Girl Scout Council October 2011 News

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Leisure Learning Weekend - Camp Whispering Pines

Whether you are a volunteer looking to brush up on skills, or a Girl Scout alumna who wants to reconnect with camp and make friends, you won't want to miss this exciting weekend on Nov. 18 - 20 at Camp Whispering Pines. Registration closes 11/4/11. To review the sessions offered and to register visit the council website by clicking here.

Shop News
Big Changes - Big Clearance

The Council Shops are making way for the new Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting due to arrive sometime in October. Along with the new guide will be new badges and new awards. The existing handbooks, badge books, and leader books along with Try-Its, Junior Badges, and Interest Projects are being retired and on final clearance. All Try-Its $1.25 - now $0.75. All Junior Badges $0.95 - now $0.49. All IP Patches $1.05 - now $0.49. The existing companion leader books, badge books, and handbooks that normally cost $5.95 - $11.95 are now $2.99 - $5.99. ALL SALES FINAL - IN STOCK ONLY - NO SPECIAL ORDERS.

Join us November 3 for our fall fundraising luncheon

Girl Scout volunteers, alumnae, and friends of Girl Scouting are invited to attend Girl Scouts Louisiana East's fall fundraising luncheon on Thursday, November 3 from 12 to 1 p.m. with a meet and greet at 11:30 a.m. at the Audubon Tea Room in New Orleans. WWL-TV morning news anchor and Girl Scout alum Sally-Ann Roberts will serve as mistress of ceremonies. RSVP online or contact Cerise McClendon at 504-733-8220, ext. 2222. The luncheon is sponsored by Valero St. Charles Refinery, Entergy, Lakelawn Metairie Funeral Home & Cemetery, Little Brownie Bakers, and Total Graphics. It is free to attend, but donations will be solicited.

Submit recipes for commemorative 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.

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

The Service Unit Leader Board is back!

The Leader Board showcases the service units that have the highest percentage towards reaching their Annual Family Giving Campaign goal. The leader board changes on a weekly basis as donations are received. Currently, Service Unit 121, Service Unit 216, Service Unit 380, and Service Unit 401 are in the lead. Will your service unit be next?

Camp Marydale Happenings

A late and sincere Thank You to Service Unit 131 from Prairieville for a KitchenAid Mixer for the camp kitchen and a very recent and sincere Thank You to Service Unit 111 from Baton Rouge for the donation of a large cork bulletin board (4'x6') for camp use that has been installed already in the Dining Hall. Camp wouldn't be the same without you!

100th Anniversary Art Contest

Girl Scouts Louisiana East, in partnership with the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, is holding a 100th Anniversary Art Contest for Girl Scouts, ages 5 to 17. Share artistically what it means to be a Girl Scout today, and/or reflecting 100 years of Girl Scouting, and your artwork could be exhibited at the Ogden Museum on January 5, 2012!

Winners will be chosen in three categories: ages 5-8, 9-12, and 13-17. From these, one overall "best of show" will be selected. The winners will be chosen by a panel of artists, educators, and others. All artwork must adhere to the guidelines. Click here for entry requirements and entry form!

	October Patch of the Month activity
It's Fall, and time for some fall fun! Check out the October Patch of the Month puzzle or activity which has been uploaded to the website along with the answers. Leaders tell us this monthly activity is fun for girls to do as they wait for others to arrive at the troop meeting, etc.

Volunteer Essentials has been updated

Have you downloaded your copy of the updated GSLE Volunteer Essentials? The updated version is easier to read with a handy, quick guide in the front as a reference for new and experienced leaders. The online version has a new feature with a search function in the table of contents that allows you to click on the section and you will automatically be sent to the page without scrolling through the entire document.

Please review the document carefully. There are a few changes and each troop/group is responsible for following the new policies and procedures.

· Council Policies pages 15-20

· Adult Learning Courses pages 31-32

· Bering Safety-Wise pages 63-67

· Troop Bank Account pages 71-73

· Appendix: For Travel Volunteers pages 93-99

This document replaces the previous volunteer essentials and Troop Module. Please disregard the previous editions by recycling instead of throwing them in the trash.

Navigate your way through Girl Scouts 100th Anniversary-designed Corn Maze

Pack up the family and join us at Cajun Country Corn Maze where we will be celebrating the Girl Scouts 100th anniversary now through the weekend after Thanksgiving (and especially November 5!). Its giant maze design features Girl Scouts' 100th anniversary logo! Learn about Girl Scouts' 100 year history, and participate in activities to help you earn a patch. Special activities are planned for Saturday, November 5, with a service project to benefit the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank and its member agencies. All maze participants must bring a non-perishable food item to receive the special Girl Scout admission rate. Cajun Country Corn Maze will donate $1 to the council for every Maze attendee for that entire weekend (Nov. 4-6), so bring the whole family and be a part of our 100th anniversary kick-off! Click here for additional information about this event.

	Girl Scouts selected by the Chili's in Metairie as Charity of the Night, Oct. 11
Save the date of Tuesday, October 11, for lunch and dinner at Chili's Grill & Bar, 4201 Veterans Memorial Blvd, in Metairie. Chili's selected Girl Scouts Louisiana East to be the Charity of the Night for their Grand Re-Opening. On this day from 11 a.m. - 11 p.m., take out or dine in with local celebrities and officials as Chili's gives back 10 percent of all sales when the flyer is presented.

The Fall Product Sale begins Friday!

The council's Fall Product Sale of nuts, candy, and magazines, begins Friday, September 30 - Sunday, October 23! This is a friends and family sale (nuts and candy $5 - $7, with the troop making $1 for every item sold) with orders prepaid so the troop receives the proceeds immediately. Product is delivered by the girls in mid November. Click here for program incentives and product line. Alisha Moore, sales director, encourages girls to begin the QSP magazine email option by sending their emails on September 30.

What is the QSP Program?

QSP, a division of Time Inc, sponsors a Girl Scout money earning program as part of the fall product sale that promotes literacy through the sale of magazine subscriptions and books. Troops receive 10% of the price of each magazine sold (and 15% for online sales). All orders are backed by a guarantee of service by QSP. Customers do not become part of a mailing list through QSP. Any new magazine subscriptions will start 12 - 14 weeks after the orders are processed in November.

Over 1,000 magazines are offered this year, including dozens of children's magazines. Some magazine subscriptions offer a free gift or a second year's subscription for free. Click here to order magazines online! (Proceeds from online orders will benefit Girl Scouts Louisiana East.)

How it works:

Ordering/Renewing your family and friends' favorite magazines

Your Girl Scout contacts family and friends asking them to renew or subscribe to their favorite magazines. She also has the option to contact family and friends via email through QSP's online magazine ordering system. Your Girl Scout troop will earn Troop/Group proceeds and each girl will receive recognitions for each subscription purchased. If she sends 12 emails she'll receive the "Online" patch. Sell three magazines and she'll earn the "Success for Tomorrow" patch.

Friendly Referrals using Address Adventure Booklet

Your Girl Scout can ask family and friends living in other communities to help support Girl Scouts by completing the special referral coupons in the mail-out address booklets. QSP will mail information which shows them how to purchase their favorite publications at the same low prices. Your Girl Scout will earn the "Together to the Top" patch for completing one address booklet. The Troop/Group will earn $2 per address booklet (Maximum one booklet per girl.) Your friends and family members will receive two mailings. QSP does not database these addresses, they simply make a copy of the referral coupon. Even if the person orders from the first mailing, they will receive a second mailing.

Smart Cookie U registration begins September 30!

Scouting for Supper at McAlister's Deli, Oct. 15

Join us, Saturday, October 15, from 10:30 a.m. - 9 p.m. at one of seven locations of McAlister's Deli and 15 percent of all sales will be donated to the Girl Scouts. All you have to do is bring the required flyer. Please invite all your friends and families to attend this all day event. Don't forget to tell all your friends on FaceBook and Twitter.

Click here for the required flyer for the Greater New Orleans and Northshore locations!

Click here for the flyer for the Baton Rouge locations!

Teddy Bear house tickets available, volunteers needed

With over 1,000 teddy bears on display, and 100 percent of all pre-sale tickets benefiting Girl Scouts, the Teddy Bear House in New Orleans is the perfect place for your troop to celebrate Christmas! Located at 1525 Duffosat St. in New Orleans (directly behind the Latter Library on St. Charles Ave.), the Teddy Bear House will be open for one-hour tours, December 11 - 18. Sunday hours are 1 - 6 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday - Saturday hours are 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Wednesday hours are 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased directly from the New Orleans Shop and Reception or by calling Carrie Thomas at 504-733-8220, ext. 2245. The cost is $10 for adults and $8 for children. Children three and under are free. Groups of 15 or more: $8 for adults and $5 for children. Pre-sale tickets are encouraged. Troops, families, and individuals are all welcome to attend on all dates. You do not have to pick your time and date in advance. Once you purchase your ticket, you are welcome to attend on any date.

We are looking for 15 volunteers, adults or older girl troops, to conduct tours of the house on Saturday, December 17 and Sunday, December 18. Tour guides should arrive at 10:15 a.m. and volunteers can sign up for 3 hour time slots. Please contact Carrie if interested in this community service/volunteer opportunity.

Rhapsody in Green gala

Rhapsody in Green: A Night of Glitz and Glamour will be held on Saturday, June 23, 2012 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. If you are interested please contact Cerise McClendon at 504-733-8220, ext. 2222.

Activities/events for October & November

Please visit the website calendar frequently to get the latest information. Go to the appropriate month and day, and click on the link for details including registration deadlines, age levels, times, cost, etc. New events are added all the time!

Oct. 1 - Mother/Daughter Sewing (grades 4-12), Baton Rouge
Oct. 1 - Longue Vue Plant Investigation Workshop (Br-Jrs), Metairie

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

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

NEW Oct. 7 - Black Light, Costume, and Fitness Party (all ages), Luling

Oct. 8 - Audubon State Historic Site - Oakley Plantation (Jrs), St. Francisville

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

FULL Oct. 8 - Louisiana Renaissance Festival Theater Workshop (Br-Jrs), Hammond

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

Oct. 8 - Breathe Session: Engineering Everything (Cad), Madisonville

Oct. 8 - Breathe Session: Science - So Much More than Dissecting a Frog (Cad), Metairie

Oct. 9 - CCOS Rosary Patch Program (all ages), Baton Rouge

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

Oct. 14 - Night at the Opera-Turnadot (Cad-Amb), New Orleans

Oct. 14 - 15 - Me & My Pal Overnight at Camp Marydale (Br-Amb)

Oct. 15 - Fitness Fun (Daisies), Baton Rouge

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

Oct. 15 - Twilight Paddle (Jr-Amb), Mandeville

Oct. 15 - Wild Things, Bayou Lacombe

Oct. 15 - Scouting for Supper at McAlister's Deli

NEW! FREE! Oct. 15 - Super Science Saturday (all ages), Baton Rouge

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

COMES WITH A PATCH! Oct. 29 - Friends Don't Bully (Jr), Baton Rouge

Oct. 29 - American Heart Assoc.'s Simple Cooking with Heart (Br and Jr sessions), Baton Rouge

Oct. 29 - Daisy Day at Camp Covington

Nov. 3 - Fall Fundraising Luncheon (adults), New Orleans

Nov. 5 - Longue Vue Our Flower Garden Workshop (Daisies), New Orleans

Nov. 5 - GS 100th Anniversary Cajun Country Corn Maze (all ages), Pine Grove

Nov. 5 - Miss Manners Tea Party (Daisies), Baton Rouge

NEW Nov. 5 - Science Wonder Try-It Day at La Children's Museum (Br), New Orleans

Nov. 11-13 - Family Camping at Camp Covington

Nov. 11-13 - Fall Festival Camporee Weekend at CWP (Jr-Amb), Independence

Nov. 16 - Night at the Opera - Masked Ball (Cad-Amb), New Orleans

Nov. 17 - Scouting for Supper at Applebee's

Nov. 19 - American Red Cross First Aid Badge Workshop (Jrs), Baton Rouge

Nov. 19 - Girl Scout Day at Longue Vue House and Gardens (all ages), New Orleans

Nov. 19 - Audubon State Historic Site - Oakley Plantation (Brs), St. Francisville

Nov. 20-22 - Holiday Horse Rider Core Camp (Jrs), St. Francisville

Nov. 26 - Fall Craft Fair (public is invited), Council headquarters, Jefferson/New Orleans