Urban Campout ticket discounts available
Calling all grown-ups to a birthday party like no other! Get ready to dance and dine under the stars on Friday, Sept. 15 at Urban Campout: Celebrate 100 Years, generously sponsored by Southwest Airlines, Qualcomm and our Honorary Committee. Wear vintage, glittery or T.G.I.F. casual attire for an exciting evening of games, bidding, gourmet food and a rock 'n' roll band. Auction items include a Kentucky Derby package, a trip to Hawaii and a bay cruise for 20.

Early bird discounts end after Monday, July 31, so secure your tickets or table today. Proceeds from our 20^th annual fundraiser will help fund the Girl Scout Leadership Experience and programs focused on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), life skills, outdoor training and entrepreneurship. Together, we can keep the power of Girl Scouting going strong into the next century.

100 ways to camp and counting
Campers are celebrating our centennial by embracing the time-honored Girl Scout tradition of exploring the great outdoors. Girl Scout camp started this month, offering endless summer adventures in more than 100 sessions. Girls are soaking up experiences like surfing, sailing and meeting sea turtles … as well as trying their hands at wildness survival, comic book art and exploring nature with telescopes and microscopes.

Sessions with spots remaining include our Camper Sampler day camp (July 31-Aug. 4), as well as overnight sessions at Camp Whispering Oaks. All girls in grades K-12 are welcome.

National conference slated for Oct. 4-8
Gain knowledge and insights, network with new friends and help shape the future of Girl Scouting during the largest girl-led gathering in the world: G.I.R.L. 2017. Registration is now underway for Girl Scouts of the USA's 54^th national convention, set for Wednesday-Sunday, Oct. 4-8, in Columbus, Ohio. Designed with input from high school girls throughout the country, the triennial gathering is open to the public. More than 10,000 Girl Scout "go-getters, innovators, risk-takers and leaders^™" from around the world are expected.

Attendees will include 13 girl and adult delegates representing our council. Their responsibilities include learning about the governance aspects of GSUSA and Girl Scouts San Diego, seeking input from other local members, and voting on matters like lifetime membership benefits and proposals for streamlining national operations.

Brownies unleash their G.I.R.L. power to help K-9s
Brownie Troop 3434 recently used its cookie proceeds to help protect and care for the San Diego County Sheriff's K-9 unit (photos). After learning that the four-legged deputies sometimes come face-to-face with rattlesnakes, the 2^nd- and 3^rd-graders voted to purchase canine snake venom vaccines with their cookie money. Their kindness caused a ripple effect. After hearing their plan, the veterinary clinic in charge of the animals' care teamed up with the vaccination manufacturer to provide all the needed doses. With the vaccines funded, the girls opted to donate $350 worth of training reward toys to the K-9 unit, which held a press conference to spotlight the heartwarming tale.

That's the centennial spirit! 100 days of Girl Scouts taking action
To mark our 100^th birthday, Girl Scouts from throughout our region have been out in full force, doing good. As part of a challenge called "100 Days of Girl Scouts," troops and individual members took action in their communities to make the world a better place.

Troop 5002 (pictured) helped beautify San Vicente Creek near Lakeside during I Love a Clean San Diego's 15^th annual Creek to Bay Cleanup. Elsewhere in San Diego and Imperial counties, Girl Scouts served meals to the homeless, created hospital admission kits for pediatric cancer patients, made goodie bags for rescue pets, planted school gardens, organized food drives and helped lead camping trips (troop projects). Upcoming opportunities to commemorate our milestone anniversary include our Volunteer Conference and Celebration, Urban Campout and the multi-site Sunset Celebrations (see below).