Samoas are heading to the Food Network!

Have you ever wondered how Samoas are made? Those yummy vanilla cookies, covered with real caramel, rolled in toasted coconut and striped with a rich, chocolaty coating are enjoyed by Girl Scout Cookie lovers each year. But - how do all those tasty ingredients come together to make this famous cookie?

The answer will be revealed Saturday, May 28, when the classic cookie takes to the airwaves at the Food Network.

Samoas is one of several American classics featured on a special one-hour "All American Eats" segement on the Food Network's "Unwrapped" series. The show visited the Louisville bakery to film how Little Brownie Bakers makes Samoas - a brand name cookie so popular it has more than 400,000 "likes" on Facebook. Viewers will get a behind-the-scenes peek at the copper kettles filled with creamy caramel and will see how the cookies "earn" their distinctive stripes.

"Unwrapped: is hosted by Marc Summers, and each week the show uncovers details on classic American food.

For more information on the show click here.

(Information provided by Little Brownie Bakers)

Troop Adventure Camp!

Hey, Hey Troop Leaders! Are you still looking for a wonderful summer activity to take your girls to? Look no further than Troop Adventure Camp at Camp Stonybrook! There is still plenty of space for you and your troop to attend. 

Troop Adventure Camp is a unique opportunity for troops to plan their own camping experience by selecting activities provided at camp. Troop leaders do not have to be basic camp certified to come to camp; our wonderful staff or Program Assistants will lead all activities requested by the troop.

The fee for girls is $90 dollars for 3 night sessions and $80 dollars for 2 night sessions. Adults who are at camp to meet girl/adult ratio requirements do not have to pay a fee. Don’t miss out of the fun!

The following weeks have available lodge space:

June 22-25: 6 spaces available

June 26-29:6, 7, & 8 spaces available

June 29-July 1 (2-night Brownie Session): 9 & 16 spaces available 

July 13-16: 5 spaces available

There is still plenty of tent unit space available except for sessions 1 (June 19-22) and 7 (July 17-20).

For more information please e-mail jessicagutierrez@girlscoutsofwesternohio.org

For the Camp Stonybrook Troop Adventure Camp Schedule http://camps.girlscoutsofwesternohio.org/TAC.htm

To register: https://forms.girlscoutsofwesternohio.org/RegistrationForms/TACRegistrationForm.asp

To our volunteers - Thank You!

Those who can, do.  Those who can do more, volunteer. 
~Author Unknown

Everyone at Girl Scouts of Western Ohio would like to say "thanks" to all of our hardworking, dedicated volunteers!

Your committment to the Girl Scout Leadership Experience is to be commended.

Thank you for all that you do!

2011 Woman of Leadership Hall of Fame Recipients

Girl Scouts of Western Ohio in Dayton is pleased to announce its 2011 Woman of Leadership Hall of Fame recipients. 

They are:

·         Charlotte Harris, Ed. D., Wright State University

·         Madonna Homan, Girl Scout Volunteer

·         Yvonne Isaacs, Dayton Public Schools, Board Member

·         Joyce Davis Willis, Community Volunteer

A luncheon to honor the recipients was held Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at Sinclair Community College, Ponitz Center in Dayton.

The Woman of Leadership Hall of Fame Award was established in 2002 to honor the many exceptional women in the greater Dayton area. The recipients exemplify the spirit of Girl Scouting, are role models and problem-solvers, maintain high standards of personal conduct and are committed to the betterment of society.

Vote for Girl Scout volunteers

Two Girl Scouts of Western Ohio volunteers, Kay Quinton (Dayton area) and April Jameson (Lima area) have been nominated for the Community Volunteer of the Year award presented by Hands On West Central Ohio and Hits 105.5 FM.  This award is given each year to one deserving volunteer in the following counties: Darke, Logan, Miami and Shelby.


Let’s help honor these two volunteers by voting at http://www.hits1055.com/ starting Monday, March 28.  Voting ends April 6 at midnight. You can vote as many times as you want.

This is a great opportunity to recognize Girl Scout volunteers for their outstanding volunteer efforts to help build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.

Earth Hour - this Saturday!

Earth Hour is a global initiative that invites individuals, businesses, governments and communities to turn off their lights for one hour – 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 26 – to show support for environmentally sustainable action. In the United States, Earth Hour is partnering with the Girl Scouts to bring the movement to life.

Girl Scouts is parterning with Earth Hour to bring this movement to life.

Seventeen councils are specifically involved in this pilot for this years' Earth Hour, but we are inviting all girls in Girl Scouts of Western Ohio to participate too!

From a GSUSA press release:

Initially a single-city initiative in Sydney, Australia, in 2007, Earth Hour has become a global movement in which hundreds of millions of people from every continent join together to acknowledge the importance of protecting and improving the planet. Earth Hour 2010 was the world’s largest global climate change initiative, with millions of participants in more than 4,600 cities across nearly 130 countries and territories. Since its inception in 2007, Earth Hour’s iconic “lights out” event has seen some of the world’s most recognized landmarks switch off their lights, including the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Buckingham Palace in London, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge and the Forbidden City in China.

To see the complete press release and to learn more about Earth Hour, visit this link: http://www.girlscouts.org/news/news_releases/2011/girlscouts_and_earth_hour.asp

Let's do our part in recognizing the importance of protecting our enviroment and the planet.

How can we help Japan?

As the tragedy in Japan continues to unfold after Friday's 8.9 magnitude earthquake and the tsunami that followed, we are left to wonder how can we help?

What can we do?

There are several reputable organizations you can contact to offer help.

GSUSA's blog has the organizations listed here: http://blog.girlscouts.org/2011/03/how-can-you-help-japan.html

Girl Scouts of Western Ohio staff, volunteers, girls and parents continue to keep Japan in our thoughts and prayers.

2011 Woman of Distinction Honorees

Girl Scouts of Western Ohio in Cincinnati is pleased to announce its 2011 Woman of Distinction honorees.  They are:

·         Kathleen Burklow, Ph.D., Harmony Garden

·         Kimber Fender, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County

·         S. Kay Geiger, PNC Bank

·         Kathleen Kelly, Kroger Personal Finance

·         Mary Stagaman, Agenda 360

·         Barbara Terry, United Way of Greater Cincinnati

The reception will be hosted by John and Betsy LaMacchia (1994 Woman of Distinction) on Wednesday, March 8 at private downtown Cincinnati club.

Sponsoring companies include: Dawes LLP and PNC Bank, Platinum Level; Bartlett & Co., Cincinnati Financial, Clark Schaefer Hackett, Planes Moving and Storage, RiverPoint Capital Management and Turnbull-Wahlert Construction, Gold Level; Maguire Agency, Silver Level; and Horan Associates, The Kroger Company, Mutual of America, Nestle and Saralux, Bronze Level.

Julie Isphording (1992 Woman of Distinction), author, talk show host and public speaker is the Emcee.

The Woman of Distinction Award was established in 1990 to recognize the significant achievements of women who demonstrate strong initiative and personal leadership on issues related to women and girls.  While some of these women are well-known, others have worked quietly to accomplish their goals. Each honoree is an important role model for today's Girl Scout. Her life and work exemplify the values of Girl Scouting.

Girl Scout Week - March 6-12

On March 6-12 we celebrate the founding of Girl Scouts nearly 100 years ago. Juliette Gordon Low's vision started with 18 girls in Savannah, Georgia in 1912, and has grown and thrives today because of the dedication of our volunteers who deliver the Girl Scout Leadership Experience.

As we celebrate the anniversary of Girl Scouts, why not thiank a special Girl Scout in your life with a gift to Girl Scouts of Western Ohio? By making a tax deductible gift, you will pay tribute to someone who has made a difference in your life and support Girl Scouts of Western Ohio.

This is a wonderful opportunity to thank a dedicated individual while support Girl Scouts.

For more information on how to honor a special Girl Scout in your life, please contact Sara Freeman at 419-243-8216 or make a donation online by visiting https://forms.girlscoutsofwesternohio.org/forms/donationform.htm

Vote for the Girl Scouts in the FIRST Lego League Global Innovation Awards

There are three Girl Scout FIRST Lego League teams in a field of more than 120 teams in the FIRST Lego League Global Innovation Award competition (http://www.firstlegoleague.org/).

The winner of the Global Innovation Award will receive a grant for up to $20,000 to fund a full utility patent for their device; the top three are invited to the awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. and will present their projects to the US Patent and Trade Office.


1. The Flying Monkeys (Iowa) - this team created a prosthetic hand device (the BOB-1) for a 3-year-old girl in Georgia who was born without fingers. The device allowed her to write for the first time! These Girl Scouts won the Regional and State Lego League awards for their device. The BOB-1 device is officially "patent pending" and they are in 3rd place currently in the competition.



To vote for The Flying Monkeys: http://fllinnovationaward.firstlegoleague.org/teams/flying-monkeys/submission/bob-1-hand-device

2. The LOL Comets won the Los Angeles Regional Champions Award for their innovation - this third year team created a KAT Map, an indoor GPS for the blind. They are currently in 41st place.


To vote for The LOL Coments: http://fllinnovationaward.firstlegoleague.org/teams/lol-comets/submission/kat-map-door-gps-blind



3. The Dbots from Pasadena, CA, are currently in 104th place with their Shirt of Awesomeness . They were honored for their teamwork, robot design and project idea. They are working on the details of how to build a shirt that would be a back brace for middle school students who have heavy backpack loads and for those with scoliosis who need a brace to correct their medical condition.



To vote for The Dbots: http://fllinnovationaward.firstlegoleague.org/teams/d-bots/submission/shirt-awesomeness

Right now the Girl Scouts need votes! Voting closes March 18 and it would be great if we could do our part to help our sister Girl Scouts!!

Girl Scout Cookie booth sales start today!

Have you eaten all those Thin Mints and Samoas already? Or maybe you realized that you didn't order enough to last a whole year.

Don't fret - today is your lucky day!

Today, booth sales start in western Ohio and you can buy your fill of all six varieties of Girl Scout Cookies!

Not sure where to find a cookie booth near you?

We have a solution - visit our website http://www.girlscoutsofwesternohio.org/ and click on the "Cookie Locator" banner. Then, you just type in your zip code and viola! - a list of booths near you appears.

Or, if you're feeling especially 'high tech' and have an iPhone or Android device, simply dial **GSCOOKIES and download the free "Cookie Locator Mobile App" right to your phone. The locator uses either GPS or your zip code to locate booths near you. And, you can also have fun - take a cookie personality quiz, learn the nutritional value of the cookies, and then share all that information with your friends and family via Facebook, Twitter or e-mail.

Booth sales run through April 3.

The cookies are here!

The Girl Scout Cookies have arrived!

This past weekend, troops from all around Western Ohio picked up cases and cases of cookies, and the girls are ready to start delivering your cookies.

Don't think that because the cookies have arrived that the 2011 Girl Scout Cookie Sale is over - it's still going strong! Girl Scouts in Western Ohio are still taking orders, cookie cupboards will be open soon, and this weekend marks the start of booth sales.

So, if you still need to get some Girl Scout Cookies - or if you need MORE cookies (because you can never have too many boxes of Thin Mints), be sure to check out the cookie booth locator to find a sale near you. Click here for the locator.

And if you want to go really 'hi-tech' with Girl Scout Cookies, be sure to download the free Cookie Locator Mobile App for your iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, or Android device. This mobile app - available in the iTunes Store and Android Marketplace - uses your phone's GPS location to find cookies nearby (or you can use your ZIP code to find booths). The app also lets users discover their "cookie personality" and share fun facts with friends via e-mail, Twitter and Facebook.

Click here for more information on the mobile app.

Booth sales for Girl Scouts of Western Ohio run from March 4 - April 3.

And don't forget - if you want to buy cookies for our troops, you can always donate to the Gift of Caring. The Girl Scouts of Western Ohio's Gift of Caring sponsorship program is a great way for you to send a taste of home to US military personnel serving overseas. The cookies you purchase are sent directly to our military personnel and 100 percent of the proceeds from Gift of Caring stay in our communities. (Gift of Caring ends March 21).

Enjoy those Thin Mints and Samoas!

Take a survey about Girl Scouts!

Girl Scouts of Western Ohio invites you to share your thoughts and feelings about Girl Scouting's benefits for girls!

To give girls the best program experiences possible, Girl Scouts of Western Ohio is interested in whether girls are enjoying program activities, if they are understanding new materials, and ultimately if the program experiences are benefitting them.

We'd like you to help us in our research by occassionally completing short surveys about your experiences. We value your honest feedback.

To participate, click this link http://www.girlscoutvoices.org/ to register.

For more information please contact Ms. A.J. Office, Research and Evaluation Director at ajoffice@girlscoutsofwesternohio.org.

Get your Girl Scouts to "doodle for Google"

GSUSA recently announced that Girl Scouts is partnering with Google for their annual Doodle 4 Google contest where kids (and in our case, girls!) in grades kindergarten through 12 are asked to redesign the Google logo according to a selected theme. The national winner will be awarded a $15,000 college scholarship and a $25,000 technology grant for her Girl Scout council.

This is a great opportunity for your troops to dream BIG, be creative and look toward the future - all values that are central to the Girl Scouts (and Google).

Google is offering a special award for the troop that has the most entries and is able to get to the state finalist round. If one of your Girl Scouts is selected as a state finalist, your council/region would win 20 Netbook computers and a $2,500 technology grant.

Click here for the Doodle 4 Google doodling party kit - scroll down near the bottom of the page, and on the right hand side you'll see After School Program Doodle Kit - Girl Scouts. (It's a pdf you can download).

Register online now and start doodling - the contest deadline is March 2! Mailed submissions are due March 16. Each Girl Scout is only allowed to submit ONE doodle.

For more information and FAQs, click here.

Happy doodling!

Volunteer Award Nominations

In light of today's Academy Award nominations, we'd like to remind you of our council's own award nominations!

February 1 is the deadline for all volunteer award nominations, so take some time and look at the volunteers in your service units. Who has gone above and beyond their job descriptions? Who has helped girls reach our council goals? Who has had an impact on service to girls and adult volunteers. Who has not been recognized for their commitment of time, efforts and resources donated to the Girl Scout organization?

It's time to nominate these extraordinary volunteers.

Find the Adult Recognitions booklet on our website and match the award criteria with the accomplishments of the volunteers on your list. Then, complete the appropriate nominations form and secure the required number of endorsement letters. Mail, fax or e-mail the nominations to your local Girl Scout Center (Toledo, Lima, Dayton or Cincinnati).

Don't forget the deadline is February 1.

(Remember: click here for the link to the booklet).

Today is THE day! Girl Scout cookies are on sale!

Today is the day we've all been waiting for...

The 2011 Girl Scout Cookie Sale has officially started!

From now until February 8, Girl Scouts in Western Ohio will be setting sales goals, asking friends and family to buy all Super Six varities of cookies and best of all, they'll be developing essential life skills and having fun!

This year, Girl Scouts of Western Ohio is proud to be part of a pilot program with Little Brownie Bakers - the Super Six! Our Girl Scouts will be selling six delicious varieties of cookies - Thin Mints, Tagalongs, Samoas, Trefoils, Do-si-dos and Lemon Chalet Cremes.

Some 'fun facts' about this year's Girl Scout Cookies:

• - Little Brownie Baker bakes more than 4.5 million Thin Mints PER DAY during peak baking times
• - LBB makes their own caramel for Samoas - the old fashioned way in copper kettles
• - Do-si-dos and Taglongs take 230,000 POUNDS of peanut butter. Per week.
• - Peanut butter creme is deposited on Do-si-do cookies at the rate of 2,800 cookies per minute!
• - A rotary die shapes Trefoils - there are 300 identical Trefoil shapes engraved in one rotary die. The die rotates 17 times a minute, equaling 5,100 cookies per minute!

And just in case you wanted to make a grocery list for a week's worth of baking Girl Scout Cookies...this is what you'd need:

• 21 truckloads of flour (1,050,000 pounds)
• 7 truckloads of shortening (300,000 pounds)
• 50,000 lbs of cocoa
• 500,000 lbs of chocolate coating
• 14.5 truckloads of sugar (650,000 pounds)
• 230,000 lbs of peanut butter
• 75,000 lbs of toasted coconut

Initial order taking for Girl Scout Cookies is Jan. 21 - Feb. 8. Cookies will be delivered Feb. 26 - March 3. And starting March 4 - booth sales!

Don't forget - every cookie has a mission ... to help girls do great things!

Need Girl Scout Cookies? There's an app for that!

Girl Scouts of Western Ohio is excited to annouce that we are part of a pilot program with Little Brownie Bakers offering a new Cookie Locator Mobile app for iPhones and Android phones.

Today - January 13 - the iPhone app has launched!

You can download the app (FREE!) at the iPhone App Store or by calling **GSCOOKIES (**472665437) from your iPhone.

(The Android app is launching soon, as is a mobile website for BlackBerry users).

Once you download the app you can sign up for cookie sale e-mail alerts, and you can search by ZIP code for cookie sales (booth sales) in your area. You can also discover your "cookie personality" with an interactive quiz and share the results via Facebook, Twitter and e-mail!

If you have downloaded the app, let us know what you think by leaving a comment!

Get cooking with Girl Scout Cookies!

Recently, the staff at the Toledo Girl Scout Center had a 'bake off' with one requirement - the recipe had to include Girl Scout Cookies.
We're sharing the "top secret" recipe for Girl Scout Cookie Peanut  Butter Truffles from Regional Director Angela Tennaro and a "Thin Mint Cheesecake" recipe from Program Services Specialist Allison Demkowski. (More recipes will be shared in a later blog post). If you have any great recipes using Girl Scout Cookies, please share them in the comments!

Girl Scout Cookie Peanut Butter Truffle
(made with Tagalongs and Do-si-dos)

1/2 pkg. (4 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 box Do-si-dos, finely crushed and divided
1 box Tagalongs, finely crushed
2 pkgs (8 squares EACH) BAKER'S semi-sweet chocolate, melted

Crush Do-si-dos and set aside (using a food processor makes this easy!)
Crush Tagalongs

Mix cream cheese, Tagalongs and all but 1/4 cup of crushed Do-si-dos until well blended. Shape into 1 inch balls. Dip in melted chocolate, place on wax paper covered baking sheet. Sprikle with remaining cookie crumbs. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.

Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.
Yields: approximately 36 truffles


Thin Mint Chocolate Cheesecake

Crust:
1 1/2 sleeves Thin Mint cookies
4 tbsp butter or margarine, melted

Grind Thin Mints in food processor until finely ground. Add melted butter and blend well. Press into bottom of springform pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes. Cool completely!

Filling:
4 8 oz pkgs cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
4 eggs
8 squares BAKER'S semi-sweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
1 sleeve Thin Mints, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 325. Beat cream cheese, sugar and both extracts in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs and mix until just blended. Stir in cooled, melted chocolate. Fold in Thin Mint chunks. Pour into cooled crust. Bake 45-50 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate several hours before serving.

Chef's note: This recipe can be made in a "regular" pie pan - just be sure to half the filling recipe so it doesn't overflow.

It's almost cookie time!

In a little more than a week, the 2011 Girl Scout Cookie Sale starts for Girl Scouts of Western Ohio.

We are proud to be a part of a pilot program with Little Brownie Bakers called the "Super Six." Our Girl Scouts will be selling six varieties of Girl Scout cookies - Thin Mints, Tagalongs, Samoas, Do-si-dos, Trefoils and Lemon Creme Chalets.

The 2011 Girl Scout Cookie Sale starts Friday, January 21!

(Graphic provided by Little Brownie Bakers)