Girl Scout Troop Gets First Hand Look at How Government Works

As part of earning their "Inside Government badge," fourth grade Girl Scout Troop 1106 from Simpson Elementary School toured City Hall, met with Mayor and City Staff, sat in on City Council meeting to earn badge.

By Jennifer Bonacci Girl Scout Troop 1106 has been working on earning one of their Junior level badges, Inside Government, for the last few months.  This fourth grade Junior troop from Simpson Elementary has learned quite a bit about their local election process as well as their local government.     In November, they met with John Vail, who is in charge of the polling location at Peachtree Corners Baptist Church. Mr. Vail took the girls on a tour of the polling site the night before the General Election. The girls were able to walk through all of the stations to understand each step in the process. They were very interested in the process and Mr. Vail was impressed with the questions they asked and their high level of interest in the …

• Photos (2)

Girl Scouts Dedicate Butterfly Garden

After three weeks of preparation, Cadette Troop 1183 of Berkeley Lake unveiled their work. The garden was created to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts of America.

If all goes as planned, scores of butterflies will soon be flitting around a newly installed butterfly garden in Berkeley Lake. The 12 members of Cadette Troop 1183, along with the help of master gardener Susan Hanson spent three weeks preparing a small plot of land near the Berkeley Lake Chapel and filling it with native flowering plants. It was part of a project that the girls (all 6th graders), took on to commerate the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts of America. Wendy Weber and her co-leader Wendy Tait presented each of the girls their well-earned Tree/Nature badges. "It's just a small area," explained Weber. "With Susan Hanson's help, we turned the soil, planted and adding paving stones." Hanson helped the girls plant purple cone …

• Photos (9)

Smiles for Soldiers

The Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta shipped more than 100,000 boxes of cookies out troops in Afghanistan and Kuwait.

A tractor trailer full of Thin Mints, Trefoils and other tasty treats sits in a truck lot ready to go. The Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta are donating about 118,000 boxes of their Girl Scout Cookies to troops deployed overseas. "Smiles for Soldiers" is a new program for the organization's local council. "The girls' customers could buy a virtual box of cookies that we would then turn around and donate to the troops." Melissa Brandon, Product Sales Manager for the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta. Jameson Brooksher is a 5th grader at Dyer Elementary School. She said she loves being a Girl Scout and supporting soldiers. "It's really exciting," said the 11 year old. "We get to help all these troops and get them all these cookies." Her troop, #…

• Photos (8)
• Videos (1)

'Y' Life

Fowler YMCA Hosts Girl Scouts Bake Off

Over 100 Girl Scouts from Gwinnett County competed in Saturday's event.

On Saturday, March 24, Robert Fowler Family YMCA hosted 110 Girl Scouts from across the county as they competed in the annual Gwinnett Girl Scouts Bake Off. To reach the Bake Off, contestants had to place first in their troop bake off then first place at the next level, the Service Unit Bake Off. The entries were divided by grade levels. Girls chose from three recipes for their level and baked their entry without adult help. First place finishers were awarded trophies, 2nd and 3rd place finishers took home ribbons. On the morning of the event the YMCA opened its doors to the Girl Scouts and their parents to enjoy at no charge. The Gwinnett Girl Scouts Bake Off has been a Gwinnett tradition for more than 20 years.

• Photos (6)

Cookies, Cookies Everywhere

It's Girl Scout cookie season. Which is your favorite Peachtree Corners?

  The Girl Scouts are making their annual march through neighborhoods. It's one of my favorite times of the year. No where else can I find any cookie that comes close to these delicious sweet treats. I admit I usually overbuy and stash some of the boxes away in the freezer so my husband and kids can't find them. But I think they're on to me. Last fall my son found my last hidden box of thin mints deep in the bottom of the freezer. This year, when our neighborhood Girl Scout stopped by to take our order, I noticed my family looking over my shoulder to find out just how many boxes I had ordered. It's really hard to pick out a favorite cookie, I am partial to the thin mints and samoas. I bet I'm not the only Girl Scout cookie aficionado in …

• Photos (1)

Girl Scouts Cookie Season Is Here

Girl Scouts of the USA debuts Savannah Smiles, a cookie that honors Georgia. Atlanta cookie selling season begins in January.

  Whohooo! A new year means, of course, another season of Girl Scouts cookies. The Girl Scouts will celebrate its 100th anniversary this year, and to honor the special occasion, they are debuting a new cookie, called “Savannah Smiles,” according to local news sites and the organization's website.  The new cookie is a bite-sized lemon wedge cookie dusted in powdered sugar. It is named after one my favorite places -- Savannah -- also the hometown of the Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low. “This lemon wedge cookie is cool and crisp, with just the right number of lemon chips to deliver tiny bursts of flavor. And, when you hold it right, you’ll quickly be reminded of that world-famous 'Brownie Smile,'" stated on the Little Brownie Bakers …

• Photos (4)

Cookies for a Cause

Area Girl Scouts donate nearly 60,000 boxes of cookies to the American Red Cross

The Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta swarmed Berger Allied Distribution Center in Lawrenceville Saturday to load up nearly 60,000 boxes of cookies to give to the American Red Cross. The donation is part of the Girl Scout council’s community service, Gift of Caring, commitment. More than 50 Girl Scouts, representing areas within 34 counties, helped put Red Cross stickers on the cases of cookies and help load them into delivery trucks. Laurie Kimbrell, community relations officer for American Red Cross Metro-Atlanta Chapter, said the treats will be distributed throughout the state. “We’re really excited because the cookies will put a smile on our clients face." All of the favorites, including Samoas® and Tagalongs®, will be given to families …

• Photos (5)

Maya Kelkar, Crafting for the Community

Norcross High School student uses her hobby to help those in need.

If you are looking for Norcross High School 10th-grader Maya Kelkar, chances are you'll find her crocheting.  She makes lap blankets for senior citizens with her own two hands, a labor of love that she donates to local seniors.  "I'm doing this to honor my great grandmother, Francis Long's, memory. She passed recently at 100 years old," said Maya. Kelkar's mother, Erin, wells up with tears of pride when speaking about her daughter. "[Maya] has had wonderful mentors," she said.  Kelkar says she would like to make between 10 to 15 lap blankets by the end of the year. Each 30-inch by 30-inch blanket is made up of smaller 5-inch by 5-inch or 10-inch by 10-inch crocheted or knit squares, sewn together so they will cover from the recipient's lap…

• Photos (3)

Protect Scouting From New State Sales Tax

If passed, H.B. 385 would give the state additional tax sources.

The recommendations of special commission on tax reform, now under consideration by the House of Representatives in the form of HB 385, contain many radical changes to Georgia’s tax structure. These include imposing new sales taxes on groceries, sales of automobiles from one individual to another and 50 personal services not currently taxed, ranging from haircuts to dry cleaning to oil changes.  If this legislation is enacted in its current form, the state of Georgia would even begin collecting sales tax on – believe it or not – Girl Scout cookies and Boy Scout popcorn sales. Yes, HB 385 includes a provision that would eliminate the current sales tax exemption on nonprofit fundraisers in our state, specifically including these popular, …

• Photos (2)