Girl Scouts CEO Retires, Returning to Nashville

The Tennessean reports that Kathy Cloninger, at age 60, is retiring. In December, she and her songwriting, folk-singing husband are moving back to Nashville. They have already packed up their East Coast loft and are ready to return to their West Meade abode — a home they never sold when they left in 2003.

Before Cloninger retires from the organization she has been involved with for nearly three decades, one of her duties is to promote Tough Cookies, which — on the brink of the Girl Scouts’ 100th anniversary — explores the organization’s history and its role in the empowerment of young women. Though much of the public sees the Girls Scouts as a camping, crafting and cookie-selling machine, the primary mission of the Girl Scouts, Cloninger says, is building self-confidence and leadership ability in girls.

Growing up in Dallas in the 1950s, Cloninger joined the Girl Scouts in second grade. Her mother — a government secretary — was a troop leader, and seeing her in a leadership role was an influential experience.

“It helped me and Mom bond in ways that we wouldn’t if she hadn’t been my leader,” Cloninger said.

But it was the cookie sales that presented some of Cloninger’s most memorable experiences. Her first Girl Scout excursion was a bus trip to South Padre Island. She was raised in a working-class family that couldn’t afford fancy vacations, so paying for the trip through the sale of small bites of baked goodness was empowering.

Celebrating Juliette Gordon Low's Life

Juliette Gordon Low, founder of Girl Scouts of the USA, was born Juliette Magill Kinzie Gordon on October 31, 1860, in Savannah, Georgia.

"Daisy," as she was affectionately called by family and friends, was the second of six children of William Washington Gordon and Eleanor Kinzie Gordon. Family members on her father's side were early settlers in Georgia, and her mother's family played an important role in the founding of Chicago, Illinois.

A sensitive and talented youngster, Daisy Gordon spent a happy childhood in her large Savannah home, which was purchased and restored by Girl Scouts of the USA in 1953. Now known as the Juliette Gordon Low Girl Scout National Center, or often referred to as the Birthplace, the handsome English Regency house was designated a registered National Historic Landmark in 1965.

Young Daisy Gordon developed what was to become a lifetime interest in the arts. She wrote poems; sketched, wrote and acted in plays; and later became a skilled painter and sculptor. She had many pets throughout her life and was particularly fond of exotic birds, Georgia mockingbirds, and dogs. Daisy was also known for her great sense of humor.

Juliette Low was very athletic. From her childhood on, Daisy was a strong swimmer. She was Captain of a rowing team as a girl and learned to canoe as an adult. She was also an avid tennis player. One of her special skills was standing on her head. She stood on her head every year on her birthday to prove she still could do it, and also celebrated nieces’ and nephews’ birthdays by standing on her head. Once, she even stood on her head in the board room at National Headquarters to show off the new Girl Scout shoes.

Texas Tech Pulse: "AT&T Invests $1M To Promote Science, Engineering To Girl Scouts"

Texas Tech Pulse reports that in a move to boost the ranks of women in science and engineering, Dallas-based AT&T announced this morning that it has contributed $1M to an effort by the Girl Scouts of the USA, to boost interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) to undeserved high school girls. AT&T and the girl Scouts said they are launching IMAGINE: Your STEM Future, an initiative to introduce young women to careers in science, technology, engineering, and math. The contribution is among the largest ever made to the Girl Scouts of the USA for science education. The funds will go towards providing activities for high school girls to team up with At&T employees and other volunteers to participate in science related experiments and activities.

The Girl Scouts of Greater New York Hosts 19th Annual Women of Distinction Breakfast

The 19th Annual Women of Distinction Breakfast, sponsored by the Girl Scouts of Greater New York, was held on Thursday, October 27, 2011 at The Waldorf Astoria. The event honored six remarkable Women—leaders who exemplify the Council's mission to help girls grow into outstanding women. Deborah Norville, two-time Emmy Award- winning journalist, anchor of Inside Edition and author of The Power of Respect and Thank You Power, served as emcee.

This year's honorees included Sharon Bush, Founder and CEO, Teddy Share; Lauren Bush Lauren, CEO, Creative Director, Co-Founder FEED Projects LLC; Beth McCabe, VP/Director, Social Marketing and Technology, Digitas; Ranjini Pillay, Senior Vice President, Chief Underwriting Officer (Property & Casualty), Global Risk Solutions, Chartis; Ann Shoket, Editor-in-Chief, Seventeen Magazine; and Catherine Blanche Brome Morrison, Girl Scout Ambassador, Future Woman of Distinction.

"Our Women of Distinction honorees exemplify outstanding achievement and leadership. They represent

powerful role models for our girls, demonstrating that if they can dream it, they can do it!" said Girl Scout Council Board President Patricia Stensrud. "Girl Scouting equips girls with confidence, skills and a path for accomplishing their goals. Belief in their own self-worth will serve them, their families and their communities for a lifetime."

In Florida, First Lady Michelle Obama met Jacksonville Girl Scouts

The Florida Times-Union reports that First Lady Michelle Obama made an appearance in Jacksonville on Thursday, meeting with the Girl Scouts of Gateway Council.

First Lady Obama, who serves as the honorary national president of the Girl Scouts, arrived in Jacksonville mid-morning and met girls from a local chapter before making remarks at a luncheon.

Photos Courtesy of Toiete Jackson

Girl Scouts and AT&T Unite to Advance Underserved High School Girls in Science and Engineering

Girl Scouts and AT&T are uniting to advance underserved high school girls in science and engineering. As minority students and women are gravitating away from science and engineering toward other professions, and employment in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) fields are increasing at a faster pace than in non-STEM fields, educational experts say the U.S. must increase proficiency and interest in these areas to compete in the global economy. Today, the Girl Scouts of the USA and AT&T* are addressing this issue with a $1 million AT&T Aspire contribution to spark interest in STEM in underserved high school girls across the country.

The initiative, called "IMAGINE: Your STEM Future," is designed to reach 6,000 young women and introduce them to a variety of career options in the science, technology, engineering and math fields. AT&T's contribution is among the largest gifts ever made to Girls Scouts of the USA going toward STEM programs.

"As Girl Scouts of the USA prepares to celebrate 100 years of creating girls of courage, confidence and character, we are expanding our focus to help young women explore educational and future workforce options," said Kathy Cloninger, chief executive officer of Girl Scouts USA. "AT&T's contribution enables us to grow our current range of STEM programs, bridging the gap for thousands of girls."

From November 2011 through summer 2012, 18 Girl Scouts Councils, selected through a national competitive grant process, will participate in an educational curriculum called IMAGINE, provided in a creative kit. The IMAGINE curriculum offers opportunities for high school girls to team up with AT&T employees and other volunteers to participate in interactive activities and visual experiments, such as extracting DNA from a banana. These activities are designed to help students imagine a future STEM career and spark interest in taking additional STEM courses in high school and college and open doors to new career options.

Experts say the country's need for a world-leading STEM workforce will continue to grow. Recent research from the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce predicts 2.8 million STEM job openings as of 2018, including 1.2 million net new jobs and an additional 1.6 million replacement openings.

"Not only are STEM disciplines integral to communications technology and at the heart of our business, they are increasingly important to every business and the growth of our economy. That's why all students need at least basic STEM knowledge," said Cathy Coughlin, senior executive vice president and global marketing officer for AT&T. "Our work with the Girl Scouts is vital to helping young women develop these skills so they can effectively compete with students from around the world in advanced technology fields and enjoy productive and rewarding careers."

The 18 Girl Scout Councils participating in IMAGINE are located in: Birmingham, Ala.; Irvine, Calif.; San Diego, Calif.; Los Angeles, Calif.; Jupiter, Fla.; Mableton, Ga.; Elgin, Ill.; Evansville; Ind.; Wichita, Kan.; Kansas City, Mo.; St. Louis, Mo.; Miquon, Pa.; Omaha, Neb.; Pleasantville, N.Y.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Dallas, Texas; San Antonio, Texas; and Spokane, Wash.

The contribution was made through AT&T Aspire, a $100 million commitment with the goal of helping students achieve their best possible futures. Launched in 2008, AT&T Aspire is one of the largest-ever corporate commitments to address high school success leading to college and career readiness.

SELF: "4 Leadership Lessons We Learned From the Girl Scouts"

SELF reports that in honor of the Girl Scouts 100th Anniversary, Girl Scouts CEO Kathy Cloninger (who will retire next month) is taking a look back in her new book, "Tough Cookies: Leadership Lessons From 100 Years of the Girl Scouts." Below are the four lessons that SELF walked away from the book with.

1. Selling cookies is serious business.

"Just being able to say 'I'm a Girl Scout and I'm selling cookies' puts a girl in a position of respect, influence and approval," Cloninger writes. "At the same time, she's learning how to interact with coworkers, how to play by the rules, how to be ambitious, how hard work pays off, and how to set both long-term and short-term goals."

With today's workforce more competitive than ever, it's never too early for girls to learn these critical skills! And the rest of us get to snack on Thin Mints -- yum.

2. Leaders are made, not born.

"A national poll of American women found that two-thirds of American women of professional achievement, and more than three-fourths of those who were deemed 'women of distinction,' had been Girl Scouts in their youth," Cloninger writes. Plus, 80 percent of female senior executives and business owners are former Girl Scouts, as are two-thirds of the women in Congress and virtually all of the women in NASA's astronaut corps. Proof that the world's most successful women start young!

3. Sometimes, girls need a troop of their own.

"Girl Scouts always has provided a sanctuary where girls can be themselves, not bothered or distracted or intimidated by boys," Cloninger writes. With today's girls more concerned than ever about their appearance and attractiveness, as Cloninger points out, they need a safe place to focus on more important things.

4. The 3 C's: Today's girls need "courage, confidence, and character."

The most recent Girl Scouts mission statement reads: "Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place."

Counting Down to Convention

Juliette Gordon Low imagined that Girl Scouts could be "the magic thread" that would connect girls everywhere, and for 50 million women, the ties have never been stronger. We hope that everyone who has ever been a member of the Girl Scout family will join us in Houston this November – or at any of a myriad of events in every American town during 2012 – to be a part of history. And a part of the future.

For more information on the 2011 National Council Session/52nd Convention, look here!

Florida's Girl Summit Live Healthy/Lead Healthy

Florida's Miami Herald was on hand for the “Girl Summit Live Healthy/Lead Healthy,” hosted by the Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida. The day covered a range of topics, including the role of social media, movies and reality TV on society’s perceptions of beauty, sexualization of women in the media, and lifestyles and role models that promote emotional well being.

“Each day, girls are bombarded with media images that endorse negative messages that affect girls’ self esteem,” said Irela Bague, chairwoman of the Girl Scout Council of Tropical Florida. “Girl Scouts seek to expand girls’ positive media images.”

Donna Shalala, president of the University of Miami, and 2008 Miss America Kirsten Haglund were the featured speakers at the event. A panel of 11 women experts held the discussion.

“I want you to take pride in yourself and believe in yourself. Make yourself strong inside because that will make a big difference in your life,” Shalala told the audience of scouts and moms.

The Miami Herald also published an op-ed by Irela Bagué, chair of the board of directors of Girl Scout Council of Tropical Florida, who connected the summit to Girl Scout program offerings. "It’s Your Story —Tell It! explores some of the same themes found in uniquely ME!, but as a Girl Scout leadership journey series, it offers a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to building leadership," Bagué stated. "Self-esteem is a natural by-product of this particular journey because, through storytelling and creative expression, girls gain a better understanding of themselves and their potential, and gain the confidence to become leaders in their own lives and in the world."

At University of Kansas, a High Number of Girl Scouts in the College of Architecture, Planning and Design

The Design. Make. Blog, a chronicle of the 2011-2012 studio collaboration of 5th year Kansas State University architecture students and el dorado, inc. Recently, Audrey and Kate, two University of Kansas students and Girl Scout Alumna, walked through Seaton Hall and asked every girl they could find in studios if they were once a girl scout. The result was surprising-in every studio there were at least two girls that had been a girl scouts.

Over 100 girls in the College of Architecture, Planning and Design (CAPD) at Kansas State University were part of the organization. At this point CAPD is almost a 50/50 ratio men to women, even though architecture is thought of a male dominated field.

More than 50 million women have been a part of Girl Scouts. Some whose names might sound familiar include Sandra Day O’Connor, the first women to serve on the Supreme Court, Katie Couric, Laura Bush, Condoleezza Rice and Barbra Walters. All of these women have excelled due to their outstanding leadership skills, the very core of which the girl scouts base their organization.

New York Girl Scout Addresses Bullying Through Theater

The Poughkeepsie Journal reports that high school senior Rebecca Castagna recently organized her Girl Scout Gold Award project, “Say Boo to Bullying,” that was performed for the entire student body at Dover Elementary School in New York.

The harmful impacts of bullying — in its many forms — were brought to life in skits to demonstrate different ways bullying occurs, such as behind people's backs or over the Internet, and what can be done to stop it.

In one skit, a group of teenagers talked poorly about another girl who supposedly kissed "the whole ninth grade", and the last act focused entirely on cybebullying, Castagna closed the assembly by asking students to recite a "Say Boo to Bullies Pledge," which she wrote, based on the Girl Scout Promise and Law.

In the Girl Scout Leadership Journey It's Your Story – Tell It!, girls learn all about stories and trying on roles. Putting on a production is a fantastic way to explore roles and express different situations through storytelling. The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest achievement in Girl Scouts. To earn the award, a Scout must identify a community issue they care about, research the topic, invite others to support them and take action, create a plan and get feedback from their Girl Scout Council, and execute the plan, according to the organization's website.

Bullying is considered by many to be a national epidemic. How do you work to eliminate bullying in your community?

The New Girl Scouts Innovation Badges Taught Designers About Raising Leaders

Fast Company reports that as part of the organization's rebranding, the Girl Scouts has introduced an innovation component. In designing the program, Jump Associates developed some tips for training girls to become future leaders. Lauren Pollak leads Jump's New York office. She advises business leaders in industrial materials, packaged food, financial services, and retail on achieving their growth objectives. Of her work on the new Girl Scout Badges, she writes:

"When we started to design the program, we realized that it would need to be much more than about designing cool stuff; it would have to involve developing empathy. It would also have to be age appropriate across four age levels, from second to tenth grade. The program caters to younger girls’ interests and capabilities, yet grows as older girls develop more critical-thinking skills. For this reason, the first level of Innovation, the Inventor badge, is about creating new things, while senior Girl Scouts work on building new businesses for the Social Innovator badge... To better understand the full value Girl Scouts has had on women, and to learn what girls need today, Jump spent time talking with Girl Scouts alumnae (of which there are over 50 million today), current Girl Scouts of all ages and their parents, and executives within the organization."

Follow the link to read Pollak's five tips for training girls to become future leaders.

How do You Define Healthy Media? Take our Poll and be Heard!

Last week, the Girl Scout Research Institute (GSRI) released findings from their latest study, Real to Me: Girls and Reality TV. GSRI surveyed over 1,100 girls and found that girls who watch reality TV are more likely to think a girls’ value is based on how she looks and are more likely to think you have to be mean to others to get what you want. On a positive note, reality TV can be a powerful tool in girls’ leadership development, with 68 percent agreeing that reality shows “make me think I can achieve anything in life.”

Girl Scouts is committed to cultivating a positive media environment and encouraging positive images of women and girls in the media. In 2011, the Girl Scouts of the USA partnered with the National Association of Broadcasters, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, and The Creative Coalition to create the Healthy Media Commission for Positive Images of Women and Girls. The Commission, co-chaired by Geena Davis, Academy Award-winning Actor and Founder of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, and Deborah Taylor Tate, former FCC Commissioner, brings together media leaders, subject matter experts, and youth representatives to develop industry best practices that promote positive and balanced images of girls and women. Most recently, members of the Commission and Clare Bresnahan, Public Policy & Advocacy Associate for Girls Scouts of the USA, met with senior staff members from the White House Council on Women and Girls to discuss the importance of healthy media.

Girl Scouts urges you to get involved in the campaign for healthy media by participating in a poll created by the Geena Davis Insitute, Girl Scouts of the USA, and the Healthy MEdia Commission. The poll will help inform policymakers and the film industry about the importance of healthy media, and establish a holistic definition of healthy media that could help form the basis of the Commission’s recommendations to media and entertainment industry leaders. So, what are you waiting for? Take our important poll and share it with your friends.

Check Out The Dove Self-Esteem Weekend in Action!

Grammy® Award-nominated singer Natasha Bedingfield spends time local Girl Scouts in New York City to kick-off the Second Annual Dove Self-Esteem Weekend. The singer, along with Global Self-Esteem Ambassador Jess Weiner is joining the brand to encourage women to spend one hour in a girl’s life this weekend to help build their self-esteem. Women can get involved at Facebook.com/Dove. Thursday, October 20th, 2011 PHOTO CREDIT: Eugene Gologursky - WireImage

Girl Scouts and Dove Partner to Celebrate a Weekend of Self-Esteem and Inspiration

Girl Scouts of the USA and Dove, our sponsor for the It's Your Story – Tell It! Leadership Journey series, are pleased to invite all Girl Scout Councils to participate in the Second Annual Dove Self-Esteem Weekend (October 21-23, 2011) - a weekend dedicated to building self-esteem to inspire girls and women to reach their full potential.

The Weekend is part of the Dove Movement for Self-Esteem, which invites all women "to create a world where beauty is a source of confidence, not anxiety." Age appropriate activities and conversation starters adapted from It's Your Story – Tell It! can be found online for free download on http://forgirls.girlscouts.org/.

Events for this weekend might be as simple as sending a word of encouragement to a girl or as elaborate as setting up a local event supporting self-esteem education. You decide what to do and who to share this weekend with! The idea is to get Girl Scouts nationwide together to inspire the next generation of female leaders, while celebrating the beauty in themselves and others with girls and women everywhere. Share your events by following the simple Facebook instructions—your event information will be uploaded onto an interactive map on the Dove Web site—where you will be able to see all the Girl Scout events happening in your area and around the nation over the weekend!

2011 Self-Esteem Weekend: Dove Facebook Map Instructions

1. Go to https://www.facebook.com/dove

2. Select 'More' in the left hand panel under the Dove icon

3. Click on Social Mission

4. Click 'Add your activity to the Map'

5. Fill in your name, contact information, whether the event it public or private (please note that selecting Public means that anyone can see the event details and attend unannounced), and the details of your event

6. Invite as many guests as you would like

7. Your event will be uploaded to the Map and visitors will be able to view Dove Self-Esteem Weekend events happening nationwide!

Allure reports that according to a landmark Dove studyonly 4 percent of women consider themselves beautiful. To improve upon that number, Dove is holding its second annual Movement for Self-Esteem Weekend October 21 through 23 to help "create a world where beauty is a source of confidence, not anxiety. On Thursday, fifty Girl Scouts from the Girl Scout Council of Greater New York participated in the Dove Self Esteem Weekend kick-off event at the MTV TRL Studios.

Huffington Post was on hand as Grammy Award-nominated singer Natasha Bedingfield, self-esteem expert Jess Weiner, and Olympic gold medalist and US women's World Cup soccer captain Julie Foudry came together yesterday and led the group of Girl Scouts through self-esteem building activities. Girl Scouts of the USA and Dove partner to deliver Girl Scout leadership and self-esteem programming to millions of girls nationwide and abroad.

Miss Representation Explores how the Media Contribute to the Under-representation of Women in Influential Positions

Miss Representation is a 2011 American documentary film which explores how mainstream media contribute to the under-representation of women in influential positions by circulating limited and often disparaging portrayals of women. It brings together interviews with powerful women such as Healthy MEdia Commission Co-chair Geena Davis, Condoleezza Rice, Nancy Pelosi, Katie Couric, Rachel Maddow, Margaret Cho, Rosario Dawson and many more.

Fox Business reports that the film has made its way from Sundance to an audience award at the Palo Alto Film Festival and aired on television this week. Citing the Girl Scout Research Institute’s recent study on girls and reality TV, the article pinpoints that "regular reality TV viewers accept and expect a higher level of drama, aggression, and bullying in their own lives..."

Also making the connection between Girl Scout Research and Miss Representation is The Daily Beast.

Girl Scouts—Arizona Cactus-Pine Council Named One of the "Best Places to Work"

Congratulations to the Girl Scouts—Arizona Cactus-Pine Council. The Phoenix Business Journal will name Girl Scouts—Arizona Cactus-Pine Council one of its “Best Places to work in the Valley!” The Council will be formally recognized during an awards ceremony on December 8, 2011.

“We are deeply honored to receive this kind of attention,” said Tamara Woodbury, CEO of Girl Scouts—Arizona Cactus-Pine Council . “Our focus is on helping girls have confidence and to achieve all they can dream of. We firmly believe that modeling that kind of well-being and achievement in our own workplace is one of the best ways to solidify that message for girls and their families.”

Girl Scouts—Arizona Cactus-Pine Council will be listed in the Best Places to Work section of the December 9th issue of the Phoenix Business Journal.

Credit.com Reports on Girl Scouts "Good Credit" Badge

Jamie Pietras, contributing editor for Credit.com reports that The Girl Scout badge has always been a "social barometer", and highlights as evidence 1913′s “matron housekeeper,” which encouraged a working knowledge of housecleaning and meat market prices and the “signaller” honor of 1920, which fostered an understanding of Semaphore and Morse Code.

Today, Girl Scouts has a badge for “Good Credit,” as well as those for other personal finance achievements such as “Money Manager,” “Budgeting,” and “Financing My Future.”

“Girls really want to feel financially independent,” says Michelle Tompkins, a Girl Scouts USA spokeswoman. “The effect of money on every level—it’s something so prevalent right now in families, in society.”

The finance-oriented badges are among 136 unveiled in the Girl Scouts’ first badge redesign in 25 years, the result of a years-long process in which scouts themselves laid out a list of skills they would like to learn. While badges for financial prudence might seem particularly topical, Tompkins sees them as an extension of an ethos that has been in place since the 100-year-old organization began its cookie sales in the 1920′s.

“We’ve always had girls getting hands on business experience,” she says. Sound money management skills are a prerequisite for business and leadership success—aims Girl Scouts USA has always encouraged, according to Tompkins.

Lessons in Networking Via Girl Scout

In New York, The Buffalo News reports that last year, 14-year-old Azia from Amherst sold 2,000 boxes of cookies, raising money for her Troop 30610 and winning herself an iPad. Azia, who attends Amherst High School, said she wants to go into business and "own my own restaurant or bakery." Joining Girl Scouts, she said, was a good start.

The paper conducts an interview with Azia about the Girl Scout Cookie Program and asks, "What have you learned about customer service?

"That you never know who people are. That you have to be nice," says Azia. "And you can't judge people. Girl Scouts is a way to meet new people. It's just a great networking thing."

BN: "Networking in Girl Scouts?"

Azia: "It's a gateway to new things. It helps you with your people skills, and it helps you in business, because you're taking charge. You have the money involved, so it helps with school, too."

How has the Girl Scout Cookie Program helped you?

Girl Scout Reaches for the Stars

In Connecticut, the Shelton Patch that Girl Scout Nicole Frese took home top honors in the National Reach for the Stars Rocket Competition, as a result of her first-place finish during a Girl Scout rocket launch event at the Riverwalk in Shelton. Her rocket landed the closest to the target due to her angle and wind calculations, placing her first nationally in her age group.

Frese was honored in October at the October Sky Festival in West Virginia. She had the opportunity to meet Homer Hickam, the original “Rocket Boy” who inspired the book and movie, “October Sky,” and was presented her award alongside two current astronauts.

Frese participated in a Design and Discovery Day of Rocketry in May of 2011. During this program, made possible through a grant from Bruce N. Griffing Trust, 140 Girl Scouts each designed and launched two different types of rockets using regular household materials as propellants, and built her own 15-inch model rocket. In June, the 15-inch model rockets were launched by the girls towards a target at the Riverwalk, with Frese’s rocket coming in first overall.

The American Girl Covered in Retronaut

From 1917 until 1979 Girl Scouts of the USA published a magazine, originally called "The Rally" (1917–1920) and then "The American Girl", with the 'The' later being dropped (not to be confused with the currently published American Girl magazine). At one time this magazine had the largest circulation of any magazine aimed at teen-aged girls. Chris Wild at Retronaut has compiled a collection of The American Girl covers—Enjoy!

Do you have any vintage copies of "The American Girl"?

5 Business Lessons From Kathy Cloninger

Business News Daily recently caught up with Kathy Cloninger, CEO, Girl Scouts of the USA. She shared five lessons the Girl Scouts can teach business owners and their employees.

• Network, network, network
• Start early
• Create a great strategy
• Stay ahead of the curve
• Embrace diversity

"When you have both men and women in top senior management roles, companies get the benefit of diversity," Cloninger said."If you don't have 50 percent of top management as women, then we believe the company is not leveraging its talent or ability to succeed as well as if you have women working with men. We have data showing that companies who do have more women on their boards or in senior executive positions tend to do better on profit return and return on investment."

Girl Scouts stand for much more than cookies, camping, and crafts. There is no other organization remotely comparable in size, experience, and resources devoted to developing leadership in girls. Kathy Cloninger, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA, tells their story in the new book - Tough Cookies: Leadership Lessons from 100 Years of the Girl Scouts.

First Lady Susan Corbett to serve as Honorary Chair of the 100th Anniversary of Girl Scouting in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's CBS News 21 reports that more than 35 women members of the Pennsylvania state legislature came together at the capitol in Harrisburg on Tuesday, October 18, to help Pennsylvania's three Girl Scout councils generate excitement about the upcoming 100th Anniversary of Girl Scouting by becoming honorary members of Troop Pennsylvania.

Girl Scout Research on Reality TV Gains Heat, Goes Global

Last week, The Girl Scout Research Institute released figures from their 2011 study Real to Me: Girls and Reality TV. This week, Real to Me: Girls and Reality TV has gained significant US media coverage in TIME, BET, Los Angeles Times, TMZ, The Hollywood Reporter, Huffington Post, About.com and many others.

Kimberlee Salmond, senior researcher at the Girl Scout Research Institute spoke with Agency France-Presse (AFP) on Friday. "We were kind of surprised to find such a huge difference between girls who regularly consume reality TV and those who don't," she said. "And in general, most girls actually think that reality TV is real and unscripted television."

From the AFP piece, placements have been secured in the Philippine's ABS-CBN News, the Czech Republic's ČTKwww.ctk.cz and Australia's Herald Sun.

Initial media coverage was widespread as the study was covered in Inside Edition, Entertainment Weekly, Babble, Jezebel, Black Book,Reality Check, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Houston Chronicle,Television Blend, Augusta Free Press, Deadline New York, Broadcasting and Cable, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and many more.

Video from Rhode Island's Providence Fox show The Buzz.

Tough Cookies Leadership Lessons from 100 Years of the Girl Scouts—New Book By Kathy Cloninger, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA

Girl Scouts of the USA has shaped the lives of more than 50 million alumnae alive today, among them many of our nation’s female leaders. A national poll of American women, in fact, found that two-thirds of women of professional achievement and more than three-fourths of those who were deemed “women of distinction” had been Girl Scouts in their youth. The same poll found that more than four out of five successful professional women who had been Girl Scouts rated their Girl Scout involvement as helping them achieve later success.

Girl Scouts stand for much more than cookies, camping, and crafts. There is no other organization remotely comparable in size, experience, and resources devoted to developing leadership in girls. Kathy Cloninger, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA, tells their story in the new book - Tough Cookies: Leadership Lessons from 100 Years of the Girl Scouts.

Tough Cookies addresses one of our nation’s most underused resources: Girls, and the women they ultimately can become. Kathy Cloninger makes a convincing case for the enormous untapped potential of America’s girls and issues a ringing call to action to girls, boys, parents, the business community, and the public to help females make a better, stronger, and more prosperous future for all.

Cloninger underlines her point with two very personal transformation stories. Cloninger, the first member of her family to attend college, was originally advised by her high-school counselor to set her sights on secretarial school. However, her instincts led to college, then to graduate school, to an extremely successful non-profit career, and finally to her appointment as chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of the USA.

The other story is that of an iconic but fading American institution that under Cloninger’s galvanizing leadership transformed itself into an envied and widely imitated model of non-profit management excellence. She renewed and revitalized the organization’s commitment to developing girls' leadership capabilities, and implemented a new strategic business plan affecting every major area of organizational activity: programs, volunteerism, brand, funding, and structure/governance.

Cloninger's more than two decades in Girl Scouting include service as 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 an executive grant-maker at the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, CEO of two YWCA branches in Texas, and a career development consultant.

In the spring of 2011, Cloninger was presented with an honorary doctor of letters degree by her alma mater, Texas A&M University. She has received numerous other awards, including Nonprofit CEO of the Year 2000 from the Center for Nonprofit Management, and CEO of the Year 2008 from the National Assembly of Human Services. In 2007, 2008, and again in 2009 she was named to the NPT Power & Influence Top 50 by The NonProfit Times. In May of 2010 she was named one of "21 Leaders for the 21st Century" by Women's eNews.

Most recently, she served as chair of the National Collaboration for Youth and secretary of the board of directors of the National Assembly of Human Services (2008–2011). Kathy is a member of the national boards of the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance and the National Council for Research on Women, and is a member of the Women's Leadership Board of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.

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 Texas A&M University, Commerce. She and her husband, Mike, favor country music and have hosted nearly 350 world-class songwriter concerts at their homes in Nashville and New York.

New York's Dutchess Stadium Goes Girl Scout!

New York's Poughkeepsie Journal reports that Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson is gearing up to celebrate 100 years of Girl Scouting! About 4,000 Scouts, parents and supporters of Scouting jammed Dutchess Stadium Saturday to kick off the national organization's centennial bash.

Officials said Girl Scouts from Dutchess, Ulster, Orange, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland and Sullivan counties were to attend the day of songs, speeches, dance, food and fun.

There was plenty of fun Saturday at the stadium, where Girl Scouts danced behind the pitcher's mound as singer Patricia Shih performed. The stands were packed and Scouts sampled ball park food, with franks, french fries and more available.

The Scouts also held a canned food drive, with donations going to local food pantries.

Dior Gillins, another 9-year-old from Troop 10306, said exchanging Girl Scout pins was her favorite part of the day.

"I like how we get to meet here and swap pins with other troops ," Gillins said.

Officials said Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson serves 32,000 Scouts in the seven counties it covers.

LIFE Invites You to Indulge Yourself on Vintage Photos Girl Scouts

LIFE has a photo-timeline of Girl Scouting titled, "In Praise of Girl Scouts." It arches from 1912 to today and states, "Girl Scouts of the USA is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. It is the world's preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls." It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 and was organized after Low met Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting, in 1911. Upon returning to Savannah, Georgia, she made her historic telephone call to a distant cousin, saying, "I've got something for the girls of Savannah, and all of America, and all the world, and we're going to start it tonight!"

Girl Scouting aims to empower girls and to help teach values such as honesty, fairness, courage, compassion, character, sisterhood, confidence, and citizenship through activities including camping, community service, learning first aid, and earning badges by acquiring other practical skills. Girl Scouts' achievements are recognized through rank advancement and by various special awards. Girl Scouts welcomed girls with disabilities early in their history, at a time when they were not included in most other activities.

Start Your Day off With Together Counts!

Join us for fresh air and exercise as we start our Saturday Convention activities in Houston, TX! Our friends from Together Counts are leading Girl Scouts girls, parents, volunteers, and alumnae in a leisurely walk along Discovery Green Park. Everyone is welcome! For more information, look here!

Together Counts is a nationwide program dedicated to inspiring active and healthy living. The principle behind their program is Energy Balance, which means balancing calories consumed with calories burned. Together Counts was started by The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, a national, CEO-led organization with a mission to help reduce childhood obesity by 2015.

To learn more about Together Counts or The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation visit our exhibit hall main stage on Thursday, November 10 from 2:00-2:20 p.m. for an opportunity to connect with Lisa Gable, The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation’s President.

Follow Together Counts on its blog, Twitter (@TogetherCounts) and Facebook (Facebook.com/TogetherCounts).

Girl Scouts Sparks National Discussion About Girls and Reality TV

Ad Age reports that Reality TV was up for debate at the "Behind the Scenes: Girls and Reality TV" panel, hosted by Girl Scouts of the USA. Held at Edelman headquarters, the discussion centered on the effects of reality TV on youth development. The Girl Scout Research Institute had just released figures from their 2011 study Real to Me: Girls and Reality TV, finding that half of the girls they surveyed believe reality shows are "mainly real and unscripted."

The panel, moderated by Noorain Khan, formerly of Jezebel.com, consisted of Jill Zarin of Bravo's "The Real Housewives of New York", Danielle Carrig, senior VP-advocacy and public affairs at A&E Networks, Kimberlee Salmond, senior researcher for the Girl Scout Research Institute, Jess Weiner, media strategist and author and Caeley Looney, a sophomore in high school and Girl Scout of 11 years.

Real to Me: Girls and Reality TV has been covered by Inside Edition, Entertainment Weekly, Babble, Jezebel, Black Book, Reality Check, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Houston Chronicle, Television Blend, Augusta Free Press, Deadline New York, Broadcasting and Cable, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and many more.

Chicago Parent reports that Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana launched an interactive video campaign to empower girls ages 13 - 17 to share the realities of their lives. The "Reality Check" campaign launched with a live, television studio discussion between a panel of experts and girls about the results of a national research survey on teens and reality TV.

The Chicago Tribune caught up with Jessica Porter, a devotee of reality television. The 16-year-old enjoys the escapades of Snooki and the gang on "Jersey Shore," the manicured fisticuffs of "Basketball Wives" and the oceans of tears that regularly flow through "America's Next Top Model." To her, it's just entertainment. But to some of her fellow teens, she says, it's real life.

"I don't think a lot of my friends know it's not real," said Porter, a Girl Scout who lives in Bolingbrook. "When 'The Hills' came on, they were shocked it had a script. They were like, 'I can't believe that. I thought it was real.'"

Submit Your Public Service Announcement to 'Girls Speak Out!'

Do you know a girl with big ideas about what the future could look like? Are you a girl with big ideas?

The Girls Speak Out! contest, brought to you by Girl Scouts, gives you a chance to make your own Public Service Announcement (PSA) about what's important to you, in any medium you choose: video, illustration, photography, or script. If you're the top votegetter, your idea will be made into Girl Scouts' next PSA, professionally produced and all!

Click here for a chance to put your big ideas in front of a big audience. Good Luck and Have Fun!

Kentucky Girl Scouts Involved With Domestic Violence Prevention

In Ashland, KY, The Independent reports that when Kentucky’s Girl Scout Councils announce a collaboration with the Kentucky Domestic Violence Association next week, they’ll be following in the footsteps of Girl Scouts in the Ashland area.

Aimee Johnson, 17, is president of the Girl Scout’s Ken-o-Valley Teen Leadership Council, which has been working with Safe Harbor since she was in the eighth grade. Safe Harbor is an emergency shelter and advocacy center for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in Boyd, Greenup, Carter, Lawrence and Elliott counties.

Johnson said she thinks some students in her school see domestic violence at home and accept it as normal. The goal of the banners is to let them know it isn’t normal and help is available.

The collaboration between Kentucky Girl Scouts and Kentucky Domestic Violence Association, troops will begin participating in a program called the Green Dot Bystander Intervention Program.

The program was developed by Dorothy J. Edwards, founding director of the University of Kentucky Violence Intervention and Prevention Center. It is an approach to violence prevention with an emphasis on establishing intolerance to violence as the norm. As part of the collaboration, Kentucky Girl Scouts will also be working on Shop and Share, Kentucky first lady Jane Beshear’s annual donation drive for domestic violence shelter, fostering new Girl Scout/Kentucky Domestic Violence Association shelter programs connections throughout Kentucky communities and developing workshops for Girl Scouts on issues compelling to today’s adolescents and teens, according to a press release from the Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road Council.

The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting is a Hit!

The Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting has found immediate, widespread acceptance in the Girl Scouting community. The initial press run of 850,000 copies has all but sold out. Stories highlighting The Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting have appeared in Today.com, ABC World News with Diane Sawyer, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, USA Today, NPR, Time, Tecca, Jezebel and many more are expected including Washington Post.

New Girl Scouts Research Exposes the Impact of Reality TV on Girls

As reality TV has become staple entertainment for young people and adults alike, tween and teen girls who regularly view reality TV accept and expect a higher level of drama, aggression, and bullying in their own lives, and measure their worth primarily by their physical appearance, according to Real to Me: Girls and Reality TV, a national survey released today by the Girl Scout Research Institute.

The study found that the vast majority of girls think reality shows "often pit girls against each other to make the shows more exciting" (86 percent). When comparing the propensity for relational aggression between viewers and non-viewers of reality TV, 78 percent vs. 54 percent state that "gossiping is a normal part of a relationship between girls."

Regarding romantic relationships, reality TV viewers are more likely than non-viewers to say "girls often have to compete for a guy's attention" (74 percent vs. 63 percent), and are happier when they are dating someone or have a boyfriend/significant other (49 percent vs. 28 percent).

"Girls today are bombarded with media - reality TV and otherwise - that more frequently portrays girls and women in competition with one another rather than in support or collaboration. This perpetuates a 'mean-girl' stereotype and normalizes this behavior among girls," states Andrea Bastiani Archibald, Ph.D. Developmental Psychologist, Girl Scouts of the USA. "We don't want girls to avoid reality TV, but want them, along with their parents, to know what they are getting into when they watch it. Our national leadership program equips girls with the skills to decipher media fact from fiction and make healthy decisions for their own lives-separate from their sources of entertainment."

Girls who view reality TV regularly are also more focused on the value of physical appearance. 72 percent say they spend a lot of time on their appearance vs. 42 percent of non-viewers, while more than a third (38 percent) think that a girl's value is based on how she looks.

At the same time, girls surveyed who regularly view reality TV are more self-assured than non-viewers when it comes to an overwhelming majority of personal characteristics, with the majority considering themselves mature, a good influence, smart, funny, and outgoing. They are more likely than non-viewers to both aspire to leadership (46 percent vs. 27 percent) and to think they are currently seen as a leader (75 percent vs. 63 percent). In addition, they are more likely to see themselves as role models for other girls (75 percent vs. 61 percent).

The study revealed that reality TV has many upsides as well. 68 percent of girls agree that reality shows "make me think I can achieve anything in life" and 48 percent that they "help me realize there are people out there like me." Seventy-five percent of girls say that reality TV depicts people with different backgrounds and beliefs.

"We also want to emphasize the many positive benefits to reality TV, including its role as a learning and motivational tool," states Kimberlee Salmond, Senior Researcher, Girl Scout Research Institute. "For example, we know that many girls receive inspiration and comfort from reality TV and that 62 percent of girls say that these types of shows have raised their awareness of social issues and causes."

Since its founding in 2000, the Girl Scout Research Institute has become an internationally recognized center for research and public policy information on the development and well-being of girls. Not just Girl Scouts, but all girls.

Author Jim Collins Points to Frances Hesselbein as a Great Leader

Jim Collins is an American business consultant, author, and lecturer on the subject of company sustainability and growth. Collins frequently contributes to Harvard Business Review, Business Week, Fortune and other magazines, journals, etc. He is also the author of several books: How the Mighty Fall: And Why Some Companies Never Give In, Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies, and Good to Great.

Fortune caught up with Collins recently and asked "When you look at the traits of your winning managers, do they suggest an advantage for either men or women?"

Collins replied, "The best leaders we've studied, men or women, distinguish themselves first and foremost by their Level 5 ambition: being fiercely ambitious for a cause or company larger than themselves, channeling ego into that larger goal, infused with the will to do whatever it takes to make good on that ambition. Four of the women leaders I've written about previously all share this fundamental distinction: Wendy Kopp of Teach for America (my own choice for entrepreneur of the decade); Anne Mulcahy, who saved Xerox (XRX); Katharine Graham of the Washington Post, one of the 10 greatest CEOs of the 20th century; and Frances Hesselbein, who revitalized the Girl Scouts and is now CEO of the Leader to Leader Institute."

Girl Scouts Honor Troop Beacon Hill in Massachusetts

Susan Petroni reports for the Framingham Patch that the Girl Scouts of Massachusetts will attend an event at the Massachusetts State House to recognize Troop Beacon Hill, an honorary Girl Scout Troop comprised of the women of the Massachusetts State Legislature.

State Senator Karen Spilka, who represents Framingham, is inviting the public to join her in celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts today, October 12 at the Massachusetts State House.

Spilka and Representative Cory Atkins, co-chairs of the Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators, will be in attendance to celebrate this milestone and commend the Girl Scouts for their work building courage, confidence and character in girls across the Commonwealth and their admirable dedication to their communities and the environment. Girl Scouts will officially turn 100 in March 2012.

The Girl Scouts of Massachusetts will also be in attendance to recognize Troop Beacon Hill, an honorary Girl Scout Troop comprised of the women of the Massachusetts State Legislature.

In addition, Patti Hallberg, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Central & Western Massachusetts and Ruth Bramson, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts are scheduled to address the group.

Girl Scouts from a number of communities in the Eastern Massachusetts and their families are expected to attend the event.

The Girl Scouts of Greater New York Host 'Drucker For Future Leaders' Workshop

On October 10, 2011, The Girl Scouts of Greater New York held a Drucker For Future Leaders workshop for 30 Girl Scouts Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors. The girls learned the principles of Peter Drucker¹s Five Questions management framework. The Five Questions are:

What is my mission? Who is my customer? What does the customer value? What are my results? What is my plan?

The girls learned how to apply the five questions framework to develop take action plans for their Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards and community service projects. Peter Drucker, The Man Who Invented Management, worked with former GSUSA CEO Frances Hesselbein on teaching lifelong tools for bettering society.