Weekend Run-Down

Let's take a look at Girl Scout media stories from the weekend:

• New Orleans Metro Real Time News, LA, reports that The Girl Scouts at John Dibert Community School report strong sales of Girl Scout cookies: They've collected orders for more than 1,000 boxes so far and hope to sell about 1,500 more. At a recent meeting, members of Brownie Troop 40200 cut hearts out of red and pink construction paper, licked the frosting off cupcakes and revealed their secrets for selling Thin Mints, Trefoils and Samoas.
• North Carolina's WRAL reports that community service and fitness are both a part of the experience for a Raleigh Girl Scout troop.
• The Globe Gazette in Mason City, IA, reports that about 100 Girl Scouts from across North Iowa had their passports in hand as they traveled around the world Sunday in Southbridge Mall. It was all part of World Thinking Day for the scouts. The girls, ages kindergarten through fifth grade, went from table to table - each table representing a different country - and did activities related to that country.
• The Taunton Daily Gazette, MA, reports that the meeting hall in Rehoboth Baptist Church was filled to the brim with frosting for the Girl Scouts cake decorating contest Saturday night. Organizer and troop leader Colleen McBride said each girl, or team of girls, brought in an unassembled cake with all of the edible fixings to be prepared on the spot.
• California's Republican Journal reports that Cub Scout Pack 235 from Stockton Springs held its Car Derby at Stockton Springs Elementary School this past Saturday, February 26, 2011. Pack 235 invited Stockton's Girl Scout Troop 487 (which comprises Daisy, Brownie, Junior and Cadet Scouts) to join in the fun. The cars - ranging from hot rods to fire engines, lady bugs and a replica of the car from "Back to the Future" - all weighed in at the proper 5 ounce limit and measured within the strict size guidelines. A lucky thirteen cars took to the track. Six trophies were given out.

Enjoy!

It's Your Story, Write It!

Self expression is a large thread throughout the latest Girl Scout leadership journey It's Your Story-Tell It! My favorite form of self expression is through writing, which I'm lucky enough to do for a living. That being said, I am always thrilled upon finding a Blog written by actual Girl Scouts! The Blog in question is called "Girl Scout Voices at CSW" and it illustrates two girl's experiences at the 55th annual Commission on the Status of Women, held at the United Nations in New York City. It is an invitation-only Blog, but I have gotten permission from the author to re-post!

Author CAMavis begins her journey with "snow, snow and more snow. Just as the forecast predicted, we began our morning with a flurry of snow as we headed from our hotel to Girl Scout USA. Today, we would be preparing for the long week ahead at CSW. With each of us having specific roles at CSW, we were all separated to work with our assigned focus group. Several of these focus groups included preparation for a “Day of the Girl” presentation organized by Plan International, personal experiences with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), and blogging of course... On Sunday, the 20th we took an early morning subway trip to Pace University for Girls Stand Up!, an orientation for girls and women attending CSW 55. We heard Michelle Bachelet, first woman president of Chile, speak as a keynote speaker. It was such a great opportunity to hear from this amazing person, who showed us women are capable of anything they set their mind to."

Writing is truly a fantastic form of self expression and is one of the most classic forms of communication. The latest Girl Scout leadership journey It's Your Story-Tell It! has its' very own comprehensive website that allows you to get involved in a number of awesome activities! Girl Scouts of the USA and Dove®, the leading personal care brand, partner to deliver Girl Scout leadership and self-esteem programming to millions of girls nationwide and abroad with the latest Girl Scout leadership journey It's Your Story-Tell It!.

Finding a Cookie in the Big Apple!

New York City Super-Blog Gothamist has apparently been hearing delicious rumors that Girl Scout cookies have hit the streets once again, so they contacted their hook-up at the Girl Scout Council of Greater New York to find out where New Yorkers can get some. Here's the information they found!

The pop-up shops will be open from March 14th to May 5th. There will be five around the city, which you can locate here. Happy Hunting!

Tackling Relational Aggression in New Orleans

Fresh off the wire, it's reported that Girl Scouts in New Orleans, LA, will soon explore the hidden world of girl bullying. Spreading rumors, forming cliques, and making fun of others are just a few of the ways girls have been mean to one another for years. However, with the advent of social media, bullying in today's society is more complicated than ever. The increased exposure to a variety of social media puts teenage girls at greater risk for online or text message bullying, commonly known as cyberbullying. This type of bullying and other forms of relational aggression will be addressed by experts in their field during a one-day seminar hosted by Girl Scouts Louisiana East, and funded in part by the Louisiana Children's Trust Fund. The Girl Bullying – Awareness to Action seminar is being held Saturday, March 26, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the New Orleans Marriott at the Convention Center, and is open to troop leaders, parents, educators, and community leaders.

"While we continue to see the negative effects of relational aggression among children and teens, many adults are without the knowledge or skills needed to provide assistance in dealing with bullying," said Yvette Hairston, vice president of membership for Girl Scouts Louisiana East. "This conference will give adults insight into the hidden world of relational aggression and situational tools that can help our girls." According to Hairston, even girls in elementary school can become victims to relational aggression.

A survey by i-SAFE Inc., a leader in internet safety education, relates that 58 percent of kids admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online with more than 4 out of 10 experiencing it more than once. Bullying negatively affects not only a child's physical, emotional, and social well being, it has an adverse affect on academics as well.

Last year, Girl Scout Dominique Napolitano testified at a Congressional Hearing on cyberbullying, alongside Dr. Phil and Others. In testimony to the U.S. House Healthy Families and Communities Subcommittee, Napolitano, 15, from Long Island, New York, discussed cyberbulling from a teenager’s perspective. As part of her presentation to the subcommittee chaired by U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), Dominque explored the challenges young people face in navigating life online and dealing with the bullying that takes place online and through social media.

Have you ever been the victim of cyberbullying?

Girl Scouts in Good Company

In reviewing the 2011 list of The Most Influential Women in Technology, Fast Company takes a moment to reflect on what is being done today to insure we are growing the next generation of Women in Tech. Author Eileen Sweeney states that this week is an opportune time to think about this issue and about what we, the women leaders in technology, can do to encourage girls to take on the challenge of changing our world through technology. Three organizations that are attacking the "girl-problem" head-on with innovative and creative solutions come to mind: Girl Scouts of the USA, the National Engineers Week Foundation, and the National Center for Women & Information Technology. Yesterday, the Girl Scouts celebrated World Thinking Day; observed by Girl Scouts and Girl Guides around the world since 1926. The theme for this year is "Empowering Girls will Change our World." The Girl Scouts encourage girls to reach out to local and global communities; and take action to improve our world.

Each year, Girl Scouts of the USA joins over 5,000 women and girls from around the world at the United Nations headquarters in New York to participate in the Commission on the Status of Women. The Commission on the Status of Women is a functional commission of the UN, dedicated exclusively to gender equality and advancement of women. Every year, national representatives of Member States gather for a two-week session to evaluate progress on gender equality, identify challenges, set global standards and formulate concrete policies to promote gender equality and the advancement of women worldwide. As Consultative members, Girl Scouts of the USA and the World Association of Girl Guides/Girl Scouts participate to bring the voice of girls and young women to the global stage.

This year's theme is "access and participation of women and girls to education, training, science and technology, including the promotion of women’s equal access to full employment and decent work". Yesterday, I, along with a group of girls, had the honor of participating in a discussion led by Dr. Sharon Hrynkow, a senior health official whose career and expertise focus on major global health and science issues. She has spent over 15 years working with the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of State, leading major efforts in programs and policies addressing HIV/AIDS, emerging infectious disease, the health impacts of climate change, global health research and training, and partnership development.

She currently serves as Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Oceans, Environment and Science, where her expertise informs a range of health and science diplomacy matters. Dr. Hrynkow leads the Bureau of Oceans, Environment and Science effort to advance a women-in-science agenda through diplomatic channels. She works closely with the Office of the Secretary and the Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs to pursue opportunities to advance women in science and girls’ science education.

Needless to say, it was an informative session and great learning experience for a group of Girl Scouts from different parts of the country!

Brand Channel Declares Girl Scouts "Social Marketing Ninjas"

Brand Channel reports that as digital marketers, Girl Scouts are smart cookies. The article relates that one should not be fooled by that cute kid bearing a box of cookies and a big smile: the rebranded Girl Scouts are social marketing ninjas.
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Consider that there is a standalone website, YouTube channel, a Flickr group, and Facebook page for Girl Scout Cookies. No wonder today’s digitally savvy 9 year-old Girl Scout can sell 400 boxes of Thin Mints in an hour.
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Using available technology, Facebook global policy manager Jud Hoffman’s daughter Greta and a few friends did just that. "It was fantastic and ridiculously easy. It turned out to be an attraction for people to use their credit card just to see how cool this thing was," said Hoffman to Ad Age. It certainly helped that Facebook exec Randi Zuckerberg tweeted about the cookies: "Some very smart, enterprising Girl Scouts are at Facebook HQ w/boxes of cookies & @square devices. Making SERIOUS bank."
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The article goes on illustrating how a Cookie Club password-protected website lets girls send e-cards asking for pledges to buy cookies, followed by a link to an order form filled out online. Scouts track sales goals, their troop's goals and their progress. Delivery and payment in the Chicago-area is still done old-school, face-to-face. "The Cookie Club teaches the girls how to get organized online and how to set up a business online," said Maria Wynne, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana, the world's largest Girl Scouts Council comprised of 86,000 Girl Scouts and 22,000 volunteers in 245 communities. "They begin to get a sense of operating a business, and that is the entrepreneurship aspect of the cookie sales that we encourage. We've allowed the girls to think about their goals in a bigger way because the web allows them a larger reach."
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My favorite line of the entire article is the closer: They may be younger, and their product may be sweeter, but Girl Scouts Cookie sales may prove this generation's version of an MBA.

Watch What You Watch Nets a Gracie!

Girl Scouts of the USA has been awarded the much esteemed Gracie Award from the Alliance for Women in Media.
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This award is to honor media by women, for women and about women. Our selection for a Gracie is in recognition of Girl Scouts of the USA’s role in spearheading innovative advocacy efforts to promote healthy media images. In October 2010, we hosted the Healthy Media for Youth Summit on Capitol Hill with our partners from The Creative Coalition, the National Association of Broadcasters, and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association. At the summit, the coalition unveiled the Watch What You Watch PSA for cable and broadcasting networks to use in raising awareness about healthy media images. As the convener of the coalition, GSUSA will be awarded a Gracie for that PSA in the Outstanding Public Service Announcement category.



For 60 years, the Alliance for Women in Media has served as the voice and resource for women in the media. And for more than three decades, the Foundation has been a leader in celebrating and honoring programming created for women, by women and about women, as well as individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the industry. The Gracies strive to encourage the realistic and faceted portrayal of women in entertainment, commercials, news, features and other programs.

There's Something About Thin Mints

TIME is reporting on a story that has been making the rounds this week. It's the story of Hersha Howard, 31, of Naples, Florida, who was arrested and charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. The deadly weapon? A pair of scissors. The reason for the attack? Howard's roommate had nabbed her beloved Thin Mints. According to the Collier County Sheriff's Office report, Jasmin Wanke was sleeping soundly when her hungry roommate, Howard, burst in to her room accusing her of the theft. Wanke tried to reason with the raging Howard, but was unsuccessful. The biscuity battle continued until Wanke's husband separated the pair, but Howard had other plans.

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I have to admit that I found my box of Shortbreads emptied out last night after a long day of work. I laughed, knowing it was my roommate. Had it been the Thin Mints, I may have reacted in a different manner! Do missing Thin Mints send you into a rage?

Car Derby Girl Scouts!

New Jersey's GM-News reports that Manalapan-Englishtown Girl Scouts held their second annual Car Derby on February 5 at Neff Chapel at Old Tennent Presbyterian Church, Manalapan. Each Girl Scout created her own race car out of a block of wood. According to Phyllis Fitzgerald, who is the leader for Girl Scouts Cadette Troop 532 and the Colonial Region’s volunteer support chairwoman and organizer of the Girl Scout derby, the Car Derby is traditionally an event in which boys who are Cub Scouts take part in on an annual basis.

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Fitzgerald and her husband, Scott, who is the cubmaster of Cub Scout Pack 180, Manalapan, had noticed how much the female siblings of the Cub Scouts, including their own daughters, enjoyed the Car Derby and they decided to work on opening the event to the Girl Scouts last year. This year 79 girls between the ages of 5 and 13 participated in the Girls Scouts’ Car Derby event. Cub Scout Pack 180, which held its Car Derby the prior week, was the girls’ host, providing the racing track, den leaders and Cub Scouts to run the races. Each girl’s car raced down the track a minimum of four times, with the winners of each heat advancing on to the finals. Trophies were awarded for the top five finishers in five Girl Scout age levels.

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Awesome! Do you know any derby racing Girl Scouts?

It's Your Google, Doodle It!

A fantastic opportunity for self expression and storytelling through art is the Doodle 4 Google contest, which Girl Scouts of the USA has partnered with. Open to K-12 students in the U.S., Doodle 4 Google is an opportunity of a lifetime: design the Google.com homepage doodle for millions of people to see, and while you’re at it, take home a $15,000 scholarship and a $25,000 technology grant for your school or your Girl Scout troop/council. Once scouts have been registered online by a Troop leader and submitted their doodle artwork via mail by March 16th, Google employees and Guest Judges, including Whoopi Goldberg, gold medal ice skater Evan Lysacek and “Garfield” creator Jim Davis, will narrow down the submissions.
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To get started, whether you’re a Troop leader, a teacher, a school educator, or a parent, you must register your student(s) by March 2, 2011. Then get out the crayons, paints and markers and throw your own doodle party. Please note that all entries must be postmarked by March 16, 2011. Check out suggestions specific to Girl Scouts - see the Info for Participants page (blue box on the right). Tell your story through art and you could be the next Doodle 4 Google contest winner!
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Self expression is a large thread throughout the latest Girl Scout leadership journey It's Your Story-Tell It! which has its' very own comprehensive website that allows you to get involved in a number of awesome activities! Girl Scouts of the USA and Dove®, the leading personal care brand, partner to deliver Girl Scout leadership and self-esteem programming to millions of girls nationwide and abroad with the latest Girl Scout leadership journey It's Your Story-Tell It!.

International Tea in Tennessee

The Erwin Record, TN, reports that local Girl Scouts recently held their third annual ‘International Tea’ at Calvary Baptist Church. At the International Tea, each troop chooses a country to represent. In their presentation they dress up as the residents of that country and give each visitor to their presentation a sample of food from their country.

Savvy Silicon Valley Girl Scouts

Today's Ad Age has a fantastic article about Girl Scouts in Silicon Valley. It illustrates that when the time of year comes around for Girl Scout cookies, there's no walking door-to-door, lugging boxes of Thin Mints. Here, thanks to Facebook events, an iPhone and Twitter-founder Jack Dorsey's payment service Square, tech-advanced 9-year-olds can sell 400 boxes in less than an hour. Because when you're a Girl Scout in Silicon Valley, that's how you roll.

Facebook's global policy manager Jud Hoffman told a few people at work that his daughter Greta and a couple of her friends would be selling the cookies. So many people wanted to buy them that he decided to set up a Facebook event. That way, his colleagues wouldn't miss the girls when they stopped by the famed Palo Alto office of the biggest social network in the world.

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But what really turned the event into a tech happening was when a few hours before the girls arrived, several people said they didn't have cash or checks. Mr. Hoffman, who'd heard about Square, decided right then and there to sign up for the service. Of course, few places beyond Silicon Valley are there Girl Scout dads who know about Square as well someone at the office who just happens to have the necessary hardware on hand - a dongle manufactured by Square to be plugged into his iPhone audio jack. By the time the girls set up their wares, the father-daughter sales team was ready to accept credit and debit cards.

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Square co-founder James McKelvey lost a $3,000 blown-glass sale because he couldn't accept a credit card in his art studio. So that got him and Mr. Dorsey thinking until they came up with the Square idea. Square is a service built for iPhones, iPads and Android-powered smartphones. Users open an account, download an app and get a 2.5-cm-square dongle in the mail two days later. It's pretty much that simple.

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"I think it's really cool that they just came up with that," said Girl Scout Greta Hoffman, adding that her customers were almost more into the payment service than the cookies. "They were thinking it was really cool, they kept saying, 'OMG, we can use credit cards to buy Girl Scout cookies! This is really cool!'"

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And, of course, the cherry on top of this Silicon Valley concoction? A tweet from Randi Zuckerberg, of course. "Some very smart, enterprising Girl Scouts are at Facebook HQ w/boxes of cookies & @square devices. Making SERIOUS bank."

World Thinking Day 2011!

Each year on February 22, World Thinking Day, girls participate in activities, games, and projects with global themes to honor their sister Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in other countries. World Thinking Day is part of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Ssouts Global Action Theme based on the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals which aim to improve the lives of the world's poorest people. The theme for World Thinking Day 2011 is girls worldwide say "empowering girls will change our world."

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World Thinking Day not only gives girls a chance to celebrate international friendships, but is also a reminder that Girl Scouts of the USA is part of a global community—one of nearly 150 countries with Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts selected five countries of focus for World Thinking Day 2011 to represent the five World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts regions: Bolivia (Western Hemisphere), Cyprus (Europe), Democratic Republic of Congo (Africa), Nepal (Asia/Pacific), Yemen (Arab Region). The suggested activities for earning a World Thinking Day patch complement Girl Scouts of the USA's national leadership journeys and reinforce the goals of: discovering oneself and one's values; connecting via teamwork with other members and by reaching out to the local and global communities; and taking action to improve the world.

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Are you doing anything for World Thinking Day 2011?

Judicial Girl Scouts Lay Down the Law

In Illinois, The Herald-Review reports that about two dozen Girl Scouts spent Presidents Day participating in another session of Making Right Choices, a part of the Growing into Responsible Leaders (GIRL) program sponsored by Girl Scouts of Central Illinois.

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Morgan Newberry, an eighth-grader, was the defendant of the day, Adaujria Banner, a sixth-grader, the witness. Macon County Circuit Court Judge Lisa Holder White invited the Scouts for lunch and a tour of the Macon County Jail prior to setting up the mock trial in her courtroom for them where "Judge" Chloe Tatham, a seventh-grader, presided. Tatham said she liked the opportunity to participate with all that was going on in the courtroom.

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Both defense and prosecution teams conferred before making their cases, based upon the information White gave them. For the prosecution team of Keyahjah Evans and Zharia Cook, both sixth-graders, and Latayjah Roby, a seventh-grader, Evans told the jury their case was proven. And for the defense team, Caderia Reed, Janesha Manson and Kaitlin Karnes, all sixth-graders, Manson suggested there was "no proof" that their client was involved.

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It's reported that after years of placing women on a different partnership track, paying them less than their male peers and banning them from leadership roles, law firms are enacting programs to retain talented women. In fact, career experts named law as one of top five most lucrative careers for women in a recent Payscale article, noting that women seeking partnership have more options as law firms grow more flexible.

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Generous paid maternity leaves, greater leadership roles and more flexible work arrangements, including part-time and telecommuting, are a few current legal workplace trends that benefit women, especially those with young children. In addition to more women-friendly opportunities in BigLaw, women are also finding opportunities in small law firms, corporate legal departments, legal aid and the government.

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Do you know any girls interested in legal careers?

Weekend Run-Down

Let's look through some Girl Scout stories from the weekend:

• Virginia's WDBJ7 TV reports that some Radford University nursing students are already using what they've learned to help save lives. On Sunday, they taught middle school Girl Scout troops in the New River Valley that hope to be babysitters soon about safe sleeping habits for infants.
• In Oklahoma, KFOR 4 reports on one troop that's not only selling for this year, but trying to make up for money they lost last year due to embezzlement. The loss of that money left the girls without several opportunities but now an Edmond company has stepped in trying to help the girls. When Richard Milligan with WJ Bradley Mortgage heard the story, he knew they had to help. He says, "We just felt lead to do it."
• Michigan's Flint Journal reports that The Friends of the Perkins Library and the Girl Scouts will hold a book drive the first week of March. Donated books either will be sold at the groups monthly book sale or will be donated to schools and other organizations in Genesee County, said Rosemary Robinson, treasurer for the Friends of the Perkins Library.
• In Georgia, Troop 24528 of Conyers performed a Brazilian Carnaval dance Saturday as part of the annual World Thinking Day festival held at Conyers First United Methodist Church. Read more here.
• Iowa's Telegraph Herald reports that "Love to Laugh," a night of comedy, will feature The Guys in Ties comedy troupe in a fundraiser for Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois. It is sponsored by Mystique Casino. Guys in Ties is an elite traveling improv group that tailors its act for special events.

Enjoy!

It's Your Story, Illustrate It!

Self expression is a large thread throughout the latest Girl Scout leadership journey It's Your Story-Tell It! which has its' very own comprehensive website that allows you to get involved in a number of awesome activities! One fantastic activity suggestion is making a mural, through which you can express yourself, educate and inspire others and boost confidence in the process!
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Follow this link for a step by step guide to creating your own mural with fellow Girl Scouts. Team up with your Girl Scout sisters to create a mural that shares a story about an important issue. Jot down notes and sketch potential images for your story. Tell your story on canvas! Unveil the mural at a community center, at school during lunchtime, or at a place of worship after a service, which will give you a chance to discuss with the public the meaning and creative process behind your work. When you have the opportunity to express yourself in a way that engages members of your community, you’ll gain confidence and feel empowered to continue to make positive changes in the world!

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Another fantastic opportunity for self expression and storytelling through art is the Doodle 4 Google contest, which Girl Scouts of the USA has partnered with. Open to K-12 students in the U.S., Doodle 4 Google is an opportunity of a lifetime: design the Google.com homepage doodle for millions of people to see, and while you’re at it, take home a $15,000 scholarship and a $25,000 technology grant for your school or your Girl Scout troop/council. Once scouts have been registered online by a Troop leader and submitted their doodle artwork via mail by March 16th, Google employees and Guest Judges, including Whoopi Goldberg, gold medal ice skater Evan Lysacek and “Garfield” creator Jim Davis, will narrow down the submissions.
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To get started, whether you’re a Troop leader, a teacher, a school educator, or a parent, you must register your student(s) by March 2, 2011. Then get out the crayons, paints and markers and throw your own doodle party. Please note that all entries must be postmarked by March 16, 2011. Check out suggestions specific to Girl Scouts - see the Info for Participants page (blue box on the right). Tell your story through art and you could be the next Doodle 4 Google contest winner!

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Girl Scouts of the USA and Dove®, the leading personal care brand, partner to deliver Girl Scout leadership and self-esteem programming to millions of girls nationwide and abroad with the latest Girl Scout leadership journey It's Your Story-Tell It!.

Cookies Meet Aerobics Over at CNN!

CNN has a story that I will definitely be using before summer about working off the Girl Scout cookies! Madison Park reports that the best seller by far is Thin Mints, raking in a quarter of the cookies’ sales. She reports that the dark chocolate-covered, mint flavored cookies are actually one of the lowest calorie treats you can get from the Girl Scouts at 40 calories apiece. If you eat four of the cookies at 160 calories, you could burn off that energy with approximately half an hour of bicycling at a leisurely pace. Not so bad. For exercise tips and comparative analysis of other cookies, definitely read the entire article!

Coachella Valley Girl Scout Troop 4, Reunited

In southern California, My Desert reports that a group of women recently traveled from Rhode Island, Kansas and Texas, plus northern and southern California cities to reminisce about an unforgettable trip they took together 52 years ago when a group of 30 girls and chaperones took a bus trip across the United States to New York and Washington, D.C., amongst many other stops. The trip encompassed 7,478 miles in 30 days. They were all members of Coachella Valley Girl Scout Troop 4 led by the late Florence Keck of Indio.

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The reunion was prompted by a brief get-together a couple of the former Girl Scouts had last October at the opening of the Girl Scout history exhibit at the Coachella Valley History Museum in Indio. At that time, Kathie Keck Dagermandy of South Pasadena and Bonnie Clause Schwatzburg of Lawrence, Kansas, put their heads together and with the help of Reenie Keck Barrow's computer skills back in Bristol, R.I., put out the word.

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They were able to learn the whereabouts of 24 of the former troop members, with 14 attending the reunion. The women, now in their mid- to late 60s, looked at scrapbooks, read trip journals and enjoyed a slide presentation. The journal was written by all of the girls. Midst lots of laughter about remembered episodes and escapades, the women, now more serious than they were in 1959, also mentioned learning about segregation in the South for the first time, seeing “white only” drinking fountains and restrooms.

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They also remembered how much times have changed when they noted the cost of each night's lodging, which ranged from $1.50 per girl to a high of $3.50. Most meals were less than 25 cents.

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Pretty awesome! Have you stayed in touch with Girl Scouts from your past? Register with the Girl Scouts Alumnae Association to reconnect!

Baby Blankets for Bronze Award

In Alton, IL, KSDK TV 5 reports that members of a local Girl Scout troop made a special delivery to St. Mary's Health Center on Thursday morning. Troop 71 donated 26 handmade blankets and more than 100 onesies to the hospital-wide baby shower. The baby shower project was started by a volunteer who recognized the need for more donations during these financially difficult times. The scouts designed their blankets with both style and safety in mind.



The girl scouts were inspired by the birth of a 13 ounce baby at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center. They earned their Girl Scout Bronze Award by completing their project. Do you have any Girl Scout Bronze Award stories to share?

Serious Eats: Girl Scout Cookies and Variations of!

One of my all time favorite Blogs, Serious Eats, has a piece titled, "SE Staff Picks: Our Favorite Girl Scout Cookies, and How to Eat Them". A slideshow is provided wherein Serious Eats staffers relate their favorite Girl Scout Cookies or their favorite ways to eat Girl Scout Cookies. It's fun! Author Adam Kuban prefers his Samoas stuffed and baked inside chocolate chip cookie dough.

What is your favorite way to eat a Girl Scout Cookie?

The Need for Researchers on Adolescence to Come Together

The Journal of Research on Adolescence has a piece co-authored by Michael Conn, Ph.D.
Vice President, Research, Girl Scout Research Institute, about the need for researchers on adolescence to come together. The article illustrates that nonprofit research and evaluation is typically carried out in settings where real change is happening, which presents an opportunity for academics and nonprofit researchers to come together to do translational research that results in application and integration scholarship. Researchers in nonprofit youth organizations envision translational research operating in a two-way relationship: nonprofit researchers benefiting greatly from the conceptual substance and methodological rigor of the academic approach and academics gaining insights into relevant issues, access to settings and audiences, and away to influence practice by applying developmental science through collaborations with the nonprofit field.
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Now that research and evaluation have become prominent within nonprofit organizations, intellectual and institutional structures are developing that provide the basis for ongoing, productive collaboration among nonprofit and academic researchers.

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Girl Scouting underwent an intensive strategy development process during 2004 – 2006 and reaffirmed its nearly century-long commitment to promoting girl leadership development through its program and policy efforts. Coming out of this intensive process, Girl Scouting carefully identified 15 program outcomes linked to girl leadership development, based on a comprehensive review of the youth leadership, girl leadership, and positive youth development literature. One of the conclusions of this review was that a ‘‘gender lens’’ had not yet been applied sufficiently in the youth leadership research to understand specifically how girl leadership development can best occur. At various points in the process, academic researchers were also drawn in to comment and advise on the development of the program model, on the conceptual clarity of the outcomes and their connection to previous research,and on the age appropriateness of various indicators and measures.

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Definitely read the entire article for a thought provoking look into the state of collaborative research in the nonprofit world. You can purchase online access to this Article for a 24-hour period (price varies by title) here.

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Multidisciplinary and international in scope, the Journal of Research on Adolescence significantly advances knowledge in the field of adolescent research. Employing a diverse array of methodologies, this compelling journal publishes original research and integrative reviews of the highest level of scholarship. Featured studies include both quantitative and qualitative methodologies applied to cognitive, physical, emotional, and social development and behavior. Articles pertinent to the variety of developmental patterns inherent throughout adolescence are featured, including cross-national and cross-cultural studies. Attention is given to normative patterns of behavior as well as individual differences rooted in personal or social and cultural factors.

Mommy Blogger Waxes Poetic ala Girl Scout Cookies

Sue over at The Desperate House Mommy gets rather poetic about Girl Scout Cookies, writing:

I loved you before I had ever laid eyes on you, with the kind of love that only an expectant mother can completely fathom. And although you are not flesh of my flesh, my affections for you run no less deep or true... But I must remember, after all, that you are Girl Scout cookies. And I? Am The Cookie Mom.

Definitely read the entire piece here. Enjoy!

Could You Walk Across Texas?

In Texas, The Abilene Reporter News reports that Girl Scouts are being asked to walk across Texas - a trip of 830 miles - and to get it done between March 5 and April 30.
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No one girl has to do it alone, however, and they can do it without ever leaving their hometown!
The Walk Across Texas is a collaboration between Texas AgriLife Extension Service and Girl Scouts of Texas Oklahoma Plains. AgriLife started the program in 1996 to encourage healthy habits. Girl Scouts of Texas Oklahoma Plains is the first Girl Scout council in the state to join the effort. A troop, a service unit or a region of the council can join forces to perform the walk. They can follow their progress online as a virtual Girl Scout moves across the state in response to their own physical efforts.

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And by the way: This is for all Texans, all ages, not just Girl Scouts. To find out how to set up a team, how to includes miles on a bicycle or a dance floor or how to go it alone, look here.

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What's the longest distance you have ever walked?

Girl Scouts USA and Kraft Foods Host Let’s Move! Town Hall

Let's Move Blog reports on the Let's Move! Town Hall from last week. Author Alexia Kelley, Deputy Director at the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, writes that leadership and great cookies are usually among the first things that come to mind when you think about the Girl Scouts, but last week at Johns Hopkins University’s DC campus, healthy eating, fitness and exercise were the focus of a lively town hall co-hosted by the Girl Scouts of the USA and Kraft Foods, celebrating the first birthday of Let’s Move!

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Over 100 Girl Scouts from the National Capital region, along with Girl Scouts via telecast in Chicago, Atlanta and Los Angeles, joined U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to celebrate the first anniversary of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative. Chicago Girl Scouts joined from the Kraft test kitchen, where the girls created their own healthy snacks. When the girls’ voted on their favorite snack - a turkey, pear and cheese melt - those of us in DC could only look on while our stomachs rumbled!

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Secretary Sebelius took a few moments to talk about Let’s Move! and its goal of ending childhood obesity within a generation -and to answer the Girl Scouts’ questions. The Secretary acknowledged that it can be challenging to consistently eat healthy food, revealing her own occasional “craving for Blizzards” - which prompted appreciative laughs from the audience. She challenged the Girl Scouts to eat healthy foods and also to find physical activities that they enjoy. By doing both, they can be examples to their friends, siblings and parents to live healthier lives, said Sebelius. She also cited the new child nutrition law that will provide more nutritious school meals to millions of American children as one of the key Administration measures to cut down on childhood obesity.

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The Girl Scouts and Kraft Foods have both been avid participants in Let’s Move. At the launch of Let’s Move Faith and Communities initiative for community and faith-based groups, the Girl Scouts of the Nation’s Capital is committed to challenge their 88,000 members to earn the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award. The Girl Scouts of the USA upped the ante at the town hall, challenging all Girl Scouts in the Atlanta, LA, Chicago and DC regions to earn the PALA award. Kraft joined the country’s largest food producers to cut 1.5 trillion calories out of their products by 2015, said Sebelius.
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The Girl Scouts also had an opportunity to ask questions of Secretary Sebelius, and her co panelists Kathy Cloniger, CEO of the Girl Scouts, and Rhonda Jordan, President of Global Health and Wellness, Kraft Foods. Ms. Cloninger emphasized the importance of self-esteem and body image in healthy living for girls in particular. One town hall participant asked how to get more involved with Let’s Move! Secretary Sebelius noted that Let’s Move! is part eating healthy and part exercise, and hoped the Girl Scouts would develop healthy eating and exercise habits today that would last a lifetime.

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You can also learn about the Let’s Move Faith and Communities challenges and find a helpful toolkit to support your work.

Local Girl Scouts Celebrate World Thinking Day

Iowa's Globe Gazette reports that Girl Scouts from across North Iowa will gather for World Thinking Day from on Sunday, February 20. More than 115 Girl Scouts from across North Iowa will attend. World Thinking Day gives girls a chance to celebrate friendships with those from around the world. In addition to the United States, countries represented include Japan, Yemen, Chile, Mexico, Congo, Brazil, Argentina, Greece, Cameroon, Italy, Egypt, Nepal and China.

Featured will be activities, games and projects with global teams. Countries are represented by different tables and offer food samples, displays about culture and activities indigenous to that country.

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The Cary Patch, IL, reports last Saturday, seventeen Girl Scout troops gathered to celebrate World Thinking Day at Holy Cross Lutheran Church. Different troops represented Japan, Mexico, Germany, France, Sweden, Peru, Puerto Rico, Italy, Switzerland, China, Brazil, Afghanistan, India, Haiti, Poland, and Nigeria with each country’s costumes, food, and customs.
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According to Kristen Alvarez, co-chair of the event, World Thinking Day is a Girl Scout event that encourages Girl Scouts to think about scouting in a global context as well as a local context. International festivals have long been a part of the Girl Scout tradition. While some troops have celebrated the day individually in the past, today’s event was the first time that Cary and Fox River Grove troops have had a collective celebration.

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The event began with an opening ceremony and parade, led by Troop 1347 representing Japan. A brief flag ceremony followed the parade. Each troop had made a table or booth representing their country. After the flag ceremony, the girls were encouraged to explore other booths to get their souvenir passports stamped and pick their favorites.

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What are your World Thinking Day plans this year?

7 Awesome Engineers and The Brownie Builders Honored

Connecticut's Valley Independent Sentinel reports on Sunday, Oxford Girl Scout Lego Teams, The 7 Awesome Engineers and The Brownie Builders attended the Annual Jr First Lego League Expo in Stamford. The girls competed with 30 other Junior First Lego League teams from all over the state of Connecticut on the topic of Biomedical Engineering.

The goal of the Jr First Lego League is to introduce the children from age 6-9 to science and technology while learning to work as a team. Over a course of several weeks, the girls had to research, plan and create a Legos model based on this year’s theme. The 7 Awesome Engineers based their model on RIBA (Robot for Interactive Body Assistance) winning them an award for ‘higher than 5’ for their high levels of creativity. The Brownie Builders based their model on an x-ray machine winning them an award for Animation Kids for their outstanding teamwork.

Each team won an award that recognized their strengths and successes and was presented to them by U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal.

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Last week, we reported that Michael Watson, senior vice president of human resources and diversity for Girl Scouts of the USA, recently penned an article for Diversity-Executive about the need for diversity in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields. His belief is that girls are essential to the national pipeline of talent needed to fill future STEM positions.

Do you know any girls actively involved in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math?

NPR: Teaching Negotiation Skills to Girls Could Close Gender Pay Gap

This morning, NPR has a story titled, 'Ask For A Raise? Most Women Hesitate'. It reports that in the face of a persistent gender pay gap, researchers and women's advocates are focusing on one little-discussed part of the problem: Women simply don't ask for more money.

There are many reasons why, despite widespread gains in the workplace, women still earn on average about 78 cents to a man's dollar. But the failure to negotiate higher pay is crucial. Research shows men are four times more likely than women to ask for a salary raise, and economist Linda Babcock of Carnegie Mellon University says this has a snowball effect. Even a small pay boost will mean bigger annual raises and possibly bigger bonuses and it will carry over to a new employer, who is almost certain to ask: "What was your last salary?"

Among the many sobering facts and statistics included in the story, the conclusion is that Babcock has decided real change must start young. She's launched an effort to teach negotiating skills to girls and came up with this new twist on an old tradition: Girl Scouts can now carry out a series of 10 negotiations to earn a badge called "Win-Win." Negotiation is a great way for people to reach an agreement that makes everyone happy or better off. Instead of initiating an argument in which no one is a winner, she lists steps to learn about negotiation and how to ask for what you want.

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Can you think of times where negotiating has helped you succeed?

Registration Reminder: Doodle 4 Google!

Girl Scouts of the USA has partnered with the fourth annual Doodle 4 Google contest. Open to K-12 students in the U.S., Doodle 4 Google is an opportunity of a lifetime: design the Google.com homepage doodle for millions of people to see, and while you’re at it, take home a $15,000 scholarship and a $25,000 technology grant for your school or your Girl Scout troop/council. Once scouts have been registered online by a Troop leader and submitted their doodle artwork via mail by March 16th, Google employees and Guest Judges, including Whoopi Goldberg, gold medal ice skater Evan Lysacek and “Garfield” creator Jim Davis, will narrow down the submissions.

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To get started, whether you’re a Troop leader, a teacher, a school educator, or a parent, you must register your student(s) by March 2, 2011. Then get out the crayons, paints and markers and throw your own doodle party. Please note that all entries must be postmarked by March 16, 2011. Check out suggestions specific to Girl Scouts - see the Info for Participants page (blue box on the right).

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Have you registered yet?

Focus on a Famous Former!

Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop. She has won nine Grammy Awards from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

She has performed with The Rolling Stones and has sung duets with Mick Jagger, Michael Jackson, Eric Clapton, Luciano Pavarotti, John Mellencamp, Kid Rock, Michelle Branch, and Sting among others. She has performed backing vocals for Tina Turner, Don Henley and Belinda Carlisle. Crow has released seven studio albums, two compilations, and a live album, and has contributed to film soundtracks. She has sold 16 million albums in the United States and 35 million albums worldwide and her newest album, 100 Miles from Memphis, was released on July 20, 2010.

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Who is your favorite famous former Girl Scout?

Let's Move!

In Illinois, The Morton Grove Patch reports that Girl Scouts across the country are about much more than cookies - they have partnered with First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative to promote healthy living and put an end to childhood obesity.

In celebration of the initiative’s one-year anniversary, local Girl Scouts teamed up with counterparts from Los Angeles, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. to prepare nutritious after school snacks for a live webcast Thursday afternoon, February 10. The webcast originated at the Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies and featured Girl Scouts of the USA CEO Kathy Cloninger, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius and President of Kraft Global Health & Wellness Rhonda Jordan.

For their part, local Girl Scouts showcased healthy snacks like the first-prize winning turkey, pear and cheese melt. Other healthy snacks included an apple tortilla and a sweet fruit kabob. Alongside Maria Wynne, CEO of Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana, and Robin Ross, associate director of the Kraft Foods Culinary Center in Glenview, 25 scouts from Glenview, Oak Park, Park Ridge and Morton Grove enjoyed their 15 minutes of fame while continuing Girl Scout tradition through leadership and healthy living.

Weekend Run-Down

Let's take a look at Girl Scout news items from this past weekend:

• In Norwalk, CT, The Hour reports that local Girl Scouts and Girl Guides gathered in the Lockwood-Matthews Mansion rotunda to celebrate the 3rd annual Thinking Day Ceremony and Program on Sunday afternoon, continuing a tradition that is nearly 100 years old.
• The Plainfield Patch, IL reports that Cadette Girl Scout Troop 572 recently cut out and sewed dresses for an orphanage in Haiti. The girls were excited at the opportunity to help other girls around the world. One of the leaders' cousins is a missionary and goes to Haiti regularly - he will deliver the dresses.
• The Central Florida Future reports that University of Central Florida Director of Women's Studies M.C. Santana holds many titles and responsibilities in her life. As of Jan. 29, she will add one more. Santana was elected to the Citrus Council Developmental Board of the Central Florida Girl Scouts, which services all Central Florida counties.
• Ohio's Springfield News-Sun reports that dancing with dad was ‘perfect’ at Girl Scouts get-together. The father-daughter dance also features portraits, socializing, refreshments and balloons.
• In Nebraska, KTIV News-4 reports that local girl scouts are learning you're never too young to be heart healthy. Mercy Medical Center's Red Dress Ambassadors teamed up with troops for a day of exercise and healthy eating at the Norm Waitt Senior YMCA.

Enjoy!

Journey to Confidence with Deborah Hearn Smith

The Indianapolis Star, IN, has a column penned by Deborah Hearn Smith, chief executive officer of the Girl Scouts of Central Indiana, titled "My View: Journey to confidence begins with a cookie". With cookie season well under way in her community, Smith states that "with every season of the Girl Scout cookie program, another generation of girls learns to set goals, make a plan and manage money. As women, they'll need these skills, whether their goal is to start a business or a family. The cookie program is just one of the many ways that Girl Scouts provides skills for girls to use in the real world."

Also rolling out nationwide is the most recent Girl Scout leadership journey, It's Your Story, Tell It!. Smith states that, "The Girl Scout Leadership Experience, for girls in grades K-12, provides caring adult mentors, practical life skills and tools to build courage, all of which help girls grow into confident, healthy, decision-making adults... The activities a girl participates in will help her gain confidence and a better sense of self. Girl Scouts who belong to a troop learn how to work well with others as they navigate a Girl Scout journey. Each journey is not only fun, but the activities support what girls are learning in the classroom. The journeys also help girls explore the three keys to leadership: discovering themselves and their values, connecting with others, and taking action to make the world a better place."

As stated by Smith, each journey is fun! It's Your Story-Tell It! has its' very own comprehensive website that allows you to get involved in a number of awesome activities! It has quizzes and games, video examples and templates plus a whole lot more. Girl Scouts of the USA and Dove®, the leading personal care brand, partner to deliver Girl Scout leadership and self-esteem programming to millions of girls nationwide and abroad with the latest Girl Scout leadership journey It's Your Story-Tell It!.

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I just took a quiz called "What's Your Eco-Style" - find out your eco-style today!

Her Royal Highness of Brunei Speaks to Brunei Girl Guides

Brunei Direct reports that Bandar Seri Begawan - Her Majesty Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha, the Royal Patron of the Girl Guides Association of Brunei Darussalam, recently urged the association's members to both learn and share experiences and ideas with other members within the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS). In her message carried in the program book on the occasion of the association's 60th anniversary yesterday, Her Majesty said that there were a number online resources that could be utilised to keep up with the latest programs and activities of the many members of WAGGGS.

Her Majesty lauded the work's of the association that bring benefit for the community. "Indeed, every Guide should consider herself an ambassador of the guiding way, demonstrating care and compassion for those around them and leading the way by setting the best example... It is therefore crucial that the guiding team subscribe to the principle of lifelong learning, in order to ensure that all the activities and programme of the association continue to be relevant to the current needs of our society as well as continue to be appealing to the nation's girls and young women," Her Royal Highness said.

Brunei s a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia. Apart from its coastline with the South China Sea, it is completely surrounded by the state of Sarawak, Malaysia, and in fact it is separated into two parts by Limbang, which is part of Sarawak. It is the only sovereign state completely on the island of Borneo, with the remainder of the island belonging to Malaysia and Indonesia. Brunei's population is around 400,000.