January 2017                                                                                                           www.gsle.org
In This Issue
Council Shop News
Council Shop News

The Council Shops will be open Saturday, January 7, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

We'll be celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Girl Scouts selling Cookies in 2017! Stop by either Council Shop and purchase all your cookie selling supplies while they are available.


The Council offices and shops will be closed on Monday, January 16, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Get 20% off our Martin Luther King fun patch, available in the shops, while supplies are still available.
FOREVER Girl Scouts
Winter Alumnae Camping Weekend dates set for January 27-29

The deadline to register for the FOREVER Girl Scouts  Winter Adult Camping Weekend is January 14!  The two events, set for January 27-29, 2017 at Girl Scout Camps Marydale in St. Francisville, and Whispering Pines in Independence are being planned for the same weekend. 

The following activities will be offered during the weekend - all participants arriving Friday evening will be able to sign up for the sessions. Archery, Canoe, Kayak/Paddle Board (CWP only), High Ropes/Climbing Wall (CWP only), Barn/Horses (CMD only), Low Ropes/Challenge Course (CMD only), Craft(s), Singing Circle, Hikes, Turtle Time, Cookouts, Evening Campfire, S'mores, and lots of FUN!

Fee to attend is $56 for the weekend (*$28 for   FOREVER club  members) Or $36 for 1 day only (*$18 for  FOREVER club  
members)  *Another perk for being a member of the "FOREVER a Girl Scout" club - it's half off!  Click here to register for our adult camping weekend.

Membership News
Invite-A-Friend

The  Invite-A-Friend-To-Volunteer campaign  has been extended to January 31, so utilize it to bring more volunteers into your community. In January we kick off the Daisy Girl Scout campaign. What schools are you ready to recruit at? Get more information on both from your External Recruiting Specialist.
Mark your Calendar for 2017 Council Annual Meeting
The Girl Scouts Louisiana East 2017 Annual Meeting and Adult Recognition event is set for Saturday, April 1, at the First Community Antioch Baptist Church, 10860 Highway 3125, in Lutcher. This yearly meeting is attended by council delegates who will vote on the new board and other items of business.

Deadline to register your attendance and sign your delegate position description is Monday, February 27. Online delegate training must be completed by March 10. Delegates who served in 2015 or 2016 do not need to retake the training. Early completion is encouraged.

Submit your Nominations for Adult Awards!
Recently one of our staff members shared that her former Girl Scout leader had recently passed away and how upset she was when she realized she no longer had the opportunity to thank her leader for the positive impact she had made in her life. She wished  that she could go back in time to honor the woman that helped shape her into the woman she is today.

Each year during our Annual Meeting we recognize the work of our fabulous volunteers. In order to make this happen we need help from you.  Who is making a difference in your daughter's life, who is making Girl Scouting happen in your community, and who is supporting the Girl Scout organization in your area? We want to hear about these wonderful individuals. Anyone can nominate their favorite Girl Scout volunteer, EVEN THE GIRLS! 

To learn more about adult recognitions please visit our awards page. Simply click on the title of the award to find the nomination form for that specific recognition, follow the instructions, and return the form to Dawn Allen at dallen@gsle.org. All awards are given for service in the 2016 membership year. The deadline for submissions is February 1, 2017.

CAPE Nominations
Unfortunately we are not able to give a CAPE award this month as we did not receive any nominations. But we are not giving up! We are now accepting nominations for February's hero. The theme for this month is Annual Family Giving. Who in your Community was instrumental in helping you achieve your Annual Family Giving goal?  Please send nominations to Dawn Allen at dallen@gsle.org no later than January 25, 2017.
Cookies & Cocktails & All That Jazz
Gala being planned  for February 4 at club XLIV



What's more delightful than Girl Scout cookies? How about one-of-a-kind Girl Scout cookie appetizers, cocktails, and desserts made with delicious Girl Scout cookies!  New flavors and longtime favorites will inspire 20 New Orleans area chefs and bartenders as they think outside the (cookie) box at the 2017 Cookies & Cocktails & All That Jazz fundraising gala on Saturday, February 4, from 7 to 10 p.m. at club XLIV in New Orleans' Champion Square.

Restaurants include Antoine's Restaurant, Crescent City School of Gaming and Bartending, Culinary Kids, Fat Boy Pantry, Felipe's Mexican Taqueria, Happy Italian Pizzeria, La Boulangerie, Lüke, Mizado Cocina, NOLA Brewing Company, Rebellion Bar & Urban Kitchen, Revel Café & Bar, Sac-a-Lait, Semolina, University of Holy Cross Food Science Program, Winn-Dixie, World of Beer, Zea Rotisserie & Grill.

Guest judges will decide the best appetizer, best dessert and best cocktail, while gala attendees will select the People's Choice. Event co-chairs are Dr. Allison Augustus-Wallace who is joined this year by Girl Scout supporter and alum, Fox news anchor Nancy Parker. Emcee is WGNO's News with a Twist reporter Kenny Lopez. Guest judges include NFL analyst Mike Detillier, health educator Doc Griggs, food columnist Kristine Froeba of the Uptown Messenger and host of WWNO's Out To Lunch Peter Ricchiuti.  Other special guests include on-air personality Uptown Angela from iHeart Media.
            
As guests sample the delicious creations, they will also enjoy live entertainment from jazz vocalist, Anaïs St. John, photo booth, cash bar, and silent auction. Gala tickets are $75 per person, and $100 for the gala and patron party, which begins at 6 p.m. Sponsors include: N ew Orleans East Hospital, Winn-Dixie, George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts, Girl's Guide to New Orleans, and Yelp. Additional sponsorships and silent auction items are needed.

Tickets may be purchased online at  www.501auctions.com/cookiescocktails.  Are you a  Man Enough to Be a Girl Scout or  FOREVER Girl Scouts Alumnae Club member? Members of either group can BUY-ONE-GET-ONE Ticket! Guests must be age 21 or older and cocktail attire suggested.
For more information please contact the Girl Scouts Louisiana East Fund Development office at 504-355-5885.

January - February Activities
Check out the  website events calendar  to see what program events have been planned. You can view events in list or calendar format, with advanced search options of age level, or topic category.

Jan .7 - Smart Cookie U (grades 4-12), Baton Rouge
Jan. 8 - Cookie Apprentice (grades K-3), Baton Rouge
Full Jan. 8 - Cookie Apprentice (grades K-3), New Orleans
Jan. 12 - Scout Day with UNO Basketball (all ages), New Orleans 
Jan. 13 - Girl Scout Cookie Program begins 
Jan. 13-14  Caregivers with Character Encampment (ages 11-15), Baton Rouge 
Jan. 14 - Girl Scout Day at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum (all ages), New Orleans
Jan. 14 -  LA/SPCA Animal Guardian Workshop (grades 2-12), Algiers
New Jan. 16 - MLK Day of Service (all ages), Baton Rouge
Jan. 21 - National World War II Museum Girl Scout Day (grades 2-12), New Orleans
New Jan. 26 - Knot Tea Party with Pontchartrain Women's Sailing Association, New Orleans
Jan. 27-29 - FOREVER Girl Scoutd Adult Camping Weekend at either Camp Marydale or Camp Whispering Pines (adults)
Jan. 28 - Catholic Committee Daisy Retreat, New Orleans
Feb. 3 - 5 - Horseback Riding Junior Badge Workshop (grades 4-5), St. Francisville
Feb. 4 - Food+Science=FUN (ages 10-13), Algiers
Feb. 4 - Program Aide Training (grades 6-8), Covington
Feb. 4 - Outdoor Adventurer (grades 1-3), Covington
Feb. 4 - Cookies & Cocktails & All That Jazz (age 21+) New Orleans
Feb. 8 - Night at the Opera: Faust (grades 6-12), New Orleans
Feb. 11 and 12 - Love, Hug, & Groom sessions (grades 2-3), St. Francisvile
Feb. 19 - Camp Open House (grades 1-12 and guardian), St. Francisville
Feb. 24 - National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend and Direct Sale begins 

Quick Links
 Calendar
Online Shop
eBiz
Forms
What's New
Cookie Program begins January 13!
Cookie Season is right around the corner! Girls, be on the look-out for our Cookie Connections newsletter in your mail! It's full of 2017 GSUSA and GSLE Cookie Program Highlights! 



This year we celebrate the 100th year of Girl Scouts selling Cookies, so there are a lot of fun things being planned! 
Upcoming Volunteer Training Sessions 
Leadership Essentials -
1/5, 1/10, 2/9

First Aid / CPR / AED  - 1/12, 1/19, 2/9, 2/16

Basic Camping Skills - 1/21, 2/18

Cookie Rookie Training - 12/6, 12/8

Passport to Troop Travel - 1/19, 2/7

Archery Facilitator - 1/7, 2/18
 
Online registration is easy! Visit  www.gsle.org/ebiz 
and click the Activities tab. Select the appropriate Learning and Training course.
MLK Day of Service
Come honor the service legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by spending your day OFF as a day ON. Participate in Girl Scout Troop 10324's MLK Day of Service being held at the council's Regional Service Center in Baton Rouge on Monday, January 16, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.! 

Girls will rotate through three service stations as they learn to make fleece blankets to warm up the Girl Scout National Convention city of Columbus, Ohio; create toys for shelter animals; and pack lunches for the Baton Rouge homeless. As a result, Girl Scouts will learn about service projects that they can take back to and replicate in their own troops and communities.

This event is FREE and open to all age levels. Email the sponsoring troop leader, Nathalie Roy Mitchell, at nathalieroymitchell@gmail.com with number of girls attending.
Delegates, girl visitors sought for National Convention
Apply to be become a National Council Delegate or Girl Visitor to GSUSA's 2017 National Council Session being held in Columbus, Ohio, in October. Applications must be submitted by February 1, 2017! Additional information is here.

In October 2017, the National Girl Scout Council will convene its next triennial session. Every Girl Scout council is entitled to send a specified number of delegates, in our case one (1) from  each of our four (4) regions, plus our CEO and Board Chair, to serve as voting members of the National Council. One alternate from each region will also be selected.

Visit the link here to review the   If you feel you meet the criteria and can fulfill the time obligations, then complete and submit your  application to Kari Volz at  kvolz@gsle.org by February 1, 2017.

Apply to be a Girl Visitor
We're also looking for four (4) FABULOUS Girl Scouts to serve as our council's girl visitors at the 2017 National Girl Scout Session. We will select one (1) girl from each of our four (4) regions. 

All girl members, grades 6 - 12, are invited to apply by February 1, 2017,  to enjoy an experience you will never forget!

Click on the link to complete and submit your  application to Kari Volz at 
k volz@gsle.org

 by February 1, 2017.