us of one of four locations of Texas Roadhouse and a percentage of all sales will be donated to the Girl Scouts Louisiana East. All you have to do is bring the required flyer. Please invite all your family and friends to enjoy some great food! Locations include:

10360 N. Mall Drive, Baton Rouge;

6025 Pinnacle Parkway, Covington;

1631 Westbank Expressway, Harvey;

854 I-10 Service Road, Slidell.

Introducing our "Pixie List" - the council's new online classified listings!

The Pixie List is an online "classified" listing for community members, Girl Scouts, parents, and volunteers in Girl Scouts Louisiana East's 23-parish jurisdiction. First developed by the Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital in Washington D.C., the "Pixie List" gives girls (with adult supervision) and adults the ability to post "ads" as an easy way to offer volunteer services, find help, get or offer supplies for a Girl Scout project, promote an event, find location space for troop meetings, special events, etc.! This open source format helps people connect with others throughout our council.

Please make sure to read the "Read Before Your Post" section which includes safety tips, ad examples, and category definitions. We expect parents, guardians and leaders to screen girl participation on this site. The site is monitored by Council staff, but any suspicious postings should be reported to info@gsle.org.

Submit recipes for commemmorative issue of Pocket Stew cookbook

We want your favorite outdoor recipes for inclusion in the new edition of Pocket Stew. Click here for a fillable form and submit it no later than October 31, 2011.

Girl Scout councils across the United States have incorporated the Pocket Stew cookbook in outdoor trainings since the 75th Anniversary of Girl Scouting. The original edition of Pocket Stew was written as a birthday gift to Girl Scouts, including cooking recipes and styles that have hailed back to Girl Scouts' earliest days. It is a cookbook written by Girl Scouts for Girl Scouts.

Purchase Pocket Stew today!

Purchase the current edition of Pocket Stew
from both council shops for only $5 (50 percent off its retail price of $10).

Program Pathways coming soon! Here's a sneak peek at the Adult Learning Schedule!

We're hard at work completing the 2011-2012 Program Pathways (formerly Program Power), the annual program and adult learning guide for troop leaders and assistant leaders. Click here to download the adult learning section of Program Pathways (the adult learning course schedule is currently being updated on the website, but to date has not been completed).

The website events calendar is also being updated, and will be completed in the next two weeks - so check back often, as you and your girls plan your Girl Scout year!

Fall Product Program Dates are September 30 - October 23

Plan now to participate in the Fall Product Sale of nuts, candy, and magazines, September 30- October 23, and earn start-up money for your troop!

Check out product sale incentives, the nuts and candy product line (all items only $5-$7), now on our website! Just make sure your Girl Scout is registered for the new membership year by September 16, so she can participate in the fall product sale.

Don't forget that this friends and family sale differs from the cookie sale in that all orders are prepaid, and there are no booth sales. Girls deliver the orders in mid-November, and since the money is pre-collected, the troop receive the proceeds immediately. Service Unit Fall Product Sale Training will be held Saturday, September 17, time and location TBA.

Our vendor Ashdon Farms/QSP has also provided an Interactive Activities link that is a supplement to the printed Be A Reader (BAR) Activity Booklet. Click here to visit the site.

Shop for a Cause at Macy's on August 27

Girl Scouts Louisiana East is partnering with Macy's to Shop for a Cause on Saturday, August 27! Purchase a Shopping Pass for $5 from either Council shop to receive 25% off ALL DAY on regular, sale, and clearance items and save 10% on electrics/electronics, furniture, mattresses, and rugs/floor coverings in every Macy's store and online at www.macys.com.

If you would like to sell these passes at your service unit meetings, please contact Carrie Thomas at 504-733-8220, ext. 2245. Sell them to your friends and family members or purchase one for yourself. Please do not give them away!

	Complete the online Publications and Communications survey, and be entered to win Girl Scout cookies!
If you haven't had the opportunity yet to mail in, or go online to complete the online survey that was included in the summer issue of Connections, please do so by August 15. Persons completing the survey will have their names entered in a drawing for a sampler pack of Girl Scout cookies (8 boxes). Names are optional, and will not be shared.

Gala volunteers needed

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts, the council will hold a fundraising gala on Saturday, June 23, 2012. Rhapsody in Green: A Night of Glitz and Glamour will be held at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside from 8 -11 p.m. The evening will entail live music, dancing, a silent auction, food, cocktails and more!

We are looking for volunteers to serve on a committee to solicit silent auction items, work the event, secure sponsorships, and help sell tickets/tables for this exciting event. If you are interested please contact Cerise McClendon at cmcclendon@gsle.org or (504) 733-8220, ext. 2222.

Become a vendor at our fall Craft Fair

A Fall Craft Fair to benefit the Girl Scout Leadership Experience is being held on Saturday, November 26, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Girl Scouts Louisiana East corporate headquarters, 841 South Clearview Pkwy., New Orleans. The craft fair is being hosted by Girl Scout volunteer Bobby Mayo, who is currently accepting registrations from interested vendors, with hopes it will become an annual event.

Inside and outside booth spaces are $125 and $50, respectively and are limited. Troops wanting to sell items as a money earning activity will receive a discounted price of $30 for an outside booth. No discounts will be given for inside booths. Click here for the Vendor application. Additional information can be found here, but if you have any questions, please contact Carrie Thomas at 800-644-7571 ext. 2245 or Bobby Mayo at 225-571-2081.

Philanthropy committee in Baton Rouge being formed

Are you 'out 'n about' in your community and interested in helping develop a spirit of philanthropy for Girl Scouts in the Greater Baton Rouge and surrounding areas? Join Cathy Pottschmidt at our Regional Service Center to create a new development committee of volunteers and learn how you can use your talents and skills to take the lead for Girl Scouting in the Greater Baton Rouge area. Contact Cathy at cpottschmidt@gsle.org or 225-927-8946, ext. 1238.

Activities/events for August, September & October

We are currently entering event information into the website calendar, for 2011-2012, and will be done in the next two weeks. Go to the appropriate month and day, and click on the link for details including registration deadlines, age levels, times, cost, etc.

August 20 - St. Mary Parish Kid's Day (all ages), Berwick

August 26 - 28 - New Wrangler/Spur Training Weekend (ages 12 and up, including adult volunteers), Camp Marydale, St. Francisville

August 28 - Catholic Awards Ceremony, Baton Rouge

September 2 -4 - Family Camping at Camp Covington

September 10 - Girl Scout Day at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum (all ages), New Orleans

September 17 - Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation Beach Sweep (Br-Amb), north and south shores

September 17 - Fitness Fun (Jrs), Baton Rouge

September 17 - Daisy Day at Camp Whispering Pines

September 24 - Daisy Garden Adventure, Baton Rouge

September 24 - East Jefferson General Hospital ABC's of Baby Sitting (Cadettes ages 11-13), Metairie

September 24 - It's your Planet Love It! Day at Entergy Riverbend Nuclear Plant (Cadettes), St. Francisville

September 24 - Yoga & Pilates (Cad-Amb), Baton Rouge

September 24 or Cctober 1- Show Me the Smart Money (Cad-Amb), Metairie

September 30 - Fall Product Sale begins (all ages)

September 30 - October 2 - Ready-Set-Go Camping for Brownies, Camp Covington

October 1 - Longue Vue House and Gardens Plant Investigation Workshop (Br-Jrs), Metairie

October 1 - St. Tammany Arena Fun and Fit Skate Day (all ages), Madisonville

October 1 - New Orleans Night at the Opera orientation (Cad-Amb), New Orleans

October 8 - It's Your Planet Love it! Day at the Fast Food Farm (all ages), Gramercy

October 8 - Louisiana Renaissance Festival Theater Workshop (Br-Jrs), Hammond

October 8 or 9 - Love, Hug and Groom (Br sessions), Camp Marydale

October 8 - Mother/Daugher Sewing (grades 4-12), Baton Rouge

October 14 - Ivanov's Gymnastics Academy Friday Night Fun Night (Br-Amb), Metairie

October 14 - 15 - Me & My Pal at Camp Marydale (Br-Amb)

October 15 - Fitness Fun (Daisies), Baton Rouge

October 15 - Tulane Green Wave Cheer Clinic & Half time performance (all ages), New Orleans

October 15 - Twilight Paddle (Jr-Amb), Mandeville

October 18 & 20- Baton Rouge Symphony 101 (Br-Jrs), Baton Rouge

October 22 - COMPLETEly YOU Workshops (separate Daisies & Brownie workshops), Baton Rouge

October 22 - Strike Up some F-U-N at Circle Bowl and Celebrate Juliette Low's Birthday (all ages), Baton Rouge

October 23 & 25 - Loyola Volleyball Clinic & Game (all ages), New Orleans

October 28 - Daisy Day at Camp Covington

Join the FIRST LEGO LEAGUE Girl Scout team

Applications are still being accepted for Girl Scouts age 9 to 14 to join the Girl Scout FIRST LEGO® League teams (especially for the New Orleans team). Teams will be advised by members of the Society of Women Engineers to build a robot for competition. The council currently has established teams in Baton Rouge and New Orleans consisting of approximately 10 girls, with specific meetings/times needed to prepare the robot for the competition in November.

A strong commitment to the team is required in order to participate in this program. All girls must be present at meetings which will be set according to the availability of the team. Teams will meet periodically through the summer (Baton Rouge currently meets once/month), then begin meeting at least once, possibly twice, a week starting in September until the competition in November.

Click here for additional information.