Submitted by Aundrea Findish Pikes Peak Colorado Springs Our troop worked extra hard this year and sold more Girl Scout Cookies than planned, so we had an amazing pool party at Villa Sport. The girls all had so much fun sliding, splashing, and swimming! This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #PowerofCookie #ColoradoSprings #VillaSport #GirlScoutCookies #2017CookieSale #PikesPeak #poolparty

May is swiftly coming to an end and so is the busy season at the Girl Scouts of Colorado Shop.  May 20, 2017 was our last Saturday open until September and summer hours began on May 23. The retail store will be open Tuesday – Friday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and closed Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.  Summertime means slower foot traffic in the store and we will be transforming the store front and back to incorporate the new “Made in the USA” badges. A transition from the original badges with cardboard packaging will phase out and the new badges will be replacing them. The badges themselves will have very little, if any, visible differences.  However, the packaging and pricing will be different.  For more info, or if you have questions or concerns, please refer to  http://gscoblog.org/2017/05/girl-scouts-made-in-the-usa-commitment/ June 1 will be the last day for returns on the original badges with the cardboard packaging, and  our standard return policy will apply.  Please remember all returns must be in original packaging with no writing or tearing.  If you have no receipt, or a receipt outside of 90 days, you can exchange or receive a store gift card. Also, a quick reminder that trading posts at Sky High Ranch and Tomahawk Ranch will be open the day your camper arrives and the day they depart.  Only credit, gift cards, and Cookie Credit cards will be accepted as a form of payment. We hope everyone has a happy and safe summer.  If you need to reach the retail store, our number is 303-607-4880 or email us at retail@gscolorado.org #GirlScoutsofColoradoshop #GSCOShop

Submitted by North Metro Fire Rescue Metro Denver Broomfield North Metro Fire Rescue District and the Broomfield Veterans Memorial Museum are joining together to host the 13th Annual Flag Retirement Ceremony on Saturday, June 10, 2017 in Broomfield. This year, the organizations are adding an essay contest for Broomfield and Northglenn residents up to age 18. Winners from the contest will be invited to speak at this year’s ceremony. The event will be held at North Metro Fire Station 61 at 1275 Midway Boulevard beginning at 11 a.m. A combined honor guard from North Metro Fire and Broomfield Police Department will be a part of the ceremony as well as representatives from North Metro Fire and the Broomfield Veterans Memorial Museum. A bugler and local Boy Scouts will also participate in the service. Following the ceremony, there will be an open house at the fire station and patriotic hot dog cookout. Essay Contest Rules Young residents of the fire district up to the age of 18 are invited to submit an original essay or poem to North Metro Fire on the topic “What the American Flag Means to Me.” Entries can be up to 400 words and should be submitted to sfarris@northmetrofire.org, dropped off in person or mailed to North Metro Fire, Attn: Sara Farris, 101 Spader Way, Broomfield, CO 80020. All entries must be received by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 31. Participants should provide their name, age, address, phone number, email and school with their entry. Winners will read their works at the Flag Retirement Ceremony and will receive a $50 gift card as a prize. “We’re looking forward to partnering with our community on this event and hope to see every generation out to celebrate the American flag and what it stands for,” said North Metro Fire Chief Dave Ramos. “We are especially excited to invite our area youth to participate in this year’s ceremony and to hear their voices regarding our nation’s symbol.” Everyone attending may take part in the ceremony by helping cut up and properly retire flags that have been collected throughout the community. Bring in your old flags North Metro Fire Rescue District and Broomfield Veterans Memorial Museum will be accepting retired flag donations at the following locations until 5 p.m. on June 8. FLAG DROP-OFF LOCATIONS: North Metro Fire Rescue Headquarters 101 Spader Way, Broomfield Monday—Friday, 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. North Metro Fire Station 62 10550 Huron Street, Northglenn Monday—Sunday, 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. North Metro Fire Station 64 13515 Lowell Boulevard, Broomfield Monday—Sunday, 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. Broomfield Veterans Memorial Museum 12 Garden Center, Broomfield Saturdays from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. #essaycontest #NorthMetroFireRescueDistrict #Flagretirement #Broomfield #MetroDenver

Save the date for Girl Scout Night with the Grand Junction Rockies on Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017! The Rockies are generously offering free entry to Girl Scouts who come to the game in uniform. All Girl Scouts, friends, and family are invited. Friends and family can purchase tickets at the box office before the game. We’ll have more information closer to the game on how to purchase tickets for our Girl Scout section. To help us plan, so the Grand Junction Rockies can set aside seats for our Girl Scout families, please let us know if you are interested at this link – www.SignUpGenius.com/go/904044BADA72AA57-girl2 . This does not obligate you to come, but does help us plan, so thank you for sharing your interest. Game start is planned for 5 p.m. Questions? Please contact Lori Thompson at lori.thompson@gscolorado.org. We hope to see you and your Girl Scouts there! #GrandJunctionRockies #GirlScoutevents #GrandJunction #WesternSlope #baseball

Submitted by Ashley Gullett Pikes Peak Colorado Springs Air Force Academy Football will host Girl Scout Day on October 14, 2017 vs. UNLV. This is a wonderful event that many Girl Scouts have taken advantage of over the years and we hope to continue this great tradition! Tickets are just $20 each and include game admission, a commemorative patch, and camping to follow the game. A portion of the ticket sales will also be donated back to Girl Scouts of Colorado! You can purchase these online using the “SCOUT” promo at goairforcefaclons.com or by calling the ticket office at 719-472-1895. Please contact Ashley Gullett if you have any further questions and we hope to see you at Falcon Stadium October 14! This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #ColoradoSprings #Communitypartnerships #GirlScoutevents #PikesPeakampMetroDenver

Nearly 1,800 Girl Scouts, families, and friends celebrated this year’s 1,400 Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award recipients at five regional celebrations across the state throughout late April and early May. These young women have taken charge to identify issues in their community and develop and implement original plans to create positive change. We couldn’t be more proud of their accomplishments! Stephanie Foote, President and Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of Colorado, spoke at all five celebrations. These are some of her favorite events of the year because they are the only times she gets to be in the room with so many Highest Awards recipients at once. Sarah Greichen, a 2016 Gold Award recipient, Stephanie Foote Leadership Prize winner, and National Young Woman of Distinction, was the emcee in Pueblo, Loveland, and Denver and a keynote speaker in Pikes Peak. Jessica Mills, a 2016 Gold Award recipient, was the emcee in Pikes Peak while Shauna Clemmer, a Gold Award recipient and current member of the Western Slope Gold Award Committee, was the emcee in Grand Junction. The Highest Awards Celebrations are incredibly special events where girls are recognized among their family and fellow Girl Scouts for their achievements. Additionally, this is a special time for younger girls to see older girls in action and get inspired to go for their Silver and/or Gold Awards. Check out the electronic version of our 2017 Highest Awards booklet online (http://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/content/dam/girlscoutsofcolorado/documents/GSCO_2017_HA_Booklet.pdf) and view our “Best of Highest Awards 2017” photo album on Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/gscolorado/albums/72157679203803063/page1). #GoldAward #HighestAwards #SilverAward #BronzeAward #TakeAction

Submitted by Addison J. Metro Denver Centennial Hi! My name is Addison J. I am 11-years-old and a current Girl Scout Cadette. When I was a Junior, I did something pretty amazing that I will always remember. I earned all of the Junior badges! It all started when my mom , who is also my troop leader, let me take a look at the badge book to see if I was interested in any badges that I wanted to earn on my own. And, of course, there was – The Musician badge! Since I was very interested in guitar at the time, I thought it would be fun. It took me no time at all to earn it. That sparked a sudden interest in Junior badges and I decided to earn another one and it all spiraled from there. I started earning harder badges like ones that involved going on mini-field trips. My mom and I scheduled different days to go take adventures to different places in Colorado such as: The Molly Brown House for the Playing in the Past badge, leading the Pledge of Allegiance with my troop at a city council meeting for the Inside Government badge, and many more fun activities. My experience isn’t just about earning all of the Junior badges, but also earning all three of the Journeys too, which led me to earn the Summit Award! I learned a lot earning all of these badges. My Girl Scout sisters and mom were especially supportive toward me, which also led my troop members to earning their Summit Awards too. I will always remember my experience as a fun one! This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #Centennial #Juniorbadges #juniorgirlscout #MetroDenver

Submitted by Linda Fuller Metro Denver Denver Do you have a daughter between the ages of 10 and 15? Would you consider being a host family for a girl of a similar age from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) July 14 – August 1, 2017? We’re looking for Girl Scout families as our founder, Juliette Gordon Low, saw a stranger as a friend she hadn’t yet met. The girls are participants in a Chinese program known as Capable Teens, modeled on American Boy Scouting. You do your usual weekend family stuff and introduce a young girl from China to a sampler of an American way of life. During the week, the girls will be at Girl Scout Camp at Sky High Ranch in Woodland Park. The girls are excited (and nervous!) about spending time with your family in this immersion into American life. Expectations of American families: Be willing to live your normal lives with the addition of a young female guest from China as well as being welcoming, loving, offering fun experiences and opening your lives to her. Provide normal American opportunities for her to practice her English, be a part of your family, and gain an understanding of Girl Scouting. $300 stipend available to help. By opening your door, you open a girl’s eyes to the real America: real people, experiences, and life. At the same time, your generosity of spirit creates a positive view of the United States that crosses borders—and lasts a lifetime. Your values as a Girl Scout will create a bond with a youth in a way you never expected, make a difference in the life of a girl, and help your children to learn and grow as they open their lives to another culture. For more information, please contact Linda Fuller, Girl Scout Program Coordinator, Capable Teens USA linda.j.fuller@hotmail.com 303-909-2264 This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #hostfamily #SkyHighRanch #China #Denver #MetroDenver

Join Girl Scouts of Colorado in celebrating “20 years of Amazing Women” by honoring all of the Women of Distinction of the Denver-metro region. This year’s Event Chairs are Maria Garcia Berry, Woman of Distinction ’97; Jean Galloway, Woman of Distinction ’97; and Arlene Hirschfeld, Woman of Distinction ’97. Since the Women of Distinction program began in 1997, Girl Scouts has honored 426 top women leaders in our community based on their remarkable achievements as business, community, and civic leaders. They are examples of corporate, civic, and philanthropic leadership and serve as role models for female leaders of tomorrow. The Women of Distinction program brings together a group of women dedicated to raising support for Girl Scout leadership programs. Girl Scouts of Colorado will kick off the 20th anniversary celebration of the Women of Distinction program with a private reception on June 20, 2017 at the Colorado Auto Dealers Association from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The celebration concludes with the Thin Mint Dinner on October 19, 2017 at Denver Marriott Tech Center from 5:30 to  8:30 p.m. The event includes Thin Mint Cocktails and dessert made with Thin Mints, three-course meal, and event program. For information regarding tickets and sponsorships, visit girlscoutsofcolorado.org/woddenver or contact Heidi Books at 303-607-4833 or at heidi.books@gscolorado.org. #ThinMintDinner #Denver #funddevelopment #MetroDenver #WomenofDistinction

Join us for our annual Girl Scout Night, bridging celebration, and overnight with the Colorado Springs Sky Sox on Friday, June 9, 2017 in Colorado Springs! Come cheer on the Sky Sox at they take on the Iowa Cubs. Girl Scouts can participate in a bridging ceremony before the game and enjoy an optional overnight after the game. Friends and family are invited. The game starts at 7 p.m. with bridging at 6:35 p.m. The Girl Scout overnight starts after the game, with breakfast at 7 a.m. Each participating Girl Scout will get a patch. Date: Friday, June 9, 2017. 6:30 p.m. for Girl Scout Bridging. 7 p.m. game start. Cost: • Game Tickets – $19/person, includes game ticket, parking, Fun Zone pass for kids, meal voucher, and bridging event. • Overnight Tickets – $22/person, includes game ticket, parking, Fun Zone pass for kids, food voucher, overnight field access, and movie on the big screen! The registration deadline has been extended to June 2. Please purchase your tickets by June 2 as we are not able to accept any late registrations after this date due to the preparations our hosts need to make for the bridging and overnight. All Girl Scouts, friends, and family are invited! Not bridging this year? Not a problem! Come join the fun anyways. We hope to see you there! #ColoradoSpringsSkySox #GirlScoutevents #ColoradoSprings #PikesPeakampMetroDenver #bridgingcelebration

Submitted by Lisa Svede Metro Denver Centennial Congratulations to Hailey L. of Cadette Troop 60762 for earning her Silver Award this year. Hailey was recognized at the Highest Awards Celebration in Denver on May 7, 2017 for the work she did partnering with Shiloh House. Shiloh House offers specialized 24-hour care for youth between the ages of 5 to 18 experiencing severe behavioral and emotional issues. Placed in home-like settings, youth receive intensive therapeutic intervention to address behaviors and issues that impact their daily participation in the community. When Hailey reached out to Shiloh House, she learned they were in great need of lightly used or new towels, blankets, sheets, and new socks. Upon learning this, Hailey reached out to her community with a video on her mother’s Facebook page; through community websites; by asking her school to put in a newsletter; by asking her church to put in the bulletin; and making the collection drive known to all of the troops in her K-8 sister troop. For several weeks, Hailey collected items from the community. She held a collection night with her sister troops where she spoke to the troops about Shiloh House and her Silver Award project. Hailey delivered the many donated items she collected to Shiloh House in February. Congratulations, Hailey! This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #Cadette #HighestAwards #SilverAward #Centennial #ShilohHouse #MetroDenver #TakeAction #Littleton

The Centennial Campfire celebration at Meadow Mountain Ranch on May 21, 2017 has been postponed due to effects from the spring storm.  There is currently no power on the property, which presents safety concerns for the more than 600 guests we had registered. The celebration has been rescheduled for August 27, 2017. Register now! #CentennialCampfirecelebration #GirlScoutCamp #MeadowMountainRanch