Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council is collaborating with The Art Institute of Houston for a "Just Desserts" event at 7 p.m., January 7 at The Art Institute of Houston, 1900 Yorktown.

Girl Scout friends and families will be able to see Girl Scouts and local chefs team up to prepare desserts, sample tasty creations, tour the institute, and see what a professional restaurant kitchen looks like from the inside out. Cost of the event is $15 per family.

Anyone interested in attending the event should contact Tami De La Fuente at 713-292-0277 or tdelafue@sjgs.org.

Girl Scouts can be cookie chefs

Send a short essay (150 words or less), a poem, drawing, or other original creation explaining why you should be among the culinary elite, rubbing elbows with master chefs at the Just Desserts event on January 7. Send your creation to: Just Desserts Girl Selection Team, 3110 Southwest Freeway, Houston, TX 77098. The contest deadline is November 7. The contest is open to all Girl Scouts who plan to participate in the 2004 Girl Scout Cookie Sale.

Troop Spotlight

Troop #12648 teaches girls to
be the best they can be

by Leader Robin Littman, Troop #12648

Troop #12648 earned the Bronze Award by helping 46 third grade Brownie Girls from Harmony Service Unit bridge to Junior Girl Scouts. The troop sponsored a Being Your Best Bridging Workshop in March at Bunker Hill Elementary School. Third grade Brownies from Bunker Hill Elementary, Frostwood Elementary, Holy Spirit Church, and the Mosque participated in the event.

The troop promoted positive attitude and self-esteem as well as good health, hygiene, and nutrition through skits, crafts, swaps, games, and songs. The workshop culminated the troop's efforts to earn the Bronze Award, the highest award a Junior Girl Scout can receive.

Brownie Girl Scouts rotated through four stations which presented different activities to promote self-awareness. Bunker Hill's nurse, Linda McReynolds, led a discussion on good health. Junior Girl Scouts Katherine B., Chloe B., and Florence P. shared their experiences as being Junior Girl Scouts.

Members of Junior Troop #12648 receive the Bronze Award after hosting a bridging workshop for 46 Brownie Girl Scouts. The Junior troop taught the younger Girl Scouts how to be their best.

Troop #12648 produced a videotape with a skit showing how negative comments and manners affect others.

The troop organized a service project for the event. Participants decorated a mosaic birdbath for the Butterfly Garden at Bunker Hill Elementary School, and the troop donated two arbors.

Leader Robin Litman said, "We hope the participants learned they can use the power within them to be the best person they can be."

GSUSA supports National Family Week

The Alliance for Children and Families has extended a special invitation for Girl Scouts of the USA to participate in this year's National Family Week activities, November 23-29. National Family Week is observed each year during the week of Thanksgiving, a time when many families traditionally celebrate their connections with one another.

This year's theme, Connections Count, embraces the premise that children live better lives when their families are strong, and when special connections exist within neighborhoods and communities.

How to become involved
Plans for celebrating National Family Week are as diverse as today's families and communities. Activities and events can help families connect to other families, organizations, local leaders and businesses. The National Family Week Web site contains lots of ideas.

Here are some:

• Organize a community-wide family festival.
• Honor a special person in your community or organization.
• Plan a supper with neighbors or help in a neighborhood improvement effort.
• Adopt a military family.
• Learn about and participate in National Family Week events in your area (see Web site below).

Visit www.nationalfamilyweek.org or call 1-800-221-2681 for more information on making Connections Count during National Family Week and throughout the year. Contact Paula Purcell at 1- 800-221-3726, ext. 3648 or ppurcell@alliance1.org; or Carmen Votaw at 1-800-220-1016, ext. 15 or cvotaw@alliance1.org.