Dessert Before Dinner

In a 1962 Time magazine article, a dental surgeon from Albuquerque, New Mexico advocated for eating dessert before dinner. His reasoning was twofold:

1) Later courses are more likely to wipe away sugar left in the mouth by the dessert, which is eaten first.

2) Individuals will most likely eat less by having a small dessert first.

While his points, may be debateable, Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada found a few more reasons why Dessert Before Dinner is undeniably the best!

1) It's our annual gala fundraiser, raising money to support Girl Scout leadership programs in Southern Nevada.

2) The desserts are yummy, the entertainment incredible, and the guests delightful!

Last Saturday, more than 250 people attended Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada's 5th annual Dessert Before Dinner gala. Guests were treated to desserts prepared by eight incredibly talented pastry chefs - each one using Girl Scouts Peanut Butter Patties cookie in their recipe. Local Girl Scouts performed Whitney Houston's, The Greatest Love of All in sign language for the guests and comedian Kevin Burke stopped by to shower the crowd with a few laughs before making his way to the Fitzgerald for his late night comedy show.

Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada presented Assemblywoman Marilyn Kirkpatrick with the Juliette Low Pearl Award, recognizing her longtime advocacy and support of Girl Scouts. Chef Jaret Blinn from Red Rock Resorts claimed the title "Master Cookie Chef" for the second time in a row and was rewarded with a $1,000 gift certificate from the evening's presenting sponsor, SuperPawn. And most importantly, more than $65,000 was raised to support Girl Scout leadership programs for girls in Southern Nevada!

Many thanks to all of the Girl Scouts, Volunteers, and Supporters who attended Dessert Before Dinner!

Emily Smith

Chief Marketing & Development Officer

Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada

Girl Scout Swaps

Last night I received SWAPS while visiting the Henderson Service Unit. (That's him to the left there, a clothespin wrapped in yarn - I named him Manny the Mummy) It's been awhile since I was a leader, so it's not often that I receive SWAPS anymore - but it reminded me of how much fun my daughter and I had making and trading SWAPS.

MakingFriends.com offers a great history of the origin of SWAPS, otherwise known as "Special Whatchamacallits Affectionately Pinned Somewhere" or "Share With A Pal." But I wanted to share with you a few observations about the benefits of SWAPS.

1) SWAPS create a great ice breaker for girls who have never met before. It takes courage and confidence to walk into a room and talk to a complete stranger! SWAPS are a great conversation starter!

2) SWAPS are a creative expression of the girl who made them - they don't have to be expensive or intricate. What matters most is that each girl have an opportunity to express herself creatively by making a gift to share with someone else. Girls gain a sense of pride and accomplishment when they see their SWAPS pinned to the hat or vest of another girl!

3) SWAPS are enduring! I know many leaders who still have SWAPS from when they were girls. SWAPS help bring back fond memories of where you were and what you were doing when you received your SWAPS. I still remember my daughter making SWAPS for her troop's father/daughter bowling event. They were matching bowling ball SWAPS that said "I'm with him" & "I'm with her."

So what are you waiting for? Don't know how to make SWAPS? Check out this wikiHow and help your girls create special memories of their own!






Emily Smith
Chief Marketing & Development Officer
Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada