Banner Cookie Year for San Gorgonio

Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio Council's Blog reports on the council's record-breaking cookie season this year, with 2,085,276 boxes sold council-wide. Last year's total number of boxes sold was 1,753,148.

The Girl Scouts' "I CARE" program also raised a record number of donations. Through "I CARE," cookie buyers choose an organization they would like to gift with their cookie donation. The program benefits military service people as well as local charities such as food banks, women's shelters, Ronald McDonald houses and camps.

As a result, 164,600 boxes of cookies were donated through I CARE--an increase of 34% over last year. More than 107,000 of those boxes were donated to Operation Gratitude to be shipped to deployed military, the largest single donation from any organization ever.

Top selling girl, Caitlin Loret, sold 4,051 boxes.

Congrats to Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio on their amazing sales!

Girl Scouts March for Memorial Day

My San Antonio has a slide-show of Memorial Day activities from across the country. Featured is a photo of Malcolm Robertson enthusiastically leading the Incarnation Church Girl Scouts of Queens village during the Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day parade Monday, May 30, 2011, in Little Neck, N.Y. The parade is known to attract servicemen and prominent politicians from New York metropolitan area.

How did you spend Memorial Day 2011?

Forever Green Beats in the Heart of Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's Patriot-News reports that thirteen hundred girls, along with supporters and adult volunteers from the Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania, converged recently to kick off their Forever Green initiative, which aims to raise awareness of and make a positive difference in the environment.

After the opening rally, the girls split into groups to participate in workshops on recycling, composting and conservation, including a grow-your-own pizza herb garden event hosted by Home Depot that included a lecture on green chlorophyll and photosynthesis along with the chance to plant seeds.

According to Jane Ransom, CEO of Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania, Forever Green will include projects such as developing a Lancaster area biking trail with the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources; facilitating the collection of 10,000 pounds of recyclable plastics; distributing reusable shopping bags; as well as Susan Corbett, First Lady of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, championing the formation of an honorary troop of women legislators.

Tampa Girl Scouts Complete MEdia Program

"Media isn't always what it appears to be," according to Cadette Girl Scout Abigail Barnes. Tampa Bay Online reports that Barnes, along with Girl Scout Troop 1125, celebrated a completion of Girl Scout Leadership Journey "It's Your Story — Tell It!" by sharing her experiences with other troops at the International Academy of Design and Technology in Tampa.

As Cadette-level scouts, the girls' curriculum focused on print, television and radio media and how it affects their lives. The girls attended workshops on song lyrics, magazine advertisements and music videos throughout the year and were challenged to come up with what is unrealistic in the advertisement and how to change it.

The activities aimed to help the girls look at advertisements, videos and songs to see how businesses trying to sell products may project an image that is not always correct.

Girl Scouts of the USA's PSA, Watch What You Watch, received a 2011 Gracie Award recently in Los Angeles. Watch What You Watch was created for a collaborative initiative with the Girl Scouts of the USA that emphasizes the importance of helping children make educated choices in media viewing. The Gracies, bestowed by the Alliance for Women in Media, celebrates and honors programming that is created for women, by women and about women, as well as individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the industry.

Do you think the media projects unrealistic images?

Paper Cranes for Japan

In New York, Wellsville Daily reports that since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Whitesville Girl Scout Troop 76 has folded 1,000 origami cranes to sell for relief efforts. The Troop was coincidentally learning about Japan for World Thinking Day on March 11, when the earthquake and tsunami struck.

Cranes are a symbol of luck in Japan. Traditionally, anyone who folds 1,000 origami cranes will receive his or her wish. One thousand cranes have also become a symbol of hope and world peace.

Girl Scout Amelia England Turns 111

In Massachusetts, South Coast Today reports that Amelia England turned 111 years old on May 15, making her one of the oldest people in world and the second oldest person in Massachusetts. She's lived in the area for 100 years, since emigrating from England at the age of 11.

One singular achievement Milly is especially proud of is holding the title of oldest known living Girl Scout. She joined the Scouts in 1914, two years after the group's founding, was a member of the Thistle Troop and remembers meeting Girl Scouts founder Juliette Low. Milly recalls that the troop met at St. Andrew's Church in New Bedford and that they made their own uniforms. "I'm still a Girl Scout," she says. "I'll never quit Girl Scouting."

Happy Birthday Millie! Do you know any Girl Scouts approaching, at or over 100 years of age?

Michigan Teens Meet With Girl Scout Leadership About Cookie Ingredients

The Wall Street Journal reports that the two Michigan teens campaigning to replace palm oil in Girl Scout cookies met for two hours yesterday with Girl Scout officials. During the meeting Tuesday morning at Girl Scouts of the USA headquarters in New York City, scout officials agreed to research palm oil to determine if they can get more of the ingredient from rain forests that haven't been cleared for palm oil plantations, or if they can replace it with something else.

Amanda Hamaker, product sales manager for Girl Scouts of the USA, said the organization plans to reach out to the Union of Concerned Scientists, the World Wildlife Fund and other environmental groups about palm oil production.

Girl Scouts Rhiannon Tomtishen and Madison Vorva became concerned about the presence of palm oil in the cookies after they studied orangutans as part of a project to earn their Girl Scout Bronze Award four years ago. They learned that palm oil plantations are sometimes built on orangutan habitat.

Last year, Girl Scout troops sold $714 million of cookies, most of which goes to the nonprofit councils under which troops are organized.

Before their Tuesday meeting with Ms. Hamaker, Girl Scouts spokeswoman Michelle Tompkins and two other officials, the girls met Girl Scouts of the USA Chief Executive Officer Kathy Cloninger for about 15 minutes, after which they received a "meet the CEO" patch for their Girl Scout uniforms.

Palm oil preserves the cookies and gives them the taste and texture that partially hydrogenated vegetable oil once did. The vegetable oil was removed five years ago so the cookies would be free of trans fat.

Joplin, Missouri Tornado: How Can You Help?

The 2011 Joplin tornado was a multiple-vortex tornado which struck Joplin, Missouri at 5:41 p.m. CDT May 22, 2011. It was part of a larger late-May tornado outbreak and was an estimated 0.75 miles wide when it struck the city. As of May 2011 it was the deadliest tornado to hit the United States since 1947. According to the National Weather Service, emergency managers reported damage to 75% of Joplin. Communications were lost in the community and power was knocked out to many areas. The Missouri State Emergency Management Agency confirmed that at least 119 people were killed and more than 1,150 were injured in Joplin, a number that is likely to rise. Here are a few ways you can help:

The Missouri State Emergency Management Agency is providing details on donating and volunteering to help Missourians recover and rebuild. Health professionals interested in volunteering are asked to sign up on the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Show-Me Response website.

The American Red Cross has opened shelters in Missouri and Minnesota. The shelter in Joplin is located at Missouri Southern State University, and the Red Cross is working to provide transportation to the shelter for those in need. The Red Cross is also distributing food, cleanup supplies and comfort kits, and sending health workers to provide immediate care. Text "REDCROSS" to 90999 to make a $10 donation, or visit the website to donate, give blood or volunteer.

AmeriCares has sent disaster-relief personnel to Joplin, and it's working with Access Family Care Clinic to help victims.Donations to AmeriCares can be made online or by phone at 1-800-486-HELP.The disaster-response team with Convoy of Hope is heading to Joplin with a truckload of water, snacks and ready-to-eat meals. Those wanting to help can text the word "CONVOY" to 50555 to make a $10 donation. You can also donate online or by calling 1-417-823-8998.

The Heart of Missouri United Way has established the Tornado Relief Fund to help victims.

Our thoughts go out to everyone affected by this disaster. Do you have any examples of Girl Scouts helping communities following the tornadoes?

Jersey Shore's Five New Board Members

New Jersey's Asbury Park Press reports that Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore welcomed five new board members during its Annual Meeting on May 19.

Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande, Colleen Connolly, Maureen Crinigan, Patricia Downs and Rhonda Figeroa joined the Board of Directors as members-at-large with two-year terms. They join returning board members Robin Fitzmaurice, Karen Kavanagh, Helene Koseff, Marie Lucier-Woodruff, Janet Malkemes, Anne Nachman and Rosalind Seawright, all elected to serve an additional two years. Also rejoining the board is JoAnn McCann, previously serving as immediate past president and continuing on as a member-at-large.

Each new board member brings a unique background and expertise to the board, which is tasked with providing guidance and support as the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore implements programs to more than 15,000 girls in Monmouth and Ocean counties. Girl Scouts are always seeking volunteers at every level, from community members who can only give a few hours at a time to those willing to make a year-long commitment to supporting girls in their town. For more information on how to volunteer, look here.

Girl Scout Honored for Fast Fire Response

In Lemont, IL, first grader Abby Beranek was honored for her prompt response when her family’s dryer caught on fire. The Tribune Local reports that Abby, age 7, was presented with a “Young Hero” award at the Lemont Fire District Station One Thursday night.

She also got a copy of a letter written by U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert, R-Ill., which will be read when Congress is in session, a proclamation from Mayor Brian Reaves, an award for bravery from State Fire Marshal Lawrence Matkaitis, and a gift certificate for breakfast with her family.

Last month, Abby, along with the Daisy Girl Scout troop that she belongs to, went to a fire prevention talk given by Jeff Hawthorne, public education coordinator for the Lemont Fire Protection District.

Girl Scouts Continue Response to Tornadoes

In St. Louis, MO, KMOV TV 4 reports that local Girl Scouts have been collecting supplies for schools heavily damaged by the tornadoes in Alabama. Today, all donations are being transported to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where the supplies will be distributed among the schools affected. On April 27th and 28th, a string of tornadoes tore through several southern states, killing roughly 300 people and decimating entire neighborhoods.
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You can donate money to the American Red Cross in several different ways. You can always do it through the Red Cross website. You can also text "REDCROSS" to the phone number 90999. After you send the text, $10 will be donated to the Red Cross, and the charge will appear on your next phone bill. You can also donate by phone or by mail. Here is a partial list of organizations that are helping with the disaster.

Our thoughts go out to everyone affected by this disaster. Do you have any examples of Girl Scouts helping communities following the tornadoes?

Girl Scouts Rock! Tour Hits The Big Apple!

Girl Scouts Rock! Tour is hitting the Big Apple this weekend! Roland Corporation U.S. and Girl Scouts of the USA have announced that the final stop in the brand new national Girl Scouts Rock! tour will take place in New York on Saturday, May 21, 2011. Girl Scouts Rock! is designed to provide girls with a hands-on experience playing popular music; an opportunity fewer girls are receiving due to school music budget cuts.

Former Girl Scout and Disney star Shelby Spalione, previous lead singer of the all-girl teen rock band KSM, will also be on hand in New York to sing with the Rockin’ Roland Girls Band, talk to the girls, and inspire them to learn to make their own music and follow their dreams. Spalione, 17, who opened for the Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato last year as lead singer of KSM, is currently working on a solo project.

Girls will then be led into break-out sessions featuring activities utilizing Roland’s Lucina AX-09 Shoulder Synthesizer, HD-1 V-Drums® Lite, Rock Band 3, an interactive instrument display, and karaoke station. The curriculum is based on the latest Girl Scout leadership journey It’s Your Story –Tell It!, which uses a storytelling theme in fun and relevant ways to help girls understand themselves and their potential. Building a strong sense of self is an underlying goal of the series, which was made possible by a generous grant from Dove.

Post-workshop tools will be available here! Do you have a favorite female rocker?

Girl Scouts 'Watch What You Watch' PSA Earns Prestigious Award

The Creative Coalition’s recent PSA, Watch What You Watch, will receive a 2011 Gracie Award at next week’s award ceremony in Los Angeles. Watch What You Watch was created for a collaborative initiative with the Girl Scouts of the USA that emphasizes the importance of helping children make educated choices in media viewing.

The Gracies, bestowed by the Alliance for Women in Media, celebrates and honors programming that is created for women, by women and about women, as well as individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the industry. The Gracie Awards strive to encourage the realistic and faceted portrayal of women in entertainment, commercials, news, features and other programs.

The campaign is created in partnership with the Girl Scouts of the USA, National Cable & Telecommunications Association, and the National Association of Broadcasters. The Watch What You Watch creative team includes writer Peter Mattei, cinematographer Aengus James, and This Is Just A Test Productions.

In Texas, Turning Trash Into Art Garners Girl Scout Silver Awards

My San Antonio reports that Mitchell Lake Audubon Center on Saturday hosted a ceremony where seven Girl Scouts each received a Girl Scout Silver Award.

All seven girls were mentored by renowned local artist Katie Pell in creating a visual art exhibit, “Leave the Lake Cleaner than You Found It,” which also was unveiled Saturday at Mitchell Lake Audubon Center. The artwork was built entirely from trash collected by the scouts at Mitchell Lake Audubon Center, and will be used by the center as part of its extensive educational program for area students.

The Girl Scout Silver Award represents a girl's accomplishments in Girl Scouting and her community as she grows and works to improve her life and the lives of others. The first four requirements of the Girl Scout Silver Award help girls build skills, explore careers, gain leadership skills, and make a commitment to self-improvement.

Do you have any Girl Scout Silver Award stories?

Wall Street Journal Covers Cookie Activism

As reported in the Wall Street Journal—Four years ago, Girl Scouts Rhiannon Tomtishen and Madison Vorva set out to study orangutans in order to earn their Girl Scout Bronze Award. Instead, they wound up investigating the ingredients in Girl Scout Cookies. What they uncovered led them on a mission to change the recipe for Girl Scout cookies. The article positions our girls as being the extraordinary leaders that they are. Please refer any inquiries to our FAQ.

President’s Volunteer Service Award Earned in Ohio

Congratulations to Girl Scouts of Troop 80344 of McDonald, Ohio, who earned the Silver Level President’s Volunteer Service Award for community service.

Vindy.com reports that Girl Scout Troop 80344 gave 544 hours serving others and is already working toward its 2011 goal. The Scouts have participated in more than thirty projects during 2010, some of which include Project Linus for the Akron Children’s Hospital Beeghly Campus, Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley Collections, Veterans Day Cards for the Cleveland Veterans Hospital, Reverse Trick-or-Treat and Holiday Project at the Woodland Park Retirement Apartments, Make It Don’t Take it Card Project, Angel Tree Donation, and Collections for school supplies, health kits, Animal Welfare League, Goodwill, Niles Community Center, Warren Family Mission, USO and Center of Hope. Kudos and Congrats!

Meet Rachel G: Girl Scout, Carbon Cop, Energy Star and More

Rachel Ann G, a Girl Scout Gold Award recipient from Pennsylvania, authors the Carbon Cops Website for Environmental Rangers. In her words, "Carbon Cops are Environmental Rangers educated and sworn in so that they may sleuth out ways to make their own impact through the three R’s—Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling. They are leaders themselves, able to train other Carbon Cops, and lead their own clubs to empower others therefore spreading the knowledge and passion I have shared with them."

Among her many accomplishments, Rachel G's Carbon Cops program was recently the star of an Energy Star Video Challenge:

Do you know any girls who run their own Blogs or Websites?

Bridging Through aMAZE

The Courrier-Gazette, TX, reports that Girl Scout Cadettes of Troop 1585 conducted a bridging workshop for fellow Junior Girl Scout Troops. This workshop, which both introduced the Junior Troops to their next level as Cadettes as well as presented a taste of life in middle school, was a take-action service project that completed their aMAZE Journey.

The Cadette Level aMAZE Journey explores the navigation of relationships and friendships that girls experience during their teen years.

The Cadettes chose, planned and carried out this workshop to complete their journey because introducing the Junior Girls to their next level and to middle school helped them demonstrate what they've learned this past year and pass along their experience to benefit the younger girls. The Cadettes have earned all three awards of the aMAZE Journey, and the Junior Troops each completed their Bridge to Cadette Award.

Do you have any bridging stories to share?

Healthy MEdia in the Words of Deborah Taylor Tate

Deborah Taylor Tate, co-chair of Healthy MEdia: Commission for Positives Images of Women and Girls and a former Federal Communications Commission commissioner, recently penned an op-ed in The Tennessean about the lack of positive media role models for children.

She asks, "What did we see today? And more importantly, what did our children see today?"

An important question that the Healthy MEdia Commission is aiming to address. Geena Davis, Academy Award-winning Actor and Founder of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, and Deborah Taylor Tate, former FCC Commissioner, have joined together to launch Healthy MEdia: Commission for Positive Images of Women and Girls.

Did you know that children between 8 and 18 years-old spend upward of 10 hours a day engaging with media, spending more time with media than any other activity except school and sleeping?

Girl Scouts Gardening for Good in California

In California, Maggie Avants of the Murrieta Patch reports that Daisy Girl Scout Troop 1380 recently planted carrots in Produce for People, Murrieta's community garden. Food cultivated in the garden goes to area food pantries and to the Murrieta Senior Center.

The Girl Scout troop added their contribution to the garden this week when they planted carrots alongside Murrieta City Council member Kelly Bennett. For many of them, it was their first experience with planting as well as experiencing community involvement, said Monica Tentman, a troop mother. Tentman organized the effort, which fulfilled a merit badge for the girls.

Kathy Cloninger Receives Honorary Doctorate From Texas A&M

North Texas e-News reports that Dallas native Kathy Cloninger, CEO of Girl Scouts of the U.S.A., recently received one of Texas A&M University's highest honors. On Saturday, May 14, Cloninger was presented her honorary doctorate and served as the keynote commencement speaker for the undergraduate ceremonies.

A native of Dallas, Texas, Cloninger got her start as a Girl Scout in her mother's troop. She earned an M.S. in counseling and business management from East Texas State University. On her arrival at Girl Scout headquarters in late 2003, Cloninger launched a sweeping transformation of the entire Girl Scout Movement to increase its appeal and relevance to 21st-century girls and fulfill the Girl Scout mission to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.

Cloninger's more than two decades in Girl Scouting include service as a CEO with Girl Scout councils in Tennessee, Texas, and Colorado; as national management consultant for GSUSA; and as a participant in groundbreaking task groups strategizing on girls' well-being. She was also an executive grant-maker at the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, CEO of two YWCA branches in Texas, and a career development consultant.

Cloninger serves as secretary of the board of directors of the National Assembly of Human Services, on the national boards of American Humanics and the National Council for Research on Women, and on advisory boards for America's Promise, See Jane, and the National Association of Corporate Boards. She is a founder of Tennessee's Association of Nonprofit Executives. She has received numerous awards, including Nonprofit CEO of the Year 2000 from the Center for Nonprofit Management and the NCCJ Human Relations Award.

Early Exposure to Science and Technology for Girls

According to "Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics," a 2010 study by the American Association of University Women, women have surpassed men in the number of both bachelor's and graduate degrees earned, yet remain outnumbered in the science, technology, engineering and math fields, earning only 20 percent of related bachelor's degrees.

The Chicago Tribune caught up recently with Maria Wynne, CEO, Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana. "I think it will take a concerted effort to ensure that we change this," says Wynne, whose organization offers badges for girls who master money counting, computer proficiency and chemistry projects. "We expose them early on to science and technology and engineering and math as concepts, without labeling them as such."

She also relates that food is a great place to start, whether you're baking with your child (measuring, using proportions, adding fractions), grocery shopping (counting products, adding up the bill) or something slightly less conventional.

What are your methods for getting girls interested in science, technology, engineering and math?

Florida Girl Scouts Complete MEdia Program

In Florida, the Bloomdale Patch reports that Girl Scouts of West Central Florida will host a celebration for 50 Girl Scout Cadettes in grades six to eight who recently completed MEdia, part of the It’s Your Story – Tell It! journey from Girl Scouts of the USA and Dove. Over the past six months, the group of Girl Scout Cadettes from three troops in Clearwater, West Tampa and Riverview attended myriad events and completed projects at their troop meetings as part of the MEdia journey from It's Your Story—Tell It!

It's Your Story—Tell It! uses a storytelling theme in a fun and relevant way for girls to better understand themselves and their potential. Throughout the journey, girls looked for the “ME” in media and learned how they can shape media – for themselves, their communities and the world.

The MEdia journey includes three Leadership Awards; the Monitor Award - Cadettes have taken stock of media in their world and the influence it has, the Influence Award - Cadettes understand the importance of having media reflect the realities of their world and the Cultivate Award - Cadettes have made a personal commitment to cultivate a new perspective on media.

Together Counts: Families Working Together to Fight Obesity

Beating obesity takes two things – people consuming fewer calories, and expending more calories through healthy physical activity. It’s called energy balance, and families eating and playing together can help achieve it. That is why the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation and Girl Scouts of the USA have launched a national campaign called the Together Counts program. It encourages families to eat meals and engage in physical activities together.

Families will be provided with tools to track their progress and compare them with the results in their communities and across America. The program will also offer rewards and incentives to provide positive reinforcement. The Together Counts website will provide families with tips and advice that fuel participation, and a mobile app will give participants access to log and track their progress anywhere.

The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation brings together 160 retailers, food and beverage manufacturers, restaurants, sporting goods and insurance companies, a professional sports organization, NGOs, trade associations, and the U.S. Army to do their part to help families reduce obesity, especially childhood obesity.

Girl Scouts Rock! Tour Headed to NYC

Roland Corporation U.S. and Girl Scouts of the USA have announced a New York City stop on May 21st, in conjunction with the national tour of the new Girl Scouts Rock! Initiative, which includes workshops designed to inspire and empower girls through music. Girl Scouts Rock! is designed to provide girls ages 8-14 with a hands-on experience playing popular music, an opportunity fewer girls are receiving due to school music budget cuts.

At each workshop, Roland is bringing the Rockin’ Roland Girls Band for an electric performance of popular songs to introduce girls to their inner musician and to the instruments they play. Former Girl Scout and Disney star Shelby Spalione, previous lead singer of the all-girl teen rock band KSM, will also be on hand to sing with the Rockin’ Roland Girl’s Band. Spalione, 17, who opened for the Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato last year as lead singer of KSM, is currently working on a solo project.

Girls will then be led into break-out sessions featuring activities utilizing Roland’s Lucina AX-09 Shoulder Synthesizer, HD-1 V-Drums® Lite, Rock Band 3, an interactive instrument display, and karaoke station. The curriculum is based on the latest Girl Scout leadership journey It’s Your Story –Tell It!, which uses a storytelling theme in fun and relevant ways to help girls understand themselves and their potential. Building a strong sense of self is an underlying goal of the series, which was made possible by a generous grant from Dove. The Girl Scouts Rock! Tour stopped off in Chicago over the weekend--WCIU TV Channel 26 reports.

Guam Girl Scouts "Take Action" in Yigo

In Guam, Pacific News Center reports that Girl Scout Troop 217 of Yigo, pulled weeds and picked up trash recently for the troop's "Take Action" project.

The project was a beautification effort that included painting over graffiti on the Yigo Senior Center, painting lines in the parking lot, planting flowers in the front flower bed and under the overhang, picking up trash around the Senior Center and ball field, and pulling weeds around the building and parking lot. The troop also planned and led a recycling program at the Yigo Senior Center and Yigo Baseball Field which included researching local recycling centers and gathering information on proper handling of recyclables.

Girl Scouts of the USA Overseas Girl Scouts on Guam, serviced by the Guam Girl Scouts Council in Hagåtña.

Teen's Crusade Against Dating Violence Ends in Legislation

Politicker NJ reports that Governor Christie recently signed legislation sponsored by Assembly Republican members Anthony M. Bucco and Mary Pat Angelini that requires school districts to include information about dating violence in their curriculum.

The bill, A-2920, directs the Department of Education to develop a school district dating violence policy and requires districts to provide dating violence education in a school’s health curriculum. The curriculum, Bucco said, will teach teens how to get help if they are a target of dating abuse, and will also focus on developing healthy dating relationships, how to help friends in abusive relationships, and encourages parents to get involved and be aware of what is going on in their child’s life.

In April, My Central Jersey reported that high school sophomore Nicole DeSario kick-started the initiative as a service project to earn the Girl Scout Gold Award. The topic was familiar to DeSario, who said she was exposed to domestic violence as a young child, but now finds "it empowering to know that I'm stronger from what our family has gone through.'' She took her efforts to a local middle school, where students took part in an interactive seminar titled "Speak Out: A Workshop on Teen Dating Violence.'' She then partnered with state legislators to draft a bill that would require the state Department of Education to develop a policy on dating violence in New Jersey's school districts.

Do you have any outstanding Girl Scout Gold Award stories to share?

Preparing Girls With Financial Literacy

The Wall Street Journal reports that the key to preparing youth with tools to navigate the economy is an early start. According to reporter Emily Glazer, "financial experts say it's essential to get kids on the road to financial literacy at an early age".

It's highlighted that Girl Scouts of the USA will soon roll out 13 types of "Personal Finance" badges for girls ages five to 18. Girls will have to complete five activities based on age. A five-year-old must recognize different coins while a 13-year-old must create a budget, says Suzanne Harper, the Girl Scouts' director of program resources. "Even at the Daisy level (ages 5 and 6), they can start to understand that money doesn't grow on trees," Harper says.

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. recently attended 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.

Has involvement in Girl Scouting increased your financial literacy?

Florida Power and Light Solar Powers a Camp!

Florida's Palm Beach Post reports that a $70,000 solar power panel station, enough to power a 2,000-square-foot home, was finished by Florida Power & Light as part of its program to educate the public about the benefits of solar energy . The 5-megawatt station is the first built in a Girl Scout camp in the company's 34-county area.

Each summer, Camp Welaka draws about 1,000 girls at the site near the Martin County line. The station lets campers see the technology up close and is one of two built at nonprofits in the Florida Power and Light area. The other is at the Thomas Edison and Henry Ford Winter Estate in Fort Myers. Eight more stations have been built at public schools.

The Girl Scouts also will be using a suitcase-sized solar oven donated by Florida Power and Light. Placed in the sun, the solar oven - which folds up and can easily be carried by one person - gets as hot as 400 degrees for cooking. Awesome!

After Disasters, Girl Scouts Contribute to Communities

Georgia's Athens Banner-Herald reports that Girl Scouts are donating money, time and supplies to help those left homeless by tornadoes that struck Alabama and Georgia recently. The Girl Scouts are collecting necessities for people who lost their homes and providing a structure for moving supplies from one location to another.

In Tennessee, The Chattanoogan reports that Girl Scouts of Troop 40243 have been proactive in helping their community. At the disaster relief center, the girls accepted and sorted donations that came pouring in from community members. The girls also met with victims of the tornadoes when they came to pick up donations.

Lindsay McCoy at the Cuyahoga Falls Patch reports that Girl Scouts got to help their sisters in Japan through artwork at the gallery opening of Studio 2091 recently. Scout leader Patty Sullivan said the Scouts raised $460.50 from the event. All proceeds went to help scout organizations in Japan recover from the earthquake and tsunami.

The 1,000,000 Pennies for Girl Scouts of Japan Blog reports that second year Girl Scout and author Elisabeth has raised 175,813 pennies so far. She is aiming to donate 1 million pennies to the Girl Scouts of Japan!

Do you have examples of Girl Scouts providing community assistance after a disaster?

Navy Lieutenant Inspires Gold Award Recipients

On April 30, Navy Lieutenant Monica Frey returned to her Girl Scout roots to speak at the 2011 Girl Scout Gold Award Celebration, a program honoring 38 local girls who have earned the Girl Scout Gold Award. Girls who earn the award are eligible to enter the four branches of the United States Armed Services at an advanced level and salary.

My Tidewater Moms reports that Frey shared with the Girl Scout Gold Awardees parts of her journey from a Girl Scout making small changes to help her community to a Navy lieutenant making major improvements in a foreign country. As a Girl Scout, she remembers visiting nursing homes and cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay. As a Navy lieutenant in Afghanistan, she organized soccer clinics for Afghan girls and started a special outreach effort to collect clothing and toys for Afghan women and children in need.

Also on hand, virtually, was Naval Station Norfolk Commanding Officer Captain Mary M. Jackson (the first female commander of the Naval Station and a former Girl Scout/current mom of a Girl Scout), who recorded a video message for the girls that you can find below!

Operation Thin Mint Turns 10 in San Diego

California's San Diego Union reports that Girl scouts and their parents and local dignitaries gathered on the deck of the USS Midway on Saturday, May 7, 2011 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Operation Thin Mint, which lets customers buy cookies but designate them for shipment overseas to U.S. military personnel.

Saturday was a wrap-up celebration of the 2.5 million boxes of cookies sold this year by 16,000 Girl Scouts and a 10th anniversary party for Operation Thin Mint, which this year will send five shipping containers filled with the signature cookies to American troops overseas.

Do you send Girl Scout Cookies to Service Members overseas?

Healthy MEdia Hits the Media!

Politic 365 reports that Geena Davis, Academy Award-winning Actor and Founder of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, and Deborah Taylor Tate, former FCC Commissioner, have joined together to launch Healthy MEdia: Commission for Positive Images of Women and Girls.

Author Elesha Barnette states that "participating in the launch of the Healthy MEdia commission is a great fit for Davis who is a long-time advocate for women and girls in the media. Also founder of the nonprofit The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, and its programming arm See Jane, which engages film and television creators to dramatically increase the percentages of female characters, Davis has been vocal and active in promoting the need to increase the number of girls and women in media aimed at kids and to reduce stereotyping of both males and females."

Deborah Taylor Tate was a Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission. She was nominated by President George W. Bush and was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate. She has spoken out in favor of Digital Rights Management and suggested TV may be a contributing factor in childhood obesity.

GENIUS is Genius!

In Georgia, Atlanta's Alive 11 News reports that Girl Scouts robotics team GENIUS not only snagged a first place award in the FIRST LEGO League Georgia Championship, but the team also recently won the Make A Difference Judge's award at the FIRST ROBOTICS World Festival in St. Louis. GENIUS is an acronym for Girls Exploring New Ideas Using Science and it's the name for a group of Girls Scouts of Greater Atlanta who are proof girls shouldn't shy-away from science, technology and math. Fantastic video of GENIUS below!

Girl Scouts Beyond Bars Flourishing in Oklahoma

Oklahoma's Tulsa World reports that Oklahoma has the highest per-capita rate of female inmates in the United States, with 85 percent of those women being mothers.

The Girl Scouts Beyond Bars Initiative was established in 1992 in partnership with the National Institute of Justice. The goals are to lessen the impact of parental separation due to incarceration, to foster the personal and social development of girls and their mothers, and to provide girls with the opportunity to participate with their parents in the Girl Scout Leadership Experience.

Ruth Samuels, the mentor recruiter for the Girls Scouts Beyond Bars program in Oklahoma, spoke Tuesday at a Tulsa Press Club Page One Luncheon about the program and to encourage community members to become program mentors.

Through the program, kids visit their mothers or grandmothers in prison once a month. The girls have regular Girl Scout meetings each Thursday. Boys are also served through the program by being given a chance to visit their mothers.

Last year, Tulsa World reported that The Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma received another large grant to provide services to children with incarcerated parents, bringing the amount to $1 million awarded the group for Girl Scouts Beyond Bars in 2010.

2011 National Convention: Spotlight on a Voting Delegate

Washington's Peninsula Daily News reports that Lenora Hofer has been selected to represent Girl Scouts throughout Western Washington at the 2011 National Council Session. The National Council Session will be November 10-13 and will include the chance to make major policy changes. Lenora will be a voting delegate.

Lenora juggles the Girl Scout activities among a host of other extracurricular activities such as 4-H, choir, basketball and softball, along with keeping up her grades.

Between November 10–13—the 2011 National Council Session/52nd convention will unfold in Houston, Texas, affirming the unity of the Girl Scout movement and launching Girl Scouts into its next century of existence. Save the date!

Many plans are in the works for the 100th Anniversary of the founding of Girl Scouts by Juliette Low on March 12, 1912. The kick off will be a "Bridge to the Second Century" event on November 13, 2011 at the Girl Scout National Convention in Houston and sites around the country.

Do you plan on attending the 2011 National Council Session/52nd convention in Houston, Texas?

Gold Award Project Promotes Fun and Athletics to Children With Autism

The Basking Ridge Patch's Terry Boudreau reports that Girl Scout Allison Pine recently initiated a program that brought children together with soccer instructors, assisted by student aides to play soccer. Pine's love of soccer and genuine concern for children with special needs informed her decision to make the program promote fun and athletics to children with autism.

Pine reached out to Somerset County Park Commission program coordinator Gwen Luvener, who works in therapeutic recreation and worked with the soccer instructors with developing the activities and giving them insight into working with special needs children. The result was an eight-week program that included 12 children from the ages of 4-10.

Do you have any examples of Girl Scouts contributing to the community through athletics?

Golden Gate Bridging in San Francisco

Marina Park - Girl Scout CEO, lawyer and mom pens a column in The San Francisco Chronicle's City Brights about Girl Scouting. This week she reports that on Saturday, May 7, almost 4,000 Girl Scouts from 14 states walked across the Golden Gate Bridge and celebrated "bridging" from Junior Girl Scouts (4th and 5th graders) to Cadette Girl Scouts (6th, 7th and 8th graders). Volunteers from local Universities, museums, science, health and environmental organizations staffed booths where girls learned about careers in science, heart health and environmental stewardship, and Girl Scout volunteers ran robotics demonstrations and crafts projects. Video below!

Weekend Run-Down

Here are some Girl Scout stories from this past weekend:

• The St. Cloud Times reports that Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin Lakes and Pines will have an overnight program for girls to learn all aspects of putting on a theatrical show: makeup, costumes, lighting, set design and acting.
• In Massachusetts, Newbury Port News reports on several Rowley Girl Scouts striving to earn their Girl Scout Silver Awards.
• The Nevada Appeal reports on two Girl Scout Gold Award recipients.
• Indiana's Daily Reporter has the story of The Flying Monkeys, whose device, called the BOB-1, won the inaugural FIRST Global Innovation Award. The Flying Monkeys will receive up to $20,000 from the X Prize Foundation toward patenting their invention.
• Michigan's Observer and Eccentric reports that Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan recently recognized three women from Northville for their dedication to Girl Scouting. Linda Heiberger was named an Outstanding Leader. Jillian Bazzi and Cherie Cornick were honored as Outstanding Volunteers.

Enjoy!

Girl Scouts of Nassau County Send a Taste of Home

The Girl Scouts of Nassau County Blog reports that for the past six years, Girl Scouts of Nassau County has been showing appreciation and gratitude to the men and women who serve in the United States Armed Forces by sending them a “taste of home” in the form of donated Girl Scout Cookies. On April 19, 2011, they hosted this year’s send-off event. Together with DHL Express, they shipped 45,000 boxes of cookies overseas. They have it all on video!

Mother's Day the Girl Scout Way

In Atlanta, CARE, Girl Scouts of the USA and Barnes & Noble are teaming up this weekend for two book events in time for Mother's Day. Special readings at Barnes & Noble in Buckhead will help Girl Scouts earn Global Action Patches and a nationwide Bookfair will raise money for CARE's global poverty-fighting mission. On Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1, Girl Scout Daisies, Brownies and Junior Scouts will have an opportunity to earn a Global Action Patch by attending special readings at Barnes & Noble's Buckhead store in Atlanta.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal has a fantastic article on mother-daughter volunteer duos. One mother-daughter team highlighted is Phyllis Hendrickson and her daughter, Wendy, who began volunteering together through Girl Scouts of the USA. Hendrickson said she is glad for the time spent with her daughter saying, "they grow up so fast, when I look back now, it seems like she was just born."

In Canada, the London Free Press reports on sporty activities available for mothers and daughters on Mother's Day. Doreen Verberne, of Watford, Ontario, has been climbing mountains and camping out on Mother's Day since 1999. A Scout leader for 17 years, she first attended the Dorchester International Brotherhood Camporee with her own children. Now that they're grown, she's still a Scout leader and still takes her troop to this huge event in Dorchester, Ontario. According to camp organizer Ron Patterson, it usually attracts 2,000 to 3,000 Boy Scouts, Girl Guides and Girl Scouts from Canada and the U.S., some from as far away as Kentucky and West Virginia. He estimates that around 200 of the 600 leaders are moms.

How are you celebrating this Mother's Day?

Mother-Daughter Duo Design Girl Scout Anniversary Float

EON reports that mother-daughter duo Renée Hoss-Johnson and daughter Brianne Johnson will design the Girl Scouts float for the 2012 Pasadena Tournament of Roses® Parade. The float will celebrate 100 years of Girl Scouting upon the organization’s centennial next year.

Hoss-Johnson, a production designer and mom, designed her first Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade float in 1989. The award-winning designer and her husband Michael, who also engineers some of the more mechanical floats, have spent many holiday seasons making sure the finishing touches on her whimsical designs are to specifications; so much so that her daughter, Brianne, was often considered a “float orphan,” watching excitedly as her mother’s renderings came to life.

Brianne’s winter vacations of gluing flowers sparked her own interest in design, and she has now teamed with her mom to design the Girl Scouts of Greater LA’s entry in the 2012 Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade. Hoss-Johnson is a Girl Scout Troop Leader for her daughter, who has been in Girl Scouts for 12 years and has earned the Gold Award, Girl Scouts’ highest honor.

“Being a Troop Leader for my daughter has kept me in synch with Brianne throughout her life. It has truly been a gift to be able to stand back and watch her learn and blossom with every badge and award she has received,” Hoss-Johnson said. “It has given me a chance to watch her mature and turn into an accomplished and confident young woman.”

GENIUS Makes a Difference!

Congratulations to robotics team GENIUS, who recently won the "Making a Difference" Judges' Award at the FIRST LEGO League World Festival for their creation.

The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation reports that the GENIUS (Girls Exploring New Ideas Using Science) robotics team from the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta has successfully installed a backup camera on the wheelchair of their 10 year old friend, Quinn, with the help of engineers from Georgia Tech's Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access (CATEA). The camera system is designed to solve the problem of limited visibility behind wheelchairs. The team came up with this idea as part of their research project for this year's FIRST LEGO League Body Forward challenge. The team has created a video showing the installation process and the backup camera being used on Quinn's wheelchair:

Congratulations GENIUS!

Championing Healthy MEdia in Washington DC

AdLibbing, the Ad Council’s blog on all things social marketing, published a piece by Laurie A. Westley, Senior Vice President at the Public Policy, Advocacy and the Research Institute of the Girl Scouts of the USA.

Westley emphasizes the importance of promoting positive media images. "The revolution of new technologies such as social media, handheld devices, and interactive media has literally changed our world," says Westley. "For today’s girls, that means more media – up to 10 hours of recreational media a day – in many more forms and places. Many of those media messages and images, especially messages about women and girls, can both positively and negatively affect girls’ confidence, body image, relationships, and leadership aspirations."

Last week, Geena Davis, Academy Award-winning Actor and Founder of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, and Deborah Taylor Tate, former FCC Commissioner, joined together to launch Healthy MEdia: Commission for Positive Images of Women and Girls. Joined by Commission members, media partners, and teenage Girl Scouts, Davis and Tate launched the Commission.

Image via Roll Call, Washington DC.

Wall Street Journal Hails Smart Girls at Gala

The Wall Street Journal was on hand recently for The annual Girl Scouts of Greater New York gala. Former Girl Scout Deborah Norville was the emcee. Norville is a television broadcaster and journalist who has received two Emmy Awards for her television work, the first while at NBC News for coverage of a democratic uprising in Romania, and the second for work on CBS's 48 Hours covering floods on the Mississippi River.

Also on hand was honoree Gwenn L. Carr, executive vice president, Office of the Chairman, for MetLife, Inc. Of the cookies in the goodie bags, Carr stated, "They're dangerous."

Tennessee Cookie Sale Profits Provide Service Dog for Classmate

In Tennessee, Girl Scout Junior Troop # 28088 from Loudon County has helped to make the world a better place! They learned that a classmate, Parker Brown, had severe seizures and needed a service dog to protect him and to get help when necessary. Service dogs are specially trained and are very expensive, so the Girl Scouts sold 3,444 boxes Girl Scout cookies and held car washes in order to donate about $6,000 toward the cost of the dog. In collaboration with other Girl Scout troops and many community volunteers, more money was earned so that now Parker's family will be able to get a service dog, an oxygen monitor, and a bed alarm.

Kudos to Troop 28088! Do you have similar stories to share?

ABC News Celebrates The Flying Monkeys

ABC News reports that Girl Scouts today build innovative biomedical devices to win patents.

The Flying Monkeys, a group of Girl Scouts from Ames, Iowa, developed a prosthetic hand device to help a 3-year-old toddler without fingers write. The device not only won the group the $20,000 FIRST LEGO League Global Innovation Award from the X Prize Foundation last month, it scored the scouts a provisional patent.

The group confirmed their dedication to work on hand and arm prosthetics when Melissa Murray, one of the scouts' mothers and co-coach of the team, met Dale Fairchild on a Yahoo Group for families affected by congenital limb differences. Murray's daughter, one of the Flying Monkeys, uses an adaptive device for a hand difference. Fairchild's 3-year-old daughter Danielle, born with symbrachydactyly, had a thumb and palm but no fingers on her right hand.

Reporter Ki Mae Heussner illustrates that when the Girl Scouts got its start in the early 1900s, it already boasted an electrician badge and an aviator badge, per the direction of its founder Juliette Gordon Low -- herself an aviator and an environmentalist.

Do you know any Girl Scouts involved in STEM initiatives?