4715 Newsletter

Our service project at the Empty Stocking Fund distribution center went beautifully, and our dinner out at Camelli’s Gourmet Pizza Joint in the Ford Factory Shops next to City Hall East was a big success – great pizza and not crowded. We’ll have to remember it next year. We had big fun with the Secret Santa gifts and now we have lots to do in 2004.

Parent Alert: It will be cookie time again, so we’ll need to get permission forms signed. We’ll do our cookie plans and set dates for cookie booths.

We will also be working on plans for the February camping trip. We hope to be confirmed for horseback riding, high ropes, and archery. The crafts project will be leather, so please be ready to let your trusty advisors know if you want to do moccasins, a small purse, or some other project. Pat’s Project: There is some current research on why women hesitate to negotiate for graduate school appointments, job advancement, raises, and other important things. Maybe during our trip we can spend some time talking about these important issues or even doing some role playing.

In the current Learning Opportunities council publication there are descriptions of the upcoming trainings available to adults and senior girls. Two of the courses (Bridging All Levels and Ceremonies and Traditions) could be useful to us in planning our Service Unit Bridging Ceremony, but each would probably have a lot of other material that would be less applicable. Terri Otto has agreed to synthesize the two courses and bring us a training geared to our needs at this meeting. We’ll also finalize our plans for February camping.

This meeting may need to be held without Pat who needs to be at a concert in LaGrange. Maybe we should have a Girl Scout Birthday Party. Who would like to plan it?

For some of our girls, this will be their last official Girl Scout meeting. Heavy thought! Still we will have so much to do to finish our plans for the May Service Unit Bridging that we probably won’t have time to be sad.

We couldn’t get the Farmhouse at Misty Mountain, so we are confirmed for Camp Meriwether again. We’ll need to make swaps for the Pax Lodge trip and finalizing our Bridging Ceremony plans.

Alas, we’ve lost Jenny to the Young Singers trip to Paris to sing before the First Lady of France. We’ll miss her a lot! Everybody who is going on the Big Trip remembered the December payments. Here’s the rest of the payment schedule for ready reference:

Due Dates	Total balance for each girl is $1,115	Total balance each adult is $1,415
Due by our meeting on January 9, 2004	$400	$400
Due by our meeting on February 27	$400	$515
Due by our meeting on March 12	$215	$400

Chandler and Anne have begun working, and the 50 hours are falling fast as they actually start doing the work. Both have written fund raising letters and expect to find the money that they need. Your trusty advisors think that running contributions through the troop account is the best way for both contributors and girls. We have a contribution of $400 (many thanks to Mrs. Unger for the honorarium she donated last fall) that can be used as initial money for Gold Award projects if the troop votes to do so.

When girls write your fund raising letters, you should ask your potential contributor to make the check to Senior Girl Scout Troop 4715. Please provide Mrs. Unger with a list of people who may contribute toward your project. She will let you know when contributions come in so that you can send thank you letters. You should keep your receipts as you spend money for your project and turn them in to Mrs. Unger, who will reimburse you with a troop check. Your contributor will be able to take this contribution as a tax deduction.