Submitted by Allison Baker Pikes Peak Colorado Springs In early 2017, Troop 45182 decided to give back to their community. As a troop they adopted Wagner Park in Colorado Springs. In adopting this park, they go monthly or semi-monthly to clean up trash. The girls split up in two’s with one adult to each pair and then each pair gets a section of the park to clean. Our troop believes that giving back to our community is just one small part of living the Girl Scout Law. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments, too. #ColoradoSprings #GIRLstories #PikesPeak #WagnerPark

Submitted by Jaime Ayala Metro Denver Arvada Our amazing multi-level troop invested 13 new members and had 31 girls rededicate to Girl Scouts. We celebrated with a Promise and Law candle ceremony. Each girl was able to take home a piece of our troop’s eternal flame with a candle of her own to remind her that she is part of a larger family that will always be there for her. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments, too. #Arvada #MetroDenver #recrtuitment

Submitted by Emily Prehm Northern & Northeastern CO Loveland Girl Scout Junior Troop 71020 helped select and wrap gifts for Santa Cops of Larimer County. The gifts will be delivered by law enforcement to low-resource families this holiday season. The troop has been volunteering with Santa Cops for the past four years. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments, too. #LarimerCounty #Santa #SantaCopsofLarimerCounty #NorthernampNortheasternCO #holidays #lawenforcement #Christmas #SantaCops

Honest Accurate Auto Service is hosting a car care workshop for Seniors and Ambassadors (grades 9-12) on Saturday, January 13, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at the Honest Accurate Auto Service – West location. Get shop savvy as Honest Accurate Auto Service opens their “garages” for Girl Scouts only! Here are just some of the things that you’ll learn at the class: Changing a flat tire Essentials under the hood Maintaining fluids Finding a great mechanic and repair shop Safety tips Using jumper cables and much more! This workshop will incorporate all the necessary steps needed to complete your Senior Car Care badge. RSVP is required. Please bring a parent to the workshop with you. Register online at:https://honestaccurateauto.com/community-service/girl-scout-car-care-workshop/ #cars

Submitted by Judy Curtis Metro Denver Arvada When: Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018 from 5 – 8:30 p.m. Where: Arvada United Methodist Church, 6750 Carr, Arvada Theme: Winter ball Dress Code: Go classy or go corny. Suit and ball gowns, or winter themed costumes Cost: $25 per couple ($30 at the door). Please reserve and pay for your spot by Jan. 15. *Also, please bring canned goods to be donated to the Arvada Food Bank. This is a “sell out” annual event that is WAYYYY TOO MUCH fun! Girl Scouts and their friends attend a dinner catered by White Fence Farm and dance to fun music. The cake decorating contest is cakes that the girls have made and decorated and are judged by the other girls in attendance. Prizes flow freely and door prizes are everywhere! This year’s theme is “winter ball,” so get those fancy dresses out, grab your special guy, and put a tie on him! There is a special photo op spot for you to capture the “special” night with your special guy. Special guys can be dads, uncles, grandpas, special men in the girls’ life that will treat her to a “special” date! To reserve your spot, please email Judy Curtis at  gjcurtis6@comcast.net. Be sure to include a list of the girls attending and the name of their special guy. Make checks payable to: Troop 3301 Send them to Judy Curtis at: 14237 W 58th Pl., Arvada, CO 80004 This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments, too. #Arvada #GSCOevents #MeampMyGuy #MetroDenver #ArvadaFoodBank

Thanks to donors from across Colorado who chose Girl Scouts of Colorado on Colorado Gives Day and helped us raise nearly $30,000!  Missed it?  You can still make a gift here. #ColoradoGivesDay #ColoradoGivesDay2017 #CouncilNews #funddevelopment

Colchin Automotive is hosting a car care workshop for Seniors and Ambassadors (grades 9-12) on Tuesday, December 5, 2017 from 6 – 8 p.m. in Arvada. Learn the basics of car care and maintenance, so you can be road ready and safe when you hit the pavement. Parents/guardians are welcome to attend with their girl. Seniors will earn their “Car Care” badge through completion of this workshop. If you have any questions about this event or have trouble completing registration, please contact inquiry@gscolorado.org or 877-404-5708. Register today to save your spot for this workshop:https://gscolorado.formstack.com/forms/car_care_workshop_md_12_05_2017 #Arvada #GSCOevents #oldergirls #ColchinAutomotive #MetroDenver

Submitted by Victoria Fedorco Metro Denver Denver I remember working and earning my Gold Award like it was yesterday. Since May 2017, I’ve graduated from Eaglecrest High School and went on to attend Metropolitan State University of Denver. During my first semester, I’ve given multiple speeches about “Adopt Don’t Shop” and the care of senior pets and how those issues have influenced my Gold Award. I’ve been keeping tabs on the Adams County Animal Shelter and found that the PVC Pipe pet beds have made a great impact on the comfort level of the senior pets and others at the shelter. I continue to speak about senior pets and their struggles and have written a research paper on the subject to help continue to educate and raise awareness. I’ve used the leadership and management skills the Gold Award program taught me to become more involved in my college as well. I have become the Director of Game Day Operations for the Metro State Men’s Hockey Team. I have organized an upcoming event for the team: The Metro State Hockey Teddy Bear Toss. My love of Girl Scouts has stayed with me as well, as I have registered as a co-leader for my little sister’s troop. I will continue to work with them and encourage them to be their best selves and go for gold! #GoldAward #MetropolitanStateUniversity #GoldAwardGirlScout #Aurora #Denver #MetroDenver #adamscountyanimalshelter #EaglecrestHighSchool

Submitted by Caroline Cornell Metro Denver Aurora Girl Scouts of the USA held it’s 54th Girl Scout National Council Session and Convention in Columbus, Ohio in October. The National Council is made up of delegates from councils across the United States, Girl Scouts Overseas, and National Board members.  It convenes every three years to vote on the business of Girl Scouts including matters like membership dues, electing the National Board of Directors. The National Council Session also includes a discussion about topics that are of interest to The Movement such as how do we better serve all girls? Best of all, we celebrate the Girl Scout Movement and have a great time! No time to sleep – there’s so much to do! Colorado sent 13 delegates, including two girl delegates and several staff members.  Our delegation was led by GSCO Board Chair Rae Ann Dougherty and President and CEO Stephanie Foote. The delegation was also joined by members of GSCO’s History and Global Girl Scouts Committees as well as Gracie from Boulder who was in the Girls Got Talent Show and Cassidy Christian, a roving reporter from Highlands Ranch who covered the G.I.R.L. Convention. Together, we explored many way girls can be G.I.R.Ls (go-getters, innovators, risk-takers, and leaders). To prepare for the National Council Session, throughout the fall the Membership Connection Committee (MCC) surveyed membership across Colorado to obtain feedback about how Girl Scouts can better serve girls. I am pleased to report Colorado’s opinions echoed the opinions shared from across the country at Convention such as establishing uniform training and Highest Awards standards, building partnerships to provide new opportunities for older girls (i.e. Outdoor Adventure Club), and supporting our growing outreach program. In addition to the discussion questions asked at the National Council Session, there were also three proposals relating to the governance of Girl Scouts of the USA. The first proposal was a request from the National Board to reduce the number of Board members from 25 to 15 to bring it in line with best practices. After much debate, this proposal failed to pass. The second proposal was a bit more complicated and also did not pass. It involved the National Board Delegate Committee that chooses the next slate of National Board Members.  As part of their role, members participate in National Board meetings so they can find the best available candidates to be on the National Board during the next triennium. At present three of the seven members are non-voting National Board members. The National Board felt it was important that these three members be considered full Board Members; however, they failed to make the case and the motion was defeated through debate. The third proposal contained three parts and designed to separate the lifetime dues rate from the previous 25 times the annual membership rate and extend the discounted rate to alumni between 18 and 30 years old.  While there was debate around some finer points, this proposal eventually passed with enthusiasm. What this now means is that the lifetime membership dues are set at $400 and that young women age 18 to 30 can now receive a discounted rate of $200 if they are Girl Scouts alumnae rather than just in the year they graduate from high school.  (Pssst – if you’re an alumnus and are under 30, now’s your chance to become a lifetime member!) If you’re into political science like I am, this day at the National Council session presented an incredible opportunity to see democracy in action and served as an excellent example of how governance should work in an organization such as Girl Scouts. To put it broader terms, this is how a government functions when it’s at its best. After a day full of Robert’s Rule of Order, it was time for some fun! Over the next few days, the G.I.R.L. team, known as the G-Team made up of 30 girls from across the country hosted a ton of activities for the nearly 10,000 girls in attendance. We had a huge Colorado group who listened to Chelsea Clinton, Barbara Pierce Bush (you know, Jenna’s twin), and many more speakers designed to inspire us about becoming a G.I.R.L. with breakout sessions in each area. At the opening session to the National Council Session, we were treated to a presentation from JoAnn Deak about building stronger girls by exercising our elastic brains. How do you top that? Have astronaut and Peace Corps physician Mae Jamison opened the G.I.R.L. Convention telling us about how she took risks to reach for the stars. The finale was featured Olympians Gabby Douglas and Sasha Cohen. Such an amazing week! If you’re interested in learning more and having an opportunity to serve as a delegate to the 2020 convention in Orlando, Florida, the MCC is seeking new members, particularly from metro Denver, northeastern Colorado, and Colorado Springs.  Learn more about the MCC on the Girl Scouts of Colorado website. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too.

Submitted by Jen Rotar Northern & Northeastern CO Berthoud The Girl Scouts of all the troops in the Berthoud Service Unit got together to donate 15 full Thanksgiving meals for needy families in Berthoud. One troop of Girl Scout Daisies went grocery shopping together to find the items needed for two full meals. Other troops donated canned goods, boxed goods, and helped collect funds to purchase 15 turkeys. Many individual Girl Scouts and their families helped make this annual food drive a big success. The girls’ effort was combined with other local Boy Scout troops in a great show of community service and teamwork to sort all the donations into Thanksgiving meal baskets, which were donated for distribution through the House of Neighborly Service. Girl Scout Daisies to Ambassadors and everyone in between – the Berthoud Service Unit of Girl Scouts is a close knit family of girls who enjoy working together on community service projects. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #Thanksgiving #NorthernampNortheasternCO #HouseofNeighborlyService #Berthoud #GirlScoutsGiveBack

Gold Award Girl Scout Kathleen Otto of Fort Collins was a featured speaker at Girl Scouts of Colorado’s Women of Distinction Breakfast in Grand Junction.  She told the audience of Girl Scouts and supporters about her journey through Girl Scouts. My last 12 years as a Girl Scout has given me so many opportunities to learn and grow, making me the person I am today. This morning, I’m thrilled to share my amazing experience in Girl Scouting with you. I remember the first Girl Scout meeting I attended. I was in first grade and a new Brownie. My troop would meet in the library of my elementary school and I remember we would have tables lined up in a big “U” shape so we could all see one another. We spent time learning the Girl Scout Promise and Law—and at every troop meeting we would stand to say the Pledge of Allegiance and then the Promise and Law to remind ourselves of how to behave toward one another and our community every day. Of course, being 6-years-old, I did not yet realize what a remarkable family and community I had joined. Being a Girl Scout helped me learn important business and people skills and one of the most well know skill building opportunities is, as you all probably know, selling cookies. The first thing I learned about selling cookies was to be charming! This tip works well when you are still a Brownie, but as you become older, it gets a little trickier. Once I reached middle and high school, selling cookies door-to-door required connections and loyal customers that had known me since I was a little Brownie. But, the best way to earn and sell cookies was always at a booth. I remember I was in 4th or 5th grade, it was January, and snowing. My friend and I stood at a cookie booth outside of Safeway for 30 minutes, which seemed like forever at that age.  Over 45 minutes passed and we thought to ourselves, “Why did we sign up for a two-hour booth?!” My friend and I were shivering in our boots and snow pants, we were so bored, and no one was coming to buy cookies. Eventually, I was so cold and tired that I decides to let out my pent-up energy, by singing and dancing. My journey through Girl Scouts did not stop at cookie booths. During my Junior and Senior year of high school, I had the opportunity to earn the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor in Girl Scouting. The Gold Award gave me the opportunity to teach people about a topic that is very important to me – dyslexia. I wanted to educate both parents and teachers about dyslexia and how it impacts children in school settings. This is an important topic for me because I am dyslexic and without the teachers I had, who knew about dyslexia, my school experience would have been so much harder. Without the support system I had growing up, and the teachers I had I don’t think I would have graduated high school with a 4.0 GPA or would have been as prepared as I feel for college.  My Gold Award was a two-step process. First, I organized a viewing of the documentary “The Big Picture – Rethinking Dyslexia”, a story about of people who struggle with dyslexia, and their stories of how they overcame their disability. After the movie, I held a panel discussion with dyslexia experts, who included: a doctor, who specializes in diagnosing dyslexia; teacher, who works specifically with children with learning disabilities;  student and lifelong friend, who suffers from dyslexia; and representative from the Rocky Mountain branch of the International Dyslexia Association. The panel discussion was eye opening for everyone who attended and gave people the chance to connect with others in the community, whom they might have never met without my project. Many parents with children who have dyslexia were able to come together and find understanding with each other and help each other find support for their children. Step two of my project was to create a Little Free Library in my neighborhood to promote literacy among both adults and children. In all the books that are in the library, I put informational bookmarks provided by the Rocky Mountain branch of the International Dyslexia Association in the hope that I could not only encourage people to read, more but also to continue educating people about dyslexia. Through earning my Gold Award, I learned many skills required of a successful leader. I learned how to best communicate with my peers and adults, along with programing, public speaking, and marketing skills. I had tapped into each of these skills throughout my years as a Girl Scout and perfected them through earning my Gold Award. These are the concrete skills that Girl Scouts has taught me, but it also opened doors to see the world. Last summer, I had the chance to go on one last trip with my Girl Scout troop and we decided to go to Europe. With the funds, we earned from the Girl Scout Cookie Program, along with our own money, we went on a 15-day trip across Europe. We went to amazing places and saw wonderful things. My favorite part of our trip was going to Adelboden, Switzerland, and visiting Our Chalet – one of five World Centers of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. The beauty of Our Chalet and the town of Adelboden was incredibly stunning and peaceful. learning the history of how Our Chalet was founded was truly a learning experience and showed me that Girl Scouting really is an international sisterhood. In addition to traveling around Europe, I had the opportunity to be a camp counselor at Tomahawk Ranch, one of the Girl Scouts of Colorado’s summer camps. After being a camper almost every summer and then a counselor in training, becoming an official counselor at 18 just seemed like the natural next step in my relationship with Girl Scout Camp. Becoming a counselor, I could, make sure that younger girls had the best summer possible. I remember the Director of Tomahawk, Monica Gray, aka Obi Joe, told us during our training – “Camp is a safe place for girls to come and be themselves.” That is what camp was like for me as a child and that is what I wanted camp to be for girls today. Working at Tomahawk is like being in a totally different world. The Director Team at Tomahawk does such an amazing job at making camp a wonderful and amazing experience for every girl. One day, half-way into a two-week session, all of the counselors are living off of coffee at this point I thought to myself at lunch, “I knew someone would do it! I knew someone would dip the lettuce in the chocolate!” This might seem completely odd statement, so let me explain. For lunch, we were having fondue and there was a chocolate fountain for dessert, our chef spoiled us, with all the fixings you would expect – strawberries, pound cake, bananas, and more. But, these desserts were set on a bed of lettuce, and I thought to myself watch one of these girls dip the lettuce into the chocolate and eat it up. Sure enough, one of my girls came back to the table with chocolate covered lettuce, and everyone started laughing as she began to eat it! I can tell you now that chocolate and lettuce is not a good combo, but everyone laughed, smiled, and tried something new and surprising. This is the point of Girl Scout Camp – it is random and funny and sometimes completely unexpected. But, no matter how unexpected things are, you’ll always be met with a welcoming smile. Camp is one of the safest places for girls to go where they can be themselves without being branded weird or different. Girl Scout Camp is a safe place for girls to grow and find out who they would like to be and all the amazing things that they are capable of. Each of these stories describe what Girl Scouts has done for me. Girl Scouts has been the place for me where I can be myself and grow into a person that I didn’t know I could be. Girl Scouts is the reason I can stand before you and speak clearly and with confidence. Girl Scouts is the reason I know I will always have a home and a family no matter where I am. The skills that Girl Scouts has taught me, has given me the self-confidence to live on my own, to start my freshman year of college with only a little trepidation. This year, I am a freshman at Colorado Mesa University. As of right now I am just starting my core education classes, but my plans are to go into the medical field as a nurse. Girl Scouts has shown me that I love people and enjoy helping my community. Girl Scouts has help teach me that I can achieve whatever I set my mind to. I want to remind you all the mission of Girl Scouts, “Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.” I stand before you this morning, a Girl Scout for over a decade and a woman with the courage, confidence, and character to continue becoming the best person I can be and make the world a little better every day. Thank you all so much. #GoldAward #HighestAwards #NorthernampNortheasternCO #GrandJunction #WomenofDistinctionbreakfast #GoldAwardGirlScout #funddevelopment #WesternColorado #TakeAction #FortCollins

Twenty-five Girl Scouts from across Colorado have earned the distinction of Gold Award Girl Scout, the highest honor in Girl Scouting, after completing take action projects benefiting their local communities and those around the world. Meg Bleyle from Highlands Ranch, Highlands Ranch High School, worked to increase the bee population by teaching children about how people need and depend on bees. Beth Bolon from Longmont hosted a workshop for sixth grade girls to help them improve their communication skills and bolster their confidence when interacting with others. Cheyanne Bridges from Colorado Springs, Liberty High School, partnered with the Pikes Peak Humane Society to support their animal medical fund by providing a sustainable source of donations from her school. Tara Butler from Denver, Overland High School, created a course and curriculum specifically for senior citizens to educate them on how to use their smartphone and better understand the technology. Kayleigh Cornell from Aurora, Grandview High School, started the Colorado Book Bank and collected more than 1,300 new and gently used books for students in a summer lunch program. Victoria Delate from Centennial, Cherry Creek High School, created a four-week self-defense course to give her fellow students the knowledge and skills to protect themselves from sexual assault. Emma Deutsch from Denver, Rocky Mountain School of Expeditionary Learning, improved the cat rooms at the Denver Animal Shelter. By creating a more welcoming and colorful space, she encouraged more people to adopt cats. Kamaryn Evans from Castle Rock, Douglas County High School, worked to raise awareness for victims of domestic violence and for the Crisis Center, which works to end domestic violence through advocacy, education, and prevention. Rose Goodman from Boulder, Boulder High School, created a lesson plan, which meets common-core standards, to educate second grade students about the declining bee population and how they can help bees. Elizabeth Hoelscher from Aurora, Grandview High School, partnered with Avanti House, which houses teenage victims of sex trafficking, to build a new library for the home and create welcome baskets for the girls. Ashlin Hult from Niwot, Niwot High School, created a series of materials for middle-school girls to encourage healthy body image and increase self-esteem. Zoi Johns from Golden, Lakewood High School, coordinated the installation of three 10,000-liter water filtration tanks in a school in rural Uganda. Makayla Kocher from Monument, Colorado Springs Christian School, created an art program for nursing home residents. Kayleigh Limbach from Niwot, Niwot High School, wrote aguidebook for incoming International Baccalaureate students to help them weigh their options for their academic future. Alexis Montague from Castle Rock, Castle View High School, hosted a panel discussion so girls could learn more about career opportunities in STEM. Sarah Ness from Centennial, Eaglecrest High School, hosted nearly two dozen after-school art therapy sessions to help kids at her school relieve and manage stress. Gwyneth Ormes from Centennial, Cherry Creek High School, organized a series of after-school workshops to teach elementary school girls Processing (a basic programming language), along with the foundational concepts of computer science. Emma Parkhurst from Centennial, Littleton High School, revitalized The Lions Cupboard, a local clothing closet, to make the space more accessible for families in need. Makala Roggenkamp from Arvada, Faith Christian Academy, partnered with Hope House and created book templates for children to develop a love of reading. Abagail Sickinger from Castle Rock, Douglas County High School, developed a curriculum to help high school students get a job. Topics included: resume writing, what to wear, conducting yourself during an interview, and how to answer interview questions. Katrina Stroud from Boulder, Niwot High School, created an activity booklet for The Butterfly Pavilion to teach children about Monarch butterflies and bumble bees. Grayson Thomas from Lyons, Lyons High School, designed a mural of diverse and significant members of the STEM community for Lyons Middle/Senior High School. Marieke van Erven from Brighton partnered with the Adams County Elections Department to create VOTE (Voter Outreach Through Education), which takes education about the elections department into high school government classes. Melissa Wilson from Castle Rock, Castle View High School, developed several materials to educate people who can hear about how to interact with those who are deaf. Inspired by her mother’s battle with cancer, Susan Wilson from Aurora, Grandview High School, created a media center for cancer patients undergoing treatment at Parker Adventist Hospital. The Girl Scout Gold Award culminates with a project led by one young woman between 9th and 12th grades who builds a purpose-based team to work with the larger community to meet a need. The focus of a Gold Award project is identifying and researching a community issue she is passionate about, developing a plan to address it in cooperation with her team and community members, establishing a global connection with others, and providing sustainability for the project. “Earning the Girl Scout Gold Award designation is truly a remarkable achievement, and these young women exemplify leadership in all its forms,” said Stephanie Foote, President and Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of Colorado. “They saw a need and took ownership of helping to develop a solution and took action to make it happen. Their extraordinary dedication, perseverance, and leadership is making the world a better place.” About Girl Scouts of Colorado Girl Scouts of Colorado is 32,000 strong—more than 22,000 girls and 10,000 adults who believe in the power of every G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)™ to change the world. Our extraordinary journey began more than 100 years ago with the original G.I.R.L., Juliette Gordon “Daisy” Low. On March 12, 1912, in Savannah, Ga., she organized the very first Girl Scout troop, and every year since, we’ve honored her vision and legacy, building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. We’re the preeminent leadership development organization for girls. To volunteer, reconnect, donate, or join, visit www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org. #Golden #GoldAward #Arvada #Niwot #HighestAwards #Lyons #ColoradoSprings #Centennial #NorthernampNortheasternCO #Longmont #Aurora #HighlandsRanch #Denver #boulder #Monument #MetroDenver #TakeAction #CastleRock #PikesPeak #Brighton