Press Releases
Event Honors Long-Time Girl Scout Volunteer
Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes, Inc.
Robyn Morin, an active Menomonie resident, was honored by area volunteers and staff of Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes (GSNWGL) at an event on Thursday, July 12 at The Oaks in Menomonie. For many years, Morin has served the Girl Scout organization in Colfax, Boyceville, Durand, Knapp, and Menomonie. She recently resigned from her volunteer position and will be replaced by Michelle Dingwall of Menomonie. Morin will now serve on GSNWGL’s board of directors. In attendance at the event were Senator Sheila Harsdorf, former Menomonie Mayor Chuck Stokke, and many other Girl Scout supporters and friends of Morin.
ABOUT GSNWGL
In partnership with over 6,000 adult volunteers, GSNWGL serves nearly 20,000 girls in 58 counties across northern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Girl Scouts—now in its 100th year—is the world’s preeminent leadership development organization for girls, building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. To join, volunteer, reconnect, or donate to Girl Scouts, call 888.747.6945 or visit www.gsnwgl.org. GSNWGL is a proud United Way partner program.
COLUMN: Girl Scouts Declares 2012 Year of the Girl
By Jess Radke, Copy Writer from Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes, Inc.
In a move designed to focus national attention on girls and the issues they face, Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) has declared 2012 the Year of the Girl: a celebration of girls, recognition of their leadership potential, and a commitment to creating a coalition of like-minded organizations and individuals in support of balanced leadership in the workplace and in communities across the country.
This announcement comes as GSUSA assumes new leadership under CEO Anna Maria Chávez and prepares to celebrate its centennial in 2012, using this important moment in its history to launch a major initiative to change the landscape for girls and young women. The initiative, which also includes the largest fundraising and advocacy campaign dedicated to girls’ issues in the nation’s history, will be formally announced in January and will extend well beyond the Year of the Girl in 2012.
“The Year of the Girl is only a beginning,” said GSUSA Chief Executive Officer Anna Maria Chávez. “We can’t transform American leadership in a year, but we can transform expectations in a year. We can transform awareness in a year. We can set in motion a generational change, and make certain that a baby girl born in 2012 will experience her life in a new and vastly different world. Only Girl Scouts, with its scale and time-honored place in society, can launch this initiative. If not us, who? If not now, when? When girls succeed, so does society. We know that together, we can get her there.”
This declaration serves as the foundation for Girl Scouts’ broader, multiyear, multipronged effort to break down societal barriers that hinder girls from leading and achieving success in everything from technology and science to business and industry.
During the Year of the Girl, local Girl Scout offices nationwide will mix celebrations of the organization’s 100 years as the premier leadership experience for girls with efforts to create a sense of urgency around girls’ issues.
"Girl Scouts is at the forefront of building girl leaders,” GSUSA National President Connie L. Lindsey said. “We embrace the opportunity we have to develop the next generation and future generations of leaders that understand the interconnectedness of the global community. Our girls will understand that they matter. And when they dream their future, they see a world of shared leadership: where the values of courage, confidence, and character really do make the world a better place."
COLUMN: Girl Scouts Add Hispanic Initiative
By Jess Radke, Copy Writer from Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes, Inc.
Some of my greatest Girl Scout memories involve learning from people of other cultures who I met at camp, programs, and even in my troop. I’ll never forget that wacky Camp Counselor from England who taught me that they call soda “fizzy juice” over in Britain, or my pen pal from Alaska telling me about taking a ferry to school in the dark every morning.
Learning about other cultures is often fun and inspires imagination in kids, but it’s also important in terms of tolerance and respect. That’s why it’s exciting for me to see the leaps and bounds Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes (GSNWGL) has made in the name of inclusion; namely national and Council-wide Hispanic initiatives.
Currently, GSNWGL is laying groundwork by translating forms and materials into Spanish and setting up a Spanish-speaking phone line. Long-term, GSNWGL will have systems in place for Hispanic volunteer development and Hispanic-culture programming for girls.
“We are envisioning this as a three-year process before we are in full swing with the Hispanic Initiatives,” stated Gloria Garza, Community Development & Hispanic Initiatives Manager with GSNWGL. “Three years feels like a long time, but there are a lot of pieces to put together before we can begin developing quality leadership programs tailored to our Hispanic population.”
Gwen Taylor, Director of Innovation and Program at GSNWGL notes that the Hispanic Initiative is developed in response to the growing Hispanic population nation-wide, but Girl Scout inclusion programming doesn’t stop there.
“A lot of our Hispanic parents are first generation and struggle with language barriers, which is why we have such a heavy focus on Hispanic Initiatives right now. That said, we successfully serve a wide variety of cultures,” Taylor noted. “We serve Native American, Hmong, and other non-Caucasian populations as well, but because there isn’t such a language barrier with those families, girls and volunteers often have an easier time participating.”
These inclusion initiatives are expected to benefit GSNWGL greatly, projecting a large boost in girl participation and new membership. More importantly, this will give more girls access to Girl Scout leadership programming as well as opportunities to explore and share their heritage and learn about other cultural backgrounds.
“No matter who they are or where they come from, we need to serve all girls and get them to interact with people who are different from them,” Taylor said. “Girls grow from these opportunities, leaving them more well-rounded and better prepared to take on the world.”
2012 Women of Courage, Confidence and Character Announced
By Jess Radke, Copy Writer from Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes, Inc.
Mark your calendars for the 2012 Women of Courage, Confidence and Character awards banquet, to be held on April 2 at The Florian Gardens in Eau Claire!
Since 1994, Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes, Inc. has hosted this event and has recognized extraordinary women in northwestern Wisconsin who demonstrate extensive service to their communities and who exemplify the Girl Scout mission: to build girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place.
The 2012 Women of Courage, Confidence and Character honorees were recently selected; out of 15 nominations, five women will be honored. The honorees are:
• Lisa Schuetz of Altoona, University Recreation and Sports Facilities at UW-Eau Claire
• Marguerite Blodgett of Boyceville, Cataloger at Boyceville Public Library
• Mary Rose Willi of Chippewa Falls, Senior Vice President/Cashier at Northwestern Bank
• Vicki Hoehn of Altoona, Executive Vice President- Marketing at Royal Credit Union
• Wendy Stelter of Chippewa Falls, Police Chief at Chippewa Falls Police Department
These women were selected because they have shown a high level of leadership in their communities and deserve recognition as role models for girls who are looking for guidance on living active, responsible, empathetic lives. To find out more, become a sponsor, donate, or purchase tickets for this event, visit www.gsnwgl.org/support/events or contact Amy Underwood at aunderwood@gsnwgl.org or 888.747.6945, ext. 5510.
Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes, Inc. is a proud United Way partner program.
COLUMN: Girl Scouts Help Fight Hunger
By Jess Radke, Copy Writer from Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes, Inc.
One thing I love about the Girl Scout organization is the inherent goodness of what we stand for. When you look at what Girl Scouts is all about, much of the Girl Scout experience centers around community leadership and making the world a better place.
I take such delight in seeing our girls turn a personal interest into a way to help others. I recently spoke with Jen, who is essentially the ultimate Girl Scout. She just “gets it.” Last summer, Jen traveled to Arizona for a destination, which is a Girl Scout trip for girls from all over the country. On her destination, Jen and her travel group spent a few days sleeping under the stars in national parks, a few days at the Grand Canyon, and a few days visiting museums and excavating at an archaeological site. These are the kinds of life-changing experiences I love to hear about!
What really intrigued me about Jen’s story, though, was that she and her troop were really in tune with community service opportunities. In addition to nursing home visits and raking leaves for neighbors, Jen and her troop devised a plan to help their local food pantry in a rather unique way.
Jen and her troop had been working on the Girl Scout journey, “Sow What?” Girl Scout journeys explore important topics through projects and activities. Girl Scouts has three journeys with different focuses for each Girl Scout grade level. “Sow What?” is a Girl Scout Senior-level book within the “It’s Your Planet—Love It!” journey. Through this journey, girls explore how food impacts the environment—from the carbon footprint resulting from food transport, to pesticide-grown produce versus organic.
In order to earn their Harvest Award, which they earn once they finish the “Sow What?” journey in full, the girls needed to complete a major project. They settled on a nonperishable food drive which they called “Trick or Treat for Canned Goods.” Last Halloween, the troop split into small groups, dressed up, and went door-to-door in different neighborhoods to collect canned goods to later donate to their local food pantry.
“My neighbors were so impressed with the idea, a lot of people went back and forth from the kitchen to the door to give us as many cans as they could hold—some donated ten at a time!” Jen said.
At the end of the night, the girls counted nearly 350 nonperishable food items. “I think what really stood out to people was that we were putting a fun spin on a food donation project,” Jen said. “It was exciting to get our neighborhoods involved in our efforts to help others!”
COLUMN: Girls Have Many Ways to Be Scouts
By Jess Radke, Copy Writer from Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes, Inc.
The other night, I was helping a coworker run a Girl Scout registration event in a small town. It was my first time helping at one of these events, so I had a lot of questions about how girls could register.
The school already had Daisy and Brownie Troop Leaders trained and ready to kick off another great year, but no volunteers available to lead any older girl troops.
“But what happens if an older girl wants to register?” I asked.
“Well, we may be able to find a volunteer to lead an older girl troop if we need to. Otherwise, girls can register and attend programs, camp, and go on trips,” my coworker said, “Girls can register to be a Juliette.”
Although I’d heard about Juliettes (named after Girl Scout founder Juliette Gordon Low), I knew very little about this membership option. What I did know was that Juliettes—also called Individual Girl Members (IGMs)—work on badges, complete projects, serve the community, sell cookies, and earn awards outside of a troop experience.
One mother of a Juliette states, “My daughter was never in a troop because I have a son with Autism, so troop meetings were tough to make. As a Juliette, she has sold cookies and raised her own money to attend camp. If she couldn’t be a Juliette, she wouldn’t be able to be a Girl Scout. For both of us, it’s a huge benefit.”
Gwen Taylor, Director of Innovation and Program at GSNWGL states, “This year we are focusing a lot on membership options – we call them membership Pathways. The most important thing to us is that every girl—no matter her location, schedule, abilities, or her family’s financial standing—can take part in Girl Scouts.”
As you probably guessed, the older girls get, the harder it is for them to fit everything into their schedules. Suddenly she’s in the school play, on the rugby team, taking banjo lessons, and learning French. These membership Pathways ensure that girls and volunteers can still get involved with Girl Scouts as their schedules allow. A century ago, Juliette Gordon Low created the Girl Scout organization to expand girls’ horizons, and to this day, Girl Scouts proudly stands as a completely inclusive, flexible leadership development program.
In case you were wondering, an older girl did come by that night looking to register. I explained the many ways that she could participate in Girl Scouts –she didn’t have to join a troop. The girl looked intrigued by this independent approach to Girl Scouting, and the mom looked like she wanted to hug me.
COLUMN: Girl Scouts serve as role models for younger girls
By Jess Radke from Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes, Inc.
The huge impact media has on our lives is inevitable. It’s not entirely a bad thing, but one problem we face at Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes is the negative impressions the media leaves on girls today. Just because people are in the public eye doesn’t designate them as a role model by default. In fact, many stars model ways we hope our kids don’t behave.
For 100 years, Girl Scouts has given girls positive role models to look up to, and they don’t need to be Hollywood stars. Rather, they’re older Girl Scouts in the community helping younger girls grow and understand the world. I can’t think of a better example than Marguerite, a recent high school graduate, now beginning her freshman year at UW-Eau Claire.
Last April, Marguerite completed her Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can earn. Her project focused on body image, peer pressure, and the impact of unhealthy media messages. She organized an event, “Free 2 Be Me” for girls preparing for their first year of high school. The event was facilitated by keynote speaker Hilary Bilbrey, Founder and CEO of Inspired By Family, LLC. After Bilbrey’s speech, the girls broke off into a girls-only session led by Marguerite. The girls discussed friendship, peer pressure, body image, the media, and what to expect once they start high school.
One girl described the media impact in her life. “What we see on TV and in ads isn’t realistic… I know that, but it’s hard to not feel like that’s the only way we can look to feel beautiful,” she noted.
This is how the majority of girls feel. According to the Girl Scout Research Institute, 89 percent of teen girls say the fashion industry places a lot of pressure on them to be thin. Marguerite explained how she dealt with that pressure. After struggling with an eating disorder for over a year, she learned the difference between “healthy” and “skinny.”
“There’s a big difference,” Marguerite notes. “I’m doing this project because I wish someone was there to tell me, ‘You are better off if you realize you’re okay just being who you really are.’”
With the school year beginning, those younger girls are beginning their high school experience more prepared for what’s coming their way, thanks to Marguerite. Not a Hollywood star, but someone who overcame obstacles and turned her experiences into an opportunity to help others. A real girl. A role model. A Girl Scout.
COLUMN: Girl Scouting unlike any other after-school activity
By Jess Radke from Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes, Inc.
Happy August! Summer is passing us by at an impossible rate, though fall promises much to look forward to. The turning of the leaves, apple cider and pumpkin pie, comfortably cooler (and less humid!) temperatures, and kids choosing extracurricular activities for their new school year. More than ever, this year is a great time for girls and their parents to get involved in Girl Scouts.
In the 100 years since its creation, the Girl Scout organization has shaped its programming to meet the educational needs of girls, to offer leadership development programming, and to provide girls with fun, life-changing experiences.
Local girls claimed this the best summer ever, attending Girl Scout events that took them to camp, to local programs, or even across the country on excursions that they’ll never forget. This fall will uphold the high standard our Girl Scout Council set this summer by offering equally intriguing programs.
While one girl attends a series of cooking classes, another can try curling for the first time. As one group of girls goes snowshoeing, others can develop business and marketing plans for their most successful cookie season ever. No matter her interests, she’ll have programs to choose from and will walk away with unlimited benefits. That’s what makes Girl Scouting unlike any other afterschool activity for girls; not only will she build understanding in a new area she never explored before, but she’ll develop leadership skills and higher self-esteem that will help her as she grows.
In fact, some of the most respected women in our society are former Girl Scouts: Katie Couric and Barbara Walters, Lucille Ball, Venus Williams, and Dr. Sally Ride- the first woman to go into space. These women fearlessly broke through the barriers and restrictions once set for them and became experts in their chosen professions. They are just a few of the millions of girls and women nationwide that have been impacted by the Girl Scout Movement in the past 100 years. The next century is looking just as good.
Let this be the year when we look an entire generation of girls in the eye and make them a promise: that every girl in this generation will have the opportunity, the tools, and the access she needs to reach her fullest potential. Wherever she lives. Whatever challenges face her. However great the journey to what she can become. For 100 years, this has been the work of the Girl Scouts.
COLUMN: New Girl Scout membership model offers flexibility
By Jess Radke from Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes, Inc.
There just aren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish everything on the to-do list. It’s July already. How did that happen? Soon we’ll be back-to-school shopping and picking from a multitude of extracurricular activities with the kiddos. Are you panicking yet? Sorry.
To accommodate for even the busiest schedules, Girl Scouts has developed a new membership model called Pathways. When you join or volunteer with Girl Scouts, you can choose one, all, or a combination of the six Pathways offered: traditional troops, events, camp, travel, virtual (handy for those living in rural areas), and series. Rapidly growing in popularity, series are programs based on a theme (like organic gardening, golf, or cake decorating) that help girls build skills over a 4-8 week period.
Let me paint a picture for you. A girl is starting middle school and is now torn between sports, music, clubs, and church commitments. Have no fear, young Girl Scout! Gone is the day where you have to drop out of the Girl Scout program because you can’t make it to troop meetings. Girls can still attend camp, travel to London, or whatever else sparks their interests, even if they aren’t in a troop.
The same goes for volunteers, too. Adults that can’t dedicate the time to lead a troop can now volunteer at programs, share their expertise at a series, or use their valuable skills in public relations, photography, or event planning to support the Girl Scout Council. You don’t have to have a daughter in Girl Scouts or even be a woman to volunteer, either. All adults are encouraged to volunteer. Yes, I’m talking to you, gentlemen!
These new Pathways also give the organization a better opportunity to reach out to girls that are incarcerated and at-risk, who can greatly benefit from Girl Scout programming. One juvenile detention facility Superintendent noted,
The Girl Scout program teaches the girls how to communicate, be more honest, and develop integrity– skills that will help them develop a sense of stronger self and increase their self-esteem. The girls have been able to better relate to others, have developed an increased understanding of others, and have become more respectful since attending the Girl Scout program.
The à la carte-style Pathways options are designed so that every girl can benefit from the positive outcomes Girl Scouting offers; no matter her location, her (or her parents’!) schedules, or her interests. With all this flexibility, even the busiest folks can pencil us in!
Find out more by visiting www.gsnwgl.org.
COLUMN: Girl Scouts can help victims of bullying
By Jess Radke, Copy Writer from Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes, Inc.
June is National Safety Month, and after really thinking about what safety means, I realized that it’s a lot deeper than making decisions to avoid injury in an accident, like buckling up or wearing a bike helmet; there’s also safety concerns with technology, which affects people in completely different ways.
Bullying is easier than ever with Facebook and other social networking sites, which connect kids on a deeply personal level. Photos, religious beliefs, next weekend’s plans… they’re out there in cyberspace and can be ammunition for bullies. Juveniles across the country are being charged for cyberbullying cases involving creating fake Facebook pages to make fun of classmates, or posting doctored photos with lewd captions.
Text messaging can be another medium for bullying and emotional abuse. One in three teens receives 10-30 texts an hour from a partner asking where they are, what they’re doing, or who they’re with. The scariest part? Eighty-two percent of the parents whose teens were texted 30 times an hour were unaware it was happening.
A lot of cyber harassment and abuse cases can be avoided, primarily by educating kids and parents. If kids understand that these can be hurtful and in some cases illegal, potential bullies could be dissuaded from even committing these acts. If bully victims speak out, they can make a difference for themselves and other victims.
Youth programs make a big difference as well. According to the Cyberbullying Research Center, adolescent girls are significantly more likely to experience cyberbullying. That’s why the Girl Scout Leadership Experience makes a difference for thousands of area girls. Ninety-five percent of local Girl Scouts will stand up for what they believe in and speak out against what is wrong, and 94 percent of local Girl Scouts feel comfortable advocating for themselves and others.
Girl Scouts and Microsoft joined forces to create LMK ("let me know") — an online resource where girls connect about topics like cyberbullying. This girl-led campaign allows girls to share their online concerns while raising awareness about keeping teen girls safe online. Parents also have access to a site specifically geared to their needs, equipping them with the tools necessary to understand online safety.
Some of the biggest safety threats are so hidden that parents may not even realize they’re present. Keeping an open conversation about these issues and monitoring the time spent on the internet and cell phones is a start. But one of the most effective ways to avoid these issues is to keep kids involved in programs that empower them to be positive leaders.
COLUMN: Summertime Adventures Shape Local Girl Scouts
By Jess Radke, Copy Writer from Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes, Inc.
Believe it or not, summer is almost here. Look beyond the sporadic springtime snowfall and remember: there is sunlight at the end of the tunnel. Gas prices may cripple some travel plans, but we Midwesterners are lucky to have abundant natural resources close to home. I recently surveyed my coworkers about their summer plans, receiving one unanimous answer: “We’re going camping.”
Camp is special to Girl Scouts because it’s a fun, safe place to build lasting, healthy friendships. The Girl Scout organization also sprinkles in an extra-special ingredient to their camp programs: life-changing leadership experiences.
Around this time last year, I spent a weekend with my niece- then a kindergartner and Girl Scout Daisy. She happened across a strategically placed camp book on the coffee table (Oops! How did that get there?), and started flipping through.
“Aunt Jessi,” she said, “I want to go to Girl Scout camp.”
Expecting a shy six year-old to be too spooked to spend a night away from home, I suggested nearby day camps so she could be with girls her age and could go home at night, but she shook her head bravely and said, “Nope. I want to sleep over.”
A week away at a water-themed camp session transformed sweet little Natalie into a confident, independent, singing-at-the-top-of-her-lungs, pen-palling-with-her-new-BFFs snorkeling expert. We had created a monster.
Natalie’s story isn’t unusual, either. Ninety-four percent of girls leave Girl Scout camp with a stronger sense of self, 96 percent developed healthy friendships, and 94 percent feel more empowered to make a difference in the world.
Bridget, one local Girl Scout wrote,
I never thought camp would impact my life in so many great ways… at [Girl Scout] camp, you must follow five rules: safety, commitment, no put-downs, leadership, and encouragement. Now I try to carry these five rules with me every day to make my life meaningful and my friendships lasting.
Don’t overlook Girl Scout camp for your summer planning, even if your daughter isn’t a Girl Scout. All girls in grades K-12 can register (and financial aid is available) for programs that vary from one day to two weeks, encompassing a broad range of interests from astronomy to kayaking and everything in between.
Leave boredom behind with the sleet and snow and give the girls in your life an unforgettable summer filled with life-changing leadership experiences. As Girl Scout alum Erica puts it, “It isn’t hard to get out and do something adventurous. Live outside the box, it will surprise people!”
COLUMN: Crazy ones make difference for girls and in the world
By Jess Radke, Creative Copy Editor from Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes
Here’s to the crazy ones, as they say.
April 10-16 is National Volunteer Week, and it’s a week for everyone to say thank you to the crazies who don’t let their day end when they punch out after work or when they’ve dried the last dinner plate.
The crazy ones we recognize this National Volunteer Week dedicate time and energy to the causes and organizations they believe in. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a volunteer as crazy as the Girl Scout volunteer. These maniacs volunteer in all shapes and forms. There’s your traditional Troop Leader- aka “Chief Crazy,” who takes on four… thirteen… twenty-eight Girl Scouts, helps them discover their inner-leaders and watches them develop into young women over a number of years… there’s the Service Area Manager- or “The Village Crazy,” who locally recruits, trains, and organizes awesome regional events for girls… there’s the Service Area Cookie Manager- “Cookie Crazy,” who brings hundreds of cases of Girl Scout cookies into their home for Girl Scouts to pick up and deliver to their ever-dedicated cookie clientele.
We salute you, oh crazy ones, for finding as much value in your involvement as the people you’re helping. For taking time out of your own busy lives to make other peoples’ worlds better. For inspiring children to become just like you someday. For sticking with it, even though it can get a little crazy sometimes.
The Girl Scout organization is heavily built on the incredible support of these crazies. Without the educators and the demonstrators and the fundraisers and the caretakers, Girl Scouts young and old would be missing out. Each and every idea and opinion, service project and science experiment inspires girls to voice their own opinions and become awesome adults, who then become crazy volunteers.
One area Girl Scout volunteer recently wrote in,
If I truly believe that a child is worth the world and that a girl should believe in herself, try new things, and deserves every bit of encouragement that I can offer her, then I must believe that I deserve those things as well. Being involved in the Girl Scout Movement changed me as much as it did my daughter.
Volunteers push the human race forward, because—as they say—the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do. So to every volunteer out there that has shaped our community, reminded us that good people with big hearts do exist, and has made our world a better place, here’s to you.
ABOUT GSNWGL
In partnership with over 6,000 adult volunteers, GSNWGL serves nearly 20,000 girls in
58 counties across northern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, with opportunities for girls to discover their strengths, connect with others and take action to improve their communities. Girl Scouts is the world’s preeminent leadership development organization for girls, building girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. To join, volunteer, reconnect, or donate to Girl Scouts, call 888.747.6945 or visit www.gsnwgl.org, or follow us at Facebook and Twitter. GSNWGL is a proud United Way partner program.
COLUMN: Girl Scouts continues to grow to meet needs
By Jess Radke, Creative Copy Editor from Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes
It goes without saying that a century ago, women were in a very different position in our society. With an ever-present wage and power imbalance in the workplace between genders, women have a long way to go, but we’ve also come a long way.
This progress must be partially credited to Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of the Girl Scout Movement. Low organized Girl Scouts in 1912 with a troop of 18 members. Ninety-nine years later, the Movement has grown to over 3.2 million members nation-wide. Although much has changed in order to meet the needs of girls, Girl Scouts honors the traditions that date back to our founding years.
The first Girl Scout handbook was written in 1913. Surprisingly progressive, it covers topics from botany to housewifery to self-defense. My favorite is the section titled, “How to Secure a Burglar with Eight Inches of Cord.” The first aid chapter highlights scenarios as ordinary as nosebleeds and bug bites, and as unusual as runaway horses and ice rescue. Kind of gives the Girl Scout motto “Be Prepared” a much deeper meaning, right?
In the 1940’s, Girl Scouts took a stand against the traditional female roles as an “only option,” and listed welding, riveting, the Army and Navy as options for women. Wing and Mariner Scouts were also introduced, both branches for Girl Scout Seniors to learn more about aviation and the sea. Jean Tremel, area Girl Scout Lifetime Member and former Mariner Scout has celebrated more than sixty years with her troop. “The Mariner Scouts were really popular around here with the Great Lakes,” Tremel recalls. “Back then, Girl Scouts was very ‘forward.’ We could do aviation. We could do mechanics. That was Juliette Low’s pioneering spirit.”
Throughout the 1960’s, Girl Scouts were advocates of the Civil Rights Movement, and prepared to continually refocus to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse membership. Since then, multicultural troops became common and special needs were addressed; the first Braile and Spanish Girl Scout handbooks were released in the mid-‘60’s. Whether a girl wants to become an energy scientist or coast guard, lawyer or horticulturist, finally every girl has the tools to make it happen.
Every year, Girl Scouting progresses to continually meet the needs of girls in every corner of the world, building leaders along the way. Counting down to our 100th Anniversary, we look back at milestone after milestone, and look forward to what we will accomplish in our second century of Girl Scouting. If only Juliette Gordon Low could see us now!
ABOUT GSNWGL
In partnership with over 6,000 adult volunteers, GSNWGL serves nearly 20,000 girls in
58 counties across northern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, with opportunities for girls to discover their strengths, connect with others and take action to improve their communities. Girl Scouts is the world’s preeminent leadership development organization for girls, building girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. To join, volunteer, reconnect, or donate to Girl Scouts, call 888.747.6945 or visit www.gsnwgl.org, or follow us at Facebook and Twitter. GSNWGL is a proud United Way partner program.
COLUMN: Buying Girl Scout cookies does good for community
By Jess Radke, Creative Copy Editor from Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes
In the last few years, I have been really good about setting one meaningful New Year's resolution and keeping it, but only a month into 2011 and I have already seriously broken this year's resolution of keeping sweets out of the house. The thing is, I don't feel bad about it! Girl Scout cookie time does that to me, though. Pretty much any Girl Scout who stops at my door is guaranteed to sell at least a few boxes with my name on them (boy will I pay for that statement later!).
Did you know that even though Girl Scout cookies are sold once a year, Thin Mints are third-best selling cookies in the country? Not to mention, some big-name corporations are much less socially and environmentally responsible than your neighborhood Girl Scout. With Girl Scout cookies, you know the proceeds from your cookie purchases are used to provide programs to help girls in your community grow into tomorrow's leaders.
I remember when I was a kid - setting my cookie goals and going around door-to-door on my purple Schwinn doing what I could to send myself to camp in the summer. That's the beauty of the Girl Scout Cookie Program: girls get to decide where their proceeds go. They can use their hard-earned Cookie Dough to organize a service project or pay for a change of clothes for flood victims. They can put the money toward a trip to Washington DC to see policy in action, or to India to provide health education and supplies to rural residents. Girl Scouts use that money however they see fit.
If you're given the chance once a year to help a girl make her world a better place, why wouldn't you? A lot of cookies taste good, so buy the cookies that do good, too. You can freeze them for later, crumble them over ice cream, try out new recipes, gift them to a soldier who is far from home, put a smile on the face of your mail carrier, and make new friends around the office!
Girl Scout cookies are gifts that keep giving, because for nearly 100 years, Girl Scouting has shown generations of girls their potential in a big world, and how they can make a lasting impact in their communities. You can make an impact, too, and the sweetest way to go about it is through your next Thin Mint.
Find your Girl Scout cookies at www.girlscoutcookies.org
ABOUT GSNWGL
In partnership with over 6,000 adult volunteers, GSNWGL serves nearly 20,000 girls in
58 counties across northern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, with opportunities for girls to discover their strengths, connect with others and take action to improve their communities. Girl Scouts is the world’s preeminent leadership development organization for girls, building girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. To join, volunteer, reconnect, or donate to Girl Scouts, call 888.747.6945 or visit www.gsnwgl.org, or follow us at Facebook and Twitter. GSNWGL is a proud United Way partner program.
COLUMN: Girl Scouts make the world a better place
By Jess Radke, Creative Copy Editor from Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes
While many high school seniors are knee-deep in the college application process, Girl Scout Ambassador Nikhitha is thinking big. She’s applying for pre-med programs at Columbia, Yale, the University of Chicago, and Brown University, and intends to go into neuroscience.
Nikhitha is one of our local Girl Scouts that truly lives the Girl Scout mission of making the world a better place. Last summer, Nikhitha traveled to India with two goals in mind: to help a village in need, and to earn her Girl Scout Gold Award- the highest award in Girl Scouting and a commitment to fulfill the Girl Scout mission.
Nikhitha's project included organizing a health camp for residents of Pallampaakum, a rural Indian village. Her first step was to find contacts to get the project off the ground; she connected with two Rotary clubs in India and a nonprofit organization called the East West Foundation of India, and met an area doctor who assessed the villagers to find the most prevalent medical conditions.
"Some conditions were easy to fix, like skin infections from going barefoot. I found that the best thing was a preventative camp to show villagers how they can do easy things to make a lasting impact on their health," Nikitha said.
Nikhitha’s next step was to raise the necessary funds. Her main fundraiser was a raffle through her school's student council. They contacted various businesses for donations, like the Green Bay Packers who donated tickets, a high-selling item. “I collected about half my financial resources through the fundraiser… it was a huge success," Nikitha recalls.
After the funding and materials were in place, Nikhitha left for Pallampaakum to prepare for the day-long camp. Each of the 203 attendees visited different doctors: pediatricians, gynecologists, and dentists, and everyone left with a care kit of slippers, mosquito nets, toothbrushes and toothpaste, and other medications that we get from our local drugstore but that Pallampaakum residents don’t have access to.
In Girl Scouts, we ask one another, “What did you do today?,” a reminder that Girl Scouts accomplish extraordinary things. Nikhitha not only saw a part of the world very few get to experience, but she changed hundreds of lives.
"Girl Scouting has exposed me to unique things and challenged me to see the big picture. At the health camp, I realized how much the little gestures can mean to people. How much every little thing you can do makes it all worth it."
ABOUT GSNWGL
In partnership with over 6,000 adult volunteers, GSNWGL serves nearly 20,000 girls in
58 counties across northern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, with opportunities for girls to discover their strengths, connect with others and take action to improve their communities. Girl Scouts is the world’s preeminent leadership development organization for girls, building girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. To join, volunteer, reconnect, or donate to Girl Scouts, call 888.747.6945 or visit www.gsnwgl.org, or follow us at Facebook and Twitter. GSNWGL is a proud United Way partner program.
GSNWGL offers Girl University
By Ann Saris from Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes
Girl University is a unique, one-day leadership program designed to inspire and empower you to pursue leadership opportunities, make an impact in your community, and overcome any fears or barriers that might prohibit you from pursuing a more secure future through higher education. Chat with university staff and students, community professionals and admissions staff to learn about various fields of study, coursework rigor, and some of the challenges college students face, like budgeting, staying healthy, and balancing school, social life and sleep. Other sessions will focus on conflict resolution, self-esteem, team-building, health & wellness, and other hobbies. The day will start and end at the Tundra Lodge Waterpark in Green Bay, with a bus to St Norbert’s beautiful campus in the afternoon. Go to gsnwgl.org by Friday, April 1 to register!
COLUMN: Girl Scouts advocate for healthy media legislation
By Jess Radke, Creative Copy Editor from Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes
I don’t know about you, but when I flip past reality shows or skim a magazine, I often wonder how the orange-hued stars of Jersey Shore or wiry Cosmopolitan cover models represent reality. They look and act nothing like anyone I’ve met, yet they’re the beautiful people our society fixates over, parrots or parodies, and studies as popular culture phenomena.
Since March, Girl Scouts nationwide have been advocating behind the Healthy Media for Youth Act by working with U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., and other leaders from the entertainment, policy, business, and youth-serving communities to examine how beauty and fashion are presented via popular media. The act will authorize grants to research the role and impact of depictions of females in the media, present diverse body images and positive female role models, promote media literacy and youth empowerment programs, and portray equal, healthy relationships between females and males.
The Girl Scout Research Institute found that 89 percent of teen girls say the fashion industry places a lot of pressure on them to be thin, and 60 percent compare their bodies to models. Thirty-one percent have starved themselves to lose weight, and 42 percent know someone that has forced themself to vomit after eating. These girls represent a coast-to-coast sample of real girls reacting to unrealistic media images that- between TV and the Internet- is present for the average 8-18 year-old for 7½ hours every day.
Girls in our very own communities are engaging in advocacy efforts and understanding the world of media portrayals and advertising techniques. Take Marguerite, high school senior and Girl Scout Ambassador who is working on her Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can earn. In the spring, she will present to eighth grade girls about the pressures in high school surrounding body image, inner beauty, and eating disorders. Marguerite explains her interest in the topic, “Before I entered high school, I was confident and secure. But my freshman year, everything changed- I had to be tiny. I’m doing this project because I wish someone was there to tell me, ‘You are better off if you realize you’re okay just being who you really are.’”
In a world full to the brim of contradictory, often unhealthy messages about beauty, the Healthy Media for Youth Act will strive to replace fashion models with role models and redefine beauty as we know it. Eleven year-old Girl Scout Junior Andrea said it best upon completing her ‘Are Ads Real?’ patch: “Inner beauty is more important than outer beauty because you can only do so much with your outer beauty. Inner beauty is all up to you.”
ABOUT GSNWGL
In partnership with over 6,000 adult volunteers, GSNWGL serves nearly 20,000 girls in
58 counties across northern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, with opportunities for girls to discover their strengths, connect with others and take action to improve their communities. Girl Scouts is the world’s preeminent leadership development organization for girls, building girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. To join, volunteer, reconnect, or donate to Girl Scouts, call 888.747.6945 or visit www.gsnwgl.org, or follow us at Facebook and Twitter. GSNWGL is a proud United Way partner program.
COLUMN: 400 years too long to wait for girls to catch up
By Jess Radke, Creative Copy Editor from Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes
Elections can do crazy things to people. Some debate every issue we face, others don’t believe anything politicians say, some find comfort in partisan solidarity, but it provided me a bit of inspirational thinking. I recently came across this statement: If we add women to leadership roles at the same pace we have since women gained the right to vote in 1920, it will be 400 years before a gender balance is present at home, politically, and in the workplace.
The Girl Scout Research Institute (GSRI) found that two-thirds of girls- Girl Scouts and non-Girl Scouts- want to be leaders, but only one in five believes she has the necessary skills. In fact, just 17% of House, Senate, and state governors are women (69% of those women are Girl Scout alumnae!), and 6% of top earners in American businesses are women (80% were Girl Scouts). Also, one-fifth of American scientists and engineers are women. Although girls in high school match or surpass most boys’ aptitude in STEM classes (science, technology, engineering, and math), girls leave STEM to boys as early as fifth grade.
GSRI also discovered that girls’ future career choices are more influenced by inspiring role models than academic interests. This is why Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes (GSNWGL) provides girls in our community with career-building programs like The Game of Life, which teaches girls about real-life budgeting and connects them with business leaders, and Express Yourself, which introduces girls to the many careers in the media and to local media professionals. Similarly, GSNWGL volunteer Marguerite Blodgett is leading NASA’s Afterschool Universe program in December. Marguerite is a Master Trainer through NASA and Girl Scouts of the USA, delivering STEM programs to area Girl Scouts and teaching other volunteers how to incorporate STEM in their troops.
If confidence and inspiring role models is necessary for girls to become the leaders of tomorrow, more girls need Girl Scouts, which recognizes the three keys to leadership as Discovering one’s interests, Connecting with others, and Taking Action to make a positive, sustainable change. Our very mission is to build girls of the courage, confidence and character it takes to make our world a better place.
Two-thirds of today’s female leaders in government, business, education, medicine, science, and in our communities are Girl Scout alumnae. Girl Scouts know that we need all hands on deck to address the world’s challenges, and we can’t wait 400 years to do it.
ABOUT GSNWGL
In partnership with over 6,000 adult volunteers, GSNWGL serves nearly 20,000 girls in
58 counties across northern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, with opportunities for girls to discover their strengths, connect with others and take action to improve their communities. Girl Scouts is the world’s preeminent leadership development organization for girls, building girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. To join, volunteer, reconnect, or donate to Girl Scouts, call 888.747.6945 or visit www.gsnwgl.org, or follow us at Facebook and Twitter. GSNWGL is a proud United Way partner program.
COLUMN: Bikers model what’s learned in Girl Scouts
By Jess Radke, Creative Copy Editor from Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes
Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence and character to make the world a better place. For college juniors Shauna Stoeger (UWEC) and Erica Dillig (UWSP), it was courage and confidence to push through physically challenging adventures, and character to do it to help those in need.
“Camp Birch Trials (CBT) brought me out of my shell. I made lots of new friends on the bike trips- including my best friend Erica,” Shauna says.
CBT offers several Wilderness Trips: backpacking, canoeing, kayaking, and biking. “The programs are broken into five levels, each increasing in length and with tougher terrain,” explains Danielle Polzin, Resident Camp Manager.
“Our first major trips were through Girl Scouts- we rode self-supported through the northern and southern circles of Lake Superior. In 2007, the two of us biked from Lake Itasca, Minnesota to New Orleans,” Erica says.
“When Erica asked, ‘Want to bike down the Mississippi River?,’ I was like, ‘YES,’” laughs Shauna.
The girls decided to raise money for charities and asked people and businesses for pledges; Erica for the American Cancer Society, Shauna for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. Many people they met during their trip were inspired by what they were doing and donated as well.
“It was also the hottest summer on record in Tennessee and Missouri,” Shauna shrugs, “We’d just go to bed early so we could get up at 4:30 the next morning and get moving before the sun rose. We adapted to what ever happened. That trip really had no problems.”
Their next trip didn’t go as smoothly, though. This summer, the girls biked cross-country from Washington to Maine; Shauna raising money for a Domestic Abuse shelter in her hometown, Erica for the American Cancer Society again. “Biking up those mountains out west was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It was 34 miles up and 26 miles down. The pain was unbelievable,” Shauna says.
Even more problems arose the further east they traveled. Shauna recalls, “I fell in New York on a railroad track. I bled a lot. We never thought we wouldn’t finish, though; it would just take a couple extra days. After I got out of the ER, we kept going- no big deal.”
Erica states, “I wasn’t always an avid biker- it all started at CBT. Ever since, I ride almost every day. It isn’t hard to get out and do something adventurous; live outside the box- it will surprise people!”
“When people ask how we did it, we’d say, ‘The Girl Scout way is the only way!,’” Shauna laughs. “We learned everything we needed to know through CBT. I didn’t just go through Girl Scouts and earn some badges, I got the full experience and benefits. I really live it.”
ABOUT GSNWGL
In partnership with over 6,000 adult volunteers, GSNWGL serves nearly 20,000 girls in
58 counties across northern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, with opportunities for girls to discover their strengths, connect with others and take action to improve their communities. Girl Scouts is the world’s preeminent leadership development organization for girls, building girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. To join, volunteer, reconnect, or donate to Girl Scouts, call 888.747.6945 or visit www.gsnwgl.org, or follow us at Facebook and Twitter. GSNWGL is a proud United Way partner program.
NOTE: These fundraising activities were conducted outside of Shauna and Erica's Girl Scout membership. The values of helping others and the know-how of self-supported adventure trips are a result of their Girl Scout membership, and were inspiration for them to help others while chasing their big dreams. Congratulations to Shauna and Erica for their amazing accomplishments!
COLUMN: Girl Scout project restores bluebird population
By Jess Radke, Creative Copy Editor from Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes
The Bluebird Restoration Project (BRP) began in a Girl Scout Troop Leader’s garage in Eau Claire, and now coordinates with hundreds of volunteers, several esteemed partners like Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, and has logged thousands of service hours.
Troop Leader Shelly Volk explains, “The Project began in 2007; my friend Sherry Ross had breast cancer that led to a brain tumor. Sherry said she knew it would be ‘her time’ when the first bluebird arrived that spring.” Sure enough, when Shelly saw her first bluebird of the season, she called Sherry to share her sighting only to find that her friend’s time had indeed come remarkably that same day.
Thus began a bittersweet journey that encouraged the community to connect with nature, discover the science behind the native birds’ life cycle, and save them from the verge of extinction.
Caitlyn, a Girl Scout Ambassador embarking upon her senior year of high school, has been a part of the BRP since it began.
Caitlyn describes it as a unique way to connect with nature. “You get to see the cycle of life before your eyes: a mother lays her eggs, they hatch, and eventually fledge.”
Shelly compares a fledging to a teenager leaving for college; they move out but are never really gone; when their parents’ new eggs hatch, they’re nearby to help care for their new siblings.
Before long, the BRP took on a life of its own, gaining momentum- fast. Local golf course Hickory Hills also allowed them to place 30 houses along the perimeter of the course and allows Shelly and her BRP friends to host an annual Bluebird Festival at the course to educate the public about the Project and to get others involved. Additionally, partnering with Northland Adventures, Beaver Creek Reserve, Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin (BRAW), and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the BRP went from a Girl Scout service project to growing at such a rate, Shelly turned to her Girl Scouts to make tracking easier via the internet at www.nestwatch.org.
“Now we don’t need to hunt volunteers down for sheets and sheets of paper, people can just log on and enter the numbers of fledged birds,” says Caitlin, who created and maintains the BRP website.
An important accomplishment as is, the BRP continues to grow. Shelly describes a new curriculum being piloted at Eau Claire’s Regis Catholic schools for students to track broods and become Citizen Scientists. “This is the only project around here that enables kids to witness the life cycle of a creature in its habitat. I want kids to be able to connect with nature. I want them to know that nature heals.”
To get involved and help Wisconsin become the leader in bluebird restoration efforts, contact the Beaver Creek Reserve at 715.877.2212 or check out the BRP website that Caitlin created at www.bluebirdrestorationproject.org.
ABOUT GSNWGL
In partnership with over 6,000 adult volunteers, GSNWGL serves nearly 20,000 girls in
58 counties across northern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, with opportunities for girls to discover their strengths, connect with others and take action to improve their communities. Girl Scouts is the world’s preeminent leadership development organization for girls, building girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. To join, volunteer, reconnect, or donate to Girl Scouts, call 888.747.6945 or visit www.gsnwgl.org, or follow us at Facebook and Twitter. GSNWGL is a proud United Way partner program.
COLUMN: Girl Scouting bridges gaps in girls' lives
By Jess Radke, Creative Copy Editor from Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes
To many Girl Scouts, summer is about connecting with nature. They look forward to bridging the gap between the increasingly technological world and their natural surroundings they so rarely get to experience.
But Girl Scout camp does more than that; it provides an outlet for self-expression, discovering one’s interests, and building a social network of support. This isn’t always easy for young women to find in the “real world” between school, bullying, and the stress of preparing for their futures.
Girl Scouting gives girls the experience and tools to build their own bridge the close the gap between their dreams and reality, like opportunities for career exploration and leadership development.
One fitting example is Girl Scout Gold Awardee Valerie Tomzik of Tomahawk, whose project is appropriately titled ‘Bridging the Gap.’
The Gold Award is the highest award a Girl Scout can earn and is often described as what a girl wants to be remembered for in Girl Scouting.
Valerie’s project was to build a much-needed bridge over Lake Olivetti at Camp Birch Trails in Irma, creating a shorter path from main camp to Birch Point, which holds a low-ropes course and tree identification area that had gone mostly unused before the bridge was constructed.
Throughout the course of the project, Valerie learned many valuable skills, including perseverance, project planning, procuring donations and organizing and managing a volunteer base.
Valerie explains, “My leadership and self-esteem about being able to accomplish what I set out to do have increased… this project has helped me learn about myself and that I can be a great leader.”
Valerie also feels a sense of accomplishment and pride in her community because of the support she received. Despite her first grant request being rejected, Valerie kept her project in motion and found a great deal of support, from the donations of supplies and manpower, right down to people mailing her checks because they heard about her project and wanted to do their part, too.
“Because people were aware of my project, I believe they are more supportive of Girl Scouts and youth in general taking away from that negative vibe toward kids you often hear about. When young adults do something of this nature, it draws attention, and I know that it helps the image of youth- that feels awesome!”
ABOUT GSNWGL
In partnership with over 6,000 adult volunteers, GSNWGL serves nearly 20,000 girls in
58 counties across northern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, with opportunities for girls to discover their strengths, connect with others and take action to improve their communities. Girl Scouts is the world’s preeminent leadership development organization for girls, building girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. To join, volunteer, reconnect, or donate to Girl Scouts, call 888.747.6945 or visit www.gsnwgl.org, or follow us at Facebook and Twitter. GSNWGL is a proud United Way partner program.
COLUMN: Girl Scout brand shows true colors
By Jess Radke, Creative Copy Editor from Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes
As a member of the Brand and Marketing Department at Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes, I’m part of a team that ensures everything we create- from press releases to Facebook posts- communicates what we stand for, what we value, and who Girl Scouts are.
Not every recent college graduate has lucked out as I have, finding not only a job, but one I love AND one that reminds and enables me every day to do something impactful to make the world a better place.
I couldn’t have joined the professional world of Girl Scouting at a more exciting time. I’ve been involved in Girl Scouting since age six, and it’s no secret that to some onlookers, the organization may appear old-school; but starting July, the world will see the real story. We’ll introduce the new Girl Scout brand – the updated face for all we’ve done behind the scenes over the last six years to ensure our continued relevance and impact in girls’ lives. You’ll see an updated logo and a modern take on the traditional face of Girl Scouting, as well as a new tagline that’ll remind you to stop and think about your own impact on the world, and that through Girl Scouting, a girl learns firsthand that she CAN make a difference, and that together, girls can change the world.
Girl Scouts aren’t just about cookies and camp. Nope. We get things done... big things. In the interest of developing standards to promote healthy, balanced, positive images of girls and women, we recently introduced a bill in Congress that supports media literacy and youth empowerment groups, and facilitates research on how images of women and girls impact our youth. We send girls to the U.N., offer STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programs, and we just launched Forever Green- a nationwide service project that places Girl Scouts at the forefront of the Green Movement.
Over the next year, we will share our true story, showing girls in your community enjoying life-changing Leadership Experiences. Girl Scouts don’t just spread the love with Thin Mints; they do this to help others in need by building homes, libraries and communities; challenging convention every day.
At the end of the day, Girl Scouts, and all who support them, can say they did something positive to make the world a better place. At the end of this day, can you?
ABOUT GSNWGL
In partnership with over 6,000 adult volunteers, GSNWGL serves nearly 20,000 girls in
58 counties across northern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, with opportunities for girls to discover their strengths, connect with others and take action to improve their communities. Girl Scouts is the world’s preeminent leadership development organization for girls, building girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. To join, volunteer, reconnect, or donate to Girl Scouts, call 888.747.6945 or visit www.gsnwgl.org, or follow us at Facebook and Twitter. GSNWGL is a proud United Way partner program.
COLUMN: Oh, the places Girl Scout camp can take you!
By Jess Radke, Creative Copy Editor from Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes
Ahhh, summer breezes. Carrying smells of lunch cooking over a campfire, bug spray and winter’s dust lingering in cozy cabins, they bring me back to my most highly anticipated days as a youth. To me, summer meant Girl Scout camp; a week of new experiences, making new friends, and having fun. What I didn’t know was that I was also gaining confidence, self-reliance and a deeper appreciation of the world.
I look at Girl Scouts as a step-by-step process. You start young, discovering the fundamentals: kindness, caring for your environment, and trying a day-camp to acquaint yourself with what camp is about. As you grow, you’re given more options, badges to earn, community service projects, and more challenging camp sessions.
I began with the basics: swimming, boating, and beach-bumming. When I was older, I tried photography and night hikes, and in high school, I chose Leadership Camp so I could become a counselor, which prepared me to stand up for what I believe in, be a leader in college clubs and classes, and then slowly and steadily learn the ways of the professional world of Girl Scouts. All of this has solidified my belief in the organization that has shaped me into who I am today.
Now, looking at the possibilities Girl Scouting offers, I wonder: what’s my next step?
Millions of Girl Scouts past and present are inspired and swear by this organization, so it’s exciting to think about what Girl Scouts will continue to offer me (and vice-versa) down the road.
Nowadays, teens in Girl Scouting have opportunities that I find myself envying every day, like two-week backpacking and kayaking trips at national parks, or twelve unforgettable days horseback riding and tent-camping in the Badlands. If these were offered to me as a kid, how could my summers have been better spent? The average person has roughly 26,000 days in their life, and once a day is done, it’s done. Not a single day is worth wasting.
So, I beg you, fellow Midwesterners; put on your sneakers, find some environmentally-friendly insect repellant, and join Girl Scouts in discovering a planet full of twists and turns, creeks and rivers, Great Lakes and good people.
As writer Maria Robinson said, “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”
Indeed, it’s what Girl Scouts do every day.
ABOUT GSNWGL
In partnership with over 6,000 adult volunteers, GSNWGL serves nearly 20,000 girls in 58 counties across northern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, with opportunities for girls to Discover their strengths, Connect with others and Take Action to improve their communities. Girl Scouts is the world’s preeminent leadership development organization for girls, building girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. To join, volunteer, reconnect, or donate to Girl Scouts, call 888.747.6945 or visit www.gsnwgl.org, or follow us at Facebook and Twitter. GSNWGL is a proud United Way partner program.
