By Tara Rappleye, Program Director

October has been a whirlwind of pumpkins, football games, product sales, and programs! Get ready for November by adding a few of the activities below to your meeting agenda. November is a time to reflect and give thanks for the amazing Girl Scouts in our lives and to celebrate our wonderful Movement.

National Novel Writing Month
Participating in National Novel Writing Month gives Girl Scouts the courage and confidence to share their writing. Every Girl Scout has story and this is the time to encourage girls to write and share their stories with the world!

• Storytelling Badges- Brownies through Seniors have badges that relate to telling stories. Brownies start off learning to write their families’ stories. Then as Seniors, they actual write and edit their own novel. National Novel Writing Month gives Girl Scouts the perfect opportunity to explore the Storytelling Badges.
• Short Story Contest- Have your troop practice their writing skills by writing a short story during the month of November. At the end of the month, have everyone share their stories and vote on multiple categories like funniest story, best characters, or best plot twist. Inspire your Girl Scouts to write and share their stories!

International Girls Day- November 14
Girl Scouts is the prominent girl leadership organization in the United States. We are an organization built on making girls of confidence, courage, and character. We partnered with Kappa Delta sorority in 1998 as a way for female college students and young professionals to serve pre-teen and teen girls in a mentorship capacity, and together we created an International Girls Day celebration starting in 2010 to celebrate the spirit of girls. We proudly carry on the tradition today. Join us in celebrating International Girls Day November 14!

• Be a Sister to Every Girl Scout- An important part of being a girl is being a sister and friend. It is important to celebrate other girls’ skills and qualities. Do this activity as a troop to empower and celebrate each other as Girl Scout sisters.
• You Make Me Smile Campaign- Participate in the You Make Me Smile campaign. This campaign gives out balloons with positive messages written on them to girls of all ages on International Girls Day. Learn more about the campaign here.

National America Recycles Day- November 15
Our Flower Friend Clover, is the inspiration for celebrating National America Recycles Day. Clover encourages us to “use resources wisely” by recycling and reusing materials. Recycle a page out of Clover’s book (get it?!) and celebrate National American Recycles Day by participating in one of these activities!

• Paper Beads- Do you have tons of craft paper scraps laying around? If so, you need to do this activity with your troop! Making beads out of paper scraps is not only fun, but a way to reuse and recycle. See instructions on this nifty craft here.
• Start a Recycling Program- Does your school have a recycling program? Does your family recycle? Does your church recycle? Make this day an opportunity to serve your community by creating a recycling program. Even if it is your own family, encourage others to recycle!
• DIY T-shirt bag- Take one of your old t-shirts and make it into a bag that you can use for groceries, sleepovers, or Girl Scouts meetings. Follow these instructions to turn your old t-shirt into a handy dandy bag.

#GivingTuesday- November 29
Without giving, many Girl Scouts would not be able to participate in camp and other Girl Scouts programs. Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines invites their staff, volunteers, Girl Scout families, and Girl Scouts to participate in #GivingTuesday.

• Hand-in-Hand Helping Others Patch Program– This patch program helps Girl Scouts learn about United Way and its impact of giving to the community. Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines is a United Way partner agency, which is one of the reasons this program was created. In lieu of #GivingTuesday, working through the patch program can demonstrate the importance of giving to Girl Scouts.
• Volunteer- Participating in #GivingTuesday doesn’t mean just giving money, Girl Scouts can participate in #GivingTuesday by volunteering at a local non-profit. There are thousands of volunteer opportunities for Girl Scouts in our council. Make an effort to volunteer on #GivingTuesday.
• Host a Family Partnership Conversation- #GivingTuesday donations can be designated toward the Family Partnership Campaign, so troops can earn patches and service units can get additional funds for end of year recognitions by meeting goals. You can host a conversation with the families in your troop to participate in the campaign. Learn more about the Family Partnership Campaign and hosting a conversation here.

Make sure to look for December’s post… because “it is the most wonderful time of the year!”