tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6723447102894486402023-11-16T04:13:58.561-08:00Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas BlogA blog for Girl Scouts, volunteers, alumnae and those in support of girls.Girl Scouts of Southwest Texashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15658398221616423174noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672344710289448640.post-78277526254696521592017-05-03T06:48:00.004-07:002017-05-03T06:48:52.541-07:00Check out what’s happening at the WSGSLC<div class="MsoNormal">
We have a ton of great opportunities for you to flex your muscles, both physical and mental! </div>
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<li>Catch Monday Fun-day Activity Night this upcoming Monday, May 8, for a fun and free Mother’s Day craft the family can make together. Meal served and activity begins at 5:30 pm. </li>
<li>Join us every Wednesday for free yoga! Mats provided, classes will be from 7:15-8:15 pm. </li>
<li>On Thursdays, be sure to attend the KLRN Play and Learn from 9:30 am-
noon. The book this week will be" Pete the Cat & His Four Groovy Buttons!" </li>
<li>If you can’t make the Play and Learn, you can catch the Texas Families:
Together and Safe free parenting sessions Thursdays from 12-1:30 pm. </li>
</ul>
Girl Scouts of Southwest Texashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15658398221616423174noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672344710289448640.post-89197674570783856442017-05-01T12:28:00.001-07:002017-05-01T12:28:16.387-07:00Volunteer of Excellence/Friends of Girl Scouting<div style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt;">
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The hard work and dedication required to excel in scouting is
consistently acknowledged in our young G.I.R.L. population, but at times
recognition for the courage and character our wonderful adult GS volunteers
display can fall short of what we would like it to be. Girl Scouts of Southwest
Texas as a whole community is large, and may not always be aware of all the
strong contributions individuals make to our organization on their own home
fronts. We invite you to take the opportunity to be our eyes and ears for
greatness, and to acknowledge your fellow volunteers for the brilliant
individuals they are.</div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The “Volunteer of Excellence” award is an accolade given at the
Community level. Because it is not a Board designated award, it may be
submitted year round with no application deadline. Volunteer of Excellence
acknowledges any individual who goes above and beyond for GSSWT and the values
the Girl Scout way encourages. You may <a href="http://goo.gl/hIn1UG" target="_blank">complete your nomination here</a> and following submission guidelines.</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you would like to acknowledge a non-Girl Scout Affiliated
individual or business who has gone above and beyond to promote or support
scouting, you may nominate them for the “Friends of Girl Scouting” award. This
award can be used to thank a school or church that has let your troop meet
within their property, or a business that has donated goods and effort to help
a Girl Scout project. Once again this is an award that is available year-round
with no deadline. <a href="https://goo.gl/mqZS8j" target="_blank">Download the form</a> and follow
the submission guidelines to complete your nomination.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 15.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Please
contact Customer Care at (210)349-2404 for any questions concerning either the
Volunteer of Excellence award or Friends of Girl Scouting. </span></div>
Girl Scouts of Southwest Texashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15658398221616423174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672344710289448640.post-8352955445460301242017-01-31T10:04:00.003-08:002017-01-31T10:04:50.409-08:00We have so much in store for you at the WSGSLC!<h2 style="text-align: center;">
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is the season of love, and
what better way to celebrate than a dance free for friends and family! The
Heartbeat Bash will be Friday February 10 from 5:30-7 pm and the West Side Girl
Scout Leadership Center! There will be snacks, activities, and a lot of music
to move and groove to! Mark your calendars and RSVP soon so your Girl Scout can
have a special patch reserved for her! This is dance you will not want to miss!
RSVP to 210-349-2404 ext. 423/ <a href="mailto:dwilliams2@girlscouts-swtx.org">dwilliams2@girlscouts-swtx.org</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don’t forget about Monday
Fun-Day! This month there will be a movie night on Feb. 6, an activity night on
Feb. 13, and a game night on Feb.20. All programs are free and include DINNER
from 5:30-7pm at the West Side Girl Scout Leadership Center! Use this time for
current Girl Scouts to let loose and enjoy time with friends and family or to
give a potential Girl Scout the Girl Scout Experience!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">VITA, the Volunteer Income Tax
Program will be stopping by the West Side Girl Scout Leadership Center on
Monday February 13 from 5-8pm to do income tax preparation for FREE! These IRS
Certified volunteers will be taking appointments, to take the stress of waiting
in line away. </span></li>
<li><o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If your Girl Scout is looking
for a service project for the month, then look no further! Our very own Daisy’s
Closet & Cupboard is in need on non-perishable food items, and your Girl
Scout could help stock it up. Daisy’s Closet & Cupboard is a community food
pantry and closet that Girl Scout families or members of the community can
utilize for emergency resources. Making a donation from home or getting creative
and doing a food drive in your community, at school, at church, or
neighborhood could definitely help touch the families that need to utilize this
resource. Donations can be delivered to Sally Cheever Girl Scout Leadership
Center or to the West Side Girl Scout Leadership Center! </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The new year calls for a new
fitness regimen. The West Side Girl Scout Leadership Center has got you
covered. There will be Zumba on February 15 and February 21 from 6-7 pm. Come
check it out!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Calling all families! Learning
communities will have 2 session this month!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Saturday Feb. 11 Money matters:
Budgeting will be from 10-11:30 am and on Thursday Feb. 23, we will have Mission
Nutrition from 11:30-1 pm. Both will be at the West Side Girl Scout Leadership
Center!</span></li>
</ul>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Please contact <a href="mailto:dwilliams2@girlscouts-swtx.org" target="_blank">Danez Williams</a> at </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">210-349-2404 ext. 423 </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">with any questions about the events above.</span></div>
Girl Scouts of Southwest Texashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15658398221616423174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672344710289448640.post-71401955658424724102016-11-16T10:36:00.008-08:002016-11-16T10:53:26.948-08:00A cookie rally built by girls<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJMOACI0IfAMoCik71xZvP9-uopvZBQHCksqpKmQUuI10LAUMOe5lEjkSlvEYo7YQ-Ti2MkacilWFK55e7cBINnWKTmtLDICOq9Tnk-sEtUmPo9nVOLhcZJaU4A82Elmb6rHx6coLwJgw9/s1600/Cookie_Palooza_logo%255B1%255D.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJMOACI0IfAMoCik71xZvP9-uopvZBQHCksqpKmQUuI10LAUMOe5lEjkSlvEYo7YQ-Ti2MkacilWFK55e7cBINnWKTmtLDICOq9Tnk-sEtUmPo9nVOLhcZJaU4A82Elmb6rHx6coLwJgw9/s320/Cookie_Palooza_logo%255B1%255D.png" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Girl Scouts and non-Girl Scouts are invited to attend the 2017 Girl Scout Cookie Rally with San Antonio Rampage at the AT&T Center!</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Join the cookie palooza
and celebrate 100 years of Girl Scout selling cookies at our annual
cookie rally with the San Antonio Rampage! Girls will create cookie props,
including a <i>goal tree tracker,</i> <i>marshmallow catapult </i>and
more, to display during the <b><i>It’s Girl Scout Cookie Time</i></b> parade. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Interactive and fun activities will also be provided by our Business Patch
Initiatives sponsors, CPS Energy, H-E-B, Shining Star ENERGY, Wells Fargo and
Valero Energy. <i>Strike a Pose</i> in the
photo booth and be sure to stop by the Girl Scout Shop to get all your
much-needed cookie and owl-some merchandise! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Take action</b> for our
own community and bring donations to fill Daisy’s Closet and Cupboard—non-perishable
food and hygiene items and new packages of socks and underwear for girls ages
5-12 will be accepted at the cookie rally. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's all the information you need to join in the fun! </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>When</b>: Saturday, January 14, 2017</span></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3:30-5:30 p.m. -- Tailgate Party (families are
welcome to bring in lunch/drinks/coolers to the tailgate party; no outside
food, drinks or coolers will be allowed into the Rampage game)</span></li>
</ul>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">5:30 p.m. -- Cookie parade </span></li>
</ul>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">7 p.m. -- Rampage game</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Where</b>: 1 AT&T Center Parkway, San Antonio, 78219 <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">(FREE parking in lot 4; tailgate
party in lots 5 & 6)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Fee(s): </b></span><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">$18/person</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;"> for
tailgate party, parade & game—purchase tickets at </span><a href="http://spursgroups.com/gsswt" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://spursgroups.com/<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>gsswt</a><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;"> and
receive free parking, one free ticket to a future Rampage game (date TBD) and
Cookie Rally 2017 patch! <i>(MUST purchase
tickets via this link; GSSWT is NOT handling ticket sales; scholarships not
available)</i></span></div>
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<b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">OPTIONAL
$3/person</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;"> for one food voucher (includes hot dog, chips & drink)
at the Rampage game <i>(MUST be
pre-purchased at time of purchasing cookie rally tickets)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Exciting incentives for GSSWT girls selling cookies during
the 2017 program:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;">First 600 people to purchase cookie rally
tickets ($15/person) will enjoy a <b>PRE-
or POST-GAME SKATE!</b> <i>(200 people per session; 3 sessions;
designated skate session not guaranteed)</i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Two girls with the highest Digital Order Card
sales by 11:59 p.m., Tues., Jan. 10 will <b>RIDE
THE ZAMBONI</b> during pre-game and intermission.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;">10 girls with the most emails sent via Digital
Order Card by 11:59 p.m., Tues., Jan. 10 will <b>EXPERIENCE the PENALTY BOX</b> to watch pre-game warm-ups <i>(5 girls per box; 2 boxes available)</i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;">The first 20 girls to post a picture of
themselves (troops pictures acceptable) sporting their Girl Scout Cookie
Palooza spirit on Sun., Jan. 1 AND include #GSCookiePalooza on GSSWTs Facebook
page (facebook.com/GirlScoutsSWTX) are eligible to <b>HIGH-FIVE
PLAYERS</b> <b>in the FAN TUNNEL </b>as
players enter the rink</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don't miss out on the fun! Buy your tickets today <a href="http://spursgroups.com/gsswt" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #365899; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://spursgroups.com/<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>gsswt</a><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></span></div>
<!--[if !supportLists]--><br />Girl Scouts of Southwest Texashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15658398221616423174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672344710289448640.post-54153482867748855452016-10-31T08:02:00.003-07:002016-10-31T08:02:31.138-07:00Get fit and have fun at the WSGSLC<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: #002060; font-size: 10.5pt;">Shake up your ordinary workout with a weekly
group fitness class at the West Side Girl Scout Leadership Center (5622 W.
Cesar Chavez Blvd). Get your heart pumping with Zumba or a high energy
Body Boot Camp class. If you really want to mix things up try our Wild Card
class where a new workout is revealed every month. November’s Wildcard is
Cardio Kickboxing. Classes are free to the community, so be sure to bring a
friend. </span><span style="color: #002060;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #002060;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check out the schedule below for
your pick of classes. All classes begin at 6 p.m. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #002060;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tuesday Nov 1: Body Boot Camp<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #002060;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wednesday Nov. 2: Zumba<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wednesday Nov. 9: Zumba<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tuesday Nov. 15: Body Boot Camp<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wednesday Nov. 16- Zumba<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tuesday Nov. 29: Body Boot Camp<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wednesday Nov. 30: Wildcard!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wednesday December 7: Zumba</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Girl Scouts of Southwest Texashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15658398221616423174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672344710289448640.post-61075552378125065812016-10-28T11:17:00.004-07:002016-10-28T11:17:48.800-07:00Hip Hip Hooray for STEM! <div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 18.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 18.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">A STEM inventory and signpost form are now available <a href="http://www.girlscouts-swtx.org/en/for-volunteers/forms.html" target="_blank">online</a>.
If you have additional questions please contact Nicole Cange at
210-319-5775 ext 405 or <a href="mailto:ncange@girlscouts-swtx.org">ncange@girlscouts-swtx.org</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Girl Scouts of Southwest Texashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15658398221616423174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672344710289448640.post-84086353940814231372016-10-04T09:50:00.004-07:002016-10-04T09:56:40.475-07:00Get fit and have fun at the WSGSLC<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Shake up your ordinary workout with a weekly group fitness class at the </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">West Side Girl Scout Leadership Center (5622 W. Cesar Chavez Blvd). Get your heart pumping with Zumba or a high energy Body Boot Camp class. If you really want to mix things up try our Wild Card class where a new workout is revealed every month. October's Wild Card is Girl Power Self Defense. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Check out the schedule below for your pick of classes. All classes begin at 5:30 p.m.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wednesday Oct 5: Wild Card</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tuesday Oct. 11: Wild Card</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wednesday Oct. 12: Zumba<br />Tuesday Oct. 18: Body Boot Camp<br />Wednesday Oct. 19: Zumba<br />Tuesday Oct. 25: Body Boot Camp<br />Wednesday Oct. 26: Wild Card! </span></div>
Girl Scouts of Southwest Texashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15658398221616423174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672344710289448640.post-74479072409618142962016-10-04T09:19:00.001-07:002016-10-04T09:22:28.918-07:00How to Survive a Zombie Invasion<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_fjPFYnc5sTMzZ0YMByfzf7xpFns3Kx5AvDOIGFwP3-j9G0ukwfNdp5QUcdBfzm13cq42azTVphZi20x8I9gy78IQowFFxCqkFulvUe04IC4vlSSbeoQamNcLj1L211Vt5mz4phlk4o1/s1600/CampLaJita_ZombiePatch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_fjPFYnc5sTMzZ0YMByfzf7xpFns3Kx5AvDOIGFwP3-j9G0ukwfNdp5QUcdBfzm13cq42azTVphZi20x8I9gy78IQowFFxCqkFulvUe04IC4vlSSbeoQamNcLj1L211Vt5mz4phlk4o1/s200/CampLaJita_ZombiePatch.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d;">The fall forecast is calling for
an invasion of zombies at <a href="https://gsusa.ebiz.uapps.net/vp/FamilyManagement/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductId=1970212955" target="_blank">Camp La Jita October 14-16</a>! Learn survival skills
needed to stay alive after the rise of the undead. Discover ways to hide in
plain sight, first aid in case of emergencies and other helpful information to
keep you from being a zombie snack. Whether you have zombies after your brain
or are surrounded by the walking dead, this program can help you make it out
alive. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d;">When:Oct. 14-16, 6 p.m. - 11 a.m.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d;">Cost: $25/Girl Scout $25/adult</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://gsusa.ebiz.uapps.net/vp/FamilyManagement/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductId=1970212955" target="_blank">Register today</a> on eBiz.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f497d;">This camp event is for Girl Scout Junior, Cadettes, Seniors and
Ambassadors. Adult and Program Aide volunteer opportunities available. Contact
Tabitha Bomer at </span><a href="mailto:tbomer@girlscouts-swtx.org">tbomer@girlscouts-swtx.org</a><span style="color: #1f497d;">
to assist. </span></span></div>
Girl Scouts of Southwest Texashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15658398221616423174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672344710289448640.post-77301714300123723272016-10-04T08:43:00.005-07:002016-10-04T08:43:55.028-07:00Board approved awards due November 30<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 117%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Do you know a volunteer who contributed outstanding support at the council
or service unit level during service that included the 2015-2016 membership
year? Recognize your awesome volunteer by nominating them for one of our
council level Board Approved awards: Appreciation Pin, Honor Pin, Daisy Pin </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">(an award only given by GSSWT)</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">, Thanks Badge or Thanks Badge II.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 117%;">We are also accepting nominations for the Community Partner Award and Outstanding Religious Leader Awards. If you know a local business or
community member who supported Girl Scouting for several years or a religious
leader who provided outstanding support and encouragement for Girl Scouting in
their religious community consider submitting a nomination recognizing their support of Girl Scouts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 117%;">Anyone</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 117%;"> including parents, troop leaders,
staff members and community team members can nominate an eligible volunteer
for an award. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 117%;">For more information check out the
Information Guide for Board Approved Awards or locate the award form for your
nomination on the Forms Page at </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 117%;"><a href="http://www.girlscouts-swtx.org/"><span style="color: #085296; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 117%;">www.girlscouts-swtx.org</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
Girl Scouts of Southwest Texashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15658398221616423174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672344710289448640.post-55719853281545154382016-10-04T08:43:00.002-07:002016-10-04T11:34:09.520-07:00Trefoil 2016 Luncheon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/gsswt/15770q" target="_blank">Trefoil 2016 honoring Janet Holliday was a huge success!</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwVUOiIsgCs" target="_blank">Janet is an active community and civic leader</a> committed to mentorship, leadership
youth training and supporting nonprofits that impact young women including Girl
Scouts of Southwest Texas. As part of
the centennial celebration of the Girl Scout Gold Award, Janet was escorted
into the event by Gold Award recipients. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We have so many great things we could say about Janet but instead we'll let her friends and family sing her praises.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Maiya McCrary, a Girl Scout alumna who was one of eight
Girl Scouts chosen from across the nation to present their Gold Award project
on Capitol Hill, spoke at the event about how completing a Gold Award project
has impacted her life. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">And thanks to our generous donors, we raised more than $330,000!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Each year GSSWT recognizes an outstanding woman leader for her
service to the community and unveils <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIOM9vcH804" target="_blank">initiatives to educate girls</a> in the
areas of environmental awareness, healthy living, STEM, entrepreneurship and
financial literacy with five of the city’s leading businesses. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">All of this would not be possible without our sponsors who helped make
the event a success: </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">CPS Energy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Shining Star
ENERGY<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Valero Energy
Foundation<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Wells Fargo<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b>Platinum
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">McCombs
Foundation<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Mays Family
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Janet Holliday,
The CE Group Inc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">NuStar Energy/
The Greehey Family Foundation<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">IBC Bank <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Suzanne &
Dick Wade<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">C.H. Guenther
& Son, Inc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Nancy &
Charlie Cheever<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Frost<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Speaker &
Mrs. Joe Straus<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">South Texas
Money Management, Ltd.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">AT&T<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The University
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">City of San
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Silver Eagle
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Witte Museum<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The Wood Agency<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Bracewell /
Pape-Dawson Engineers, Inc<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Jan King/King
& Sommer, PLLC<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Cece
Cheever/Cheever Books<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Linebarger
Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The Bank of San
Antonio<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Linda Whitacre<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">SWBC<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">UTSA/Institute
of Texan Cultures<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Kim & Lance
Lubel <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">John Newman
Family Charitable Fund<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Texas A&M
University- San Antonio<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Holliday
Interests<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Broadway Bank<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Zachry
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Ernst &
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& Entertainment<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Conceptual
MindWorks<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">USAA<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Bob & Karen
Baen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Nancy Zachry<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Girl Scouts of Southwest Texashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15658398221616423174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672344710289448640.post-23804301079535701172016-10-04T08:33:00.004-07:002016-10-04T08:47:51.076-07:00Join The Friends of Pax Lodge for High Tea<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jOIAwfhqy68SkrlqDz1REeXAdBuis62XT09_XXE5SIUsevy9FZ0NjJJHMc3rw91wXkRK8G7RVklB4fyOGAuqz5GasQxToxB8VRoJsDxpG3yqIOntgAd9asIuEDWBQLValVMai2y3-zlr/s1600/mug.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jOIAwfhqy68SkrlqDz1REeXAdBuis62XT09_XXE5SIUsevy9FZ0NjJJHMc3rw91wXkRK8G7RVklB4fyOGAuqz5GasQxToxB8VRoJsDxpG3yqIOntgAd9asIuEDWBQLValVMai2y3-zlr/s200/mug.png" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Come enjoy High Tea and help raise funds for Pax Lodge, the <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Pax Lodge is the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts World Centre in London, England.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Learn more about </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">WAGGGS</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> and </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the adventure that awaits you at Pax Lodge</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When: Sunday, Oct. 16, at 4 pm</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Where: St. Matthew’s Family Center, Room 106, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">10703 Wurzbach Rd. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cost: A contribution to Pax Lodge of $25 per person</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Friends of Pax Lodge is a committee whose role is to raise funds to be used for Pax Lodge scholarships for girls & to assist with on-going operating expenses. Girls can gain so much from this international experience. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Girl Scouts of Southwest Texashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15658398221616423174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672344710289448640.post-20568124337736297982015-10-27T08:06:00.003-07:002015-10-27T08:59:48.653-07:00Two heroes are better than one. Invite a friend to volunteer and win.<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Invite a friend to volunteer
and win! </b>As a Girl Scout volunteer, you introduce girls to fun new
experiences every day. You’re their biggest fan, their guide, and their hero,
and we need more amazing mentors just like you to impact even more girls!<br />This November, invite a friend to start a new Girl Scout
Daisy, Brownie, or Junior troop, and everyone wins! You get $50 to spend at
Girl Scouts’ official online store, and your friend gets a fun, free Volunteer
Resource Pack to help them get started. Plus girls get another amazing role
model and hero—so much YES!<br />Plus, when you double the friends, you double your prize…<br />
$100 for you and a Volunteer Resource Pack for each friend—awesome!<br />Once your friend joins Girl Scouts as a troop leader,
completes the volunteer application, and starts a new Girl Scout Daisy,
Brownie, or Junior troop, head on over to <a href="http://www.girlscouts.org/inviteafriend">girlscouts.org/inviteafriend</a>
to claim your prize.<br /><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Offer ends 12/1/2015.</span></b>Have a question? We have the answer at<b><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></b><a href="mailto:info@girlscouts.org">info@girlscouts.org</a><span class="MsoHyperlink">.<br /><o:p></o:p></span>Please review official <a href="http://www.girlscouts.org/includes/join/invite_a_friend/2015_Invite-A-Friend_TermsConditions.htm">Terms
& Conditions</a>. </span><br />
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Girl Scouts of Southwest Texashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15658398221616423174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672344710289448640.post-20066200060412252342015-09-09T07:25:00.000-07:002016-10-06T07:23:18.638-07:00Change her life, and yours, by starting a Girl Scout troop! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaSnxHGIa8BPn7-_6lE4EYLDES8uAPUbaUVyZAomTUhbqFn7PzomsIC34gCikqv78L7hOkvC6DsOdwIjKeFfY6bRIOTYc3XBnbNjEXNg1G5dR9aIqNU3Dl4RMHqQxJAsVOrX63_T5PWG2N/s1600/Volunteer-Infographic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaSnxHGIa8BPn7-_6lE4EYLDES8uAPUbaUVyZAomTUhbqFn7PzomsIC34gCikqv78L7hOkvC6DsOdwIjKeFfY6bRIOTYc3XBnbNjEXNg1G5dR9aIqNU3Dl4RMHqQxJAsVOrX63_T5PWG2N/s640/Volunteer-Infographic.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "omnes_girlscouts regular"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It’s
recruitment season and we are in need of amazing troop
leaders! As many young girls look to join Girl Scouts, we will need
to add more troops to our awesome team! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "omnes_girlscouts regular"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Why should you become a troop leader?
Well there are many great reasons, but we’ll mention just a few! Becoming a
troop leader will give you an opportunity to empower young girls. You will show
them that they can do anything! Troop leaders also have a helping hand in
teaching these girls all about sisterhood. Sisterhood is about creating
friendships and making memories that will last forever! Troop leaders will have
the gratification of supporting their girls as they develop their skills,
leadership and character. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "omnes_girlscouts regular"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "omnes_girlscouts regular"; font-size: 12.0pt;">By being your troop’s mentor, coach and cheerleader you
will make an extraordinary difference in the lives of these young girls!
Finally, becoming a troop leader is definitely fun!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "omnes_girlscouts bold"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Concerns
for New Troop Leaders</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "omnes_girlscouts regular"; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Will
there be anyone to help me?</b></span><span style="font-family: "omnes_girlscouts regular"; font-size: 12pt;">Yes!
In fact, in order to start your own troop there must be two adults!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "omnes_girlscouts regular"; font-size: 12pt;"><b>What
if I have a full time job?</b></span><span style="font-family: "omnes_girlscouts regular"; font-size: 12pt;">Most
of our troop leaders are busy parents and have busy schedules. The nice thing
about being a troop leader is that you can set your own schedule and can find a
co-leader with a similar schedule to help out!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "omnes_girlscouts regular"; font-size: 12pt;"><b>How
many girls do I need for my troop?</b></span><span style="font-family: "omnes_girlscouts regular"; font-size: 12pt;">You
need five girls for your troop then the fun can begin!</span><span style="font-family: "omnes_girlscouts regular"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "omnes_girlscouts regular"; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Do
all of the girls in my troop have to be in the same grade level?</b></span><span style="font-family: "omnes_girlscouts regular"; font-size: 12pt;">No,
Girl Scouts allows for troop leaders to have an assorted group of amazing girls,
grades K-12!</span><span style="font-family: "omnes_girlscouts regular"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "omnes_girlscouts regular"; font-size: 12pt;"><b>If
I have never been in Girl Scouts can I still be a troop leader?</b></span><span style="font-family: "omnes_girlscouts regular"; font-size: 12pt;">Yes,
of course! It is never too late to be a Girl Scout!</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "omnes_girlscouts bold"; font-size: 14pt;"><b>Training
and Essentials</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "omnes_girlscouts bold"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: "omnes_girlscouts regular"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://girlscouts.secure.force.com/girl?utm_campaign=GSRecruitmentCampaign_sf&utm_medium=join&utm_source=join" target="_blank">Register online</a> as an adult member. </span><span style="font-family: "omnes_girlscouts regular"; font-size: 12pt;">You will be asked to submit a payment of $15, which will
be good for one year’s membership. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "omnes_girlscouts regular"; font-size: 12pt;">Before
meeting with a Girl Scout representative you must <a href="http://training.girlscouts.org/default.asp" target="_blank">complete online training-GirlScout 101</a>.</span><b><span style="font-family: "omnes_girlscouts regular"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "omnes_girlscouts regular"; font-size: 12pt;">Before
the first troop meeting the troop leader and co-leader will need to complete
the Troop Leadership Essentials. This includes an in-person training (see
Pathways guide) and home study (request via email). You must register five
business days prior to class date.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "omnes_girlscouts regular"; font-size: 12pt;">Request
a troop number by contacting a retention specialist.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "omnes_girlscouts regular"; font-size: 12pt;">Create
your troop bank account and complete the <a href="https://gsusa.ebiz.uapps.net/vp/FamilyManagement/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductId=2052936736" target="_blank">online money manager training course</a>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "omnes_girlscouts regular"; font-size: 12pt;">By
the sixth troop meeting, you will need to complete an in-person grade-level
essentials training. You must register <b>five business days prior</b> to class date.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "omnes_girlscouts regular"; font-size: 12pt;">Lastly,
before your troops first outing or field trip you will need to complete First
Aid and CPR training and certification.</span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-family: "omnes_girlscouts regular"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Becoming
a troop leader is a great way to create lifelong bonds and memorable
experiences! Most importantly, you and your troop will be having fun! So become
a troop leader today, we can't wait for you to join the fun! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Girl Scouts of Southwest Texashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15658398221616423174noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672344710289448640.post-33944271393566991202014-12-11T10:59:00.000-08:002014-12-11T10:59:00.304-08:00Alyssa's European Adventures: Part 12<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">Alyssa spent two weeks touring England, France, Switzerland and Italy, visiting </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts World Centres and famous landmarks she had only seen in history books. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">Alyssa worked for two years selling more than 2,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to make her dream come true.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">She shares her journey with us here: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Our
final morning was an early one. Our wake-up call was for 4:30 a.m.. We had to
be on the bus for the airport an hour later. When we got to
the airport, there was a lot of hugging and a few tears as we said goodbye to
our friends from North Carolina. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">We
checked our luggage and brought a backpack to the gate. We finally
boarded theplane, for our Air Italia flight to the USA. It took 10 hours
for us to arrive at JFK in New York. We now had to claim our checked bags
and clear customs. Then we took our bags to a different terminal before
checking them with Delta for our flight to San Antonio. During our six
hour layover, we again met the women from Austin, TX. We finally boarded
our plane at 7:00 pm. The final flight was four hours
long. We landed around 11:20 central time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">This
trip was amazing! I had hoped and dreamed of traveling to Europe
for many years. It was better than I thought possible. I know
I won’t forget about it any time soon. To see in person the things you’ve
only heard or read about is just this indescribable feeling that puts a smile
on your face.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">I
learned so many new things about each place we visited. I tried some very
delicious food and desserts. I learned a little French and Italian.
I grew really close to all the other girls as well. I
hope our friendships continue for many years to come. I sold more than
2,000 boxes of cookies during each of the 2013 and 2014 cookie sales to help
pay for my trip. It was so worth it! I’m so thankful to my parents
for all their support in helping me to reach my goals. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">I
would love to someday return to Our Chalet as short term volunteer. You
must be at least 18 years old, a Girl Scout or Girl Guide and able to speak
English. You can volunteer for one to three months.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Our
tour director, Sabrina, was so much fun and so full of energy. She
invited us to come see her in Spain. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">After
reading this blog, I hope you see all of the good things that come from
traveling. Know that it really can be life changing and broaden your view
of the world. Plus it’s nice to get a break every once in a
while. Enjoy your travels!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">~Alyssa~</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRF3-mgkzxMxR3FpRNjCp4OzzQyCz-LotcgR0TpPVSCpFi9w-U-Qt8SIxTZ7bjfcMEHfcYMI-JebPYafIQgbOW4esK7ApBGX-IhsGUXHhZFqm89LTM0vo2bIyWNh4PI3CfhVvmDI6rJZtw/s1600/20140729_083955.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRF3-mgkzxMxR3FpRNjCp4OzzQyCz-LotcgR0TpPVSCpFi9w-U-Qt8SIxTZ7bjfcMEHfcYMI-JebPYafIQgbOW4esK7ApBGX-IhsGUXHhZFqm89LTM0vo2bIyWNh4PI3CfhVvmDI6rJZtw/s1600/20140729_083955.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> At the Rome airport</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5WfM3gwKloxcw2N2ccZRuwt78Uunm3gS5_lYJvlvg9QxcZPTozjhIYN9MXaX6wRFVAowHyy588mP-cjZQUfl_kAEN8rxm1ZqWGeRdZavh5gqrHGzdtUXeS5oEUyWQpan07Oy7RK_KC0Nr/s1600/20140729_083950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5WfM3gwKloxcw2N2ccZRuwt78Uunm3gS5_lYJvlvg9QxcZPTozjhIYN9MXaX6wRFVAowHyy588mP-cjZQUfl_kAEN8rxm1ZqWGeRdZavh5gqrHGzdtUXeS5oEUyWQpan07Oy7RK_KC0Nr/s1600/20140729_083950.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Final goodbyes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2cYNuJNMolgKtnhGgsuyIbz9d_iNlq1gGfOOEp41WrjIngwV9pxBDD04TqiD7s5y-mpMDLaP2Xg2BryE2VBo93dcme-UZyJ30QH4CCMWTgjKfkrALJHfs10UnzcISC1ZBrokV3xvGJA7F/s1600/20140729_191738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2cYNuJNMolgKtnhGgsuyIbz9d_iNlq1gGfOOEp41WrjIngwV9pxBDD04TqiD7s5y-mpMDLaP2Xg2BryE2VBo93dcme-UZyJ30QH4CCMWTgjKfkrALJHfs10UnzcISC1ZBrokV3xvGJA7F/s1600/20140729_191738.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">My family on the flight home<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Girl Scouts of Southwest Texashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15658398221616423174noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672344710289448640.post-91412619307410878352014-12-09T10:59:00.001-08:002014-12-09T10:59:30.414-08:00Alyssa's European Adventures: Part 11<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">Alyssa spent two weeks touring England, France, Switzerland and Italy, visiting </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts World Centres and famous landmarks she had only seen in history books. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">Alyssa worked for two years selling more than 2,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to make her dream come true.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">She shares her journey with us here: </span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">All
of the girls had to make sure their clothes covered their shoulders and knees as
we headed to the Vatican! Our Vatican City guide, Paula, showed us
around so we didn’t get lost in the huge building. We started our tour in
the Vatican Museum.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">One
of the most famous locations we visited was the Sistine Chapel. We
learned that the celling was painted by Michelangelo. This might be
confusing to some since everyone knows him as a famous sculptor. The
first time the Pope asked him to paint the ceiling, he declined, but when the
pope asked multiple times Michelangelo couldn’t refuse.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">It
took him four years to complete the entire ceiling, which is made up of many
fresco paintings. Michelangelo was only 33 when he started the celling in
1508. After Michelangelo had died, part of the celling fell.
Even though the ceiling has been cleaned, it has never been repainted. So
when you go inside you can still see where part of the ceiling is missing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Another
painting that is very well known is the “Last Judgment.”
Michelangelo returned to the chapel in 1535 to begin work on the “Last
Judgment.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">We
also toured St. Peter’s Basilica. During January 1547, Pope Paul III
summoned Michelangelo, then in his 70’s, to oversee construction of the
Basilica and its enormous dome. Michelangelo also painted the dome’s
ceiling. Just for perspective, the letters in the writing at the base of
the dome are more than 6 feet tall.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">After
lunch, Sabrina led us on a walking tour of Rome. We saw the Four Rivers
Fountain in Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, and the “Trevi Fountain.”
Unfortunately the fountain was undergoing maintenance. Even though the
water was drained we still made a wish. We also climbed the
“Spanish Steps.” When we reached the top, there were many artist
selling paintings of different places around Italy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">We
had salad, lasagna and tiramisu for dessert. After dinner, the bus took
us back to the hotel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Photos:</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Dome of St. Peter’s<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Group in front of Four Rivers fountain<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Alyssa outside of the Pantheon<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Girl Scouts of Southwest Texashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15658398221616423174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672344710289448640.post-82514220467656464912014-12-01T09:29:00.000-08:002014-12-01T09:29:06.941-08:00Alyssa's European Adventures: Part 10<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">Alyssa spent two weeks touring England, France, Switzerland and Italy, visiting </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts World Centres and famous landmarks she had only seen in history books. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">Alyssa worked for two years selling more than 2,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to make her dream come true.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">She shares her journey with us here: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Our
first full day in Florence we met our local tour guide William at the </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Duomo.</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">
He told us it took 140 years to complete. We also saw the Florence Baptistery
near the Duomo, since back in the day you couldn’t enter a church unless
you were baptized. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">You
enter the baptistery through three sets of doors. The east doors or
“Gates of Paradise” are made of 10 panels, each is a 3D picture of a bible
story. Sadly some of the original panels were washed away in a flood but
they were recreated using the same techniques used by the original
artist. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">William
took us to </span><span lang="EN" style="color: #484848; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Palazzo Vecchio</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">. Here is
where the famous statue of David has stood for more than 300 years. The current
statue is a replica, since the original has been moved to a museum to preserve
it. Another interesting statue “The Kidnapping of the Sabine Women”
has a different view, depending on where you are standing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">As
our tour ended, William brought us to a leather making shop where we met
Sabrina. The group watched a presentation about the process of molding
leather. It was actually really interesting to learn the different
methods used to make some of our favorite leather goods.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Afterward
the leather shop we had lunch at Francesco Vini. We had bruschetta,
pizzas, baked spinach and ricotta. For dessert we shared tiramisu.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Our
group walked to our next activity, a fresco painting class. We learned
the history and painted our own frescos. This was different from any
painting I’ve ever done. We painted on wet cement. The man who
taught us painted a sample in only a few minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">After
having pasta, salad, and pork for dinner at Osteria del Baroncelli.
We walked back to our hotel at sunset. We stopped for gelato. It wasn’t
hard to find since there are gelato shops on practically every street.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Group in front of the Duomo<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Alyssa in front of the “Gates of Paradise”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">William and the group at Palazzo Vecchio<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Painting a fresco</span></div>
Girl Scouts of Southwest Texashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15658398221616423174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672344710289448640.post-65345572720933393382014-11-17T08:08:00.001-08:002014-11-17T08:08:22.437-08:00Alyssa's European Adventures: Part 9<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">Alyssa spent two weeks touring England, France, Switzerland and Italy, visiting </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts World Centres and famous landmarks she had only seen in history books. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">Alyssa worked for two years selling more than 2,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to make her dream come true.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">She shares her journey with us here: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">With
our time in Switzerland at an end, we loaded our luggage on the bus and headed
to Italy. By this time, we could load and unload the bus fairly quickly
since we had done it several times and we had all claimed our space on the
bus. We arrived in Pisa several hours later. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">When
the bus stopped we found a small train waiting for us. It was going to
drive us closer to the Leaning Tower. It was really bumpy but we all had
a lot of fun riding it. When we arrived we saw many horse-drawn carriages
and souvenir vendors. Of course, we had to take pictures of us holding up
the leaning tower. We only had a couple hours in the city so we ate lunch
and shopped while we were there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Back
on the bus, for another hour or so, we drove to Florence. We arrived at
the restaurant a little early, so we sat and waited. This was my favorite
dinner of the entire trip. I must have gone back for food at least three
times. They had all-you-can-eat pasta, fruit and chicken served buffet
style.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">After
dinner, we walked along the river and Sabrina told us a little about Florence. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Reaching
the hotel we were happily surprised to discover it had air conditioning.
We hadn’t used air conditioning since arriving in Europe. It was a cool
break </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> <span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Alyssa & tower</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Our group in Pisa</span> </div>
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Girl Scouts of Southwest Texashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15658398221616423174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672344710289448640.post-9602146751531591352014-11-04T07:16:00.000-08:002014-11-04T07:16:21.268-08:00Alyssa's European Adventures: Part 8<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">Alyssa spent two weeks touring England, France, Switzerland and Italy, visiting </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts World Centres and famous landmarks she had only seen in history books. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">Alyssa worked for two years selling more than 2,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to make her dream come true.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">She shares her journey with us here: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">For
our second full day in Switzerland we were advised to dress in long pants and
layers in anticipation of a cool day. We said goodbye to the staff at Our
Chalet and hiked down the road with our luggage. Luckily, everyone had rolling </span><span style="font-size: 15px;">luggage</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">. We rode in our charter bus for two hours to the base of Mount
Pilatus, near Lucerne. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Once
we were at Mount Pilatus we rode halfway up the mountain in a four-person
gondola. It was really cool to see all of the cows as well as the
beautiful scenery. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">When
we reached the first platform we saw a ropes course, zip line and a toboggan
track. We had fun sledding down the toboggan track! It was really
weird being pulled all to the top while facing backwards.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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went up the rest of the mountain in a 40-person gondola that was really fast
but jerky at times. We ate lunch and took lots of pictures of the summit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">We
rode the cogwheel railway down the mountain. Mount Pilatus
has the steepest cogwheel railway in the world. The train keeps you sitting
upright instead of at an angle as you descend or ascend the mountain. It
took us to Lake Lucerne, where we boarded a ferry. It took about an hour
to cross the lake and it started to warm up while we were on the ferry.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">After
the ferry ride, Sabrina took us on a walking tour of Lucerne. We went to
several different churches, walked across the Chapel Bridge and saw the Lion
Monument.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">At
this time of year they have festival called “Blue Balls Festival.”
Popular and local singers perform outdoor concerts near the river. There
were also many food tents, artisans and street performers. We also
went souvenir shopping.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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on we went to dinner at a Swiss folk restaurant. They performed traditional
Swiss music while we ate cheese fondue. Some of the girls learned how to
play the instruments and perform the dances. It was crazy fun!
By the end of the night we were all dancing with the performers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: start;">Diego & Shannon, from North Carolina on their sleds</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: start;">Swiss Folk dinner</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: start;"> Chapel Bridge</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">My family at Lion Monument</span></div>
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Girl Scouts of Southwest Texashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15658398221616423174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672344710289448640.post-42790971782188031652014-10-24T08:20:00.000-07:002014-10-24T08:21:00.926-07:00Alyssa's European Adventures: Part 7<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">Alyssa spent two weeks touring England, France, Switzerland and Italy, visiting </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts World Centres and famous landmarks she had only seen in history books. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">Alyssa worked for two years selling more than 2,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to make her dream come true.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">She shares her journey with us here: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Our
first day at Our Chalet we dressed in our uniforms. Then it came to the
point where 10 teenage girls had to share two mirrors. Once we finally
ready we made our way outside to take part in the flag ceremony.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">During
the ceremony we learned the names of all the staff and where they were
from. We met girls from Italy, Germany, and California. Sadly
our friends from Canada had left early in the morning to continue their trip.
We had a pinning ceremony where we received the official Our Chalet pin. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">We
had two choices for the morning program. You could learn traditional
Swiss paper cutting or Swiss fire building. I chose to learn how to build
a fire. Two of the staff members showed us how to cut and place the
wood. They also announced we would be racing in teams of three. The
first team to burn through their sting and drop the rock would win.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">It
was different from how we would normally build a fire since we had to use a
knife to cut all of the kindling and tinder out of logs. But there was
another twist: you only got one match. The only way to get another
match was to sing a Girl Scout camp fire song to the judges. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">After
a lot of singing and cutting of wood, my team which consisted of Diego, Shannon
and I had a fire going. After adding more wood to fuel the fire our string
burned and the rock fell to the ground. We won! All three teams
were eventually successful in building a fire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">After
a filling lunch of Swiss barbecue, we hiked down the mountain towards the town
of Adelboden and then back up the mountain to the wood carver’s shop. It
took about an hour and a half to get there but it was well worth it. The
views were amazing and the wood carvings were very intricate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">We
ate yummy lemon pound cake and had a cool drink on the outdoor patio.
When we finished we called for a taxi to take us back to Our Chalet. Let
me tell you it is scary driving on a Swiss mountain. The road is very
narrow; it is only wide enough for one auto. Thankfully our driver was
very skilled. Some of our group decided to walk back and went to explore
the gorge we had passed on the way to the wood carver’s shop.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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dinner we started our Swiss Folk night. We played Switzerland Jeopardy in
order to win a secret prize. What we didn’t know was that our surprise
was chocolate fondue. It was delicious!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Our group at Our Chalet <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Alyssa with Haley & Teresa of GS USA in Germany & Italy</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Shannon, Alyssa, & Diego with Paloma of Our Chalet</span></div>
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Pinning ceremony at Our Chalet</div>
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Exchanged SWAPS with Patricia from GS USA in
Germany<o:p></o:p></div>
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Candace, Marisol, and Alyssa on the steps at Our Chalet</div>
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Hiking to the Wood Carver’s shop<o:p></o:p></div>
Girl Scouts of Southwest Texashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15658398221616423174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672344710289448640.post-432039650513165482014-10-20T11:14:00.000-07:002014-10-20T11:14:25.524-07:00Alyssa's European Adventures: Part 6<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">Alyssa spent two weeks touring England, France, Switzerland and Italy, visiting </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts World Centres and famous landmarks she had only seen in history books. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">Alyssa worked for two years selling more than 2,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to make her dream come true.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">She shares her journey with us here: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">After
staying up late to see the Eiffel Tower lit up at night, I was happy to know
I’d have some time to nap later on the bus. After everyone loaded their
luggage we took off on our 10 hour bus ride from Paris to Our Chalet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">After
a few hours we stopped at a really cool bus stop. It had a bike
that would charge your electronics while you peddled. There was also a TV
lounge for kids. After the bus departed again, we went through border
patrol and stopped for lunch in Switzerland.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">A
few hours later we made it to Our Chalet. The road to Our Chalet was
narrow and a bit scary but a few hours later we arrived up just fine. When
we arrived we met the staff who would drive our luggage up the rest of the
mountain while we hiked up to the chalet. It had been raining off and on
most of day, so the road was slippery. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">When
we got to the chalet the staff showed us to our rooms. The rooms were a
little different this time – all the girls stayed in the attic together. We </span><span style="font-size: 15px;">hadn't</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> really had a chance to talk as a group so it was really cool to get to know them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">For
dinner we had pizza from a local pizzeria then met some girls from Canada and
played cards with them in the game room. They told us they had been here
for the past 10 days doing an adventure challenge. The girls from NC and I said
goodnight to our new friends and went to bed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: start;">Hiking up the trail to Our Chalet</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Alyssa and Candace </span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">At the Charging station with Shannon from NC<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Girl Scouts of Southwest Texashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15658398221616423174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672344710289448640.post-22576026518282799732014-10-13T11:09:00.000-07:002014-10-13T11:09:07.668-07:00Alyssa's European Adventures: Day 5<div class="MsoNormal">
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<i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Alyssa spent two weeks touring England, France, Switzerland and Italy, visiting </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts World Centres and famous landmarks she had only seen in history books. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Alyssa worked for two years selling more than 2,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to make her dream come true.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">She shares her journey with us here: </span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Day two in
Paris began with a trip to the Louvre. There are nearly 35,000 objects on
display in this world renowned museum. We saw many famous paintings and
statues including the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Napoleon’s apartments.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">We then took
a tour of the Paris Opera House. This is the Opera House that “Phantom of
the Opera” is based on. It was really cool to see the elaborate details
of this building. There was a beautiful chandelier hanging from the
ceiling and we got to see Box #5, the Phantom’s box.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">After
eating lunch we went on a Seine River cruise. Some of the landmarks
we sailed past were the lock bridge and Notre Dame Cathedral, which we toured
later that day. We had Flammkuchen, a very thin pizza for dinner at Flams,
in the Latin Quarter. The group split up
after dinner. We rode the Metro to a section called Montmartre and
the Basilica of the Sacre-Coeur. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">While
walking around Montmartre we saw artists and souvenir shops. The Basilica
was very beautiful inside. The view of Paris from the steps of the
Basilica at sunset was amazing. We had a lot of fun in this part of the
city. We danced on the cobbled stone streets to the music from a live
roving band.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">When we
returned to the hotel the group gathered on the top floor of our hotel.
We were to see the Eiffel Tower’s lights twinkle at 11 pm. Some of the
members of our group didn’t know that the tower had these lights, so it was a
nice surprise.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Girl Scouts of Southwest Texashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15658398221616423174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672344710289448640.post-46207521518114518632014-10-09T06:47:00.001-07:002014-10-09T06:47:45.368-07:00Alyssa's European Adventures: Part 4<i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Alyssa spent two weeks touring England, France, Switzerland and Italy, visiting </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts World Centres and famous landmarks she had only seen in history books. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Alyssa worked for two years selling more than 2,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to make her dream come true.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">She shares her journey with us here: </span></i><br />
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Our first morning in Paris we went on a sightseeing tour bus,
which allowed us to stop at several places for pictures and ended our tour at
the Eiffel Tower. After taking some pictures, half of the group went to
tour Versailles. Our group from San Antonio stayed to make the climb to
the top!<o:p></o:p></div>
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At the Eiffel Tower you can take the elevator to the 3<sup>rd</sup>
platform or climb 700 stairs to the second level platform. Diego and I
raced up the first 350 stairs. We soon realized that was a really bad
idea. We were so tired when we made it to the first platform but it was
worth it. The view of the city was absolutely amazing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We decided to continue up next 350 stairs to the second
viewing deck. By this time our legs were feeling the burn. But that
didn't stop us from continuing or taking pictures when we got there.
Let’s just say there were a lot of selfies taken.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After the Eiffel Tower our group roamed the streets of Paris
and found a little sidewalk cafe for lunch. We ordered pizza and
crepes. The crepes were filled with Nutella, sprinkled with powdered
sugar and were delicious. </div>
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We also met some fellow Americans, a group of
girls from New Jersey.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We did our own walking tour as we waited for the other
members of our group to meet us for dinner at a restaurant called Hippopotamus.
We saw fountains, sculptures, churches and famous landmarks.<o:p></o:p></div>
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At dinner we were ate chicken and rice with a mushroom sauce
with green beans. For dessert we had eclairs. YUM!</div>
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Then the group walked along the <span lang="EN">Champs-Élysées </span>to the Arc de
Triomphe. We noticed many <span lang="EN">theatres,
cafes and luxury shops</span> along the way. A large French flag was
flying in the middle of the Arc. We walked along the underground tunnel to
reach the Arc’s center. Since this was the last stop of the day, we
rode the metro back to our hotel.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Girl Scouts of Southwest Texashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15658398221616423174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672344710289448640.post-74217711157213891662014-10-08T11:57:00.001-07:002014-10-08T11:57:49.397-07:00Alyssa's European Adventures: Part 3<br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Alyssa spent two weeks touring England, France, Switzerland and Italy, visiting </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts World Centres and famous landmarks she had only seen in history books. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Alyssa worked for two years selling more than 2,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to make her dream come true.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">She shares her journey with us here: </span></i></div>
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On our last day in London half the group went to the Tower
of London and saw the crown jewels. Some of the other cool things they
saw were the “Bloody Tower,” the “White Tower” where armor is kept and the
Brick Tower where exotic animals were kept.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Meanwhile, the rest of the group went to check out Tower
Bridge. It is a draw bridge that used to open multiple times a day, but
now it only opens a few times per week. As we walked along the river, we
saw the draw bridge was up as a fishing boat with a tall sail went passed
through. We rushed to get our phones and cameras to make some really
awesome pictures.<o:p></o:p></div>
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On our walk we saw something that was really interesting.
Near the Tower of London, there was a very unusual bench. It was in the
shape of an open book. It told the story of Katie’s adventure in
London. We found out there are 50 book benches all around London to
promote reading.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The entire group met up and walked to the Globe Theate,
which has an open roof. We also visited
the most recent recreation of the “Blackfriers Theater” which was used in the
winter by Shakespeare’s company. I had such an amazing time!<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was finally time to leave London. We rode the
tube to platform 9 ¾ at Kings Cross railway station. For Harry Potter
fans, you know this is the platform Harry went through in order to get to
Hogwarts. Sadly, there was too long of a line for us to take pictures but
we did get to see it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We walked to the Eurostar Train Station, where we went
through customs and waited for the Eurostar train to arrive. Once we were
all settled in and moving my dad and I went to explore the train. It was
my first time traveling on a train like this. The train can travel up to
185 miles per hour.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We reached the station in the center of Paris two and a half
hours after leaving London. We had Shepard’s Pie like dinner of mashed
potatoes, corn and beef. Once everyone
finished dinner swe went to our hotel and slept after our long but fun day.</div>
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<o:p></o:p>Girl Scouts of Southwest Texashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15658398221616423174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672344710289448640.post-74209982496096814522014-10-07T11:50:00.001-07:002014-10-07T11:50:57.020-07:00Alyssa's European Adventures: Part 2<br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Alyssa spent two weeks touring England, France, Switzerland and Italy, visiting </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts World Centres and famous landmarks she had only seen in history books. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Alyssa worked for two years selling more than 2,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to make her dream come true.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">She shares her journey with us here: </span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It was a dream of mine to visit at least one of the four
World Centers operated by the<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.</span> A dream
that would come true on this trip. After waking up and dressing in our
uniforms, our group made our way to Pax Lodge, in H<span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">ampstead Village, 20 minutes by subway from the center of London.</span>
While we were there we participated in their “Free to Be Me” program that
helped us learn about media portrayals of beauty and what is considered
beautiful around the world. The most important thing we all learned is
that you are beautiful just the way you are. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We also took part in a pinning ceremony. All the Girl Scouts
and Girl Guides formed a circle around the flagpole. Each group stepped
forward and introduced themselves. Imagine my surprise, when the group of
girls standing next to us said they were also from Girl Scouts of Southwest
Texas. They were a troop from Seguin, TX.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Entire group, with Sabrina, our Tour Director at Pax
Lodge<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">You can’t be in London and not have a cup of tea. The
Pax Lodge staff hosted a tea party complete with hot tea, cream, scones and
cake. They showed us how to properly hold a tea cup as well. Yes,
this included holding up our pinkies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Once we changed out of our uniforms we rode the Tube to the
London Eye. I have to say, this was super cool. You are in an air
conditioned glass bubble which gives you the perfect view of the city from
above. We also rode the London Eye River Cruise that departs from the
base of the London Eye. While on the Thames River we saw many famous and
important buildings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Texas girl scouts, Sabrina, & Diego on the
London Eye<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Boarding the London Eye River
Cruise<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Afterward the cruise, we had free time to do some souvenir
shopping and see anything that we were interested in. We ate dinner at an
Indonesian restaurant called Wagamamas. After dinner, we visited Harrods,
the most famous department store in England. It was the first building in
England with an escalator. We returned to the hotel to get some sleep for
the next day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Indonesian food at Wagamamas</span></div>
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Girl Scouts of Southwest Texashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15658398221616423174noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672344710289448640.post-78673603660474047322014-09-29T11:03:00.002-07:002014-09-29T12:44:30.846-07:00Alyssa's European Adventures Part 1<i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Girl Scout Senior Alyssa S. spent two weeks touring England, France, Switzerland and Italy, visiting </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">World Association of Girl Guides
and Girl Scouts World Centres and famous landmarks she had only seen in history
books. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Alyssa worked for two years
selling more than 2,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to make her dream come
true.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">She shares her journey with us
here: </span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Our European
journey began when we met our group at the San Antonio International Airport
and flew to Detroit, Michigan. From Detroit we flew overnight to Heathrow
airport in London, England. It was weird to fly across the ocean for more
than nine hours. It was the longest flight I've ever been on. The dinner
was pasta with creamy sauce and cheese on top. After dinner we all tried
to go to sleep since we would arrive in Heathrow around eleven in the morning
the next day. Unfortunately, I didn't get much sleep since the air on the
plane was so dry.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">When we got
off the plane we went through customs and went to the area where Sabrina, our
tour director, told us to meet her. We waited and waited until my mom got
an email from Sabrina telling us the group from North Carolina bags didn't make
it to the airport. But eventually we found them and made our way to the
hotel.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Our rooms weren't quite ready so we stored our bags in a spare room and went on a walking
tour of Covent Garden, Liester Square and Piccadilly Circus. There were a
lot of street performers and big TV screens with advertisements for all of the
different shows playing. We also noticed all of the chain food
restaurants we have back in the states.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">This was the
first time we used the London Underground or Tube. We found out there are
some very social people in our group. We met some really nice locals while
on the Tube. It was interesting to see how the Londoners play on their
phones or read while traveling to their next stop.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">After our
walking tour we had dinner at a small restaurant called Bistro 1 Beak. We
had breaded chicken with gravy and potatoes. They also served us dessert
that was made of bananas and chocolate called Banoffe Pie. Once everyone
finished eating, we went to the hotel and settled into our rooms. Once I
was ready for bed it didn't take me very long to go to sleep.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Girl Scouts of Southwest Texashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15658398221616423174noreply@blogger.com1