First Lady is our Honorary President!

Tonight, October 7, 2009, First Lady Michelle Obama will formally accept the role of Honorary National President. The First Lady will be meeting with Kathy Cloninger, our GSUSA President, and other GSUSA staff to discuss our shared agenda around healthy living, service, and leadership, and will also discuss future opportunities to collaborate on our 100th anniversary and other events.

This opportunity for Girl Scouts is far reaching and is raising the bar for girls everywhere.

Did you know that we have an advocacy team, employed by Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa, that is working hard for our area girls? They are meeting with lawmakers and influential legislators in our immediate area to focus on what issues the girls of Greater Iowa feel are important. They are working hard to be our voice of change and influence for each girl in order that we may be heard even louder! This advocacy team is working in collaboration with Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa/Western Illinois to make all this possible for us.

We also have an advocacy page on our website. It is evolving and changing as more things come under our scope... if you haven't checked it out, take a look! Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa Advocacy

It's Your Planet - Love It! is our main theme for this coming Girl Scout year. We will be following the second edition of the Girl Scouts of the USA Journeys books all looking at ways that we can love our planet.

There are many kick-off events happening in all of our jurisdictional areas. Make sure to stop by and register as a Girl Scout (girl or adult) for this year - and take advantage of all the leadership opportunities that we are offering. At these kick off events, we will be doing great recyclable crafts (keeping with our theme) and having a great time. Here is a listing of those events:

• Saturday, August 29th from 10:00 am-12:00 pm in Pocahontas (Albert City Park)
  

• Saturday, August 29th from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm in Mason City (Central Park)
  

• Tuesday, September 1st from 5:00 – 7:00 pm in Des Moines (Des Moines Leadership Center (Girl Scout office))
  

• Saturday, September 19th from 1:00 – 3:00 pm in Centerville (Rose Tree Cabin)
  

• Sunday, September 20th from 1:30 -3:30 pm in Sioux City (Chris Larsen Park - shelter next to Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center)
  

• Sunday, September 27th from 2:00 – 4:00 pm in Council Bluffs (Trails West Museum/Park)

For more information, call 800-342-8389 or any of your local Leadership Centers. We hope to see you there!

Adventure, excitement... we're going to have so much fun! And, we are inviting you to come along with us on one (or more) of the exciting trips that we have mapped out. The planning starts now, so, take a look at what we are offering and let us know if you would like to be a part of the adventure!

Below is a listing of our trips. Join us and see the world - Girl Scout Style!

• Train Without Tracks, Sept. 25-27, 2009
  
• Weekend Getaway: Phoenix, March 20-21, 2010
  
• Weekend Getaway: Houston, Mar. 20 - Mar. 21, 2010
• Weekend Getaway: Memphis, Apr. 17 - 18, 2010
• Weekend Getaway: Dubuque, May 1 - 2, 2010
• Kansas City Here We Come, June 15 - 17, 2010
• All Aboard for Chicago, July 22 - 26, 2010
• Savannah Bound, July 22 - 30, 2010
• Missouri Cave Exploration, Aug. 2 - 6, 2010
• Asian Adventure, June 11 - 25, 2011
• Adventure Through Europe, July 15 - 31, 2011

Take a look at our website for more complete details. Trips and Destinations for GSGI

Property Community Input Meeting

Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa will be hosting a community input session focusing on how to more fully utilize and expand the usage of the Girl Scout Camps. Karen Grode, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa will lead the discussion. All community members with an interest in optimizing the opportunities within Girl Scout Camps are encouraged to attend. The session will be held on at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, August 18, 2009 at the Des Moines Leadership Center, 10715 Hickman Road, Des Moines, IA.

In order to assure adequate space, please call the Des Moines Leadership Center at 515-278-2881 or 1-800-342-8389 by Friday, August 14 with your reservation.

YUM! It's Thin Mint Blizzard Month at your local Dairy Queen!

We hope you enjoyed the Peanut Butter Patties (Tagalong) Blizzards during the month of July at your local Dairy Queen! The delicious ice cream treats don't stop there...you can now enjoy THIN MINT BLIZZARDS throughout the month of August! There are still a few weeks left so get yours today!

Girl Scouts Looking to Go Green With Your Old Jeans!

The Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa are looking for old jean pockets for fall kick-off events, where girls will be creating crafts from recycled materials. Girls will use the pockets to create, design, and decorate mini message pads or purses. It’s all part of our new Journey: It’s Your Planet – Love It! The journeys, a coordinated series of activities grouped around a theme, are a key part of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. Last years theme was focused on ‘It’s Your World – Change It’ with this year being more specific to helping the environment and going green.

Events will be held in August and September, so jean donations are being accepted until September 1st. If you have old jeans you would like to donate, please drop them off or call your nearest Girl Scout Leadership Center.

• Council Bluffs, 526 Third Street, Council Bluffs, IA 800-422-2093
• Des Moines, 10715 Hickman Road, Des Moines, IA 800-342-8389
• Fort Dodge, 112 S Third Street, Fort Dodge, IA 800-798-8141
• Mason City, 601 S Illinois Avenue, Mason City, IA 800-657-5853
• Sioux City, 1515 Zenith Drive, Sioux City, IA 800-746-8947

Donations are also being accepted at our Oskaloosa office located at 500 High Ave West in the United Way Building!

For more information on how to join, volunteer, reconnect or donate to Girl Scouts, call 1-800-342-8389 or visit www.girlscoutsiowa.org.

WE WANT YOU...

...TO HELP US MAKE THE BEST USE OF OUR PROPERTIES! Give us your firsthand assessment by clicking here or click the Property Assessment link on the homepage. There is a short survey for both girls and adults, so everyone has a voice! (Survey now closes August 14)

...TO CHECK OUT OUR NEWSLETTERS ONLINE! We're going green and will only be posting our Volunteer News and Connect Newsletter online. Look for the next editions on July 27! These will be listed on our homepage under 'Forms and Publications'. Click here to go directly to that page! Paper copies will only be mailed by request. To request a paper copy, please call Megan at 800-657-5853.