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Kaleigh, member of Troop 30795 and student at Hewitt-Trussville Middle School, recently earned the Girl Scout Silver Award for her project Seize the Day! Kayleigh’s sister has epilepsy, and since her family did not know what to do when she had her first seizure, Kayleigh wanted to raise awareness about the disorder. She distributed flyers to local businesses about what to do when someone has a seizure, and she made sure someone at those businesses knew those procedures. She also wrote a story for her school news station during Epilepsy Awareness Month (November) and encouraged her peers to wear purple on Epilepsy Awareness Day in March. Kayleigh says she learned how to advocate for a cause in which believes, and she will continue to educate the community about epilepsy in the future.


The Girl Scout Silver Award is the highest award a Girl Scout Cadette (grades 6-8) can earn. This award symbolizes a Girl Scout Cadette's accomplishments in Girl Scouting and community activities as she matures and works to better her life and the lives of others.

Tameah, Victoria, Britney, Jamia, Kristian, Taylor, Jade, Iman, Tiana, Mekayla, students at W.J. Christian K-8 School, and Myah, Kayla and Taniya, students at Phillips Academy and members of Girl Scout Troop 368, recently earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award for their project Furry Fun! The girls visited the Greater Birmingham Humane Society and made dog toys out of recycled materials.

The Girl Scout Bronze Award is the highest award a Girl Scout Junior (fourth and fifth grades) can earn. This award recognizes that a Girl Scout Junior has gained the leadership and planning skills required to follow through with a project that makes a positive difference in her community.

Girl Scout Junior Troop 287 of Thompson Intermediate School in Alabaster did more than just sell cookies during cookie season. They chose Manna Ministry as their charity for their Gift of Caring project, and they donated several cases of Girl Scout cookies to the ministry.

The girls also held a community food drive to benefit the charity. During their booth sale, Abbie, Molly, Alyssa, Shelby, Jessie, Gillian and Isabelle promoted the event with flyers that they passed out to individuals and local businesses. At the event, they collected three shopping carts full of food. The event was part of the girls' Take Action project to complete the Agent of Change Journey.

Service unit 14 of the Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama is sponsoring Camp Luau! Morgan County Day Camp, an opportunity for girls to experience camp without having to stay overnight. Camp Luau will take place June 6–7 from 9 a.m.–3 p.m. at Sparkman Park.

The cost is $20 for registered Girl Scouts, $32 for non-Girl Scouts and $10 for Tagalongs. Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors will serve as day camp aides for $15, and Cadettes have the option of participating as day camp aides for $15, or with younger Girl Scouts at the regular registration prices. Older girls can camp overnight after Luau for an additional $8.

The deadline for registration is May 17, 2013, or when the capacity of 50 campers is reached. For more information, contact Brantley Kirk, community development manager, at bkirk@girlscoutsnca.org or 800-410-8338 x1233.

The Girl Scouts North-Central Alabama elected the following officers at the annual meeting held April 27: President – Rachel Russell of Shelby County, retired, AT&T (pictured); First Vice President – Dawn Stanley of Huntsville, space launch systems system engineering and integration technical manager, NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center; Second Vice President – Sarah Edwards of St. Clair County, retired registered pharmacist; Third Vice-President – Mary Edna Wuertenberger of Calhoun County, retired, GSUSA; Secretary – Tina Waggoner of Shelby County, community volunteer; and Treasurer – Cindi Vice of Jefferson County, chief financial officer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama. 

Directors elected to the board include Peter Bosworth of Shelby County, assistant director, UAB Comprehensive Center for Healthy Aging; Marlene Brown of Jefferson County, accountant, Vulcan Materials; Pam Callaway of North Carolina, community volunteer; Diane Dunning of St. Clair County, assistant attorney general, State of Alabama DHR; Steven Hobbs of Tuscaloosa County, law professor, University of Alabama; Barbara Johnson of Shelby County, retired pediatric nurse practitioner, Elaine Kwarcinski of Shelby County, substation construction manager, Alabama Power Company; Rachel Poovey of Morgan County, principal, Decatur City Schools; Kathleen Rose-Byington of Jefferson County, artist; Dr. Sally Smith of Talladega County, owner, Sleeping Giant Veterinary Clinic; Aaron Tews of Shelby County, senior estimator, Honeywell International; and Ruth Ellen Yeager of Jefferson County, certified women's health nurse practitioner.

Troop 268 members Abby, Alex, Alyssa, Alyssa, Jordan, Kelsey, Kirsten, Laura, Lily, Olivia, Olivia, Saigely, Samantha, Sara Bess, students at Helena Intermediate School, Abrianna, student at Oak Mountain Intermediate School and Barrett, student at Southminster Day School, recently earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award for their project Painting Benches at KPC. The girls loved using paint and glitter to decorate benches and a dragon for one of Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama’s camps, Kanawahala Program Center. 

The Girl Scout Bronze Award is the highest award a Girl Scout Junior (fourth and fifth grades) can earn. This award recognizes that a Girl Scout Junior has gained the leadership and planning skills required to follow through with a project that makes a positive difference in her community.

The Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama reports that 12,804 boxes of Girl Scout cookies were sent to servicemen and women overseas as part of the council’s annual Cookies for Troops campaign. Cookies for Troops is the council’s Gift of Caring program, a national program which encourages all Girl Scouts to encourage cookie lovers to buy a box to donate for a particular cause. 

GSNCA thanks all those who purchased cookies and donated to the Cookies for Troops campaign, and to Soldier’s Angels and WAAY 88.1 FM for sponsoring the program.

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'" -Fred Rogers. A smiling picture of Mr. Rogers and this quote popped up everywhere after the attack on Boston.

A beloved children’s television host, his influence still touches the hearts and lives of those lucky enough to have listened to his life lessons. Even if you don’t remember the train, the puppets or even him feeding his fish, surely you recall him changing from his jacket to his sweater, and from his street shoes to his tennis shoes, at the beginning of every episode and reversing it as he said goodbye at the end. Routine. Consistency. These are what give people comfort and these are what are long remembered.

Volunteers are often highlighted for extreme acts of courage and bravery. But it is the acts of kindness, the creative way you raise girls to be leaders, and the dependability found in the day-to-day, year-to-year, volunteer service we highlight this week. The routine of sharing your time and skills matters to the children you serve. It matters to Girl Scouts. And even though you might not always get immediate satisfaction every time you put on that proverbial sweater, just know that you are making a difference in your community, and ultimately to society.

Thankfully, there will always be helpers, in good times and in bad. But we are most grateful during National Volunteer Week for those of you who are the everyday volunteer who may not realize in this moment, the number of moments in a child’s future you may change just by being present, by being consistent and by being their everyday hero. GSNCA thanks you and wants you to know you are appreciated!

Anna and Alex, fourth graders at Paine Primary School, and Gracen, Jennifer, Haley and Tinley, fifth graders at Paine Primary School, and members of Girl Scout Troop 872, recently earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award for their project Trussville Trails. The girls wanted to bring people to Trussville and help them learn about the community, so they produced a booklet on trails in the city. As they walked along the trails, they wrote poems and took pictures of different landmarks for the booklet. By scanning QR codes in the booklet, the girls can be heard reciting their poems. The girls also made a video of themselves reading the poems for Daisy troops, hoping that the video will help the younger troops earn more patches and learn about their city.

The Girl Scout Bronze Award is the highest award a Girl Scout Junior (fourth and fifth grades) can earn. This award recognizes that a Girl Scout Junior has gained the leadership and planning skills required to follow through with a project that makes a positive difference in her community.

Service unit 30 of the Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama is sponsoring the Madison County Day Camp, an opportunity for girls to experience camp without having to stay overnight. Day camp will take place July 8–12 from 8 a.m.–3:30 p.m. at St. Mary of the Visitation Parish Center in Huntsville.

The cost is $55 for registered Girl Scouts, $67 for non-Girl Scouts, $20 for Tagalongs and $10 for adults. Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors will serve as day camp aides for $30, and Cadettes have the option of participating as day camp aides for $30, or with younger Girl Scouts at the regular registration prices. All prices include a T-shirt, snack, activities, supplies, patch, camp on Friday and dinner. Older girls will have a special activity.

At the end of camp, parents can attend an award ceremony where girls will receive a fun patch.

The deadline for registration is May 29, 2013, or when the capacity of 90 campers is reached.

For more information, contact Brantley Kirk, community development manager, at bkirk@girlscoutsnca.org or 800-410-8338 x1233.

Ali, Alicia, Bailey Drew, Bella, Mallie, Savannah, Anna Claire and Shelby, fifth graders at Chelsea Intermediate School and members of Girl Scout Troop 33590, recently earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award for their project Low Down Hoe Down Campfire Sing-along to benefit King’s Home. They invited other troops to join them as they sang camp songs and ate snacks. The girls gathered toiletries and cleaning supplies for King’s Home.

The Girl Scout Bronze Award is the highest award a Girl Scout Junior (fourth and fifth grades) can earn. This award recognizes that a Girl Scout Junior has gained the leadership and planning skills required to follow through with a project that makes a positive difference in her community.

On Thursday, April 11, Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama and Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama were honored with a resolution from the Alabama House of Representatives acknowledging Girl Scout Advocacy Day.

Girl Scouts led the prayer and Pledge of Allegiance in the House and Senate that day, and councils and Honorary Troop 1912, whose members are elected officials, hosted a Girl Scout Cookie reception that allowed Girl Scouts to interact with the public and elected officials to share updates on Girl Scout programs. Co-chairs of Troop 1912, Rep. Jamie Ison (R-Mobile) and Terri Collins (R-Decatur), along with the legislative staff, offered the Girl Scouts an opportunity to shadow all female legislators for the day.

Girl Scouts has been building girls of courage, confidence and character since 1912. What started with 18 girls led by Juliette Gordon Low in Savannah, Ga, has grown to more than 3.2 million Girl Scout members in the USA and an alumnae base of more than 59 million American women. Girl Scouts is open to all girls ages 5 to 17 and values diversity and inclusiveness.

The Girl Scouts of Southern and North-Central Alabama councils were excited to announce their legislative agenda as the following: promoting leadership and educational opportunities such as financial literacy and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) for girls, healthy living, and supporting a thriving non-profit community. 

Both councils are eager to work with policymakers to create opportunities and environments that foster girls’ leadership development and help consider solutions to a wide range of related and overlooked issues that disproportionately affect girls’ healthy living involving bullying, healthy media images, and eating disorders. Girl Scouts also seeks to partner with policymakers to ensure that all girls have financial literacy skills and support the role of youth-serving organizations in providing real-world financial literacy experiences for girls, in addition to encouraging policymakers and community leaders to work with human services organizations to ensure a healthy, effective and strong non-profit community. 

Members of Troop 1912 include Alabama Senate members Linda Coleman (D), Priscilla Dunn (D), Vivian Figures (D), Mark Keahey (D), Hank Sanders (D), Bobby Singleton (D), Harri Anne Smith (I) and Cam Ward (R). House of Representatives members include Mike Hubbard, Speaker of the House (R), Alan Baker (R), Elaine Beech (D), Barbara Boyd (D), Merika Coleman (D), Paul DeMarco (R), Juandalyn Givan (D), Laura Hall (D), Terri Collins (R), Mary Sue McClurkin (R), Joseph Mitchell (D), Mary Moore (D), Becky Nordgren (R), Patricia Todd (D), Mark Tuggle (R), Pebblin Warren (D), Kurt Wallace (R), Jamie Ison (R) and April Weaver (R).

Pictured: Faith & Kelly of Jemison with Senator Rodger Smitherman (D-Birmingham)

The American dream is alive and well among girls, according to a new report by the Girl Scout Research Institute (GSRI), which reveals that girls feel optimistic about their financial futures, yet are less than fully knowledgeable about essential financial principles and instruments, from using credit cards to establishing good credit. And just 12 percent of the girls surveyed say they feel confident in making financial decisions.
The study, Having It All:Girls and Financial Literacy, comes out at a time of continued economic uncertainty. The country’s recovery from the 2009 recession has been marked by slow economic growth and high unemployment, as well as increasing concern over the costs of a college education and the unprecedented levels of student loan indebtedness.
The study, which surveyed 1,040 girls ages 8 to 17, found that girls are averse to debt. However, in order to avoid debt, these girls say they need more education about how credit works. In fact, nearly 4 in 10 girls say they don’t know how to use a credit card, only 38 percent know what a credit score is, and just 37 percent know how credit card interest and fees work. Perhaps not surprisingly, a vast majority (90 percent) say that it is important for them to learn how to manage their money.
“Despite the recession and economic uncertainty, girls are bullish about their financial futures,” said Trish Coghlan, CEO of the Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama.“Some 88 percent say they are likely to make more money than their parents, and nearly all girls say it is likely that they will have jobs or careers they enjoy (98 percent), be able to provide for their families (96%), and own their own homes (95 percent) one day.”
This generation of girls is financially empowered and independent. A great majority feel gender is no barrier to what they can accomplish financially, and they envision a future family structure where they are fully engaged in financial decision making and planning. When it comes to financial capability, 7 in 10 girls say both men and women are equally likely to be financially responsible (73 percent) or in a lot of debt (72 percent).
Girl Scouts offers a financial empowerment program that ensures girls have the opportunities to build their business sense and hone their financial literacy skills. Girls build on these skills as they progress through the K−12 curriculum to become knowledgeable, confident, and self-reliant participants in a global economy. Whether a girl is working to earn the Financing My Future badge or the Money Manager badge, she is developing financial savvy, business skills, and innovative thinking.
The Girl Scout Research Institute (www.girlscouts.org/research), formed in 2000, is a vital extension of Girl Scouts of the USA's commitment to addressing the complex and ever-changing needs of girls. Comprised of a dedicated staff and advisors who are experts in child develop­ment, academia, government, business, and the not-for-profit sector, the institute conducts original research, evaluation, and outcomes-measurement studies; releases critical facts and findings; and provides resources essential for the advancement of the well-being and safety of girls living in today's world. The GSRI also informs program, public policy, and advocacy for Girl Scouting.

Troop 577 members Stella from Hewitt-Trussville Middle School and Emily, homeschooled through Cahaba Academy, recently earned the Girl Scout Silver Award for their project Operation Lovelady Kids. They gathered donations to update the children’s area of the Lovelady Center. Through a donation drive within their troop, they were able to obtain paint, furniture, toys and books for the organization. They also updated the center’s library and preschool lunch room. 

The Girl Scout Silver Award is the highest award a Girl Scout Cadette (grades 6-8) can earn. This award symbolizes a Girl Scout Cadette's accomplishments in Girl Scouting and community activities as she matures and works to better her life and the lives of others.

Shelby, Emily, Lindsey, Callie and Abigayle, fifth graders at Chelsea Intermediate School and members of Girl Scout Troop 597, recently earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award for their project Go Green with Girl Power. The girls helped other troops earn their Forever Green patch as they led their service unit weekend by teaching other Girl Scout troops how to recycle. All of the activities took place outside without electricity. They played a recycling game and water bottle tag, and they made crafts using recycled materials.

The Girl Scout Bronze Award is the highest award a Girl Scout Junior (fourth and fifth grades) can earn. This award recognizes that a Girl Scout Junior has gained the leadership and planning skills required to follow through with a project that makes a positive difference in her community.

Judge Debra Goldstein is a remarkable example of the success that Girl Scouts breeds. Not only has she succeeded in career, family and other endeavors, but she has been dedicated in service to Girl Scouts for many years. As this year’s Mildred Bell Johnson Award recipient, Judge Goldstein, continues to be a woman of distinction and leadership, having served as a Girl Scout board member, chair of several committees and for 10 years as a troop leader, guiding 10 girls to their Gold Awards.

Judge Goldstein believes Girl Scouts helped to instill many of the characteristics that lead to many of own her life’s accomplishments. From a tender Girl Scout Brownie to a Girl Scout Junior, Judge Goldstein learned about responsibility, teamwork and leadership from Girl Scouts. “The most rewarding experience for me was interaction with other women and being exposed to ideas,” Judge Goldstein shared. “I learned one can strive for many things: careers, education and different opportunities, [and] I was shown by example.” 

With that, having placed her daughter in various sports and extracurricular activities, Judge Goldstein deemed it necessary to expose her daughter to Girl Scouts, where she served as troop leader, just as her mother was leader of her childhood troop. Likewise, she utilized troop leadership as a platform to serve as a positive role model for her daughter and the other Girl Scouts of Troop 734, instilling in them a drive to simply “leave things better than you [found] them,” she says.

Everything Judge Goldstein has gained from Girl Scouts has translated into real world experiences, contributing to her success in corporate and government law, a judge seat for more than 23 years and accomplishments as a novelist. Always excelling, Judge Goldstein believes that Girl Scouts taught her the important art of skill development. 
Looking back, she realizes how through the many activities and badges earned throughout her Girl Scout days, she gained confidence and useful lifetime skills, often times without even realizing it. She also learned “it’s okay to not be great at everything,” and to “lean into the skills that you are good at."  A great leader, she used this same approach when her troop was formed, taking on responsibilities in the areas of her strengths and delegating other responsibilities, allowing everyone to function in their specialties.

Another approach to life Judge Goldstein has taken away from Girl Scouts is that “if everybody does a little bit, it all gets done,” she shares. This is a tactic that has not only brought her personal success, but has enabled those around her to attain success through her leading. Judge Goldstein credits Girl Scouts with giving her the tools that have helped her live a remarkable life, and she’s worked tirelessly in a variety of capacities to make sure that other girls have the same opportunity to realize their dreams.

Rachel, a senior at John Carroll Catholic High School, recently earned the Girl Scout Gold Award. Rachel earned her Gold Award for her project Homelessness-Pathways to Transition. Her project focused on providing immediate help the homeless in the Birmingham area and on increasing awareness of the problem of homelessness. She educated homeless people in social media, showing them how it can be used to find employment, and she provided women who were transitioning from a shelter into a home with “moving day baskets” filled with supplies. The project also provided the homeless with blankets and backpacks. To raise awareness of homelessness, Rachel designed an activity book for young children, produced a YouTube video, distributed flyers, utilized social media and wrote a book targeting teenagers designed to get them involved. This book, along with the activity book and YouTube video, will be placed in the Sixth Avenue Baptist Church’s library. The church will also continue the project in the future. 
“It is important that people are reminded that the homeless do not include just the drug addict of the ‘lazy bum who does not want to work,’” said Rachel. “It could be your next door neighbor, or a child, or an abused woman with children fleeing to save her life and her child’s life from the hands of an abusive husband or family member. It is our responsibility to help.”


“By earning the Girl Scout Gold Award,” said Trish Coghlan, chief executive officer of the Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama, “Rachel has become a community leader. Her accomplishments reflect leadership and citizenship skills that set her apart.” 
The girl who goes for the Gold embraces challenges, achieves excellence, and works diligently to make the world a better place, in her own unique way. Her leadership, vision, and boundless energy is an inspiration to all Girl Scouts. Each girl earning her Gold Award demonstrates excellence through a leadership project totaling more than 65 hours. Girls who earn their Gold Award are also recognized by the President of the United States, the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Armed Services, state legislatures, colleges and universities for admission and scholarship opportunities, and the American Legion. Some universities and colleges offer scholarships unique to Gold Award recipients, and girls who enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces may receive advanced rank in recognition of their achievements. 
The Girl Scout Gold Award represents the highest achievement in Girl Scouting; it recognizes girls in grades 9 through 12 who demonstrate extraordinary leadership through sustainable and measurable Take Action projects. Since 1916, girls have successfully answered the call to go gold, an act that indelibly marks them as accomplished members of their communities and the world. For more information about the Gold Award, visit girlscoutsnca.org/gogold.

On Saturday, March 16, Girl Scout Troop 208 had a science lesson from Miss Hoover, Briana Kinsey, while earning their Daring to Defeat Diabetes patch. They took part in experiments to learn about glucose, osmosis and diffusion, and about the roles of the pancreas and insulin in the body.

“The Girl Scouts were so excited about being in the lab and learning all about the science of glucose! They were so engaged and did not want the program to end!” said Kinsey. 

The program was part of the Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) initiative, which seeks to ensure girls are educated in STEM-related fields to give them an edge when competing for an increasing number of STEM-related jobs. STEM topics help girls develop problem-solving, critical thinking and collaborative skills. 

About STEM Advocacy 
Girl Scouts is committed to ensuring that every girl has the opportunity to explore and build an interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The strength of our nation depends on increasing girls’ involvement in STEM. While the percentage of careers that require advanced STEM education increases, an alarmingly high percentage of girls lose interest in STEM subjects early in their development. If the United States is to maintain its competitive advantage in the global economy, we urgently need to ensure that our entire population of young minds, and especially girls, are educated in STEM fields. To learn more about our advocacy efforts, visit girlscoutsnca.org/advocacy.

The Rocky Heights service unit celebrated World Thinking Day on February 24, 2013, with its annual International Tea. Participating Daisy, Brownie, Junior and Cadette troops learned about a country of their choice, and they presented information about that country by creating tabletop displays about them. Many girls dressed up in costumes from their chosen countries, and some performed skits. Girls traveled to different tables with boarding passes and discovered information about each nation. The boarding passes asked questions about each country, and girls could find the answers within the information on each table. Girls with the correct answers had the chance to win door prizes. Traveling girls also sampled food from some of the countries, including baklava, koulourakia, hummus, fortune cookies, hot dogs and apple pie. 




The recognized countries were Egypt, Greece, Brazil, Jordan, China, Costa Rica, the United States of America and Germany. 
The girls participating also collected $110 for the Juliette Low World Friendship Fund. The fund was created in 1927 to support girls as they travel internationally to connect with Girl Guides and take action globally. World Thinking Day not only gives Girl Scouts a chance to celebrate international friendships, but is also a reminder that Girl Scouts of the USA is part of a global community—one of 144 countries in the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS). 


Thinking Day was created in 1926 to encourage girls to think of each other and to give thanks and appreciation to sister Girl Scouts. The name was changed to World Thinking Day in 1999 to emphasize its global aspect.

America, a graduate of Homeland Christian Academy and freshman at Highlands College, recently earned the Girl Scout Gold Award. America earned her Gold Award for her project Fearlessly Unashamed. Her project focused girls’ self image. She saw that peer pressure caused girls to try and live up to a certain standard, and she wanted to show them that beauty is found in all shapes and sizes. America created a website featuring real girls with real stories about how they came to have healthy views of body image. She met with girls about her project, and she hopes to continue to work with them to teach them about inner beauty. “I never want to see any girl get discouraged about the way she looks. All girls are beautiful in their own way,” said America. “I hope this website helps people to understand how teenagers truly feel about themselves and how they should react to worldly pressures about their appearance.” 

“By earning the Girl Scout Gold Award,” said Trish Coghlan, chief executive officer of the Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama, “America has become a community leader. Her accomplishments reflect leadership and citizenship skills that set her apart.”

The girl who goes for the Gold embraces challenges, achieves excellence, and works diligently to make the world a better place, in her own unique way. Her leadership, vision, and boundless energy is an inspiration to all Girl Scouts. Each girl earning her Gold Award demonstrates excellence through a leadership project totaling more than 65 hours. Girls who earn their Gold Award are also recognized by the President of the United States, the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Armed Services, state legislatures, colleges and universities for admission and scholarship opportunities, and the American Legion. Some universities and colleges offer scholarships unique to Gold Award recipients, and girls who enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces may receive advanced rank in recognition of their achievements. 

The Girl Scout Gold Award represents the highest achievement in Girl Scouting; it recognizes girls in grades 9 through 12 who demonstrate extraordinary leadership through sustainable and measurable Take Action projects. Since 1916, girls have successfully answered the call to go gold, an act that indelibly marks them as accomplished members of their communities and the world. For more information about the Gold Award, visit girlscoutsnca.org/gogold.