The GSSA Weekly from Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama

February 25, 2016 

 


Welcome to GSSA Weekly, the council's e-newsletter. 
 
At right, members of Girl Scout Troops 9327 and 9015 had a joint World Thinking Day celebration.


The Cadettes of 9327 planned the event and the girls shared information about several countries and their Girl Guides, food, swaps, and stamped passports for the Brownies of both troops.  The Brownies also conducted a ceremony and presented information on a country. 

Click on the image or here 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.
  
Cookie Bites: Thanks for Your Input!
  
We asked Troop Cookie Managers for their input about how we can best support the rest of the cookie sale.  We got a lot of feedback, which we are using to make a solid plan for the coming weeks. 

We are working to add some additional booth sales to boost the sale. We will be in touch soon to share plans to have a strong finish to this year's Cookie Program. 

Even though SNAP didn't let troops place planned orders, we have cookies for you for National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend, this Saturday and Sunday. 

Cookie Pantry hours this weekend:
Montgomery: Saturday 9 a.m.-noon; Sunday 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Mobile: Saturday 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.; emergency phone 251/375-6727
Enterprise: Saturday 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.; Sunday 3 - 5 p.m.
Dothan: Saturday 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.; Sunday 3 - 5 p.m.
Loxley: by appointment; call 251/401-1573

Thanks for all you do to support your Girl Scouts!
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Quick Links
Night Moves -- Stay Up ALL Night and Explore Interesting Careers

Staying up all night is a blast! Older girls (C S A) will tour a Coast Guard Station, National Weather Service, USA Children & Women's Hospital to check out interesting career paths.  Then they will explore the night sky at the Mobile Service Center, and have a fun breakfast.  Registration deadline is March 4.

Check out the details!

Annual Meeting and Back to Basics Day (Overnight Option): April 9

Girl Scout leaders, volunteers and girls over the age of 14 are invited as delegates to the council's annual business meeting.  This is a great opportunity to discuss the state of the council, as well as participate in fellowship with other Girl Scout leaders.  Here's the Agenda and the Board of Directors biographies.

On Saturday while adults are at the Annual Meeting, girls will get "Back to Basics" and tie-dye bandannas, make some simple campfire cuisine, and go on a letterboxing adventure.  Come prepared to have some good old-fashioned Girl Scout fun!

Click for more information on the Annual Meeting and Back to Basics Day.

Walk About Weekend Photo Contest ends 2/26 at midnight!

We've received so many fun photos of Girl Scouts selling cookies during Walkabout Weekend.

The Facebook photo contest ends tomorrow night.  The photo with the most "likes" in our Walkabout album on Facebook will win!

Send this link to anyone you know who hasn't voted yet, and your troop may win!

Why do You Think the Cookie Program is Slow this Year?  

  
The cookie program has been slow this year, and we can't figure out quite why.   This is normally a time when we are simply frantic working to keep up.   The volunteers we have been talking to say the cookies have just not been moving.   When they are usually returning to the cupboard for more cookies, they have not had to return this year.   Last year, we ended the sale with $40,000 in excess cookie inventory, so we are doing everything we can to help the girls move cookies, since that is hard on the entire program and costs everyone money.   We are soliciting ideas for how to finish up this year strong and sell the cookies that remain in our cupboards and in troop hands.  Please email us your ideas at communications@girlscoutssa.org.

We haven't heard much about the cookie drive-thrus. Did they work, or were they a bust?   We also had a hard time scheduling some of the Wal-Marts we would normally have set up prior to the start of the sale, so we are working to do some booth sales in the new neighborhood grocery stores, as they seem to be filled with cars when we go by many of them.   We would be interested in feedback on why you think the sale is slower than usual.
 
Continue reading on our Virtual Volunteer Blog.  
New Programs & Updates

 DEADLINE EXTENDED to 3/4 Night Moves (C S A) 3/11

  DEADLINE EXTENDED to 3/4 Gulf Quest Overnight Adventure (B J C S A) 3/18-19

 CORRECTION Camping Skills Certification in AUBURN  (Vol) 3/5

  Kappa Delta USA Campus Tour/ Roundtable Discussion (S A) 4/8

 Art in the Afternoon with Kappa Delta (B J) 4/10
 
Upcoming Deadlines 

Event
Location
Date
Deadline
1/15-18
2/25
 
Montgomery
 2/25
online study
Auburn
3/5
2/26
Citronelle
3/5
2/26
Auburn
 3/5
2/26
Montgomery
3/10
online study
Advocacy Day (ALL) 
Montgomery
 3/10
2/26
DeSoto Caverns
 3/19-20
2/26
Planned order due in SNAP (TCM/SUCM)
online
 
2/28
 
 
3/1
 
 
3/1
Night Moves (C S A) 
Mobile
 3/11
3/4
Mobile
3/18-19
3/4
 
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: