Girl Talk Nov '22-Jan '23

Gold Award Girl Scout

Emily LaJoie―Community P “Comfort and Awareness”

Through her project, Emily advocated for the people served by Family Violence Prevention Services Inc. by creating an educational campaign for young adults and a blanket drive. As a result, more than 130 “no-sew” fleece blankets were delivered to families at the Battered Women and Children’s Shelter. Emily is a graduate of Sandra Day O’Connor High School and attends Texas A&M University, where she studies environmental science.

Learn more about Girl Scout Higher Awards at www.girlscouts-swtx.org under About > Our Program > Higher Awards.

Volunteer Spotlight

Irma Duran de Rodriguez, Volunteer Advisory Committee Chair

As chair of the Volunteer Advisory Committee, Irma guides members to provide recommendations for improvement to the council and gives voice to the volunteer experience. This year, she led the committee through a review of the council’s volunteer policies and submitted recommendations for adaptation. The committee also began a deep dive into the volunteer experience and will continue their work into 2023. She is a strong leader and a valued volunteer!

Girl Scout Patch Partner

For today’s girls, reversing environmental threats and improving quality of life will be the work of their generation.

CPS Energy’s Environmental Awareness and Energy Conservation Initiative combines environmental education and community action on a regional scale. Through environmental awareness programs, girls focus on the care and conservation of our planet. They play an important role in ensuring the well-being of our earth for future generations. Girls discover the connection between their everyday actions and the long-term effects, and how to make those effects positive.

Girls/troops are eligible for the patch once at least six activities in their grade level booklet are complete. Patches will be given out free of charge to all GSSWT girl members. Please complete the Patch Order Form once you have finished the program. You can find the form and grade booklets at www.girlscouts-swtx.org under Our Council > Council Patch Programs.

Patch Partners at Second Saturdays

Come by the Sally Cheever Girl Scout Leadership Center on the Second Saturday of the month to participate in one of our Patch Partner programs! Girls will get hands-on activities and earn the patch from that month’s partner.

2023 Girl Scout Cookie Program

Cookie season is a family affair!

Supporting your girl’s cookie business has never been easier when you work together as a cookie entrepreneur family. From the troop meeting to the dinner table, she can learn by leading her own small cookie business. With the help of her cookie entrepreneur family, she will help crush those cookie goals and have high-quality time working together as a team.

Rewards are thoughtfully curated with girl input—they’re not only for fun, but also to enhance her Girl Scout Leadership Experience. Will she Go Bright Ahead this year to have waves of fun with her own dolphin plush? Or how about a dolphin-tastic mood ring? There may even be a special girl-only paddle board experience!

She’ll set goals to reach for rewards that encourage her to be creative—custom Converse sneakers—or embrace her love for the outdoors—a free week of summer camp! Even her love for animal conservation has a reward option, with the SeaWorld Dolphin Experience. The choice is hers, and we know she’ll meet the challenge with the whole family on her side!

Ensure that your girl and troop plans to participate by contacting your troop leader or customercare@girlscouts-swtx.org.

The Girl Scout Cookie Program gives your Girl Scout the ability to power unique opportunities and adventures for herself and her troop while learning five essential skills to propel her into her future!

Through the Girl Scout Cookie Program, girls learn:

Goal Setting

Girls set individual goals with help from their families!

Girls work together to set troop goals based on what they want to do with troop proceeds.

Decision Making

Girls help decide where and when to sell cookies, how to market their cookie business, and what to do with troop proceeds.

Money Management

Girls develop a budget, take cookie orders, handle customer money, and learn practical life skills about financial literacy.

People Skills

Girls learn to safely talk to their customers in person and virtually. These experiences help them develop healthy relationship and conflict resolution skills.

Business Ethics

Girls run their own small business using the Girl Scout Law as a guide, being honest and responsible every step of the way.

“I know I can do it now and in the future!”

“I can make smart decisions.”

“I know how to handle and manage money.”

“I have confidence to talk to others.”

“I am honest, trustworthy, and reliable.”

Participating

in the program gives girls an entrepreneurial edge! Encouraging an interest in entrepreneurship builds curiosity, confidence, and problem-solving skills— qualities that prepare girls for academic and career success.

Order taking for Girl Scout Cookies starts

Be a Girl Scout.

Wednesday,

A New Year is Here!

Dec. 14.

Troop Cookie Manager online training is available in gsLearn now! To take the training at any time:

• Visit www.girlscouts-swtx. org.

Friendship, adventure, and making a difference—it all starts now. Your girl and her troop. Dreaming up adventures. Making the whole world sparkle with their own personal brand of magic. This is just the beginning of forever friendship and a lifetime of fun.

• Click on MyGS from the top panel and log in.

• Click on My Account.

• Click on gsLearn from the left panel.

Whether they’re sleeping under the stars, creating the most colorful work of art yet, or teaming up with their new best friends to build a robot, Girl Scouts grow into their strongest, kindest, most resilient

• Click on Content Library.

• Search for “590 Troop Cookie Manager training.”

All fun. No filter. Girls who renew by Sept. 30 will receive a special Bee On Time patch!

Watch them make a difference in the world—and in themselves. Renew your Girl Scout membership today.

• You can now begin the training and be sure to complete the TCM agreement linked at the end.

Girl Scout Shop

Introducing Raspberry Rally™

New merchandise In the 2023 cookie season, cookie-loving consumers across the country can get a limited edition, online-only fruity surprise with new Raspberry Rally™, the latest and exclusive addition to the iconic Girl Scout Cookie lineup.

The thin, crispy cookie is a “sister” cookie to the beloved Thin Mints®, infused with raspberry flavor instead of mint and dipped in the same delicious chocolaty coating.

Raspberry Rally™ gives devoted Girl Scout Cookie lovers yet another reason to be excited for the upcoming cookie season!

Upcoming Events

10—Adult & Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED CSAV

13 STEAM Tuesday DBJC

13 Virtual: Silver Award Training C

14—Virtual: Go Gold Training SA

14—Virtual: eBudde Demo V

15—Telling Your Story BJ

January 2023

3—Storytelling through Art and Writing JCS

4—JIT Webinar: Initial Cookie Order Time! V

9—Monday Fun-day Movie Night DBJCSA

14 Cookie Rally 2023 DBJCSA

15 Program Aide: Horsemanship Training CSA

17—Virtual: STEAM Tuesday DBJC

22—Troop Winter Horse Camp JCSA

29—Troop Winter Horse Camp JCSA

Ambassadors | V - Volunteers

Giving Tuesday

Mark your calendars: Giving Tuesday is Tuesday, Nov. 29, and we hope you’ll remember Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas and consider making a gift! Investing in Girl Scouts changes the world. Your support gives girls a space to lead, thrive, and make the world a better place. Donating at the council level makes a difference for the girls in your neighborhoods who need it most.

You can always make a gift of any amount at www.girlscouts-swtx.org/donate.

Thank you for investing in girls’ futures!

Community Hours for Girls

Does your girl:

• Love the Girl Scout mission?

• Love talking to people?

• Love to see more girls joining Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas?

If you answered yes to the above questions, we would love your Girl Scout’s assistance with information tables at schools and fairs in your community! Please contact Lucy McArthur, membership manager, at lmcarthur@girlscouts-swtx.org for details.

Volunteer Recognition

Congratulations to the recipients of our 2022 volunteer awards! Recipients of the Appreciation Pin are Chrystal Biediger, Danielle Mitchell-Bender, Kim Haskell, Suzette Ramos, Beth Shovelton, and Sandie Rios. Recipients of the Daisy Pin are Lori Johnson Leal, SaWanna Ballou, Irma Duran de Rodriguez, Diane Carl, and Annette Perez. Volunteers are the backbone of our council, and we are so grateful for each and every one of you. Thank you for all that you do!

Flavor Fest 2023

Save the date: Our annual Girl Scout Cookie Flavor Fest returns Feb. 17-26.

We love this event, which showcases local restaurants/venues offering yummy treats and drinks made with Girl Scout Cookies.

If you have or know of a venue that would like to participate, email customercare@girlscouts-swtx.org. Look for official details by Dec. 14 at www.girlscoutcookieflavorfest.org.

Day of the Girl 2022

Thank you to everyone who helped make our Day of the Girl 2022 celebration a success! Hundreds attended the Day of the Girl S.A. celebration on Oct. 9 at Yanaguana Garden at Hemisfair, meeting different girl-focused organizations and experiencing hands-on activities that encouraged girls to use their voices and be the strong, creative thinkers and leaders our communities need.

We celebrated International Day of the Girl on Oct. 11 with a Girl Champions luncheon, at which policymakers and influencers from San Antonio heard from a panel of girls on what life is like for them and their peers today and what sort of developments could be made to improve girls’ lives and potential.

A city partnership with the University of Texas at San Antonio was announced, out of which a Status of Girls in San Antonio report is being created for release this spring. We’re honored to be a part of this project and look forward to working to further advance the betterment of our girls’ lives.

Shop Updates

Adult Official Uniform Apparel is in stock!

Show your Girl Scout pride with pieces ranging from T-shirts, polos, sweaters, and cardigans. Don’t forget to accessorize with a beret, scarf, or brooch!

Many of the pieces come in unisex sizing, and the full collection can be seen online at www.girlscoutshop.com, or you can visit us in-store at the Sally Cheever Girl Scout Leadership Center to explore this fabulous new line.

Join us for the Shop Warehouse Sale from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Dec. 10 (Second Saturday)!

Enjoy a large selection of clearance and heavily discounted items, from cookie carts to jean jackets, and get a little holiday shopping done (or buy a little something for yourself!) The sale will be in the USAA Foundation Multipurpose Room of the Sally Cheever center.