Author Archives: marcomgirlscoutsazorg

Troop Leader Spotlight: Mary Patterson

South Phoenix Service Unit

Troop 436, Multi-Level

Years as a Troop Leader: 10

What inspired you to become a Troop Leader?

My inspiration came from another Troop Leader. I was inspired by Deanna Castle and seeing the joy of leading a troop. 

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

My troop has participated in a variety of activities. Some of their favorite include horseback riding, fishing, caroling during the Christmas holiday and tent camping. 

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

Our troop really enjoys giving back. Some of the service projects we have done include feeding the homeless, volunteering with senior citizens at Tanner Gardens during the Christmas and Thanksgiving holidays, and participating in different clothing and shoe drives. 

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

A moment that stands out to me is when my troop participated in the grand opening of Parsons Leadership Center’s ribbon cutting and giving gifts to major donors Bob and Rene Parsons. It was so memorable and a great experience! 

What advice would you give other Troop Leaders?

Have patience with your troop, parents and leaders. 

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

To try your best to work and collaborate with parents, each relationship can require different needs. 

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

When you become a volunteer, you get a new sense of joy. Watching girls blossom into young ladies, seeing them learn skills and make lasting friends is rewarding. 

Does your troop sell cookies? If yes, please tell us in your own words, why it is important to participate in the GS Cookie Program? 

Yes, it is important to participate for so many reasons. The programs supports everyone involved with Girl Scouts, for example, at a Council level it helps cover program and registration fees like camp scholarships or financial assistance. Girl Scouts troops also raise money for their troops to buy program materials, badges & patches, fuel their way to camp, and for troop expenses throughout the year. Plus, we often use our cookie funds to give back to the community.

What are your troop’s cookie selling tips and tricks? 

At the beginning of our troop year, even before cookie season start, I have my troops set a goal by picking an event or place they would like to travel. We set this as our goal and then strategize how we can reach it. During the program, one of our strategies is selling in high traffic areas. 

What is the most inspiring moment you have experienced as a Troop Leader?

There are many inspiring moments, but one of them must be the fact that eight of my girls have become Gold Award Girl Scouts. I also had 10 girls sell cookies for three cookie seasons to save up enough to travel to Europe -all-paid, plus spending money – through the Girl Scout Cookie Program! 

It is also inspiring to see qualities in girls grow or build. I had a Girl Scout that started as a shy Brownie. She was so quiet and timid even as she became a Cadette. Then, one trip to San Diego, the girls did a skit and it completely showed her confidence! It was an opportunity for her to come out of her shell and she did so, so much that her mom teared up and called her grandmother! Girl Scouts is really a place for girls to build those skills and unleash their potential. 

Girl Scouts’ Upcoming System-wide Refresh

Earlier this fall, we shared information via emails about an upcoming system refresh and plans to debut an enhanced member account management system in December. It’s happening! 

Starting Nov. 18 at 11:59 PM EST, GSUSA will begin system-wide updates that will temporarily restrict the ability to complete many volunteer and member related tasks and pause access to:

  • myGS
  • Volunteer Toolkit (VTK)
  • gsLearn (volunteer online training platform)
  • Looker (only Service Unit admin teams use this as a reporting resource)
  • Background check completion and submission for processing volunteers
  • New membership registration/s and membership renewals

GSUSA is on track to pull back the curtain and Go-Live with myAccount Dec. 7.

While much of the downtime period is set to occur the week of the Thanksgiving holiday, a time when many troops and volunteers take a break to be with family and friends, we know that Girl Scouts and volunteers are always on the go and want to make sure that you are aware of the downtime, it’s potential to impact your Girl Scout plans, and steps you can take to prevent any surprises.

What should you do?

Please take a moment to review the important information to understand what is impacted and any workarounds we have made possible in the meantime. 

As always, we’ll be here to support you every step of the way! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to reghelp@girlscoutsaz.org or 602-452-7030 for assistance.

Thank you for your patience while we work to enhance your Girl Scout member experience.

A Troop Leader’s journey in Authentic Girl Scout Leadership

This blog is written by Girl Scout Volunteer, Troop Leader, and Authentic Leadership Community (ALC) member Kate Allen. ALC is centered around the principles of Authentic Girl Scout Leadership, formerly known as Leadership from the Inside Out. “We are committed to helping you discover, unlock and develop your leadership superpowers so that you can guide and empower your girls as they grow into leaders themselves.” 

When I first began my journey as a Girl Scout Troop Leader, I remember pouring through the GSACPC website for clues about getting started. During my search, I came across materials called Leadership from the Inside Out (LFIO) booklets. The four booklets of this volunteer leadership curriculum cover the topics of Circle, Ceremony, Reflection, and Co-generational community. 

They profoundly resonated with me. I read and learned about Girl Scout Circles, the many Girl Scout Ceremonies and traditions, the role of storytelling, and the multi-generational approach to Girl Scouting. 

A couple of years into my volunteering, I was invited to participate in a retreat hosted by the GSACPC Authentic Leadership Community (ALC). A retreat was just what I wanted at the time, so I said yes. That retreat became a pivotal moment for me as a Girl Scout Volunteer. It genuinely helped me grow and understand my place as a leader, which eventually led me to become a core facilitator for ALC. 

Together, with many generations of wisdom included in this circle, ALC updated the LFIO booklets. Our conversations were accompanied by ceremony, traditions, and authentic, vulnerable, open-hearted storytelling. We updated the booklets to reflect the work that volunteers do today and studying our work month after month, gathering information, sharing, and deepening our individual and collective stories in new ways. In addition to revising the existing LFIO material, we discerned the desire for a fifth section: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), considered through the lens of the Girl Scout Promise and Law. The fruit of this collective effort to rework the LFIO material will be shared in the coming months with GSACPC Volunteers: Authentic    Girl Scout Leadership (AGSL). 

Working through this curriculum with the ALC team has allowed me to try out the concepts with my troop. As my multi-level troop tries things out, I notice them taking a new interest in one another and their shared time. Our circle time gives a ritual framework that they can lead themselves. Their stories about what interests and engages them became a framework for planning troop meetings and ceremonies. Learning Girl Scout traditions like song-singing and skits not only empowers girls in my troop to be brave but gives the girls a common language for their sisterhood. Learning how to witness and honor the experiences of others while having a safe space to give voice to their own experience is how my girls have learned the vital concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion, which are the concepts that will challenge and attempt to heal our world. 

The girls in my troop are becoming go-getters, innovators, risk-takers, and leaders in ways I didn’t anticipate, and that is the curriculum’s magic. As a Troop Leader with AGSL at her fingertips, I feel empowered to empower my girls to lead the way on their journeys as they discover, connect, and take action to make the world a better place.

With this empowerment, I invite Girl Scout Volunteers to consider deepening their relationship with this work. You can start by reading the new booklet or asking yourself how you translate your authenticity through Girl Scouting for your troop. Attend a workshop or offerings from the Authentic Leadership Community to experience this work.

Want to learn more about our work or joining ALC? Email us and let us know!

2020 Summer Camp Registration Opens for Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine Camps

Registration for Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus Pine-Council’s (GSACPC) 2020 summer camp season is now open for its four camp locations: The Parsons Leadership Center for Girls and Women at Camp South Mountain (Phoenix), Camp Maripai (Prescott), Shadow Rim Ranch (Payson) and Willow Springs Program Center (Prescott). Each camp has unique offerings, along with the traditional camp activities, to accommodate the diverse interests of every girl. Yet the purpose of Girl Scout Camp remains the same—to provide girls a safe and supportive place to have fun, make new friends, and take risks, while learning new skills and exploring the outdoors.

“We live in a world of screens – smartphones, laptops, TVs and tablets. At Girl Scout Summer Camp, girls can get away from it all, experience the outdoors in a safe, all-girl setting while they develop confidence, independence, and outdoor skills that are hard to gain anywhere else,” said Tamara Woodbury, CEO for GSACPC. “Skills like building a campfire, pitching a tent and canoeing across a lake. Plus, they’ll try new things, discover their passions and challenge themselves in new ways.”

Studies show that when girls attend Girl Scout Camp, they discover that they can better solve problems and overcome challenges; develop leadership skills, build social bonds, and are happier overall; and they become team players and care more about protecting the environment. GSACPC’s all-girl environment gives girls the space to continue to develop a positive self-image, and build courage and confidence by connecting with others and their natural environment.

In addition, girls get to choose how they want to experience camp! At GSACPC, girls get to choose between four different camps, session lengths and the specific camp program and skill they want to learn.

Each of the four camps has a slightly different program focus:

  • The Parsons Leadership Center, Phoenix, an $18 million state-of-the-art urban camp hosting both day camp and overnight sessions. The programs include STEM-related activities, archery, swimming, culinary arts, and field trips. 
  • Camp Maripai, Prescott, offers a traditional camp experience, like archery and canoeing, along with horsemanship programs for beginners through advanced riders. 
  • Shadow Rim Ranch, Payson, offers high adventure such as hiking and canoeing trip & travel sessions, plus outdoor cooking, zip-lining and archery. 
  • Willow Springs, Prescott, emphasizes artistic endeavors like ceramics, fashion and theater, as well as hiking, archery, a ropes challenge course and aviation.

All four camps offer sessions that vary in length, from weekend family camp to overnight camps and three-week-long quests. Summer camp begins the week of May 31 and runs for nine weeks, with the last camp week in late July.

Girl Scouts believe all girls should have the opportunity to experience summer camp. Thanks to generous supporters and the proceeds from their iconic cookie program, the Council offers tiered pricing to choose from, as well as need-based financial assistance. Girls who are not Girl Scouts are invited to register. To sign up, please visit www.girlscoutsaz.org/camp.

To learn more about Girl Scout Camp, open houses will be held at each camp property. All interested families are invited to visit on the following dates:

  • The Parsons Leadership Center: May 29, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 1611 E. Dobbins Rd., Phoenix
  • Shadow Rim Ranch: May 24, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at 530 N. Shadow Rim Rd., Payson
  • Camp Maripai: May 30, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 201 E. Marapai Rd., Prescott
  • Willow Springs: May 30, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 775 Camp Willow Springs Rd., Prescott

Additional Information

When girls attend Girl Scout Camp, they:

  • Discover that they can better solve problems and overcome challenges
  • Develop leadership skills, build social bonds, and are happier overall
  • Become team players and care more about protecting our environment

Studies show that when girls spend quality time outdoors and increase their exposure to nature, they thrive physically, emotionally, and intellectually. Girls get to experience a world away from home and develop a deep appreciation for nature.
More details at stats from Girl Scout Research Institute: More Than Smores: Successes and Surprises in Girl Scouts’ Outdoor Experiences (2014)

With so many programs, girls can use the table listed on the bottom of this page to help decide which camp is best for them. Please note that hiking, archery and arts & crafts are staples to every camp.

Types of camp

  • Day Camp – Five Days at Parsons Leadership Center only
    • Girls can attend day camp Monday-Friday with an additional option of adding 1-4 overnights if the camper is ready.
    • Girls can attend day camp and participate in programming like swimming, archery, cooking, outdoor skills, STEM, games, fashion, photography and more! 
    • New this year is a Friday family barbeque for girls and their families. There is also an added after care option for girls who would like to stay later during the weeknights.
  • Resident Camp: Girls can choose the length of their overnight camp experience at our three camps located in northern Arizona (Camp Maripai, Shadow Rim and Willow Springs). They will sleep in cabins or tents (if specified) with girls similar in age. Girls are welcome to experience camp on their own or with a buddy.
    • 3-Day Overnight – 3 Days, 2 Nights
    • 4-Day Overnight – 4 Days, 3 Nights
    • 6-Day Overnight – 6 Days, 5 Nights
    • 8-Day Trip & Travel – 8 Days, 7 Nights
      • For girls grades 9-12, who want to experience camp AND hit the road for the next level of outdoor camping adventure.
    • Leadership – 6 to 24 Days/Nights
      • Older girls who help lead activities for younger girls and groups at camp. These programs help develop skills and experience needed to be a camp counselor. 
  • Troop & Family – 3 Days, 2 Nights
    • Opportunities for Girl Scouts to experience camp with their family members and participate in programming offered by each specific camp.

Sessions fill quickly! Reserve your sport at Girl Scout Summer Camp!

Troop Leader Spotlight: Stephanie Melvin

San Tan Skies Service Unit 

Troop 2356, Multi-Level  

Years as a Troop Leader: 13

What inspired you to become a Troop Leader?

I wanted to spend time with my oldest daughter and second daughter, and re-live some of the fun things that I got to do as a Girl Scout in NY. I also wanted to share create new memories with them. 

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

My troop has done axe throwing, archery, sewing, rock wall climbing & zipline! We also traveled to California last summer and we are planning to go to Savannah, GA in 2021 or 2022. Our favorite moments have been spent in the car driving on the way to a program, event or trip. Girls and moms buzz with excitement, laugh, sing and just let loose and have fun. 

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

Our troop tries to do at least one service project per year to help our community.  Girls pick something that has meaning for them. There have been times when the troop decides on a service project ideas because of one girl’s connection or passion for something. They work hard to support each other and make whatever project they decide on a success. It has even turned out that as a troop they decided on something together. During these instances, the troop comes together to make it successful.  

We have made no-sew blankets, collected pop-tabs, helped with Turkey to Troops for soldiers, collected books for a little library, sold cookies to build a local little library, made recycled travel games for kids that must stay in the hospital for treatment, and many more.

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

I think the moments that stand out to me are when I am with other leaders, planning and just learning from one another. I also feel blessed to have been nominated for things that I didn’t even realize were important. To hear that something I did made a difference in others means a lot to me. I feel like I am making an impact in this world and not just with the girls in my troop.

What advice would you give other Troop Leaders?

Be yourself. Don’t try to be what you think a perfect leader should be. Be the perfect leader you can be. It is incredibly valuable for girls to see female leaders in all shapes, sizes, colors, and personalities. If you are an oddball – stay and oddball, if you are studious and love to organize, stay that way. Appreciate the differences and don’t be afraid to take risks. Show the girls that success and failure are equally important and learn to roll with the punches. If something isn’t going as planned, change it. The most important advice that I can give is to have fun and just be there for them, they don’t always need us but when they do – it makes a world of difference. 💚

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

That there isn’t a right way to be a leader. With a 100% heart, commitment, and a willingness to grow, you’ll be set. The girls will grow with you and that journey is amazing.

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

Everyone has a place. Every person has a strength; it is just a matter of finding it and being willing to share it with others.

Does your troop sell cookies? If yes, please tell us in your own words, why it is important to participate in the Cookie Program?  

The cookie program teaches the girls about life and life skills. The program gives girls hands-on practice of on the job skills whether it is counting out money, operating a card reader, or graciously accepting a “no” or “no, thank you.” These skills are taught through experience and can last a lifetime.

The program also highlights the need for community service, allowing girls to use their proceeds to make a difference in their community. I have seen my girls learn that life isn’t just about them and what they want, it is about what they can do to help the community and it shows the community, that someone is there willing to help. 

What are your troop’s cookie selling tips and tricks? 

We ask every customer, are enthusiastic, and are persistent. For the leaders, the best tip I can give you is to let the girls take the lead and don’t save them from every failure. Let them learn and let them grow. As parents and leaders, we want to fix everything, so they don’t have the experience of heartache or disappointment but occasionally, it is needed. Let it happen and be there for them to process through it. Amazing things can happen.

What is the most inspiring moment you have experienced as a Troop Leader?

I can honestly say I have more than just one. I love seeing the girls try new things and love whatever it is. I also enjoy girls finding out who they are and what direction they want to go in life. I watched my own daughter grow in Girl Scouts from Kindergarten as a Daisy, through High School and the experiences I have with her as a leader and her mom are forever with me. Now, I am loving the time I get to spend with my other daughter and can’t wait to see what things we do next. My troop has become my family and my girls are like my kids, and I wouldn’t trade this experience.

All About Girl Scout Founder, Juliette Gordon Low

Did you know that October 31, yes, Halloween, is the birth day of Girl Scout founder Juliette Gordon Low?!

In 1912, Juliette Gordon Low (1860–1927) founded Girl Scouts of the USA, now serving millions of girl members and alumnae, and reflects the arc of her remarkable life.

An ardent believer in the potential of all girls, and the importance of fostering their individual growth, character, and self-sufficiency, Juliette is credited with establishing and nurturing a global movement that has changed the world. Take a look at some interesting facts about her, her life and how she influenced our Movement.

Fun facts about Juliette Gordon Low

  • She is also now known as “JGL,” but was fondly known as Daisy to her friends. 
  • Daisy started the first troop in Savannah, Georgia, which was her home. You can visit her birthplace if you go to Savannah. 
  • Juliette Low learned about Scouting from Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of Boy Scouts, as well as from Girl Guides in England. Inspired and enthusiastic with this youth program, she led three Girl Guides troops in England and Scotland. 
  • She then returned to America with “something for all girls” and a dream of world peace and friendship through a program that would unite the young people of all lands. 
  • Daisy Low worked endlessly and even sold her jewelry to spread the exciting idea of Scouting.
  • It was a piece of rice thrown for good luck at her wedding that caused Juliette to be partially deaf in her one good ear. It lodged itself in the ear drum.
  • She was buried in her Girl Scout uniform in Savannah, Georgia. 
  • Her friends honored her efforts by establishing the Juliette Low World Friendship Fund. The organization finances international projects for Girl Scouts and Girl Guides.

Believe it or not, Juliette…

  • Never tasted sugar until she was 4 or 5 years old when General Sherman came to visit her mother and brought a packet of sugar.
  • Was an expert swimmer, horseback rider and fisherwoman, and loved tennis and curling, the national sport of Scotland. 
  • Had a parrot named Polly Poons.
  • As a young girl saved a toddler who had fallen into a stream. 
  • Found a dead robin while at boarding school and, with her classmates and teachers, had a burial service for it. 
  • Went to dancing schools and learned all the dances in vogue.
  • Was a talented artist who painted dinner plates, sculpted, and painted oil portraits. 
  • Went trout fishing in a nearby stream, after a formal dinner party, while dressed in full evening clothes with her friend, Rudyard Kipling. She once (accidentally) hooked a guest and was too deaf to hear him screaming.
  • Once bought a rabbit from some children “Because its ears were cold.” 
  • Helped her mother organize and serve in a hospital during the Spanish-American War
  • Knew where there was some khaki material and loaned the Girl Scouts $8,000 to buy it for uniforms during World War 1 (1918) when khaki material for Girl Scout uniforms was scarce.
  • Entertained nieces and nephews by standing on her head with skirts tucked between her legs. 
  • Climbed the Great Pyramid in Egypt and rode elephants in India.
  • Juliette LOVED to tell stories. She wrote many stories herself and girls encouraged her to tell ghost stories around the campfire. 
  • Juliette had a tea party after every Girl Scout meeting.

Popular Quotes

  • “Scouting rises within you and inspires you to put forth your best”
  • “Right is right, even if no one else does it.”

Fun Facts about Girl Scouting

  • The Birthday of Girl Scouting in America is March 12, 1912. Every year Girl Scouts celebrate that day with parties, special ceremonies or service projects. 
  • The first group of girls decided to change the name of Girl Guides to Girl Scouts. The very
    first camp was held the same year, 1912.

This information above is brought to you by the GSACPC History Committee and the Barbara Anderson Girl Scout Museum. If you would like to learn more about Girl Scout history or schedule a visit at the museum, please visit girlscoutsaz.org/museum.

Girl Scout History

Throughout our organization’s history, Girl Scouts has encouraged girls to participate in actions and activities they are passionate about, whatever any affiliated social causes may be. As the preeminent leadership development organization for girls, we feel it is our duty to encourage girls to participate in rather than shy away from issues they care about. We support the girl who supports the cause, which means we support girls’ agency in making choices that speak to them.

We are an inclusive organization and accept all girls in grades Kindergarten through 12 as members.

The Girl Scout organization stands firm in valuing diversity and does not discriminate on the basis of age, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, national origin, or physical or developmental disability.

Girl Scouts’ programming and approach—nonpolitical, nonpartisan—is designed to serve all girls.

Girl Scouts honors the values Juliette Gordon Low founded the Girl Scout Movement in accordance with more than 100 years ago.

Troop Leader Spotlight: Tonya Zavala

Service Unit: Cotton Blossom 

Troop: 2174, Multi-Level

Years as Troop Leader: 8

What inspired you to become a Troop Leader?

Both of my daughters were my inspiration to become –and to continue– on my journey as a Troop Leader. I love the lessons that I have been able to share with them. 

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

We are a multi-level troop and I try to find activities that all our girls can participate in together. We have participated in horseback riding, gone on encampments, As You Wish pottery painting activities, been to Christmas parades, World Thinking Day, volunteered with Feed My Starving Children, gone hiking, camped under the stars – so much!

My favorite activity is Encampment. At Encampments, I get to see the problem-solving skills that the girls in my troop possess. Encampment is where I find and believe their true independence shines through. 

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

We have volunteered with Feed My Starving Children every year. We have also put together backpacks for children living in domestic violence shelters and we have built a food pantry at a local church for donations to be collected.

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

My favorite moments happen during a Bridging Ceremony. I love being able to honor the girls with all their accomplishments from the year. I love seeing the smiles on their faces when they walk across the bridge and put on their new uniform. They feel so confident and so proud of themselves, and I do too. 

What advice would you give other Troop Leaders?

Advice I would give to other Troop Leaders is, “Everything is going to be alright!” 

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

I wish someone had said to me that everything was going to be alright (LOL). I was nervous and scared being a new Troop Leader not really knowing anything about Girl Scouts. I was worried that I was letting the girls in my troop down, their families down, and myself down. Only when the girls in my troop would return every year did I finally embrace my role as a Troop Leader and have the confidence that I was a part of something great!

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

Girl Scouts offers many opportunities to our girls to become future leaders in their schools, church, and communities. As well as scholarship opportunities.

Tell us in your own words, why is it important to participate in the Cookie Program? 

The five skills the girls learn during cookie season help the girls internalize what it takes to run their own business, how to speak up, manage money, set goals and so much more.

What are your troop’s cookie selling tips and tricks? 

We are a full uniform troop. We have always felt that to run your business you need to look like you own the business. We have always inspired our girls to dress in a full uniform. They love every cookie season when they receive compliments from customers on how professional they look.

What is the most inspiring moment you have experienced as a Troop Leader?

There are so many to choose from since I have been a leader for almost 8 years. My inspiring moments are watching each of the girls in my troop grow and overcome their own hurdles in life and do it with grace and style! Every girl in my troop has become like one of my own and we have become one big Girl Scout family.

Troop Leader Spotlight: Kathy Roat

Service Unit: Indian Bend 

Troop 4345, Multi-Level

Years as a Troop Leader: 3

What inspired you to become a Troop Leader?

My daughter wanted to join and our local school did not have a troop. So, I asked a friend who is well connected in the community if she knew of a Girl Scout Troop nearby that our girls could join and she replied, “No, but I’ve been wanting to start one!” So, we started a troop for our daughters and stuck with it!

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

We like to cook and bake (dog biscuits, cupcakes, snacks), go to encampments, do crafts, learn about animals, play games, complete service projects for our community, and sell cookies!

Out troop enjoys giving back. We have participated in making wellness packs for the homeless and supported our local healthcare providers with messages of support and care packages during the COVID-19 crisis. We’ve also made blankets and food packs for relocated refugees arriving to Phoenix, and plan to earn our Bronze Award by supporting a local animal shelter with toys, food, and improved living conditions for the dogs they support. We have also collected pajamas for kids in foster care and helped to clean a new agency supporting foster and adoptive families in Arizona, ASA.

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

Our girls have such big hearts! We keep some of the homeless packs we’ve made in our car when driving to events and activities and on our commute, we’ll look out to see if anyone is homeless that we can give them to and to spread some joy, cheer, and encouragement.

What advice would you give other Troop Leaders?

Provide the girls with opportunities that can make a difference in your community and the world around us. The girls are receptive and they are already aware of needs of those around them. There are many ways to get involved that girls at each level can participate in like bringing awareness to bullying, going to public places that need trash picked up or better recycling plans, or participating in groups that need support and advocacy. Girl Scouts can change the world if you lead them to the ways they can be involved.

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

It is okay to embrace a little chaos so that meetings and activities can truly be girl-led. They’ll be better for it! I also recommend going outside and going camping with the girls often!

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

There are girls in your community and maybe in your own household, that need strong female leaders to help guide and support them. It takes extra time and energy to be a Girl Scout volunteer but the seeds that you plant and the return and joy you receive from the girls is worth all of it.

Why is it important to participate in the GS Cookie Program?

It is important for our girls to participate in the cookie program because it teaches them confidence, goal setting, working together with others, and learning to be adaptable when situations do not go your way.

What are your troop’s cookie selling tips and tricks?

Have fun! Sign up for cookie booths. Interact and engage with your customers. The cookies are delicious and sell themselves, but a Girl Scout who knows why she is selling cookies and how this helps her, and her troop, speaks volumes and you’re sure to see the cookies fly off the table!

What is the most inspiring moment you have experienced as a Troop Leader?

I think the most inspiring moment for me as a leader has been to witness our girls grow into themselves, to start to speak up for themselves and for those around them, to embrace difference and change, to find their voice and to blossom into the leaders they are meant to be.

5 Skills Every Girl Scout Cadette Should Know

Whether you’re a first, second or third-year Girl Scout Cadette, there are some badges we think all Cadettes should know! Check out the list below to see which badges made the list and how you can earn them, too! With Girl Scouts at Home, you can add these badges to your summer list and earn them in no time!

  1. How to Treat Wilderness Injuries: What do you do if someone breaks a leg while you’re hiking in the mountains? Or how do you help someone who has nearly drowned on a boat trip? This badge will help you research injuries and talk to an expert on how to help in these situations.
  2. Find Common Ground with Others: Sometimes we make our differences so big we can’t see past them. But when you get to know people who aren’t exactly like you, you often find that they care about many of the same things you do and that you can find common ground—not by sacrificing or changing what you think, but by being open to other perspectives. This badge helps you listen to opinions that sometimes differ from yours.
  3. Understand Your Digital Footprint: The internet is a powerful tool! You can chat with friends, research school projects, play games, watch videos, or listen to music. The downside is that you leave information about yourself with every screen tap and click of the mouse. This badge teaches you to think carefully about the kind of information you are sharing every time you visit a website or use an app.
  4. Learn How to Think Like a Citizen Scientist: Scientists study nature and conduct research to better understand how it works. They use what they learn to create solutions that help people, animals, and the environment. To learn new things and do research, scientists use a process called the scientific method, which you’ll learn a little more about!
  5. Utilize Outdoor Cooking Skills: Over time, Girl Scouts have learned to cook great food in a variety of ways … in cardboard box ovens, on tin can buddy burners, and even on hot rocks. While earning this badge, you’ll try another technique – making orange cakes and cooking them in orange shells! 

Girl Scouts are resourceful, and this can look like continuing your journey on your own, even when away from a troop setting. Explore all available badges and make your own plan with the Badge Explorer!

Helping Animals During Crisis Is Important to Girls

It’s in the Girl Scout DNA to help in a time of crisis. In fact, over 62% of K-5 girls (surveyed by GSUSA in April) want to do community service activities, and 72% want to do activities that help their community. That’s why one of the first at-home program opportunities we put together for girls once COVID-19 social distancing was in effect was a Guide to Helping Others, a summary of ideas and opportunities to serve the community safely. Not surprisingly, some of the most exciting projects in our Council have been around helping animals!

Animal-related Girl Scout badges are commonly completed. They include the Brownie Pets Badge, Junior Animals Habitats Badge, Cadette Animal Helper Badge, and Senior Voices for Animals Badge. And our Council offers the PetSmart Paw Patch in partnership with PetSmart Charities, which is one of our most popular patch programs (10,000 patches have been earned and distributed in the last two years!).

While the badges and patches are a fun way to engage girls in pet care, advocacy, and veterinary careers, girls have leveraged these opportunities to give back to their community. Most girls, when completing the badge and patch requirements, conduct pet care supply drives, volunteer at local shelters, and make pet toys, sew blankets, and pillows.

Supporting animals is a special and unique way for girls to be of service in this time of need – as many girls love animals, they quickly see how pets are important members of our communities, and this helps fill a gap when animals aren’t top of mind for all adults during this pandemic directly affecting people.

So far during the pandemic, girls have earned the Girl Scout Pet Badges and PetSmart Paw patch through several exciting service projects:

We’re proud of how girls are taking charge and caring for Arizona—feeling inspired, too?

>>Join or renew to continue the fun

>>Earn your Pet Badge or PawPatch

>>Choose a way to help others

>>See more virtual Girl Scout opportunities

Girl Scout Summer Adventures Proves to Be a Virtual Learning Success

On the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic, all students – those who didn’t finish the recent school year in-class to those who will start school for the first time – face a very different set of circumstances than previous years. School administrators express that more than ever, mental, emotional, and social preparedness is paramount.

To address the pandemic’s impact on education in Arizona and replace in-person programs canceled due to social distancing guidelines, Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus-pine Council (GSACPC) partnered with ASU Prep Digital to create a unique, online program for K-12 girls this July.

The new program, “Girl Scout Summer Adventures,” is structured so girls can connect socially and emotionally during this time of isolation and support their formal education at the same time. It’s all about setting girls up for success by enriching their socially-distanced summers at home and helping them prepare for the coming school year. Through the program, which is tailored to each grade level, girls are working with new friends, having fun, and tackling new skills through age-appropriate activities and experiences.

The four-week pilot leads girls through a choose-your-own-adventure journey exploring life skills, STEM, entrepreneurship, and outdoors. With a mix of live and recorded sessions and downloadable content, girls have been able to go at their own pace and on their schedules. The program is guided by GSACPC program staff and licensed educators. And since Girl Scout programming complements academic curriculum, participants in grades 7-12 have had the opportunity to earn free summer school credit.

 “As an organization that positively impacts academic achievement for girls, we feel an obligation to innovate our program model so we can continue to support girls during this monumental time when their education is in upheaval,” said Christina Spicer, GSACPC Deputy Director.

Thanks to a long-standing history with ASU Prep Digital– the local accredited online high school affiliated with Arizona State University– once the pandemic began impacting schools, GSACPC rapidly went to work to develop the Summer Adventures program in partnership with the school.

GSACPC was also able to coordinate special, behind-the-scenes live visits for girls by tapping into some of their other dedicated partners. From business owners, arts and culture organizations, to VIP visitors, session experiences have included Q&As with female role models like Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego to cooking class with a pro chef and touring an observatory.

Parents and guardians are praising the quality of the program:

A parent who is also a teacher noted, “It is an impressive amount of planning, organizing, and implementing! Both my daughters are excited about the line-up for their [grade] levels, and I hope to sit to the side for a lot of it, too! One of their material boxes arrived in the mail today, and I’m in awe of the badges and journeys incorporated and provided. You should all be commended for creating such a professional, age-appropriate, packed-with-fun program.”

A longtime Troop Leader shared that she has never seen such excitement from girls in her troop, “Six of my [Troop’s] Girl Scouts registered for the Summer Adventures program, and they are having so much fun! They send me pictures and talk to me about all the exciting projects they’re doing.”

To make the program accessible to all girls, a fee was not required to participate. A donation of $100 for the full 4-weeks was suggested, but families were able to determine how they could support the program. GSACPC hoped to serve 250 girls through the July pilot session, and 416 girls are currently registered.

“ASU Prep Digital helped us learn how to offer Girl Scout programming within a Learning Management System. We look forward to using this knowledge as we continue to adjust our program delivery model to meet the needs of girls,” said Spicer.

With this success underway, GSACPC plans to continue assessing how programs like this might catalyze deeper partnerships with all local schools to support formal education outcomes for girls, especially as school districts are looking at their plans for returning safely to the classroom.

24 New Badges Prepare Girl Scouts to Be Ambitious and Decisive Leaders

Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine Council (GSACPC) and Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) today announced 24 new badges designed to help girls practice ambitious leadership in the crucial areas of automotive engineering, STEM career exploration, entrepreneurship, and civics, many of which remain male-dominated. In a year of unprecedented global change, our country’s need for strong, broad-minded, and decisive leadership has never been greater. Through new and existing programming, Girl Scouts equips the next generation of female change-makers with the breadth of knowledge, skills, and experiences they need to take charge and do good for the world, both now and in the future.

The new Girl Scout badges include:

  • Entrepreneurship (grades K–12). Girls develop an entrepreneurial mindset as they engage in age-appropriate exercises that help them create and pitch a product or service that solves a problem. They build their own business plan and think about topics like production, cost, profit, marketing, and competition. Three in four of today’s girls are interested in becoming an entrepreneur, but more than half also say they need more support in this area; these badges are designed to fill the gap. Funded by Susan Bulkeley Butler and designed in collaboration with VentureLab.
  • STEM Career Exploration (grades 2–8). Girls explore their career interests and connect them to STEM fields—particularly computer science, nature/environmental science, engineering, design, health, and agriculture—that can help them address the pressing issues of our time and change the world. The IF/THEN® Collection, a free, downloadable digital asset library of real-life women in STEM, is an integral component of the badges. The dearth of women in STEM fields is well documented, but data shows that girls are more interested in a STEM career when they learn how they can use it to help people, demonstrating the value of Girl Scouts’ unique approach. Funded by IF/THEN, an initiative of Lyda Hill Philanthropies.
  • Automotive Engineering (grades K–5). Girls learn about designing, engineering, and manufacturing vehicles, as well as the future of mobility. They design their own vehicles, test prototypes, learn about design thinking, create their own assembly line manufacturing process, and more. Only 13% of engineers are women, underscoring the need for these badges which will introduce more girls to the field. Funded by General Motors.
  • Civics (grades K–12). Girls gain an in-depth understanding of how local, state, and federal government works, preparing them to be voters, activists, and even political leaders. They research laws and how they’re created, voting, and the electoral college, the representation of women in government, and more. They also research their own government officials and are encouraged to meet them. Just 24% of eighth-graders are proficient in civics, and only two in five American adults can name the three branches of U.S. government, highlighting the need for these badges. Funded by the Citi Foundation.

Steady leadership is essential during a crisis such as COVID-19, from fostering trust and showing compassion, to managing challenges with agility, to evaluating outcomes of decisions. The Girl Scout program is proven to develop strong and effective leaders—among many positive outcomes, Girl Scouts are much likelier than non-Girl Scouts to take an active role in decision making (80% vs. 51%), which is a critical aspect of leadership.

“Whether they are fighting cybercrime, exploring how engineers solve problems, or advocating for issues affecting their community, Girl Scouts are learning how to proactively address some of the foremost challenges of today while also building skills that will set them up for a lifetime of leadership,” said GSACPC CEO Tamara Woodbury. “I am so proud that our new programming continues to push girls to be forward-thinking and equips them with the skills they need to make today’s world a better place. We believe in the power of all girls, and we invite them to strengthen their unique abilities by joining Girl Scouts.”

 “Now more than ever, it’s critical that we have strong leaders who can make informed decisions,” said GSUSA CEO Sylvia Acevedo. “During our current health crisis, the world leaders who have been among the most decisive and effective in addressing the pandemic have been women. With these new badge experiences in STEM, entrepreneurship, and the critically important subject of civics, Girl Scouts is continuing to build the transformational female leaders of today and the future and showing girls the power they have to truly change the world.”

Girl Scouts has made free self-guided activities from select new and existing programming available digitally to the public through Girl Scouts at Home™, keeping families engaged and connected to their communities. Girls can further engage with the badges and topics through online videos, activities, or special live virtual events. Members can access a suite of Girl Scouts’ programming digitally through the Volunteer Toolkit (VTK), including troop meeting plans and other resources to help girls earn badges and awards.

Join or volunteer with GSACPC in central and northern AZ today! 

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.