Every Cookie has a Mission

Girl Scouts are now taking orders for Girl Scout cookies! Cookies will be delivered beginning February 26 and will be sold at various booth locations until March 14. 

Forms such as Gift of Caring donation receipts, various volunteer manuals, and even a cookie guide for families/parents, can be found on the council's website in the cookie section.

Is your Girl Scout using the all-new Cookie Club "ask" feature that allows girls to send emails safely asking for cookie promises, track orders online? Parent permission required, of course, but it's a great way for girls to learn online marketing safely!

Have you seen the new What Can a Cookie Do? viral video?  It's on the website at www.gsle.org but can also be shared by going to the video on YouTube.

Girl Scouts can officially raise money for the Haiti earthquake relief efforts

On January 22, Girl Scouts of the USA's executive committee of the board of directors adopted a special rule to allow girl members to engage in activities, which may include the direct solicitation of money, from January 14 through September 8, 2010, to support emergency relief for the January 12 earthquake disaster in Haiti.  Monies raised shall be contributed only to organizations on the approved list of agencies (listed below); additions to the list shall be approved by the National President and CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA.

As you know normally Girl Scouts are not allowed to raise money for other organizations (see Safety-Wise standard 33), but during certain catastrophic events such as the 2004 tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, and now Haiti, Girl Scouts has adopted a special rule, lifting this restriction.

Resident Camp Goes Green!

The 2010 Girl Scouts Louisiana East Resident Camp Information for Camp Marydale and Camp Whispering Pines is now online! There's also a Pathfinders troop summer camping session at Camp Covington! While camp brochures will not be mailed to all registered member households until next month, you can access the information now at  www.gsle.org/camping/residentcamp10.asp

Mail in your registration by Tuesday, March 23 to receive an Early Bird gift! Applications accompanied by a $50 deposit, mailed and received in our office by March 23 will receive a free camper t-shirt and camper patch! Applications mailed after March 23 will not be eligible to receive the early bird gift. Confirmation packets will be mailed starting April 1. We are also having a Early Bird Registration Night on Tuesday, March 23, from 5 to 7 p.m. at both the council headquarters, 741 S. Clearview Parkway, New Orleans or the Regional Service Center, 545 Colonial Drive. Bring your questions, deposits, and registrations forms.

Camp Open House at Camp Marydale and Camp Whispering Pines is Sunday, April 11, from 1 to 3 p.m. Open House is a perfect opportunity for girls and parents to explore camp, visit camp sites and receive information before camp begins. No registration to attend either open house is necessary.

Girl Scouts celebrate 98th birthday at Baton Rouge spring luncheon

Join us as we celebrate Girl Scouts' 98th birthday during the council's annual spring luncheon on Thursday, March 11, from 12 to 1 p.m. at the Lod Cook Alumni Center on LSU's campus in Baton Rouge. Please arrive by 11:30 a.m. for meet and greet.

Table captains (those who host a table at the luncheon made up of their friends) as well as luncheon sponsors are needed. Please contact Cerise McClendon at (800) 644-7571, ext. 2222 for additional information or if you would like to attend. Suggested minimum donation for the luncheon is $50.

February's patch of the month

February 22 is World Thinking Day, so it's appropriate that this month's patch puzzle has to do with World Thinking Day and its 2010 theme of world hunger. Click here for patch of the month page on the website.

Swing into Spring on March 27

Join us for Swing into Spring, a fun day of activities and friendship at Camp Marydale on Saturday, March 27, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cost is $10 per girl, $2 per Safety-Wise adult and the fee includes program fees and one patch per girl. Please try to limit the number of adult participneeds as each adult will be taking the spot that a girl could occants to Safety-Wise ratio and transportation upy. The registration deadline is March 5  and registration is limited, so get your troop signed up now. 

A few notable organizations that will be on hand with activities and presentations include BREC Bluebonnet Swamp, West Feliciana Parish Hospital, American Red Cross, DARE, Of Moving Colors, Louisiana Office of Public Health and more, as well as arts and crafts, face painting, games, and a special rodeo performance from the Girl Scout Wranglers! 

This year’s community service project will benefit the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, so have your troop conduct its own little drive and bring your donations to the event.

National Green Week is February 1-5

National Green Week 2010 (Feb. 1-5) is right around the corner, so don’t miss this opportunity to be part of the largest school based sustainability program in history! Over 2 million students will link hands in the following eco-challenge activities to plant 10,000 gardens, eliminate ½ lbs of trash and reduce by 5% combined utility costs, standards-based environmental lessons and activities accompany all programs:

- Waste-Free Snacks - Students nationwide will participate in the largest school based waste-reduction program of all time by simply pledging to carry their drinks and snacks in reusable containers for the week. The goal is to eliminate 500,000 pounds of trash from schools and landfills.

- Green Energy Challenge – Students will audit their classrooms, schools and homes to find energy leaks and correct them in an effort to reduce energy consumption. Audits and energy lessons for all grades accompany this program.

- Recycling Roundup – Students will collect all the recyclables they can and create new and improved recycling programs at their school.

- Green Thumb Challenge – Join GEF and Lowe’s in the largest youth gardening initiative in history calling on classrooms and schools to plant 10,000 gardens in the spring and summer of 2010!

There's some great activities and additional information on the National Green Week website.

Check out what Senior Girl Scout Jennifer Roques in Hammond is doing as her Girl Scout Gold Award Project which is also is Forever Green Project! She's planted a garden and is donating all the produce to the food pantry so that needy families can have a well-balanced diet. Click here to read more!

Sign up for February-March events

Don't miss out on some great council events this February and March! On the website calendar, go to the appropriate month and day, and click on the link for details including registration deadlines, age levels, times, cost, etc.

• 1/30 - National WWII Museum Day (all ages), New Orleans
• 2/6 - Bronze Award Workshop (Jr), Baton Rouge
• 2/6 - Women in Chemistry (Br and Jr), Baton Rouge
• 2/12-14 - Backpacking Adventure (Cad-Amb), Ville Platte
• 2/20 - Daisy Day at Camp (Daisy), Camp Marydale
• 2/20 - Colors & Shapes (Br), Baton Rouge
• FULL 2/20 - Contemporary Arts Center (All), New Orleans
• CLOSED 2/20 clinic and 2/26 game - Girl Scout Hornets Dance Clinic (girls 5-12).
• 2/20-21 - St. George Observatory Sleepover (Br-Amb), Shriever
• 2/27 - Goodwill Good Turn Day (All), All Goodwill locations
• 2/27 - Arbor Day (Jr-Amb), Camp Covington & Camp Marydale
• FULL 2/27 - Explore Scuba (Cad-Amb), Metairie
• FULL 2/27 - Ochsner Science Discovery Day (Jr), New Orleans
• FULL 3/6 - SPCA Girl Scouts & Critters Day (Daisy-Br and Jr), and 3/7 - (Cad-Amb), New Orleans
• 3/6 - Program Aide Core Training (Cad-Amb), New Orleans
• 3/6 - P.A. Arts & Crafts, Songs & Games Training (Cad-Amb), New Orleans
• 3/19-21 - Older Girl Weekend (Cad-Amb), Camp Whispering Pines
• 3/20 - Great American Cleanup (Br-Amb), Baton Rouge
• 3/27 - Swing Into Spring (All), Camp Marydale
• 3/27 - Daisy Fitness Fun (Daisy), Baton Rouge
• 3/27 - Girl Scout Tea at Longue Vue -Morning & Afternoon teas (All), Metairi
• 3/29 - 4/2 - Chicago Bound (Cad-Amb), Chicago