The GSSA Weekly from Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama

January 29, 2015


 


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

At right, Troop 8632 toured Catholic Social Services in Robertsdale as part of earning their Financial Literacy - Philanthropy Badge.

They interviewed the staff, and each Brownie was required to ask one question regarding the needs of the community.  They learned so much!

Click here or on the image at right 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 -- Operation Cookie Drop


It's hard to believe, but some people may have already filled up on Girl Scout Cookies this season. But even though their freezers may be full of delicious cookies, they will want to send cookies to our troops and veterans by participating in Operation Cookie Drop. 

When customers donate towards Operation Cookie Drop, there is no shipping cost to them or the Girl Scouts, making it the most affordable way to give our troops a treat!

We will be posting this image on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram on Saturday.  

When you see it, please share to your friends and family, and ask them to share it as well -- our troops and veterans love Girl Scout Cookies!






Distinguished Young Women Program
  
Every June, intelligent, talented, and motivated young women come to Mobile for the

Distinguished Young Women Scholarship Program.  Troops are invited to "Adopt a Distinguished Young Woman" and participate in some events with her.  We need 50 troops to adopt a DYW and attend a few events.  These young women are excellent role models for our girls!

 

Girl Scouts are encouraged to complete the "Be Your Best Self" patch found in our GSSA Patch Book and will be recognized at Community Night.  


Sign up early to get your choice of state and to start corresponding with your Distinguished Young Woman!

Cookie Clip Video Contest Winners!
  
We have our winners!  Congratulations to Troops 8004, 8136, and 9124, who made fabulous one-minute videos about selling Girl Scout Cookies! Each troop won a $50 GSSA Shop gift card and patches for each girl.  

We will be featuring all three videos on social media during the cookie sale, but you can see them all right now on YouTube at www.youtube.com/girlscoutssal.  Click here for our Cookie Clip playlist on our You Tube channel

Why Do We Sell Cookies?
  

What is that all about?   Many of you know the original story; that the cookie program started as girls learning to bake cookies and selling them as a fund raiser.   Isn't it amazing how the world's largest girl entrepreneur program was started by girls and was girl led?   And it started as early as 1917!

As you can imagine, we have seen a lot of changes to the cookie program this year with the move to allowing girls to sell cookies online.   This is a positive move, as girls have asked for this to happen and permission has been lagging.   Because of concerns over girl safety, this change did not move at "girl speed."   But with this said, selling items online and in a virtual marketplace will be the world these girls inhabit.  

This changes the mix on the cookie program because sales will become more reliant on the girl who has a good sales pitch and marketing for the e-mail recipient to purchase their cookies.  The online sale does not replace or substitute from the regular sale of cookies to friends, family, and at booth sales, so this is in addition to the other traditional sales approaches.

Read more on our blog, the Virtual Volunteer.


 

New Programs & Updates
 

Montgomery Service Center and online shop will be closed on Monday, February 16

 

Mobile Service Center will be closed on Tuesday, February 17


 Rescheduled: Auburn University Campus Tour 3/7



 Distinguished Young Women Program (6/14, 6/18, 6/24)

 

Upcoming Deadlines 

Event

Location

Date

Deadline

U.S.S. Alabama Sleepover (BJCSA)

Mobile

3/13-14

2/13

Girl Scout Family Day at AU Equestrian (ALL)

Auburn

3/7

2/18

Girl Scout Advocacy Day (BJCSA)

Montgomery

3/12

2/25

Girl Scout Pi Day at Auburn University  (BJCSA)

Auburn

3/14

2/25

Auburn University Campus Tour (SA)

Auburn

3/7

2/27

Mission: NAS Pensacola (BJCSA)

Pensacola

3/21

2/27

Scholarship Deadlines for Graduating Ambassadors (A)

 

 

3/1

 
Other Opportunities

 

Because we want our girls to have many learning (and fun!) opportunities, we offer this 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. Calendar listings do not imply endorsement by the council.  This calendar is available on our Events & Programs page 

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

Newly Listed Events: 

  Volunteer Op: Stuff Race Packets for Montgomery Marathon/21k/5k (3/12)

  Volunteer Op: Hand Out Race Packets for Montgomery Marathon/21k/5k 3/13)

  Volunteer Op: Hand out Medals, Water, etc. at Montgomery Marathon/21k/5k (3/14)

Upcoming Events:  

  Build nestboxes for threatened Alabama songbirds

  Harlem Ambassadors in Montgomery (2/20)

  Harlem Globetrotters in Mobile (2/20)

  Harlem Globetrotters in Dothan (2/24)

  Youth Wildlife Art Contest (deadline 2/27)