The GSSA Weekly from Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama

March 20, 2014


 

Welcome to GSSA Weekly, the council's e-newsletter. 

 

At right, members of the Cadette Troop 8055 get some puppy love during their service project for ARF (Animal Rescue Foundation).  These Cadettes painted the waiting room, planters, and pictures for the walls at ARF.  Good job, ladies!
 
Click here or on the image to see a larger version. 

 

Want to see your Girl Scouts featured in GSSA Weekly?  E-mail the photo with event information to [email protected].

  
Cookie Bites - Sale Extended through March 23

Upcoming Deadlines:

Sunday, 3/23: Final day for cookie sales.  

Wednesday, 3/26: Final money should be in troop account.

Thursday, 3/27: Final troop money will be drawn from troop account via ACH.

Friday, 3/28: All paperwork must be received by the Mobile or Montgomery service centers by close of business (4:30 p.m.) to qualify for troop bonus.

Here's a handy list of the remaining dates in the sale.

  

We truly appreciate all you do!

  

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     Pictures on Flickr

 

Quick Links
We interview Gold Awardee Adrienne Spivey


We ask Gold Awardees to give other Girl Scouts who are considering a Gold Award Project a realistic idea of what is involved. Below, Adrienne Spivey tells us about the challenges and rewards she encountered while implementing her project, Understanding the Early Stages of Alzheimer's Disease for Kids.

 

How did you come up with your idea?  

 My grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease when I was very young. I didn't understand why she would do or say certain things. With my project, I wanted to help other kids with the same problem I had.

 

Were you intimidated by the scale of the project? 

 Not really. I came into the project knowing its importance, and that actually inspired me, rather than intimidated me.

 

How did you keep up the momentum for the project? 

 I handed out cards with the link to my video on Youtube at local senior centers, Alzheimer's care groups, and the classes I presented my video to. Teachers at the schools I presented at even came up to me and asked for cards!

 

Were you ever discouraged? If so, what did you do to overcome that?

 Never. I wanted to earn this award more than anything, and I knew how much it would help others.

 

Read the rest of our interview with Adrienne in our GSSA Girl Blog.

 

Leader License Reward for March

Let your fellow drivers know that you are proud to be a Girl Scout Volunteer!
 

Come by or call one of our council shops to receive your Leader License Reward for March.  

Each month, we announce a new reward for Leaders who have earned their Leader License.  

For information on earning your Leader License, refer to our Ready, Set, Go! document.

   
 
Your Facebook/Twitter Post Could Help Secure Funding for our Girls!


As you probably know, GSSA works to secure funding from many sources -- we are always seeking out new ways to provide more programming and opportunities for our Girl Scouts. 

Right now, MAX Credit Union is hosting a contest that could mean up to $20,000 for Girl Scouting.  
 
Here's how you can help -- it will only take a moment. Please send out a tweet or update your Facebook status with the following message: 
 
I nominate Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama for the #MAXgives contest
 
That's all there is to it at this stage of the contest.  Thanks for your support!
 
Why We Celebrate Girls at the Annual Meeting
  

This year, we will be celebrating the Girl Scout Leadership Experience at the Annual Meeting.    The scheduling of this event is always a challenge.  The Annual Meeting is set on the same weekend each year, but the date of Easter changes.  Between Easter and the different spring breaks on school calendars across our council, we can never find the perfect weekend for everyone.  With that said, we will still celebrate what we are about: GIRLS!

GIRLS are simply amazing.   And GSSA girls are REALLY amazing.   We have a robotics team that, despite being a new group, has done well at competitions.   We have girls who go out in the woods on a regular basis and learn skills they will use for a lifetime.   We have many girls who sold lots of cookies this year.   Some who didn't speak up before can now confidently approach strangers with a sales pitch -- a young budding entrepreneur.

Many of our girls drop out of Girl Scouts at age 11, and what experiences they miss by doing so!   Those girls who do continue the Girl Scout Leadership Experience become exceptional individuals.   They have developed many life skills.   Of those who continue, we award 90 Bronze Awards each year.   This is usually earned by troops who do great projects.   We have about 40 girls earn the Silver Award each year.   And last, but certainly not least, this past year we have seven girls who have earned the Gold Award. 

Read more in our blog, The Virtual Volunteer.

  

New Programs & Updates
  
Upcoming Deadlines 

Event

Location

Date

Deadline

 Mobile Medical Museum Patch Day (C S A)

Mobile

4/5

3/25

 College Life 101 at University of South Alabama (S A)

Mobile

4/11

4/1

 Spring Bird Walk (D B)

Auburn

4/5

4/2

 Daddy Daughter Day at CSW (D B J)

Camp Scoutshire Woods

4/12

4/2

 Mom & Me Overnight at Kamp Kiwanis (B J C)

Kamp Kiwanis

5/3-4

4/3

 Mom & Me Fiesta (D B J)

Mobile

4/26

4/10

 Fort Gaines Sleepover (ALL)

Dauphin Island

5/16-17

4/10

 Good Food Day (ALL)

Montgomery

4/26

4/11

 

For a complete listing of our events, please visit our calendar. 

 

Other Opportunities

 

Because we want our girls to have many learning (and fun!) opportunities, we have created an additional calendar for programs that are not presented by our council. Some of these programs are presented by our volunteer Troops and Service Units, others are put on by groups in the communities we serve. You can see this new calendar at the bottom of our Events & Programs page 

Please contact the volunteer listed in the program for more information. 

Newly Listed Events:  

NanoDays in Auburn (a STEM program) 


Babysitting 101 - Opelika



Upcoming Events: