Summer Camp at a Price that Works for You!

Do you remember how much fun you had at summer camp? Cooking outside, seeing a deer "in person," learning to make new friends and deal with the occasional bug or spider.

Well, we want all Girl Scouts in San Diego and Imperial Valley to have those same great memories.

So every year, we think about ways to help more girls go to camp, especially girls who have never had the camp experience.

This year, we're trying something new with summer camp fees.

We've started a three-tiered fee structure that allows every family to choose the camp fee that work best for them and their and financial situation. It's something new for us--and it's working pretty well.

In most cases, families are selecting either the middle or high tier, because that's what they can afford and are used to spending.

In other cases, families are using the lowest fee, and are sending their daughter to camp, maybe for the first time. In other cases, they're choosing the lowest fee, but are now able to send their daughter to two camps instead of one.

We're happy with the results, and hoping to see even more girls come to camp this year. We have a lot of great day camp and resident camp programs. Something for everyone.

Learn more about Summer Camp 2010. And let us know what you think!

Tips for Living

At the turn of the new year, I received an email entitled "Handbook for 2010." I decided to check out this handbook and see if it related to me in any way.

After reading through the nearly 40 tips , I started to think about how I could share them.

I thought about Girl Scout volunteers and how hard they work to ensure the safety and well-being of their troops and groups. I thought about folks giving up their nights and weekends for troop meetings, the gas in their vehicles driving to and from trips, and cell phone minutes to call troop members and remind them of upcoming program events and overnights.

I thought, who better to share these tips with, than the people who brighten my day by giving up their time and talent to push the Girl Scout movement forward.

Here are a few of those tips:

• Drink plenty of water.
• Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
• Live with the three E's - Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
• Play more games.
• Sleep for seven hours.
• Take a 10 to 30-minute walk daily. And while you walk, smile.
• Don't overdo. Keep your limits.
• Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
• Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
• Dream more while you are awake.
• Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
• Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
• Smile and laugh more.
• You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
• Each day give something good to others.
• Forgive everyone for everything.
• Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of six.
• Try to make at least three people smile each day.
• Do the right thing!
• Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
• However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
• No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
• The best is yet to come.

Jen Nation
Director of Program
Girl Scouts, San Diego-Imperial Council

Black History Month

Honoring African American Leadership in Girl Scouts during Black History Month -- February

Girl Scouts, San Diego-Imperial Council is proud to celebrate the diversity and culture of African Americans, across the USA and beyond. During Black History Month, we honor our National Honorary President of Girl Scouts of the USA, First Lady Michelle Obama and African American Girl Scout leaders and volunteers who make a difference in our council and the community all year long.

First Lady Michelle Obama is Honorary National President of Girl Scouts of the USA

"It is my great pleasure to serve as Honorary National President of Girl Scouts," said Mrs. Obama. "With their innovative new programming, ground-breaking research, and emphasis on service and leadership, Girl Scouts is preparing the women of tomorrow to be a positive force for change - in their own lives, their communities, and across the globe." In accepting the position, Mrs. Obama takes her place in a tradition stretching back to 1917, when First Lady Edith B. Wilson became the first Honorary National President of the Girl Scout movement. Since then, each successive First Lady has served in this post.

Read more about our local leaders and outstanding volunteers.

What's Black and White and Loved all Over?

It’s Miranda Panda, our 2010 Cookie Program mascot! You might have met her at our recent Cookie Kickoff at the San Diego Zoo, or seen her groovy cookie program incentives.

Get to know Miranda and her panda pals with these fun facts:

• When pandas are born, they have no hair and are only about the size of a stick of butter. They can grow to weigh more than 300 pounds!
• Pandas spend at least 12 hours a day eating. They eat mostly bamboo and love occasional sweet treats such as apples and honey (except for Miranda, who prefers Girl Scout Cookies).
• Young pandas are curious and playful. They like to do somersaults and play with “toys” like blocks of ice. Watch pandas play with their icy birthday “cakes” at the San Diego Zoo!
• The only wild pandas in the world live in the mountainous bamboo forests of southwestern China.
• Pandas seem pretty quiet, but giant pandas can bleat, roar, growl and honk. They say a friendly “hello” by bleating like a lamb.
• Pandas are endangered animals—there are only about 1,600 left on Earth due to their shrinking habitat and food supply. See how caring kids like you are taking action to help save the pandas.

More panda-monium!

See what Su Lin, Zhen Zhen, Bai Yun, Yun Zi and Gao Gao are up to at the San Diego Zoo. Check out their Panda Cam and blog.

Make Panda Pita Pockets.

Want to learn more? Visit the San Diego Zoo or National Geographic Kids panda pages.

And just for fun…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzRH3iTQPrk

Cookies NOW! is a Hit!

We got this message from one of the over 15,000 girls who are selling Girl Scout Cookies in neighborhoods throughout San Diego and Imperial Counties.

Her letter (included below as she emailed it to us) represents the many positive comments we've received from enthusiastic girls and their parents about our new Cookies NOW! program, where girls have boxes of cookies to sell from the start of the cookie program. "Instant cookie gratification."

"Hi. This is awesome!

Thank you, thank you thank you. i went to my dad's work and everyone loved my cookie mobile. i taped samples of each box to my mobile boards and i had vons bags so they could load up on buying cookies. i ran out of cookies and i need to get more. i printed out recipe cards and put them on my board and i printed out thank you cards for each customer.

I really think this way of selling is way better and a lot more fun. I hope Girl Scouts does it this way again next year!!!

thank you
Hope "

We love the way she thought of including shopping bags so her customers can easily buy a LOT of cookies. Can you see why the Girl Scout Cookie program is the nation's premiere entrepreneurship program for girls?

When you see a Girl Scout selling cookies, ask her what she's learned by participating in the cookie program. Chances are, you'll be impressed! We'd love to hear from you.

Thank you for supporting the Girl Scout Cookie program.