FUN FACT: Juliette Gordon Low turns 150 years old on October 31st

Juliette Gordon Low was, and still is, an extremely important part of Girl Scouts. Without her, where would Girl Scouts be today? Her vision led to unlimited opportunities for girls nationwide, and we should acknowledge all of the wonderful things she did for us.

Did you know that Juliette Gordon Low came up with the idea of Girl Scouts after meeting the founder of Boy Scouts, Sir Robert Baden-Powell, in England in 1912? Girls were demanding a similar organization for themselves, so immediately after Juliette returned to the United States, she created Girl Scouts with the vision of helping girls become productive and responsible women. Girl Scouts began with just a small gathering of 18 girls and is now an international movement with over 3.7 million girl and adult members. Isn't that incredible!?

Due to her national recognition and success with Girl Scouts, Juliette Gordon Low was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1979. In 1983, President Ronald Regan signed a bill naming a new federal building in Savannah in honor of Juliette Gordon Low. it was the second federal building in US history to be named after a woman.

Girl Scouts throughout the country plan to recognize her birthday with parties, service projects, and events. Is your troop doing anything to acknowledge this special event? please let us know by posting a comment or sending us an e-mail at marcomm@girlscoutshcc.org.

Also, be sure to visit the GSHCC's new Program Center, featuring a historical museum packed with vintage uniforms and artifacts from Girl Scout past. Register online to visit the museum, where you can learn more about Juliette Gordon Low and the history of Girl Scouts.

Do you know a lot about Juliette Gordon Low? Click here to take a quiz and find out.

The Girl Scout Shop is YOUR Resource

The Girl Scout Shop is a great resource for leaders and parents that need ideas or have questions. The shop staff has decades of Girl Scout experience and can answer questions ranging from which patch to buy to the Girl Scout Gold Award. Click here to meet the staff...

The shop also has a Girl Scout library that includes books with project ideas and tapes/Cd's with Girl Scout songs to sing at troop meetings. Everything in the library can be checked out free of charge.

The new fall fashion clothing line is in the shop now and new items are being put on the shelves everyday. Click here to view some of the fall fashion line...

Also, don't forget all profits fund services for your local Girl Scouts! Visit the shop today...

Forever Green Day!

Did you know that Forever Green Day is this Wednesday, October 6th?

Forever Green Day is a day specifically dedicated to celebrating the sisterhood of Girl Scouts and acknowledging that once you're a Girl Scout, you're always a Girl Scout.

Girl Scouts has played an important role in the lives of many girls nationwide. We love hearing about the amazing things that Girl Scouts has done for girls, such as teaching them valuable skills, giving them incredible opportunities, creating lifelong memories, and letting them earn prestigious awards. Send us your Girl Scout stories by emailing us at marcomm@girlscoutshcc.org or if you've earned your Girl Scout Gold Award and would like to tell us about it click here.

The color green is obviously very symbolic to Girl Scouts, so the GSHCC Program Center plans to celebrate Forever Green Day by wearing green clothing and even eating green-colored food on October 6th! Be sure to let us know how you plan to celebrate Girl Scouts on Forever Green Day by leaving a comment or sending us an email at marcomm@girlscoutshcc.org.

Follow our Forever Green Day 2010 countdown on Facebook (click here to view our fan page) and be sure to make your Facebook status about Forever Green Day as a way to show your Girl Scout pride and remind others about the special day.

Fall Troop Rebate Available Online Now

Did you know that all purchases made at the Girl Scout Shop September 1st through November 30th will earn your troop a rebate to use at the Girl Scout Shop if you sign up for the Fall Troop Rebate? Five percent of all purchases made (online and in-store) when you sign up for the Fall Troop Rebate will be returned to your troop as a certificate in the begining of January. This certificate can be used in the Girl Scout shop until the end of February. Sign-up your troop online anytime before November 30th to earn your rebate on all purchases made after September 1st through November 30th.

Troop leaders can sign-up their troop to be a part of the Fall Troop Rebate program by simply clicking here.

Stylish hoodies, sweaters, leggings, sweatshirts, sweats, plaid shirts, rugby shirts and long-sleeved t-shirts will keep them both fashionable and warm this season, while the cute new Girl Scout bracelets and watches will help accesorize their outfits. Our interns are especially fond of our newest fall fashion apparel and had a blast modeling it for our blog and website.

Don't forget that the Annual Sale is still happening, so come into the Girl Scout Shop anytime until September 30th to receive 20% off on all regularly priced apparel for girls, teens, and adults (when you spend $25 or more). Excludes official uniform vests, sashes, tunics, and clearance items. After the annual sale, outerwear will continue to be 20% off until October 15th.

"How I Spent My Summer Vacation" by Troop 1107

For their last hurrah before school started, Lincoln Girl Scouts Cadette Troop 1107 took an extended trip to the coastal town of Santa Cruz. In Girl Scouts, an extended trip requires advanced planning, which the girls did during the spring and summer months before taking off to the beach. Paperwork, budgeting, meal planning, grocery shopping and mapping routes are just a few of the details that needed addressing before the girls could gain permission from Council to hit the road. Once they were given permission, it was "Santa Cruz, here we come!" The girls spent three nights at the Santa Cruz Hostel, a beautiful Victorian multi-building complex just two short blocks from the Boardwalk. They slept dormitory-style, and prepared and ate most of their meals in beautifully-equipped kitchen and dining room accommodations. Among the highlights of their trip were the carnival rides on the Boardwalk (of course!) a trip to the nearby Mystery Spot, a day at the beach, and a fancy dinner out at a lovely Wharf restaurant. Not only did Troop 1107 have loads of fun, but they also learned the importance of planning ahead and being prepared for the unexpected while away from home. Now, as seasoned travelers, they are also eager to share their experiences with other troops who might be interested in planning an extended trip of their own. What a great way to spend your summer vacation! Go Girl Scouts!

How to Spend Cookie Credits

A mom from troop 1352 wrote in and said, "We are very grateful to be in a Girl Scout troop and have an awesome troop leader. As a Girl Scout mom I have learned different ways for the girls to use their cookie credits. For example, in 2008 the troop earned enough credits to renew our season passes to Monterey Bay Aquarium. Before we renewed our season passes we got to go scuba diving in 38-degree water! We didn't dive in the ocean with all the sharks and animals, we were able to dive in the ocean tide pool. This is a moment we will never forget. Also, we got to go behind the scenes to feed the fish, stingrays, etc., and learned a little about each animal like where they came from and how old they are."

We Might Be Looking For You!

We are looking for all recipients of the highest Girl Scout Award


As we prepare for our 100th anniversary in 2012, we want to recognize local women who achieved the highest award in Girl Scouts at a council-wide celebration. We want to highlight achievers, but we need to find these past recipients of our highest award. If you, or your advisor, or leader, know of anyone who is a past award winner, please copy and paste the form below into an e-mail and e-mail your answers to us at marcomm@girlscoutshcc.org.





Name of Past Award Winner:


E-mail:


Address:


Phone:





Years in Girl Scouts ______ - _______





Award Achieved & Year


_________ Golden Eaglet 1916 - 1919


_________ Golden Eaglet of Merit 1919 - 1939


_________ First Class Rank 1933 - 1963


_________ Curved Bar Award 1940 - 9163


_________ First Class Award 1963 - 1980


_________ Girl Scout Gold Award 1980 - 2010