New Jersey Councilman Leads by Example

In the South Ward of Newark NJ, Councilman Oscar S. James II has proven to be passionate about issues concerning urban youth and education by launching a recruitment drive on behalf of the Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey.

During yesterday's event, Councilman James alongside NJ Membership Segment Director Lisa Mintz, praised the forming of Troop 05219 at the Seth Boyden housing development. With other events scheduled at The Bergen Street Festival in August and the Adult Summer Basketball League during July and August, the Councilman is certainly fulfilling a needed role in the advancement of Girl Scouting. Read more about his efforts here. Do you have examples of outstanding adult participation in your community? If so, please share!

Take Me To Your Leader!

Hey Everyone!

Did you know about the Girl Scout's YouTube Channel? You probably should, because there are tons of awesome videos ranging from silent films about The Golden Eaglet (1918), to the coolest PSA's I've ever seen (1970s). My favorite, titled Girl Scout Space Alien PSA is here for your viewing pleasure. Be sure to check out all the videos on the page here...

Tell us which one is your favorite, and why!

Girl Scouts Tackle Flag Etiquette Awareness

In time for July 4, Girl Scouts in Wilton, CT, are educating the public about flag etiquette, including the proper ways to retire and display the American flag, offering presentations to other Girl Scouts and community organizations, and completing an informational brochure.

Check out an article in The Wilton Villager, about scouts at Camp Aspetuck who have participated in proper flag techniques since the camp's opening in 1939.

Happy 4th!

Camp CEO in The Wall Street Journal

Today, The Wall Street Journal shared a great video online of Girl Scouts Camp CEO in Indiana that matches scouts with female CEO's who mentor them and help them decide what career path they want to follow. Watch the video below:

Watch more The Wall Street Journal videos on AOL Video

Weekend Run-Down

Hello and Happy Monday,

From stories of land donations to a camp that teaches business skills to girls, there was no shortage of Girl Scouts in the media this weekend. Check it out:

Marian Oates, former CEO/Executive Director of the Girl Scouts of Tanasi Council, TN, has donated 510 acres to The Foothills Land Conservancy. Read about it in The Knoxville News Sentinel.

In Central Illinois, The Commercial News is reporting about girls learning business skills at Camp Exec.

Out of Fullerton, CA, a very uplifting story about Maja-Rei Caley, a scout who sold 1,000 boxes of cookies to pay for camp. Of his daughter's efforts, Aric Caley says "It helps build character, they learn about business and it gives them confidence". Read more here.

The Wisconsin State Journal has an extremely positive story about the combining of Madison-based Black Hawk Council with the Riverland Council in La Crosse IL, Badger Council in Beloit, IL, and part of the Green Hills Council in Freeport, IL.

Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast CEO Sharon Reece will be retiring in the fall after 21 years as the group’s top official. Learn about her service to scouting in The Ventura County Star.

In Santa Cruz, CA, Girl Scouts are learning a vast array of skills from self defense to outdoor cooking.

Enjoy! Josh

Forgotten GS Time Capsule Unearthed

In 1981, a time capsule was buried by Girl Scout Brownie Troop 1356 in Garden City, Kansas. Twenty-eight years later - twenty-three later than expected - the capsule was unearthed during a construction project! Helen Barletta, one of the capsule's originators, was present for the late opening. Read about it in The Garden City News.

Girl Scouts Design Duct Tape Dresses!

Taking a tip from songstress Belinda Carlisle, who used to wear dresses made from trash bags, Girl Scout Senior Troop No. 722 of Northeastern New York hosted the first ever Duct Tape Fashion Show for Scouts.

For more photos and information, check out an article in The Times Herald-Record. Do you know of any other creative Girl Scout design projects from around the country? Let us know!

Dominique Dawes at the White House Today

Dominique Dawes, legendary Olympian and the first spokesperson for the Girl Scout's Uniquely Me! program, will be participating in a round table discussion today at the White House commemorating Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Title IX, is a United States law enacted on June 23, 1972 that states: "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."

The discussion will also be featuring Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Billie Jean King and other well-known Title IX advocates . The round table will be streamed live on the web both at WhiteHouse.gov/live, and as part of an innovative Facebook application that allows users to both watch the live-stream and be part of an online chat about the discussion simultaneously.

Check it out today at 2:30 pm ET, and for more information follow this link to USA Today.

Six-year-old Scout Earns Lifesaving Award

Riley Braden, life-saving Florida Girl Scout and one of the youngest Scouts to ever earn her Lifesaving Award, was commended yesterday by Sen. Don Gaetz, Destin Mayor Craig Barker, Destin Fire Chief Kevin Sasser and was presented with letters from Gov. Charlie Crist and U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller.

Riley received the award for rescuing an 18-month-old toddler from a pool in Destin, FL, on May 16. She was five-years-old at the time. Read about the award ceremony yesterday in the Northwest Florida Daily News, and click here for more info about the incident in May.

Weekend Run-Down

Hello!

Hope everyone's Summer is off to a great start. Here is a listing of stories from the weekend:

• The Miami Herald has a great story about two Girl Scouts and their efforts to save the Miami Marine Stadium, designed by architect Hilario Candela in the Miami Modern (MiMo) style.


• Over the weekend, The Girl Scouts of Central Michigan experienced American Indian history and danced at a Pow Wow. Read about it in The Jackson Citizen Patriot.


• In New Jersey, Jennifer Strain has received the Young American Award from the Monmouth Council of Boy Scouts for her philanthropic efforts in multiple areas. Read about Jennifer, who recently earned her engineering degree, in The Asbury Park Press.


• The Journal Gazette and Times-Courier reports on Central Illinois Girl Scout Sarah Yockey, 15, of Shelbyville. Yockey has been awarded a trip to Europe for her essay about how Girl Scouts are taking action on some of the most compelling issues of our time.


• 95-year-young Elizabeth Stow Green "Lib" Cowles will be the grand marshal of the July 4 Parade in Stow, OH. Her Mantra, "Love everybody - It makes things easier"...

Cheers!

Weekend Run-Down

Hello Folks,

A little delayed with the weekend news, but better late than never! Here we go:

• On Sunday, service was held outside the site of a century-old Maspeth, NY, United Methodist Church, five days after it was destroyed by fire. The Church was home to a local Girl Scout Troop's meetings and events. Read more in The New York Times.


• Members of Girl Scout Troop 81403 in Frederick, MD, grew tired of hearing that recycling at their school wasn't possible, so they established a recycling program, which has yielded much success!


• In this turbulent economy, it's awesome to hear about Girl Scout Cookie sales on the rise.


• In Northern Pennsylvania, The Reporter has a positive story about The Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania and the effects of their recent merger.


• Dolly Parton is definitely all the rage.

Enjoy!

Los Lonely Boys Rock for Girl Scouts!

Nestled in the "Golden Crescent" of the Gulf of Mexico, Victoria, TX, is a town famous for being at the crossroads between Austin, San Antonio, Corpus Christi and Houston. Year round warm weather, an abundance of baseball fields and a very famous deli, among other things, make Victoria a big attraction for road trippers - myself once being one.

This August, Grammy-winning rock band Los Lonely Boys is going to be headlining a day long festival featuring other acts and a BBQ Cook-off to benefit The Girl Scouts of Greater South Texas. Read a quick write up in The Victoria Advocate for more details about the show and how you can get your tickets!

Girl Scouts vs. Top Chef

Tonight ushers in the premiere episode of Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters.” In the show, big-time kitchen kings and queens compete for $100,000 in prize money for their favorite charity.

Several Girl Scouts are being featured as guest judges. Think they're push-overs? Not so much. Just ask Boston's Michael Schlow.

Swing by Bravotv.com for information, videos and more about the show!

Weekend Run-Down

Hello! This weekend brought in stories from Dolly Parton to a Washington Post piece on sixteen Gold Award winners and much more. Enjoy!

First, Dolly Parton and the Girl Scouts of Tanasi Council have joined together to create a brand new patch called the “Coat of Many Colors” patch program based on Parton’s best-selling autobiographical song about childhood poverty. Read about it in The Insider.

Next, head over to The Washington Post to read about sixteen girls who received the Gold Award, the highest honor in Girl Scouts.

In Bastrop, Louisiana, a Summer library program with The Girl Scouts of Louisiana is presenting Uniquely Me! workshops. Read about it in The Bastrop Enterprise.

Congrats to Girl Scout Yolanda Hinman in Wyoming, a 2009 graduate of Rawlins High School, who has received a scholarship from Meridian Trust for the coming academic year.

Lastly, check out an article in Forbes about Liz Ann Sonders, senior vice president and chief investment strategist for Charles Schwab, who was honored by the Girl Scouts of New York in 2008 as an "Exceptional Role Model for Young Women."

Have a great week!

All About Camp!

As many Girl Scouts and their parents gear up for Camp Season 2009, I'd like to highlight some camp stories that have been in the news this week:

According to The Montgomery Advertiser in Alabama, dozens of Scouts are participating in workshops led by the Alabama Shakespeare Festival as a part of Girl Scouts of Central Alabama's Camp Sunshine.

In Arizona, The Tucson Fire Department and the Sahuaro Girl Scout Council held a three-day fire camp last weekend for 14 girls who were accepted into the program. Read all about it in The Arizona Daily Star.

Last September, heavy floodwater at Edwardsville's Camp Torqua in Illinois washed away a culvert and bridge on the entrance road, briefly stranding 11 second-graders and four adult leaders. Subsequent engineering costs were nearly $110K. With insurance covering only $13,000, Girl Scouts of River Bluffs Council is seeking tax-deductible donations.

Over at MSNBC, Today Show Contributor Laura T. Coffey is offering up 10 tips for getting your kid into summer camp. Girl Scout Camps are applauded for their affordability!

Learn how Operation Sunshine helps send area youths to summer camp in New York each year...

Happy Camping Everyone!

Meet Melissa Elmer: Girl Scout, Survivor, Advocate.

Melissa Elmer, now fifteen, was hit by a car as a toddler and suffered a traumatic brain injury. While her initial prognosis was grim — less than 10 percent chance of survival — Melissa beat those odds and is thriving today, thanks in large part to the team at Children’s Specialized Hospital who worked with her on an intense rehabilitation program.

Melissa maintains a blog and will be blogging about her upcoming trip to Capitol Hill on June 17-18 to tell lawmakers about the importance of access to quality specialized care at children's hospitals. She also recently ran a Disability Awareness Program for Girl Scout Troop # 80427 in NJ.

Be sure to check out Melissa's blog. For more information, visit the web site for the National Association of Children's Hospital's Family Advocacy Day.

Weekend Run-Down

Hello Everyone! From a life-saving Daisy to a handful of philanthropic projects and more, this Monday's Weekend Run-Down highlights some very positive individuals who lead by example:

First, out of Destin Florida, a life saving five year old.

Next, check out a great interview with former Girl Scouts of the USA CEO Frances Hesselbein in T+D Magazine.

The Rocky Mount Telegram reports on North Carolina High School senior Elizabeth Casey, 17, and her efforts to successfully transform unused Sunday School rooms into a "department store" for the homeless.

Out of Historic Georgia, The Ledger-Enquirer is reporting on Camp Jordyn, a day camp for children with cancer and other chronic illnesses.

Last but not least, The McAlester News-Capital in Oklahoma shares a story about and photo of Cookies being sent to American troops stationed in Iraq.

Enjoy!

LMK: Girl Scouts and Windows take a stand on Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying and Online Cruelty have become two unavoidable stories in the current media landscape. From the tragic suicide of Megan Meier to the heart-wrenching tale of Nikki Catsouras, the need for dialogue and disclosure about online safety between today's younger generation and their parents is urgent and palpable.

To this end, Girl Scouts of the USA has forged a partnership with Microsoft Windows to assist parents and teens in bridging the generational, digital divide. LMK. LMK, text-speak for Let Me Know, is in place to provide kids and their parents with the know-how to safely navigate online life. In order to stay true to the spirit of Girl Scouts and give parents a window into the online lives of girls, LMK's content is supplied by girls. Read this story from The Warren Reporter to learn about three girls from northern New Jersey who serve on the national editorial board for the project.

Safeway Donates $10K for Hawaii's Girls

Girl Scouts of Hawai`i recently announced that Safeway Foundation has donated $10,000 to help support the roll-out of the Girl Scouts' new curriculum entitled, "It's Your Planet, Love It!"

"It's Your Planet, Love It!" was developed to support the transformative work Girl Scouts is undertaking to develop the nation's best leadership development program for girls. Additionally, Safeway will be partnering with Girl Scouts in an ongoing education program about the issues critical to our planet's environment.

Read the full article in the Honolulu Advertiser.

Hello, My Name is Josh!

Hi Everyone,


As the title says, my name is Josh and I will be updating The Girl Scouts Blog on a regular basis, starting now! I have worked in external communications at Girl Scouts of the USA for over a year now. And I'm looking forward to sharing some of our more unique, inspiring and thought provoking stories about leadership and everything else great about the Girl Scouts.

Please feel free to tell me what you like (and what you don't!) in the comments section of each post. Look forward to getting to know you all!


Cheers,

Josh

Girl Scouts Talk Live With Astronaut

Earlier this year, the Girl Scouts of River Bluffs, IL, had the opportunity to chat live with Dr. Sandra Magnus. Magnus, a former Girl Scout, spoke to the girls about the confidence they will gain from being involved with scouting. Read the full story in The Telegraph.


Speaking of space, the Girl Scouts have partnered with NASA to enable thousands of girls to look beyond the boundaries of earth and explore the expanse of the universe. NASA scientists are committed to introducing girls to earth and solar science through fun, informal education activities. A 2009 grant from NASA will launch the Girls In Space project which is designed to teach girls about astronomy and careers in the field.

Washington Times Covers New Girl Scout CMO

Today's Washington Times features a profile of our new Chief Marketing Officer, Laurel Richie and her mission of making Girl Scouts a more relevant brand for today's girls.


Please read it and let us know what you think!

Actress Abigail Breslin Becomes a Girl Scout

Last night, indie-darling Abigail Breslin, star of the filmLittle Miss Sunshine, was sworn in as a Girl Scout during a ceremony at the 20th Century Fox studio lot in Studio City, California. Abigail will also be starring in the upcoming movie, Nims Island.

Congratulations to the San Fernando Council for pulling off such a wonderful event!

Patricia Diaz Dennis Inspires Minnesota Girl Scouts

Congratulations to our National Board Chair, Patricia Diaz Dennis, for successfully delivering our message of how Girl Scouts is continuing to address the issues most important to girls and their future.

Her comments were broadcast over the Minneapolis TV station KTSP-TV in the editorial pages of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press, and in the news section of the Mankato Free Press during her recent trip to visit Girl Scout troops and councils in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

The Girl Scout Cookie Program Gets A New Audience On Fox Business Channel!

Yesterday, Denise Pesich, Vice President of Communications, along with some terrific girls from the Girl Scouts of Nassau County, represented Girl Scouts on Fox Business Channel’s show, Money for Breakfast, to discuss the business of the Girl Scout Cookie Program.

To view the video, click here and then type "Girl Scouts" in the search field.

What did you think of this video? How do you feel it affects the general public's perception of the Girl Scout Cookie Program?