The GSSA Weekly from Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama

March 3, 2016 


 


Welcome to GSSA Weekly, the council's e-newsletter. 
 
At right, members of Girl Scout Cadette Troop 8210 held a jeans drive for homeless teens in Mobile.  Y'all are true blue with BIG hearts!

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 [email protected].
  
Cookie Bites: The Sale is Extended!
  
We have heard that the cookies are not selling as quickly and easily as in the past. 

The good news is that we will be extending the sale!   It sounds like many of you still have inventory, and the cupboards still have inventory.  

We are working on many more booth sales for those who continue to sell and have been doing so all week long.

We will be in touch with the Troop/SU Cookie Managers soon with all the details. 

Thanks for all you do to support your Girl Scouts!

Happy Girl Scout Week!

Girl Scout Week begins this Sunday, March 6.  Every day has a different theme and suggestions for simple activities for Girl Scouts to bring each day's theme to life.

Check out our events calendar for ideas for each day of Girl Scout Week.

Need more bulletin inserts?  Contact Meghan Cochrane at [email protected]
Walk About Weekend Photo Contest Winner!

Troop 8042 is our winner!

This image of the girls hitting the streets during Walkabout Weekend received over 150 "Likes" in our  Walkabout Weekend Facebook photo album.

Click on the image or here to see a larger version.

We will be in touch with information on your $50 gift card. Congratulations!

Work at Camp this Summer!

Do you love the outdoors? Are you interested in making new friends, having adventures, and making a difference?
Then we want you! We are looking for staff who work great with kids, love camp, and have energy and positive outlooks!

We need counselors, unit leaders, kitchen staff, lifeguards, and program staff to work at both Camp Scoutshire Woods and Kamp Kiwanis in Eclectic.
Thanks for Your Feedback -- We are Planning for Success.   

  
We have been fortunate to have some really great cookie programs since I have been here.   It is interesting to me that this year the feedback we are receiving says people just aren't buying cookies.   They walk past and not only do they say no to purchasing, but they aren't exactly even nice about it.   I find that troubling and wonder what that says about our slipping civility.

We did receive a great deal of feedback about the cookie program, some things we can improve and lots of great suggestions and ideas.   In an effort to respond to those, I wanted to be sure to address some of the consistent concerns we received.

First, we closed out last year $53,000 in the red, or in "the hole."   Again, this happened for the first time since I have been here.   Last year, the girls sold lots of cookies and did a great job.   We wound up with $40,000 in excess cookie inventory because we had one parent take $40,000 in cookies and not pay. We also had a significant cut in the River Region United Way funding, $38,000, so we had $118,000 in unanticipated lost revenue. 

It is important that we work hard to assure our income matches what we spend annually.   We eliminated two full-time positions from the budget, which we have been doing over the past few years.   We have many less staff than we had even three years ago.   Salaries are the largest expenditure in our budget, with utilities the next highest.   And it is pretty tough to cut our utility consumption.   Watching what we spend is on everyone's mind this year.
 
Continue reading on our Virtual Volunteer Blog.  
New Programs & Updates

 OPEN TO JUNIORS Night Moves (J C S A) 3/11 (deadline is Friday, March 4)

  Help at Water Stations for Be Fit 5K/Fun Run Mobile (J C S A) 5/1

 Distinguished Young Women State Adoption Sign-up (ALL) 5/1
 
Upcoming Deadlines 

Event
Location
Date
Deadline
Night Moves (J C S A) 
Mobile
 3/11
3/4
Mobile
3/18-19
3/4
webinar
as requested
 
Montgomery
3/10
online study
Planned order due in SNAP (TCM/SUCM)
online
 
3/6, 3/13, 3/20
Camp Scoutshire Woods
4/2-3
3/21
Montgomery
3/24
online study
Outdoor Badge Day (B C S A) 
Kamp Kiwanis
4/2
3/25
Milbrook
 4/3
3/25
Kamp Kiwanis
 4/8
3/25
Kamp Kiwanis
 4/9
3/25
Mobile
 4/10
3/30
 
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: