Registration is open now!
Join us as we celebrate a century of Girl Scouting! All Girl Scouts and their families are invited at attend Girl Scouts 100th: Celebrating Green Forever! Enjoy fun, hands-on activities, stage performances, and exhibits that showcase how Girl Scouts care about the earth and their communities.

Don't miss this historic event:
Saturday, April 28, 2012
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Cal Expo, Sacramento
Tickets are $23 per person

If you know anyone interested in being an exhibitor at this event, please send their contact information to 100@girlscoutshcc.org. We would like representation from all 18 counties within our jurisdiction.

Event tip: This is a great way to spend the money your troop earned during the Magazine & Nut Program and Girl Scout Cookie program.

Need more information?
Talk to your service Unit Liaison or contact 100@girlscoutshcc.org

Register Now

A Symbol of Friendship

The Girl Scout Sign is an important part of Girl Scout meetings and ceremonies, but do you know where it comes from? It all started with the days of chivalry, when armed knights greeted friendly knights by raising their right hand, palm open, as a sign of friendship. We raise our right hand palm open to symbolize friendship, but we raise only three fingers, which represent the three parts of the Girl Scout Promise. This unique sign and pledge unites all Girl Scouts across the globe! So the next time you show the sign think of all the women before you, and all the girls to come who will be a part of the friendship, and learning and fun that is Girl Scouts.

The High Adventure Girl Scouts went backpacking this weekend in Tahoe National Forest! On the trip we learned map and compass skills by navigating our way through the forest. We honed our outdoor cooking skills by cooking on a small backpacking stove. We practiced Leave No Trace by camping on hard rock surfaces and making a game of walking on rocks instead of delicate vegetation.

We chose not to have a campfire where one would have been a strain on natural resources. The snowy hike to the campsite was a surprise in late July, but a pleasant and beautiful experience. We had a great time and came to a deeper appreciation for nature and our environment. Join us next time!

You can contact the HiAd girls and their advisers at highadventuregirlscouts@yahoo.com.

Counselor-in-training

At Girl Scout camp, high school aged girls can sign up to be a counselor-in-training (CIT). As a CIT, you learn about both leadership and working with younger girls. What is it like to be a CIT?

A day in the life of a Girl Scout CIT:

5:30am: The sun rises. Birds and other critters begin their day.

7:00am: The bell rings to wake up the camp.

8:00am: Breakfast. A cool thing about Camp Menzies is that tables at meals are made up of girls from different programs, so you get to meet new people at every meal. Every person at the table has a different job, and CITs have their own special job. Being a CIT comes with extra responsibilities.

After breakfast, CITs usually do CIT work, which ranges from learning about professionalism to how to work with brownies. During this time, CITs make sure to take breaks to play games.

Noon: lunch. Lunch is run similarly to breakfast, but with different food. = )

1pm: Me time. This is time to read, reflect, or quietly play games with the other CITS.

2pm: At this time of day, CITs usually shadow. CITs are assigned different groups, and then spend time with those groups to both help out and learn about working with the girls. CITs get to play games, do arts and crafts, and do other activities with the girls.

4:30pm: After watching younger girls do traditional camp activities, it’s the CITs turn! You might find the CITs at the art castle, float in a canoe on the lake, or trying to pop balloons at archery.

6pm: Dinner!

7:30pm: All camp event. The event varies every evening. On the first and last night of each session, there is a campfire. During their time at camp, the CITs get to be in charge of one campfire. During the rest of the week, the event could be something like a CIT scavenger hunt, where the CITs hide and the rest of the camp tries to find them.

After the evening program is bedtime.

Overall, the CIT program consists of learning, making new friends, and lots and lots of fun!

If you want to sign up to be a CIT next summer click here for more information...

Make the Most of Your Summer at Camp!

We canʼt believe itʼs already the end of the school year. Do you have plans for summer yet? If not, weʼve got you covered! Donʼt stay home and be bored - we have lots of options for day and overnight camps. Theyʼre a great way to meet new friends, learn something new and possibly even earn a new badge.

Camp Menzies is our overnight camp in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, with sessions ranging from 4-8 days. Thereʼs something for everyone entering grades 2-12, with themes ranging from outdoor activities and sports to jewelry making and art. You can learn survival skills, explore San Francisco or Tahoe, or help build a cabin. Click here to see all the sessions and register now. Questions about camp? We have lots of info on our Web site, from financial aid to preparing for camp. Check it out!

There are also 2 short-term residence camps where Girl Scouts camp at an established site:

• Camp Golden Timbers in Tuolumne County (July 25-28)
• Yosemite Camp of Service in Yosemite National Park (August 4-7)

Or if you want a shorter commitment closer to home, there are many day camps all the way from Marysville to Merced.

Click here to find out more about the themes, locations and dates for all 19 day camps. You can even bring a friend - girls who aren’t in Girl Scouts can attend, they just need to pay an additional $12 membership fee.

Older Girl Scouts can volunteer at day camps or apply for a job at Camp Menzies. If youʼre a Girl Scout in high school, check out our leadership programs too.


What are your plans for summer break? Leave a comment on this post and let us know!

Girl Scout Tornado Relief Efforts

We're sure you have been following the headlines regarding tornado-related losses of life and property most recently in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and Mississippi and in many parts of the Midwest. The losses have been catastrophic, the worst tornado season in more than 90 years. While it appears that council offices and camps have survived with limited damage - we know that many Girl Scout families are experiencing devastating loss.

Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama has significant damage in 31 of their 37 counties. Their council's CEO, Trish Coghlan, reports that countless members of the extended Girl Scout family have suffered significant loss. They will not know the full impact until power and communication lines are restored throughout their jurisdiction.

How to Help Those Affected
Many Girl Scouts around the country want to know how they can help. We encourage those who would like to donate money or collect funds to do so with respected national charities that focus on disaster relief including the Red Cross and the Salvation Army. You can also visit the North-Central Alabama Web site at www.girlscoutsnca.org for more details.

At times like these, Girl Scouts come together in sisterhood to help those in need. We have seen our Movement rally in support of the victims of Hurricane Katrina and other natural disasters over the years, and will continue to do everything we can to help our communities in the weeks and months ahead.

In closing, we want to express our gratitude to the staff and volunteers who continue to serve girls in the affected regions. You are truly living the Promise and Law.

Donation Information:
The Salvation Army: The Salvation Army asks those who want to help visit www.salvationarmyusa.org or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY. Donors may text "GIVE" to 80888 to make a $10 donation. Checks may be made out to The Salvation Army Disaster Relief, P.O. Box 100339, Atlanta, GA 30384-0339.

The Red Cross
The Capital Region Chapter is our local Red Cross and they are located at 1565 Exposition Blvd. in Sacramento, CA 95815. They are taking monetary donations. You can bring the donations into the office, mail donations ATTN Tornado Relief, make donations online at www.redcrosscrc.org or text "REDCROSS" to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Girl Scout's Show Appreciation

April is the month to celebrate Girl Scout volunteers and Girl Scout Troop Leaders. April 10 - 16 is National Volunteer Appreciation Week and following that on April 22 Girl Scouts celebrate Girl Scout Leader's Day! Do you have plans to tell your Troop Leader thank you? You can get together with your troop and make a thank you card, draw your leader a picture, take a picture of your troop and frame it for your leaders or get them something from the Girl Scout Shop to show appreciation for all the hard work they do. There are several items in the shop that would make perfect gifts for leaders. Here are some ideas: 1. Girl Scout charm bracelet with a gs volunteer charm or the Girl Scouts 100th anniversary charm. Click here to see this item... 2. A new canvas tote bag, which could be really handy for Girl Scout paperwork or taking on troop trips. Click here to see this item... 3. Precious Moments Girl Scouts Volunteer Figurine. Click here to see this item... let us know what you're planning on doing for your leader by e-mailing us at marcomm@girlscoutshcc.org.

C.S.I.

Have you heard of C.S.I.?

It's not what you think it might be...

C.S.I. stands for Cookie Site-sale Investigators.

The C.S.I. crew is made up of Girl Scouts who volunteer to help other sister Girl Scouts with site sales. They will be looking for site sales throughout the council every weekend until March 20. If you have an excellent site sale you will be C.S.I. approved, you'll get a C.S.I. t-shirt and stickers.

You won't know if or when C.S.I. will visit your site sale so make sure you're prepared. Keep your pocket guide with you so you'll be ready to answer questions such as:

1. Why are Caramel deLites sometimes called Samoas?

2. What's the number one selling cookie?

3. What's your goal?

Also, C.S.I. will help girls learn and practice the five skills of the Girl Scout Cookie program, which are:

1. Goal Setting

2. Decision Making

3. Money Management

4. People Skills

5. Business Ethics

If you want more help to prepare for your site sales and the C.S.I. crew use the tools below:

Click here for cookie video tips

Click here for a Pocket Guide

Click here to watch the C.S.I. video

Click here to take a Girl Scout Cookie quiz

Click here to read a description of an excellent site sale

They're Back!

Hey Girl Scouts, are you ready for cookie season?

Do you have your goal set?

Have you made posters for your site sale?

Do you plan on attending a cookie rally?

If you said yes to any of the questions above then you're on the right track to having a fantastic cookie season! If you need some pointers check out the cookie section on the girl's side of the Web site. There are a few videos, made by Girl Scouts, with helpful pointers. Also, download a pocket guide to keep with you. This will help you with quick answers when customers ask you about a cookie or why you like being a Girl Scout.

Check out these photos of Girl Scouts at a cookie rally in Woodland:

We are always looking for photos, so if you take a great photo this cookie season send it o marcomm@girlscoutshcc.org.