[slideshow] Submitted by Dena Thomason Cortez Cookies! Cookies! Cookies! Pajama party, singing songs, safety, making crafts, snacking on Girl Scout cookies, pizza, cookie costumes…….ahhhhhhh…..We LOVE being Girl Scouts! Six different Girl Scout troops got together and enjoyed a fun cookie rally on Friday, January 10th where we learned all about safety, what these yummy cookies taste like, singing songs, what we can earn for selling cookies, how to market the cookies but mostly how to have FUN with cookies and each other! This story was submitted using the Share Your Stories form. You can share your Girl Scout moments too.

Individual or combined Service Units are encouraged to plan celebrations honoring the highest awards recipients. Please contact your local Program Support Specialist for additional support. Silver Award Troop51770 – Arvada Brittany Webster Troop61966 – Highlands Ranch Mikayla Powell #HighestAwards #SilverAward

Individual or combined Service Units are encouraged to plan celebrations honoring the highest awards recipients. Please contact your local Program Support Specialist for additional support. Bronze Award Troop53919 – Arvada Alexandra Weaver Lillian Valdez Nina Paul Paige Newman Shawn Murphy Troop73655 – Boulder Franziska Pflaum Imani Fernandez-Gorbea Jaimi Lutes Jordan Lutes Jordyn Grace Kate Liston Lauren Hirschhorn Morgan Hunt Renee Gangwish Siri Allegra-Berger #BronzeAward #HighestAwards

When Girl Scout Troop 38333, which is based out of the GOAL Academy in Pueblo, heard about a younger troop in their area that needed some help leading meetings, they were quick to step up to challenge. This troop had been looking for younger girls to mentor and/or provide program to for the last two months or so. Last Friday, Dec. 13, at the Cesar Chavez Academy in Pueblo, Troop 38333 met with Girl Scout Daisies and Brownies of Troop 34470. The older girls led the younger girls in a holiday stocking craft project. Fun was had by all! Future meetings between the two groups are in the works. It is hoped that participating in this program will allow all the girls to become more excited for the opportunities that Girl Scouting provides and help the older girls develop their leadership and service skills. For the younger girls, the opportunity to connect with these dedicated teens provides great modeling for future service and leadership and allows them to look beyond today to what they can be in the future. The older girls represent true grit: staying in school, excelling in their courses, joining with community partners to learn to lead and providing service to those in need. Each of these girls is an inspiration to us here at GOAL Academy and to the younger girls of Troop 34470, the Girl Scout volunteers and the community as a whole! Story shared by Kristi Ingram, Pueblo Girl Scout volunteer and Recruitment and Retention Specialist at GOAL Academy There are opportunities for teen Girl Scouts around the state to participate in similar Adopt-a-Troop programs. Learn more. #AdpotaTroop #GOALAcademy #Pueblo #GirlScouts #mentoratroop #Colorado

The Rae Ann and Richard E. Dougherty Look Wider International Travel Fund will provide current or lifetime Girl Scouts of Colorado members between the ages of 12 and 30 with grants for meaningful, independent travel. Members can apply for scholarships for travel programs approved or sponsored by Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA) or the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS).  All gifts are welcome to help grow the Look Wider Endowment fund. The GSCO Endowment is now open for unrestricted gifts of $5,000 and above as well as general operating gifts at any level. A CEO challenge will be announced in 2014 to encourage growth of this fund, which will support Girl Scouts and the future leaders of our community and our world in perpetuity. “We are very pleased to provide the GSCO Endowment fund as a great option to give our donors greater confidence about investing in Girl Scouts, knowing that their dollars will be professionally managed and growing at maximum rates,” said Stephanie Foote, CEO and President of Girl Scouts of Colorado. Rae Ann and Richard E. Dougherty are both long-time lifetime Girl Scouts and are driven to advance the status of women worldwide by helping girls reach their full potential via building their skills and realizing their natural talents. Since marrying in 1979, Rae Ann and Richard have traveled to many of the countries that are members of WAGGGS. “With each experience, we have come to realize how much is to be gained from international journeys and the friendships forged during these travels. It is so valuable to understand the strength of our Girl Scout sisterhood!” said Rae Ann. “In fact, we have seen how these types of opportunities have proven to be life changing for girls. Rich and I want to afford the same life-changing experiences to the top Girl Scouts and future leaders in Colorado.” Lord Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Girl Guide movement (precursor to the Girl Scouts founded by Juliette Gordon Low), was a prolific writer and artist. Among his writings, one quote “Look Wide, Look Wider Still” has become foundational to the Girl Scout movement, and inspired the name for the endowment fund. Rae Ann has been involved in Girl Scouting since joining as a Brownie in 1963. She has participated as a girl member and adult volunteer in five councils — Greater Minneapolis (MN); Taconic (NY); Mile High and Girl Scouts of Colorado (CO); Tejas (TX); and Chaparral (NM) and as a member of the Board of Directors of Tejas, Chaparral and currently Girl Scouts of Colorado.  Richard has been involved in Girl Scouts since he met Rae Ann 40 years ago.  As a result he is just as invested in the Girl Scout Movement, as he supports girls learning and growing as they blossom to become wonderful young women leaders. Besides earning the highest award at each girl level in Girl Scouting, including First Class and the 8 Indispensables, Rae Ann has served as a Cadette Troop Leader, an “I Take the Lead” national facilitator, a GSUSA national delegate, Young Women’s World Forum representative, Girl Facilitator for the Girls World Forum, first National Coordinator for the Olave Baden-Powell Society, and a member of the USA’s World Foundation for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. Rae Ann holds BS and MS degrees in engineering and environmental sciences and an MBA in engineering management. After 30 years of executive leadership in environmental health and safety operations at Fortune 100 companies, Rae Ann founded Green Cleaning Products LLC, a company that specializes in safe, effective, environmentally friendly and cost-competitive cleaning products for the home and business. For more information about the GSCO Endowment, contact Amy Myers, Director of Development, at amy.myers@gscolorado.org. About Rose Community Foundation Compelled by their guiding principles and mission to make the Greater Denver community a better place for all people, Rose Community Foundation uses leadership, grant making and donor engagement to invest in strategic and innovative solutions to enduring problems and emerging issues. Endowment funds at Rose Community Foundation allow organizations to build long-term, revenue-producing endowments without the burden and expense of in-house administration. Contributions to nonprofit organization endowment funds are for the exclusive benefit of the specific organization designated by the donor or donors. Foundation staff provides experienced advice and training, and administrative, investment and planned-giving expertise to each organization housing and building an endowment fund at Rose Community Foundation. #travelfund #RoseCommunityFoundation #fundraising #Dougherty #Endowment

Thank you Colorado for your support of Girl Scouts of Colorado on Colorado Gives Day 2013! We had a record-setting year and raised more than $36,000!! This money will go a long way in helping us build the leaders of tomorrow, so thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You have made a difference! If you didn’t have a chance to support Girl Scouts of Colorado on Colorado Gives Day, please visit our website to learn more about the year-round opportunities to help our organization. If you can’t give monetarily, we are always in need of volunteers, especially volunteers who can lead Girl Scout troops. And you don’t have to have a girl enrolled in Girl Scouts to be a troop leader either! Thank you for making our holiday season just a little brighter this year! #donation #ColoradoGivesDay #fundraisingevent #GirlScouts #fundraising #volunteer #Colorado

Katarina (center) in the orange hat Camping. Selling cookies. Helping the community. Building lifelong friends. Learning compassion and respect for others. Never giving up. This is how Colorado Springs Girl Scout Katarina Lucardie, 11, from Troop 4043 describes her Girl Scout experience. Katarina joined Girl Scouts four years ago as a Girl Scout Brownie, and she is now a Girl Scout Cadette.  Her mother, Carmela Aranda, is the co-leader of her troop. And, recently, it is the strength she has found in her Girl Scouting experience, particularly the friendships she has made, that has helped her find the courage to reveal something many didn’t know about her. Katarina was born with an autoimmune disease, Alopecia Areata, that causes hair loss. Several years ago the condition worsened to the point Katarina went bald and had started wearing a wig. As Katarina coped with this new reality, her Girl Scout sisters were right by her side, supporting and encouraging her every step of the way. “Girl Scouts will help you through hard times, and you will always have a friend in Girl Scouts,” said Katarina. About a month ago Katarina decided she wanted to stop wearing her wig to school, Skyview Middle School. She worked with administrators, and just before Thanksgiving, put together a touching video which was played at a school assembly to explain her disease and reveal her condition. “The Girl Scout Law has helped me greatly in learning how to deal with people, especially to be courageous and strong,” said Katarina. “Each part of the Girl Scout Law applies to me, my condition and now in my situation in telling the truth to my classmates.” Three of Katarina’s Girl Scout sisters have been so inspired by her story that they have donated some of their hair to Locks of Love in her honor. Katarina’s mother and Girl Scout troop co-leader, Carmela, couldn’t be prouder of her daughter. As a child, Carmela lost her hearing after suffering a severe ear infection and was routinely alienated by her peers. “Katarina has grown up with deaf parents and has developed a caring and compassionate nature for other people, and being part of Girl Scouts has just expanded on that,” said Carmela. “I was a (Girl Scout) Brownie myself growing up, and I wanted the same positive experience for Katarina. It has been a wonderful and fun experience volunteering for Katarina’s troop, and worth all the hard work! I believe that Girl Scouts is a wonderful organization to be part of, and both Katarina and I have met so many caring people and made our best friends through Girl Scouts.” Katarina and her Girl Scout troop Support Girl Scouts of Colorado on Colorado Gives Day 2013 When you support Girl Scouts of Colorado, you support girls like Katarina in helping them find their courage, confidence and character. Make a donation to Girl Scouts of Colorado for Colorado Gives Day 2013 on Dec. 10th. Donations can be made at any time up until Dec. 10th, and will be increased by the FirstBank Incentive Fund. Thank you in advance for your support! #ColoradoSprings #SkyviewMiddleSchool #ColoradoGivesDay #inspiring #LocksofLove #GirlScouts #Colorado

Individual or combined Service Units are encouraged to plan celebrations honoring the highest awards recipients. Please contact your local Program Support Specialist for additional support. Silver Award Recipients Oct – Nov 2013 & Prior Troop11804 – Grand Junction Mira Mercier Troop43496 – Colorado Springs Ashley Emmons Cora Ferguson Natalie Brown Troop51166 – Denver Helen Threlkeld Maura Turner Sara Francone Zoe Haller Troop51427 – Lakewood Eilish Brennan Madeline Melton Rachel Zekowski Troop60182 – Parker Alyssa Schmidt Ashley Wright Catherine Schifano Clare Weisiger Grace LaClaire Kathryn Conrad Kelli Maroney Oksana Alvarez Sofia Gratton Troop70480 – Longmont Avery Haskins Troop73830 – Firestone Anastacia Lowe Anna Weingartner Kathryn Holbrook Troop83334 – Fort Morgan Abigail Harman Akela Ratcliffe Mikayla Klimper Shanna Schnegelberger #SilverAward

Individual or combined Service Units are encouraged to plan celebrations honoring the highest awards recipients. Please contact your local Program Support Specialist for additional support. Bronze Award Recipients Oct – Nov 2013 & Prior Troop40921 – Colorado Springs Meranda Remick Miriah Remick Troop43479 – Colorado Springs Erin Kofahl Hannah Pompeii Troop43496 – Colorado Springs Skyler Lorash Sophia Witt Tyanna Guitierrez Troop53435 – Denver Emilee Burke Madelyn Morris Troop54370 – Denver Bethany Mekonnen Cherysh Williams Hannah Chavez Julia Mcgee Kya Yeast Kylee Schadegg Madisson Danner Troop62804 – Aurora Alyssa Burks Troop63240 – Highlands Ranch Abby Hoerler Ashleigh Willette Graycelin Hare Jennifer Thompson Makenna Butts Troop64145 – Centennial Alyssa Korte Arwen Graham Ashlynn Raymond Christa Ohlgren Courntey Menefee Destiny Levin Emma Donovan Emma Harma Emma Korte Macie Carson Mia Hulac Rachel Mazotti Troop71290 – Fort Collins Elizabeth Priebe Troop83334 – Fort Morgan Hope Huffman Jamie Ketcham Marissa Cervantes #BronzeAward

Caitlyn Fitch Northglenn Fairview High School Kicks for Confidence What did you do for your Gold Award project? I taught self-defense classes for girls and boys between the ages of 6 and 18 to promote the value of confidence in everyday life. I also posted self-defense videos online so that they can be accessed by everyone who is interested. Why did you pursue this Gold Award project? I have always been astounded by the number of people who are hurt because they are unaware of how they can protect themselves. Low confidence is one of the top reasons why people find themselves in dangerous situations. How did your Gold Award project make a difference? I feel as though people who know how to protect themselves will be far more confident than those who aren’t and will help to eliminate as many problems as we can. What skills did you gain through earning your Gold Award? I gained the confidence I needed to improve my public speaking and I also gained more knowledge about techniques to use to defend myself. What will you most remember about your Gold Award project? Watching as the people I taught turned around and were able to protect themselves afterwards. Also the laughs and smiles that they all shared during the class. How will earning your Gold Award help you in your future? Working with people has become easier now that I have put myself into an unusual situation and now I get along better with people in general. Why do you feel the Gold Award is an important part of your Girl Scout experience? It enabled me to use many of the skills I have learned and perfected over my years as a Girl Scout to make a difference in at least a few lives. #Colorado #GirlScouts #GoldAward #Northglenn

View more photos from the event On Saturday, Nov. 16, more than 300 Colorado Girl Scouts gathered at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora to assemble medical kits for families in need in Guatemala. Girl Scouts of Colorado partnered with Project C.U.R.E. on this event. All participants brought items, such as antibiotic ointment, bandages, lice shampoo, scissors and toothbrushes, for the Kits of Kids or Infant Cure Kits that they assembled at the event. The group assembled more than 600 kits, which will now travel with doctors and nurses from Children’s Hospital Colorado to Guatemala to fulfill local medical needs. To help the Girl Scouts understand the medical needs and challenges facing families in Guatemala, participants also took part in some hands-on activities at the event, including learning more about water filtration and clean water, basic first aid, the importance of hand washing and proper nutrition. This event fulfilled the requirements for Girl Scouts to earn the Girl Scout Global Action Award. Each Girl Scout who completes the Global Action Award joins the international movement through the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts of 10 million girls who together are sowing the seeds of social change. This event had been planned well in advance of the devastation in the Philippines due to Typhoon Haiyan. But the concepts taught to the Girl Scouts through this event helped them understand how they can be engaged and responsible global citizens. Girl Scouts is proud to help the United Nations to reach their Millennium Development Goals for reducing world poverty and making an impact on major world concerns. For more information on Girl Scouts of Colorado, visit www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org. There is still time to sign up a girl in your life between K-12 grade to be a part of Girl Scouts and be part of the annual Girl Scout Cookie Program. Volunteers are also needed to serve as troop leaders and help out at events. Both men and women over the age of 18 who want to make a difference in the life of a girl are encouraged to get involved as a Girl Scout volunteer. Article in YourHub/Denver Post Denver and Aurora Aurora Channel 8 covered the event for their 11/19 newscast (see the 13 minute mark of the video below): [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GViV_IYg-d8&w=420&h=315] #communityservice #ChildrensHospitalColorado #ProjectCURE #TakeAction #GirlScouts #Colorado

View more photos from the event On Friday, Nov. 8th, Allen Unique Autos graciously hosted the Western Slope Girl Scouts Highest Awards Ceremony. This event celebrated girls receiving one of Girl Scouts’ Highest Awards, or the Bronze, Silver or Gold Award, in the 2012-2013 membership year. With their friends and family in attendance, 41 girls received awards from area Girl Scouts of Colorado Board Member Shauna Shafer. Also in attendance and showing their support for Girl Scouting were 2013 Girl Scouts Women of Distinction from the Western Slope, Lois Dunn and Elisabeth Boyd. Keynote speaker was former Girl Scout and area Attorney Catherine Norton-Breman, who inspired the girls with stories about how the courage she learned in Girl Scouts helped her succeed in the business world. Annamarie Pritt from Rifle was the sole Girl Scout in attendance who received the highest award in Girl Scouts, the Gold Award. For her project she created a camp for girls between the ages 11 and 16 to learn wilderness survival skills, self-confidence and leadership skills. KJCT and KKCO TV from Grand Junction did a story on the event #GoldAward #HighestAwards #SilverAward #GrandJunction #WesternSlope #BronzeAward #GirlScouts #Colorado