“A signature Tomahawk Ranch camp program. Campers will visit the barnyard, cook outdoor meals, create camp crafts, dabble in sports, plant in the greenhouse, make and eat homemade ice cream, participate in all-camp programs, hike and plan their own camp adventures.”

When: 6/22/14-6/27/14

Where: Tomahawk Ranch Camp

Ages: Brownies, Juniors and Cadettes, entering grades 2-8 in the fall

Cost: $500 if you pay in full by 11:59pm on April 30, $550 if you pay balance in full May 1 and after

This 6-day camp is an amazing way for Brownie, Junior and Cadette Girl Scouts to relish in the camp life at Tomahawk Ranch.

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Get Ready for Summer Checklist for Troops

April 1, 2014 admin

It’s already that time of year when troops are planning end-of-year parties and bridging ceremonies! Here are a few things you’ll need to do over the next few months to wrap up the 2013-2014 Girl Scout membership year. As soon as you complete your last activity for the year, follow these steps:

Annual Troop Report – Submit this form online within 30 days of your group’s last activity for the year. If you gather this information, you should be able to complete the report in 10 minutes! You’ll receive an email with a copy of your report and links to the other checklist items below.
ACH Authorization – When you submit your Annual Troop Report, the website will direct you to the ACH Authorization for next year’s Fall Product Sale and Cookie Program (the link will also be in your confirmation email). If you know your group is continuing, go ahead and submit this quick form!
Re-register for 2014-2015 – Starting May 1st, you can log in to your online Troop Management Tool to re-register all the girls and adult who plan to continue for the 2014-2015 membership year!
GS Voices Survey – Encourage the girls, parents, and volunteers in your troop to register to participate in the Girl Scout Voices survey. Registering ensures the Girl Scout Research Institute sends an age-appropriate survey that provides a chance to share thoughts and feelings about the Girl Scout Leadership Experience.

Please complete the Get Ready for Summer Checklist by August 1st! If you have any questions about completing this checklist, contact your Program Support Specialist – or you can contact the GSCO Customer Support team at inquiry@gscolorado.org or (877) 404-5708. Have a great summer!

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Troop 3004’s “Welcome Kits” for new soldiers service project

March 31, 2014 admin

From Amy Michelsen, Troop 3004, Elbert

We had some female Army NCO’s that came out and talked to our troop about being women leaders in the Army. Our Brownies and Juniors are on the Get Moving and Water Journeys so these soldiers shared what living conditions are like for women in different parts of the world. Anyways, during questions and sharing we discovered that when newly assigned single soldiers arrive here to be assigned to the Army at Peterson AFB they are given a barracks room and nothing else. Due to budget cuts they are no longer given sheets, snacks, etc. The girls were shocked and upset that a young soldier would come here to serve our country and end up sleeping on a bed with no sheets and also have no family to welcome them. So our troop thought it would be awesome to make “welcome kits.” The girls interviewed the soldiers and asked what they should include, then they set out and collected donations of sheets, pillows, toiletries, Girl Scout Cookies, towels, stuffed animals, stationary, laundry baskets, laundry soap, bandaids, etc. from neighbors and then they asked for and received donations from Walmart, Target, and even got free meal cards from McDonald’s and Chick fil-A. The unit told us they would need around 6-8 for a year, but we made our goal 12. We collected items for two months, then assembled the “kits,” and, in the end, we had collected enough items to make 17 kits! The chaplain’s office will be in charge of handing out the kits to new single soldiers that arrive here. The girls presented the kits last week. The girls had fun shaking everyone’s hand, eating cake and getting all the soldiers to form a friendship circle and sing Make New Friends. This was their first large service project and they were so proud of themselves. They are confident that they can do anything now and that was an amazing perk!

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Troop 2714 helps pay for a new heart

March 28, 2014 admin

Submitted by Genevieve O’Bryan
Cottonwood

A beloved teacher, Joyce Bustamante, at Stargate Charter School has a granddaughter in need of a heart transplant. Delanee was diagnosed with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome or Shone’s Anomoly before she was born. She had her first open heart surgery when she was just 22 days old. Over the past 12 years Delanee’s condition has deteriorated. Recently, she was placed on the heart donor list and is currently undergoing the necessary work to be ready when there is a heart available. Once a heart is available, the family will need to mobilize quickly to get Delanee to the hospital. Following the surgery, Delanee will need a great deal of care from her entire family. As you can imagine, this is going to cost a great deal of money (early estimates are over $500,000 in medical expenses alone) and much of those expenses will not be covered by insurance.

The school has banded together to raise money for Delanee. The eight Daisies from Troop 2714 decided to use their profits from 2014 cookie sales to give to Delanee and her family. They presented her with a check for $225 at a schoolwide assembly on March 14. The school has raised over $17,000 as a community toward Delanee’s medical bills.

This story was submitted via the Share Your Stories form. http://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/share You can share your Girl Scout moments too.

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Colorado Girl Scouts send cookies to the military

March 27, 2014 admin

From Kay Martley, Girl Scouts of Colorado volunteer coordinator for the cookies to the military program (Photos by Colorado Girl Scout volunteer Carol Klein)

View more photos from the event

The annual Hearts Across the Miles Girl Scout Cookie packaging event for the military took place on Saturday, March 15th, at the Colorado National Guard Armory in Aurora. More than 70 volunteers, many of them Girl Scouts and their families, participated in packing the cookies that will be sent to soldiers who are on deployment. These cookies were sold by the Girl Scouts during the annual cookie program and bought by the public knowing the cookies would be sent to soldiers. A cookie from home gives our soldiers solace and confirms that we are all thinking of them. Hearts is a volunteer group of active and retired military, and they raise the funds to cover the cost of shipping. Approximately 6,500 packages of Girl Scout Cookies were donated to this effort this year. These cookies supported 23 deployed units as well as the Veterans’ Administration, local Colorado National Guard units and Buckley Air Force Base. About 45 packed boxes of cookies were held back and will be shipped off in the coming months to additional deployed units.

“It’s obvious this a labor of love for our local community. It’s also obvious that the Girl Scouts are the key to its success,” said Al Gonzalez, President, Hearts Across the Miles.

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Granby Troop 1371 delivers to Hometown Heroes

March 27, 2014 admin

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Submitted by Cricket Hawkins
Snowshoe Service Unit Granby/Winterpark/Tabernash

Troop 1371 and their Brownie mascot dropped 100 boxes of cookies off to their Hometown Hero, the Mountain Family Center, a local food bank in Grand County, on March 25. The girls were just bubbling with ideas for their Silver Award when they left. The energy and excitement generated by their discussion of doing something good for their community and peers has sparked some fabulous Silver Award considerations according to leader Nicole Robinson!

This story was submitted via the Share Your Stories form. http://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/share You can share your Girl Scout moments too.:

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March Keystone Science Camp a huge success

March 26, 2014 admin

[slideshow]

Submitted by Cricket Hawkins

Fifteen chaperones and 56 Girl Scouts, grades 2 through 9, from Chaffee, Eagle, Lake, and Routt counties attended the Keystone Science Camp overnight camp. Activities included “getting to know you” games; toasting s’mores around a campfire; evening dance party; viewing stars and planets through the school’s high powered telescope; hikes offsite; and STEM including sessions on snow-pits and layers, snow to water equivalency, and avalanches. Camp wrapped up on Sunday with another hike and STEM, short skits by the girls on what they learned, and a special slideshow of the weekend!

Girl Scouts of Colorado Mountain Communities would like to thank the following sponsors for supporting this remarkable collaboration with Keystone Science School: Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Foundation Climax-Area (CO) Community Investment Fund for the girls of Eagle, Lake, and Chaffee counties; and the Craig-Scheckman Family Foundation, American Carpet & Floor Care, Ski Town Lions Club, Wyndham Vacation Rentals, Peabody Energy/Twenty Mile Coal, and Donna Garth for the girls of Routt County.

Story on Keystone Science Camp’s Blog

A parent’s view of Keystone Science Camp

Dear Cricket,

Thanks so much for coordinating the wonderful camp for Girl Scouts at Keystone Science Camp. We had a truly wonderful time and I think our girls had a really memorable experience.

As you know I was mildly concerned before we went that at 7-8 years of age, our 5 girls might be a little young to truly benefit from the snow science curriculum. However, you were totally right – the team at KSS had carefully tailored their educational program and activities for the different age groups and our girls’ interest and involvement was maintained throughout the weekend, and they definitely came away having learned valuable information and skills on how to manage themselves in the winter mountain environment.

The weather was pretty rough on Saturday with plenty of wind and cloud and snow. After a late night getting to bed on Friday night, my 7 year old daughter was tired and grumpy and announced during our Saturday field trip that she hated the cold, the snow and everything about winter. However, after getting to play with interesting new tools, learning about different types of snow, looking at it through magnifying glasses, building snow pits and caves, building model avalanches and watching how they work, and learning how scientists measure snow conditions throughout the winter, she became quite the self-appointed expert! At one point during our Sunday field trip, I sank knee deep and fell beside her. While I laughed and exclaimed at falling in “the snow”, she rolled her eyes and sighed with faux patience and explained knowingly, “It’s not just ‘snow’ Mummy, it’s ‘melt freeze crust’!” At that point, I knew the camp had successfully pulled her out of her winter attitude funk, and by the end of the weekend Eva announced that it was all “really cool” and that when she grew up she wanted to be a “snow measurer” too. She also told me that she never wanted to leave KSS, and that we should stay for “at least the next 17 weeks” but if we couldn’t do that, then we absolutely had to come back for the weekends in April and September as well as the two week camp in summer.

Experiences like this that encourage inquisitiveness and boundary-pushing and develop confidence and enthusiasm in our girls is why we joined Girl Scouts. Well done!

Best regards,

J.W.

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Because of Girl Scout Camp…Part 3

March 26, 2014 admin

This week’s “Because of Girl Scout Camp” entry is written by Rebecca Kosten “Scribble”- a senior at Arapahoe High School; in summer 2013 she worked on Crew Staff; and in summer 2014 will be a Cabin Counselor.

Because of Girl Scout Camp…

Camp is a place of belonging without condition, kindness without limit, and new opportunities without fear. And because of camp I believe in the power of small positive actions to make the world a better place.

I have been a camper at Tomahawk Ranch for 10 years, throughout which I grew up and grew closer to my home away from home and eventually became a counselor as well. Over the years, I learned how to ride a horse, shoot a bow and arrow, and discover treasures in nature, but my most important lessons were in how to believe in myself, how to care for others, and how to make a difference in the world.

As I look back on my years at camp it is not the activities or the opportunities that stand out the most — it is the way in which each activity and each moment made a difference.

I remember the first time I went on a hike at camp. I was jumping with excitement. I remembered hikes with my family when I had learned about the plants or the rocks or the creatures around me. I loved these hikes and I was sure that this would be just as exciting. As we set out, I chattered away noisily about the nature around me. At every stop I gulped water so quickly that some inevitably spilled and ran all over my face. I was eager to see the nature around me, to discover some previously unknown flower.

As we got closer to the top of the hike, though, I began to see how much something else mattered. As my excitement was absorbed by the mountain trail, I found that we had brought something with us as important as nature around us. We had brought teamwork and caring with us too. It was a magnificent adventure into the outdoors, but what I remember most is the friendship and the courage I found on that hike. It was a hike, yes, but it also planted seeds of courage, caring, and empathy.

Over time I realized how much each moment at camp made a difference. Time and time again I found that seemingly insignificant moments impacted me greatly. I can’t describe camp in a list of years, activities, or lessons learned because, to me, camp is the little actions that have made me the person I am today.

I strive to take camp’s strength, kindness, and acceptance with me everywhere I go. It’s not always easy, but if camp had taught me anything it’s that it will be worth it.

From these memories, I draw the strength to continue believing, to continue growing, and to continue giving. Because of camp I know that every moment is special, that every person is unique, and that every action we take makes more of a difference than we can possibly know.

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Girl Scout Gold Award Project: Emily Calzolari, Longmont, “Helmet Helper”

March 25, 2014 admin

Emily Calzolari
Longmont
Mead High School
Helmet Helper

What did you do for your Gold Award project?

I provided helmets for the Longmont Ice Pavilion and educated Learn-to-Skate parents and participants of the dangers of skating. Through word of mouth, posters, flyers and a Facebook page, the dangers of figure skating where addressed and proper safety techniques were put to the test.

Why did you pursue this Gold Award project?

As a competitive figure skater and figure skating instructor, safety is my number one priority for me. But some people don’t know how dangerous it can be. I felt as though it was my responsibility as a Girl Scout Ambassador, a figure skating instructor and an athlete, to educate those who wanted to participate in the sport of figure skating.

How did your Gold Award project make a difference?

After my Gold Award I noticed almost all the participants were wearing helmets. It was an amazing thing to see, and I was amazed at what my Gold Award had done.

What skills did you gain through earning your Gold Award?

Public speaking skills were definitely involved, and because of my Gold Award, I am a well-spoken young lady who can convey her thoughts and ideas with ease.

What will you most remember about your Gold Award project?

The kids faces! When I first started teaching at the Longmont Ice Pavilion many kids where scared to let go of the wall because they would fall and hurt themselves. But now that they are equipped with safety techniques and safer equipment (helmets), they venture far from the wall without falling, and this is helping them improve their ice skating skills.

How will earning your Gold Award help you in your future?

Earning my Gold Award has taught me a lot about perseverance and determination. Many people kept shutting me down and telling me that none of this would be possible. But I was determined to make a difference in my community.

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

Earning your Gold Award is like going to the Olympics. It’s a long, hard journey that only few can attend. But if you are determined, and work hard, anything is possible. To be a Girl Scout Ambassador and to have achieved my Girl Scout Gold Award is something I am proud of, knowing only 1% of girls achieve it. It makes me proud to know that I have impacted my community and will continue to do so through my project’s sustainability.

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Girl Scout Gold Award Project: Taylor Hale, Boulder, “Music on the Brain”

March 25, 2014 admin

Taylor Hale
Boulder
Niwot High School
Music on the Brain

What did you do for your Gold Award project?

I provided some relief to Alzheimer’s patients through my therapeutic music program, which also offered company to these lonely nursing home residents.

Why did you pursue this Gold Award project?

Music has the potential to unlock otherwise lost memories for Alzheimer’s patients and temporarily relieve cognitive and behavioral symptoms. I plan to study neuroscience in college and this was a great introduction to mental illnesses and treatment.

How did your Gold Award project make a difference?

I provided therapeutic music sessions and a person to talk to for the residents. In the future, my project will mostly have the impact of education about the benefits of similar projects via the project’s blog and newspaper article.

What skills did you gain through earning your Gold Award?

I improved my communication skills and gained self-confidence in situations outside of my comfort zone.

What will you most remember about your Gold Award project?

I will remember the people and the experiences I had at the home. The residents were some of the sweetest people I have ever met, and I am glad I was able to talk to them and hear their stories.

How will earning your Gold Award help you in your future?

Going into college as a pre-med/neuroscience major and having this background with mental illness reminds me why what I want to do is so important and has the potential to impact so many people.

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

I think that my Gold Award serves as a capstone to my Girl Scout experience. I was able to do my own project, specifically in my own area of interest. It also served as a transition project from high school into college.