Tag Archives: Berthoud

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Little Library and Bench Added to Berthoud

Submitted by Lori Major

Northern & Northeastern CO

Berthoud

After a long process, Lorelai and Alexis of Troop 74087 were finally able to finish their Silver Award project! They added another Little Library, including a bench, to the Berthoud community. When asked why this project, their answer was, “We care about the kids in the community and want them to have books available to read that were easy to access when the library wasn’t open.”

The process started with a class offered by GE Johnson in Colorado Springs. The girls built a bench and cabinet with the help of the company employees. GE Johnson drew three troop numbers to determine who got the benches. Their troop was selected to take the bench home and install it in the community. The challenge of finding the perfect location took the longest. These girls learned about the construction of the library and bench, as well as how to work as a team. They also learned great communication skills through the process. This project was long and hard but worth the success in the end.

We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here.

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Silver Award Project Enhances Turner Middle School

Submitted by Lori Major

Northern & Northeastern CO

Berthoud

Natalie, Gracie, and Cate are from Troop 74087 in Berthoud and they felt that their school needed to feel more welcoming. So, they created inspirational quotes to put around their school. With the help of Berthoud citizens, the girls were able to make the quotes more professional looking. Throughout the process of creating the quotes, they ran into some difficulties, but were able to overcome them. Along the way, they learned how to use the Girl Scout Law and come together as a team. For this project to be sustainable, they are passing on the murals and knowledge to the troops coming into the middle school, so they are able to take care of the projects they already did. The girls had to persevere through the four to five-hour long days to be able to complete their project.

The Silver Award that we chose needed a lot of patience and focus to complete in the year we did it. We gained teamwork and learned how to cooperate with your teammates. Cate learned how to make phone calls. Natalie learned how to speak and communicate with figures of authority,  send emails, and budget our money. Gracie wrote our script for the phone calls. The project will stay up as long as other troops take care of it. We made a connection between teachers and learned the complications of putting up a mural.

We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here.

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Gold Award Girl Scout: MariAnna Smith, Berthoud, “The Bullying Box”

What did you do for your Gold Award project?

After asking my old middle school counselor what I could do to help the bullying issue in the school, I decided to put in a few question boxes. I placed one in each of the grade hallways so students could have a safe and anonymous method of asking questions and reporting bullying. Questions are answered on the student produced news show.

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

I went in to the school once a week so I could count how many questions were asked and what type they were.

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

The principal and counselor have agreed to continue this project in the coming years. They will become responsible for the maintenance of the boxes, as well as going through the questions.

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

This project is connected to bullying, as well as self confidence. These boxes will help shy students build up their confidence enough to ask questions in classes, and of their peers.

What did you learn about yourself?

I learned how to be confident in my choices and decisions through all projects that I lead.

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

Earning my Gold Award will help me get jobs in the future, and help me take action when I see an issue I want to fix.

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

Getting the Gold Award is my greatest Girl Scout-related accomplishment. When looking back upon what I did as a Girl Scout when I’m older, I’m certain I will think about my Gold Award first.

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

I had a hard time taking the risk of reaching out to the school in the first place. I was also nervous to accept the risk of rejection when I presented to the council at the beginning of this project. In that way, I improved my risk taking capabilities.

**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. 

 

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I knew it would be hard

Submitted by Kari Walters

Northern & Northeastern CO

Berthoud

I knew it would be hard. I knew it would be loud. I knew it would be absolutely crazy. What caught me by surprise was it was an absolutely fabulous crazy.

Each time our leaders take our girls camping for a weekend I admire their courage. I silently say to myself, “How can they put up with the noise?” and then happily give my daughter a hug, tell her to behave, and go on home for a quiet weekend.

This time was different. This time, my weekend schedule happened to be clear and I happily volunteered to help with a weekend not just with our troop, but a very large weekend with 40 people total.

Before I knew what I was saying, the words “I’ll help wherever you need me” came out of my mouth. Who is this woman and why is she volunteering for this? Even my husband said, “are you sure?”

Now is a good time to say I also don’t like being cold. I don’t do snow sports and my perfect winter day is sitting at my computer working on family history, patiently waiting for springtime. I had volunteered to not only go to an overnight excursion with more than 25 young girls, plus our troop of teen PA’s, and a few other crazy moms, but I did it for a thing called “Winter Blast.”

Maybe, I wouldn’t have to go outside. Maybe, I could be useful in the lodge. I don’t own snowpants, so maybe that would get me out of the outdoor activities. Nope, nope, and nope. Our Winter Blast had four different rotating stations with different activities for each. One group would go snowshoeing, another group would do crafts, the third group did yoga, and the last group would go sledding. We’d do a 45 minute shift at each station and then rotate. My duty was to take the four groups outside for sledding.

I sledded right along with them, and it was SO MUCH FUN! We all giggled, we all screamed. We all hesitated when it was time to go back into the lodge for the next scheduled activity, even me. These girls provided me so much joy! They are all amazing in their own way. I saw a quiet girl sitting to the side not ready to sled until the squeals became so contagious she also joined the downhill fun. I saw a few little shy girls come out of their shells over the weekend too.

I could not have had this wonderful experience unless that crazy voice inside of me spoken up against all sane thoughts in my brain. After a week or so of being home and looking back at the previous weekend’s experience, I finally got the chance to ask our troop leader if this is what she feels. With a big smile on her face she responded “Yes!”

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

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Silver Award project: Reducing plastics in Berthoud

Submitted by Kenyan C.

Northern & Northeastern CO

Berthoud

My name is Kenyan C. and a problem I discovered in my community, Berthoud, was the amount of plastic litter we have. Plastic is such a huge issue in our modern world, it does much more bad than good. Did you know that Americans use 100 billion plastic bags a year? And for all the damage a plastic bag causes, like harming wildlife, ecosystems, our atmosphere, natural beauty, and so much more, it is only used for 12 minutes. That bag also sticks with the earth for more than 1,000 years, due to it being non-biodegradable.

Our plastic pollution is at alarming levels and to fix that I believe that everybody must do their part. I’m trying to do mine by reducing the amount of plastic we as a society use. To tackle that goal, I’m taking it one store by store. For my Silver Award project, I proposed a presentation to my local grocery store, Hays Market, in Berthoud. Now, lots of research and planning went into it and I came out with a slideshow about the types of plastic pollution, how it harms the environment, and how to resolve this issue.

On Friday, September 27, 2019, I presented my slideshow to the owner of Hays Market, Neal Hays, before school. He heard what I had to say and appreciated how much research and effort went into the causes I believe in. However, he would not limit the amount of plastic bags the store stocks. Neal said that he hoped that Colorado would follow after California and Hawaii and ban disposable plastic bags. But, we also had to look at it from a marketing standpoint. For the wellness of his business, he couldn’t do completely what I was expecting. However, not all hope was lost because Neal believes the motivation to change our community’s ways was not to force them to, but to encourage and educate customers. Along with my presentation, I created a little “leave behind” card to put at check-out registers. These cards tell customers why to reduce plastic bag waste and how. You can make a difference just by bringing your own reusable bags or asking a checker for more information. Neal wanted me to finalize and print more cards so he could put them at checkers.

After submerging myself with the plastic free community when researching, I felt as if I truly understood what state our earth is at and how much plastic is harming our planet. Even if I cant force our town to stop using plastic, I guess I learned not everybody understands where you come from and some people just need to research and make decisions on their own. Slowly people are realizing the consequences and making lifestyle changes, hopefully Berthoud can do that too. But, we don’t have much time. So, if you are reading this, I encourage you to do your part.

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

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Brownies journey through Wonderland

Submitted by Jen Rotar

Northern & Northeastern CO

Berthoud

On November 3, 2018, 32 Brownies from seven different troops took the marvelous “Journey Through Wonderland,” hosted by Troop 70700 of Berthoud. The Cadettes designed, organized, and led this “Journey in a Day,” with whimsical activities based on Lewis Carroll’s original story.

The Brownies earned their “World of Girls” Journey by telling their own stories, practicing teamwork, getting creative, and making healthy choices.

They topped off the day by creating Kindness Cards to distribute in their own communities as a Take Action project. Imagining what would happen if the Queen of Hearts sent her card soldiers to spread kindness, each Brownie will share their Kindness Cards in their own communities.

While the Brownies said they loved all the activities of the day, the favorites were definitely the Mad Hatter Hat Station and Caterpillar teamwork challenge.

Each station was designed and led by Cadettes, who worked through the challenges of planning the event and gained confidence in their own leadership abilities.

Troop 70700 is hosting “Journey Through Wonderland” again in December (already sold out), and is planning additional sessions for 2019. To be placed on an interest list for upcoming sessions, please email Troop 70700 leader Jen Rotar at rotarjen@msn.com.

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

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Cave of the Winds Sleepover 2018

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Submitted by Sheila Durnil

Northern & Northeastern CO

Berthoud

Three Cadettes from Troop 74087 took part in one of the four sleepover nights at Cave of the Winds in Manitou Springs on August 24, 2018. The Cadettes conquered the Windwalker Challenge. Two of the girls fearlessly climbed and conquered every level and the other girl conquered her fear of heights and made it through the first level! Her chaperones also conquered their fear of heights and joined her in celebration.

Other fun activities included the Bat-a-Pult, laser show, Stalactite Slide, and Bat Room/Maze. Beautiful rocks and fun crystals were found during the sluicing time. The cave tour was dark, damp, and dusty. The cave’s atmosphere can throw a curveball at you, such as aggravating allergies (dust, mold, mildew), claustrophobia (damp, dark, tight places), and lack of proper wardrobe preparation can lead to wardrobe malfunctions (wear a belt or expect a full moon!) The Cadettes learned about the history and saw the giant’s nostril, the butter churn natural formations in the cave and the dangerous possibilities of the cave’s crystal formations. Expect to get muddy!

Following the movie, Wall-E, the Cadettes and chaperones slept in their sleeping bags in the cave (we recommend finding your spot early and air mattresses or lawn chaises!!!) and woke up to quickly pack up to head home.

The Cadettes can’t wait to share their experience with the other Cadettes and their friends to encourage them to check out the caves. The conquerors decided they are going to continue to work on their fear of heights and encourage others to face their fears, too.

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

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Juliette’s Journey through Wonderland

Submitted by Jen Rotar

Northern & Northeastern CO

Berthoud

Cadette Troop 70700 in Berthoud is hosting a magical Journey in a Day for Brownies. Join us on Saturday, November 3, 2018 from noon to 4 p.m. to complete the  “World of Girls” Journey.

This Journey is based on Juliette’s travels through Wonderland. Make new friends, write your adventure story, design a Mad Hatter hat, enter a caterpillar race, chase the white rabbit, and celebrate your unbirthday! This is a high-energy event with lots of fun activities Brownies will love. Its all about making positive choices!

“This is an enthusiastic day that allows the imagination to run wild! The older girls that lead this Journey spark creativity and team-building throughout the activities. This is a very well-organized day of fun where the girls learn and grow together. Highly recommended!” ~ Michelle, Leader of Brownie Troop 75895

Cost $10 per girl and includes a tea party snack and your Take Action project. You can find more details and RSVP on the GSCO event calendar: https://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/en/events-repository/2018/juliette_s_journey_t.html

Troop 70700 is a diverse group of Cadettes who love all the adventures Girl Scouts has to offer. This year’s troop focus is leadership experience, using their PA skills, and working on their Silver Award. Our troop is high energy and outdoorsy, and has enjoyed summer adventures including camping, whitewater rafting, and horseback riding.

This money-earning activity will help send Troop 70700 on their first big trip next summer.

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

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Mission Sisterhood and aMaze! journeys

Submitted by Genia Babyak

Northern and Northeastern CO

Berthoud

Berthoud Girl Scout Senior Troop 71126 is hosting Senior Mission Sisterhood and Cadette aMaze! journeys! Earn your Journey and badge in an easy, fast, and fun way with your sister Girl Scouts! The Senior Mission Sisterhood Journey will focus on personal wellness for every girl and how to achieve your goals. The Cadette aMaze! Journey will focus on the twists and turns of getting along. Both journeys will be FUN!

This event will be held on October 21, 2018 and November 11 (attend only ONE day) from 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Berthoud Elementary School. The address is 560 Bunyan Avenue, Berthoud, CO.

Cost is $40 per participant and payment must be made in advance.
Easy registration and payment should be made at:
https://senior-mission-sisterhood-and-cadette-amaze.cheddarup.com

OR make your check out to Girl Scout Troop 71126 and mail it to Megan Courtright, 108 Hummingbird Place, Berthoud, CO 80513. Please specify which Journey you will be taking.

Participants should bring a lunch and snack for this day-long activity.

If you have any questions, please contact Megan at (970) 980-7261 or courtrighttm@gmail.com.

 

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

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Berthoud Service Unit in the Berthoud Day Parade

Submitted by Jen Rotar

Northern & Northeastern CO

Berthoud

Berthoud Service Unit was well-represented in the annual Berthoud Day Parade.  26 girls from Daisies to Cadettes brought paddles, fishing poles, kayaks, bows, rackets, and other gear representing their favorite outdoor activities. It was great to hear the crowd shouting “Yay Girl Scouts” as we made our way along the parade route.

Berthoud Day brings approximately 10,000 people to our small town each year and the sidewalks were jam-packed.

Berthoud Service Unit brings together multiple troops for community activities, with the older girls teaching songs and watching out for the younger girls safety on the float. We love this kind of teamwork, and everyone had fun.

Special thanks to the Moss family, and their two Girl Scouts Ronnie and Piper, for providing their truck and trailer for the float.

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