Girl Scout Troop 355

February 2012

FYI....
Dates are not Permanent! PLEASE- Look at the calendar for any changes!

Click Here for Full Calendar

Membership

Advisor:
Susan B
Assistant Advisor:
Chelsea
Assistant:
Colleen
Cookie & Nut Sales:
Nancy, Mary
Adult Treasure:
Richard
First Aid & CPR:
Susan, Chelsea, Colleen, Brittany
Camp Cert. I & II:
Susan
Crafter:
Rose Ann
Our Life Members:
Chelsea
Mary
Brittany
Colleen
Our Girls:
Destiny
Heather
Brittany
Tiffany
Melyssa
Mariah
Kristen
Amber

Girl Scout Troop 355

Who Are We?

Troop 355 was organized in June of 1998. We are a Very Welcoming Troop and over the years have had girls join from many different towns, including: Toms River, South Toms River, Beachwood, Bayville, Lakewood, Manchester, Jackson, Bricktown, Seaside Hgts., and Point Pleasant in New Jersey.
If you like Adventure, Travel, Helping others we are the troop for you. We have traveled to 37 State, 4 Canadian Providences(including the Yukon Territory, 3 European Countries (England,France, & Italy), and Australia.
In 2007 some of us went to Australia and others to Europe, 2008 California and a 6 State driving tour, 2009 an Alaskan Cruise, 2010 was a road trip to New Orleans. For the Summer of 2011 we went back to California.
Where is your Dream Place? Come check us out you Never Know where will go next!

Our Troops Gold Award Recipients: Chelsea, Katie, and Melyssa

Our troops and Council Top Seller in Cookies 5 years running: Chelsea, her top sales- 1815 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies. Great Job!

CONGRATULATIONS TO MELYSSA FOR A GREAT JOB SHE DID ON THE TRHSN FRESHMAN DANCE AND THE ASSEMBLY. ALL YOUR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION PAID OFF.

Rosie the Riveter is our troop crest. We wear this patch proudly on our vest.

The Real Rosie- Geraldine Doyle died on Sunday, December 26, 2010 at the age of 86. She was 17 years old the time the photo was taken. Read below for the full article.

LATEST NEWS AND INFORMATION
Meeting on Wednesday, February 1st 7:00pm at Susan's house.
Please remember to invite your friends. The troop is Always open to new girls.
Please read your e-mail and facebook for more information and check out the Upcoming Events page for more details. REMINDER:

We have a Troop facebook.

Forms of communication for Our Troop are: texting, facebook, e-mail, and this website.

We now have a FACEBOOK Account. Please go onto your facebook account and become a fan of the troop. Have a facebook- go to find a friend type in girl scout troop 355 under all results. You can also type in my name and there is a link to the troop from there.

Our troops clothing drive is on going. So, Please get your clothes in by the last weekend of the month.

Reminder: Your friends are always welcome to join our troop. It doesn't matter if you are going into 8th grade or 12th grade. It is always nice to have new people.

2011 BOSTON
What a great weekend in Boston. The weather wasn't too bad but there was plenty of snow.
We started our day by visiting the site that inspired the tv show "Cheers", Susan favorite. We walked across the Boston Commons to start the "Freedom Trail". Unfortunately, the grave yards were closed because of all the snow and ice. So, our first stop was the Old South Meeting House where plans were make for the Boston Tea Party, the original tea party.
Next, we headed down the trail to the Old State House near the site of the Boston Massacre. We learned the true store of the Boston Massacre. The Old State House is now a museum with great exhibits. The next stop was Fanuiel Hall and Quincy Market were we ate lunch and went shopping at the "Cheers" gift shop.
Paul Revere's House is the oldest home on Boston Proper. It looks like the home in Salem, MA. The Old North Church is where Paul Revere did his ride to notify how the British were coming. Outside the church there is a Memorial Garden dedicated to all the people who died in Iraq and Afghanistan. Each person is represented by a dog tag hanging on a fence.
Are next stop was Harvard University. We went there to try to soak up all the intelligences. The trip was fun and the girls were funnier.

ALASKAN CRUISE
What a Wonderful trip!!! We went on a 7-day Alaskan Cruise.

We flew to Seattle and boarded the Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship "Rhapsody Of The Seas". What a beautiful ship. It has 2 swimming pools, an arcade, fitness center, shopping center, rock climbing wall, dance hall,art gallery,a Broadway Theater, and so much more!

Our first stop was the Capital City of Juneau. Here we rode a sky tram to the top of Mt. Roberts. At the top was a great views of the city, our cruise ship, a Nature Center,Chilkat Theater,and a live eagle.

After, we took a city tour and went onto Mendenhall Glacier Rainforest and Gardens. Yes, there is a rainforest in Alaska. What a beautiful site. They made planters out of upside down tree trunks. The temperature in July in Alaska is usually 65-70 degrees but we lucked out the temp. never went below 80 degrees. The people there were complaining on how hot it was and they couldn't take the heat. It was quite amusing.

Next we headed to Mendenhall Glacier part of the Tongass National Forest, 17 million acres. Floating down the river were icebergs and swimming in the river were salmons. The Mendenhall Glacier was awesome.

Later on, we walked around downtown Juneau. You have to check out the pictures in our MySpace. They have streets that are the size of a walkway. They even have a Saloon like the ones you see in an old western movie. The Saloon had dirt floors. One of our favorite shopping spots was the Alaskan T-Shirt Company and they sell more than t-shirts. You won't find better prices anywhere. And "Del Sol" store with the color changing rings(more later about them or ask Stephanie).

Skagway takes it all. The entire town looks like a western movie set. Skagway was first founded during the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush and doesn't seem to have changed much since that time. What a quite place. There is one school, one food store, and no doctor. We visited the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park in town and the Red Onion Saloon. The Saloon was equipped with a piano player and singing girls.

While docked in Skagway, we headed out through British Columbia(Canada) to the Yukon Territory of Canada. Where we were fortunate enough to see a mother bear right on the side of the road while her 3 cubs climbed up a tree. What a beautiful day to cross the Yukon Suspension Bridge. On our journey we crossed the White Pass Summit, Pitchfork Falls, William Moore Bridge & Overlook, Dead Horse Gulch (where the stampeder's lost 3,000 horses while trying to cross the passage). Once we were back in the States we went gold panning at the Klondike Gold Field. Chelsea got to participate in the demonstration and we all got to go panning. Now we are one step closer to financial independences.

Our next adventure on the ship was sailing through the Inner Passage, Tracy Arm Fjord, to Sawyer Glacier. Susan had everyone up and out by 5:00am(the sun was shining bright)so we wouldn't miss anything. This is where we saw the most wildlife like bald eagles, sea otters, and lots of seals. We sailed through fields of icebergs to get close to the glacier. At 5:00 am surrounded by icebergs and snow covered mountains it was a bite chilly.

Our next stop of Victoria, British Columbia (Canada). What a beautiful city. They love their flowers in Victoria. First we took a bus tour of the city and the surrounding areas. What was really cool was when we went through the university campus, rabbits were everywhere. They were running free. The student on the campus like to have rabbits as pets and when they graduate they set the rabbits free on the grounds.

One of our stops was at the Craigdarroch Castle built by the Dunsmuir Family, in 1890's. The Castle had 4 floors including a game room, a indoor swimming pool, servants quarters, a library, and much more. We got high-fives and met Bella. Walked out on a jetty to a light hosue and on the way watched seals playing and seen seastars, purple ones and orange ones the size of a small cat.

Our tour of Seattle took us to see the very first Starbucks and the Space Needle. From the top you can see the entire city and Mt. Rainer covered with snow. We walked the fish market where they throw fish around.

The cruise ship was awesome! Our dinners were in the dining room where we were treated like princess. We had a view of the open sea where we watch a humpback whale jump out of the water. For dinner we ate prime rib, shrimp, lobster, calamari, and did I say it was unlimited. We are not use to this kind of food on trips. In the theater we seen the "Platters", A Country Show, singing, dancing,and great entertainment. Every afternoon we learned to ballroom dance. After dinner we some how always ended up in the Schooner Lounge for Karaoke Night. Also called Adult Day Care. We couldn't keep Mary and Chelsea away from the microphone. We had the best time. After singing we were pronounced "SUPERSTARS" and received a Del Sol color changing ring valued at far less than $1,000 and the memories are priceless. Even Susan, Pat, and Stephanie finally got up and sang. They couldn't resist the ring. We all got an Adult Day Care t-shirt. We made lots of friends and had the best of times. Please check out our My Space account to see all of the pictures.

New Orleans- "Let the Good Times Roll"
When is the best time to visit New Orleans- of course in August when the heat and humidity is at it's highest. Well lets start at the beginning. We left on Wednesday evening and arrived in Birmingham, Alabama around 9:30am. AS we opened the van doors the humidity came rushing in but as girl scouts and knowing we have 7 day to go we had to learn to deal with it. Our first stop was the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, that was where 4 young girls were kill by a bomb that was in the basement of the church. It was very emotional walking into that church.
After leaving the church we walked across the street to the Birmingham Civil Rights Museum. I recommend that everyone go visit this museum, it was very moving. Walking through the museum looking at the displays, watching the film clips and hearing the speeches.
Now that it is midday where would you go, of course, to an old closed down furnace. Our next site was the Sloss Furnace National Park. We were able to walk around, through and underground the only remaining steel/iron furnace in the USA. This is where Birmingham got it's start- the steel industry. After seeing where steel was produced we went to see the results. The Vulcan Museum and Park. The vulcan is the tallest steel statue in the USA. We rode the outside elevator to the top. What a beautiful view of the city. Birmingham was a very quite and clean city.
The following morning we headed to Gulfport, Mississippi to go swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. The coastline was devastated by Hurricane Katrina and now the oil spill. There was cleanup tents set up along the beach in some areas and barriers in the water. But the beaches were open and we went in. For those of you use to the Jersey Shore there is no comparison. The sand is very powdery and sticks to your body. The water temperature had to be at least 90 degrees. There were no waves and barely ripples. We had to walk out quite a ways before we reached water we could sit in that would reach our hips. Was all this worth it? Yes, with the air temperature so hot and the high humidity it felt great. Well, until Destiny thought something tough her in the water.
Back to hurricane Katrina. It was very sad driving up the coast and seeing empty lot after empty lot- where someones home use to be. Seeing just driveways and an occasional tire swing hanging from a tree.
Our next stop was New Orleans! There was so much to see in New Orleans. We started our first day at the Jean Lafitte National Park, with a walking tour of the riverfront. Next we headed to the Basin Street Visitor Center right next to Louis Armstrong Park. Just across the street is the St. Louis Cemetery I. We got a private tour and seen many interesting things such as: Nicholas Cages pyramid style tombstone, if you pull away a brick from a couple of hundred year old tombs you can see the remaining bones(we didn't do it the tour guide did). Following the graveyard we walked the streets of the French Quarter to the Old US Mint where they were holding the "Satchmo Festival", this is a major event in New Orleans. Satchmo is the nickname for Louis Armstrong, one of the greatest American jazz trumpeter and singer. What great music and fantastic food. We all ate something different from the selection of Creole and Cajun foods. As the night wind-down we head back to the hotel for a night swim in the pool.
The next day we headed to Jean LaFitte Swamp Boat Tours. We road a flat bottom boat through the swamps and bayou of Louisiana. There were so many alligators that came right up to the boat. Did I mention that in Louisiana it is humid-it. I don't mean you sweat alittle, I mean as soon as you step outside your entire body is covered in sweat. We did learn that there is a reason for the sweat, you don't burn and you don't tan. It is the first place we ever have been where no one needed sunblock. Just thought that was interesting to share.
Louisiana has lots of sugar cane farms and factories along the Mississippi River. We drove past many as we headed to the Oak Alley Plantation.
The Plantation home was beautiful, located right on the Mississippi River and the road leading to the mansion was lined with oak trees. After our plantation tour we drove around New Orleans to see the damage and destruction that still exist five year after Hurricane Katrina. Some ares looked as if the Hurricane just hit the week before. Debris still left in the street, there are still streets that you can't drive down.
Other sites we visited in New Orleans was the Mardi Gra Museum. There were hundreds of floats to view and we had the opportunity to watch the staff create new floats. We also got a pre-view of floats that were going to be in a parade that night for the new Madden '11 video game. The parade was awesome- just like the big parade where they were throwing out beads, shirts, cups, etc. We went how with many beads.
While in N.O. we went on a Walking Tour of the Undead. It is hard to explain- some ghost, some vodoo, vampires, etc.
The following day we went on a really steam river boat down the Mighty Mississippi River. It was a dinner cruise with a lot of great traditional food. We visiting many interesting places while we were in New Orleans. We would have to say it is not like any place we ever visited before. Let me just say that the evening we were waiting to take our Ghost Tour a man came walking down the street with two miniature horse on leashes. Need I say more.

On our way home we spent two nights in Gatlinburg Tennessee- The Great Smoky Mountains. We spent the day walking around town and going to Ripley's Believe or Not. In the evening we went to a Dinner Show at the Smith Family Theater in Pigeon Forge. The food was really good and all you can eat. The show was a mixture of music-rock, country, gospel, and plenty of comedy.

Once again another great trip for GS Troop 355. Looking forward to Our next Great Adventure

RECOGNITIONS
Everyone has been working hard toward the Specialty Awards.
So, this spot on the website will be dedicated to all of your hard work.
If you would like to see your first name in print here, let me know. I can direct you on how to proceed to that goal.

Specialty Awards are:

the pre-requistes to the Silver or Gold Award- Leadership, Career, & the 4B Challenge;
Community Service Bar- with in Girl Scouts and/or in the Community;
Program Aid, C-I-T, Safety Award,etc.

Best of Luck!! It is worth the time.

Gold Award Recipients:
Katie
Chelsea
Melyssa

Gold Leadership Award Recipients:
Mary
Chelsea
Colleen
Ciara
Jacleen
Katie
Lindsey
Neha
Sageona
Stephanie
Heather
Breigha
Destiny
Brittany
Melyssa
Tiffany

Silver Leadership Award Recipients:
Stephanie

Gold Career Award Recipients:
Kristy
Mary
Katie
Chelsea
Colleen
Lindsey
Brittany
Neha
Jacleen
Ciara
Sageona
Stephanie
Tiffany
Madhavi
Brittany B.
Melyssa
Destiny
Heather

Gold 4B Challenge Recipients:
Katie
Mary
Colleen
Chelsea
Lindsey
Sageona
Heather
Destiny
Brittany
Melyssa
Tiffany

GS Community Service Award Recipients:
Chelsea

GS Service Award Recipients:
Chelsea

GS Safety Award Recipients:
Katie
Mary
Chelsea
Tiffany
Heather

We like to Congratulate Katie, Chelsea, and NOW Melyssa for the GREAT JOB they did on their Gold Awards.

Katie's organized and carried out a reading program for young children. Weekly Katie worked with the kids encouraging them and teaching them the importance of reading. Along with a Book Drive and followed with a Book Fair for the Children. Katie created a pamphlet for the parents and a reading list for the children.

Chelsea's project dealt with snakes. Since most people are afraid of Snakes she focused on teaching young children the benefits of snakes. Visiting Day Cares with information, craft project and yes, Snakes. Chelsea also created a brochure for Cattus Island Park on the snakes that live within the park.

Melyssa project was offering alternatives for teens instead of hanging out in the mall, drink, etc. Melyssa did a presentation to the entire freshman class at Toms River High School North. Melyssa also planned, organized and ran a dance for the freshman class.

Ladies if anyone needs help with their awards please do not hesitate to call Susan.

"ROSIE THE RIVETER"

Geraldine Doyle, inspiration for 'Rosie the Riveter,' dies

LANSING -- A memorial service will be held Jan. 8 for Geraldine Doyle, who said her photo was the inspiration for a popular poster lauding the efforts of working women during World War II.
Ms. Doyle died Sunday in Lansing. She was 86.
A war production committee used Ms. Doyle's likeness from a photo taken when she was a 17-year-old operating a metal-stamping machine at American Broach & Machine Co. in Ann Arbor. The head-scarf-wearing woman flexing her bicep in the "We Can Do It!" poster encouraged women to enter the workforce.
The poster and Norman Rockwell's similar painting of a female worker followed a popular song titled "Rosie the Riveter" -- a name given to women working in plants during the war.
" 'Rosie the Riveter' is the image of an independent woman who is in control of her own destiny," said Gladys Beckwith, former director of the Michigan Women's Historical Center and Hall of Fame. "Her death is the end of an era, and we need to take note of that."
Ms. Doyle, a cello player, actually worked in the factory only a couple of weeks, her daughter said; she quit after learning that the woman she had replaced had injured her hand on the metal press.

CAMPING BASS RIVER
What a great Fall weekend for camping.
We cooked dinner and started a campfire. Sat around telling stories, singing and eating s'mores- what could be better than that.
The girls cooked pancakes and sausage for breakfast before we set off the a day hike.

NYC, Again
Yes, another day in New York City. You can never get enough of it.
This time we drove into "The City" to see the Christmas Tree.
We shopped in Bryant Park and had hot apple cider. For the first time we went into the NY public library and on the way out we watched street performers. The funny thing was they we the same group we saw last year in Time Square.
We made our way through the crowds and ate lunch at this small pizza place on Broadway. What great prices.
We did alot of shopping while we worked our way to the tree.
You can never spend too much time in "the City".
Hopefully we will be returning soon to go to the Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum on 42nd Street.

EMPIRE STATE
Yes, we were back in New York City. What a day. We parked on 10th Street and walked up Park Avenue South to the Empire State Building on 34th Street. What a beautiful site from the top. While at the top the girls decided they want to go to Central Park the next time.

When we left the Empire State Building we headed south on Fifth Avenue and than across to Broadway and watched a parade. There were dancers dressed in outifts from all over the world. What a nice suprise. After the parade we headed to Greenville and NYU, while walking our way down to Chinatown. We finally ate lunch there, yes in a place with ducks hanging in the window. After lunch it was time to shop. We were in Chinatown, that is what people do there. We'll they also get arrested. We have the opportunity to watch the police take a man down and handcuff him right in front of us.

Next, we headed to Little Italy for Italian pastries and ice cream. We walked over 90 blocks through Greenvillage, Gramacy Park, Washington Square, Mid-town, Chinatown, Little Italy and SoHo. What a great day. Can't wait until our next trip to "The City"

THE OUTER BANKS, NC

Yes, finally SUNSHINE!
We spent the weekend in the Outer Banks, NC far away from the snow. With snow on the ground and falling from the sky for months it was great to get away and the weather back home wasn't going to stop us.

Our first adventure was a two hour four wheel drive on the beach and in the National Preserve. We got to see a number of families of wild horses on the beach and inland. What a beautiful site. Especially under clear blue skies.

On our journey we encountered two spotted dog sharks on the beach. It was sad to see that they died by getting caught in plastic netting that was discarded in the ocean

What was very interesting that along their beaches are remains of old trees that use to live their back when the ocean was alot further out. Now that the beachfront is getting smaller the tree are consumed by the sea.

Jared and Pete were are naturalist guides with Back Country Outfitters. When we drove into the back country Jared had us kneel down while it made this usual sound which brought the birds close to us. It was really cool.

Did you know that when lighting hits the beach sand it turns the sand into a solid mass called fulgurite. How cool!

Next, we head to Kill Devil Hills to the Wright Brothers National Park. This is where they took that first flight on December 17, 1903. Once you are there you know why they pick this place. They had help from mother nature with a continuous wind up on a hill. We learned alot about the brothers and their determination to fly.

After some history we headed for Jockey Ridge State Park going south on rte 12. There we were able to climb 110+ feet of sand dunes. It wasn't just one. Once we got to the top than Chelsea and Colleen decided to climb down. As Brittany followed her feet started to sink in the sand. Once the rest of us made it to the bottom, including- Stephanie, Destiny, Sakina, and Susan- we turned around and climbed back up. We climbed up and down one sand dunes after another. As we head back to the nature center the ground began to vibrate under Brittany's feet and Destiny's feet began to disappear into the mud. It was actually funny to see.
Our accommodations were far better than we ever could have expected. The place was large enough to fit 20 people and there was an indoor pool.
The next morning we woke up and went to Fort Raleigh National Park the "Lost Colony" on Roanoke Island.
One of the interesting things was driving across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, a distance of over 16 miles out over and under the water. Everyone had a great time and can't wait until our next trip.

LIFE MEMBERS CAMPING TRIP
Another reunion camping trip for the troop's alumni. This time we headed south to Assateague State Park in Maryland.
We set up camp on the beach amongst harley guys.(More about them later). Later the first day we headed to Ocean City, MD. Walked about 60 blocks on the boardwalk and ate dinner at "The Dough Place". Which seems to be the most popluar place in town because you can't go more than 5 blocks withou seeing one.
While in Assateague we got to see lots of wild horses. Walked over 2 hours on the beach.
The second day the wind really picked up, our tent culd barely stay standing. Not taking a chance we bought 18" stakes to hold it from being blown away.

TENNESSEE/NORTH CAROLINA

What another great trip. We added one more state to our very long list- Tennessee- Gatlinburg with the prefect view of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

We headed into the mountains to explore old Appalachian homes and communities. We walked between the raindrops. After we headed up to the top of the mountains. Where we stood on the borders of Tennessee and North Carolina and walked along the Appalachian Trail.

We headed down the other side and into The Cherokee Indian Reservation where the sun shined bright. We visited the Cherokee Indian Museum and learn the history of these proud people.
Well, back over the mountains and into Gatlinburg. We spend late afternoon walking around town. I have never been in so many pocketbook shops in my life. What a cute town and so much shopping.

After we ate our Brazilian Enchiladas(leftovers from International Day) we headed into Pigeon Forge, home of Dolly Parton. Pigeon Forge looks a little like Vegas with all the lights.We went to a show- "Country Tonite". This show was so much fun. Lots of country and comedy. After the show we got to meet the cast.

The next morning Mary decided we needed to go find some Elk. What an adventure that was. Around the mountains, through 3 National Parks, around windy dirt roads up VERY narrow roads. But after at least an hour we did find a herd of Elk, Yeah!!!

Now, what do we do, do you think it is time to head home? It probably should have been but we saw a sign that read"Biltmore- America's largest home". Well, we had no choice, it call to us. The Biltmore, Vanderbilt's home was absolutely beautiful. On it's property and in the home was a winery, a conservatory, tulip garden, English Garden, duck pond, a bowling alley, indoor swimming pool, a gym, etc. There were 22 rooms just for the help, the women, the men were on another floor. This is a must seen home

CBS EARLY SHOW
Another trip to CBS Early Morning Show. Chelsea, troop asst. adviser was ask by National to be the spokes person on the news program.
Chelsea and the personel from National were invited into the studio while everyone remained outside. They were being prep. After the 2 hour show we went into for a studio tour.
Next we head down to 37th Street and fifth Avenue to Girl Scouts of the USA National Headquarters. What a great opportunity. National occupies 9 floors in the building. What a beautiful place.

FOOD PANTRY
Thanks to everyone who came out and help with the Food Pantry at the Christian Community Church on Washington Street in Toms River.

Everyone did a great job and they asked for our help next month.

If anyone has winter clothes, coats, shoes, boots, blankets, etc that they can donate please let us know.

RECYCLING PROGRAM Helping protect the enviromnent is an important issue. We've started a recycling campaign to collect unwanted cell phones as well as empty ink cartridges from home and office printers. Rather than letting these items end up in landfills, they can either be refurbished or properly recycled.

Its easy to collect these items by calling or e-mailing friends, family, neighbors and parent's co-workers. Bring these items to meetings as you get them. Lets all work together to help protect our environment. And as a bonus, a donation will be made to the troop for our efforts.

GIRL SCOUT TROOP 355
Toms River, NJ

820 Visitors

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