Are you an aspiring artist looking to grow your skills and show off your work? GSCO is hosting a contest for Girl Scouts across the state to submit their art ideas to be displayed at Girl Scout DreamLab! The first theme is "My dream for the future" and submissions are due April 12, 2024. GSCO sat down with two professional artists to ask them about how they get inspired and deal with setbacks to help you prepare your submission. Margaret Hunt is Artist in Residence in the East Street School in the Arts District in Trinidad, Colo. and a visual artist working with painting, collage, and printmaking. Sarah Melching is currently Director of Conservation at Denver Art Museum whose focus includes works on paper and photographic materials. GSCO: What are some ways you find inspiration when coming up with ideas for a piece? Margaret: I begin by closing my eyes and resting my mind. Then I wait for an image or a color to show up for me. That is often my entry point for creativity. Another tool I use is capturing images on my cell phone -- sometimes they are screen shots of things I see online that inspire me. I also belong to a number of artists groups on social media, so I can be inspired by what other artists are creating. If I'm really impressed by a piece of art, I like to enter into conversations with the artist in person, or online, about their materials and their creative processes. I am always learning! Sarah: I’m often inspired by things around me. A memory inspired by a photograph, a season, a quote, music, or a feeling. GSCO: What is one thing that you think people often forget to plan for when coming up with an idea for a piece? Margaret: It's very common for us to feel "stuck" when we're trying to begin a creative process -- so finding ways to trigger our creativity is very helpful. Some tools that help me are music I, lyrics that you relate to and photos of people and places you care about. Art is personal -- it's a way to express our "voice" by telling our story through art. Sarah: The size and dimensions of your piece. The size of your paper or canvas, or the space where you create or place a sculpture will determine how much you can include in your composition. GSCO: What is one common setback you experience when making art and how do you deal with it? Margaret: If I'm not satisfied with something I've created, or I actually hate it, I set it aside. I never throw anything away. You can always paint or collage over it. I like to stress that you can make no mistakes. Some of my best pieces of art are "re-dos" over pieces I hated. It's important to realize that it is the PROCESS of being creative that is the most rewarding, not the product. So, I experiment a lot with lots of different colors and images and materials. Every once in a while, I have a happy "accident" and end up with something I really love! Sarah: I have a tendency to overwork an area. I think it is important to stop, take a break, and sit with what I have made so far. GSCO: What do you like to include in an artist statement? Why? Margaret: People who read an artist statement are interested in the artist as a person. Include what inspires you, why you love creating art, and who you want to reach with your artwork. Sarah: I include what has inspired me through my observations and sensibilities with the objective of sharing my creation with others. GSCO: What do you enjoy the most about making or sharing art for the local community? Margaret: I really appreciate learning what my piece of art means to someone else. If someone likes a piece of my art, I ask them why -- what about it attracts them. The most fulfilling thing for me is knowing that something I've created has a special or significant meaning for the viewer. Often the viewer will ask me about the meaning of one of my pieces and I'm happy to explain. But I prefer asking them what it means to them first before I share my own story. In that way, we forge a personal relationship through the art. I find I'm really most creative when I'm working in a room with other artists -- we seem to really inspire one another and build friendships in this shared experience. Sarah: Art captures the human spirit; it is a testimony to our shared experiences. We respect and cherish the creativity, ingenuity, and innovation of others throughout time, place, and circumstances. Art inspires our communities to reflect as well as to experience emotions that we may not otherwise be aware of. If this inspired you to make some art and show off your creativity, submit an idea for Girl Scout DreamLab's first gallery! Submissions are due April 12, 2024 About Sarah Melching (left): In addition to a lifetime of learning how to make art, Sarah Melching combined her interests in studio art, art history, and science and pursued a career in art conservation. Her areas of focus include works on paper and photographic materials. Sarah is currently Director of Conservation at Denver Art Museum. About Margaret Hunt (right): After a career working for an energy company engaged in community development in seven states, I began a career of public service eventually leading state arts councils in Colorado and Utah. Now I'm a practicing artist serving as an Artist in Residence in the East Street School in the Arts District in Trinidad, Colorado. I am a visual artist exploring and playing with painting, collage, and printmaking.

Amy chose to build her Gold Award project around teen safety. Here is what she says about being a Gold Award Girl Scout. Why did you chose this as your project? My project was about personal safety for teens, I chose my project after I experienced an uncomfortable situation with a stranger that I didn’t know how to handle and I didn’t want other girls to be caught in similar situations and not know what to do. How has completing your Gold Award project impacted you? My Gold Award has greatly impacted my confidence with public speaking, during my project I had to step outside my comfort zone and reach out to adults and businesses directly for help with my project. Over time it got easier to speak with new people. What has being a Girl Scout means to you? To me being a Girl Scout means being a leader and making a positive impact on my community.

Sierra Redman Troop 57220 Walden, Colo In the mountains of Colorado, a tale unfolds, Of a 13-year-old Girl Scout, brave and bold. With her box of cookies, she sets out to roam, Selling sweet treats, all on her own. Amidst the towering pines her journey begins, A world of adventure, she eagerly dives in. The crisp mountain air tingles on her cheeks As she treks her way through valleys and peaks. In a small mountain town, her first stop appears A busy gas station, filled with delightful cheers. Her cookies shine bright in the afternoon sun, As customers line up, one by one. But soon, a conflict arises, oh what a plight! Dark clouds roll in, casting shadows of fright! The wind howls fiercely, threatening to blow Her cookies away, a devastating blow. With determination in her heart, she won't back down, She zips up her coat, puts on a determined frown. She gathers her boxes, holding them tight, Ready to face this challenge with all of her might. She seeks shelter under a sturdy awning, Her customers huddle close, their spirits not wanting. Together they weather the storm with good grace, Finding joy in each cookie, and on each smiling face. With bravery and resilience, she conquers the day, Selling Girl Scout cookies, come what may. In the mountains of Colorado, a tale is told, Of a young girl's spirit, so brave and bold. And so, the story of a Girl Scout unfolds, Selling her cookies among the mountains like gold. Her journey continues, with each box she sells, Spreading happiness and stories of exploits that dwell. In the mountains of Colorado, her legacy remains, A 13-year-old Girl Scout, who conquered the terrain. With a sparkling smile, and senses brought to life, Her cookie-selling adventures spark joy, amid the strife.

Sign up for another Girl Scout year full of new adventures starting on April 1! Membership Product Discounts Special “flash discount day”. All members renewed on April 4 receive 50% discount on renewal membership (discount applied with the use of discount code SPRING50) Early Bird Incentive Girl Level Incentive Early Bird Patch. All girls renewed by June 15 will receive an Early Bird patch – delivered to troop leaders at SU meetings in August. Troop Level Incentive Troops that renew at least two unrelated Troop Leadership Team (troop volunteer agreement signed) members and 75% of their girls (minimum 3) will earn a $25 shop credit for your troop. Note: All participating troops meeting basic Early Bird requirements, completing their Annual Troop Report, and submitting their MY25 ACH (includes 2 renewed bank signers with BASA) by June 15. Service Unit Level Incentive Achieve 60% retention by June 15 will earn $100 + $0.25/renewed girl for their Service Unit. Note: Service Units must submit their ATR and MY25 ACH by June 15 to receive incentive prizes.

On February 25, Girl Scout volunteer, Rusty Merrill, was celebrated at her church for 75 years of Girl Scouting! Girl Scout staff attended to congratulate her on this milestone and presented her with flowers and a cake on behalf of Girl Scouts of Colorado and Region 4. We got the chance to ask Rusty about her Girl Scout experience over the years. Please share with me your roles with Girl Scouts over the past 75 years. Girl Member -- Received the Curved Bar Award in 1958 (Highest Award at that time). Grew up in Denver at the old Mile High Council. (10 years) Mariner Ship 10 Skipper --Newport, Rhode Island (1968-1972) Senior Round Up -- Colorado Springs (1959) Council  Delegate -- National Council Delegate Field Director and Camping Specialist Staff Member -- Girl Scouts of Rhode Island (1965-1971) Council Training Task Group -- Primitive Camping, Outdoor Skills Camp Counselor, Program Director, Camp Director, Cook --Various Girl Scout camps around the country (1959-2011) International Trainers Conference -- Bronerion, Northern Wales Troop Leader -- all levels (1959-present) Council Trainer/Master Trainer -- Age Level, Outdoor, First Aid/CPR, Songs, Games, Ceremonies (1966-Present) Opening Ceremony Choir -- World Conference (1984) Troop Organizer, Troop Consultant, Neighborhood Chair, Service Unit Manager -- (Present) How has being a part of Girl Scouts impacted your life? I was a shy child, but becoming a Patrol Leader (wish we still used them) taught me confidence, and leadership skills. I learned so many life skills earning badges, but mostly loved the outdoor badges. Going to Girl Scout camp for 10 years mastered my outdoor skills, and taught me to be skilled and independent outside. All these outdoor skills have provided me the opportunity to now be a volunteer naturalist at Mueller  State Park, teaching kids and family programs, and become an outdoor trainer. I made hundreds of friends, and still stay in touch with two women from my original Girl Scout troop. Now, being a troop leader, for girls, mostly from broken homes, I try to teach them skills, but mostly how to live by the Girl Scout Promise and Law in this crazy world we live in. Try to give them consistency and love. What is one of your favorite memories of your Girl Scout experience? I was a camper at a former Colorado Girl Scout Camp, Flying G Ranch, which I attended for 10 years. When we were in high school. I was part of a group called the Prospectors, which was the oldest girls. We took a 3-week pack trip in Pike National  Forest, leading donkeys. It was very challenging, but we did so well, and I still have pictures and many memories! Why did you decide to become a Lifetime Member and continue to support the organization for so many years? My late husband and I became lifetime members in 1986 because we both strongly believed in the program and the value it had and still has for the girls. He ran the cookie program for 27 years in two councils. Everything is constantly changing these days, and there is so much upheaval locally,  nationally and internationally that the girls need something constant and consistent that they can depend on, not to keep changing. They need love and security and the sharing with other girls. I love having a multi-level troop, D-C and watching the older girls help the younger girls and how they all grow. The younger girls are so excited when they get to bridge to a new level and learn even more skills. What have you learned as a Girl Scout volunteer? As stated above I learned a lot of life skills as a girl member, and since I'm still active I've had to learn the new programs especially the STEM badges and Journeys. Can't say that I love them, but learned them well enough to help the girls, who know more about it than I ever could, but I really enjoy seeing the girls grow with skill, confidence and leadership, as they make decisions on all their troop program. Since I'm working with the girls I need to keep up with what's going on in the schools, and have to learn what the current fads are. What do you hope girls have learned from you? That an "old" person  can be fun, and learn from them! They love going camping and I love sharing my skills with them. They also love doing service to the community and see all the places where I volunteer. I'm hoping that the Promise and Law will help them navigate today's complex and scary world. Thank you, Rusty, for your lifelong commitment to the organization and for being an amazing volunteer! You are a true inspiration.

Thank you to all of the Girl Scouts who entered the 2024 Bling Your Booth Challenge! We received dozens of entries from all across Colorado and are so impressed by your creativity and enthusiasm. Congratulations to the winners! Third Place: 50 Cookie Credits Second Place: 100 Cookie Credits First Place: 200 Cookie Credits Check out the rest of the 2024 Bling your Booth submissions here!

Please join us for our annual Girl Scout Skate City party (two dates to choose from). We are celebrating surviving cookie season! This party is open to all Girl Scouts, leaders, friends and family. Post your troop number and how many people will be skating. We will give a cupcake to all the paid skaters. The cost is $7 for admission and $4 for a skate rental (if needed). Please pay at the door. Non-skaters are FREE! Patches are $2.50. Prepay only before March 5. You can pay through PayPal or send a check. If you pay through PayPal, email cogirlscouts@outlook.com by March 5. You must pay me "as a friend" so I get the full amount due. There will be a fee if you use a credit card. We love to see our Girl Scouts, so don't forget to wear your Girl Scout swag. Questions? Email Rose at cogirlscouts@outlook.com Please update numbers and RSVP by April 9 so we can order cupcakes. Thank you!

Being a guest in the Global South at two of our WAGGGS World Centers in the past seven months has been some of the most impactful travel and global experience I have ever had. Serving as a WAGGGS Celebrating Us global event facilitator at Kusafiri in Ghana in West Africa in August 2023 was a profoundly eye-opening three weeks of learning. Attending the Friends of Nuestra Cabaña annual meeting as a ‘friend’ guest for four days and then facilitating the GSCO Global Action Team adult event at Nuestra Cabaña for five days was such a meaningful way to bring the global sisterhood home. These were not my first World Center experiences. In November 2007 I had a window of time, a sizeable flight voucher, a crisply new passport, and had never been out of the country. I knew Girl Scouting was an avenue for international travel, so I began to search for options and discovered I could volunteer for three weeks at Our Chalet on off-season maintenance projects and then travel all over Switzerland on the long weekends. I was in my mid-20s and I made it happen. Many years went by without any Girl Scout volunteering until late 2019 when I reached out to the GSCO Volunteer team and asked where I could help without becoming a troop leader. They needed Gold Award Mentors and also explained there was this small group called the Global Action Team. I joined both. After many years of Zoom only meetings in June 2023, the Global Action Team had its first in-person meeting/retreat. It’s always so surprising to find out how tall people are when you finally meet them in person. Late in the day after much brainstorming and strategizing ways to reinvigorate and reinspire Global Girl Scouting in Colorado, I suggested an adult volunteer and staff trip to what would be the reopened (after three years due to COVID-19) Nuestra Cabaña World Center in Cuernavaca in central Mexico in February 2024. It was also in this Global Action Team that I met Rae Ann Doughtery who quickly became a friend and mentor for me. She helped me navigate the process to volunteer with WAGGGS. I was honored to serve as a mentor for six amazing young women from Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Pakistan, India, and the Philippines (all the Global Majority from the Global South) in the 2022 Juliette Low Seminar for four months. I also mentored them all for six more months while they completed their 100 Girls Projects which ended up reaching at least 1,400 teenage girls in their communities (watch video). We met weekly on Zoom on Fridays for the first four months and every other week for the remaining six months at 7 a.m. mountain time which is 9 or 10 p.m. in the Philippines. Four of them chose and received scholarships to travel to Ghana for the Celebrating Us event at Kusafiri World Center in August 2023. I was selected to be a global event facilitator and after much preparation, the five of us met in person for the first time. When they each walked in the door at Kusafiri it was an emotional moment for all of us hugging and living a moment we weren’t quite sure would actually happen. All of these young women will be part of my life forever. Upon my return home, I immediately picked up my suggestion to get Colorado adults to our closest Western Hemisphere World Center, Nuestra Cabaña. My enthusiasm and passion were fed by the richness and magic of relationships that happen at World Centers. I want this opportunity for Colorado's older girls and young women, and in order to make it happen we need adult staff and volunteers who have first-hand experience, skills, and inspiration to make it possible. I was hoping for possibly ten interested people; and within only a couple weeks of announcing the Global Girl Scouting trip more than 30 people had submitted their interest forms. There is a lot of interest in Global Girl Scouting in Colorado. After learning about the details, 17 women and two husbands committed to the adventure. Both Ghana and Mexico are in the Global South and populated by the Global Majority. Being a white Westerner from a very comfortable place defined by our gross national consumption, I was given an authentic opportunity to look wider and open my eyes, mind, and heart in ways I did not know possible all of which invited me well beyond my comfort zone. Being in West Africa is very different than a Colorado mountain town. Spending time in Mexico learning Spanish in addition to spending time at the World Center was humbling. Building close intimate relationships with people who live in these places and beginning to understand their cultural values, traditions, ways of preparing drinking water, using toilet paper or not, cooking culture, and what foods grow in their regions was an incredible experience. Learning about how schools work, streets and driving happen, money and the economy, and so many pieces of the landscape and various community structures has been so interesting. Most of all, connecting with people both at the World Centers and in the local communities is the most powerful part of my World Center experiences. While there were significant personal challenges bigger than I ever expected at both World Centers, what I will remember long into the future is the power and magic of the Girl Guide and Girl Scout sisterhood. No matter what, I'm part of this global movement; Girl Scouting has been in my blood since I was seven years old. World Centers provide a place for connection a Zoom call will never replace. I encourage you to start planning your first (or next) World Center trip. Contact the Global Action Team for ideas on how to get started. Email gscoglobal@gmail.com.

Thank you to all the Girl Scouts who entered this year’s contest for Creative Cookie Video! We received 23 entries from across Colorado and are so impressed by your creativity and enthusiasm. The judging panel had a hard time choosing because all the entries were so great. Without further ado, here are the 2024 Creative Cookie Video winners! Honorable Mention - 25 Cookie Credits Congratulations Emily for being our honorable mention! Your pup is so cute! Third Place - 50 Cookie Credits - Tie! Congratulations to Girl Scout Brownie Caroline and Troop 76091 for tying for third place! Caroline says, "I'm most excited to spread the joy that Girl Scout cookies bring! A little cookie and a big smile go a long way! I love using my creativity to make a new cookie pitch video every year. This year mine is inspired by the strong female role model Taylor Swift- I hope you enjoy it! My goal is to earn cookie credits to put toward my first overnight Girl Scout summer camp!" We loved how Troop 76091's video put a Girl Scout twist on a popular social media trend! Second Place - 100 Cookie Credits Congratulations, Girl Scout Junior Willie, for earning second place! "I'm excited to talk to lots of different people and seeing how excited they get when they see my troop or I selling cookies! Also, I love getting to be with my troop and teaching younger scouts how to be a cookie super seller! My goal is to sell 1000 cookies and use my cookie credits for camp at Tomahawk Ranch." First Place - 200 Cookie Credits Congratulations, Girl Scout Brownie Josephine, for earning first place! Josey wants to get to 625 to get the Build A Bear experience. Her Troop wants to spend a night at YMCA of the Rockies in Estes and do a horse trail ride with their earnings. The thing she wanted to do the most as a Girl Scout was sell cookies after seeing her two older sisters do it. She has lots of energy at her booths, is always cheerful selling door-to-door, and loves to make videos to send to family and friends! She works so hard and has such a great attitude all the time. You can watch the rest of the Creative Cookie Videos here. Great work, everyone!

Troop 40607 in Colorado Springs invites Girl Scouts from all over to join us in an exciting night at Cave of the Winds. Girls will have the chance to go on a cave tour, figure out how to get out of a maze, and summon up their courage to complete the Wind Walker Challenge Course. Dates: August 10, 17, 24, September 7 (family night), 14 Cost: $60 per person to sleep in a building, $65 per person to sleep in the cave To register, contact cogirlscouts@outlook.com

Your Girl Scouts are welcome to join us for an Outdoor Skills Day Camp in April! Use your cookie money to fund your troop's opportunity to earn badges (and fun patches)! Troop 7 in Boulder is putting on Outdoor Skills Day on Sat. April 6 and Sat. April 13. Sign up now before the space fills. At this event Girl Scouts will learn many skills: Knife Safety (requires leaders’ attention) Compass Use Outdoor Cooking Fire Building Tent & Campsite Set-Up Emergency First Aid Planning a Campout (including gear list) Protecting Nature with Leave No Trace Covers: Daisy Buddy Camper Req 1&2, Eco Learner, Safety Award Pin Brownies: Cabin Camper Req 1-4, Eco Friend, Outdoor Adventurer, First Aid Req 1,2,4,5 Juniors: Camper Parts 1-4, Eco Camper 1-4, First Aid Req 1,2,4,5 Cadettes: Eco Trekker - Parts 1,2, Primitive Camper 1-4, First Aid Req 2,3,4,5 Ages: 1st grade and up When: April 6th OR April 13th. 9:15 a.m. - 4 p.m. Price: $25/Scout. $2/adult Scouts will be grouped with their troop, even if they register separately. Registering more than 1 girl requires meeting the Safety Wise numbers. See Volunteer Essentials for details This is also on the GSCO Website events calendar. Share with others! Use the CheddarUp to register. https://outdoor-skills-day-2024.cheddarup.com If you prefer to send a check to pay, please contact troop72418@gmail.com.

Join the CSU Environmental Learning Center on April 6th for a morning of outdoor art! We'll draw inspiration from nature to create, craft, and learn about the outdoors. Brownies will earn their Outdoor Art Creator badge and Juniors will earn their Outdoor Art Explorer badge. This is a great opportunity for Girl Scouts to connect with nature, while also learning about the environment. It will take place on our 212 acres of land that is home to four different ecosystems, more than 250 species of birds, and a variety of mammals. This is a drop-off event. Parents/guardians will be emailed health and safety information that they need to fill out and submit before the program. This will include the approval of adults who can pick up their Girl Scout(s). This said, adults are also welcome to stay with their Girl Scout(s). This program will take place at the CSU Environmental Learning Center in Fort Collins. The day will start at 9 am and wrap up by noon. The program cost is $12 per Girl Scout. You will have the option either to pay for this program online with a credit card at the time of registration, mail us a check after registering or pay on the day of the program (cash or check). Payment for this program is due in full by the day of the program. Registration for this program will close on April 1, so sign up quickly! Register for the program using this link: https://elc-colostate.nbsstore.net/girl-scout-day-outdoor-art-badge.