March 3, 2015 - In This Issue:
Girl Scouts from Hoover Valley Service Unit celebrate World Thinking Day
Advocacy Day

March 12 @ 8:00 am - 12:00 pm

Alabama State House, Montgomery


Girl Scouts from the entire state are invited to visit the Alabama State House for a morning of advocacy. Girls will meet with government leaders, observe lawmaking sessions, deliver cookies, and promote the importance of Girl Scouting to the lawmakers of our great state.

After the event girls/troops will be free to explore a number of historical sites on their own. Information about these sites will be provided with registration. Each girl needs to bring two handmade thank you cards to present to legislators when delivering cookies.

*A letter from our legislative sponsor requesting that girls be excused from school for the day will be sent with confirmation.

View more information and register. 

Samoa Luau
Girls that choose rewards and sell 500 packages or more will have the opportunity to attend the S.A.M.O.A Luau Experience (Sample A Mini Outdoor Adventure). 

 

Samoa Luau

May 2, 2015

KPC, Chelsea 9-3 p.m.

 

May 30, 2015

Camp Trico, Guntersville 9-3 p.m.

Delegate Forums
There will be two delegate forums this spring. Any member 14 years of age and older is welcome to attend or listen in to the delegate forums. Delegates and alternates can attend in person, by phone, or listen to a recording of the forum afterwards.  

Birmingham

March 26, 2015 at 6:30 p.m. 

Birmingham Service Center
Unable to attend in person? Register for the webinar.
 After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.


 

Huntsville

March 29, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. 
 Huntsville Service Center  

Unable to attend in person? Register for the webinar.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Shop Updates

Please visit the GSNCA council shops for all your award needs!  We have patches, pins, certificates and a variety of gift items available.  There is no shipping cost when you visit in person.

 

 

NEW SPRING SHOP HOURS
MARCH-MAY 

Monday - closed

Tuesday and Thursday:  10 a.m. - 6:30 p. m.

Wednesday and Friday:  10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Saturday
(March 7, April 11 & May 2 ONLY): 
 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

*CLOSED MARCH 11 FOR A SPECIAL EVENT

*CLOSED MAY 25 FOR MEMORIAL DAY

Daisy's Jam

Daisy's Jam 2015 is just around the bend! It is camping overnight for Girl Scouts of all ages at Talladega Superspeedway infield. Events are planned for November 20-22, 2015. Look for Daisy's Jam 2015 on Facebook to keep up with the latest information - invite all your Girl Scout friends.

 

Let's head 'Back to Basics' for competitions on knot tying, camping scenarios, knife handling, fire building, archery, Girl Scout ceremonies and much, much more.

 

The planning committee would love your help in managing the events and/or helping to setup the days of the event.
The next committee Meeting will be held March 19, 2015 at the Birmingham Service Center from 6 - 8 p.m. If you want to be a part and are unable to attend the meeting in person there will be a GoToMeeting call number available to call in.

More information will be available soon regarding the competitions and requirements for all program levels. 

Contact: Beverly Alldredge at balldredge@bellsouth.net or 205-616-8079.

Daisies from Troop 945 they are selling at their first ever booth at Brookwood Mall
Daisies from Troop 945 selling cookies at their first Girl Scout Cookie booth at Brookwood Mall
FlyQuest Fly-In

FlyQuest is hosting a Fly-in/Drive-in event on March 7 in Madison, Alabama to support the national Women In Aviation week. You can meet female pilots and view displays about aviation, from flying to the engineering side of ground support, etc.

This is a free event for all ages.

Though there may be a limited number opportunities to fly in small planes, that activity is NOT council approved or covered by Girl Scout insurance and would require a guardian to be onsite with the girl.

This is NOT a Girl Scout Sponsored event.  View more information.

 

To submit information and photos from recent Girl Scout events for internal and external publications, use the photo upload form or email communications@girlscoutsnca.org.
Bling Your Booth Challenge

When it comes to Girl Scout cookie booths, we all know that plain is BORING!

With Bling Your Booth, troops can not only attract new customers and increase cookie sales, but the troop with the most votes will win big!

Participation is easy:

1. Pick an original cookie booth theme, like tropical, girl power, or glitz and glam-it's up to you.

2. Use cool color combinations.

3. Create fun posters with your cookie goals, lots of awesome pictures and maybe add balloons!

4. Dress up, and use colored lights to invite customers to a cookie party.

5. Have fun with it! Add anything that makes your booth stand out from the crowd.

Sounds fun, right?! Rally your friends and family to vote for your booth; the troop with the most votes wins big! 

The SIX Girl Scout troops with the most votes will win $500!
2015 Annual Meeting
You're Invited!

GSNCA Annual Meeting 
Saturday, April 25, 2015 
Wesley United Methodist Church in Decatur, Alabama
Registration: 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Lunch & Awards: 12-1 p.m.
Business Meeting: 1-3p.m.
 
All registered members are encouraged to attend.

Delegate Contact Information
Service Units: Please submit all delegate information to Janika Smith at jsmith@girlscoutsnca.org by Friday, March 6.
We Want to See What You've Been Up To!

We are looking for photos and 20-30 second video clips from troops in each Service Unit. We want to showcase what you've been up to this year at Annual Meeting!

Please include your Service Unit & troop numbers when sending the digital images and clips. Please send materials to Heather at axid_thetaphi_alum@yahoo.com

 
Senior Troop 30795 Sews Mittens for Koalas

 

Kaleigh and Lacey sewing mittens

Senior troop 30795 from the Points East Service Unit chose Australia as their focus country for World Thinking Day this year.  After hearing the news report in January that Australia had devastating brush fires and that many koalas were injured, Caroline, Kaleigh and Lacey wanted to help. The International Fund for Animal Welfare in Australia posted online requests that people make and send mittens to cover the bandages on the paws of the koalas to aid in their

Mittens for Koalashealing.
The girls met at Kaleigh's house on a Friday night and began sewing mittens. They set up an assembly line with 2 sewing machines and took turns pinning the pattern to fabric, cutting the fabric and sewing the mittens together. Amid laughter and talking, the girls made 60 mittens in a 2-day weekend and mailed them to the IFAW in Australia on Monday. Not expecting anything but the good feeling they got for their efforts, the girls were surprised and pleased when they recently received a letter of thanks from IFAW for the mittens. 
Program Updates

Click "Program Updates" to view the COMPLETE list of events with upcoming registration deadlines.
Full event details are located on the online events calendar or in the 2014-2015 Pathway Opportunities. Online registration is available for girl programs.

Notable Upcoming Girl Programs:

KPC- Chelsea
Lake Guntersville

Under the Stars

Birmingham Zoo
Greensboro
Running Low on Cookies? Don't Forget About Council Gift of Caring for Deployed Troops!

Our council participates in a Gift of Caring Program to send cookies to deployed military. We partner with Soldier's Angels, a nonprofit organization, to get the donated cookies to servicemen and women. Cookies will be ordered and shipped directly to the Soldier's Angels. You won't need to box up cookies

and bring to your local office when you participate this way. You can sell cookies for the troops at your booth sales; just keep a running tally sheet of the amount of packages purchased and enter the amount into eBudde on the CGOC column.

1. Girls can earn the Cookies for the Troops patch once they have received 12 virtual orders for 12 packages of cookies! Each year

they participate, girls can earn a new heart to put with their patch. Encourage your girls to be a part of this effort!

2. Girls who earned the Cookies for the Troops patch last year will

receive a new heart to put with their patch.

3. Girls who receive 24 virtual orders for 24 packages of cookies will

receive a summer fun bandana along with the Cookies for the Troops patch.
Girl Leadership Awards & Workshops
View 2015 training and workshop details on the online events calendar or in the 2014-2015 Pathway Opportunities. 

TrainingDateLocationRegistration
Deadline 
Program Aide WorkshopApril 18CullmanApril 2
Program Aide WorkshopMay 2BirminghamApril 17
Camping Corner
Procedure for Reserving Camp for a Service Unit Weekend

On May 5, 2015, you may reserve dates for Service Unit Weekends. Each Service Unit will have the opportunity to reserve one weekend at one our GSNCA facility.

One representative for each Service Unit may call Jasmine Paullin at 800-734-4541 x1600 or 205-980-4750 x1600  

Keep in mind that availability of dates is limited and will be filled on a first come, first served basis. Any date not reserved by end of day on May 5, 2015 will become available for reservation by any group wishing to make a reservation.

Summer Day & Resident Camp

2015 Summer Camp Program Schedule is on our website. The online version allows girls and parents to quickly locate a camp session by choosing resident vs. day camp, camp desired, and girl's grade level to go directly to matching camp opportunities. A PDF version is also online and is just like previously printed catalogs, but more environmentally friendly. 

Summer Camp Open Houses
Camp Cottaquilla: Saturday, April 11, 2015, 2-4 p.m.
Camp Coleman: Saturday, May 2, 2015, 2-4 p.m.

Kanawahala Program Center: Sunday, April 12, 2015, 2-4 p.m.

Camp Trico: Sunday, April 19, 2015, 2-4 p.m.


 
Volunteer-Run Day Camp Needs Summer Helpers

Rocky Mountain Day Camp (RMDC) is in need of your help! RMDC serves approximately 175 Girl Scouts each summer. Volunteers are needed to help facilitate this year's camp. Camp will run June 1-5 from 9 a.m.-3:30 pm and will be held at Kanawahala Program Center.  Day Campers are all girls entering 1st-6th grades.

If you are interested in volunteering with this day camp, contact: 

MaryAnn Huie, Director or Joan Page, Assistant Director.
Adult Learning Opportunities
View 2015 training and workshop details on the online events calendar or in the 2014-2015 Pathway Opportunities. 

TrainingDateLocationRegistration
Deadline 
CPR/First Aid/AED CertificationApril 18ScottsboroApril 2