Thursday, October 29, 2009

Birthday Celebration for Juliette Low in Hartselle

Girl Scouts from Service Unit 14 in Hartselle, celebrated Juliette Gordon Low's birthday with a party at the Hartselle First United Methodist Church on Monday, October 26. Girls learned about Juliette Gordon Low by completing several "stations" set up around the gym. The stations ranged from playing with toys that Juliette played with - tops, jacks, jumping rope and yo-yos; Trivia Game; Mad Libs about Juliette; and other exciting games. Girls who completed these stations earned a badge. Each troop brought undecorated cupcakes and everyone got to decorate their own with lots of sprinkles and frosting! As part of a community service, girls brought diapers and small items for F.A.C.E.S. of Morgan County (Families and Children Experiencing Separation - children who for whatever reason cannot be with their families). Girls also colored placemats for the Thanksgiving meals that will be delivered by Meals on Wheels. This event was hosted by Troop 150, Kathie Beach, leader.

Juliette Low Birthday Skate Party!

Girls from Cullman Service Unit 15, enjoyed a Skating Party for Juliette Gordon Low's Birthday! As part of the fun, a Cake Decorating Contest was held, with 12 troops participating. Judges for the contest were GSNCA CEO Trish Coghlan, Robin Lambert, a local TV morning host, and Jennifer Parker, CDM for Cullman. The host troop, Flex Troop 288 in Vinemont, won the 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes! Their Daisy members won first place with a "Happy Birthday Daisy" cake with a daisy decoration. As part of their community service, girls brought canned food items for the Cullman Times' Care and Share Food Drive, benefitting the local food bank, Cullman Caring For Kids. After eating cake, the girls enjoyed skating, face-painting, and lots of BFF time! Over 100 girls attended this event and over 140 pounds of canned food were collected! Please visit our Photo Gallery for more pictures!

Friday, October 23, 2009

R.E.A.L. Girl Contest from Justine Magazine

Girl Scouts everywhere are encouraged to tell the world how they are Remarkable, Energetic, Aspirational Leaders by entering the Justine R.E.A.L. Girl contest where the prize is a feature in the national teen/tween lifestyle magazine, Justine. This R.E.A.L. Girl Contest is open only to Girl Scouts between the ages of 13-19, who are working to make the world a better place in their local communities and beyond. The winner will be featured in an article telling all about her activities as the R.E.A.L. Girl, and she will win a trip to the Justine offices in Memphis, Tennessee, for a professional photo shoot, as well as other fun prizes and Justine subscriptions for her troop and her school library.

Submissions will be accepted until mid-January 2010, and the finalists and winner will be selected in February. For more information and contest rules, check out: justinemagazine.com.

Justine—the magazine for teen girls—is filled with fun, positive, and empowering content including affordable fashion and beauty . . . tips to make your high school life and path to college a breeze . . . role-model-worthy celebs . . . updates on our Spark Book Club . . . and teens like you who are changing the world! To learn more, visit http://www.justinemagazine.com.

Court of Awards

Recently Girl Scout Troop 1046 in Scottsboro held a Court of Awards ceremony, Bronze Award presentation ceremony, Bridging ceremony and Rededication ceremony. These took place at the Girl Scout Cabin in King Caldwell Park. Pictured at the ceremony are Whitney Moore, Hannah Anderson, Susan Sabia and Rachel Muir. Other troop members include Latasha Knopps and Breexi Overby. Leaders are Susan Nickolson, Ginia Riggs, Sylvia Sabia and Melissa Zech.

At the Court of Awards, the girls received many awards (badges, Interest Project Awards and pins) which they have earned during the Spring and Summer of 2009.

Rachel Muir is pictured receiving her Bronze Award Pin from her mother, and Junior Leader, Melissa Zech. To earn her Bronze Award, Rachel completed all of the preliminary requirements and completed a special project. Her project was to develop a scrapbook and brochure on Day Cares in Scottsboro. It is her hope that newcomers will take advantage of the information that she gathered. Her scrapbook and copies of the brochure are available at the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce.

Junior Rachel Muir Bridged from Junior Girl Scouts to Cadette Girl Scouts. Hannah Anderson, Whitney Moore and Susan Sabia bridged from Senior Girl Scouts to Ambassador Girl Scouts.

The ceremony concluded with all girls and leaders re-committing themselves to another year in Girl Scouts.

Publix Charities Invests in Girl Scout Healthy Living Programs

Publix Supermarket Charities recently donated $6,000 to the Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama’s Healthy Living Initiative. Programs in this initiative include Girl Talk 101, Kids in the Kitchen, Mirror Mirror, Girl Power, Body Image Ads and Me, and a variety of safety and first aid programs. Thank you for your support!

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Thanks To Those Who Helped Get the Commemorative Coin Act Passed!

The U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate have passed the Girl Scouts USA Commemorative Coin Act!!! The bill now goes to President Obama for his signature, and will possibly become law by the end of October. This victory would not have been possible without the efforts of thousands of Girl Scout supporters—girls, alumnae, volunteers, parents, staff, board members, and friends who wrote, e-mailed, and called their members of Congress. In fact, more than 40,000 messages were sent from Girl Scouts all over the nation. What an amazing tribute to the impact Girl Scouting has had on its 50 million past and current members.

The Girl Scouts Centennial Commemorative Coin will be minted in 2013, marking the end of the celebration of our first 100 years and the beginning of our second century of leadership. Proceeds from the sale of the coin will be used for critically needed restoration and improvements to the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace. This investment will protect this national treasure and ensure it continues to inspire and benefit current and future Girl Scouts for years to come.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Girl Scout Creates Mural Using 4500 Bottle Caps

As part of a community service project to earn her Bronze Award in Girl Scouts, Naomi created an 8' x 8' art mural using approximately 4,500 bottle caps. For 2 months, she collected bottle caps from friends, family, Friendship Community Church, and the Oxford Y for Now. She also asked The Donoho School and C.E. Hanna Elementary School to hold a bottle cap contest to see which class in each school could collect the most bottle caps. At the end of 3 weeks, Naomi had more than 32,000 bottle caps.

Once the bottle caps were collected from everyone, she sorted the caps by color and then washed them in laundry bags in the washing machine with bleach. In the mean time, Naomi drew and painted the bottle cap picture onto two full sheets of plywood. After the painting was complete, she, along with her Girl Scout troop and their parents spent two Sundays (approximately 44 hours of labor) individually screwing the bottle caps into the plywood to create a unique piece of recycled art.

Naomi chose bottle caps to create an art piece because she is passionate about art, recycling, and helping to conserve the Earth's resources. Later, her choice of bottle caps became even more special because she learned that most recyclers do not recycle the bottle caps themselves, even when put into recycling bins. In the process of bottling goods, bottle caps have chemicals put on them that make cleaning them costly and inefficient for time management when recycling.

It is Naomi's hope that her project will inspire others to become more aware of what they can do to reuse what others may think of as "trash" in unique ways in order to better protect the environment.

The mural is currently on display at the Oxford Public Library.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Girl Scouts Meet Condoleezza Rice!

Three Girl Scouts recently had the opportunity meet Dr. Condoleezza Rice at the annual Chairman's Dinner hosted by the Business Council of Alabama. Senior Girl Scouts Alexis Long-Daniels and Rachel Bell of Troop 208 and Ambassador Girl Scout Emily Carlton of Troop 423 led the Pledge of Allegiance at the dinner in front of 1000 business leaders and elected officials. In addtition to meeting Dr. Rice, the girls met business leaders and elected officials from around the state at a VIP reception prior to the dinner.














Thursday, October 15, 2009

Girl Scouts Recognize Domestic Violence Month

Domestic Violence is a problem that knows no age, social boundaries or class distinction. It affects thousands of women and families. Children and teens are just as much at risk for domestic violence as adults. Most children in homes with domestic violence know about the violence. They can feel helpless, scared and upset. They may also feel like the violence is their fault. Children who live with domestic violence in their homes are afraid for their parents and themselves and often feel bad that they cannot stop the abuse. If they try to stop the fight, they can be hurt. Children can also be physically hurt by things that are thrown or weapons that are used.

Children who live in homes with domestic violence can have many problems. They can have trouble sleeping, have self-esteem issues, trouble in school and getting along with others. These problems can get worse as the child gets older and create a cycle of abuse and violence.

As recent studies by the Girl Scout Research Institute have revealed, girls believe that both physical and emotional health are important. In Feeling Safe: What Girls Say, approximately 35% of teen girls say they are most concerned about "being attacked with a weapon" and “being forced to do something sexual." A 16-year-old says she feels unsafe when "someone I trust shows me that I was mistaken about them.”

For teens, domestic violence can include being in a relationship with someone who is very jealous and/or spies on/stalks you, someone who will not let the relationship end, someone who hits, slaps, kicks or hurts you in any way, forces you to participate in sexual activities, or someone who abuses drugs or alcohol and/or pressures you to use drugs or alcohol.

During the month of October, the Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama encourages the community to educate themselves on how to recognize the signs of domestic violence and how to cultivate healthy relationships.

Girl Scouts believes all girls have a right to a life free from violence, whether in their relationships, homes, schools or communities. Girl Scouts has developed and implemented strong age-appropriate violence prevention initiatives for girls. The Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama has hosted several programs where teenage girls participate with their parents/guardians to learn about different types of violence and other forms of aggression that teens most often encounter. Programs geared towards younger girls educated them on how to form healthy relationships with people of all ages and also learn conflict resolution skills.

If you are in danger or need to seek help, call your local hotline, or the U.S. National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. If you suspect a child has been a victim of domestic violence, you may also call your local Department of Human Resources.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Michelle Obama Becomes National Honorary President of Girl Scouts of the USA

Girl Scouts of the USA is pleased to announce that First Lady Michelle Obama has agreed to serve as its Honorary National President.

“It is my great pleasure to serve as Honorary National President of Girl Scouts,” said Mrs. Obama. “With their innovative new programming, ground-breaking research, and emphasis on service and leadership, Girl Scouts is preparing the women of tomorrow to be a positive force for change – in their own lives, their communities, and across the globe.”

In accepting the position, Mrs. Obama takes her place in a tradition stretching back to 1929, when Lou Henry Hoover became the first Honorary National President of the Girl Scouting movement. Since then, each successive First Lady has served in this post.

Girl Scouts plan to work with the First Lady on areas of mutual concern, such as healthy living, public service and leadership.

“From bullying to obesity to concern over the economy, our nation’s girls are facing significant challenges,” said Kathy Cloninger, Chief Executive Officer, Girl Scouts of the USA. “Girl Scouts is excited to work with the First Lady’s office to ensure that all girls can overcome the challenges they face, and that they have the skills, resources and opportunities they need to become strong, independent young leaders.”

“Girl Scouts can help girls from every background develop their self-confidence and leadership ability, and encourage them to make a difference in the world,” said Connie L. Lindsey, Girl Scouts of the USA National Board Chair. “The First Lady is a passionate, brilliant and inspirational woman – a fantastic role model for girls across the country. We look forward to an active and mutually rewarding partnership on issues important to girls’ lives.”

“We’re pleased with the role that the First Lady of the United States traditionally plays in Girl Scouting,” Hilary Perry, Director of Public Relations and Marketing for the Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama, states. “Their involvement raises awareness about and reiterates the importance of our programs.”

PHOTO: First Lady Michelle Obama, accepting her role as Girl Scouts Honorary National President, with Kathy Cloninger, CEO, and Connie L. Lindsey, National President, Girl Scouts of the USA, at an October 7 White House event on astronomy. Since its founding, Girl Scouts has encouraged girls’ interest in science and technology, and has enjoyed a longtime partnership with the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA).

Adopt-a-Campus

Troop 182 volunteered to begin its Adopt-A-Campus cleanup campaign during the Summer of 2009 to remove litter and debris from the high-traffic campus of Thompson Intermediate School, where most of the girls attend school.

The clean-up project included picking up trash, pulling weeds and pruning trees around the campus with a concentration on two court yards and front and side flower beds.

Members of Troop 182 include Salem, Kiera, Marlana, Mikyla, Jillian, Jasmine, Lindsey and Samantha.



Tuesday, October 6, 2009

That's Art-Rageous!

Girls recently had the chance to let their creative side show! They discovered ways to create new colors and learned about different kinds of art techniques and created their own piece of outrageous, funky art! For more photos, click here!

Monday, October 5, 2009

Spanish Workshop for Lawyers and Let’s Learn Espanol


Heather recently earned her Gold Award by hosting a Spanish workshop for attorneys to educate them about the Hispanic culture. Speakers addressed a wide range of issues, barriers, struggles and provided a different perspective of the Hispanic community. Her project also included a Spanish/English curriculum that she created for the early Learning Center at the Church at Brookhills. By organizing her project, Heather realized there are many things she can do to benefit her community. She also learned that the amount of resources have an effect on a project, and the organizer must find ways to complete the project by using alternate means. According to Heather, “you must do what you can to make a difference.”

She graduated from Spain Park High School and now attends Samford University.

The Gold Award is highest level of Girl Scout achievement. This award recognizes the Senior & Ambassador Girl Scout’s commitment to herself, her community, and her future. The girl who goes for the Gold embraces challenges, achieves excellence, and works diligently to make the world a better place, in her own unique way. Her leadership, vision, and boundless energy is an inspiration to all Girl Scouts. Each girl earning her Gold Award demonstrates excellence through a leadership project totaling more than 65 hours. Girls who earn their Gold Award are also recognized by the President of the United States, the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Armed Services, state legislatures, colleges and universities for admission and scholarship opportunities, and the American Legion.