Submitted by Lisa Herrmann Northern & Northeastern CO Longmont Troop 74447 from Longmont saved up funds from three cookie seasons and made the trip to Catalina Island and camped at Emerald Bay. There were about 350 people at the camp and we were the only ones from Colorado! We competed in an Aqua Olympics and had a great time! This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments, too. #EmeraldBay #NorthernampNortheasternCO #CatalinaIsland #Longmont #cookies #GirlScoutCookieProgram #PowerofCookies

Pikes Peak Colorado Springs Bananas, a longtime camp counselor at Girl Scouts of Colorado’s Tomahawk Ranch, spent the last three months in New Zealand on a work visa and visiting friends. As you can imagine, her family at camp and at home really missed her! When she came home, her Girl Scout family welcomed her in style at the Denver airport and even brought her some style to wear in the photo! This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments, too. #ColoradoSprings #GirlScoutCamp #campcounselor #TomahawkRanch #PikesPeak #camp

Submitted by Dwayne-Katrina Murphy via Facebook Montgomery, Indiana We lost our son (Firefighter Kendall Murphy) on November 10, 2017. He was a firefighter responding to an accident and he was hit getting out of his car. I am also on the fire department. Troop 63979 sent out department stars and I wanted to show you how we used them. One of our members made this flag out of old fire house and he used the stars the Girl Scout troop sent. What a thoughtful way to honor those who serve and have lost their lives serving. THANK YOU! #firefighter #flag #Thornton #MetroDenver #Northglenn

WHEN: Saturday, September 8, 2018 at 3 p.m. WHERE: Mir Park, Glendale Come and try one of the newest Olympic sports! All girls will have the opportunity to learn basic rugby skills and play non-contact, flag rugby. No experience necessary and all girls are welcome to join. Rugby experts will introduce basic skills in various lead-up games and girls will learn how to play the fast-paced flag rugby game. The cost of the event is $10 and all girls will receive a girls rugby patch and two tickets to watch the Glendale Women’s Premier League match at Infinity Park that evening at 5 p.m. What are you waiting for? Sign up today at www.girlsrugbyinc.com/girlscouts #GSCOevents #Communitypartnerships #Glendale #MetroDenver #rugby

Want to encourage girls joined -at-the-hip in your troop, to make new friends, but keep the old? Learn how to clique proof your troop! Want more support during your troop year? Learn how to engage families in your troop! Want to know how to plan awesome events for your troop or service unit? Take the Event Planning enrichment class! Come to a Leadership Summit. Take a variety of enrichment classes and essential required training. Meet and connect with your peers, enjoy a catered lunch, and start your troop year with the information you need to be successful! Register Now!  Saturday, August 25, 2018 at Sand Creek High School in Colorado Springs. https://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/content/girlscoutsofcolorado/en/events-repository/2018/leadership_summit_in.html Register Now! Saturday, September 8 at First United Methodist Church in Loveland. https://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/en/events-repository/2018/leadership_summit_in_450758101.html Register Now!  Saturday, September 29 at Community College of Aurora in Metro Denver. https://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/content/girlscoutsofcolorado/en/events-repository/2018/leadership_summit_in_75499965.html There are classes for older girls too! Girl Scout Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors can participate in leadership enrichment courses to expand their skills and knowledge to prepare them for their future in Girl Scouts and beyond. Girls will sign-up for the entire day.  This is a FREE leadership development opportunity! Girls should bring a sack lunch and light snacks will be provided. Sessions include Gold Award, Highest Awards and Take Action, Taking Ownership of Your Girl Scout Experience, Let’s Go on an Adventure, Using Your Leadership Skills for Change, and “Selling” Your Girl Scouts Experience. Meet other teenage Girl Scouts and share your experiences. To read class descriptions and register for older girl classes, go to our events page at: https://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/en/events/training-events.html #VolunteerNews #GSCOevents #oldergirls #trainings #LeadershipSummit #trainingevents #LeadershipSummits

The 2018 Fall Product Program offers you a change to win a mega moose! This is also your opportunity to go beyond by traveling to new places. Here’s how to enter to win a mega moose: Sell more than $625 in combined sales during the 2018 Fall Product Program. Travel to a new location with Minnie Moose or any of the rewards you earned during the 2018 Fall Product Program. Take a picture of you and Minnie Moose or your travel rewards in the new travel location. Submit this form online: https://girlscoutsofcolorado.formstack.com/forms/mega_moose_2018 (Note: This form will not open until November 20, 2018). Deadline to submit form is Sunday, January 6, 2019. Every girl who enters and completes all steps will earn a fun patch.  Drawings for mega moose will take place on January 7. There will be five winners! Winners must pick up mega moose from the closest GSCO office. Mega moose is not able to be shipped. If you have any questions, please contact your regional product program specialist.  Don’t know who that is? Email inquiry@gscolorado.org. 2018MegaMooseflyerFINAL #2018FallProductProgram #FallProductProgram #megamoose #ProductPrograms

What did you do for your Gold Award project? For my Gold Award project, I decided to build a prayer garden at St. Michael’s the Archangel in Aurora, Colorado, which included remembrance bricks that were engraved with a loved one’s name. I also wanted to help make a difference in another country, so I chose a church in the Philippines that I donated $5,000 to help build a prayer garden there as well. Both of these churches were given two pamphlets that I made that will be handed out for years to come. The St. Michael’s the Archangel/Philippines Prayer Garden-Prayers Across the Sea addressed three main issues: the loss of a loved one through grief; there is no peaceful and quiet place outside the church for prayer; and there is no place in the church to remember a loved one with a personal sentiment. How did you measure the impact your Gold Award project made on your target audience? The project directly benefited St. Michael’s the Archangel, and helped them to have a space for prayer and solitude. My project focused on teaching the community about grief and how to deal with the loss of a loved one in a healthy way. There are currently more than 3,000 families registered at St. Michael’s the Archangel, and the prayer garden is open to all parishioners. The prayer garden in the Philippines is located beside the Chapel of the Forgiving Lord, in the Tuloy sa Don Bosco Street Children Village. There are 780 students in the Tuloy Foundation that visit the garden throughout the week as well as, daily masses attended by 200-300 people, and a total of about 400 on Sundays. How is your project sustainable? How will your project continue to impact after your involvement? St. Michael’s the Archangel Prayer Garden is a project that is designed to continue for many years, so that the garden can grow with the new generations. The flowers and bricks will help to continue the garden to grow, and give the church an area where they can come together as a community for a greater cause. They will be able to keep this garden going as a place of prayer and worship. The preschool has promised to continue planting flowers in the garden in each year and the church will continue to sell the bricks and the youth will be able to give back to their parish by helping to install the bricks. I have also handed out two pamphlets, one on “How To Deal With Grief” and the other one on “How To Build A Prayer Garden,” which well be available at both churches for years to come. What is your project’s global and/or national connection? My global connection was helping to build a prayer garden in the Philippines. I was able to help a church in need and give $5,000 to help build a prayer garden. I am so excited and overjoyed that I was able to help another community with such an amazing project. The fact that I was able to donate $5,000 to help another church community build a prayer garden where they can deal with their loss and grief in their own type away is incredible. The Tuloy Foundation, which is a non-profit organization helps underprivileged children, who don’t have a home, food or family. The prayer garden will be able to help them have a place to go to pray. What did you learn about yourself? After spending so much time and energy organizing and coordinating my project, I learned that it really takes an entire army of people to make a difference. I wasn’t able to do this project on my own. I needed the help of my volunteers, and the help of my family to complete this project. I have always loved to help others and help my community for the greater good. I have been on three church work camp trips, and even though building my prayer garden might not of been a service trip, I still felt the feeling of gratitude and happiness. How will earning your Gold Award impact you in the future? Earning my Gold Award will impact me in the future because it has allowed me to develop many leadership skills. I have developed a strong sense of communication, organization, delegation, and time management skills. This project has taught me that I can make a difference in my community and globally, I have gained so much confidence which will help me to take on more projects in the future that will hopefully reach even more people. Why do you feel the Gold Award was an important part of your Girl Scout experience? I feel the Gold Award was an important part of my Girl Scout experience because my project has been so personal and meaningful to me. I will be able to look back at my Girl Scout experience and remember my Gold Award as a project that made such a big difference on my community as well as on me. My Gold Award is the last step of my Girl Scout journey and reflects everything that I have learned during my girl scout experience as well as giving me an appreciation for how much work goes into getting the Gold Award. How did earning your Gold Award help you become a G.I.R.L. (go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, leader)? My Gold Award helped me become a “G.I.R.L.”  The “G” stands for go-getter.  I learned by building my project I was not able to give up and learned to go after whatever I needed to in order for my project to be completed.  I knew I could achieve whatever I set out to do.  I was ambitious and wasn’t afraid to pursue what I needed to in order to complete my project but also to earn the highest award a girl can earn which is the Gold Award. **IMPORTANT NOTE: This blog represents only a small fraction of the hard work, dedication, and requirements that go into earning a Girl Scout Gold Award. It is simply a brief summary, which is meant to inspire Girl Scouts to Go Gold in the future. For more information on earning your Gold Award, please email highestawards@gscolorado.org. #GoldAward #HighestAwards #CherokeeTrailHighSchool #MetroDenver #TakeAction

Girl Scout Destinations is the ultimate adventure for girls 11 and older! Destinations brings together Girl Scout Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors from all over the country for amazing summer and winter adventures filled with nature, culture, service, art, science, and tons more! Any girl in grade 6–12 can apply. With a ton of different trips to apply for every year, from surfing camp on the east coast and breathtaking hikes out west, to the crazy-cool wonder of new cultures abroad, there’s something amazing for everyone to experience. Dreaming of kayaking to an island campsite? Let’s do it! Want to explore the cobblestone alleys of Europe? We’re totally there! Passionate about protecting wildlife habitats? Yes, yes, yes! On a Girl Scout Destinations trip you can do all that and so much more. Interested? Here are the easy steps to get started: 1. Visit http://forgirls.girlscouts.org/travel/ to learn about trips that are offered for 2019-2020. 2. Choose up to four trips that spark your interest. 3. Applications are open now! Submit your application for Round One by December 1, 2018. Round Two are due by February 15, 2019. Insider tip: Heart set on a particular trip? Get everything in during Round One- these incredible adventures fill up fast! “Want more information? Check out our Destinations eLearninghttp://training.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/login/index.php Questions? Contact GirlExperience@gscolorado.org #destinations #GirlScoutDestinations #oldergirls #travel

Want to go boating? If you’d like to take your Girl Scouts boating, you can register for the Small Craft Safety certification course. The Small Craft Safety certification is required to take any Girl Scouts boating. This one-day course will cover all the basics of canoeing and kayaking. The course will thoroughly cover boating equipment, paddle strokes, swamped boat rescues, and ways to keep boating fun and safe! When: Saturday, September 15, 2018 Time: 8 A.M. – 4 P.M. Where: Sky High Ranch Registration Deadline: Thursday, September 6 Registration link: https://gscolorado.formstack.com/forms/small_craft_safety_certification_pp_09_15_2018 #VolunteerNews #SkyHighRanch #Certificationcourse #GSCOevents #boating #trainings #SmallCraftSafety #PikesPeak #camp

From Girl Scouts of the USA There are so many different badges, patches, awards, and other insignia that Girl Scouts can wear, but where does it all go? Whether she has a vest, tunic, or sash, she can proudly show off her accomplishments. This handy guide illustrates where to place insignia on a Girl Scout uniform for every grade level—or you can check out the fun videos below! Daisies Brownies Juniors Cadettes Seniors Ambassadors #GirlScoutsoftheUSA #VolunteerNews #GSUSA #Brownie #Cadettes #Ambassador #Brownies #Junior #Daisies #Juniors #senior

Submitted by Shannon Michel Metro Denver Centennial Cadette Troop 64098 from Aurora/Centennial volunteered at the Special Olympics of Colorado’s Summer Classic in Colorado Springs. They brought 200 packages of Girl Scout Cookies donated through the Hometown Heroes program. These young ladies assisted at opening and closing ceremonies and events of tennis, bocce ball, and cycling. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments, too. #Cadette #PowerofCookie #GirlScoutCadette #SpecialOlympics #ColoradoSprings #Cadettes #Centennial #CookieProgram #Aurora #cookies #GirlScoutCookies #GirlScoutCadettes #HometownHeroes #MetroDenver #SpecialOlympicsofColorado #PikesPeak

Girl Scouts of Colorado honors 2018 Women of Distinction in Denver Oct. 2. Janine Davidson, President, Metropolitan State University of Denver Ruth Fountain Eide, Community Leader Therese Ellery, Senior Program Officer, Aging Program, Rose Community Foundation Gretchen Hammer, Medicaid Director, Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing Peggy E. Jennings, CPA, Partner, Eide Bailly LLP Lisa Zúñiga Ramirez, Principal, Senior Portfolio Manager, Segall Bryant & Hamill Meshach Rhoades, Partner, Armstrong Teasdale LLP Terri Richardson, MD, Kaiser Permanente Colorado Tinesha Ross, Government and Commercial Programs, Senior Manager, System Safety & Quality, United Launch Alliance Becky Takeda-Tinker, Ph.D., President & CEO, Colorado State University-Global Campus; and CEO, Beyond Campus Innovations, Inc. an entity of the CSU System Foundation WHAT: This year’s honorees were selected by a committee of their peers led by Selection Chair Tasha Jones ’15, Director of Marketing, Forest City, and chosen based on their contributions to the community, both professionally and personally. They are shining examples of corporate, civic and philanthropic leadership. The event is presented by co-chairs: Pat Cortez ’04, Senior Vice President, Community Affairs Manager Community Relations and CRA Risk Management Department, Wells Fargo Government and Community Relations Group and Brook Kramer ’16, Senior Vice President, Senior Regional Fiduciary Manager, Philanthropic Services, Wells Fargo Private Bank. The evening includes a three-course dinner and creative dessert featuring Thin Mint cookies. Keynote Speaker is Riley Morgenthaler, Gold Award Girl Scout and recipient of Stephanie A. Foote Leadership Prize for Gold Award Excellence. WHEN: Tuesday, October 2, 2018 WHERE: Denver Marriott Tech Center, 4900 South Syracuse Street, Denver, CO 80237 For more information, contact Heidi Books at 303-607-4833 or heidi.books@gscolorado.org. For media, RSVP by Sept. 24 to AnneMarie Harper at 303-607-4844 or annemarie.harper@gscolorado.org. #GSCOevents #Denver #funddevelopment #MetroDenver #WomenofDistinction #alumnaenews