Submitted by Korrine Bishop Northern & Northeastern CO Fort Collins Come join me the third Saturday of each month from 4 – 5:30 p.m. and help out at Parkwood Retirement Home in Fort Collins. You could come once or every month! You can sign up at www.senioryouth.wordpress.com This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #HighestAwards #GirlScoutevents #SilverAward #NorthernampNortheasternCO #TakeAction #FortCollins

Submitted by Kathi Agnes Metro Denver Lakewood Troop 942 sold 5,000 packages of Girl Scout Cookies this year. We used the cookie money for fun and for good! We have so many animal lovers in the troop, we decided to go hang out with them. We went to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo as a troop for their Wild Night. We had an educational zoo tour, which included feeding the giraffes. We learned how zoos across the U.S. work together to protect animals.  We have an awesome troop! This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #ColoradoSprings #Lakewood #GirlScoutCookies #2017CookieSale #MetroDenver #PikesPeak #CheyenneMountainZoo

Girl Scouts of Colorado is celebrating extraordinary volunteers throughout the state. Audrey Jessen  of Troop 571 at Grant Ranch School has served as a troop leader for six years.  For the last two years, she has been involved with Girl Scout Cookies for the entire Grizzly Gulch area, training troop leaders and cookie managers on what to do.  Audrey was nominated anonymously as a shining example of the wonderful role Girl Scout volunteers play in the lives of girls and our community. Her nominator wrote, “Everything Audrey does she does for kids. She is a substitute teacher, treasurer of the PTO, our leader, a mom, and who knows what else. I don’t know where she finds the time for it all but she does and she puts her all into everything!” GSCO asked Audrey to answer a few quick questions about her volunteer experience. We hope you find her as inspiring as we did. How long have you been a Girl Scout? I have been a Girl Scout for six years, plus three years when I was younger. Why did you become a Girl Scout volunteer? I became a Girl Scout volunteer six years ago so I could start a troop for my daughter. Tell us about your different volunteer roles as a Girl Scout. I started as a troop leader and cookie mom.  After my first year, I became a SUCM, which I have done for five years now. What have you learned as a Girl Scout volunteer? What do you hope girls have learned from you? I have learned to have patience and to roll with things because sometimes no matter how well planned something is, if the girls don’t want to do it, they won’t. What is your favorite Girl Scout memory? My favorite memory as a Girl Scout was going to the pumpkin patch after days of rain and tromping around in the mud, I can still feel how heavy my boots were when they were caked in it. My favorite thing as a leader is being able to watch the girls interact and have fun…there is nothing better than a group of kids laughing. What words of advice do you have for other volunteers? Talk to other volunteers and most importantly find what works best for you, even if no one else does it that way. Want to nominate a volunteer for Girl Scouts of Colorado to spotlight? Please email Public Relations Director AnneMarie Harper at annemarie.harper@gscolorado.org. #volunteerspotlight

From Girl Scouts of the USA We are excited to inform you that Sylvia Acevedo, interim CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA since June 2016, has been appointed permanent CEO of the organization, effective immediately. The appointment comes after an extensive nationwide search. As a lifelong Girl Scout who has served the organization with distinction for many years, Ms. Acevedo brings to the role a deep understanding of the mission of Girl Scouts and the needs of today’s girls. Indeed, her tenure as interim CEO has been marked by a renewed emphasis on Mission + Movement and the implications for girls. She is a true visionary with a strong desire to lead the Girl Scout Movement into the future, and with her passion for everything we stand for, we know she will continue to bring new and innovative ideas, as well as new members, to Girl Scouts. Also advantageous is Ms. Acevedo’s background as an engineer, which will help Girl Scouts raise its profile among Silicon Valley companies and expand external support of STEM activities-a key component of our organization’s programming. Throughout her professional life, she has advocated for Hispanic, Asian, and other minority populations in the U.S., as well as girls’ and women’s causes. Ms. Acevedo recently received a Distinguished Service Award from ALPHA in recognition of her lifelong participation in Girl Scouts and work as an entrepreneur, author, engineer, and, yes, a rocket scientist. Thank you for supporting Girl Scouts and girls’ incredible leadership capacity. Learn more: http://blog.girlscouts.org/2017/05/sylvia-acevedo-named-permanent-chief.html #GirlScoutsoftheUSA #SylviaAcevedo

How will you take the lead like a Girl Scout in the 2017-18 Girl Scout year? New Journeys for G.I.R.L.s (go-getters, innovators, risk-takers, leaders) of all ages can help you do just that– all while making your world a better place! Girl Scouts of the USA will roll out seven new Journeys in myGS (Volunteer Toolkit) in July 2017. Each Journey (whether new or old) is topic-specific, includes hands-on activities, and incorporates Discover, Connect, and a Take Action project. Depending upon the content, some Journeys are shorter and some are longer. They are: It’s Your World—Change It! Available for purchase in council stores (adult guide and girl book) for Daisies- Ambassadors On the myGS for Daisies only as part of a 15 meeting Year Plan It’s Your Planet—Love It Available for purchase in council stores (adult guide and girl book) for for Daisies- Ambassadors On myGS for Daisy, Brownie, and Junior as part of a 15 meeting Year Plan It’s Your Story—Tell It! Available for purchase in council stores (adult guide and girl book) for for Daisies- Ambassadors On the myGS for Daisy, Brownie, and Junior as part of a 15 meeting Year Plan Outdoor Available on myGS for Brownie and Junior as nine sessions in total, which includes three outdoor badges plus three Take Action meetings and is part of a 15 meeting Year Plan. Available on myGS for Daisies as six sessions in total, which includes two outdoor badges plus two Take Action meetings and is part of a 15 meeting Year Plan. Available for Multi-level for Daisy/Brownie/Junior troops. Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador will be available for Back to Troop as PDFs on myGS. Think Like an Engineer Available on myGS for Daisy, Brownie, Junior, and Multi-level troops. The Journey is six sessions in total, including three Take Action meetings, and is part of a 15 meeting Year Plan. Think Like a Programmer Available on myGS for Daisy, Brownie, Junior, and Multi-level troops. The Journey is six sessions in total, including three Take Action meetings, and is part of a 15 meeting Year Plan. Think Like a Citizen Scientist Available on myGS for Daisy, Brownie, Junior, and Multi-level troops. The Journey is six sessions in total, including three Take Action meetings, and is part of a 15 meeting Year Plan. Haven’t renewed your membership yet? What are waiting for? Early Bird registration is now open. Any girl renewed by June 15, 2017 will receive a free Early Bird patch. Any troop that has completed the Annual Troop Report for this membership year and has two Troop Leadership Team members renewed by June 15 will receive a $25 credit to the Girl Scouts of Colorado Shop. Renew today: http://www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/en/for-volunteers/membership-promos.html #GirlScoutsoftheUSA #Cadette #Daisy #GIRL #Amabassador #Brownie #Junior #earlybirdregistration #Journeys #senior

Submitted by Nikki Goethals Metro Denver Aurora The Girl Scouts of Troop 35 in SE Aurora selected the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Department as their Hometown Hero this year. They sold over 8,000 boxes of cookies – at least 500 of them donations for their local police station. When we dropped the 500+ boxes of cookies off, a volunteer officer took some time out of his evening to give us a tour of their facility in Centennial. The girls got to see the different departments, interact with dispatch, and spend some time inside a police car. A few days later, we were contacted by the Sheriff himself! He was so grateful for our generous donation that he insisted on coming out and thanking the girls in person. He came to our recent troop meeting and spent a good half hour with the Girl Scouts,  talking and answering questions. We were honored to have him with us and thrilled that the second grade Brownies got to have this experience. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #Aurora #HometownHero #GirlScoutBrownies #GirlScoutCookies #2017CookieSale #MetroDenver #ArapahoeCountySheriffsDepartment

This year’s honorees were selected by a committee of their peers and chosen based on their contributions to the community, both professionally and personally. 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. Rebecca Jewett, Executive Director, Palmer Land Trust Noreen Landis-Tyson, President and CEO, CPCD…giving children a head start Donna Nelson, Spirit of the Springs Program Coordinator, City of Colorado Springs Susan Loo Pattee, CEO and Founder, Colorado Springs Materials Development, LLC Beth Hall Roalstad, Executive Director, Homeward Pikes Peak Brenda Smith, Co-Managing Member, Garden of the Gods Collection Girl Scouts of Colorado will publicly honor these inductees on September 21, 2017 at the Thin Mint Dinner. This year’s event will be held at The Antlers – A Wyndham Hotel. This year’s Event Chairs are Lindy Conter, Community Volunteer, Woman of Distinction ’13 and Barbara Winter, Executive Vice President, Ent Credit Union, Woman of Distinction ’13. Thin Mint Dinner Bronze Presenting Sponsors are: Ent Credit Union and El Pomar Foundation. For information regarding tickets and sponsorships, visit www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/wodpp or contact Debbie Swanson at 719-304-8322 or at debbie.swanson@gscolorado.org. #ThinMintDinner #ColoradoSprings #funddevelopment #ElPomarFoundation #EntCreditUnion #WomenofDistinction #PikesPeak

Submitted by Jen Rotar Northern & Northeastern CO Berthoud On May 7, 2017, the Berthoud Service Unit welcomed retired police officer Kate Hudson for an informational session to share smart self-defense tips with all Berthoud-area Girl Scouts. Ms. Hudson was in law enforcement for over 22 years, a women’s self-defense instructor, a Rape Crisis Team counselor, and a member of the Larimer County Peer Support Team. During the Daisy/Brownie session, girls and their parents learned about stranger danger and many tips for being safe at home and while playing outdoors or on troop outings. Juniors and Cadettes were presented with extra information about safety while babysitting and how to avoid being the victim of crime. These important reminders reinforce good safety habits on a daily basis and teach girls how to protect themselves and others— and may inspire a girl to consider a career in law enforcement! The event was organized by Jen Rotar for the Berthoud Service Unit and held at the Berthoud Athletic Club. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #LarimerCounty #NorthernampNortheasternCO #BerthoudServiceUnit #GirlScoutJuniors #GirlScoutBrownies #GirlScoutCadettes #GirlScoutDaisies #selfdefense #Berthoud

Submitted by Ericka Pilon Northern & Northeastern CO Firestone We are Troop 71171 in Frederick/Firestone. Our Juniors have been working on their Bronze Award this year. In February, March, and April of 2017, our girls had events at our local senior center, including game and puzzle night, Easter egg coloring, and craft night. For their final event, they had a huge spaghetti dinner and bingo night.  We fed 37 seniors, 13 Girl Scouts, and eight adult volunteers. ? Our girls cooked and served  dinner (spaghetti, meatballs, salad, and bread), dessert (brownies and ice cream), and drinks (water, coffee, lemonade) all night long.  They led a rousing game of bingo as well. They were complimented left and right on their behavior and manners. They sent each senior home with a gift bag full of goodies donated by our community through a drive that the Girl Scouts led through their elementary schools. We are very proud of the work they have done this year. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #HighestAwards #Firestone #NorthernampNortheasternCO #GirlScoutJuniors #BronzeAward

Submitted by Celeste Amarosa Metro Denver Westminster Last year, our troop wrote a cookie parody. They enjoyed it so much that we decided we want to do it every year. The girls picked a song, then they re-wrote the lyrics to be about Girl Scout Cookies. They practiced the song and learned a dance to go with it and then we recorded the video for it. It was a lot of work and very time consuming, but it was so much fun and we think it came out super cute 🙂 The video from both years can be viewed at: 2017: https://youtu.be/TrK91hfJOwY 2016: https://youtu.be/5pfLU132al4 This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #2017CookieSale #GirlScoutCookies #MetroDenver #Westminster

Submitted by Katie Walker Metro Denver Aurora Cadette Troop 4620 from Aurora chose to collect food and have the Smoky Hill Vineyard Food Bank as their Hometown Hero this year. The girls spent a Saturday morning handing out food to those in need. Eye opening to say the least for the girls. They hope to help out more in the future. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #CadetteGirlScouts #SmokyHillVineyardFoodBank #Aurora #HometownHero #GirlScoutCookies #2017CookieSale #MetroDenver

Submitted by Marti Shuster Metro Denver Westminster My kindergarten granddaughter has been in my Daisy troop for the past year. She had a school assignment to say what they want to be when they grow up. Most kids said doctor or police. This is what my granddaughter wrote. I guess I am doing something right. This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too. #DaisyGirlScouts #Denvermetro #Westminster