GSNCA destinations Surveys - Girls Only!

We are beginning to plan our GSNCA destinations trips listed in the 2011-2012 Program Planner and we would like girls' input. If you are interested in going on the trip to Hershey PA, Washington DC (Rock the Mall), or to Southern CA, please click on one of the links below and let your voice be heard. This survey opportunity is for girls only. Remember, the price for the trip will be determined based on the activities chosen. Deadline for filling out surveys is September 1, 2011.

Hershey, PA:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HersheyPA

"Rock the Mall" Washington, DC:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RockTheMall

Southern California:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SouthernCali

Two Girl Scouts Represent the US at Guiding Mosaic in Canada

What did you do today? Troop 285 Seniors Amanda and Savannah spent two weeks in Ontario, Canada at Guiding Mosaic 2010. Guiding Mosaic was the Western Hemisphere centennial celebration for Girl Guides / Girl Scouts hosted by the Girl Guides of Canada. A total of 2300 girls and 500 adults from 15 countries including the United States, Canada, South Africa, Bangladesh, Australia, New Zealand and the UK were present to celebrate the progression of Girl Scouts throughout the years. To demonstrate the different cultures present, each girl wore the Girl Scout uniform from their country to orientation. Though Amanda and Savannah were among the 27 girls representing the United States, they were the only two girls representing the Southeastern United States. The camp was divided into 11 neighborhoods, each representing a decade of Girl Guiding from 1910 to 2010. The girls remained in camp for most of the trip but did get the opportunity to take a trip around Ontario and even see Niagara Falls. Guiding Mosaic was a great opportunity that brought girls together from around the world to celebrate the history and the future of Girl Scouts.

Girl Scouts Learn About the Coast at Dauphin Island

Pictured: (left to right) Nyia, LaPrease, Briana, LaTisha,
Shauna and Olivia

What Did You Do Today? Seniors from Troop 362 in Homewood and Cadettes from Troop 229 in Westwood participated in a trip to Mobile to complete their “Shore to Sea” Interest Project Award. On the first day they participated in an educational workshop before embarking on a two and a half mile walk along the coastline. Along the way, they learned about the fragile ecosystem and picked up trash in preparation for any oil coming ashore. Later, the girls swam in the ocean, grilled hotdogs and s’mores, and had a night crab hunt. The next morning they went out on one of the Dauphin Island research vessels, “The Discovery,” where they learned how to identify various types of fish and other sea life in the estuaries. They had the opportunity to study plankton under a microscope and assist with two fish hauls by identifying the gender and species of the fish that were caught. After their sea adventure, the girls left Dauphin Island to spend the night in Mobile. While in Mobile, they toured the historic district, ate peanuts at the “Peanut Shop,” and toured The USS Alabama battleship. The girls declared this one of their favorite trips with their only regret being they didn’t stay any longer.

 

Oak Mountain Girls Explore Gatlinburg

What did you do today? Troop 512 from Oak Mountain experienced the beauty of the outdoors during their five day trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The girls went on a horseback riding trip in Cades Cove and hiked to Laurel Falls in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Laurel Falls is a three- mile hike round trip with the gorgeous falls being a refreshing reward at the end of the trail. The girls brought sack lunches with them and had a picnic near the base before heading back. Everyone agreed that the view was well worth the hike and had a great time in the Smoky Mountains.

Troop 512 Travel to Savannah, Georgia

Junior Troop 512 from the Oak Mountain Service Unit recently returned from a five day trip to Savannah, Georgia (June 1-5, 2009). Seven scouts, six adults, and one lucky little brother tagalong stayed in the historic district of the city and enjoyed an itinerary jam-packed with activities. Girls participated in Confederate history at Old Fort Jackson, took a horse drawn carriage ride at night, spotted many dolphins on a cruise of the Savannah River, and earned the Coastal Georgia badge at Tybee Island. Of course, no Girl Scout trip to Savannah is complete without a tour of the Juliette Gordon Low birthplace, where girls and moms dressed in pinafores and played parlor games from the 1870s era. To top it all off, troop 512 bridged from Juniors to Cadettes in one of Savannah's downtown squares on our last evening there. The troop worked hard to earn money for the trip through the fall product sale, cookie sale, and two troop garage sales. Participants were Girl Scouts Sarah, Kaitlyn, Lauren, Hannah, Kelley, Sarah and Skyler. Adults were Randy and Brenae Dunaway with tagalong Kasey Hill, Dee Caldera, Celia Landrum, Donna Leonelli, and leader Sheila McCallum.

Troops 81 and 83 Travel to Atlanta and Asheville

December has been a great time to travel for First Presbyterian Church of Talladega's Girl Scout Troops 81 & 83. First the girls traveled with their moms to see the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina for the Candlelight Christmas Tour. There were Christmas trees in every room, lots of musicians throughout the home and beautiful decorations including a magnificent 35-foot Christmas tree. The girls also toured the Biltmore Winery, ate a special dinner in the Deerpark Restaurant and attended the Dickens Christmas Festival in the Biltmore Village.

The Girl Scouts also traveled to see the King Tut Exhibition in Atlanta entitled Tutankhamun- The Golden King and The Great Pharaohs. It has 130 objects from the tomb of King Tut and other famous Egyptian pharaohs. This was a special trip for the girls because most of the objects have never been seen in the United States.