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Girl Scouts can do anything and everything they set their hearts and minds to! You’ll find it all here.  From members sharing their adventures to Highest Award honorees describing their projects and news from council, cookie updates, travel opportunities, volunteer tips and much, much more.

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Girl Scouts News

Troop 70700 takes Jackson State Park by storm

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Submitted by Jen Rotar

Berthoud

Northern and Northeastern CO

On September 23, the Cadettes of Berthoud Troop 70700 set out on a tent camping trip at Jackson Lake State Park. Arriving just at sunset, lightening was flashing in the distance and a brief storm showered the girls as they unloaded gear from the cars. Setting up tents in the dark and wind required a full team effort. With gusts reaching over 40 miles per hour, the 6th grade Cadettes each grabbed a corner and had their tents staked down securely before they blew across the lake. With exceptional teamwork, they set up three tents and had their basic camp set up before bedtime. In the morning they were rewarded with a beautiful sunrise, a gorgeous day at the beach, and a fun weekend adventure. The Cadettes earned their Girl Scout Way badge, cleaned up trash from a section of the beach, sang campfire songs, made S’mores, took a nature walk, explored the visitor center, and practiced all their outdoor cooking and camping skills. We loved our trip to Jackson Lake (except the wind) and can’t wait to do it again!

This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too.

Council News, Events, Girl Scout News, Girl Scouts News

Unique opportunity with Lincoln Hills

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We have a great opportunity for Girl Scouts, Juniors and older, to enjoy a great day of outdoor activities this Sunday, Oct. 2, with Lincoln Hills near Blackhawk, Colorado. Cost is $6/girl and we have 15 spots left. Activities will include fishing, archery, and more fun outdoor activities.

Lincoln Hills is an organization that provides outdoor programming and activities in the mountains for a wide range of organizations, including youth organizations like Girl Scouts of Colorado. Their goal is to connect more people to outdoor experiences and preservation. More info about Lincoln Hills can be found at http://lincolnhillscares.org/ .

Interested troops can contact Lori Thompson at lori.thompson@gscolorado.org for more information or to sign-up. Thank you!

 

Events, Girl Scout News, Girl Scouts News

Gold Award project: The Children’s Bee Exhibit at Catamount

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Submitted by Angela S.

Colorado Springs

Pikes Peak

Going for the highest award in Girl Scouting is a huge undertaking, and that can be made even harder if you are a Juliette, with no troop to go through the experience with. However, if you step away from the hugeness that the Gold Award project seems to be, it can be an amazing experience. For me, Girl Scouts has lead me to a path where I am almost always working on some kind of service project; big or small, for the environment or for people. Scouting has made it a natural part of my life, and I believe that this is true for a lot of people. Now that I have been working on the project for several months, I see that it is a way to make something I already care about bigger and better, and to push something that was just one person into a movement.

My Gold Award Project is to educate people about bees and the danger the species is in right now. I am creating a program with the Catamount Institute that can hopefully be used for years to come and touch hundreds of children. The big kickoff of this is coming up really soon, on October 1, 2016, and the best part of this is that children are going to do a lot in terms of getting the whole thing set up.

I believe that no one person can make big change alone, but if you get the community involved in something, then anything is possible. With issues, such as bees, that aren’t as cute as puppies,  it takes a little bit more work to get kids to care about them. This is why it’s so important that kids contribute to the environment of the bees themselves. Anyone who wants to help get this program up and running is more than welcome to come to the Catamount Institute on October 1, 2016 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Take Action/Highest Awards

Meet Our Mentors: Debbie Haskins

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debbie_haskins_photoDebbie is one of our Gold Award Mentors who is strongly committed to successfully guiding girls through the Gold Award in our Denver Metro region. Learn more about Debbie below and stay tuned for more “Meet Our Mentor” blog posts over the next few months! Go Gold!

Region 6 – Metro Denver

Denver, CO

  • 15 Years as a Girl Scout volunteer
  • 1 Year as a Gold Award Mentor
  • First Class Recipient

Why did you become a Gold Award Mentor?

I would like to continue to work with older Girl Scouts. I feel like I can help Girl Scouts individually and as an organization by serving on the committee.

What words of advice do you have for girls about the Gold Award?

The girls should pick a topic that they are passionate about. Once they have been approved, they should try to work on their project at least one hour a week – trying to keep at it will help them manage their time. They can do anything if they set their mind to it!

About Debbie:

I was a Girl Scout from Brownie through Senior in high school in Grand Island, Nebraska. I loved earning badges, going to camp, and being a camp volunteer. I traveled to South Dakota with 70 Girl Scouts on a bus tour in the 70’s. I loved Girl Scouts so much that when I had daughters I wanted them to have the same kinds of experiences I had camping, going on trips, learning new things, so I became a leader and yes I took them to South Dakota. I have been a leader for every level and have taken girls on trips to Mesa Verde, San Francisco, and Hawaii. The girls in my original troops have all graduated and after a 3-year break, I have another Senior troop in SW Denver. Girl Scouts has been a big part of who I am as a person. One of the most rewarding things I have seen as a leader was watching girls in my troop who were so shy as first graders be able to plan and lead a unit camp as a Cadette. I am an attorney at the State Capitol where I draft legislation and help sponsor Girl Scout Day at the Capitol (a day long workshop for older girls to learn about law-making and running for office).

Events, Girl Scout News, Girl Scouts News, Take Action/Highest Awards

Highest Awards & Gold Award training comes to Grand Junction

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The Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards are the highest achievements in Girl Scouting. Girl Scouts of Colorado offers two amazing trainings to help girls, parents, and troop leaders through the highest awards.

Highest Awards & Take Action is for parents and leaders who are interested in learning the basics of the Bronze, Silver, and Gold and how to get their girls on a path to a successful project.

Gold Award Training is required for any girl who is interested in pursuing her Gold Award. Parents and troop leaders are all encouraged to attend Gold Award Training as well.

We are thrilled to be offering both of these trainings in Grand Junction in October. These are fantastic opportunities to learn the ins and outs of the highest awards and get your girls ready to learn new leadership skills!

Register now for Gold Award Training on October 12, 2016: https://gscolorado.formstack.com/forms/goldawardtrainingws101216

Register now for Highest Awards & Take Action on October 21, 2016: https://gscolorado.formstack.com/forms/highest_awards_take_action_training_ws_10_21_2016

Questions? Email highestawards@gscolorado.org

Girl Scout News, Girl Scouts News

Girl Scout saves lives after bus crash: Katelyn Ibarra receives Medal of Honor from Girl Scouts of the USA

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Girl Scouts of the USA has awarded the prestigious Medal of Honor to Katelyn Ibarra, a 16-year-old Girl Scout from Steamboat Springs, for saving numerous lives after a city bus crashed. On March 29, 2016, Katelyn and her family were on their way to eat dinner when they came upon a city bus that had crashed on U.S. Highway 40 near CR 44. The roads were very slick and icy from a snowstorm earlier in the day. As soon as Katelyn saw the crash, she knew she had to help. After climbing up a slippery, muddy slope to reach the front of the bus, Katelyn climbed through the broken windshield and into the bus. Without hesitation, she helped the bus driver and numerous passengers, many of whom were in shock, bleeding, or had other serious injuries.

Tracy Shelton, an Ibarra family friend, was among those on bus. “She (Katelyn) needed no direction or instruction. She immediately went over to one of the most severely hurt. The blood didn’t faze her. She showed no shock. She was just this ‘strength’ among us,” wrote Shelton in a letter to Girl Scouts of the USA. “She responded in a way that was clearly above her age. She showed such a high level of maturity. I know adults that would not have climbed into that bus, with people screaming and all the blood.”

Girl Scouts of the USA awards the Medal of Honor for “saving life or attempting to save life without risk to the candidate’s own life.” In March, Katie Hurley of Northglenn, Colo. was awarded the Medal of Honor for saving her mother’s life after her glucose levels dropped to a life-threatening level.

Bronze Award Honorees, Girl Scout News, Girl Scouts News, Take Action/Highest Awards

Bronze Award project: Incredible community impact

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Submitted by Jennifer Shea

Steamboat Springs

Mountain Communities

Girl Scout Troop 52622 in Steamboat Springs had the incredible opportunity to carry their Agent of Change Journey through to an impactful Bronze Award.

In their quest to learn more about energy sourcing in their community, the girls met with Diane Johnson, Yampa Valley Electric Association’s CEO. Diane is the only woman in Colorado to lead an energy cooperative and has become an incredible role model for the girls. When the troop leader shared the girls’ plans to earn the Bronze Award with Diane, she invited them to be a part of a new community project – the installation of a new solar garden to benefit low and fixed income families in the region!

The girls participated in a series of meetings with YVEA, GRID Alternative (Denver-based nonprofit organization advocating solar projects such as this), Routt County United Way, and a women-led installation day at the job site.

Not only did the girls learn about renewable energy programs, but they also understood the impacts a program like this makes on at-risk low income households. The girls spoke in front of large groups at the women-lead installation day while also serving a nutritious lunch and also at the dedication ceremony alongside elected officials and industry leaders! The girls’ speeches included an overview on what they’ve learned through this project, from the nuts & bolts of solar energy to women in leadership and the economic impact of this project.

Diane Johnson, YVEA CEO praised the girls in her dedication speech, saying “the girls learned with an open heart, re-inspiring her throughout this project”.

 

Cookies, Cookies Volunteers

Earn a beautiful, commemorative blanket

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In honor of the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouting in Colorado and 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts selling cookies, girls and adult volunteers can earn one of these beautiful, commemorative blankets.

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Blanket for girls

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Blanket for troop leaders and troop product sales managers

These reward items are for girl members and adult volunteers, who are members of the exclusive GSCO S’mores Club and rock BOTH the 2016 Fall Sale and 2017 Girl Scout Cookies Sale programs. Only ONE blanket per person who qualifies and these blankets will ONLY be available for the 2016-17 membership year. Each troop that qualifies for the GSCO S’mores Club will also receive an exclusive booth selection opportunity for the 2017 Girl Scout Cookies Sale.

To learn more about the GSCO S’mores Club, including how to qualify and other rewards, use this link: http://gscoblog.org/2016/06/earn-your-way-into-the-gsco-smores-club/

 

 

 

Girl Scouts News

First Field Trip with all our new Girl Scouts!

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Submitted by Charon Dyer

Aurora

Denver Metro

We wanted the girls to get to know each other and experience some Girl Scout fun! Our troop started with only 4 girls this school year and 1 month into the year we now have 21 Girls. We went to the Museum of Nature and Science in Denver!

This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too.

Girl Scouts of Colorado