Summer camp news

Adventures in Leadership
Summer camp is just around the corner!
Registration opens February 16, 2010!

Science and Tech - High Adventure - Drama, Arts and Crafts - Horseback Riding - Marine Settings

Camp Osito Rancho Programs

Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles is pleased to reopen Camp Osito Rancho in Summer, 2010 (July). This premier Girl Scout Outdoor Leadership Center is a spectacular high adventure camp above Big Bear Lake. Open House on June 26.

Resident Camp is back! Resident Camp activities include arts and crafts, swimming, archery, sports and games, nature and environmental activities, challenge/ropes course, hiking, and outdoor cooking. All horseback riding resident camps feature part of the day spent with horses. Featuring weeklong themed camps.

• Troop Camping: Aug. 1-5
• Family Camping: Aug. 6-8
• Women's Weekend: July 24-25

Day Camp Programs

Weeklong themed camps

• Marine Landing at Alamitos Bay, Long Beach (One-of-a-kind waterfront facility offering beginning and advanced boating camps)
• El Ranchito, Long Beach
• Camp Mariposa, Altadena

   
Specialty Overnight Camps

• Skyland Ranch. Near Idyllwild, this camp offers girls a chance to explore the beautiful San Jacinto Mountains.
• Island of the Blue Dolphins! Explore the Channel Islands by kayak, snorkel and fins, hiking boots and stars!
• Mono Lake Outdoor Experience. Enjoy the beauty of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Mono Lake and Yosemite. (Troop Camping)
• Camp Surf. Tent camp at Imperial Beach near San Diego and learn to surf! (Troop Camping)

Specialty Day Camps

• Altadena Stables, Altadena
• Bonelli Park Equestrian Center, San Dimas
• Enterprise Farms, near Griffith Park
• Montrose Program Center, Montrose
• Johnstone Program Center, San Dimas
• Torrance Program Center, Torrance

Weeklong themed camps, including horseback riding camps

Program Aide, Adult Volunteer and Staff Opportunities.
Contact Lisa Ahrens, Outdoor Program Manager, (626) 677-2385 or lahrens@girlscoutsla.org

Registration Opens February 16, 2010
Register online or submit a registration form with payment.

Camp Guide available soon with complete listings, dates, times, cost, and registration details.
Information will also be available on the GSGLA web site.

More than 30 sessions of adventures in leadership June-August.
Open to girls grades 1-12 (K for select camps).

Girl Scout cookie updates

• General information and resources

Initial Order Incentive

Every girl who turns in an initial order total of 150 boxes or more will receive a fashionable GSGLA "Inspired by U" T-shirt. It's all the rage! These Initial Order Superstars can wear it with pride at booth sales or out on the town, and it's a fabulous ice breaker for their cookie pitch to new customers!

T-shirts will be distributed at initial order cookie delivery.
   
Gift of Caring: Get a box -- Give a box

The Gift of Caring Program (GOC) is a cookie donation opportunity for customers to buy a box (or boxes!) of cookies to be distributed to our 2010 Gift of Caring Partners: Operation Gratitude, the LA Foodbank, and the Bob Hope USO. Through these organizations, cookies will be shared with and sent to military troops and to those in need. Thank you to our GOC Sponsor, GO Country 105 FM.
   
Gift of Caring: Steps of Participation!

1. Be a knowledgeable diplomat for our GOC partners and the program. Learn how the cookie donation will be distributed. Learn the basics about our Gift of Caring partners and the process.
2. Always ask customers if they'd like to buy an extra box (or two, or three!) for Gift of Caring. Many people take advantage of the opportunity if they are asked. Plus, the Gift of Caring program is a great response to customers who may not want to buy cookies for themselves.
3. Register for a GOC service opportunity. GSGLA has great ways for troops to get involved with the distribution of the GOC cookies! We will soon announce details for the opportunities, which will take place in April 2010. Whether it's troop to troop or youth to youth, here are some great ways for girls to help:
• All: Help unload and store cookies at the Bob Hope Hollywood USO at LAX
• All: Write cards and letters to US military personnel serving overseas
• Girls under 12: place notes on boxes going to military personnel (regional locations)
• Girls ages 12+: sort and/or pack cookies in care boxes for Operation Gratitude in Van Nuys
• Girls ages 14+: sort and/or pack cookies in backpacks for the LA Foodbank Backpack program

Gift of Caring: New and Improved!

Gift of Caring receipt boxes! Troop Cookie Chairs will receive a boothing kit during initial order pick-up that will have great cookie program tools including a GOC receipt box. Once a customer donates cookies, the completed donation slips can be put into a sleek promotional box that is displayed at your cookie booth.

Gift of Caring message labels! The boothing kits will also include blank GOC labels. These labels (templates will also be available online) are for GOC donors who wish to write a short message of thanks to military personnel. (Girl Scouts are encouraged to write letters or cards, too).

Gift of Caring Service Opportunities for younger girls! Our younger girls now have an opportunity to help. Girls 12 and under will put GOC labels on cookie boxes that will go to military troops serving overseas.

Troops Take 2 Challenge ends February 15

Did you take 2? The Troops Take 2 Challenge ends soon. Just add two or more girls to your troop roster. Girls can recruit gal pals to join their troop or Leaders can invite some of the hundreds of girls hoping to be placed in troops. Are you up for the Troops Take 2 challenge?

Leaders that add two or more members (based on your total number of girls at the end of the 2009 Girl Scout year) are awarded the patch. Patches will be available for purchase for leaders to award girls who participate.

Your opinion, please

Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles will be surveying our girl and adult membership, staff, adult learning facilitators, parents and community members over the next few months. We want to know your opinions on a variety of issues, as well as your Girl Scout story and your ideas on how we can improve. You may be contacted via email, at a service unit or leader meeting or at an upcoming Girl Scout event to complete one or more brief surveys (not all surveys are the same). Your input will help GSGLA bring the best of Girl Scouting to all girls and to those who care about them!

Thank you in advance for all you do for girls and for your participation in the 2010 GSGLA Survey Project.  For more information, please contact Sandra E. Silva, Vice President-East Region at ssilva@girlscoutsla.org.

February 13, 2010 - Girl Scout Night with the LA Kings

Celebrate the chill of winter at the Staples Center for Girl Scout Night with the Los Angeles Kings on February 13! Tickets are just $20 (a savings of $17).

The first 100 girls to register get a full evening with pre-game ice skating at Staples Center, a great  game of NHL hockey, and then a Winter Fair Badge workshop. It's going to be a good time and a great game!

• Order tickets
  

Sale! Sale! Sale at the shop!

The Council Shop has some hot deals on some cool items! Get 25% off T-shirts, sportswear, accessories, patches, hoodies, fashion for all Girl Scout levels, and more! Take $2 off Trophy Nut Varieties (sorry, Toffee variety sold out). Plus, all holiday merchandise is now 50% off. Check out our ornaments, patches, and collectibles. Take advantage of the great savings while quantities last.

• Flier
  

Would you like to be on TV?

We need troops and girls for Sudden Opportunities of Service (S.O.S.), including TV appearances, radio visits, flag ceremonies, and more. Join today!

Cookie booth opportunities

We know you're special, so why not take advantage of special cookie booths at sporting events and corporate buildings (downtown LA, the Westside). These booths are limited and have special rules, but they also have lots of advantages including no unsold inventory to take home! Apply today. You will be notified if selected.

• Corporate boothing takes place Feb. 26 - Mar. 4. Interested? Download the application and submit it before Feb. 1.
• For a sports booth, email EFrederick@girlscoutsla.org with your troop #, your contact info, and the game you would like by Feb. 1. Troops will be selected at random. Choose from:
  • LA Clippers at Staples - Mar. 5, 6 p.m.
  • LA Kings at Staples - Mar. 6, 6 p.m.
  • Ontario Reign at Citizens Bank Arena - Mar. 6, 7 p.m.
  • CSULB at The Pyramid - Feb. 27, 4 p.m.

Camp Lakota damaged by fire

On Friday, January 5, the dining hall of Camp Lakota was destroyed by fire. Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles is very thankful to citizens who alerted authorities to the blaze and the courageous firefighters who responded.

Fortunately, there were no girls at the camp during the fire and the on-site ranger was not injured.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, we ask that volunteers refrain from visiting the campground. In addition to safety hazards, it is very important to preserve the site for insurance and investigative purposes.

• Donate to Camp Lakota