(l. to r.) Philadelphia Event Co-Chair Leslie Anne Miller, Philadelphia First Lady and past honoree Lisa Nutter, Girl Scout Ambassador Katie McCarthy, GSEP CEO Natalye Paquin, and the Comcast Network's Lynn Doyle.

Corporate and individual sponsorship opportunities are still available for all 2011 Take The Lead events: Tuesday, March 1 at The Rittenhouse Hotel in Philadelphia; Tuesday, March 15 at Stokesay Castle in Reading; and Wednesday, April 27 at The ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks. Contact Carla Hickey at 610.791.2411, ext. 1505 or Renee Archawski at 215.564.2030, ext. 1036.

Girl Scout volunteers and alumnae receive 10% discount on individual tickets, available for purchase online.

(above right) Members of the Museum Patrol kicked off the first weekend of sales with a booth at Reading Public Museum, where girls in uniform got free admission. Girl Scout Daisies and Brownies enjoyed a story hour and a Cookie Art station, where they cooked up some creative flavors of their own (above left). 

(above left) Girls big and small braved the wind and cold at a Cookie Kick-Off Booth right outside Philadelphia City Hall, while others warmed up in the recording studio.

(above right, l. to r.) Tianna Pinkett (Troop #9696, Lansdale), and sisters Tammy (Troop #93384) and Terry (Troop #7114, Ambler) are the voices behind radio spots currently being aired on Philadelphia-area stations WDAS-FM and WXTU-FM.      

'Got Style? GSEP Fashion Patrol Wants You   

Girls are invited to Dream, Learn, Design, Create, Show, and Share with the Fashion Patrol. Activities include sleepover workshops, field trips, hair and beauty tips, runway modeling, fibers and sewing instruction, fashion illustration, and much more. Mentors also needed! Volunteers with design, modeling, sewing, photography, beauty, judging, and creative skills See upcoming events below, and click here for Fashion Patrol brochure, or contact Karen Zimmerman at 610.760.1887.

Fashion Patrol members met Design Team Members Kristi Bergey from Philadelphia Fashion Week and Kristin Haskins, a contestant from the Lifetime Network's Project Runway: Season 8.

Fashion Design Workshop Sleepover 

Friday, March 4 (6pm) - Saturday, March 5 (4pm)

Valley Forge Service Center

Fashion illustration, storyboard design, and a field trip to King of Prussia Mall. Cost: $25/girl. 

Fashion Runway 

Saturday, May 7 (9am) - Sunday, May 8 (4pm)

Valley Forge Service Center

Grades 8-12

The Fashion Patrol's signature event. Design and create outfits to wear on the runway at Sunday Fashion Show. Girls must send a short statement about their experience and interests in fashion design and production. Cost: $80/girl.    

Super for Scientists

Taste of Technology

Saturday, February 12: 1-4pm

Ursinus College (Collegeville)

Grades 6-12

Computer design, robotics, and forensic science. Cost: $20/girl, free for adults.

Invent. Improve. Impact.

Saturday, February 12: 8:30am-3pm (snow date: March 5)

Villanova University (800 E. Lancaster Avenue, Tolentine Hall, Room 215)

Grades 6-8     

Astronomy Adventures

Monday, February 21: 2-4pm

West Chester University (West Chester)

Grades 4-5

Hands-on exploration in space and astronomy to earn the Sky Search Badge. Cost: $12/girl, free for Safety-Wise adults.

Rocks Rock

Monday, February 21: 10:30am-12noon

Nockamixon State Park (Perkasie) 

Girl Scout Juniors work on the Rocks Rock Badge. Cost: Free; preregistration required. Visit the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources website and select Nockamixon State Park in the Facilities drop-down menu.

Engineer for a Day

Monday February 21: 8:45am-1:30pm

Drexel University College of Engineering

Grades 6-8

A day of hands-on math and science activities with engineering students and faculty, experimenting with slime, foam, a solar car, and a music demo. Cost: $10/girl; includes breakfast and lunch.

Engineering Your Tomorrow

Saturday, February 26: 9:30am-3:30pm

DuPont Barley Mill Plaza, Building 20 (Wilmington, DE)

Grades 6-8

Girls perform an egg drop, learn chromatography with Kool Aid, and more. Cost: $8/girl, free for adults; lunch is included.

Super Science Day

Saturday, April 16: 9:45am-2pm

West Chester University (West Chester)

Grades 6-12

Hands-on activities in physics, astronomy, chemistry, biology, geology, math, and computer science. Cost: $10/girl, free for Safety-Wise adults; includes lunch.  

For Music-Loving Girl Scout Juniors

6th Annual Music Fun Day for Girl Scout Juniors

Saturday, April 16: 8:45am-4pm

United Church of Christ (1003 W. Marshall St., Norristown)

Girls earn two music badges and perform in a recital with members of the Sigma Alpha Iota professional music fraternity for women. Contact Ruth Sheets at

610.212.9858. Cost: $10/girl, free for adults; breakfast and beverages provided.

Berks Museum Patrol Hosts 'Girl Scouts Through the Years'

Feb. 19-20, March 5-6, March 19-20, March 26-27, and April 9-10

(5pm Saturday - 8:30am Sunday)

Historical Society of Berks County (940 Centre Ave., Reading)

Cost: $25/girl, $20/adult; includes Saturday dinner, Sunday breakfast, all craft and workshop supplies, and event patch. Space is limited to 6:1 girl/adult ratio. Send registration and non-refundable payment to: Museum Patrol, c/o Sue Frederick, 4014 Danor Drive, Reading, PA 19605. Indicate 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-choice of dates; registrations filled on a first-come first-served basis. 

Great for Green Thumbs

PHS Girl Scout Patch Recognition

Sunday, March 13: 12-1pm

Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 107AB (Philadelphia) 

Girls who worked on the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Girl Scout Patch 'Planting Seeds, Growing Lives: GROW, EXPLORE, LEAD' are invited to a recognition ceremony to help conclude the Philadelphia International Flower Show. Contact Linda Delenick for information and to register.

Heinz Refuge Scouting Award

Girls who enjoy hiking and learning about wetlands get rewarded with a variety of indoor and outdoor activities at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum. Click here to review the program requirements, and contact the Refuge staff at 215.365.3118 to participate.

Outdoor 101 Workshops

(for volunteers attending Spring 2011 Service Unit Camping)

all sessions held from 6:30-9:30pm

February 10: Valley Forge Service Center

February 15: Lehigh Valley Service Center

February 16: Reading-Muhlenberg Career and Tech Center

Additional Outdoor 101 sessions will be posted on the Adult Development page of the website as they become available.

NEW! GSEP Backpacking Course

February 10: 6:30pm-9:30pm  

Valley Forge Service Center

Camp-trained adults can register for this introduction to the skill, equipment, and planning needs. Several dates through the winter and early-spring will cover outdoor training/conditioning; participants will select additional session dates as a group, followed by a backpacking trip in April. Participants should be in good physical health; prerequisites are Outdoor 101, Outdoor 102 and Outdoor 103. Cost: $25. Email Teresa VanArsdale to register.

Save the Dates!

April 9: Pot of Gold (Lehigh Valley location TBD)

May 3: Adult Recognition Ceremony (Bella Vista Club, Gilbertsville)

June 3-6: Outdoor Skills and Fun (Camp Laughing Waters)

June 12: Girl Scout Gold Awards (Dolce, Valley Forge)

Sept. 16-18: F.A.L.L. (Camp Laughing Waters)

More information coming soon!

(below left) The Turks Head Service Unit (# 605 in Chester County) honored West Chester University Professor Tonya Thames-Taylor, Ph.D. for her commitment to advance Girl Scouting at its MLK Day event, which drew nearly 100 Girl Scout Daisies and Brownies. Dr. Thames-Taylor invited several of the girls to share their ideas about how they could help others in the spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr. (below right) Two Brownies take a break from festivities to watch Dr. King deliver his famous speech in August 1963.

All girls, volunteers, alumnae and supporters are invited to share feedback about all GSEP communications. Click here to complete a brief survey. Printed versions of the survey are available at any GSEP Service Center, or by contacting Betsy Taube. Deadline is February 14.

Customers who make a point of buying Cookies in bulk are in store for a big payoff this year with the 5 = 52 Contest. With every purchase of five packages or more, customers can enter to win a 52-week supply of Cookies. Five winners will be named in May. Find local Cookie Booths using the Online Cookie Locator

at the website.

Tune In!

WLEV-FM (100.7) will broadcast live from four GSEP Cookie Booth locations. Tune in or come out to support the girls and stock up on favorite varieties:    

Tuesday, Feb. 8

5-7pm 

Westgate Mall

Bethlehem   

Listen in this week for two more weekend locations in Northampton (this Saturday) and Whitehall (this Sunday); a fourth broadcast from Easton is planned later this month.  

WFMZ-TV's

69 News at Sunrise will welcome local girls and GSEP CEO Natalye Paquin on Thursday, Feb. 24 during its 8am hour to talk Cookies and taste-test some cookie recipes. 

The cutbacks in some Girl Scout Cookie varieties do not impact the GSEP service area. Little Brownie Bakers--one of two bakers licensed by GSUSA to produce its cookies--is conducting a cutback test of its Thank You Berry Munch and Dulce de Leche varieties in about a dozen Girl Scout council regions. GSEP works exclusively with ABC Bakers, which does not produce either variety and has confirmed that it will not experiment with any of its own Cookie varieties through the 2011-12 Program Year. 

Girl Scout Sunday and Sabbath Materials Now Available

Girl Scout Week 2011 begins March 6 and ends March 12--the 99^th Anniversary of Girl Scouting--when girls of all ages around the world celebrate by demonstrating leadership and commitment in ways that make a real impact on their communities. Program Inserts and Covers for Girl Scout Sunday and Sabbath Materials are now available for download on the website, or can be ordered. Completed order forms should be sent to Linda Mikle by Monday, February 14. Materials will be available for pick-up after February 22.

Seasonal Camp Positions Available 

Applications are now being accepted for seasonal positions for the 2011 Summer Camp Season. Visit the Careers section of the GSEP website to learn about opportunities and to apply. For more information, call 610.276.5115.

  Volunteer Background Clearance Restored 

The Volunteer Background Clearance Process section of the website is fully-functional. Background Clearance and Renewals can be completed online, and Application Forms are available for download in both English and Spanish. FAQs documents (in English and Spanish) are also available at the webpage. GSEP appreciates volunteers' patience during the transition process.

eBusiness Online Registration Reminders

through March 1 Volunteers can view all troop and member data that was entered in E-Council before December 28.

as of March 14 

Volunteers will be able to register for Adult Development Training using an online form at GSEP.org.

through August 1 An online form is available to register for Camp and Spring Programs. Registration information is available from GSEP as-needed.

   Click here to view Frequently Asked Questions.

WHAT'S IN STORE

 Closed for Remodeling  

The Retail Shop at the Jane Seltzer Service Center will be closed for remodeling from February 14-22.

Scrapbooking Events

Showcase Girl Scouting memories! All events run from 6:30-8pm. 

Tuesday, Feb. 22

Lehigh Valley Service Center

Thursday, Feb. 24 Valley Forge Service Center

Monday, Feb. 28 Delaware County Service Center 

Cost: $5/person. Contact Diana Applegate to register.

 Healthy Snacks for Hungry Shoppers 

All GSEP Retail Shops are now carrying a small selection of healthy snacks for .50 each!

PROPERTY UPDATES

Updated Report on Survey Findings

In response to feedback from a series of Property Town Hall Meetings last year, the Property Committee reopened the Property Survey from September - November 2010.

Click here 

to see an updated report based on the survey's cumulative findings. All are encouraged to send additional questions and feedback to the

Property Committee's

dedicated email address; all are reminded that no decision has been made concerning any GSEP property. The deadline for this decision has been extended to December 31, 2011 at the latest.

Visit Restrictions Continue at Berks Service Center

Parking lot construction at the Berks Service Center has been completed, but visitation to the Berks Service Center will remain by appointment only until the Center's relocation this Spring. Visitors should call 610.791.2411 for access details.