Girl Scouts Highlight Girls’ Financial Empowerment With NYSE Closing Bell

Timothy Higdon, Chief of External Affairs of the Girl Scouts of the USA and Patricia Stensrud, Board President of the Girl Scouts of Greater New York, along with Judy Vredenburgh, President and CEO of Girls Inc. will ring The Closing Bell® at the New York Stock Exchange in honor of Financial Literacy Month, underscoring the importance of financial empowerment and financial capability for girls. They will be joined on the bell podium by several Girl Scouts and girls participating in the ING-Girls Inc. Investment Challenge.

Tune in today to CNBC for the Closing Bell between 3pm and 5pm, Eastern Time. The program is dual-anchored by Maria Bartiromo and Bill Griffeth at the New York Stock Exchange between 3-4pm.

Girl Scouts of the USA is the premier leadership organization for girls. The $715 million dollar Girl Scout Cookie Program is far and away the most successful entrepreneurship program for girls—and only girls—in the world. Many female business leaders got their start selling cookies. In fact, some 80 percent of American, female executives and business owners are former Girl Scouts. Girls set cookie goals to support their chosen activities for the year, to fund community service and leadership projects, to attend summer camp, to travel to destinations near and far and to provide events for girls in their community. Through the Girl Scout Cookie Program girls develop five essential skills: goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, business ethics.

Girl Scouts of the USA Adds to National Board of Directors

Girl Scouts of the USA took action on March 29, 2011, to appoint Barbara Krumsiek, CEO of the Calvert Group, and Linda Descano, President and CEO of Citi’s Women’s group, to the National Board of Directors. This change comes as Girl Scouts of the USA prepares for the organizations 100th anniversary, its’ most aggressive fund development campaign ever, and in the midst of an executive search for the next CEO, who will take over after Kathy Cloninger retirees later this year.

Barbara J. Krumsiek is Chair, CEO and President of Calvert Group, Ltd., a leading investment management firm headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. Calvert manages over $14 billion in assets. In 2010, Krumsiek told the New York Times that her experience in Girl Scouting contributed greatly to her success.

Linda Descano is President & CEO of Women & Co., a division of Citi that provides women with financial resources and a community for building their financial knowledge, exchanging financial insights, and accessing tips and tools for creating financial strategies based on the realities of women’s financial lives. Linda joined Women & Co. in 2003 as Chief Operating Officer and was appointed as President in 2007 and CEO in 2010.

New CEO for California's Central Coast

Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast announced yesterday that Sherry Norman Sybesma of Arlington, Texas, has been selected as Chief Executive Officer of the council effective immediately. Ms. Sybesma has been serving as interim CEO since January 1, of this year, and will provide the continued vision and leadership for the council three-years post realignment – a core business strategy which joined two legacy councils encompassing six counties along the central coast.

Ms. Sybesma, a former Girl Scout volunteer and past Executive Director of Girl Scouts Lone Star Council, recently held consultant, and Senior Vice President positions at Interbake Foods, an industry-leading baked goods manufacturer. Ms. Sybesma was responsible for managing the Girl Scout cookie business held by Interbake, as well as other segments in retail/private label and contract manufacturing.

Girl Scouts of the USA has initiated its search for a new Chief Executive Officer to replace Kathy Cloninger, who announced her retirement in September, 2010, and plans to transition from her position in November of 2011.

Girl Scouts Make Significant Brand Equity Gains in 2011

According to the 2011 Harris Poll EquiTrend Study, the non-profit sector shows improvement in brand equity, despite some high profile missteps. Overall, the non-profit sector has continued to show improvement in brand equity among consumers since 2007. Girl Scouts of the USA is among several non-profit organizations that have demonstrated strong brand equity gains this year, a list which also includes American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Feeding America, Habitat for Humanity, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, March of Dimes and Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Brand equity refers to the marketing effects and outcomes that accrue to a product with its brand name compared with those that would accrue if the same product did not have the brand name. Because of the well known brand name the company some time charges premium prices from the consumer. At the root of these marketing effects is consumers' knowledge. The study of brand equity is increasingly popular as some marketing researchers have concluded that brands are one of the most valuable assets that a company has. Brand equity is one of the factors which can increase the financial value of a brand to the brand owner, although not the only one.

Earlier this year, Rick Thompson at Customer Think placed the new Girl Scout brand identity at number two in his Top Five Brand Identity and Logo Changes in 2010. At Brand New - one of my personal favorites - the Girl Scout refresh came out with high marks as well.

Weekend Run-Down

Let's take a look at Girl Scout stories popping up all across the country:

• The Washington Examiner reports on Lidia Soto-Harmon, Chief executive officer, Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital. The article runs down her favorite spots in and around Washington, DC.
• Indiana’s IndyStar reports that more than $42,000 was raised for Girl Scouts in Hamilton County at the Hamilton County Leadership Luncheon on March 25. Co-organizer Mary Sue Rowland said more than $24,000 was collected from donations the day of the event. About 600 Girl Scouts and supporters attended. She estimated, taking into account sponsors, in-kind donations, door prizes plus donors, the event brought in $42,419.
• The Garden City News, NY, reports that the first ever Eco-Fest at the Garden City Bird Sanctuary was professionally presented by four girls in Cadette Troop 1241 for their Silver project. The idea was a product of brainstorming by the girls themselves last August as they began planning their Silver project together.
• In Canada, Global BC reports that Jasmine Merali is a very successful, clever, shrewd and determined businesswoman - trapped in the body of a 10-year-old Scout. The North Vancouver girl has quickly made a name for herself inside the organization for her aggressive techniques that have crowned her the top seller of popcorn. But Jasmine isn't raking in chump change - in just one month, she sold enough bags of popcorn to make $17,185.
• Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley Live reports that About 90 Girl Scouts and other members of Daisy Troop 90694 took part in a Mommy and Me Zumba class Friday at Greenwich Elementary School. The class was a fundraiser, with proceeds going to the Red Cross to benefit Japan, which is recovering from an earthquake and tsunami and battling a nuclear disaster. Zumba is a fitness program in which participants dance to Latin music to get in shape.

Enjoy!

Focus on a Famous Former: Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Jacqueline "Jackie" Joyner-Kersee is a retired American athlete, ranked among the all-time greatest athletes in the women's heptathlon as well as in the women's long jump. She won three gold, one silver, and two bronze Olympic medals, in those four different events. Sports Illustrated for Women magazine voted Joyner-Kersee the Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th century.

She is a famous former Girl Scout!

Ruth Bramson, CEO of Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts, Honored

The Boston Business Journal reports that as a single mother of three daughters for a good chunk of her professional career, Ruth Bramson knew firsthand the challenges facing working women. In fact, she wrote her master’s thesis at Boston University on the topic: How companies can provide a better work/life balance for women. “It’s really disheartening, with all the focus on women’s issues, that there is still such an imbalance of women in top management positions,” she said. Bramson’s own success in the workplace and managing that difficult work/life balance made her an ideal choice to lead the newly resurgent Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts.

Ruth Bramson was recently honored alongside June Rokoff, of the Commonwealth Institute and Linda Whitlock, head of The Whitlock Group and former president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston at The Boston Business Journal's Advancing Women breakfast.

Keep Going Alison Mansfield

Congrats to Hall of Famer Alison Mansfield!

Energizer's Keep Going Hall of Fame reports that at age 10, Alison Mansfield had an experience that literally changed her life perspective; she met Sergeant Paul Statzer, a soldier severely injured while serving in Iraq. Inspired by Sergeant Statzer’s strength and positive attitude, Alison knew she wanted to do something to honor those who make our freedoms possible, so she started a Girl Scout cookie drive and collection of troop support letters. But in 2007, her project went national when she added the collection of warm, wool socks for soldiers serving in the cold, mountainous regions of Afghanistan. Today, Alison has collected more than 60,000 socks, snacks, toiletries, letters of support and small toys for the soldiers to give to the Afghan and Iraqi children as gestures of goodwill. Through her extraordinary spirit, enthusiasm and determination, Alison has inspired others across the United States to get involved in their communities.

Kudos Alison! Do you have similar stories of Girl Scouts contributing to the greater good?

Three Generations of Girl Scouts in Sacramento

In California, Sacramento's ABC News 10 meets with three generations of Girl Scouts who share their experiences growing up with the Girl Scout organization and why it's been a tradition in their family. Check it out!

Do you have experience with multi-generational Girl Scout families? Have you stayed in touch with Girl Scouts from your past? Register with the Girl Scouts Alumnae Association to reconnect!

Girl Scouts Forever Green Sweeps the USA With Earth Hour

The Earth Hour Blog reports that Girl Scouts across the United States of America - from Louisiana to Missouri to Utah and Indiana - led the action for Earth Hour. In Los Angeles, local troops gathered for a candlelit vigil while 500 Colorado Girl Scouts created a giant glowing ‘GS” on the steps of the State Capital Building in Denver. All 96 UN buildings in New York including its main headquarters flicked off for the occasion. Simultaneously, the lights of Broadway theatres dimmed their marquees and roof signs in honor of Earth Hour. Iconic sites including the Empire State Building and numerous buildings in Times Square also rose to the occasion by switching off.

This year, Girl Scouts of the USA has partnered with Earth Hour, which meshes well with the ongoing Girl Scouts Forever Green project. Girl Scouts Forever Green, the Girl Scouts’ 100th Anniversary Take Action Project, is a national effort of girls leading their families, schools, and communities in improving the environment and protecting natural resources. Girl Scouts Forever Green invites girls to Take Action on three major projects. Participants are also encouraged to take an Online Pledge stating their yearlong commitment to Girl Scouts Forever Green efforts.

“Our organizations have a common purpose — to create a better environment for future generations,” Andy Ridley, Earth Hour co-founder and executive director told the Colorado Springs Gazette. More than 350 Girl Scouts and their families gathered at the Capitol in Colorado Springs, hosting an evening of environmental learning for the community.

California’s Camarillo Acorn reports that Camarillo Girl Scouts have a bright future when it comes to turning off lights and turning on candles in the name of energy conservation.

The troops and their communities across the country replaced incandescent bulbs with energy efficient light bulbs, and turned off non-emergency lights during Earth Hour 2011. The Scouts in Camarillo installed 40 energy- efficient light bulbs in member’s homes and saved 15,538 kilowatts of energy and 23,929 pounds of CO2 to raise awareness for the environment.

To date, Girl Scouts have installed 7,419 energy-efficient light bulbs and 8,868 Scouts participated in Earth Hour. The Girl Scout organization estimates these two events have saved 2.8 million kilowatts of energy and 4.4 pounds of CO2. That is equivalent to planting 431 acres of trees per year or the CO2 emissions from about 387 cars per year. These numbers are expected to expand greatly as Girl Scouts Forever Green gains even more traction nationwide in 2012.