Events! - Getting Greener - Are You?

Hi all! I didn't get a post in last Friday as I was at a phenomenal womens' conference most of the weekend! (Feel free to ask me about it anytime.) Sunday our troop enjoyed a performance of The Nutcracker by the Placer Theatre Ballet. One of our very own girls performed the part of an angel. Today I woke up to the surprise of snow at our home outside of Sacramento. My girls were thrilled and proceeded to pelt me with snowballs before leaving for school. Now it's time to get caught up with the business at hand!

Did you know that the average American uses enough paper and wood products each year to equal a 100-foot-tall Douglas fir tree? (www.epa.gov) Considering the US population is upwards of 300 million people, we’re cutting down a lot of trees every year! Why does it matter? Trees make our planet habitable. They absorb carbon dioxide and turn it into oxygen that we can breathe. They also provide habitat for innumerable insects, birds and other animal species. In addition, trees provide shade, which lowers our energy use by keeping buildings cooler. So how can we decrease the demand for trees? It’s simple – use less paper and switch from virgin paper products to recycled paper products.

Girl Scouts Heart of Central California is “Going Green” and doing its part to save paper by decreasing the size of the Events! calendar and putting more of the details online. You can now find all the information you need about the activities being offered for your girl or troop at the GSHCC website. Once you access the website you can easily search for an event by the month it’s scheduled, alphabetically by event name, or by age level. Simply use the search categories featured on the left side of the page. All the information you need to know is listed in the event details including eligible age, date, time, location, fee, capacity and billing date. At the end of each event description is a pink “Register Now” button. All you have to do is click this link to sign up for your chosen event.

Do you have older girls in your troop? What is an “older girl” you ask? It varies by class but typically starts with girls that have completed at least 6th or 7th grade. The full year’s Older Girl Training calendar is at your fingertips online! Classes such as Program Aide, L.I.T., First Aide, Silver & Gold Awards, Backpacking and Leave No Trace are available! As with the events, all the pertinent details are included in the online description. Take advantage of these great opportunities for your girls to learn new leadership skills that will empower them to succeed!

Think you’ve got it all figured out? Don’t forget that things change! Make sure you check out the Special Events tab once in a while (bottom left)! Often events come up with short notice and they don’t make the regular calendar listing. They’ll be listed here with all of the important information. What’s coming up soon?

Dec 15 & 17: Camp Menzies Parent Information Night (various locations)
Jan 12, 14, 19 & 21: Camp Menzies Parent Information Night (various locations)

Start a conversation with your troop about their impact on the environment and how they can make changes. Need some ideas to start your girls talking? Check out the Environmental Protection Agency’s website. To point out just a few related links that you’ll find there: Pick 5 for the Environment; Protect the Environment; and For Youth - this takes you to an age targeted page which opens an array of topics and activities your girls could enjoy!

“Today’s Vision – Tomorrow’s World” (1972)

~MM