Jacqueline "Jackie" Joyner-Kersee is a retired American athlete, ranked among the all-time greatest athletes in the women's heptathlon as well as in the women's long jump. She won three gold, one silver, and two bronze Olympic medals, in those four different events. Sports Illustrated for Women magazine voted Joyner-Kersee the Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th century.
Self expression is a large thread throughout the latest Girl Scout leadership journey It's Your Story-Tell It! Music has always been one of the most popular forms of self expression. On Saturday, March 19, Roland Corporation U.S. and Girl Scouts of the USA launched the national Girl Scouts Rock! Powered by Roland initiative at the Los Angeles Theatre Centre. Many Girl Scouts and their parents attended and participated in the fun, interactive music workshop co-developed by Roland and Girl Scouts, designed to get girls pumped up about making music. Check out this video of Girl Scouts beginning their journey into the world of music! 
In the Junior journey, aMUSE, from It’s Your Story – Tell It! girls read inspiring stories of real women who have taken on many different roles. The women they meet took the lead in their own lives and then became leaders in the office, in the kitchen, and in government! Girls also think about the roles they currently play in life and the roles of the women and girls around them. Girls find out about the roles women play in real life and in media, they find out about the limitless possibilities available to them, and also learn about stereotypes. Juniors learn to bust stereotypes and try on even more roles! Juniors will delight as they find out how fun sharing stories through different methods like dance, music or drama can be. There is also a world of possibilities when considering the link this theme has to theater. Girls will have their choice of many acting-themed activities and games, like Take the Stage, a charades-like game that has them jump into the “spotlight” to act out a role while their sister Girl Scouts guess what role she is playing!
Seattle Weekly's Jason Sheehan reports that Girl Scouts are going to be taking cookie sales into the 21st century with the release of their new Official Girl Scouts of the USA Cookie Finder for the iPhone or iPod Touch.
Billboard reports that Jake Owen wants to high-five the creator of Thin Mints! I would like to as well, and add an extra high-five to the person who discovered freezing Thin Mints!!
Jake Owen is an American country music artist. Signed to RCA Records Nashville in 2005, Owen released his debut album Startin' with Me that year. This album produced three singles, all of which reached Top 20 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. A second album, 2009's Easy Does It, has accounted for three more singles in the #2 "Don't Think I Can't Love You", "Eight Second Ride" and "Tell Me." Owen has also toured as an opening act for several country acts, including Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Little Big Town and Sugarland.
New York's Long Island Herald reports that Girl Scout Daisy Troop 1343 sang and danced to a song from the musical “Hairspray” recently at the West Hempstead/ Franklin Square Girl Scout Association’s “Broadway Musicals Night” at the Washington Street School in Franklin Square. Local troops gathered and performed Broadway-inspired skits for the Girl Scouts’ annual celebration “World Thinking Day” - a special day for girl scouts and guides from around the world to give thanks and appreciation to other scouts.
Yo! Shout out to my friend Nancy Wood, Director of Public Relations at the Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital for hitting us up with this.
On Saturday, I had the honor of attending the launch of Roland Corporation U.S. and Girl Scouts of the USA's national Girl Scouts Rock! Powered by Roland initiative at the Los Angeles Theatre Centre. Many Girl Scouts and their parents attended and participated in the fun, interactive music workshop co-developed by Roland and Girl Scouts, designed to get girls pumped up about making music. It was an amazing experience and I have to say that watching the girls light up when playing on all of the instruments provided by Roland was incredibly moving! The photos here are from my phone, but definitely convey how cool the event was.
Girl Scouts Rock! Powered by Roland hits the road next month with subsequent workshops in Miami (Girl Scouts Council of Tropical Florida on April 30); Minneapolis (Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys-Date TBD); Chicago (Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana on May 14) and New York City (Girl Scouts of Greater New York City on May 21).
In Kansas, Girl Scouts from all around Miami County broke out the car derby track for a day of racing Saturday afternoon in Louisburg. The Louisburg Herald reports that dozens of cars, fashioned into many interesting shapes, including a high heel, kept the attention of the gymnasium full of spectators for more than an hour as the girls from Troop 1911 waited with great anticipation to hear the final results of the 2011 powder puff derby.
Illinois News-Tribune reports on a Daisy Girl Scout Troop from Peru, IL, that can now roundhouse kick you in the chops after a session with two Tae Kwon Do experts, earning their Martial Arts patch.
Every year on February 22, Girl Scouts around the world celebrate Thinking Day, a day to reflect on Girl Scouting around the world and learn more about the culture of other countries. In Maryland, Delmarva Now reports that girls from Junior Girl Scout Troop 980 put on a Thinking Day event for girls from Brownie/Daisy Troop 1161, with activities, displays, prizes and food. Many countries were featured, but there was a special focus on Brazil. Everyone in attendance was invited to sample coffee-flavored Brazilian Coffee Cookies and Brazilian Cornstarch cookies. Many of the girls were even bold enough to try a dish new to them: Feijoada. Feijoada is a stew of beans with beef and pork, and is considered the national dish in Brazil. I can personally attest to the full on deliciousness of Feijoada! Recipes here.
Colorado's Times-Call reports that The Girl Scouts of Colorado will host an evening fundraiser that pairs Girl Scout cookies with local beers. The adults-only event, called Man Up, highlights contributions men have made to Girl Scouts and encourages more men to get involved, said Elizabeth Winn, community relations manager for Girl Scouts of Colorado’s northeast region.
New York City Super-Blog Gothamist has apparently been hearing delicious rumors that Girl Scout cookies have hit the streets once again, so they contacted their hook-up at the Girl Scout Council of Greater New York to find out where New Yorkers can get some. Here's the information they found!
New Jersey's GM-News reports that Manalapan-Englishtown Girl Scouts held their second annual Car Derby on February 5 at Neff Chapel at Old Tennent Presbyterian Church, Manalapan. Each Girl Scout created her own race car out of a block of wood. According to Phyllis Fitzgerald, who is the leader for Girl Scouts Cadette Troop 532 and the Colonial Region’s volunteer support chairwoman and organizer of the Girl Scout derby, the Car Derby is traditionally an event in which boys who are Cub Scouts take part in on an annual basis.
The Erwin Record, TN, reports that local Girl Scouts recently held their third annual ‘International Tea’ at Calvary Baptist Church. At the International Tea, each troop chooses a country to represent. In their presentation they dress up as the residents of that country and give each visitor to their presentation a sample of food from their country.
In Illinois, The Herald-Review reports that about two dozen Girl Scouts spent Presidents Day participating in another session of Making Right Choices, a part of the Growing into Responsible Leaders (GIRL) program sponsored by Girl Scouts of Central Illinois.
CNN has a story that I will definitely be using before summer about working off the Girl Scout cookies! Madison Park reports that the best seller by far is Thin Mints, raking in a quarter of the cookies’ sales. She reports that the dark chocolate-covered, mint flavored cookies are actually one of the lowest calorie treats you can get from the Girl Scouts at 40 calories apiece. If you eat four of the cookies at 160 calories, you could burn off that energy with approximately half an hour of bicycling at a leisurely pace. Not so bad. For exercise tips and comparative analysis of other cookies, definitely read the entire article!
One of my all time favorite Blogs, Serious Eats, has a piece titled, "SE Staff Picks: Our Favorite Girl Scout Cookies, and How to Eat Them". A slideshow is provided wherein Serious Eats staffers relate their favorite Girl Scout Cookies or their favorite ways to eat Girl Scout Cookies. It's fun! Author Adam Kuban prefers his Samoas stuffed and baked inside chocolate chip cookie dough.
Sue over at The Desperate House Mommy gets rather poetic about Girl Scout Cookies, writing: I loved you before I had ever laid eyes on you, with the kind of love that only an expectant mother can completely fathom. And although you are not flesh of my flesh, my affections for you run no less deep or true... But I must remember, after all, that you are Girl Scout cookies. And I? Am The Cookie Mom.Definitely read the entire piece here. Enjoy!
Iowa's Globe Gazette reports that Girl Scouts from across North Iowa will gather for World Thinking Day from on Sunday, February 20. More than 115 Girl Scouts from across North Iowa will attend. World Thinking Day gives girls a chance to celebrate friendships with those from around the world. In addition to the United States, countries represented include Japan, Yemen, Chile, Mexico, Congo, Brazil, Argentina, Greece, Cameroon, Italy, Egypt, Nepal and China.
