Wisconsin Representative Amy Loudenbeck Joins Girl Scouts

Wisconsin's Beloit Daily news reports that Representative Amy Loudenbeck (R-Clinton) participated in an investiture ceremony recently for a newly-created, honorary Girl Scout troop for women in the Legislature and the Executive Branch. The ceremony was held at the State Capitol as part of a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America.

“Girl Scouts provides the opportunity for girls to discover themselves and their values, connect with others, and take action to make the world a better place while developing a solid foundation in leadership and citizenship. I am proud to support the Girl Scouts tradition and congratulate the organization for 100 years of being the voice of millions of girls across America,” Loudenbeck said.

In their centennial year, the Wisconsin Girl Scout councils are focusing on efforts to increase interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) professions.

Girl Scouts Beyond Bars a Success in Arizona

Arizona's KTVK 3 reports that Estelle Streich was and prepared to reunite with her daughter since a Girl Scouts program helped keep the two close while she was locked up.

The estimated 10 million children with incarcerated parents are more likely than other kids to suffer from depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress syndrome and engage in criminal behavior—risks that the Girls Scouts Beyond Bars program aims to reduce. The 20-year-old program achieves this end by coordinating regular visits between jailed moms and their daughters.

Streich saw her 8-year-old daughter, Haillee Nance, just once a month while she was serving for three years at the Perryville Women's prison, but she said those moments were critical in maintaining their relationship.

"Although we only spent two hours at a time with each other when she came with the Girls Scouts program, that was enough to keep the bond between us," Streich told Azfamily.com.

Anna Maria Chávez Attends State of the Union

Yahoo reports that Girl Scouts of the USA's CEO Anna Maria Chávez was present as President Barack Obama delivered the State of the Union Address, in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives. In his speech, he focused on education reform, repairing America's infrastructure, and creating new energy sources in America. Mitch Daniels, Governor of Indiana, gave the Republican response after the State of the Union Address.

In keeping up the tradition that began with the 2011 State of the Union Address, the members of Congress sat with members of the other political party, rather than sitting on separate sides of the room. Proud Girl Scout Alumnae and Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, victim of an assassination attempt the previous year, was also in attendance.

The Politicker reports that Congressman Jon Runyan (R-NJ) hosted Girl Scout and High School senior Brittney Emery to be his guest at the State of the Union. Ms. Emery was selected by the high school’s administrative staff after Rep. Runyan extended an invitation to one student from the high school to attend. She is a student in the Political and Legal Education class and is very interested in government and politics.

“I am pleased that Brittney has accepted my invitation to attend the State of the Union,” said Congressman Runyan. “I was very impressed by Brittney’s involvement in the Girl Scouts and her outreach to younger female students. I believe it is very important to provide our future leaders with every opportunity to see our democracy at work.“

Huffington Post Runs Slide-show of Famous Girl Scouts

The Huffington Post has a slide-show with legends like Lynda Carter, Lucille Ball, Mary Tyler Moore and Shirley Temple Black, who were all once living by the Girl Scout Promise and Law.

This esteemed group of ladies are also joined in the sisterhood by scouts of a younger generation, including Abigail Breslin and Dakota Fanning. Both of these young actresses took the oath to "be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what I say and do."

1949 Letters Reveal a Girl Scout's Adventures

In Florida, The Democrat reports that Frances Gilbert and her siblings were going through their mother's belongings in 2002, just a few months after her death, when they found an envelope filled with letters and mementos from the 1940s.

Gilbert knew her mother had been a Girl Scout and that she had attended a camp as a teenager, but the envelope's contents told the complete story. Through letters, newspaper clippings and journals yellowing with age, Gilbert found a link to an experience that helped shape her mother into the strong, confident woman she would become.

Frances' mother, Ina Gibbs Johnson, reminded her in one of the letters to write to her neighbors and friends in Tallahassee, all who eagerly waited to hear from one of their own.

"You must find time to write to Mrs. Oven, her address is 402 N. Calhoun St. If you have not already done so, write to Mrs. Todd, 518 Miccosukee Road. Write to the Rogers family if you can find a little time for it. Write to Suzanne or Johnnie Keeffe, or both, address 615 E. College Ave. I'm just trying to think of those people who lent you things. They don't expect a letter but would be so pleased if you did write them."

The scouting experience developed qualities that stayed with her mother for a lifetime, Gilbert said. The envelope also contained some of Frances' badges, including one she earned for architecture, something that did not surprise her daughter.

Doctor Happy With the Science of Happiness Badge

Dr. Gregory Ramey, child psychologist and vice president of outpatient services at the Children's Medical Center of Dayton, Ohio, reports for the Dayton Daily News that The Girl Scouts have recently revamped their recognition system to reflect the needs of young girls.

Girl Scouts in grades six through eight can now earn a Science of Happiness merit badge. The rationale behind the badge is that well-being can be scientifically analyzed like other psychological conditions. Scouts earn the badge by following the scientific method to study their own happiness and that of others.

They are involved in such activities as helping others, learning to forgive, reflecting on family memories and events and keeping a journal of their activities. The focus on preteen girls was intentional, based on data that girls' well-being is severely challenged during adolescence with issues of anxiety and depression. Based upon years of research by Dr. Martin Seligman, it is possible to scientifically study the factors that give people a positive sense of well-being.

Girl Scouts of the USA CEO Anna Maria Chávez Will Attend State of Union Address

2012 heralds a new era for girls. Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) announces that Anna Maria Chávez, chief executive officer of the organization, will attend the State of the Union Address in Washington, D.C. as part of GSUSA’s centennial celebration and to create a sense of urgency around girls’ issues with bipartisan members of the House and Senate.

“In less than one week, GSUSA will launch a major initiative to break down societal barriers preventing girls from achieving their full potential in life. The State of the Union address supports our mission of being an advocate for all girls by providing an unprecedented opportunity to network with key decision makers about the state of girls today,” says Chávez.

GSUSA’s 100th anniversary celebration presents a unique moment in history to declare 2012 the Year of the Girl. This declaration is the foundation for Girl Scouts’ broader multiyear, multipronged effort to ensure a baby girl born in 2012 can experience her life in a new world with endless opportunities to pursue the career and leadership path of her choice.

California Girl Scouts Bring Comfort to an Animal Shelter

In California, The Orange County Register reports that thirteen Girl Scouts from Cadette Troop 2154 toured the Orange County Animal Care facilities recently and delivered dog jackets and baked treats they made, all in the hopes of making the lives of homeless animals a little bit easier. The girls also raised more than $300 to rescue a dog and also helped socialize other dogs at PetSmart recently.

"My goal is to help the girls develop the skills to look out in the world and find needs and figure out how to help," said parent leader Kathryn Thompson. "When they become women, they will be able to contribute to society in a way that wouldn't have occurred to them until later in life."

Their tour covered the variety of animals that end up there and the finances of running the large shelter.

Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Illinois Celebrate New Space

The Chicago Tribune recently caught up with Maria Wynne, chief executive officer of the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana, and toured the council's new space. The space, completed in July, is much less corporate than the Scouts' previous home in Union Station, Wynne said. Passersby can look up to the second-floor space and see the "trefoil canopy," a collection of green symbols familiar from the group's logo, arranged on what appears to be a sash on the ceiling.

Visitors enter the elevator lobby via "The Bridge," complete with a cozy brown-and-green bench and walls of reclaimed wood that connect the east and west sides of the space. Wynne's office is the smallest, an intentional move. The 54-year-old CEO said she wants girls to feel comfortable approaching her and often gives them a Girl Scout patch that says, "Got this patch when my Girl Scout CEO met me."

"They are their own CEOs in their cookie business," Wynne pointed out.

By building the new space in "the heartbeat of Chicago, squarely in the view of the community at large … (surrounded by) the Chase Plaza and all things economic and cultural," she was able to create a more vibrant and fitting atmosphere for the organization, Wynne said.

Wynne said, "Kids think out of the box," and that is what she and architecture firm Gensler did when they designed the space.

Camp Low Time Capsule Unearthed

The Examiner reports that in 1986, a Girl Scout Troop gathered at Camp Low on the 75th anniversary of Girl Scouting.

Fast forward 25 years to January 20th, 2012. Hundreds of girl scouts, daughters and grand daughters, troop leaders and friends, gathered around the granite marker to open the time capsule that had laid undisturbed for 25 years, to be opened on the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the Girl Scouts.

No one remembered exactly what was put inside. Sherry Feathers said she thought it was a girl scout uniform and some pins and a newspaper, but she couldn’t remember anything else. Most of the girls were 12 and 13 when the original time capsule was buried and even though few remembered what was put inside, they all thought that it would make a huge impression when it was dug up and examined 25 years later.

After a brief ceremony, Margaret Skene, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia, kneeled down beside the open hole and with the help of two others, managed to pull the bulky time capsule from its earthen home for the past quarter of a century.

There was an Ebony magazine with Bill Cosby and Phylicia Rashad on the cover, sheet music for the number one song of 1986: Michael Jackson’s We are the World, an assortment of hand written letters and photographs of the girls.

1986 was the centennial celebration of the Statue of Liberty, so there was a Time Magazine with Lady Liberty on the cover as well as a newspaper article and Liberty coin.

A rusted girl scout whistle and two pins were included as well as a toy from a Wendy’s Kid’s Meal, magazine articles showing the current clothing style, a VCR on sale for $496, banana seat bicycles for sale for $69.99, a signed cup and scarf, but no uniform, though they did have photos of what the uniforms looked like, all bright Kelly green and polyester.