Girl Scouts of Colorado is celebrating extraordinary volunteers throughout the state in honor of Volunteer Appreciation Month. Tracy Taullie  of La Junta in the Southeastern CO region is a shining example of the wonderful role Girl Scout volunteers play in the lives of girls and our community. GSCO asked Tracy to answer a few quick questions about her volunteer experience. We hope you find her as inspiring as we did. Why did you become a Girl Scout volunteer? I became a Girl Scout volunteer when my two daughters became old enough to be Daisies. Girl Scouts was something I did as a girl and loved it. I wanted my girls to experience everything I had and I truly believe Girl Scouts teaches girls to be true leaders. Tell us about your different volunteer roles as a Girl Scout. I first became a parent helper in my daughter’s troop when they started at the level of Daisy.  After two years, I started my own troop, Troop 31747. This troop is still active today. I was troop leader and cookie manager for seven years.  The last two years, I have not been an active leader in the troop except for helping the older girls with earning Highest Awards. What have you learned as a Girl Scout volunteer? Being a Girl Scout volunteer has taught me so much. Everything from how to organize and lead, to dealing with parents and girls of all ages and hormone levels. It also taught me that girls are capable of accomplishing anything they set their minds to. I have seen these girls earn Bronze, Silver, and even Gold Awards. They have planned outings and longer trips, volunteered, and managed their Girl Scout Cookie business- every step of the way becoming independent, capable women. What do you hope girls have learned from you? I hope that they have learned to have faith in themselves, to always be kind and give to others, and to know they can accomplish anything by setting one goal at a time. Want to nominate a volunteer for Girl Scouts of Colorado to spotlight? Please email Public Relations Director AnneMarie Harper at annemarie.harper@gscolorado.org. #NationalVolunteerAppreciation #VolunteerNews #volunteerspotlight #SoutheasternCO #VolunteerAppreciation #2021NationalVolunteerAppreciationMonth #2021VolunteerSpotlight #LaJunta

Celebrate Month of the Military Child with a special “Meet an Expert” webinar with Brigadier General Linell A. Letendre on April 27, 2021 from 5- 6 p.m. Register now: https://gscolorado.formstack.com/forms/meet_an_expert_brigadier_general_linell_a_letendre_webinar_04_27_2021 Registration closes Monday, April 26. Brigadier General Letendre is also the Dean of the Faculty at the U.S. Air Force Academy and commands the 730-member Dean of Faculty mission element and oversees the annual design and instruction of more than 660 undergraduate courses for 4,200 cadets across 31 academic disciplines. She also directs the operation of five support staff agencies and faculty resources involving more than $350 million. The general will talk about her career, education, and experience in the U.S. Air Force. She will also talk about robotics in the military and the ethics behind the use of robotics in conflict. After her presentation, Girl Scouts will have an opportunity to ask questions live in the chat box. We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here. #AirForceAcademy #GirlScoutingatHome #GSCOevents #STEM #USAirForceAcademy #robotics #GirlScoutsatHome #Meetanexpert #USAFA #MonthoftheMilitaryChild #military

Girl Scouts of Colorado is celebrating extraordinary volunteers throughout the state in honor of Volunteer Appreciation Month. Eva Bauer has had many volunteer roles, including as part of the Girl Scout Gold Award Committee. She is a shining example of the wonderful role Girl Scout volunteers play in the lives of girls and our community. GSCO asked Eva to answer a few quick questions about her volunteer experience. We hope you find her as inspiring as we did. Why did you become a Girl Scout volunteer? I initially became a Girl Scout volunteer to spend time with my daughter and provide mentorship to girls in the troop. Over time, as I became more involved with Girl Scouts, I found how much I gained from being part of the premier organization across the world for women and girls. I believe in Girl Scouts and have seen first hand the positive impact it has on girls and young women. Tell us about your different volunteer roles as a Girl Scout. Although I thought I was volunteering to be a co-leader when my daughter started Kindergarten, I found myself as the troop leader when the original leader moved. For my daughter’s entire Girl Scout years, I have been her troop leader. I have also served in various roles at the service unit level. For the last four years, I have also been a mentor on the Gold Award committee. What have you learned as a Girl Scout volunteer? Over the years, I have learned what it means to have a girl-led organization and to let the girls take ownership and leadership of their troop and projects. I have learned about the deep commitment leaders and Girl Scout staff and volunteers have toward building up the next generation of women leaders. I have also learned of the incredible strength and passion of girls from Daisies to Ambassadors. Whenever I think about the future of our country and the entire world, I think about the young women being raised up in Girl Scouts and other girl oriented programs and I have great hope. What do you hope girls have learned from you? I hope the girls in both my troops and whom I have mentored in the Gold Award program feel the support and encouragement I, and other volunteers, have provided. It is important that young women today know there is a community behind them and Girl Scout volunteers stand with them as they make their way toward adulthood. I have always told the girls in the troop they are smart, creative, strong, kind, and capable and I hope that encouragement has been one voice that blends with the others in their hearts and heads. Want to nominate a volunteer for Girl Scouts of Colorado to spotlight? Please email Public Relations Director AnneMarie Harper at annemarie.harper@gscolorado.org. #2021VolunteerAppreciationMonth #2020VolunteerSpotlight #VolunteerNews #volunteerspotlight #VolunteerAppreciation #2021NationalVolunteerAppreciationMonth

Submitted by Ellen Q. Metro Denver Parker Katie Q. and Charlotte C. of Troop 65984 delivered 74 packages of Girl Scout Cookies to Parker Task Force, their Hometown Hero for the 2021 Girl Scout Cookie Program. We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here. #Parker #2021GirlScoutCookieProgram #ParkerTaskForce #cookies #GirlScoutCookies #GirlScoutCookieProgram #HometownHeroes #MetroDenver

Girl Scouts of Colorado is celebrating extraordinary volunteers throughout the state in honor of Volunteer Appreciation Month. Valerie Paulson in the Pikes Peak region is a shining example of the wonderful role Girl Scout volunteers play in the lives of girls and our community. GSCO asked Valerie to answer a few quick questions about her volunteer experience. We hope you find her as inspiring as we did. Why did you become a Girl Scout volunteer? I never got the chance to be a Girl Scout when I was young. I don’t think it was on my mom’s radar for whatever reason. Having two girls, though, it seemed like a good idea to look into what Girl Scouts could offer them. I found a troop for my older daughter and she was doing some really amazing things. When my younger daughter bridged up to Brownies, I wanted her to have the same great experiences. That’s when I stepped up. Tell us about your different volunteer roles as a Girl Scout. First, just a parent going on an overnight trip and bringing snacks to meetings. I arranged a backstage tour once at the theater production of ‘Willy Wanka’ that the girls enjoyed. When our former leader got a fulltime job, though, I took on leading my younger daughter’s multi-level troop. What have you learned as a Girl Scout volunteer? I really appreciate the programming and organization of Girl Scouts. Each level has programming designed for the developmental needs and interests of a girl at the level, ready made. And yet, it is still flexible depending on the individuals in the troop. So, I have learned what to anticipate as my girls get older by looking ahead; I have recognized things I should encourage in my girls based on the programming for their level; I have been surprised at interests I didn’t know they had because of some badge work they did. I’m learning about my girls because of Girl Scouts. What do you hope girls have learned from you? I get great feedback from parents who have appreciated the work I put into badges and activities, keeping it fresh and fun. They are always surprised I wasn’t a Girl Scout myself. I hope the girls appreciate it too when they are older looking back and decide to give a little of the same when they are given the opportunity to lead the next generation of girls. And I hope my own girls stay the course through Ambassador level, too. I believe in what Girl Scouts does. They empower girls. Each girl in my troop, and in my house, has so much to offer the world. Want to nominate a volunteer for Girl Scouts of Colorado to spotlight? Please email Public Relations Director AnneMarie Harper at annemarie.harper@gscolorado.org. #2021VolunteerAppreciationMonth #VolunteerNews #volunteerspotlight #VolunteerAppreciationMonth #VolunteerAppreciation #2021VolunteerSpotlight #PikesPeak

Submitted by Jordan Cadena Metro Denver Thornton Hello everyone! We are a local troop that has taken the leap to international travel! We have chosen to push our EF Costa Rica Tour from 2021 to July 2022, and have opted to accept additional travelers! Travelers only need to be age 11 by the time we tour. We are holding an informational Zoom meeting on April 23, 2021 at 7 p.m. EF Tours in connection with GSUSA offers girls many safe, educational, and cultural immersive tours! Please register for the meeting here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIvc-iorDMtEtRuavhd0Vd_CvdA99bDyM7j girltrips.eftours.com/2463227jv We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here. #GSCOevents #CostaRica #travel #Thornton #MetroDenver

Girl Scouts of Colorado is celebrating extraordinary volunteers throughout the state in honor of Volunteer Appreciation Month. Stacy White is a shining example of the wonderful role Girl Scout volunteers play in the lives of girls and our community. GSCO asked Stacy to answer a few quick questions about her volunteer experience. We hope you find her as inspiring as we did. Why did you become a Girl Scout volunteer? I became a Girl Scout volunteer for a few reasons! First, I loved my time as a Girl Scout when I was growing up and wanted to share that experience with my daughters. I was lucky to have some really amazing female role models in my life and have always taken to heart that I would pay it forward by being who I needed when I was a kiddo to other kiddos now. Girl Scouts teaches these girls so much about who they are and allows them to develop a sense of compassion, mindfulness, adventure, and grit while giving them the tools and an outlet to share and grow. Tell us about your different volunteer roles as a Girl Scout. When I first joined Girl Scouts as a volunteer, I started out with a small group of four girls looking for a fifth to make us a real troop. We have now grown to 18+ girls. One season I was able to volunteer in our service unit’s outdoor committee. I made so many connections and friendships during that time that it has been an ongoing reward in my life. What have you learned as a Girl Scout volunteer? I have learned so much during my time as a Girl Scout volunteer. From multiple ways to start a campfire to tying knots or learning to code right along with the girls in our troop to how to better communicate, show compassion, be flexible, and listen.  Each girl that has been in our troop has taught me some kind of life lesson that I will carry with me the rest of my life. What do you hope girls have learned from you? I hope that I have shown the girls in my troop that kindness, compassion, and thoughtfulness has the ability to make everyone you touch in your life feel special. I hope I have taught them to be brave, confident, and to recognize their individual talents or unique qualities and grow them. Want to nominate a volunteer for Girl Scouts of Colorado to spotlight? Please email Public Relations Director AnneMarie Harper at annemarie.harper@gscolorado.org. #2021VolunteerAppreciationMonth #VolunteerNews #volunteerspotlight #VolunteerAppreciationMonth #VolunteerAppreciation #2021VolunteerSpotlight

Renew Today to Attend Becoming Me Girl Scouts of the USA is excited to announce the Becoming Me program, a special collaboration with Penguin Random House and Former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama. The program follows the recent publication of Mrs. Obama’s book, Becoming: Adapted for Young Readers, and offers a unique opportunity for Girl Scouts to embark on their journeys to become their best selves and includes a FREE, members only virtual event with Mrs. Obama. Girls who join Girl Scouts or renew their membership by April 30 can attend the event on May 6. This virtual experience will feature a conversation between Girl Scouts and Mrs. Obama during which she will explore the themes in Becoming: Adapted for Young Readers and how they relate to Girl Scouts’ and young people’s experiences today. To attend the May 6 virtual event, you must be renewed by April 30 for the 2021-22 membership year. Membership renewal will be completed in your account on myGS. Once you renew your membership be sure to register for the virtual event with Mrs. Obama. Register for the event. 2021 Early Bird Renewal Now Open! Strength, resilience, togetherness, and the support of community- that’s what Girl Scouts is all about. Throughout this year, you’ve been there for your troop, and GSCO has been here for you—today, tomorrow, together, we’ve got this! Troop leaders and caregivers can renew memberships for the 2021-2022 membership year in your new account on myGS. Renew by June 15 to qualify for these incentives: Girls: Renew by June 15 and receive a FREE “We’ve Got This” patch Troops: GSCO branded first-aid kit or $25 credit to the Girl Scouts of Colorado shop. (Selection made on ATR). To qualify, renew at least two troop leaders and three girls AND submit an Annual Troop Report and ACH by June 15 Service Units: Renew at least 45% of girl members for a $100 incentive. For every 5% girl retention over 45%, service unit will earn an additional $25. Example: 50% girl retention = $125, 55% girl retention = $150, etc. service unit ATR and ACH required by June 15. Contact your volunteer support specialist with questions about Early Bird renewal. Don’t know who your volunteer support specialist is? Call 877-404-5708 or email inquiry@gscolorado.org. April is Volunteer Appreciation Month We see you there. Hauling supplies to a meeting in the rain, tracking down cookie forms, and finding ways to strengthen friendships even when your troop can’t be together in person. We see you taking the time to build up the girl who isn’t so sure of her abilities. We see you giving girls space to test their ideas and express their feelings about our increasingly-complicated world. We also see the result. The goals, the confidence, the “we’ve got this” troop energy that only you could inspire. Because of you, we have community. Because of you, we have resilience. Because of you, we have Girl Scouts. So thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for volunteering with us. Check out some ways to say thank you to your fellow volunteers. Read about amazing GSCO volunteers throughout the month of April on the GSCO Blog. Complete Your Annual Troop Report The Annual Troop Report (ATR) is the required end-of year-financial report for troops and service units. The ATR also provides GSCO information about a troop’s, service unit’s, or outdoor program group’s participation for the year and plans for the next year. Submit your ATR by June 15 to qualify for troop and service unit Early Bird incentives. Navigate to ATR form: https://gscolorado.formstack.com/forms/annual_troop_report The ATR may take 20-30 minutes to complete. 2022 ACH Form and Product Program Volunteer Agreements In addition to renewing your membership, troops are asked to complete an ACH form at the start of each Girl Scout membership year. Completing an ACH form is a necessary step to ensure your troop will be ready to participate in the 2021-2022 Fall Product Program and Girl Scout Cookie Program, and be eligible to receive troop proceeds and troop or service unit incentives. Note: If the ACH form is completed ahead of participating in the Fall Product Program, the same ACH form will suffice for the Girl Scout Cookie Program. Having a current membership and ACH form on file is also a requirement for being approved in a troop or service unit product program volunteer role. If you were a service unit fall product manager (SUFPM) or troop fall product manager (TFPM) last year and you will continue the role this year, please complete the volunteer agreement when you renew your membership and make sure your troop or service unit submits a new ACH form. Service Unit Fall Product Manager Troop Fall Product Manager The same is true for renewing service unit and troop cookie manager roles (SUCM/TCM). When you renew your membership, volunteer role, and ensure that a current ACH form is completed too, you check all the boxes at once! Doing so also meets all requirements for getting approved as a Fall Product or Girl Scout Cookie Program volunteer – streamlining the process. You’ll gain access to M2 and eBudde as soon as it opens and be included in key volunteer communications right from the start! Service Unit Cookie Manager Troop Cookie Manager Girl Scout Voices Count Survey Girls, parents/caregivers, and volunteers are the heart of Girl Scouts—and we want to hear from you! Girl Scouts of the USA is conducting a national survey called Girl Scout Voices Count to find out what’s working and what’s not. The surveys opened on April 5, so be sure to check your email for the invitation to participate. (Service unit volunteers will be surveyed in May.) As a thank you, everyone who completes the survey will have a chance to win one of 20 $50 gift cards! GSCO Annual Report Girl Scouts of Colorado’s 2020 Annual Report is now available.Take a look back at a year when Girl Scouts showed once again they are resilient, adaptable, and strong. Outdoor Program Update The weather is warming and we’re all thinking about the amazing adventures we can have with Girl Scouts in the great outdoors this spring and summer! Check out the latest Outdoor Programs news for details on resident camp, day camp, Troop Adventure Days, and more. Here are some highlights, but please click through to get the full story. Resident camp capacity will remain at 55% this summer. We cannot open additional spots. Day camps are open for registration, however we are still awaiting state guidelines that could affect capacities. Summer Outdoor Adventure Club (Cadettes and up) events will be announced April 26. New Troop Adventure Days announced for Magic Sky Ranch, Meadow Mountain Ranch, and Lazy Acres this summer – including tons of fun programs like the high ropes challenge course, rock climbing, team-building, archery, and more! Resident Camp Employment Opportunity Sky High Ranch and Tomahawk Ranch are each seeking a health supervisor for the 2021 summer camp season. Applicants must have at minimum a RN License for the State of Colorado. The position is responsible for the overall health care of the entire summer camp season of all campers and camp employees. The position requires provided on-site room and board. Dates of employment are April 30 – August 31. Additional GSCO benefits provided along with childcare and resident camp programming based upon availability. For the complete job description and more summer camp employment opportunities visit: https://gscolorado.workbrightats.com/jobs/ MMR Nature Trail open for troops! The Meadow Mountain Ranch Nature Trail is now open for Girl Scout troops, groups and families for a day hike! The Nature Tail at Meadow Mountain Ranch is a 1.25 mile one-way trail with 21 stops along the way. There are four activities guides and accompanying patches for each season: fall, winter, spring and summer. Read more on the blog. Rock Climbing Day Get ready for an epic rock climbing adventure near you! Join our vendor, Front Range Climbing, for a day of outdoor rock climbing to complete some of the requirements for the Climbing Adventure badge. Girls will learn about climbing equipment, techniques, knots, and other skills before exploring up the rock wall. No prior climbing experience is required, and this opportunity is open to all Brownies – Ambassadors. Sign up on the GSCO event calendar for a session in your region! There nine days across the state taking place in May, June, and July. 2021 Gold Award Day at the Capitol GSCO CEO Leanna Clark presented the 2021 Debbie Haskins Spirit of Girl Scouting Award and 2021 Stephanie A. Foote Leadership Prize to Gold Award Girl Scouts on April 5. This year’s ceremony was a virtual celebration due to COVID-19. In past years, this special ceremony has been part of Gold Award Day at the Colorado State Capitol. Inspired by her own experience with bullying, Lily Goudreau from Monument, Lewis Palmer High School, wanted to encourage self-confidence and self-worth in middle school students. She did this by painting positive affirmations around a local school and worked with the no-bully club to maintain and add to the affirmations each year. She also created a “lunch bunch” group that helps watch out for bullying and does not allow any student to eat alone. Lily is recognized with this year’s Debbie Haskins Spirit of Girl Scouting Award for her confidence, resilience, and courage in succeeding in life. Elizabeth Gumper from Colorado Springs, Coronado High School, created a rich online resource website, www.mycareerconnections.com, that gives high school students a personal, insightful look at numerous careers available throughout society through personal interviews with professionals. Elizabeth is the 2021 Stephanie Foote Leadership Prize winner and will receive $1,000 cash gift to recognize her sustainable impact through leadership. Charlotte Blish from Arvada, Arvada West High School, started a nonprofit, Watering Communities, to teach elementary-aged students about how the lack of clean water impacts socio-economic and education resources in developing countries. Charlotte was named 2021 Stephanie Foote Leadership Prize Honorable Mention and will receive a $250 cash prize for her project’s impact. In addition, we celebrate all 33 Gold Award Girl Scouts in the 2020-2021 class! For more information on how to complete your Gold Award, please visit the Gold Award page of our website or reach out to highestawards@gscolorado.org. Highest Awards Celebration Be sure to join us on the GSCO Facebook page on May 16 for a virtual, statewide Highest Awards Celebration honoring Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award Girl Scouts from the past Girl Scout Awards Program year. Aren’t on Facebook? You can also watch the celebration on the GSCO YouTube channel. COVID Restriction Updates Meetings The state introduced a new version of the COVID dial  and the restrictions on personal gathering sizes have loosened under this new dial. Troops can meet in private residences as long as their current county level is either green, blue, or yellow, they are following current CDC guidance on gathering, and they have submitted the Private Residence Notification form  through GSCO. Troops should continue to check in with their local county and other hosting locations for their most current guidance. If a troop is meeting in a county currently classified as orange or higher, they should follow the state guidance or any other guidance they receive from their local county as to what restrictions are placed on their meeting location. Troop overnights At this time, troop overnights are not allowed. GSUSA is not allowing councils to begin having overnights until the state is in its final stage of reopening, and Colorado is not there yet. However, in anticipation of getting there, GSCO is working with the state to determine what guidelines will impact troop overnights. For now, CDPHE categorizes troop overnights as “youth-serving organizations overnights” with restrictions that would be challenging for the typical Girl Scout troop to meet. We are continuing to work with the state to determine if another category might be a better fit. For more info see our COVID faqs page. Property reservations While it may be a possibility for troops to have overnight experiences come summer, at this time we are PAUSING taking any new reservations on our properties until it is confirmed that troops can have overnights and our properties are available for troop overnight use. At this time, existing group reservations will not be cancelled, but no new reservations will be taken. Upcoming Events Check the events calendar for exciting events in your community. Girl Scouts of Colorado is always planning fun and educational events for girls across the state. Some of these events are highlighted below! Register now for the May Badge Series What a better way to celebrate April as Citizen Scientist month, than to register for our May Badge Series to earn your Think Like a Citizen Scientist Journey! Meet an Expert: Dietician April 22 — 4 p.m. Girl Scouts of all ages are invited to a Meet an Expert session with Jessica Torro, a Registered Dietician Nutritionist (RDN) and teacher at Metropolitan State University (MSU) in Denver. Jessica will talk about her education, background, and experience as an RDN. She will also lead girls through a live activity on healthy eating! All girls who register will receive a list of ingredients and instructions on how to prepare for the program so you can participate along with Jessica from home. After Jessica’s activity girls will have an opportunity to ask her questions live in the chat box. Meet an Expert: Brig. Gen. Linell A. Letendre, Dean of the Faculty, U.S. Air Force Academy April 27 — 5 p.m. Girl Scouts of all ages are invited to a Meet an Expert session with Brigadier General Linell A. Letendre, Robotics Lawyer and Aeronautical Engineering graduate from the US Air Force Academy. The general will talk about her career, education, and experience in the U.S. Air Force. She will also talk about robotics in the military and the ethics behind the use of robotics in conflict. Meet an Expert: Educator, Citizen Science & Watershed Education May 5 — 4 p.m. Sarah R. Johnson, MAEd, a Gold Award and lifetime member of Girl Scouts is a freelance science educator of citizen science within the context of watershed studies; climate change, Arctic science, and public lands. She is currently an instructor for Western Colorado University’s Teacher Institute, a lead instructor for the US Naval Sea Cadets Arctic Buoy STEM Program, and coordinates a Colorado climate change professional development network. Statewide Bridging Event May 8 Celebrate with your Girl Scout as they bridge to the next Girl Scout year at our annual statewide bridging event at the Royal Gorge. Girl Scouts and their families receive discounted tickets for the day, participate in a bridging ceremony, and then have the day to explore the gorgeous park. Register now to reserve your spot. Conversation Starter: Speak Out About Mental Health May 10 – 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Join us as we talk with professionals from the National Mental Health Innovation Center about the clinical and non-clinical side of mental health and how to have these conversations with your youth. This is a conversation for adults and is open to non-Girl Scout members. Cookie Box Innovation Challenge May 14 — 5:30 – 6:45 p.m. GSCO Cookie Box Innovation Challenge powered by Arrow Electronics is now open for registration for the kick off. Join us as we put our innovation hats on to innovate a design that make the world a better place. Meet an Expert: Forensic Scientist May 19 — 4 p.m. Girl Scouts of all ages are invited to a Meet an Expert session with Teresa Cheromcha, a forensic scientist in the biological sciences unit for the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. She will talk about her education, career path, and what motivates her! After a short presentation, Girl Scouts will have an opportunity to ask Teresa questions live through the chat box. #2021VolunteerView #VolunteerNews #volunteerview

Girl Scouts of Colorado is celebrating extraordinary volunteers throughout the state in honor of Volunteer Appreciation Month. Tammy Davis in the Metro Denver region is a shining example of the wonderful role Girl Scout volunteers play in the lives of girls and our community. GSCO asked Tammy to answer a few quick questions about her volunteer experience. We hope you find her as inspiring as we did. Why did you become a Girl Scout volunteer? I originally was asked to be a co-leader of my oldest daughter’s troop. The leader of the troop’s daughter was best friends with my daughter at the time and both girls were excited to be in something together. I wanted to make them happy. When the other two troop leaders had to step away after the first year though, I stepped up to lead the troop with two new co-leaders and it still makes my older daughter happy to be apart of something with her friends. Tell us about your different volunteer roles as a Girl Scout. First and foremost, I am a proud troop leader of ten seventh grade Cadettes. I am one of three leaders and plan a third of the troop meetings during most years. I plan badge and Journey meetings. I also am responsible for sharing all the financial information with our parents 2-3 times a year and planning parent meetings. During cookie season, I am the troop cookie manager of a very busy troop of excellent and experienced sellers. I do plan some trips and outings, but my co-leaders are a lot better at planning those. Lastly, I am a team member of our Harpers Ferry service unit. I do most of the service unit communication. However, I help plan service unit events and help out new troop leaders or other troop leaders when they have questions or concerns. As a service unit team leader, we help with recruitment events, back-to-troop events, and end of year events not only for our Girl Scouts, but leaders and volunteers as well. What have you learned as a Girl Scout volunteer? I have learned how to “take a step back.”  I am a person who will take over projects or work when it is not being done right or to my standards. As a leader, I have had to learn how to teach a lesson or instructions on any given topic, but then stand back and watch our girls do things their own way, or even fail at first. I want all our girls to be successful, so not doing things for them is actually really hard. However, taking that step back has let our girls grow as an individual. What do you hope girls have learned from you? I hope the girls learn to go out in the world and always try new things no matter what the situation. We have a rule in our troop when we are asked to do something Girl Scout-related and within reason we are not allowed to say no. We have to give everything a try. After the girls try it, then they can choose not to do it again. When they were younger, there was always a lot of girls that would say no to everything and not want to try or do anything that they were not familiar with. A lot of it had to do with fear of failing, or just the fact it was new and maybe scary. Once everyone had to do it, they felt they had a support system in each other. Let’s just say that there is a lot less of the word no in our troop meetings. Want to nominate a volunteer for Girl Scouts of Colorado to spotlight? Please email Public Relations Director AnneMarie Harper at annemarie.harper@gscolorado.org. #2021VolunteerAppreciationMonth #VolunteerNews #volunteerspotlight #VolunteerAppreciationMonth #VolunteerAppreciation #MetroDenver #2021VolunteerSpotlight

Girl Scouts of Colorado is celebrating extraordinary volunteers throughout the state in honor of Volunteer Appreciation Month. Sandy Jackson from the Western Colorado region is a shining example of the wonderful role Girl Scout volunteers play in the lives of girls and our community. GSCO asked Sandy to answer a few quick questions about her volunteer experience. We hope you find her as inspiring as we did. Why did you become a Girl Scout volunteer? I grew up in a Girl Scout family. My mother was a long time troop leader as well as served on the Chipeta Girl Scout Council Board. Girl Scouts had a big impact on me and I wanted to share that influence with others. Tell us about your different volunteer roles as a Girl Scout. I was briefly a troop leader. Our family has hosted Girl Scout day camps and jamborees at our ranch for many years. Most recently, I have been a Gold Award mentor and serve on the Gold Award Committee for the Western Slope. What have you learned as a Girl Scout volunteer? There have been so many things that have been reinforced through being a Girl Scout volunteer. Girls are amazing, they can accomplish so many things. Sometimes they need a little guidance, but often support is all that is needed. The organization of Girl Scouts is doing a great job “changing” with the times and it is so important to demonstrate the multiple paths a girl can follow. What do you hope girls have learned from you? I hope they have learned that they can accomplish anything, to push their comfort zone, and go for Gold! Want to nominate a volunteer for Girl Scouts of Colorado to spotlight? Please email Public Relations Director AnneMarie Harper at annemarie.harper@gscolorado.org. #2021VolunteerAppreciationMonth #VolunteerNews #volunteerspotlight #VolunteerAppreciationMonth #VolunteerAppreciation #WesternColorado #2021VolunteerSpotlight

On behalf of El Pomar’s Forum for Civic Advancement, we are excited to invite Girl Scout Seniors, Ambassadors, and adult members to a virtual ‘Women in Politics’ event, co-hosted by Colorado Municipal League and Colorado 50-50 on Saturday, April 24, 2021 from 4-6:30 p.m. Recognizing that Colorado ranks 18th on the 2019 Gender Parity Index due to its successes in some areas, such as the second highest share of women elected officials in the state legislature, and challenges in other areas, such as local and federal representation, this event is designed to encourage more women in Colorado to run for elected office, clarify the process of running, and provide resources for them as they consider running for elected office. The event also honors that socializing the idea of leadership and elected office to young people is one way to increase representation. You can view the event invitation with agenda details in the flyer linked below. If this sounds like something you or a Girl Scout in your life would enjoy, please register here. Questions? Email Megan Sanders at El Pomar Foundation at msanders@elpomar.org. Forum Women in Politics Invitation We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here. #ElPomar #VolunteerNews #seniors #GSCOevents #oldergirls #Ambassador #Communitypartnerships #communitypartners #adultvolunteers #senior #ambassadors

Thank you to all who joined Girl Scouts of Colorado for the Outdoor Skills Patch webinar! The recording is now available on the GSCO YouTube channel. Thank you to the Reach for the Peak team for joining us to talk about their program as a great way to apply the skills learned through this patch program! Reach for the Peak is a competition-based program for Cadettes – Ambassadors and is hosted at Sky High Ranch every summer. Train as a troop to compete against other troops across the state in skills like knot tying, fire building, first aid, and more! For more information about Reach for the Peak, check out their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Reach-for-the-Peak-246932074239/ We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here. #ReachforthePeak #SkyHighRanch #GirlScoutingatHome #outdoorskillspatch #GirlScoutsatHome #GirlScoutCamp #gsoutdoors #camp #patch #outdoorskills