Please join Girl Scouts of Colorado on May 16, 2020 at 2 p.m. for a virtual, statewide Highest Awards Celebration honoring all of the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award Girl Scouts from the past year. If your troop or girl earned a Highest Award between March 1, 2019 through February 29, 2020, you should have received an email about contributing photos to the celebration. Don’t forget to submit by April 26. Email highestawards@gscolorado.org with questions. A link to join the live virtual celebration will be sent to all Highest Awards troop leaders to share with their families. Additionally, we will send out a recording of the celebration that can be watched at any time. #2020VirtualHighestAwardscelebration #GoldAward #HighestAwards #GSCOevents #SilverAward #SilverAwardGirlScout #virtualHighestAwardscelebration #GirlScoutBronzeAward #GirlScoutSilverAward #SilverAwardGirlScouts #HighestAwardscelebration #GirlScoutGoldAward #BronzeAward #CouncilNews

Are you looking for a way to show your favorite Girl Scout volunteers how much they mean to you? Here are a few ways to show you care even if you can’t see them in person: Call or video chat with them! Send an e-card Personalize one of our pre-designed card templates, one for younger girlsand one for older girls. Add a straight-from-the-heart message then text or email it to your volunteer(s). They’ll love hearing how they’ve made a difference in your life! Looking to get everyone in on the fun? Consider sending a digital group thank-you via Kudoboard! Each troop member and her family can share a message, photo, or video on your volunteer’s thank-you board. Kudoboard has been officially licensed for a limited time by Girl Scouts of the USA . Use promo codegirlscouts2020 to unlock unique Girl Scout backgrounds—like this one —and get the following discounts: Mini board (up to 10 signers, FREE) Premium board (up to 100 signers, $4.99) Milestone board (unlimited signers, can play as slide show, $6.99) Follow our easy instructions to get started! #2020NationalVolunteerAppreciationMonth #NationalVolunteerAppreciationMonth #VolunteerAppreciation #VolunteerAppreciationMonth

Girl Scouts of Colorado is celebrating extraordinary volunteers throughout the state in honor of Volunteer Appreciation Month. Erin Sullivan-Ortiz of Greeley in the Northern & Northeastern CO region is a shining example of the wonderful role Girl Scout volunteers play in the lives of girls and our community. GSCO asked Erin to answer a few quick questions about her volunteer experience. We hope you find her as inspiring as we did. Why did you become a Girl Scout volunteer? I became a Girl Scout volunteer for several reasons! I was a Girl Scout myself, and my mom was my troop leader for a while. Some of my favorite childhood memories were formed in Girl Scouts, many of my values were strengthened through Girl Scouts, and two of my still-best friends were sister Girl Scouts! My grandmother, whose only child was a son (my dad), was a Girl Scout volunteer for over 50 years! Her commitment to empowering girls was nothing short of inspiring. Given this rich family history with Girl Scouts, when my daughter joined Girl Scouts in kindergarten as a Daisy, it felt completely natural to join as a troop volunteer! Tell us about your different volunteer roles as a Girl Scout. I started as a troop volunteer. I could not attend most regular meetings with my work schedule, so my first couple of years I helped plan events and ceremonies, organized speakers for meetings, and supported wherever else I could. I became a co-leader of our multi-level troop and “cookie mom” my third year, and the next year took on overall troop leadership (yay paperwork!) as well as continued to lead my daughter’s level (Brownies). I continued those roles, moving to Juniors with my daughter! What have you learned as a Girl Scout volunteer? So much! I’ve learned even more about how thoughtful, innovative, compassionate, generous, and creative girls can be! I’ve learned the importance of slowing down to give each girl the space and time to explore and express her own opinions, thoughts, and feelings. I’ve learned that collectively, they are even more amazing than the sum of the individuals, which is saying something since they are each so unique and wonderful! I’ve learned that by creating our own annual traditions, like camping trips or ceremonies, we are not only creating opportunities to develop memories, but cumulatively reinforcing special memories from years past – and with them, unbreakable bonds of sisterhood. I’ve learned how powerful it is for younger girls to have older girls to look up to, and how engaging it can be for older girls to have younger girls to guide and teach. I’ve also learned that the community as a whole loves to support Girl Scouts! We’ve had so much support from so many people and organizations, from the Larimer County Park Rangers teaching us about how to “Leave No Trace,” to the CSU Society of Women Engineers helping us earn an engineering badge, to local businesses encouraging our pursuit of booths for cookie sales, to people taking time out of their busy lives to share their passion and/or career with our troop, and so many more. I’ve figured out that if we think creatively as a group, we can find support for just about any interest we want to pursue! Furthermore, I’ve again learned about the power of friendship as an adult. Our troop leadership team and volunteers are so incredible and engaged. I’ve learned that as an adult involved with Girl Scouts, not only do I get to support the girls, but I also get to make special memories and create/strengthen bonds with other parents who care about these girls and their success as much as I do! What do you hope girls have learned from you? I hope they’ve learned that they are capable of more than they thought possible. I hope they’ve learned that they are powerful, and truly can make an impact when they put their minds to it. I hope they’ve learned to listen to and care for their sister Girl Scouts and others. I hope they have learned to see the issues in their community as opportunities for change rather than just something to be sad or feel helpless about. I hope they’ve really learned the concepts of the Girl Scout Promise and Law, and creatively employ those in their everyday lives, now and in the future! How has your experience as a volunteer helped you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? Anybody who tries to wrangle 22 second through fifth graders on a Friday after school for 2.5 hours will have their leadership skills stretched!  🙂 Some of the leadership skills I’ve developed by volunteering with and then leading this troop include patience, teamwork, and the ever-important skill of delegating. We’ve had to be innovative in how we connect with our community and make BIG things happen (like installing a drinking fountain/water bottle refill station at a local shelter, hosting a fun run to raise awareness about how to support kids going through tough medical situations, and more) while still encouraging our young troop to take the lead. These girls have huge ideas and even bigger hearts; daring to take the risk to pursue these projects rather than saying “no, that’s too big of an idea,” asking the girls questions and pushing them to figure out how to facilitate the ideas becoming reality, and then getting out of their way (!!) has been challenging to say the least. I could not ask for a better reward than hearing one of our troop members say to another last summer on the way back from a camping trip, “I LOVE Girl Scouts.  I never want to quit being a Girl Scout!” So worth it.  I know they’ll keep challenging themselves, each other, me, and the world around them! Want to nominate a volunteer for Girl Scouts of Colorado to spotlight? Please email Public Relations Director AnneMarie Harper at annemarie.harper@gscolorado.org. The nomination deadline for 2020 Volunteer Recognition Awards is April 30. GSCO invites members statewide to take this opportunity to recognize an outstanding volunteer by nominating them for a Volunteer Recognition Award. Nominators are responsible for ensuring enough endorsements are submitted to support their nomination of a volunteer for an award. Your volunteer support specialist can check nomination and endorsement submissions for you. Learn more. #2020VolunteerSpotlight #VolunteerNews #volunteerspotlight #VolunteerAppreciationMonth #NorthernampNortheasternCO #Greeley #2020NationalVolunteerAppreciationMonth #NationalVolunteerAppreciationMonth #VolunteerAppreciation

Update as of April 23, 2020: The family of Mary Jo Jacobs and the Mary Jo Jacobs, MD Memorial Girl Scout Adventure Fund ensures that all four girls can use their campership awards for summer camp in 2021.  Girls in Eagle and Garfield Counties are encouraged to apply in winter 2021 for next summer’s adventures. The Mary Jo Jacobs, M.D. Memorial Girl Scout Adventure Fund provides Girl Scouts from Eagle and Garfield counties in Colorado with a scholarship so they can experience the learning opportunities, joy, and camaraderie of attending Girl Scout Camp. “Our hope is that that many girls will have the same positive experience, education and adventure that mom had through her involvement in Girl Scouting and her opportunity to attend Girl Scout camp,” said Dr. Patricia VanDevander, daughter of Dr. Mary Jo Jacobs. Four Girl Scouts will attend Girl Scouts of Colorado’s resident camp in summer 2020 courtesy of funds from the Mary Jo Jacobs, M.D. Memorial Girl Scout Adventure Fund. Fourth-grade Girl Scout Junior Sylvia D. of New Castle will attend Girl vs. Wild at Sky High Ranch.  She’s attending camp for the first time, thanks to confidence gained in the Girl Scout Cookie Program and  a trip with her troop top sellers!  She writes that, “Mary Jo Jacobs’ story was inspiring because she aspired to be good and to do better.  Imagine if we all aspired to that level.  The world would be a better place.” Third-grade Brownie Juniper K. of Eagle will attend Ranch Camp at Tomahawk Ranch. She’s super-excited to attend camp for the first time and even more excited to be able to share the experience with a friend! Juniper considers herself helpful and friendly and says,  “I love Girl Scouts because I love going on adventures, having fun and being with friends.” Girl Scout Lela W. of Basalt will attend resident camp for the very first time this summer.  She’s registered for Life-Sized Game Boards at Sky High Ranch and Enchancia at Tomahawk Ranch.  She says “being a Girl Scout is about more than just getting together with friends and having a good time. It’s about working hard, helping people, and making the world a better place.”  She smashed her own goal this year to earn cookie credits to support her camp experiences. Girl Scout Junior Isabella P. will attend Adventure Olympics at Sky High Ranch.  The current fifth grader says that “being a Girl Scout means she can do fun things, make new friends, and learn life lessons in the process.”  Isabella was originally awarded a campership in summer 2019, but was unable to go. She’s thankful for the opportunity this summer and would encourage any young girl to join Girl Scouts “ because it is so fun, and you can help your community!” Mary Jo’s four children established the scholarship in December 2014 to honor their mother’s extraordinary legacy. As an 8-year-old girl growing up in 1937, Mary Jo wanted a new pair of roller skates. She wanted them more than anything in world— until she learned her Brownie troop was going to be able to go to summer camp. Mary Jo had to make a choice: spend the $8 she had worked so hard to earn on roller skates or Girl Scout camp? For Mary Jo, the decision was simple. She was going to Girl Scout camp. Mary Jo’s mother walked her to the local Girl Scout office, so she could be the first to register. A reporter for the Artesia Daily Press in New Mexico even wrote a story about Mary Jo and her decision. After returning home from camp, Mary Jo continued to participate in Girl Scout activities, including going to camp. Eventually, she became a doctor and worked tirelessly to serve the people of Eagle and Garfield Counties, Colorado. #Eagle #NewCastle #EagleCounty #MaryJoJacobsMDMemorialGirlScoutAdventureFund #GarfieldCounty #GirlScoutCamp #camp #camperships #Basalt #mountaincommunities #CouncilNews

Girl Scouts of Colorado is celebrating extraordinary volunteers throughout the state in honor of Volunteer Appreciation Month. Rachael TerLouw of Grand Junction in the Western Colorado region is a shining example of the wonderful role Girl Scout volunteers play in the lives of girls and our community. GSCO asked Rachael to answer a few quick questions about her volunteer experience. We hope you find her as inspiring as we did. Why did you become a Girl Scout volunteer? Girl Scouts has always been a meaningful part of my life. As a girl, Girl Scouts was a place where I thrived as an individual. I loved the friendships, badge work, trips, and earning my Gold Award. I knew I wanted to provide those same opportunities to other young women. Tell us about your different volunteer roles as a Girl Scout. While in college, I volunteered with a local troop and knew I wanted to continue volunteering when I moved to Colorado. Since 2003, I have been an assistant troop leader, troop leader, troop cookie manager, service unit manager, events organizer (including Western Slope 100th Anniversary event), and Gold Award mentor. What have you learned as a Girl Scout volunteer? Girls are unique! Yet, they have similar goals in Girl Scouts. They are looking for a place to feel valued, make a difference, and where they can pursue their dreams. While these dreams might be different, Girl Scouts can provide those girls with a personalized experience and lasting friendships. What do you hope the girls have learned from you? I hope the girls I’ve supported through Girl Scouts pursue their passions and discover new ones, are brave and try new experiences, and look to lead others forward. Ultimately, I hope they see the world as bigger than themselves. I’ve tried to instill a love of travel and new experiences in all the girls I’ve supported. Some of my proudest moments are seeing girls achieve their dreams or overcome their fears such as sleeping away from home for the first time, getting on a horse, or leading a Public Speaking badge because it was something they were afraid of, but wanted to conquer that fear. Finally, service to others has been a cornerstone goal in my mentoring of girls. This includes supporting girls through community service and Take Action projects, leading to Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards. Being on the Gold Award committee is incredibly rewarding, and I am inspired by these young women and their passion to make a difference. If girls look back at the friendships, skills, experiences, and service learned from Girl Scouts and want to give that back to the next generation of girls, then I’d say my time in Girl Scouts was well spent. How has your experience as a volunteer help you become a G.I.R.L? Girl Scouts has given me the opportunity to try things I might never have experienced otherwise. Girl-chosen adventures have led me to take girls backpacking, canoeing in Boundary Waters, rafting, horseback riding, and on the streets of Washington D.C. and New York City. I’ve tried rock climbing, woodworking, digital movie making, art of different kinds, stargazing, and countless other badge related skills. To help girls achieve their dreams, I’ve had to ask community members for support, something out of my comfort zone, as well as brave hours of booth sales talking to customers, another challenge for me. Several years ago, I chose to go back to school to pursue a career dream of mine, and I believe Girl Scouts gave me the courage to do so. Girl Scouts has given me the opportunity to meet and connect with many adults, and I appreciate those relationships and our shared connection to improving the world, one girl at a time. Want to nominate a volunteer for Girl Scouts of Colorado to spotlight? Please email Public Relations Director AnneMarie Harper at annemarie.harper@gscolorado.org. The nomination deadline for 2020 Volunteer Recognition Awards is April 30. GSCO invites members statewide to take this opportunity to recognize an outstanding volunteer by nominating them for a Volunteer Recognition Award. Nominators are responsible for ensuring enough endorsements are submitted to support their nomination of a volunteer for an award. Your volunteer support specialist can check nomination and endorsement submissions for you. Learn more. #2020VolunteerSpotlight #VolunteerNews #volunteerspotlight #VolunteerAppreciationMonth #GrandJunction #2020NationalVolunteerAppreciationMonth #NationalVolunteerAppreciationMonth #VolunteerAppreciation #WesternColorado

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month We love our volunteers all year round, but especially during Volunteer Appreciation Month! Check out some amazing volunteers that we have spotlighted on the GSCO Blog this month! Are you looking for a way to show your favorite Girl Scout volunteers how much they mean to you? Here are a few ways to show you care even if you can’t see them in person: Call or video chat with them! Send an e-card Personalize one of our pre-designed card templates, one for younger girlsand one for older girls. Add a straight-from-the-heart message then text or email it to your volunteer(s). They’ll love hearing how they’ve made a difference in your life! Looking to get everyone in on the fun? Consider sending a digital group thank-you via Kudoboard! Each troop member and her family can share a message, photo, or video on your volunteer’s thank-you board. Kudoboard has been officially licensed for a limited time by Girl Scouts of the USA . Use promo codegirlscouts2020 to unlock unique Girl Scout backgrounds—like this one —and get the following discounts: Mini board (up to 10 signers, FREE) Premium board (up to 100 signers, $4.99) Milestone board (unlimited signers, can play as slide show, $6.99) Follow our easy instructions to get started! Volunteer service awards: Nomination deadline extended to April 30! Some Girl Scout volunteers go above and beyond all expectations and have a positive impact on their troop, their service unit, and sometimes, the whole council. Recognize an outstanding volunteer by nominating them for a Volunteer Recognition Award. Nominators are responsible for ensuring that enough endorsements are submitted to support their nomination of a volunteer for an award. Contact your volunteer support specialist to verify the number of nomination and endorsement submissions. More information about the awards and the number of required endorsements for each award, is listed on the volunteer appreciation page on our website and in the Volunteer Recognition Award Guide. You can also learn more about how to write strong nominations and endorsements. Girl Scouts at Home Girl Scouts of Colorado’s Outreach Program team wants to help you earn badges at home! Be sure to check out the Brownie Pets badge series featuring videos and fun activities from the week of April 6. For the week of April 13, Juniors can earn their Animal Habitats badge. Stay tuned to the GSCO Blog and our Facebook page for the Junior Staying Fit badge, Brownie Painting badge, Senses + Detective badge, and more! Be sure to check out our Girl Scout at Home page for more resource and ideas for Girl Scouts of all levels. Also, follow Tomahawk Ranch and Sky High Ranch on social media for fun camp crafts, recipes, and games that you and your family can do at home or share with your Girl Scout sisters. Virtual Highest Awards Celebration Please join us on May 16 for a virtual, statewide Highest Awards Celebration honoring all of the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award Girl Scouts from the past year. If your troop or girl earned a Highest Award between March 1, 2019 through February 29, 2020, you should have received an email about contributing photos to the celebration. Don’t forget to submit by April 26. Email highestawards@gscolorado.org with questions. A link to join the live virtual celebration will be sent to all Highest Awards troop leaders to share with their families. Additionally, we will send out a recording of the celebration that can be watched at any time. Stand and Be Counted patch Girl Scouts of Colorado is thrilled to launch our “Stand and Be Counted” patch in honor of the 2020 Census! Did you know that every 10 years, the United States Census Bureau tries to count every person living in the United States? This is called a census, and the  first U.S. Census was conducted in 1790! Girl Scouts are invited to earn this patch to discover why we count everyone, what happens afterward, and how you can become involved. Thank you to everyone who joined in our webinar with the U.S. Census Bureau – Denver Region. We will hold another webinar on April 21. Register and join us to learn more about the 2020 Census and its impact. Please note: The GSCO Stand and Be Counted patches are not yet available in the GSCO Shop. We will make an announcement when patches are available. You can also email retail@gscolorado.org to be added to the patch interest list. We will email the list directly when patches are available for purchase. ** Learn more Virtual Statewide Bridging Celebration Girls have worked hard – and had tons of fun – all year; so, let’s celebrate bridging to the next Girl Scout level! While we know Girl Scouting might look a little different these days, we want to honor girls’ achievements through the year and celebrate their “crossing the bridge” to the next Girl Scout level. Join Girl Scouts of Colorado online for a virtual Statewide Bridging! GSCO staff will guide Girl Scouts of all levels through a bridging ceremony from the comfort of your own home. Prepare ahead of time to bridge at home by making your own bridge out of pillows, stuffed animals, or anything else you can safely walk across! To join, visit our Facebook page at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6, 2020. You can also celebrate bridging this year by contributing to our Statewide Bridging video! Fill out this online form by April 29 to share your at-home bridging photo and reflections to be included in the Statewide Bridging video that will launch during National Bridging week (May 2-9). Older Girl Advisory Board Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors, have you been looking for a way to grow your leadership skills while helping local Girl Scouts? Join the Older Girl Advisory Board! Mark your calendars. The application window will be open July 20-August 7. Older Girl Journey Weekends In these fun-filled weekend events girls complete activities toward earning a Journey. After the event, they only need to complete their Take Action project to complete the Journey. September 18-20: Cadette Journey Weekend: Tomahawk Ranch, Bailey. October 2-4: Senior and Ambassador Journey Weekend: Tomahawk Ranch, Bailey gsLearn: Online Training We know times are different, but we are still here to support you! Log into gsLearn to stay engaged in your volunteer role and responsibilities! Take courses at your leisure and check the library for new content that interests you. For new leaders We have made the Daisy, Brownie, and Junior Troop Leader in Action courses available on gsLearn during this time. The discussion boards are open to talk with peers and get feedback from our training manager. Log into gsLearn through the MY GS tab on the GSCO website. If you are having issues please reach out to your volunteer support specialist or to Kendy Doolen, instructional design manager, for support. Leading Through Crisis Leading Through Crisis learning path is made up of courses that, we at GSCO, believe will be helpful during this time. All courses in this learning path are optional and can be taken in any order. We suggest starting with the Change Starts Here course, it offers an overview of the entire learning path. Other courses in this learning path: Mental Health in Times of Crisis Running Virtual Troop Meetings The Successful Leader Learning Series Field & Day Trips Overnights. We will add more courses in the future including Troop Leader in Action for Daisy Brownie and Junior (previously Level 101s for new leaders), and Engaging Families. Outdoor Programs Outdoor Adventure Club OAC events for April and May have been canceled. Visit the OAC page for more details and information about how to register for future events! Outdoor Adventure Club Explorers (6th grade) June 5 – 7 Turquoise Lake Campout: Kick off summer with an epic tent camping and kayaking adventure! We will camp in Leadville right next to the beautiful Turquoise Lake where you will earn the Primitive Camper badge as you work on your skills in campsite set-up, outdoor cooking, Leave No Trace skills and more. During the day, we will adventure in the area with hiking and kayaking on beautiful Turquoise lake, at night we will cozy up with s’mores around the campfire. Outdoor gear and equipment rental Kick off the summer camping season by renting outdoor gear from the GSCO Denver office, including: stoves, tents and other outdoor equipment. More information can be online. Rentals will resume when GSCO returns to regular business. Rock Climbing Adventure Badge Series: Join us for a day of outdoor rock climbing and outdoor skill building to complete some of the requirements for the new Rock Climbing Adventure badge. Girls will learn about climbing equipment, techniques, knots, and other skills before exploring up the rock walls. After climbing, girls will learn Leave No Trace and other outdoor skills to be prepared for future adventures. Fee is $20/ girl. Visit the event calendar to learn more! Thursday, June 18 – Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs Tuesday, June 21 – Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs Wednesday, June 24 – North Table Mountain Park, Golden Thursday, July 16 – Roof Rock, Red Cliff Saturday, July 25 – Grand Junction Area, exact location TBA Sunday, July 26 – Grand Junction Area, exact location TBA Sunday, August 2 – Magic Sky Ranch, Red Feather Lakes August / September TBD Date  – North Table Mountain Park, Golden Community Partnerships/Upcoming Events Following the advice of the CDC, Girl Scouts of Colorado has canceled all in-person events and activities through May 17 and all staff are working remotely. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we all work together to ensure the health and safety of our communities. GSCO is hoping to reschedule the Annual Statewide Bridging Ceremony as well as the Daisy Flower Garden Journey at the Denver Botanic Gardens for late summer 2020. Check our social media and blog for an announcement when new dates are confirmed. #2020VolunteerView #VolunteerNews #volunteerview

Girl Scouts of Colorado excited to announce an update to the Carla Montana Distinguished Military Veteran Memorial Girl Scout Adventure Fund!  Early in March 2020, GSCO reached out to Girl Scout supporters and military families with a challenge to raise a minimum of $10,000 needed to endow the fund. Thanks to support from many of you and a generous matching gift we have met this goal! Distributions from the endowment will provide Colorado Girl Scouts from military families with scholarships enabling them to experience the learning, joy, and camaraderie acquired through travel and adventure. We are particularly proud to have achieved this during the Month of the Military Child. Girl Scouts across the nation are showing their support for military-connected girls, families, and volunteers through social media. Join us as we celebrate the Month of the Military Child by checking Girl Scouts of Colorado social media for ways to participate, tell your own story and honor our military families. In order to continue the momentum that has been started, we are extending the fundraising campaign through April 30. Extending the campaign allows for more engagement and increased funding which ensures meaningful funds available annually for scholarships. More information or to make a donation. #funddevelopment #2020MonthoftheMilitaryChild #CarlaMontanaDistinguishedMilitaryVeteranMemorialGirlScoutAdventureFund #MonthoftheMilitaryChild #military

Girl Scouts of Colorado is celebrating extraordinary volunteers throughout the state in honor of Volunteer Appreciation Month. Patty Lowe of Louisville in the Northern & Northeastern CO region is a shining example of the wonderful role Girl Scout volunteers play in the lives of girls and our community. GSCO asked Patty to answer a few quick questions about her volunteer experience. We hope you find her as inspiring as we did. Why did you become a Girl Scout volunteer? My story is like so many Girl Scout leaders. I was drafted. Back in 1988, two friends told me they were starting a Daisy troop and invited my daughter to join. A week before the first meeting was scheduled, I received a phone call from one of the leaders saying they had decided not to do it. Then another friend, Joann,  called  (who happened to be an elementary teacher) asking if I had heard the news about the Daisy troop.  When I confirmed she said “If you’ll do it, I will.”  That was 32 years ago and I’ve been involved non-stop since then. Tell us about your different volunteer roles as a Girl Scout. I began as a Daisy leader, but within the first year I realized I wanted to help incoming leaders assimilate into the Girl Scout processes, so I became the Daisy Coordinator for my local service unit and remained in that position until we moved here to Colorado. Once settled in, I volunteered as a co-leader to my daughter’s Brownie troop. Coming from a very active service unit, I realized that some– what I thought were important– celebrations in Girl Scouts were not honored locally, specifically World Thinking Day.  So, I volunteered to resurrect World Thinking Day and it was a success! In fact, the system I had brought to Louisville was still being used when I retired from the service until team in 2010.  Within the service unit, I did every job there was other than service unit manager. I was not that crazy!  One of my favorite positions was program coordinator. I was a resource for any leader who was having difficulty coming up with a program, event, ceremony, or just a fun field trip. I would brain storm with the other leaders, share my ideas, and glean theirs. Within council, except for the last few years, my focus was on training.  Ann Palius and I team trained all age level trainings from about 2000.  With the merging of all Colorado service units we were involved in the introduction of Leadership Essentials and the new GSUSA point of view and initial members of the Statewide Training Advisory Committee, aka STAC.  STAC became training department GSCO no longer had, was made up mostly of volunteers, and was responsible for the development of the level 101 training programs. Ann and I  also developed different trainings, too—Girl Scouts 201, Journeys, Retaining Older girls in Girl Scouts, and our favorite, Survivor Girl Scout Style. In the last few years, my focus has been on mentoring Gold Award Girl Scouts. I enjoy working with the older girls and helping them take their passion and turn it into a real project to benefit their community and the world. I love the high school girls because they are right there on that cusp of adulthood. They are so bright and interesting and have wonderful perspectives on how to “make the world a better place.” What have you learned as a Girl Scout volunteer? I learned more from Girl Scouts as an adult than I ever did as a girl, but that’s because the world has changed for women. I learned I can tame, entertain, excite, and educate a group of children. I have also learned that I can trust these children and their capabilities to be responsible and able with age-appropriate duties, tasks, and challenges. I have learned I can help these girls grown into the individuals with “courage, confidence, and character.”  I have learned I can help new leaders learn not only the Girl Scout ways, but encourage them to trust in their girls and capabilities. I have learned I enjoy sharing my experiences in Girl Scouting with new leaders. I enjoy empowering them since so many are Iooking for someone to tell them what to do when. I have learned I am invested in the success of Girl Scouts because I know we are developing leaders at all ages. I have learned Girl Scouts really starts to become fun when your girls become Juniors and just gets more and more fun as the girls get older. I have learned that leaders need to let go, let the girls make good and bad decisions, and learn from them all. I have learned there is no one path through Girl Scouts. Every girl has her own path and needs to be given the freedom to take her path her way. I have learned our Gold Award Girl Scouts are all caring individuals who want to give back to their communities. I have learned to be flexible in Girl Scouts. I have learned through all of the changes I have seen in Girl Scouting from 1957 through today the current approach is the right approach for today’s women. What do you hope the girls have learned from you? I really hope I have been able to model the behaviors and attitudes that represent Girl Scouts. I always tried to be inclusive, and respect and appreciate everyone’s differences and similarities. I always tried to make sure wherever our troop was the girls were in a safe space where they could be themselves, speak honestly, and be respected for expressing differing opinions. I always tried to be fun, too. I also tried to show the girls that none of us were perfect, especially me. I also tried to make sure the girls understood that we all had different strengths and weaknesses and they were to be appreciated, not ridiculed. I also tried to make sure the girls knew it was their troop, not mine, so they needed to make decisions. I also tried to draw out their leadership skills, so they began to realize their capabilities individually and as a group. I really hope I modeled how to be a good person to the girls. How has your experience as a volunteer help you become a G.I.R.L? I don’t think being a Girl Scout volunteer helped me become a G.I.R.L., but it sure helped me hone each one of those traits. As I said earlier, I always tried to model the attributes Girl Scouts represent with any girls I was working with. I always encouraged them to speak up for themselves and speak out when they see an injustice. Being a go-getter takes practice and encouragement. When girls encountered challenges, we addressed them by discussing the exact issue and looking at alternatives. Critical thinking or innovation is a skill we all need. Addressing something new or different with an open mind was expected. None of us knew everything and there is always something new to learn. Greeting the unknown with an open mind taught the girls that risk-taking is part of life. Plus, they learned that when they took a chance there was always the opportunity to succeed but also the opportunity to learn from their challenges. I believe the biggest growth comes from learning from mistakes. My skills as a Girl Scout leader changed over the years. In 1988, the emphasis in Girl Scouts was accomplishments, badges, and patches. What we were not developing was leadership like we are now. Our troop had a great program.  We were going and doing all kinds of events and experiences and earning badges by the handful. Problem was, the girls weren’t deciding what we were doing, we leaders were, and they became bored and eventually dropped out in middle school. Thanks to a special research project Ann Palius and I were given on retention of older girls, I learned directly from girls through a national survey we developed that they dropped out of Girl Scouts when it wasn’t fun, and fun as they defined it, not as we leaders did. That changed my whole perspective and made my younger daughter’s troop one of the few that started in Daisies and ended when the girls bridged to adults. As I have told leaders in training, I have done Girl Scouts the right way and the wrong way and when you do it the right way it is a lot of fun for both the girls and leaders. Want to nominate a volunteer for Girl Scouts of Colorado to spotlight? Please email Public Relations Director AnneMarie Harper at annemarie.harper@gscolorado.org. The nomination deadline for 2020 Volunteer Recognition Awards is April 30. GSCO invites members statewide to take this opportunity to recognize an outstanding volunteer by nominating them for a Volunteer Recognition Award. Nominators are responsible for ensuring enough endorsements are submitted to support their nomination of a volunteer for an award. Your volunteer support specialist can check nomination and endorsement submissions for you. Learn more. #2020VolunteerSpotlight #VolunteerNews #volunteerspotlight #VolunteerAppreciationMonth #NorthernampNortheasternCO #2020NationalVolunteerAppreciationMonth #NationalVolunteerAppreciationMonth #VolunteerAppreciation #Louisville

WAGGGS World Centres are excited to bring members together on Saturday, April 18, 2020 at 5 p.m. UTC (11 a.m. Mountain Time)  for an Online Global Campfire to connect and #sharethelight. Register online: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSekCXfajiUV_LWhQPdj_i-uxQTw4v3bu20ZjCZmCpHJh8Po7A/viewform There are limited places available for #sharethelight. If your registration is accepted, you will be sent the link and a password required to attend this online event and a PDF of songs which will be sung. It is very important that you DO NOT share this link with anyone else. It is just for you and the people in your household to join on one device. If your registration is NOT accepted (due to numbers), you will be notified before April 18. You will then be sent a link to a YouTube clip by April 20, so you can join anytime. This clip will have those songs that we have copyright permission for and will therefore not be the full programme. If you are between the ages of 13 and 18, you must have the permission of your parent/guardian to be online for this event. If you are under the age of 13, you must attend the event with a caregiver. #sharethelight will be facilitated in English with songs sung in Spanish, French and Arabic during the campfire. This is a FREE event brought to you by the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, Melinda Caroll and your World Centres. 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. #GlobalGirlScouts #WorldAssociationofGirlGuidesandGirlScouts #GirlScoutingatHome #WAGGGS #GirlScoutsatHome

Join Girl Scouts of Colorado on Facebook for our first-ever VIRTUAL Statewide Bridging Ceremony! GSCO staff will guide Girl Scouts of all levels through a bridging ceremony from the comfort of your own home on Wednesday, May 6, 2020 starting at 4:30 p.m. Watch LIVE on the GSCO Facebook page and participate with Girl Scouts from across Colorado. Prepare ahead of time to bridge at home by making your own bridge out of pillows, stuffed animals, or anything else you can safely walk across! A bridging ceremony is an important transition in a Girl Scout’s life. It’s a defining moment when a girl celebrates her achievements and prepares for new adventures and responsibilities. Once a girl bridges to a higher level of Girl Scouting, her leadership skills and the experiences she will have continue to grow. Girl Scouts is not simply an after-school activity, it’s the Girl Scout Leadership Experience that builds as girls progress through the program that gives girls the skills they need to empower themselves to take their place as future leaders. You can also celebrate bridging this year by contributing to our Statewide Bridging video! Fill out this online form by May 10 to share your at-home bridging photo and reflections to be included in the Statewide Bridging video that will launch during National Bridging week (May 2-9). https://gscolorado.formstack.com/forms/2020_virtual_bridging_video Questions? Email aimee.artzer@gscolorado.org. #2020VirtualBridgingCeremony #2020BridgingCeremony #GSCOevents #Communitypartnerships #VirtualBridgingCeremony #bridgingceremony #communitypartners #CouncilNews

Girl Scouts of Colorado is celebrating extraordinary volunteers throughout the state in honor of Volunteer Appreciation Month. Amy Deschamp of Fruita in the Western Colorado region is a shining example of the wonderful role Girl Scout volunteers play in the lives of girls and our community. GSCO asked Amy to answer a few quick questions about her volunteer experience. We hope you find her as inspiring as we did. Why did you become a Girl Scout volunteer? My daughter’s troop needed a “little bit of help” and it turned out to be leading the Daisy level of our multi-level troop once we had so many girls join. I was a Girl Scout myself, so definitely wanted to be a part of it. Tell us about your different volunteer roles as a Girl Scout. I led the Daisy level of our multi-level troop for three years and now with my school schedule changing, I do a lot of administrative support for our troop, cookie mom, and Bronze Award project support. What have you learned as a Girl Scout volunteer? That it is a team effort to do it all, girls and leaders get so much out of the experiences; girl-led is a challenge and a blessing; and some of my best friends are my fellow leaders! What do you hope girls have learned from you? Strength Making mistakes is ok Leading looks different all the time They can come to any of us at any time How has your experience as a volunteer helped you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? It was a huge risk-taking move to say yes to volunteering in the first place–and I encourage other women to say yes to it when they can. Every meeting and every event is an exercise in innovating as typically the best laid plans do not work. And, knowing a whole bunch of girls and other women are looking to me as a leader has made me a better one. Want to nominate a volunteer for Girl Scouts of Colorado to spotlight? Please email Public Relations Director AnneMarie Harper at annemarie.harper@gscolorado.org. The nomination deadline for 2020 Volunteer Recognition Awards is April 30. GSCO invites members statewide to take this opportunity to recognize an outstanding volunteer by nominating them for a Volunteer Recognition Award. Nominators are responsible for ensuring enough endorsements are submitted to support their nomination of a volunteer for an award. Your volunteer support specialist can check nomination and endorsement submissions for you. Learn more. #2020VolunteerSpotlight #VolunteerNews #volunteerspotlight #VolunteerAppreciationMonth #Fruita #2020NationalVolunteerAppreciationMonth #NationalVolunteerAppreciationMonth #WesternColorado

Girl Scouts of Colorado is celebrating extraordinary volunteers throughout the state in honor of Volunteer Appreciation Month. Molly Wieser of Durango in the Southwestern CO region is a shining example of the wonderful role Girl Scout volunteers play in the lives of girls and our community. GSCO asked Molly to answer a few quick questions about her volunteer experience. We hope you find her as inspiring as we did. Why did you become a Girl Scout volunteer? I wanted my girl to have an alternate social group, a refuge from school. My troop leader and a couple of my troop members are still my friends. Tell us about your different volunteer roles as a Girl Scout. I helped lead in year one, became primary troop leader since then, and cookie manager by year three. Now, I support our service unit just a bit as well. What have you learned as a Girl Scout volunteer? It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Make space for supplies you need to keep at your house. It’s not going away. Girls change over time. The challenging ones are honing assertiveness and leadership skills and soon they will let/force you to sit down while they create and execute plans. Other troop leaders are very deep people. What do you hope girls have learned from you? They have to talk to each other to get what they want, not ask the “authorities.” And, they can want what they want, even if they can’t have it right now. How has your experience as a volunteer helped you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? I was already kind of zippy, to be honest. Girl Scouts for me is an opportunity to be present to girls over time, just be there. I can make mistakes and get a chance to get better, and keep practicing letting them solve their own problems together. It’s such an honor. Want to nominate a volunteer for Girl Scouts of Colorado to spotlight? Please email Public Relations Director AnneMarie Harper at annemarie.harper@gscolorado.org. The nomination deadline for 2020 Volunteer Recognition Awards is April 30. GSCO invites members statewide to take this opportunity to recognize an outstanding volunteer by nominating them for a Volunteer Recognition Award. Nominators are responsible for ensuring enough endorsements are submitted to support their nomination of a volunteer for an award. Your volunteer support specialist can check nomination and endorsement submissions for you. Learn more. #2020VolunteerSpotlight #VolunteerNews #volunteerspotlight #Durango #2020NationalVolunteerAppreciationMonth #SouthwesternCO #NationalVolunteerAppreciationMonth #VolunteerAppreciation