Mark your calendars for June 8-10 and get ready to embark on the cultural experience of a lifetime! The 41st annual Texas Folklife Festival will be held at the Institute of Texan Cultures.

Located in downtown San Antonio on the 22-acre grounds of the Institute of Texan Cultures in Hemisfair Park, this three day, fun-filled celebration showcases Texas' diversity, strength, and rich heritage by featuring delectable dishes created by ethnic groups, arts and crafts vendors, pioneer craft demonstrators, and so much more. View the festival's website for detailed information.

This is GSSWT's seventh year as a craft demonstrator in the kid's area and we need volunteers! Among other perks, volunteers working the Girl Scout booth receive free admission for all three days of the festival. Troops with girls ages 12 and up are encouraged to volunteer. Individual adults and alumnae are especially welcome! Volunteers are needed to help set up and take down the Girl Scout display booth, as well as facilitate activities at the booth while open to the public during the following hours:

• Friday, June 8 from 5:00 to 9:30 p.m.
• Saturday, June 9 from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Sunday, June 10 from 12:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Volunteers are asked to work a minimum of TWO three-hour SHIFTS. Interested in volunteering, contact Lynne Lee (210-349-2404/1-800-580-7247 ext. 239). 

Enjoy light refreshments, take the Forever Green and ToGetHereThere pledges and register for 18-months of Girl Scouting for the low price of $18!

Adults

• Learn about new programs and volunteer opportunities
• Register as an adult member and customize your volunteer experience
• Hear about upcoming events and programs

Girls

• Enjoy a fun Girl Scout activity and fire-up some s'mores
• Register to become a Girl Scout
• Sign-up for summer camp and upcoming Girl Scout programs

For more information, contact your GO Team Recruitment Specialist (210-349-2404/1-800-580-7247):

• Pink GO Team: Annalissa L. Franco, ext. 252
• Purple GO Team: Jocelyn Ortega, ext. 258 or Laura Bustos,
  ext. 240
• Blue GO Team: Melissa Soliz, ext. 216
• Orange GO Team: Christina Arrom, ext. 220
• Yellow GO Team: Brittany Byrd, ext. 227

Deadline to register as an Early Bird is Friday, June 15!

Be sure to renew the promise by submitting your Girl Scout membership registration before Friday, June 15!

Renewing the Promise bracelets will be given to girls and adults at the time of early bird registration!

Re-registering troops and individual girls will be given an early bird patch for every form turned in on or before the deadline. Limited quantities, while supplies last.

Download the form here, complete and mail to GSSWT, 811 N. Coker Loop, San Antonio, Texas 78216 or fax to 210-349-2666. Once your Early Bird form is received, your GO Team Recruitment Specialist will contact you to coordinate pick-up/delivery of patches and bracelets.

For more information, contact your GO Team Recruitment Specialist (210-349-2404/1-800-580-7247):

• Pink GO Team: Annalissa L. Franco, ext. 252
• Purple GO Team: Jocelyn Ortega, ext. 258 or Laura Bustos,
  ext. 240
• Blue GO Team: Melissa Soliz, ext. 216
• Orange GO Team: Christina Arrom, ext. 220
• Yellow GO Team: Brittany Byrd, ext. 227

Please forward this message along to your Girl Scouts to share their experiences. Survey results will help us understand how Girl Scouting is benefiting girls. Their input will tell us how we can make their experiences even better. That means that their answers are very important to the success of Girl Scouting!

To complete the surveys, simply click the link below, copy and paste the link into your web browser to take the survey, or visit the Girl Scout website.

There are two types of surveys: pre and post. Pre surveys are initial feelings of Girl Scouts and Girl Scouting. Post survey results are compared to pre surveys to research if Girl Scouting programs and activities have benefited the girls. All answers are kept confidential!  

Before taking any of the following surveys, please visit Girl Scout Voices to ensure that GSSWT is able to accurately include your survey information.   

2012 Outcomes Pre Surveys

• Girl Scout Daisy 
• Girl Scout Brownie 
• Girl Scout Junior 
• Girl Scout Cadette 
• Girl Scout Senior 
• Girl Scout Ambassador 

2012 Outcomes Post Surveys

• Girl Scout Daisy 
• Girl Scout Brownie 
• Girl Scout Junior 
• Girl Scout Cadette 
• Girl Scout Senior 
• Girl Scout Ambassador 

Through Girl Scouts Forever Green, the 100th anniversary Take Action project, Girl Scouts was named the top nonprofit pledge driver in the 2011-2012 Change the World, Start with ENERGY STAR Campaign, saving more than 155 million pounds of greenhouse gases. Congratulations to everyone who participated and made Girl Scouts the top nonprofit world-changer!

Construction on the Wurzbach Parkway extension continues to progress, affecting traffic flow to and from the Sally Cheever Girl Scout Leadership Center. 

Non-stop closure through October

West Avenue, between Walker Ranch Park and Indian Hollow Apartments, will be closed for approximately six months while crews rebuild West Avenue. This will be a complete closure and no traffic will be allowed through the construction zone. North-bound traffic will be routed to Nakoma to U.S. 281 frontage roads to Bitters and onto West Avenue. South-bound traffic will turn left on Interpark, right onto the U.S. 281 frontage road and right on Nakoma, then reach West Avenue.

Starcrest Rd from Budding Blvd to Wetmore Ave

Non-stop closure through August

The east-bound lanes of Starcrest are closed for work relative to the Wurzbach Parkway project. All traffic has been diverted to the west-bound lanes, limiting Starcrest to a single lane in each direction. No left turns are permitted along this road. This closure has been extended.

Wilson County Girl Scouts 

The Wilson County Service Unit celebrated Girl Scouting's 100th Anniversary at its annual bridging ceremony. Girls from Troops 559 (Emily Demmer), 2532 (Sarah Theuret), 8 (Madison Budde), 559 (Katilin Gutierrez), 865 (Lindsey Startz) and 3162 (Alyssa Estep) presented the flag ceremony in their 1912 vintage Girl Scout uniforms and Juliette Gordon Low was represented by Sherri Demmer, Wilson County Service Unit Director. Girl Scout memorabilia from Wilson County Girl Scout alumnae was also on display.

Troop 1086 earns the Girl Scout Bronze Award  

Collectively, Girl Scout Junior Troop 1086 completed more than 90 hours of community service this past school year. The girls educated the Eagle Pass public about pet responsibility and adoption at vaccination clinics, neighborhoods and elementary schools. They donated chew toys, bathed, walked and fed homeless dogs around town and at Vector Control. The girls sponsored a dog adoption clinic with the assistance of Dr. Torres and Vector Control, refurbished the "Save a Life" sign and placed it in a location for all citizens to see. Their goal was to sponsor 10 dog adoptions and save lives -- through their efforts more than 10 dogs were adopted. Way to go, Adalina H., Itzel R., Amanda L., and Andrea H.!

May 23 -- San Antonio Express-News