Welcome back to another year of Girl Scouting

Farewell summer, it's time for troops to kick off another year of Girl Scouting!  Welcome new leaders to the Council's email newsletter. This update goes out one to two times a month to Girl Scout volunteer and employed staff, interested parents and alumnae so we can keep you abreast of what's going on, event updates, training information etc. Feel free to forward it to leaders who may not yet be on the list, but encourage them to sign up for the newsletter themselves at www.girlscoutssela.org.

Fall Product Sale kick-off at the Aquarium

Girl Scouts will kick off the Fall Product Sale at an Aquarium of the Americas event on September 8! The aquarium will be open 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and cost to attend is $4.50 per girl/adult. Although the sale is for Brownie – Senior Girl Scouts, Daisy Girl Scouts may attend the kick off. Four hour parking is available at the Hilton Riverside for $5. The registration deadline is 11 a.m., Friday, August 31, and admission is pre-paid, non-refundable, and good the day of the event only. Packets which will include some self-guided activities should be picked up at the Service Center prior to the event.

The Fall sale of nuts and candy is September 15-October 7 and troops will deliver the products to customers the week of November 12. Troops earn $1 for every item sold, and $2 for every address booklet completed (one per girl). Since this money is pre-collected, the troop receives their proceeds immediately. Click here for more information.

Community service opportunities

The Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation is holding its annual Beach Sweep on Saturday, September 15, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Interested in participating, contact JoAnn Burke at (504) 836-2238 or joann@saveourlake.org.

Troops are invited to Fontainebleau State Park for National Public Lands Day on Saturday, September 29. Troops must pre-register by September 14.

Become a Green Angel!

A great way to volunteer is to become a program volunteer consultant and help plan and participate in Council-wide events and activities. Additionally, volunteer troops/ volunteers, please contact the program department in order to sign up for an activity at events like our Fall Festival or GIRLfest!

Leaders Enrichment Weekend

Get out your calendars and mark off October 12-14 as the can’t miss dates for the fall. This year’s theme is “It’s Amazing … Learning is Fun!” Come and join us for a weekend of networking, friendship, learning and FUN. There will be workshops for leaders/advisors of all age levels and experience. Don’t miss out on the one weekend that you leave the kids at home and enjoy being an adult Girl Scout. Registration information will be mailed in September.

Save the Date for Fun

Program registration information is available in your Program Planning Calendar being distributed at service unit meetings but also available online. Just a few of the events include:

• Tulane Cheer Clinic and Football Night- September 15. Cheer clinic: 2:30-3:30 p.m. Gates open at 5, kick-off at 6. $15 clinic and game ticket, $10 game ticket only. Must be pre-ordered.
• Faust Opera Orientation - September 29, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Service Center. Performance is October 17 at 7 p.m. Cadette/Senior. Free.
• Girl Scout Night with UNO Volleyball, with clinic after the game - September 22 at 5 p.m. $2 for girls and adults if ordered ahead. Date/different from what was published in program calendar.
• Swamp Canoe Trip - September 29, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Canoe Bayou, east of Fontainebleau State Park, Cadette/Senior, $5.
• Chemistry Fun Day- October 6, 1:30-4:30 p.m., Juniors. $8 per girl.
• Evening at National WWII Museum, 6-10 p.m., Juniors, $10 per girl.
• LUMCON Science Research Weekend - October 20-21 or December 15-16. Junior Girl Scouts. $35 per girl, $35 per adult.
• Me & My Pal (Dad & Me) weekend at CWP - November 30-December 2. Brownie – Senior Girl Scouts with their dad/grandparent/uncle/appropriate adult male. $35 per girl, $25 per adult.

Fall Festival at CWP

Celebrate the Girl Scout founder's birthday during a day at camp packed with fun activities. The  Fall Festival is for Girl Scouts, ages 5 to 17, on Saturday, November 3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The cost is $8 per girl (Safety-Wise ratio adults $1 for site fee). If camping overnight, cost is $7 per girl for program. All camping fees apply. To register, complete the event registration form. Registration deadline is October 19, and confirmations will be mailed by October 24. Note: Fee includes site fee, program fees and one patch per girl. Bring a sack lunch.

Girl Scout Cabins Print available

Now available in the Council Shop, this limited edition 18" x 34" signed and numbered print was created by Girl Scout alumnae and volunteer Julie LeBlanc. Only 250 were printed in honor of the Girl Scout 95th anniversary. One hundred percent of the proceeds benefit the Girl Scouts of southeast LA. Drawings are of McFadden Cabin, a CWP A-Frame, and the Nature Center at Camp Covington.

G-Scoutmate Record Keeping Software

Since being released in 1992, G-Scoutmate has been said to have saved thousands of leaders time (and sanity) when it comes to keeping track of their records. With an easy to use interface, numerous reports and comprehensive recordkeeping, G-Scoutmate makes recordkeeping a snap. It is available for sale in the Council Shop for $29.95 and for those who have purchased it in the past, there is updated software available for download from their website at http://www.kscgroup.com/gscoutmate.htm