Girl Scouts in Bend explore at Science Night, hosted by Bend Research

Thank you to GSOSW Bend staff member Sulema Lambert for sharing this blog post! 

Girl Scouts is not all about cookie, arts and crafts. It’s about science! 

Over 30 Brownies and Junior Girl Scouts in Central Oregon attended a science night for girls hosted by Bend Research. The girls made observations about polycarbon bonds. They hypothesized about sound waves, observing them being represented by fire, changing to a catchy beat.

Girl Scouts observe sound waves demonstrated with fire

Girls also learned a cheer about the phases of matter, and then learned more about those phases with liquid nitrogen, balloons and flowers. They were also able to observe tiny specimens with an electron microscope - did you know that salamanders are actually covered in tiny hairs?

The Girl Scouts had so much fun at the event! A big "thank you" from 30 scientists-in-the-making to Bend Research for showing us that scientists are really big kids with better toys! 

Did you have a fun event, service project or other Girl Scout activity or idea you'd like to submit for the blog? Email Rebekah at rhubbard@girlscoutsosw.org.

Council Sponsored Trip Chaperones Needed! – ETC’s please spread the word!

Calling all volunteers interested in Travel!  We are doing a council wide search for lead and secondary travel chaperones for council sponsored trips. These volunteers will help to plan and provide supervision for the following trips:

Portland Mystery Tour – June 19, 2013

One day trip within Portland area.  It’s a Mystery! Chaperones and parents will be notified of the trip itinerary.

Seattle by Storm – June 22-26, 2013

Ride the train to Seattle and experience Seattle’s panoramic view while eating lunch at the Space Needle, shop the famous Pike’s Street Market, visit the Woodland Parks Zoo and much more! 

Medford Mystery Tour – August 14, 2013

One day trip within the Southern Oregon area.  It’s a Mystery! Chaperones and parents will be notified of the trip itinerary.

Universal Studios Orlando – Spring Break 2014

Enjoy both the Universal Studios Florida Theme Park and Universal’s Islands of Adventure Theme Park, including the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  Airfare, food, transportation and park tickets included.

Norjam - August 9-16, 2014

Join over 5000 young people for the 14^th International Scout and Guide Jamboree near Norwich in the United Kingdom for an exciting week of activities, fun, excitement , new experiences and a chance to build a lifetime of memories and friendships. 2014’s theme is ‘Back in Time’.  Norjam will include activities like scuba, sailing, rafting, skiing, rock climbing, crafts etc. See more on the website: norjam.org.uk

Fill out this application to apply by April 1, 2013.

Send completed applications to Jennifer Akins at jakins@girlscoutsosw.org  

GSOSW employees share their favorite camp memories

This might not surprise you, but many of the staffers at Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington were Girl Scouts as young women, too! We asked some of our staff members to share their favorite memory or their favorite thing about Girl Scout Camp.

Program Guide cover contest is now open!

Show what Girl Scout program means to you through art, and your creation could be the cover of the next Program Guide! GSOSW is now accepting entries to appear on the 2013 Spring/Summer Program Guide cover.

Accepted formats include photos, handmade creations or digitally-created artworks. The art must be created by a girl member of GSOSW. If the entry is a photo, it must be digital and high resolution (point-and-shoot camera files are usually large enough to use, but phone photos will not print properly and thus not be considered). 

The artwork must be in color and large-enough format to print well on an 8.5x11 inch sheet. Hand-drawn or digital entries should be about 8.5x11 inches. All photos featuring people must have proper permission for use (Girls and adults may already have given permission on their membership form. If not, they may also give permission using Form #002).

Please email a high-resolution file or scan of your entry to Rebekah Hubbard at rhubbard@girlscoutsosw.org or send via USPS to 9620 SW Barbur Blvd., Portland, OR, 97219. The deadline for entry is February 12. 

If you do not receive a response within 24 hours from Rebekah confirming receipt of your, your file may have been too big for the email system. If that is the case, please call Rebekah at 503-977-6860 to see if the artwork has come in or discuss an alternate way to send the art in.

GSOSW staff member Alanna Beckwith featued in NOVAA Member Spotlight!

Congratulations to GSOSW Volunteer Support Coordinator Alanna Beckwith, who was featured this week on the Northwest Oregon Volunteer Administrators Association's Member Spotlight!

She has some great things to say about Girl Scout volunteers in her Q&A:  "Girl Scout volunteers are some of the most dedicated volunteers I have ever met. They are the epitome of our mission 'building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.' As a side effect, we often build VOLUNTEERS of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place!"

Alanna says her biggest accomplishment as a volunteer administrator is "learning how to handle conflict in a professional, respectful way. When I first started at this job, over four years ago, I was intimidated by conflict. I didn’t know where to begin. I feel that I have overcome that initial fear and learned how to work through the conflict to help resolve it."

Read the full interview over at NOVAA's website. 

Don't forget to sign up for the world's biggest sleepover, also known as the GSOSW cookie rally!

It's almost here! The BIGGEST, MOST EXCITING cookie rally & sleepover you've ever seen!

Join us at Evergreen Aviation Museum, McMinnville, OR
Friday, January 11 OR Saturday, January 12
6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. (almost overnight)  $10
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 a.m. (overnight) $27
6:00 p.m. - 10:00 a.m. (overnight with optional water park admission) $27 + $18 water park*

*Water park option includes two hours of exclusive use of the water park, 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. before it opens to the public AND all day admission during the public swim time.
 The rally will include: fun activities, sample cookies, goodie bags with patches and water bottles, lot of prize drawings, 3-D cookie movie, sleeping in the museum under planes or spacecraft, "midnight" snack and continental breakfast.

Older girl troops who run a booth at the rally will get a special late-night movie and a 10% discount on admission. Those troops will have a briefing and run-through on January 5, 2013. Details will be sent separately. If you can't attend the briefing, contact Melissa at mstanley@girlscoutsosw.org.
 
Register online using Personify.

Help Girl Scouts Feed Families on Christmas Morning

Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington is holding a canned food, winter clothing and toy drive for the Washington County Girl Scouts Christmas Breakfast for the homeless.

The community is encouraged to drop off donations at:
• Girl Scouts OSW Portland Service Center, 9620 SW Barbur Blvd, Portland, Monday-
Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. through December 21, 2012
• Grocery Outlet in Hillsboro, 354 South First Ave.,
Hillsboro, Saturday, December 15, 2012

Items needed include:
• Canned food
• Winter clothing items (such as: coats, hats, gloves,
scarves, etc)
• New toys

The Washington County Girl Scouts Christmas Breakfast for the Homeless is coordinated by volunteers. The event was started by a Girl Scout in 2000 when she and other local girls recognized a growing need among their community’s low-income population. More than ten years later, local Girl Scouts, families and community volunteers still gather at the Hillsboro Senior Center to provide Washington County residents with a hot breakfast, clothing and food boxes. Last year, the event served 400-500 people.

This year, the breakfast will be a one-day event held on December 25. A hot breakfast is served Christmas morning from 7:00 a.m.- 10:00 a.m. at the Hillsboro Senior Center. Toys and food boxes will be distributed during that time; availability is first come, first served. The Senior Center is located at 750 SE 8th, Hillsboro (in Shute Park behind the old library).

To volunteer for the event or for more information, visit www.Christmas-breakfast.org or call
Bernice at (503) 977-6851.