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Girl Scouts often perform acts of courage and kindness without seeking badges or other recognition. 

Rachel, kindergartner and Girl Scout Daisy of Troop 968, donated two thick ponytails of her hair to Locks of Love, a non-profit organization that provides wigs for children who have lost hair due to medical treatments, in honor of fourth grade Girl Scout Junior Maddie in January. 
Maddie was diagnosed with lymphoma in late 2011 and she lost her hair to chemotherapy treatments. Maddie had the honor of cutting Rachel's hair. Both troops are led by Rachel's mother, Stacey.

Kayla, Caylee, Karissa and Skyler, fifth graders at Fayette Middle School and members of Girl Scout Troop 47, recently earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award for their project To Be a Helper in Our Community. The girls helped with several projects in their community, including organizing a daycare, cleaning a cemetery and neighborhood and helping an older Girl Scout earn her Gold Award by painting a bathroom at the city park.


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.

To celebrate the largest girl-led program in the world, Girl Scouts has named February 8 National Girl Scout Cookie Day. Girls will ask cookie fans everywhere to buy more boxes in honor of the real purpose of the $790-million cookie program, which is to teach girls five essential life skills: goal setting, decision making, money management, business ethics and people skills. 

“When it comes to skill building, statistics show the Girl Scout Cookie Program works,” states Trish Coghlan, chief executive officer of the Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama (GSNCA). “According to the Girl Scout Research Institute, 85 percent of Girl Scout “cookie entrepreneurs” learn money management by developing budgets, taking cookie orders, and handling customers’ money. Eighty-three percent build business ethics; 80 percent learn goal setting; 77 percent improve decision making; and 75 percent develop people skills.”

All the revenue earned—every penny after paying the baker—stays with GSNCA. Councils use cookie revenue to supply essential services to troops, groups and girls, such as providing program resources and communication support, training adult volunteers and conducting events. As part of their experience in any Girl Scout product sale program, girls can earn official Girl Scout awards at every level of Girl Scouting, including cookie and financial literacy badges and the annual Cookie Activity Pin.

To help customers buy cookies on National Girl Scout Cookie Day, Kristen and Kaitlyn Gurosky, 12-year old Girl Scout Cadettes in GSNCA’s area, suggest the following tips:

1. Say hi. “Hello” and a smile gets everything off on the right foot! It builds our confidence and is basically the start of the greatest conversation ever. 
2. Look me in the eye. Some of us may seem a little shy, but that’s just because we don’t know you yet. It’s not easy talking to people you don’t know or asking people to trust you—but that’s what we’re learning to do. 
3. Let me know if you’re a Girl Scout. There are a lot of Girl Scouts out there. So tell us how being a Girl Scout has helped you become who you are. It means a lot to us, seeing what we can become. 
4. Please don’t call us cute. We know we’re cute, but selling cookies is real! We’re learning how to run a business. We want you to buy cookies because you want them and respect what we’re learning. We’re running the largest girl-led business in the world. That’s not cute. That’s incredible. 
5. Ask about our inventory. You probably have a favorite (we sure do), but we have a lot of cookies to tell you about. It’s our responsibility to explain what we have and then make sure you get exactly what you ordered so you are a satisfied customer.
6. Ask where the money goes. We decide where our money goes. It’s amazing to see all the great things we can do with what we earn. Some groups use the proceeds to go on new adventures, to new places, or to support causes they care about. We are hoping to go to Savannah, GA with our proceeds!
7. Let’s talk money. When you hand us money, it’s about more than making change. We learn how to set up a budget and track money, and how money can do a lot of good in the world.
8. Ask us why we’re Girl Scouts. Everyone joins for a different reason, but we all make great friends and accomplish things we wouldn’t otherwise. Our leadership awards and skill-building badges prove it. We learn that we can do anything. 
9. Let us know how we did. Selling cookies is hard work, and it’s a new thing for a lot of us. Feedback helps us get better and grow into leaders. 

“We’re challenging everyone who buys cookies on February 8 to share it on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook and use the hashtag phrase #onemorebox,” shared Hilary Perry, director of communications and advocacy for GSNCA. “We hope to educate customers that it’s more than just handing Girl Scouts money for a box—or four—of cookies. It’s about helping girls learn how to reach their full potential.”

For more information about National Girl Scout Cookie Day, contact Hilary Perry at hperry@girlscoutsnca.org.

The Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama will combine the east and central regions of its council for one Women of Distinction Luncheon on Friday, March 8, 2013, from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Harbert Center in downtown Birmingham. This luncheon will recognize 10 outstanding women representing Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Chilton, Clay, Cleburne, Etowah, Jefferson, Randolph, St. Clair, Shelby, Talladega or Walker counties.

The Women of Distinction program pays tribute to women who have made special contributions to their community through civic, academic or professional involvement. 


Judge Debra H. Goldstein of Hoover, Admin Law Judge, Social Security Administration, will receive the 2013 Mildred Bell Johnson Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is given annually to a woman who has a prior affiliation with Girl Scouting and has made a lifelong contribution to her community by distinguishing herself through professional, community or humanitarian efforts. The Mildred Bell Johnson honoree serves as a role model for past, present and future Girl Scouts.


Margaret Morton of Sylacauga, Executive Director, Sylacauga Alliance for Family Enhancement, Inc.; President, Alabama Network of Family Resource Centers, will receive the 2013 Frances E. Couch Lifetime Achievement Award. This distinguished award honors an outstanding woman who embodies unselfish leadership, is committed to community service in East Alabama, and exemplifies the ideals of Girl Scouting. 

The 2013 Women of Distinction Honorees are:

• Anita Allcorn-Walker of Birmingham, Vice President & Comptroller, Alabama Power Company 
• The Honorable Agnes Chappell of Birmingham, Municipal Court Judge, The City of Birmingham 
• Suzan Smith Doidge of Mountain Brook, Executive Director, Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce 
• Lisa Narrell-Mead of Vestavia, Executive Vice President, Cadence Bank 
• Lori Snodgrass of Homewood, Partner, Deloitte & Touche, LLP 
• Joyce Spielberger of Birmingham, Executive Director, Magic Moments 
• Deborah L. Voltz, Ed.D., of Hoover, Dean, UAB School of Education 
• Bonika Wilson of Birmingham, President and CEO, Wilson Capital Management 

Proceeds from the East-Central Women of Distinction Luncheon provide direct support to Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama, which serves more than 15,000 girl members in 36 counties.

The presenting sponsor is Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama. For more information on reservations or sponsorships, please contact Kelly Connelly at 800-734-4541 x1030 or visit http://girlscoutsnca.org/wodeastcentral. Reservations to the luncheon are $60 for general admission and $45 for Girl Scout members.