Meet Soiree Role Model Niki Harris

Niki Harris is accounting manager at Southern Nuclear. Her community involvement includes the Rotaract Club of Birmingham and Girls, Inc. of Central Alabama Committee of 25.

Niki’s community service has taught her that giving and serving are some of the best ways to learn more about yourself and to develop as a leader.

Her proudest accomplishment was running her first marathon. She says remembers when she could barely run a mile, so “to go from one to 26.2 was a pretty big deal.”

In addition to running and serving her community, Niki also loves to travel and eat at restaurants. She says, “I would love to be a travel and restaurant reviewer!”

Niki is a Soiree Role Model. Watch her rock the runway on July 17 at Rosewood Hall in Homewood's SoHo Square. 

Meet Soiree Role Model Jason Eppenger

Jason is commercial relationship manager at Wells Fargo Bank. In his community he serves as a board member and treasurer for the Central Alabama Chapter of Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, a board member for the Jefferson County Child Development Council, a coach for Upward Youth Sports at Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church, and a teen church instructor at Galilee Baptist Church.

Jason learned his most valuable lesson from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., when he said, “Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”

Jason says this quote proved to him that a title or appointment is not required to create lasting change. “You just have to be willing to give of yourself for the greater good of others,” he said.

Jason is most proud of the accomplishments achieved by the staff and board of the Central Alabama Chapter of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America. Together they have raised more than one million dollars, which has led to the establishment of a new adult care clinic, improved access to services and resources, and additional support for research to cure the disease.

Jason is a Soiree Role Model. Watch him walk the runway on July 17 at Rosewood Hall: http://girlscoutsnca.org/donors/special-events/soiree/.

Meet Danielle Downing, Soiree Role Model

Danielle Downing will walk the runway as a Role Model at the fifth annual Soiree on July 17. She is marketing manager for Burr & Forman LLP. She has been involved with Rotaract Club, Sight Savers for America Junior Board, Kings Home and Leadership UAB Class of 2011. She has also served as marketing chair for UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Young Supporter’s Board and as Birmingham membership chair for the Legal Marketing Association. Danielle was not a Girl Scout, but she has been an avid consumer and promoter for Girl Scout Cookies for about 20 years.

“I certainly admire Girl Scouts and its mission to create and develop courage and confidence in girls,” she says.

Danielle is no stranger to finding her own courage. Her proudest accomplishment is skydiving. She is proud of herself for finding the courage within herself to take the plunge. “It was one of the best experiences of my life [to see] things from that perspective,” Danielle says.

Serving her community is important to her. Danielle believes it is important to step back from the business of work and home routines, and think about what really matters.

“You could answer 1,000 emails a day, implement business strategies or get everything done on your to-do-list, and yet none of it will give you the joy and sense of accomplishment like serving others will,” she says.

Watch Danielle rock the runway on July 17! Get your early bird tickets here.

West Alabama Women to be Recognized

The Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama will recognize 10 women at the Women Who Serve West Alabama dinner on Thursday, February 28, 2013, from 5-7 p.m. at the University Church of Christ in Tuscaloosa. Alabama’s First Lady, Mrs. Dianne Bentley, will be the special guest. Women recognized at this reception represent Bibb, Fayette, Greene, Hale, Hamilton, Lamar, Marengo, Perry, Pickens, Sumter and Tuscaloosa counties. 

Easty Lambert-Brown (pictured), Owner of Borgo Publishing, will receive the 2013 Karen LaMoreaux Bryan Lifetime Achievement Award. This award is given to a woman who has demonstrated a lifelong dedication to making the world a better place through service to her community.

The 2013 Women Who Serve West Alabama Honorees are:

• Annette Cook of Tuscaloosa, Director, The SOAR Institute, Shelton State Community College 
• Sharon Cosby of Tuscaloosa, Case Manager, Temporary Emergency Services 
• Ruth Dailey of Tuscaloosa, Community Volunteer 
• Audrey Ellis of Tuscaloosa, Coordinator of Social Services, Tuscaloosa City Schools 
• Mary Nell Hallman of Tuscaloosa, Vice President-Commersial Lender, Bryant Bank 
• Dr. Linda Forte of Tuscaloosa, Director of Nursing, Stillman College 
• Eva Owens of Tuscaloosa, Office Administrator, Van Hoose & Steele Funeral Service 
• Lamea "Elle" Shaaban-Magana of Tuscaloosa, Director, Women's Resource Center 
• Marsha Sprayberry of Tuscaloosa, Director, Project Blessing 

As of January 11, 2013, primary benefactors for the reception are Mercedes-Benz and Regions Bank. To purchase tickets or for sponsorship information, please contact Kelly Connelly at 800-734-4541 x1030, or visit http://girlscoutsnca.org/womenwhoserve. Tickets to the reception are $50 each, and $40 for Girl Scout members.

Girl Scout Art Museum Day

This fall, several Girl Scouts earned art badges by participating in hands-on activities on Girl Scout Art Museum Day at the Huntsville Museum of Art. They learned about the visual arts while earning a badge or patch. Girls went on a docent-led tour and participated in an animal-themed mixed media art activity program. They learned about the elements of art – color, line, shape and texture - while developing their own artistic vision. Media included collage, watercolor, crayon and pencil, and other materials for embellishment. The Girl Scouts also toured the Museum’s exhibitions Art in Clay: Masterworks of North Carolina Earthenware, Buccellati Silver Animals, and Sellars Collection by American Women.

Cake Queens

Several girls Spent their Veteran's Day holiday off learning how to make cakes from scratch, and decorate cakes and cupcakes like the pros. They learned how to make icing, how to troubleshoot common challenges that come up when baking, and how to use icing bags and tips.

The girls also got a little unexpected engineering experience while they built their castle cake. Girls designed plans to build their castle which included assessing the foundation, crafting towers and building a bridge with cake and other sweet-toothed treats.

Festival of Trees - Holiday Ornaments

At the Festival of Trees - Holiday Ornaments program in Florence earlier in November, girls helped create decorations for the 12’ tall, live fir tree that the council will enter in the Tennessee Valley Museum of Art’s Trees of Christmas display. The ornaments had a 100th anniversary theme.

Pictured (L-R): Girl Scout Brownies and Daisies from Troop 195 in Cherokee: Isabella, Maliya, Abby, Carli and Mallery.


Top L-R: Girl Scout Brownies and Daisies from Troop 195 in Cherokee: Lily, Isabella, Averilla, Mandy Borden (Leader), Kesley, Maliya
Bottom L-R: Kaeliegh, Desiree, Abby, Hailey, Mallery, Carli

Girl Scouts Hold 100th Anniversary Event at Ave Maria Grotto

Event Open to Non-Members

The Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama will hold their last 100th anniversary celebration at Ave Maria Grotto in Cullman on October 6, 2012. from 12:30–3:30 p.m. Girls will earn the Girl Scouts 100 anniversary patch for Catholics (program cost: $12 per girl, $3 per adult).  Non-members will pay an additional $12 membership registration fee (participation in a troop is not required to be a Girl Scout).

To attend the event, please contact Heather Sellers, program manager at 800-734-4541 x1238 or at hsellers@girlscoutsnca.org by September 27. There will be a recruitment table set up at the Grotto during the event for those who want to find out more about Girl Scouts and becoming a member. 

Girl Scouts Offer Expanded Opportunities

Volunteers Also Needed for 2012-2013

For over 100 years, Girl Scouts have been having fun while learning. Through our pathway opportunities, girls have opportunities to travel all over the country and internationally, explore science and technology, learn about finances and a healthy lifestyle, build valuable leadership skills and even learn about college. Girl Scout experiences are also, as much as possible, girl-led and encourage learning by doing.

Any girl age 5-17 can have real experiences like these through any of our six pathways. Girl Scout pathways allow girls to participate in Girl Scout programs through camp, traveling, a traditional troop setting, a virtual environment, a series of programs like our Yoga or Fancy Nancy series, or one-time events like our NASA space day or Juliette’s Jamboree. Girl Scouting is one of the most affordable extracurricular activities for girls. Scholarships are available for membership dues, camp scholarships and uniform insignia.

GSNCA has created some new activities for girls, including new travel opportunities such as trips to Savannah, GA; Gulf Shores and a European Tour.

“This is an exciting time to join Girl Scouting,” said Hilary Perry, director of communications and advocacy for GSNCA. “We’ve got more ways for girls to participate in programs through our six pathways, and we are improving volunteer services to include online training courses to make it easier to serve girls.”

GSNCA is always in need of troop leaders and other volunteers. Adults 19 or older both male and female, can help with programs, lead troops, volunteer with events, serve on committees, help at camp or work with girls virtually.

Visit girlscoutsnca.org/who-should-i-contact or call 800-734-4541 for more information.

About the Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama
2012 is the Year of the Girl in recognition of our 100th anniversary! Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama is a United Way community partner and serves 15,300 girls ages 5-17 and 5,000 volunteers across 36 counties. For more information on becoming a member, volunteering or pathway opportunities, call 800-734-4541 or visit girlscoutsnca.org.