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Meet the mascots for the Fall Product Program

 

 

 

Meet S’more and Marshmallow, the mascots for the 2017 Fall Product Program! Marshmallow is the small, white bunny. S’more is the large, brown bunny. They are among the rewards for the 2017 Fall Product Program. Marshmallow is earned at the $325 level, S’more at $850.

Rewards for the 2017 Fall Product Program also include the “Explore Your Dreams” t-shirt for $425 in sales. With $850 in sales, girls earn a 10% discount at Girl Scouts of Colorado camps and for every $200 earned beyond $975 in sales, girls will earn an additional $10 in Cookie Credits. Check out the order card to see a full list of 2017 Fall Program rewards.  All rewards are cumulative.

Learn more about the 2017 Fall Product Program on the Girl Scouts of Colorado web-site:  http://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/en/cookies/fall-sale.html

You can also check out our FAQ’s: https://girlscoutsofcolorado.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/2565380-fall-sale-faqs

Questions? Email us.

 

 

Volunteer Spotlight: Marti Shuster, MCC member

How long have you been a Girl Scout?

45 years

How long have you been on MCC?

Less than a year

What inspired you to join MCC?

Back in Michigan, I had been a part of a similar committee and wanted to play my part in keeping communication open between staff and volunteers.

What have you learned through being part of this committee?

This is a hard working group of people from all over Colorado who strive to make Girl Scouts a great experience for all girls.

Why would you recommend being a member of MCC to other volunteers?

It’s a great way to get involved and stay involved and make a difference to Girl Scouts in Colorado.

Tell us about yourself.

I moved to Colorado four years ago from Florida (and Michigan where I grew up). I truly believe in what Girl Scouts represents and what it teaches girls. That’s why I have stayed in so long. I am currently the leader of my granddaughter’s Daisy troop and I love working with these young girls. I can tell how they have grown in just one year. Can’t wait to see how they progress over the next eleven!

I am also a member of GSCO History Committee.

Girl Scouts of Colorado is lucky to have a unique governance system with the Membership Connection Committee as the centerpiece of our democratic process and a way to give our members a strong voice in the issues they care most about. Would you like to be a voice for Girl Scouts of Colorado? Speak up and contribute our success together! To reach the MCC, e-mail GSCO.MCC@gscolorado.org

Girl Scout Gold Award project: Katrina Stroud, Boulder, “Butterflies, bees, and me”

What did you do for your Gold Award project?

For my Gold Award, I designed activity booklets for kids on monarch butterflies and bumble bees. The activity booklet included color-in drawings of the life cycle of the monarch butterfly and bumble bee, their anatomies, a maze, flowers, a list of ways you can help their populations grow, and a quiz on the back. In addition, I gave a presentation at six different summer camps on why monarch butterflies and bumble bees matter and why they are both endangered species.

How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience?

At the end of each presentation, I asked the kids to take a quiz on the back of their activity booklet. In return, I gave the kids a Jolly Rancher or one of my “world famous high fives” after they had finished the quiz. I checked their quiz results one by one to go over it with the kids if they had gotten any questions wrong. All the kids scored an 80% or higher on my quiz!

How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement?

Mario Padilla, my Gold Award project advisor and entomologist at the Butterfly Pavilion, will email the PDF file of the activity booklet to the parents of campers during the next camp cycle of the summer of 2018. He will also post the link to the activity booklet on the Butterfly Pavilion’s website. Ashley Young, an educational coordinator at the Gardens on Spring Creek, will print copies from the PDF file of the activity booklet. I gave a presentation at one of her summer camp programs and she is excited to continue giving the booklet out to visitors.

What is your project’s global and/or national connection?

For my global link, I contacted a butterfly pavilion in British Columbia called the Victoria Butterfly Gardens. I have sent them an email, asking if they would be interested in having a PDF file of the activity booklet to give away in their gift shop. I haven’t heard back from them yet, but it feels good to know that I have tried to connect my project to others around the world.

What did you learn about yourself?

I learned that I enjoyed making the handmade activity booklets for kids, because I took a couple of drawing classes in high school. Giving the presentation was a bit of a struggle at first, because I was not used to teaching around kids, but I was always happy whenever a kid raised his/her hand to ask a question. Teaching around children was a lot easier than I thought it would have been, it just took some time getting comfortable.

How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future?

My leadership skills will grow based on the self confidence that I have gained from this project and the ability to work on other independent projects in the future. One of the most crucial leadership skills that I learned from my project is that it is important to always keep track of the tasks that need to get done. Such as, remembering to contact different places to give my presentation, keeping track of the resources that I need to bring to the presentations, and keeping track of dates to fit in deadlines. Creating a schedule was probably the most important task in completing the Gold Award.

Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience?

The Gold Award was an important part of my Girl Scout experience because it was like finishing up a final test to see what skills you have gained from your troop. Earning the Gold Award is mostly on your own because if you see a problem, go tackle it yourself. Why wait for someone else to do the work?

How did earning your Gold Award help you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? 

The Gold Award helped me become a go-getter because there is nothing more satisfying than to tackle a problem and raise awareness in the community. Being a go-getter can make you into a better person because life is too short to stress over the little things and to hope that they will all disappear if you wish them to.

**IMPORTANT NOTE: This blog represents only a small fraction of the hard work, dedication and requirements that go into earning a Girl Scout Gold Award. It is simply a brief summary, which is meant to inspire Girl Scouts to Go Gold in the future. For more information on earning your Gold Award, please email highestawards@gscolorado.org

Girl Scouts enjoy Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame exhibit

On Saturday, August 26, 2017, Girl Scouts were treated to a presentation by Woman of Distinction and Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame founder M.L. Hanson as she introduced the inspiring stories of some of the extraordinary women who have been inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame. Their groundbreaking accomplishments, many times overcoming difficult challenges, have been amazing and contributed to enhancing diverse fields of endeavor from the arts and culture to science and technology. Following this was a private self-guided tour and reception. The traveling exhibit is currently housed by the Museum of the West in Grand Junction. Sponsors of this event invited Girl Scouts to learn about some of Colorado’s most influential women throughout history. Girls were able to pose for pictures with M.L. and ask about her personal journey as well as those on display. This is one of those rare opportunities that present themselves to Girl Scouts and makes being a part of our organization impactful on the lives of these girls.

Silver Award project: Sensory Garden

Submitted by Kristy Miller

Metro Denver

Centennial

Three girls from Troop 972 (Katelyn-14, Safiya-14, and Mallory-14) wanted to help the kids with disabilities at Liberty Middle School by building a sensory garden. Two of the three girls went to Liberty and had been thinking of doing it from the beginning of their middle school years. They all joined together and decided to help the school’s ILC (Individualized Learning Center) program. The girls studied and researched on different sensory gardens built from scratch to prepare them to build their own garden. After their research was done, they went out to ask for donations from multiple franchises. Once they got all the materials they needed, they started building. It took about two months to finally get the garden ready for the school. Now in the 2017-18 school year, Liberty Middle School gets to use the garden for their learning. The girls are very glad they got to help the ILC teachers and kids learn to enjoy the outdoors with all senses.

After finishing our Silver Award, we would like to give a special thanks to the people who helped fund this project, including Michael Maroney from Big Horn Landscaping, Jake Henrickson from the Parker Lowes, Jordan from the Southlands Lowes, the employees at the Lowes on Buckley, Mary Adkins from the Parker Home Depot, the employees at Tagawa, our troop leaders Ms. Kristy and Ms. Kerry, and the wonderful principal and vice principal at Liberty Middle School: Mr. Doherty and Ms. Hale. Doing this project has not only allowed us to get more experience volunteering in our community, but has created a beautiful space in the community where students and teachers alike can learn more about nature.

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

Colorado Girl Scout travels to Mongolia on the “Look Wider” International Travel Scholarship

Submitted by Kathleen B., 2017 “Look Wider” International Travel Scholarship  winner

Metro Denver

Centennial

My name is Kathleen, and I became a Girl Scout in first grade. It started out with cute little badges that my mother helped iron on my vest, selling cookies, and planting flowers in front of our elementary school. That’s the image that comes to mind for most people when they think of Girl Scouts, and so many people are surprised when I tell them that I was a Girl Scout in high school. Their confusion quickly turns to jealousy once I start to describe the incredible adventures I went on as an older Girl Scout. I still earned badges, sold cookies, and volunteered in my community, but I also went rock climbing, white water rafting, and ziplining. I even got to volunteer at a panda base in China through ATS Destinations. Now, in my last summer of being a girl member, I embarked on another journey across the world, all the way to outer Mongolia.

So what does one do in Mongolia? Well, you know the saying, “When in Mongolia, do what the Mongolian do.” And in Mongolia, they ride horses. Before we could do that, however, we learned archery. The professionals showed us how it was done first. A boy barely older than us galloped by at breakneck speeds, the horse flying over the yellow grass. With a quick motion and a sharp twang, an arrow suddenly sprouted from the center of the target. I gave it a try with both feet on the ground, the bow master showing me how to grasp the string with only my thumb and finger. Everyone got a turn, but only a few arrows actually pierced the stack of hay. After an hour and a half of practice, we had to keep moving so we could start the best part of our trip: the horseback riding.

When our group arrived at our host family’s group of gers, or yurts, there were around 20 horses waiting for us. They weren’t the horses we would be taking on our week-long trek, we were told, but we could use them to learn how to ride. I was given a dark brown horse with a black mane. Mongolians don’t give names to their horses, but I ended up calling that practice horse “Blue”, since his harness was a bright cyan. Once the stirrups were lengthened to accommodate my long legs, I was shown how to hold the harness in the Mongolian fashion and which commands Blue responded to. I started out slowly, clutching the reins so tightly my knuckles turned white. The Mongolian horses moved in a way I was not used to, but I could feel the strength practically radiating from the small horse. We rode until dusk, going as fast as we wanted. It was exhilarating. The horizon stretched on endlessly, blue sky reaching down to brush yellow hills, and my horse yearned to meet it.

The next day, we loaded up our trek bags and drove to where we would start our trek. On the way, we stopped to try fermented mare’s milk, a traditional Mongolian drink. We also saw falcons and vultures up close, and hiked Turtle Rock, an enormous rock formation that looks like a turtle. By the time we got to the new horses, I was already exhausted, but I was excited to start our trek. I was given a new horse, one I decided to call “Buzz”, for his short mane. We crossed the river, water rushing over our boots and splashing up to hit our faces. We trekked through a forest for an hour when suddenly it opened up into a vast, open plain, with rolling hills and thin, winding dirt roads. I rode alongside the other girls in my group, chatting away and singing. Sometimes, I would ride next to one of our Mongolian guides and pester them with questions about their country and their experiences. My favorite part was out midday break, where we could lay down by a stream or in some shade, and eat lunch. It was usually the same, mutton stew and bread, sometimes rice. It was surprisingly filling, and occasionally we would get Mongolian candy as a treat before getting back into our saddles and starting again. We stayed with host families half the days, eating delicious meals and learning about the culture out on the steppe. The other half of the days, we camped out wherever we settled down for the night, and hung out with our guides and each other. Despite my aching legs and sunburned face, I was having the time of my life. Still, I was relieved when we said goodbye to our horses and our guides, and made our way into the city.

Once we were done touring the giant statues of Genghis Khan in and outside the city, we went into the National Museum to learn more about the history of Mongolia. I never knew how much I didn’t know about that part of history until I went into that museum. It made me wonder what else I was missing when it came to the history of people around the world. We also explored Mongolian culture through a concert that showed all the different traditional music and dances. I even cried during one of the performances. It was wonderful. I kept thinking back to it even as we split up into groups to go shopping in the city.

On the long plane ride home, I leaned back in my seat, exhausted. I had only been in Mongolia for a week, but it felt like days. I scrolled through the pictures I took on my phone, each one another memory that I’ll cling to for years to come. I came to a picture of the Mongolian horizon, wide and empty. There were no fences, no barriers. It was free.

Americans consider themselves a free people, but I have tasted a different kind of freedom, where the sky never touches the earth. I came back from Mongolia with a better understanding of my own life and a different perspective of the world. All because I am a Girl Scout.

There are more opportunities as an older Girl Scout than people can even imagine. I was able to get scholarships and financial aid from Girl Scouts and Look Wider. I seriously encourage all of my fellow Girl Scouts to go on Destinations, see more of the world, and look wider.

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“Look Wider” International Travel Scholarships are made possible by the Rae Ann and Richard Dougherty Look Wider International Travel Fund Endowment at Rose Community Foundation. Thanks to this generous commitment, Girl Scouts of Colorado will award scholarships to girls every year.

Learn more about Girl Scout destinations and other international travel at forgirls.girlscouts.org/travel. Applications for destinations travel are due before Thanksgiving each fall. The application for the “Look Wider” International Travel Scholarship is available from November through February and is meant for individual girl travel. Read more about Global Girl Scouting and how to get involved atgirlscoutsofcolorado.org/global-girl-scouting.

Girl Scout Gold Award project: Kamaryn Evans, Castle Rock, “Woman to woman: An awareness project”

What did you do for your Gold Award project?

For my Gold Award project, I chose to take on the the disconnect between domestic violence resources and the public as well as break the stigma surrounding domestic violence victims.

How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience?

My audience was the women in Castle Rock and surrounding towns. I reached a total of around 90 people through my event, Facebook page, website, and pledge for people to be allies against domestic violence. I also measured an impact to my audience through the 11 purses and one baby bag that were stuffed with necessities and sent over to the Crisis Center in Castle Rock.

How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement?

My project is sustainable through all of the channels my materials have been passed on to. I have passed on all paper materials to the Crisis Center for possible future use. I have also partnered with some teachers and counselors from Douglas County School District to pass along  paper materials, to help establish an understanding of domestic violence and creating healthy relationships at an early age.

What is your project’s global and/or national connection?

My national connection is through the media. This topic first peaked my interest because of local news stories as well as national news stories and I saw a disconnect of resources and those affected. My national connection really was what began my project.

What did you learn about yourself?

This project was quite an undertaking for me and I feel like I gained a lot more knowledge about myself because of it. Mostly, I took this experience as the beginning of what the real world looks like. In that in everyday life you have to learn how to be around people and to work with people. In this project, I learned that I must be patient with people because the world doesn’t always work on your time. Along with that, I learned about how to communicate my ideas better and listen to my mentors and try to better myself. I also learned how I deal with tasks under different types of deadlines and pressure- things I will take with me to the future as I plan to study journalism in college.

How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future?

I am well versed in the knowledge that the journalism world has many deadlines. In fact, it revolves around such things. It is for that reason alone I know that my Gold Award will help me in the future because I had defined deadlines for myself at multiple stages in this project process and I pushed myself to meet said deadlines in record time. I have also learned better ways to communicate with a team and how to grow the bigger picture with the help of others in addition to oneself. Just like my mentor and advisers did for me.

How did earning your Gold Award help you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? 

My Gold Award helped me to become a G.I.R.L through teaching me how to get out of my comfort zone and be a risk-taker. I took a lot of risks mostly with my timing of my project as well as the topic I picked because I wasn’t quite sure of the obstacles that I would encounter because I chose a more difficult cause like domestic violence.

**IMPORTANT NOTE: This blog represents only a small fraction of the hard work, dedication and requirements that go into earning a Girl Scout Gold Award. It is simply a brief summary, which is meant to inspire Girl Scouts to Go Gold in the future. For more information on earning your Gold Award, please email highestawards@gscolorado.org

What does “girl-led” mean?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Submitted by GSCO Board Chair-Elect Rae Ann Dougherty

The 2017 Leadership Summits have begun! The first was in Colorado Springs and a wonderful opportunity to obtain training, updates, as well as build our Girl Scout networks.  All are important as we begin a new Girl Scout year.  While in training, I reflected on some of my past experiences as a Girl Scout Cadette troop leader…

Back in the 1980’s, I served as a Cadette troop leader.  While the traditions of Girl Scouts were the same then as they are today, as leaders we did not use the phrase “girl-led” as much as we do today.  None-the-less the way troops were run were similar and the results were similar.

One spring, although not asked, the girls in my troop announced they wanted to go on an overnight trip that was NOT camping.  Fine. As their leader, I immediately began to facilitate the process by asking the questions associated with planning such an event.  After discussion, we considered going to a theme park and staying in a hotel. That started the girl’s minds going. Lo and behold, while I had not suggested that they do any between-meeting research, the next meeting they came prepared!  Girls had, unbeknownst to me, obtained hotel options, knew ticket prices, knew the distance and how many cars/adults would be required, set up a budget, and more. Mind you as this was decades before the convenience of the internet, cell phones, Google maps, or other technology to which we have become accustomed.  As such, the research was significantly more involved than it would be today.  No worries, they quickly figured out how to use 1-800 phone numbers for the various hotel chains, how to read a map, etc.!  Needless to say I was blown away, but so proud of them!

We continued to plan and ultimately went on the trip.  Since they had lead the process so well, while at the theme park I followed their lead making sure that they were safe, but doing what they wanted and joining with them on the rides that they wanted to go on.  Since we were following their lead, my co-leaders and I did not pay much attention … until I ended up on one of those roller coasters that did TWO upside down loop-deloops!  (This is NOT the type of ride I seek.)  After I recovered from that experience, I continued to follow them, but suggested that I wait for them whenever they then decided to go on any more thrill rides.  I guess they were fine as long as I went with them.  Ultimately, they enjoyed the rest of the day without more thrill rides.  (I have yet to go on another roller coaster like that!)

Along the way we added a few activities so they were able to earn the “Travel” Interest Project as well.

The non-formal learning the Girl Scout program offers continues to impress me.  This was a memorable experience for me and one that I remain proud of all that those girls accomplished.  Although this was not intentionally a “girl-led” experience, it certainly became one.  Why?  Because that is the way Girl Scouts is, it just naturally flows for the girls to grow and develop their leadership.

Do you have a “girl-led” story to share?  Use the Share Your Stories form.

Leadership Summits are here and coming to your area in the coming weeks (Metro Denver, September 16, 2017; Northern Colorado, September 23; Grand Junction, September 20; Pueblo, October 14).  My experience at the Colorado Springs event on Saturday, August 26 was fabulous.  I was even asked for  feedback and insight to enhance the service unit experience. To register or find one in your area, use this link: http://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/en/events/training-events.html

 

 

Centennial Campfire celebration at Meadow Mountain Ranch

More than 200 Girl Scouts and Girl Scout supporters gathered on Sunday, August 27, 2017 at Meadow Mountain Ranch to celebrate 100 years of Girl Scouting in Colorado at the last in a series of Centennial Campfire celebrations. MMR is a Girl Scouts of Colorado property located next to Rocky Mountain National Park in Allenspark. Girls and families enjoyed s’mores by the fire, a tour of the property, and a performance by the Songbirds Girl Scout Choir. A Girl Scout history display and mobile Girl Scout shop attracted attention in the main lodge.

All Girl Scouts who attended also received a free, fun patch honoring 100 years of Girl Scouting in Colorado. The first Girl Scout troop in Colorado got started in 1917 in the Colorado Springs area.

Colorado Girl Scouts spotlighted as the future of the Girl Scout Cookie Program®  

Colorado Girl Scouts are unleashing the power of G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)™ to accomplish amazing things.

In fact, Colorado Girl Scouts were so successful during the 2017 Girl Scout Cookie Season that Little Brownie Bakers® plans to feature the girls in its national promotional campaign for the 2019-2020 season. The girls will be spotlighted in marketing materials ranging from informational brochures to motivational videos.

In 2017, through the annual Girl Scout Cookie Program, 16,000 Girl Scouts® in Colorado sold about 4.5 million packages of cookies. Of this total, 357,409 were sold online through the Girl Scouts Digital Cookie™ platform, an easy-to-use online tool that helps girls superpower their sale.

Determined to succeed, and supported by volunteers, Colorado Girl Scouts met their cookie goals early on. Once girls delivered on their goals, they set new milestones and accomplished even more.

Colorado Girl Scouts achieved a per-girl average of 273 boxes sold. The top seller in the state moved more than 7,000 packages of cookies.

Add up all the numbers, and it’s easy to see Colorado Girl Scouts are true cookie entrepreneurs who shine as present and future leaders.

The Little Brownie team appreciated how many girls took the lead and used both traditional and digital marketing strategies to reach high goals.

Over the next few months, LBB marketing representatives will travel to Colorado, with their video/photography crew, to interview Girl Scouts statewide about how they use five Girl Scouting skills to reach their cookie goals and fund their big adventures. Girl Scouts of Colorado will be looking for girls to participate in this special opportunity and others. If you’re the parent or guardian of a Colorado Girl Scout who might be interested, please email GSCO Public Relations Director AnneMarie Harper at annemarie.harper@gscolorado.org.

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Girl Scouts of Colorado (GSCO) is part of Girl Scouts of the USA, the preeminent leadership development organization for girls. As one of 112 Girl Scout councils across the country, GSCO has a 100-year history of building girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place.

Little Brownie Bakers is one of two bakers licensed by Girl Scouts of the USA and has been baking Girl Scout Cookies since 1973. Little Brownie Bakers’ mission is to provide cookies and support services of the highest quality to Girl Scout councils to help teach girls a wide range of life skills and generate income for Girl Scout troops and councils via the annual Cookie Program.

The Girl Scout Cookie Program® is the largest girl-led entrepreneurial program in the world and helps girls earn money for educational activities, community projects and travel opportunities. All net revenue raised from cookie sales (100 percent) stays with the local councils and troops.