GSCAB E-Alert

Welcome to GSCAB’s E-Alert – 11.16.07

Happy Thanksgiving

The Council Offices will be closed for Thanksgiving Wednesday, November 21 – Friday, November 23.

Camp Clean-up Day

There’s still time to register!

It’s time for fall cleaning at A Camp For All Seasons. Cooler weather is here and most of the bugs have gone away. Several upgrades have been made to the camp this year, including new refrigerators and new beds. Periodic cleaning is necessary to keep them in good condition. There is something for all ages. Let us know if you have a special talent such as plumbing or electricity. Bring your brooms and rakes!

When: November 18
Time: 12:00—4:00 pm ET
Where: A Camp For All Seasons
Who: All age levels
Cost: Free

Everyone receives a patch.
There’s still time to register. Call Mary Holdeen at (850) 386-2131 or (800) 876-9704, e-mail at mholdeen@gscab.org, or fax to (850) 386-2093.

Council-wide Food Drive

We are collecting non-perishable food items for Catholic Charities now through December. Deliver your donations to your next service unit meeting or drop off at either council office. Our goal is to collect one item from each Girl Scout member, girl and adult.

Items include:
Canned meats, fruits and vegetables
Pasta and rice
Oatmeal and grits
Dried beans
Powdered milk
Peanut butter and jelly
Ketchup and mayonnaise

News from Product Sales

We still have some nuts and candy available for sale. Troops can purchase items from the council shop less the troop commission of $1.00. Only item not in stock are the Pecan Supremes.

Troop Fall Product deposit slips were due to Service Unit Product Managers Thursday, November 15th. Those troops that have not given your Service Unit Product Managers your troop deposit slips please do so ASAP.

Troop Product Manager who placed Fall Product Recognition Orders, the recognitions are in so send in your nutty bucks and pick up your girl’s recognitions today.

Service Unit Product Managers cookie training is December 1, 2007 at the Blountstown Civic Center 10:00 am – 2:00 pm CT.

Troop Product Manager Cookie training for Hokolin, Toocheenan, Quihacha and Wakulla is scheduled for Monday, December 10, 2007 at the Leroy Collins Leon County Public Library located at 200 West Park Avenue . Time 6:30 pm ET - please be on time for this training. Please make every effort to attend. It you are unable to attend please send a representative from your troop. Come and sample the new cookies and take a look at the exciting incentives for the 2008 Sale .

Older Girl Forum

The next Oval Office is coming!! I hope you had fun at our last meeting! We’re going to play with a Nintendo Wii, begin to plan events for the spring and next fall. Bring a friend, a calendar, and any news articles you’d like to see in the next newsletter to this get together!!

Oval Office Meetings are open to any girl in grades 6-12:
Sunday December 2nd 2-4PM
Tallahassee Service Center

RSVP to Tracy : 1-800-876-9704 or tarnold@gscab.org by November 30, 2007.
The oval office will meet in Panama City on January 13, 2008.

Council Shop Saturdays

November 17
December 15
January 26
February 23
March 29
April 26
May 31

Shop hours on these days are 10am – 2pm ET.

Cookie Rallies

Mark you calendars NOW! There’s never been a cookie rally like this one. The GIRLS are the stars of the show as they showcase their talents.

January 5th—Cookie Rally Tallahassee
When: 1:00 pm—4:00 pm ET
Where: Perry Paige Auditorium, FAMU Campus
Who: All age levels
Cost: Free

January 12th—Cookie Rally Panama City
When: 1:00 pm—4:00 pm CT
Where: Panama City Service Center (formerly Blountstown Civic Center )
Who: All age levels
Cost: Free

Program Department Update

Date & Time Correction: Father/Daughter Campout
Date: February 16th (original date: February 9th)
Check-in time is 8:00 am ET, not 7:00 pm ET.

Pen Pals
There is a troop of 13 girls in Maine (10 Brownies and 3 Juniors) who would like to have a penpal troop in our council. Contact Tracy Arnold tarnold@gscab.org for troop information.

Outside Community Program Opportunities

Moscow Ballet The Great Russian Nutcracker 2007
Performances available at the Marina Civic Center in Panama City on December 20th at 7:30pm. There is also a performance at the Barbara B. Mann performing Arts Center in Ft. Myers , FL on December 26th and 27th at 7:30pm. Tickets are $21.00 For more information contact Shana Huban 800-320-1733, shana@nutcracker.com, or visit http://www.nutcracker.com
Dixie Stampede
Christmas at Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede. The season runs from October 27th through January 5th and includes, a living carousel, professional ice skating performance, holiday music, vivid holiday costumes, a friendly rivalry between the north and south poles, an appearance by jolly Old St. Nick, a living nativity, and four course feast. Make group reservations now at 866-443-4943
NAWIC Block Kids Building Program
Fun activity for children in grades 1 through 6 at the West Side Home Depot on Dec. 1st, 2007. They each get a package of 100 Legos to build their project, but can exchange the blocks as necessary. The minimum is 25 blocks. They also get to use three of the following four items: piece of rope, aluminum foil, rock (2” x 2”), or piece(s) of poster board as part of their creation. They have about 45 minutes to 1 hour to finish. The managers at Home Depot will be the judges (prizes are given to the top three winners).
We have plastic hard hats, goody bags and snacks for participants. Home Depot ties this in with their Kids Workshop where they can build a project (while the judging is going on). Last year four Girl Scouts attended, and they had a great time.
Elks MOST VALUABLE STUDENT COMPETITION
Applications for the Elks National Foundation's 2008 Most Valuable Student contest will be available beginning September 1, 2007 at the Tallahassee Elks Lodge or online. Applications for the 2008 contest have to be submitted to the local Elks Lodge by January 11, 2008. The Elks National Foundation will award 500 four-year scholarships to the highest-rated applicants in the 2008 competition.

• Any high school senior who is a citizen of the United States is eligible to apply.
• Applicants need not be related to a member of the Elks.
• College students are not eligible to apply.
• Applicants must be citizens of the United States on the date their applications are signed; resident alien status does not qualify.
• Male and female students compete separately.

Applicants will be judged on scholarship, leadership, and financial need. All scholarships are in the form of certificates of award conditional upon the full-time enrollment of the winner in an accredited U.S. college or university.

Applications must advance through local, district and state competition to reach the national competition. The Chicago office of the Elks National Foundation will announce the 500 national winners, and notify them in writing, around May 15, 2008. (Many local Lodges, districts and state Elks associations award their own scholarships through this program. These scholarships are not to be confused with the 500 Elks National Foundation Most Valuable Student Scholarships.)

Ranging from $1,000 per year to $15,000 per year, most Valuable Student scholarships are for students pursuing a four-year degree, on a full-time basis (minimum of 12 semester hours), in a U.S. American college or university. Requests for additional information should be addressed to the scholarship chairman of the local Lodge or of the Elks association of the state in which the applicant is a resident.

For more information, please contact: Julia Ferrell or Tom Walden at the Tallahassee Elks Lodge, 276 N. Magnolia Drive , 877-1652, or http://www.tallahasseeelks.org.

Council Awards

It’s time to nominate our adults for Council Level Awards! The awards deadline is fast approaching!

All nominations and endorsement letters for adult awards must be submitted to the Adult Awards Committee via the council office by Friday, December 14th in order to be included in the 2008 Adult Awards Ceremony at annual meeting in April.

Nomination forms and endorsement letter forms are located in the Forms Section of the Volunteer Resource Guide and can be downloaded from the council’s website at www.gscab.org/resources/forms.asp .

Also, if you have served for 5 years or more, fill out the Volunteer Years of Service and Tenure Pin application form [pdf] and submit your application to the council office so that you may be honored in April 2008!

Please contact Anne Hallman, (850) 544-3411, if you have questions or need help. This is your time to honor your peers!