The GSSA Weekly from Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama

December 3, 2015

 


Welcome to GSSA Weekly, the council's e-newsletter. 
 
At right, second-grade Brownies of Troop 9104 voted to use some of their Fall Product Sale earnings to make a donation to the Montgomery Area Food Bank.

The girls bought two frozen turkeys (totaling 47 pounds!) to donate and made a $50 contribution to support this worthwhile organization that helps provide food and other necessities for individuals in 35 Alabama counties. They also enjoyed learning more about the Food Bank mission and services by taking a tour of the facility. Excellent work, Brownies!

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 communications@girlscoutssa.org.
  
Join Us for Holiday Cheer!
  
Please join Girl Scout staff to celebrate the season.  We want to say thank you for all the ways you give to Girl Scouts!

Volunteers, Alumnae, Donors, and Community Partners are invited for a light luncheon and holiday cheer at our Service Center.  No time for lunch?  Just drop by, so we can thank you in person!

Follow Us!

Check out what GSSA is up to on these social media sites:

     

 

Quick Links

2 for 1 discounts on dining, attractions, zoos, and more! Donate $25 to Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama and we will send you this membercard, good for a year!

Friends in Dothan and Enterprise: Join a Troop!

Every year during the Cookie Sale, girls see our Girl Scouts at cookie booths and want to join in the fun!  We're getting one step ahead by providing information before the Cookie Program begins.

If you have friends in Dothan or Enterprise, let them know about these recruitment events on Saturday, December 12! Thanks!
 
American Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces Thanks You! 

SO MANY TROOPS participated in the "Holiday Cards for Heroes" program.  We received a special thanks from the Central Alabama Chapter of the American Red Cross:

"The countless Holiday Mail for Heroes Christmas cards you supplied will help so many veterans and military members know that they will NEVER be forgotten this Holiday Season! And at your specific request, we are sending a portion overseas to our military members on the front lines."

Special thanks to participating troops:   5180, 8004, 8252, 8238, 8393, 9057, 9089, 9080, 9327, 9750, 9710, 9075, 9130, 9476, 9195, 9203, and 9476. Thank you!  

All About Money for Girl Scouts and Women
 
Handling money is one of the most important life skills that a girl or woman can have.  And learning about money management and budgeting can be fun!

Join us for the All About Money badge day on January 9 in Mobile. We have sessions for Girl Scouts and adult Volunteers.  Register by December 16 for this valuable program! 
Thanks for Stepping Up  

 
I heard a story this morning about someone who was no longer serving as the cookie chair and she was laughing about how she had done little to break in the new chair for that service unit.   She noted that person would be surprised at the amount of paperwork that arrives.   The point was she was glad to no longer serve in that role and wished her successor good luck.

We want to thank those of you who are brave and have the courage to step up and take on more leadership.   Serving as a troop leader can sometimes seem daunting.   But working to coordinate many troop leaders can sometimes be a challenge.   We appreciate all of you who are willing to take on that role and fulfill that need.   Without you we would not thrive and survive.   You are at the heart of how this organization works.

We all share in the chaos and challenges of the cookie program.   It is interesting, it is one of those activities where I hear story after story about girls who blossom doing something they didn't believe they could.   Many girls find their voice through the cookie program.   Others gain confidence to recognize they are entrepreneurs and can accomplish more than they imagined.   Some just learn a lot more about arithmetic and find that maybe making change is easier and more relevant than learning addition and multiplication.   It is hands-on, experiential learning that happens in a short span of time.

  
Continue reading in our Virtual Volunteer blog.  
New Programs & Updates

 Both Service Centers and Shops will close on Thursday, December 24, and will re-open on Monday, January 4.  Online shop orders placed December 22 - January 3 will be shipped on or shortly after January. 4.

 Position Opening: Front Office/Shop Assistant (Montgomery)

 Archery Certification Pike County (1/15)

Upcoming Deadlines 

Event
Location
Date
Deadline
Mobile
12/8
RSVP
Montgomery
12/9
RSVP
CPR/FA/AED Certification  (Volunteers) 
Montgomery
12/10
online study
Montgomery
12/12
11/23
All About Money (ALL + Volunteers)
Mobile
1/9
12/16
Montgomery
1/9
12/18
webinar
every Thurs + as needed
RSVP
 
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.