100th Anniversary Display at Midlothian Library

Elaine Chenette (a former leader) put together a display in the Midlothian branch library to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts. Included in the display are a former sash and Junior and Cadette books. The display will be up through February. If you get a chance, stop by to see it with your daughter or other scouts, too!

Free Lance Star Newspaper Article about GS Cookie Sale

Sweet tradition is teaching tool, too
Selling Girl Scout cookies teaches girls business skills
BY CATHY JETT Date published: 2/11/2012

BY CATHY JETT
Those colorful boxes of Girl Scout cookies now on sale are more than just an annual sweet treat.
They're also giving the girls who sell them some early lessons in business smarts, from learning how to count change to developing marketing plans to setting--and reaching--goals.
"One of the most important is people skills; learning to talk to people, learning to accept 'no' and 'yes' gracefully," said Tracey Miller, service unit director for the 17 troops in the Battlefield Girl Scouts.
This year's round of sales, which launched Jan. 13 and will end April 1, also kicks off the Girl Scouts' 100th anniversary. The organization got its start when Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low gathered 18 girls from Savannah, Ga., on March 12, 1912, for a local Girl Scout meeting.
Members of the Battlefield troops have set their sales goals higher this year because part of the proceeds will be used to help defray the cost of a trip this summer to the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace, a Girl Scout national center in Savannah. Other trips will be planned for the girls who are unable to go.
Miller, who also leads Troop 784, said the 29 girls in her unit have set a total goal of selling 4,000 boxes this year, and one girl has a personal goal of selling 1,000. If she reaches it, she'll get a brick with her name on it placed at the Pamunkey Ridge Girl Scout Camp in Doswell.
"We just took in our initial orders," Miller said. "So far, she's sold 400."
Cookie sales season begins with training sessions, which cover sales techniques and safety issues. The girls also set their goals and discuss ideas for encouraging sales, such as telling potential customers that buying cookies will enable them to meet those goals or asking if they'd like to donate a box to the troop's community service project or a Girl Scout Council approved "gift of caring."
"Last year we went to Quantico and delivered donated cookies," said Miller. "The girls learn about giving that way."
Girl Scouts can sell cookies by going door to door with their parents or by "tailgating" with their troop leaders, that is piling boxes of cookies into red wagons and walking with the leaders through neighborhoods to sell door to door.

Read the rest of the article here.

Troop 3189 Completes Community Service Projects

Troop 3189 has been hard at work completing their community service projects.  Some of their accomplishments include:

• Having a Juliette Birthday party and donating all the presents to the Salvation Army.
• Continuing to collect peanut butter for the Fredericksburg Food Bank, as they are in SEVERE need for this.  3189 donates about 30 jars a month and will continues doing so until June.
• Volunteering at the Greenfield Nursing Home.  The girls go and visit the residents and play games on the weekends or when they have time. Troop 3189 also has 3 girls working on their Bronze Award with them.

 Keep up the great work Ladies!

Adventure to DC!

Girl Scouts from Troop 585 of Hopewell, Troop 318 of Dinwiddie, and Boy Scouts from Hopewell Pack 282 were recent visitors to Our Nation’s Capitol, Washington, D.C. The group visited historic sites such as the Washington Monument, the Smithsonian Institute, Lincoln Memorial and The Capitol. The highlights of the trip included touring the White House, pictured above, and enjoying an afternoon at the National Zoo. The scouts were accompanied on their chartered bus tour by family members and friends, totaling 60 people.  

All together in Hopewell

Girl Scout Troop 585 from Hopewell recently participated in their combination Court of Awards, Bridging and Fly – Up Ceremonies, in front of a packed house of over 100 people attending. The Court of Awards offers the opportunity for Girl Scouts to be awarded badges and patches that they have earned.  The Bridging and Fly-Up Ceremonies occur when Girl Scouts have completed required activities to move to the next level of Girl Scouting.  The troop consists of 28 Girl Scouts, representing Daisies, Brownies, Juniors and Cadettes from grades Kindergarten through 7th, and 10 leaders.  As part of their program, all the girls joined to build a Daisy Flower Poster, using the Girl Scout Promise, Girl Scout Law, Girl Scout Motto and Girl Scout Slogan to form the center, petals, stem and leaves of the flower.  A reception followed the combination ceremony.

Proof you're making a difference!

Never too young to give back!

Our troop 527 gave back to their school with their earnings from cookies this year. The girls are daisies and brownies. They sold just under 3000 bxs this year and was able to give back $450.00 to their school for playground equipment that needs repairs and remodeling. We were put in our local paper and the link is below. I wanted to be sure to share and show that girls at any age in scouting "Can make the World a Better Place".

Angela Sootkoos
Troop Leader 527
SUD Director Lake Anna