Blog Posts

  • Troop Leader Spotlight: Cindy Wilmer

    Service Unit: Sunny Peaks

    Troop 529 (Seniors – Ambassadors)

    Years as a troop leader: 9

    What kind of activities do you do with your troop? What is their favorite thing to do?

    Our troop loves to socialize so we either have our regular meetings or meet at a local pizza shop. Some of our favorite activities include crafting and camping! Together, we’ve gone kayaking on the Verde River, and also enjoy going trick-or-treating in Uptown Sedona on Halloween.

    Tell us about a volunteer moment that stands out to you.

    It’s hard to choose just one, but recently, while we were on a camping trip I watched the girls work together to set up their bunks, gather wood for the fire, and help with cooking and cleaning duties. It was satisfying and inspiring!

    What would you like others to know about volunteer opportunities with the Girl Scouts?

    I want others to know that volunteering as a Girl Scout leader is a real gift. The girls are inspirational and I’ve learned a lot from them about myself and about my relationship with my daughter. It’s a wonderful feeling to watch a group of girls evolve into wonderful young women. It’s truly special knowing that other volunteers and I played a small part in their growth.

    What is the most inspiring moment you have experienced as a troop leader?

    There have been so many inspiring moments – small and large. What I find most inspiring is watching the girls go from little kids to pre-teens to young adults, knowing they have learned a lot of valuable things in Girl Scouts and seeing them put those things into action. Their kindness to one another, the way they maintain respect despite their differences and then celebrate their achievements together is always inspiring and empowering.

  • Troop Leader Spotlight: Lisa Fowler

    Service Unit: La Promesa

    Troop 4906, 2nd-3rd grade

    Years as a GS: 7

    Years as Troop Leader: 5

    What inspired you to become a Troop Leader?

    My Girl Scout experience began as a Brownie when my mom was my Troop Leader. I knew I wanted to follow in her footsteps and lead a troop for my girls!

    What kind of activities do you do with your troop? What is their favorite thing to do?

    Our troop loves to work on badges together. They love everything from arts and outdoors to STEM. Their favorite thing to do as a troop is camping! We have been to GSACPC Camps Parsons and Maripai, and we are planning our next trip to Willow Springs.

    What kind of service projects have you done with your troop?

    We completed our Daisy service project and held a donation drive for the Sun Valley Animal Shelter. We collected donations, shopped for new items, and delivered them to the shelter. Once there, we read our favorite books to the cats and learned about how the shelter takes care of the animals. Our current Brownie service project is a food drive to support the Valley View Community Food Bank. This year we have also adopted an assisted living facility where the girls have gone caroling, offered a cookie tasting, and mailed them cards during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Tell us about a volunteer moment that stands out to you.

    I love being involved in our local Service Unit. Getting together as a group of local leaders is a great way to share in the leadership experience and learn new skills. Serving on committees such as Bridging and Leader recognitions initiatives has been a highlight of my Girl Scout volunteer experience.

    What advice would you give other Troop Leaders?

    It is important to ask for help and bring the parents into the planning process. Some parents are great at crafts, others at organizing, and some love the outdoors. Everyone can play a part and it makes leading more enjoyable when you can share the role with others. Send out a parent survey and find out about their strengths to see how they can take an active role in your troop.

    What do you wish someone had told you as a new Troop Leader?

    I wish someone had told me that not every meeting needs to be “Pinterest-worthy.” The girls are so happy just to be together and enjoy the Girl Scout opportunity.

    What would you like others to know about volunteer opportunities with the Girl Scouts?

    Volunteering with Girl Scouts is rewarding in so many ways. By leading a troop, you create opportunities for girls to try new things, make new friends, and make an impact in their community. I love being a role model and encouraging them grow.

    Tell us in your own words why it’s important to participate in the GS Cookie Program?

    Participating in the cookie program is very important for our troop. Not only does it provide the funding we need to run our troop year-round, it provides an opportunity for our girls to learn valuable life skills such as goal setting, business ethics, and money management. I have watched girls gain confidence and speaking skills through cookie selling opportunities. We watch them grow year after year as they set higher goals and find creative ways to reach them. This year was our best year ever at just over 6,800 boxes sold!

  • An Update on our Council’s Fiscal Health

    Dear Girl Scout Volunteers,

    As we continue to monitor and adjust our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, always prioritizing the health and safety of our girls, their families and our broader community, I want to reach out and express the staff and my deepest gratitude for your continued commitment to Girl Scouting and the girls we serve. While you’ve been juggling the changes that COVID-19 has caused in your own life and family, your level of engagement in supporting one another, the girls, the council and the community has been truly remarkable.

    We’ve seen thousands of you learn new technology skills to conduct ongoing virtual troop and service unit meetings. So many of you and your girls have animated the Girl Scout Promise and Law through numerous service and take action projects, including mask making, collecting food for our food banks, and gathering thousands of pounds of cat and dog food as well as other supplies to help Hopi and Navajo families who have been severely impacted by the coronavirus.

    This kind of engagement and commitment to the Girl Scout Movement through this pandemic and economic instability, is why this Movement has survived many challenges over the last hundred plus years. We’ve heard that some of you are concerned about the long-term financial health of our council, given that the pandemic, economic uncertainty, and social unrest could escalate and/or linger for many months. Like most organizations and businesses, these are indeed very difficult times for our council and the national Movement. Our revenue streams have been significantly impacted and we have yet to see how this pandemic will impact our largest revenue stream – our Girl Scout cookie program. Thankfully, our council’s board and staff have managed our financial resources with fiscally conservative diligence over the past two decades. The council has the financial reserves, set aside for times just like these, to help sustain our council over the next couple of years, as our annual report shows. Nonetheless, we will need to be prudent and adapt our business practices in order to weather this storm. We’ll also need to continue to bring in as much revenue as feasible to sustain our organization and maintain our facilities for a future when we can all enjoy our camps and in-person events and program activities again.

    We’re approaching the summer and upcoming fall season with a mixture of caution and hope. We will continue to prioritize the health and well-being of all our members and the numerous communities throughout our jurisdiction. We look forward to a time when we can gather again, in-person, to continue to learn, celebrate and enjoy what Girl Scouting offers us as individuals, and as a Movement that has helped build the social fabric, strong values and beliefs that promote civic engagement and sustain our democracy. We stand on the shoulder of the girls, women and men who lived through wars, natural disasters, and other pandemics. I have faith that our girls and volunteers like you will lead us through the current challenges with amazing innovation and passion.

    Tamara J. Woodbury
    GSACPC CEO

  • Random Act of Kindness Patch Activity

    We got our girls busy on virtual patch-earning in mid-March – we completed Random Acts of Kindness and Keep Calm, I am a Girl Scout patches. Here is what we did if you would like to do it with your troop:

    Random Acts of Kindness

    The girls learned what it meant to live the Girl Scout Promise and Law over eight days to earn the first patch. Every day they were asked to do something to exemplify a section of either the Promise, the Law or a combination. Each night they and their parents posted a picture, video or confirmation of what the girls did through our private online group. We were proud of their responses and feel this experience has helped them to understand GS values, not just memorize and repeat them.

    Activity Sheet / Instructions Example

    Complete a listed action each day based on the Girl Scout Promise or Law. Have a parent post it in the online group each day, using a photo, video or drawing. It has to be done the same day it was posted. Suggest keeping this requirement so all patches can be earned with honor.

    We will start on ______and continue for 8 days.  Questions? Contact Leader _______or Leader _________.

    • Day 1. Girl Scout Promise: What did you do to serve your God or Country?
    • Day 2. Girl Scout Law: What did you do to be honest, fair, considerate and caring?
    • Day 3. Girl Scout Law: How were you responsible for what you did or said, to show respect for yourself and others?
    • Day 4. Girl Scout Law: In what ways were you courageous and strong?
    • Day 5. Girl Scout Promise and Law: How were you friendly and helpful to at least one other person? Now, come up with an idea that would make a person smile. A card? A poster? A video? A song? Your funniest face?
    • Day 6. Girl Scout Law: What did you do to respect authority?
    • Day 7. Girl Scout Law: How did you use resources wisely?
    • Day 8. Girl Scout Law: In four sentences, what does it mean to be a sister to every Girl Scout?

    Keep Calm, I am a Girl Scout

    The second patch we worked on was Keep Calm, I am a Girl Scout. This one was designed for family participation and ran for ten days. Since school started again, via the internet, we gave the girls two days for each project. Origami was our theme, starting out simple with a cat and dog face, we progressed to more difficult designs each day, ending with a pony that flips.

    Since not everyone had origami paper at home, and we did not want anyone going out for supplies, the girls were given several ideas of what they could cut into 6- or 7-inch squares. Magazine pages, Sunday comics, wrapping paper, copy paper that they colored, drew on, marbled, textured with watercolor and salt, or anything they could come up with.

    To order your Random Acts of Kindness and Keep Calm, I am a Girl Scout patches, visit the online Council Shop!

    By Troop 655 in Payson
    Troop Leader: Jessica Kjellstrom
    Co-Leaders: Denise Blanchette, Alexis Kjellstrom

  • How Girl Scouts Helped Me Help Others

    I have been a Girl Scout since first grade, 12 years to be exact. I am now entering my sophomore year in college, and everything I learned as a Girl Scout has helped me tremendously in every phase of life. Thanks to Girl Scouts, I learned how to communicate effectively and put others before myself. This has helped me not only when applying to jobs and colleges, but I have also been able to use these skills for things such as building friendships and growing my inner confidence. Girl Scouts has offered me some incredible experiences; my troop has traveled to London, Italy, France, New York, and Costa Rica. Along with being able to travel the world, I have completed my Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards, the highest awards in Girl Scouting, which require tackling community issues and sustainably serving the community.

    Earning my Gold Award, in particular, was something that I worked extremely hard at, and I am incredibly proud of completing it. My project, Dream for Dresses, focused on the 29,537 homeless children in the Arizona Public School systems who cannot afford the luxury of new clothes for the start of school. At the beginning of this project, I focused on creating dresses for young girls, as they are primarily the ones whose confidence suffers the most when it comes to appearances. As I began, however, I also wanted to gather clothes for boys and organized a clothing drive as well. Per the Curvilinear Model of Self-Esteem, achievement in school is at its lowest efficiency rate when self-esteem is low. The goal of my project was that through new clothes, these children would gain the confidence they needed to raise their achievements in school, as they are the future.

    As mentioned before, there are 29,537 homeless students in the Arizona public school systems alone. On a national level, the number is significantly larger: 1.3 million. While my project impacted those locally, I hope that my project and its presence on social media will inspire others to do the same everywhere. While I am in Rhode Island attending the University of Rhode Island, I plan to continue to help the homeless youth here and create awareness on the East Coast.

    My new commitment to Girl Scouting has been helping a younger troop with not only their Girl Scout Cookie sales but also with holiday bazaars, earning badges, and their Girl Scout Bronze and Silver Awards. Last March, during my Gold Award, I invited them to collaborate with me, offering training and tips for their future service projects. I taught the girls how to sew and put the dresses together and shared why I chose this as my Gold Award project, and they too became passionate about helping students. So much that they agreed to continue my project, and so I donated all surplus supplies to them.

    The truth about Girl Scouts is that it shapes women into strong individuals who have the power to change their community. Girl Scouts gives girls confidence and strength to take on the world and be successful in any endeavor.
     

    Kaya Evans is a Gold Award Girl Scout and GSACPC Alum. She currently attends the University of Rhode Island with hopes of becoming an occupational therapist.  

  • Spring Girl Poetry Contest

    ’Til Next Time, Selling Cookies for the Future Generations of Girl Scouts

    This year’s cookie sales were bittersweet for me. I am graduating from high school this year, and this was my last time participating in the cookie program as a girl member. In 13 years, I have sold thousands of cookies. I have schlepped wagons full of cookies door-to-door. I have moved thousands of cases at cookie deliveries, and, believe it or not, I once froze half to death at a booth when it was snowing – in Phoenix!

    Every year, my favorite part of the cookie program (well, besides the access to boxes of Samoas) was to collect donated packages for Cookies for the Community. My service unit pulls cookies together, and we give them to a chaplain in the Air Force who gets them to deployed service people. The cookies bring a piece of home to those who are away from their homes, protecting our country.

    One of the first things I learned about selling cookies was that I needed to be friendly and outgoing! This tip works well when you are a small Daisy or Brownie, but as you become older, customers want to know your goals. Once I reached middle and high school, an important strategy was selling cookies door-to-door to the network of loyal customers who had known me since I was a Daisy. Of course, I learned other skills like goal setting, money management, and business ethics – all things I’ll use my whole life. I also learned things that aren’t as obvious and often not spoken. For example, I learned to accept rejection and to be resilient. Believe it or not, there are people out there who CAN turn down a box of Girl Scout Cookies! Not every sales pitch lands a sale. Sometimes people passed our booth without even looking at us. Handling rejection in a healthy way is critical to everyone’s development. Knowing how to accept that rejection, not take it personally, and move forward – or be resilient– are invaluable skills not just for someone’s professional development, but for their toolbox for whatever life throws their way.

    Every year my troop set a goal and decided what to do with our cookie money. We paid for and had the time of our lives at summer camp several times. We have used some money for community service projects. And in the last few years, I have sold cookies so that my troop could help fund Gold Awards for my Girl Scout Sisters and myself.

    And as we all get ready for the next step, this year is bittersweet since we won’t be going to summer camp and, instead, preparing for college. This year I sold cookies for the future. So that each of my troop members can get a Girl Scout Lifetime Membership. So that the camps we enjoyed so much will be there for our younger sisters. So that girls in the future will get to experience the excellent opportunities that we did. And I thank everyone who has supported girls like me through the cookie program to help fuel the experience and opportunity of Girl Scouting for everyone and for years to come.

    Brianna Iannone is a member of Troop 297, a Gold Award Girl Scout and GSACPC Girl Advisory Member, who plans to attend Arizona State University as a Girl Scout Alum. Her goals are to become a computer coder and developer. 

  • Troop Leader Spotlight: Katherine Millet

    Service Unit: La Promesa

    Troop: 3389, Cadettes

    Years as a GS: 5

    Years as Troop Leader: 4

    What inspired you to become a Troop Leader?
    I love to see girls take an active role in their own future. I became a leader to help girls develop those leadership skills and encourage them to try activities they may not have been exposed to, especially in STEM.

    What kind of activities do you do with your troop? What is their favorite thing to do?
    Our troop has a variety of interests. Most of our girls love the outdoors and STEM-related activities. Working in a scientific field, I love to see the girls excited about sciences and how we impact our environment.

    What kind of service projects have you done with your troop?
    In addition to the outdoors, our troop loves animals! We have worked with a local horse rescue to help them create a sustainable source of food for their rescues. In addition, we have helped our local community with cleanup projects and food donations. A few of our girls are currently working to educate the community about fostering animals to help end euthanizing animals.

    Tell us about a volunteer moment that stands out to you.
    I love to see the girls bond at encampments. Recently we attended our Service Unit’s Encampment and the girls (almost half new to our troop) bonded over a pine cone competition. They developed their own game and were in tears with laughter at the end. That is what makes me come back to being a leader every year.

    What advice would you give fellow Troop Leaders?
    Having older girls certainly can bring its own challenges, but sometimes you need to step back and let the girls figure it out. Guidance is key but they need to be able to come to their own conclusions. While they learn independence and make choices on their own, I have learned to be flexible and take a step back while letting them lead.

    What do you wish someone had told you as a new Troop Leader?
    There is not one-size-fits-all to Girl Scouting. Let the girls tell you their interests and help them explore new options. The most important thing is to let the girls take ownership of their Girl Scout Journey.

    What would you like others to know about volunteer opportunities with the Girl Scouts?
    Community volunteers help make all the programming possible. “Many hands make light work” is our Service Team’s motto and volunteers help make our girl programming and Girl Scout Cookie Program a success.

    Tell us in your own words, why it is important to participate in the Cookie Program?
    Our troop sells both Fall Product and Girl Scout Cookies. These programs help girls learn goal setting, business development and customer service. I have seen girls blossom during product sales and learn to take an active role in their business success.

    What are your troop’s cookie-selling tips and tricks?
    Don’t be afraid to ask businesses to be able to booth in front of their stores. Self-scheduled booths brought in a significant amount of our troop’s total sales. Plus, you can build a relationship with a business and they can be a resource later for your troop.

    What is the most inspiring moment you have experienced as a Troop Leader?
    One of the most inspiring moments has been watching girls find something they are so deeply passionate about and wanting to be that driving force for change within their community.

  • Reading and Resources on Antiracism

    We’ve compiled helpful content previously shared, as well as some newly available pieces, in one place. Keep checking back as we’ll continue to update this list. 

    Parenting/Kids

    Articles/Resources

    Books

    Videos

    Have a resource we should add? Send it to us. 

  • Ways to Take Meaningful Action Against Racism

    As an anti-racist organization, Girl Scouts stands firmly against the racism and violence that continues to silently seep into every part of our society. We choose to amplify our mission of building leaders who make the world a better place. We choose to live up to the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who once described Girl Scouts as “a force for desegregation.” We choose equality and equity for all people.

    We recognize and claim this as a moment for us all to stand up and speak out against racism and violence. And to speak up for justice for all humankind. This is a critical moment in time and history. We must listen and we must act. Change will only come from action.

    Taking Action is in Girl Scouts DNA. If you’re looking for additional ways to use your voice, take action and create change, we’ve gathered tips and resources to learn about antiracism and inspire advocacy:

    1. Don’t think you need to be perfect. Just be prepared to do the work.

    Oftentimes, the desire to “get it right” stops people from speaking up and taking action. Too often the result is saying nothing, not wanting to rock the boat. This silence gives way to oppressive culture. Don’t let concerns about how you show up prevent you from showing up ― even if you’ve been slow to get involved in the past.

    The first step is listening, no matter who you are. It hurts to hear that you might hold prejudice, especially if you consider yourself an open-minded person. But instead of getting defensive or jumping in to explain your own perspective immediately, listen to other points of view including those of Black change-makers, elected officials, friends and coworkers. Push back on prejudice in your own social circles, even if it requires awkward conversations. And educate yourself on your own inherent bias, even if you don’t think you hold any.

    It’s important that you prepare yourself to understand that coming to terms with your own privilege will not be a pretty or fun experience. It is necessary to feel feelings of guilt, shame, and anger throughout the process in order to grow, and build strength and resilience.

    2. Check-in on your Black friends, family, partners, loved ones and colleagues

    This is an emotional and traumatic time for the community, and you checking in, bearing witness and listening can go a long way to supporting your loved ones’ mental health. Ask how you can provide support.

    3. Educate yourself

    It is not enough to dislike racism, rather, we need to work towards antiracism. A good place to start is to read up on antiracist works.

    As with any civil rights movement, don’t expect the oppressed party to educate you and tell you what to do. Search for the answers on your own in ways that work for you. In addition to reading books, you can listen to podcasts and watch documentaries, or follow activists online.

    Girl Scout Alum Katie Couric put a thorough listing of resources together, including kid-friendly options for youth and teens. Check it out>>

    4. Avoid sharing traumatic content

    Whatever your intentions, it is vital to consider sharing videos of black people being abused and hurt can be both traumatic and triggering for many black people. Avoid sharing this content as it also contributes to the dehumanization of black people.

    5. Take [civic] action, like a Girl Scout

    Girl Scouts learn to use their voices to speak up and take action on issues that matter to them. Each person has the power to create change through using their voice, advocacy and civic engagement.

    Our Council is looking at what more we can do to support racial healing in our community and Girl Scout family and will be looking for your involvement to help us find our way. Please contact us if you’d like to volunteer with these efforts. Together we can create a more just world for everyone.

  • A Message from our CEO and Board Chair

    Dear Girl Scout Friends and Family,

    We must not be silent. We choose to be present in the conversation, we choose to be of the times, and deliberate in our actions. We choose to live up to the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who once described Girl Scouts as “a force for desegregation.” We choose equality and equity for all people. We recognize and claim this as a moment for us all to stand up and speak out against racism and violence. And to speak up for justice for all humankind.

    For far too long, our Black sisters and brothers, and all people of color, have faced discrimination in education, jobs, voting rights, health care, law enforcement and opportunity. And far too many have suffered abuse, and even death, at the hands of people misusing their authority and power caused by systemic racism.

    We must not be silent. This is a critical moment in time and history. We hope and pray that this moment is a pivotal and powerful turning point to justice. We must pay attention – that’s why the protesters are marching across the nation and calling us all to claim this moment and to be a collective voice and outspoken advocate for real change. We must listen and we must act. We must call out the injustices. Change will only come from action.

    This is everyone’s problem. What can you do, you ask? Take action. That’s what Girl Scouts do. Here are three suggestions:

    1. Take the Pledge to Stand Against Racism. Educate yourself about racism and its historical context in this country (read a book, take a class, go to a seminar). It’s not easy, but it’s necessary.
    2. Remember, you don’t have to be a perfect ally to speak up. Speaking up about human rights violations is not political, it’s moral. Don‘t be silent.
    3. Become more civically engaged locally. If there is violence or brutality against people of color in your community, speak up – call or text your local district attorney, your mayor, and your police chief to pressure for justice.

    More suggestions for taking meaningful action. 

    We stand together with our Black Girl Scouts and their families, and all people of color, in the sisterhood that is Girl Scouts. We love and support you. As an anti-racist organization, Girl Scouts stands firmly against the racism and violence that continues to silently seep into every part of our society.

    We must not be silent. We choose to amplify our mission to build girls of courage, confidence, and character whose actions will make the world a better place. Our girls and young women are watching us, and we endeavor to live the values we believe. 

    In the coming days, our council will be looking at what more we can do to support racial healing in our community and Girl Scout family and will be looking for your involvement to help us find our way. Together we can create a more just world for everyone.

    Yours in Girl Scouting,

    Tamara Woodbury & Lupe Camargo

    GSACPC CEO           GSACPC Board Chair

  • DIY Pressed Flowers

    Pressed flowers are used by artists to create beautiful designs and by scientists to record specimens! As a #DIY activity, make an at-home flower press! Shout out to our Girl Scout sisters at Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona for these fun instructions! 

    Materials Needed:

    • Several heavy books
    • Cardboard
    • Scissors
    • Flowers
    • Leaves
    • White paper
    • Rubber bands

    Directions:

    1. Select a thin hardcover book to be your base. With your cardboard, cut several pieces to match the size of the hardcover book. Place one sheet of cardboard on your book, and one piece of white paper on top of that.
    2. Place your flowers on the white paper, ensuring they are spread out. Place another sheet of white paper on top, and another sheet of cardboard. 
    3. Continue layering with the sequence of cardboard, paper, flowers/leaves, paper, cardboard. Once you have finished layering, place another thinner hardback book on top. 
    4. Use rubber bands to bind the hardback books together tightly. Place extra books on top of the stack to compress further. 
    5. Allow flowers to dry in an indoor dry space for at least 48-72 hours; larger flowers will take even longer. 
    6. When your pressed flowers are dry, make them into a project, such as a card, paste them onto a canvas, or create a wall hanging. 

    Completed this activity? Send us a photo or post it on social media and tag us using #GSACPC.