Welcome to our blog! Today, we're thrilled to share the inspiring world of Girl Scouts. These young leaders are not just selling cookies; they're making a difference in their communities and learning valuable skills that will shape their futures. We were very excited to be interviewing a few exceptional Girl Scouts to learn more about their experiences, aspirations, and the impact of their scouting journey at the Loveland Girl Scouts History Center. As we, Emma and Sariyah, walked into the museum for the first time, we knew that we were going to have a blast! Walking in felt as if we were our younger Girl Scout selves again! Once you enter, you will be presented with a room of cubbies to put your personal belongings in. You will receive a sit-upon and listen to a short story and play a memory game. The next thing we did was go on a scavenger hunt exploring each of the five main rooms in the history center. Those five rooms are the Library Room, Product Sales Room, WAGGGS Room, Uniform Room, and the Program Room. The main room is the Program Room. In here, we played games and sang songs. We also looked at the various items that were sold to Girl Scout members in the past, like pins, t-shirts, etc. There are also books, trinkets, banners, and lots more! In the Library Room, we found a vast collection of uniforms, dolls, handbooks, badges, accessories, and much more. Along with that, there are pictures of different Girl Scout camps as well as dolls and photographs of Juliette Gordon Low. We saw many items in the Product Sales Room, like old cookie cases, cookie rewards over the years, and many products that are sold at the retail stores with the Girl Scout logo. The WAGGGS Room was incredible, seeing numerous items all around the world! We saw what girls wore in each country. In this room we also learned about the difference between Girl Scouts and Girl Guides and how they came to be. There are many uniforms in the Uniform Room. Some of the uniforms date back to 1919! While we were at the museum, we dressed in a vintage Girl Scout uniform. Troops can also borrow uniforms for events such as parades. By the end of our time there, we were filled with lots of knowledge that we didn’t walk in with. The volunteers of the museum were very kind and welcoming. They did an amazing job sharing and executing information. Many of the items found in the museum are donated from all parts of Colorado as well as other states. If you have any Girl Scout related items to donate, you can email the history center. This committee works very hard to preserve, protect, and to teach about Girl Scout history. This museum welcomes all! This includes troops, families, friends, etc. There is no cost to visit the center. The History Center is open every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. but please email ahead of time. If you would like to visit the History Center another day, feel free to contact the museum. We invite you to dig into the rich stories and experiences waiting to be discovered in each of these historic rooms with amazing artifacts. Let the adventure begin, so you can uncover the spirit and legacy of Girl Scouting that continues to spark generations. Join us in celebrating your journey by emailing GSCOHistory@gmail.com .

Juniors can earn their Space Science Investigator badge on Oct. 20 at the Fiske Planetarium in Boulder. They will join other Girl Scouts from around the area to learn about UV light (with S.W.A.P.S.), learn about their age on other planets, bake their own spacecraft, and learn more in the planetarium show. There are two sessions to pick from that morning: 9 - 10:30 a.m. or 10 - 11:30 a.m. This is hosted by Senior/Ambassador Troops 70007 and 73010 with aerospace engineer volunteers. Girl Scouts can register with their troop or attend with a parent or guardian. The cost is $18.50 per Girl Scout and $8 per adult. This event includes all the requirements to complete the badge, a snack, and a planetarium show specifically designed for the badge. The first step of the badge is to observe a scale model. This starts OUTSIDE the planetarium and a leader/parent needs to lead girls through the walk before or after their time slot. Directions for the walk will be supplied in advance and at event. The planetarium show starts at 10 a.m. and will include girls in both time slots. The latter slot cannot be late or they will miss the show. We recommend checking in 10 minutes prior to the session. Parking costs and the physical badge are not covered by event registration. More parking details will be sent out after registrations. Make sure to bring a water bottle, weather appropriate clothing, and be ready have fun of cosmic proportions! Register for this fun day of space science here! Questions ? Please email Marcy: troop72418@gmail.com

Raven was considering what they might want to do for their Silver Award project, looking out the car window, when they became distressed at what they saw. They wanted to know why little children were standing on the median all day with their parents, so they learned more about it from the news. “It hurts me when I see adults and little children standing on the sidewalk or a median on the street. They have been through so much, being scared and walking for weeks to get to safety. They left everything behind, except for one thing: hope and bravery,” said Raven. To find out more about the issue they met with three different non-profit organizations and asked how they help. They learned “the government won’t give them anything because they are from a different place. They can’t have a job without an ID.” One of the organizations, Alleviate, was just recently established, and the Executive Director told Raven she would be very happy to get help from a Girl Scout. Raven got to work. They: Conducted meetings with 11 more non-profits Asked non-profit staff how they help the community Helped Alleviate launch an internship program that will help students learn more about how a non-profit is run Personally delivered donations to nine families to experience what the intern will do Met several times with the Alleviate’s donation coordinator and executive director Spent hours sorting through donations in their living room Learned to communicate with families using Google Translate Got permission to take photos • took classes on using their iPad to make a video Received assistance with note-taking, then read aloud notes taken for them at all the meetings and deliveries to create audio instructions for a total of 31 tasks that any intern or volunteer for Alleviate can do Created an internship flyer describing the ideal candidate and what the intern will learn and do Secured donations of 1,550 pairs of socks as well as cases of hygiene products for unhoused people in Denver Forged new lasting relationships between Alleviate and the organizations donating the items. “Even though I can't help ALL of them, I can still say ‘You are brave, and you will be loved by me and everyone else who wants to help you.’” Many newcomers to Denver will have some of their hardships alleviated because of the amplified ability of one non-profit that was given a resource that will last for years to come.

What is a Leadership Summit? It’s a daylong (9 a.m. – 3 p.m.) event for Girl Scout volunteers to take various enrichment classes and essential required training. Meet and connect with your peers, enjoy a catered lunch, swap extra supplies, and start your Girl Scout year with the information you need to be successful! This year will feature exclusive training opportunities such as STEM for All (a brand new training), Multi-level Troop Management, Daisy and Brownie Leader Training, Event Planning, and Money Earning for Troops. We’ll also have classic training and enrichment sessions like American Red Cross Adult and Pediatric First Aid & CPR/AED*, Songs and Games, Ceremonies and Traditions, and more. Register for L eadership Summits here . Upcoming Leadership Summits: Sat. Sept. 28 – TBA - Cortez Sun. Sept. 29 – Clifton Community Center, Grand Junction Sat. Oct. 12 – Westside Community Center – Colorado Springs Sat. Oct. 19 – Nancy’s Place (Frisco Senior Center) – Frisco Sat. Oct. 26 – The Ranch Events Complex – Loveland Sat. Nov. 2 - Pueblo Community College – Pueblo Sat. Nov. 9 – Douglas County Fairgrounds – Castle Rock   Please share this flyer with your fellow Girl Scout volunteers and Service Units! *Note: American Red Cross Adult and Pediatric First Aid & CPR/AED certification is $35 for a two-year certification. All sessions will vary at each event.

Three Cadettes worked on the MEdia Journey at Meadow Mountain Ranch this summer. They got together and created a survey about media use, but in a unique twist, they surveyed their parents and grandparents, learning views of beauty wisdom from elders. Memorable quotes from survey responses include: “Beauty is art.” “It makes you feel happy.” “It comes from within.” “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” “There is no right way of beauty.” “I have a healthy level of skepticism.” After flipping through magazines the Cadettes created a video message about the false promises of many beauty products they saw ads for, and created lists of people they wanted to share it with. Beauty products are “taking advantage of their feelings making them feel like they’re not wanted and not beautiful so they spend money.” –Ellie Raven made a good-influence magazine for their younger sister, Ellie made an ad filter to go on top of her YouTube shows, and Caitlin created an artistic superhero that defeats ads. Ellie and Raven got together for a final celebration and created their superhero names: It’s the all-new adventures of Nemesis and Bendy Kitty. They ceremoniously passed the mic to Raven’s younger sister, a Junior, and had ice cream.

Summer and Ellie, Juniors from multi-level Troop 65659, went to Meadow Mountain Ranch to complete their outdoor Journey. They did most of their activities in the Homestead House. It was the perfect place to complete their Animal Habitats badge and then have fun with the Eco Camper badge by making a Leave No Trace presentation for family and friends, preparing trail mix, learning how to set up a campsite kitchen, pretending to be animals, and making notes in their journals on a short hike. Summer and Ellie made a video and word search game to teach others about Leave No Trace principles for their Take Action Project. You can view the video, A Message from a Bear , on YouTube or read the transcript below. "Welcome to my instructional video about what trash can do to the environment its animals and what we can do to help. If you look to my left here you'll see some trash. I'm also going to teach you how to properly dispose of said trash but step one make sure that you have all your trash, do not just dump it on the ground or into a water source. That would be bad for the environment. So the way you want to dispose of this if you're at a campsite there will usually be a bear box a giant metal box that keeps creatures like me from getting into it and stealing all the stuff such as food and smell-ables et cetera and next to that bear box is also usually a trash can. We can use that to dispose of this trash. For the negative effects it has on the animals and that if you do not do these steps then animals can get stuck in the trash or mistake it for food. It's not good for them. A lot of plastic accidentally goes to baby animals. When this happens what it can do to the environment is pollute the water harm the trees and nature and prevent and stop animals from finding actual food for the babies. What we can do to help with this is to make sure that you carry in all of your stuff and make sure that it's all being carried out if your campsite or camping event does not have a bear box trash can, you can just store the trash in some random reusable container. These are some of the things that you can do to help the environment and prevent things like plastic going to babies or animals trying to eat the plastic. These steps can help stop all this from happening. This first drawing here is to treat living plants with respect and to take pictures of flowers instead of picking them. The second drawing represents that I don't take home anything I've found and this third drawing here represents leaving things as I found them."

Three Daisies from Troop 65659 completed the Welcome to the Flower Garden Journey over the summer. They learned about the Girl Scout Promise, listened to several garden story times, planted and watered a mini garden, learned to say hello in several different languages, and took a look at some worms. They decided to release ladybugs at the Denver Botanic Gardens Community Garden, a garden that donates food to food banks. The Daisies had a ceremony to unveil their project to their families and to celebrate their achievements. They each wrote letters to future Daisy Girl Scouts. “To be the kindest kid respect the Girl Scout Law.” -Allison You got this, when you are a Girl Scout you take care of the world!” -Olivia “You will learn the flower friends like Tula who’s courageous and strong. Each flower represents a piece of the Girl Scout law. The great thing about being a Girl Scout is that you bridge and go to another level. The last is Ambassador. All the Girl Scout things are really important. You really have to pay attention to the Girl Scout law, flower friends, badges, and stuff. Be a Girl Scout, and be you!” -Amelia During the meetings, two Juniors from the multi-level troop volunteered to help lead the Journey. Summer and Elizabeth took turns reading the flower stories and helping the Daisies with their activities. They also created messages for future Daisies: “Be nice, be cool, be friendly, and good luck!” -Elizabeth “You will be brave, believe in yourself!” -Summer The Juniors earned their Junior Aide award for helping lead Daisies through a Journey.

This summer, forty women from across the country gathered at Meadow Mountain Ranch to play games, make great food, sing and generally have a restorative time in the Colorado high country. Three memorial benches were assembled and installed in honor of three important people in the life of MMR. Jan “Lief” Erickson’s bench went to the Meeker’s Bluff unit, in front of the new yurts with a fabulous view of Twin Sisters and Mt. Meeker.  Jan was instrumental in bringing the Green Hat Society to Colorado and helped establish the Plains To Peaks Chapter #22.   The bench in memory of Greg Dannels of the Dannels homestead family has been placed in front of the Homestead House.  The Dannels family goes back to 1896, when the lineage of David, Henry, and Bernie began.  Thanks to them, the beloved property has been maintained and preserved for Girl Scouts for many years to come. The third bench is in memory of Nancy Freer Sherwin, who was a CIT at MMR in 1966 and 1967.  Her bench was placed on the lawn in front of the office building, overlooking the front meadow which was her favorite place. Women’s Week featured lots of great activities, including flying kites, enjoying a games night in the lodge, taking a day-long hike to Calypso Cascades in RMNP, making sock puppets and various other crafts.   We played a lot with our food. We made homemade ice cream in plastic soccer balls, created mashed potato volcanoes with gravy for lava, cooked pancake designs, explored alternative S’Mores recipes, and created landscape art with dinner items.  We had a backward dinner and a jungle breakfast, where all our food items were hung on strings and placed in the trees along the trail past the Larkspur Unit.   Of course, singing played a large part of our favorite summer pastime. There were four guitar players who combined to keep the group renewing their love of Girl Scout songs.  “Tajer Tales” was one of the evening’s programs, as well as a Scouts Own.   Eighteen of our adventurous women enjoyed the excitement of the new Zipline, which had been recently completed, inspected and approved for use. Several trained staff and volunteers were on hand to rig us all up and send us careening down the 1200 feet from the top of the south ridge to the road just inside the property gate. Modifications and streamlining of the procedures took place in our exciting morning, so that others who come behind can enjoy the ADA-accessible adventure. The dates have been set for Women’s Week 2025 - - - save July 24 - 28 on your calendar and contact the Very Informal Camp Director, Penny “Pan” Roberts at probertscolo@gmail.com  or call (970) 586-1775 or (970) 473-1001 for more information.

Hello! Our names are Addison and Ivana , and we are Girl Scouts Cadettes from Troop 66802. We are currently working on our Silver Award, "Project: Build-A-Patch". Earlier this year in February, we visited the Girl Scouts of Colorado History Center Museum in Loveland, Colo. We went with our troop and did some activities there, and at the end, we asked if they had a patch. We thought they would have a patch because when you visit other Girl Scout properties, they typically have a patch to hand out or to buy at the Girl Scout store. The GSCO History Center committee, however, said no :(. So we made it our mission to create a patch for them and introduce everyone to this hidden gem. We constantly met up with the GSCO History Center committee and through trial and error, we found the perfect design. They have multiple patch programs there, and so along with the main patch, we made rockers to go with it as well. These programs are: "All-Tied-Up" which is all about knots, you can even learn how to tie up a burglar with 8 inches of cord. Next, is "Brownie Magic" which is about Brownie programs from the past. Then, we have the "Golden Teacup" which is about dining etiquette. Finally, we have "Step-Out-In-Style" which is about vintage uniforms, that you can even try on! After all this hard work, we have finally arranged for our project launch on Sunday, August 18, 2024 from 12 to 4 p.m. ! It will be held in the History Center in Loveland, CO and we will have samples of every program. If you attend, you can get the new GSCO History Center Museum patch and meet GSCO CEO, Leanna Clark AND HER DOG (!!!) until 3 p.m. She will be passing out her own personal patch as well. After the project launch, we will have four separate events, one in each of the coming seasons, to complete four programs there. In fall of this year, we will be doing the "Step-Out-In-Style" program on Saturday, October 5, 2024. In the coming winter, we will be hosting the "Golden Teacup" on Saturday, January 4, 2025. This upcoming spring, the "Brownie Magic" will be held on Saturday, April 5, 2025. Finally, this approaching Summer, our last program, "All-Tied-Up" will be on Saturday, June 7, 2025. <3 We invite you from the bottom of our hearts to come and see the History Center in all its glory. Thanks!! :))

As we work our way out of the summer season and into the school season, Girl Scouts can still enjoy the outdoors with our outdoor day programs! It’s the perfect time to embrace the beauty of the outdoors in a new and exciting way. Imagine the thrill of birding amidst the crisp autumn air. Fall is a prime time for spotting rare and colorful species! The autumn season also invites you to explore hiking trails adorned with a tapestry of bright red, orange and yellow leaves. Girl Scouts will learn about local flora and fauna and gain an appreciation for nature’s seasonal transformations while staying active and engaged. Fishing enthusiasts will find joy in off-season fishing adventures. With fewer crowds and a serene environment, this is the perfect time for Girl Scouts to hone their skills, learn new techniques, and enjoy the peace only a quiet lake can provide. By participating in these off-season outdoor programs, Girl Scouts enjoy unforgettable experiences and learn that they can connect to nature in any season. Ready to dive into the adventure? Check out the planned events below and watch the events calendar! Girl Scout Adventure with Audubon: Guided Bird Hike- Sept. 5- Centennial Leafy Trails & Wildlife Tales: A Fall Hike Adventure - Sept. 27- Bear Creek Lake Park in Lakewood Hooked on Fun: Fishing is Fun Event for Girl Scouts! – Oct. 6 – Lake Lehow in Littleton Leafy Trails & Wildlife Tales: A Fall Hike Adventure - Oct. 25 - Bear Creek Lake Park in Lakewood

Your troop or Service Unit is set up, your volunteers are ready to deliver amazing Girl Scout programming, you’ve crossed your T’s and dotted your I’s – now what? How do you find the soon-to-be Girl Scouts that are going to make this your best Girl Scout year yet? That’s where recruitment comes in! Girl Scouts of Colorado have dedicated Membership Recruitment staff to help promote Girl Scouts throughout our statewide council, but we need your help to reach the girls in your community by meeting them where they are at. Girls everywhere have been waiting for someone to invite them to be part of our organization. In addition to girls, you’re extending the invitation to adults that will make a commitment to girls in their community- just like you have! You know the adventures don’t stop with girls at Girl Scouts. We hear often how our volunteers’ lives are changed by the experiences they have supporting a troop. We have many ways you can support local recruitment efforts in your community. Summer & Back-to-School Season Support   Check your regional sign ups and earn cool incentives. Mountains + Western Colorado – Check back soon! Metro Denver Check out the Denver recruitment incentives! Pueblo and surrounding area Pikes Peak area & Colorado Springs ( Fountain, Woodland Park, Monument, etc.) Northern Colorado (Boulder, Fort Collins, Estes Park, Greeley, etc.) The top incentive this year is this awesome Girl Scout cross-body bag! Reminder: Girl Scouts can earn components of the recruiter skills patch. Check here for details . Grow Your Community Grant This is an awesome opportunity to grow Girl Scouts in your community! The first 10 Service Units that submit their short proposal to hold a local recruitment event will receive $100 from council to help fund your local recruitment experience. Funds can be used to cover the cost of a facility rental, supplies, or patches for attendees. Submit your proposal via this form and to view the fine print.   Bling Your Recruitment Booth Show us how you make your recruitment booth stand out! How do you make it fun and inviting while showcasing Girl Scouts? Submit a photo of you and/or Girl Scouts in action at your booth.  This challenge is open to adult recruitment volunteers and girl members! Troops are also welcome to work together. Please submit through this short Formstack link where you can leave a blurb about your booth and upload pictures. First Prize: $75 shop credit Second Prize: $50 shop credit Third Prize: $25 shop credit The winners will be selected by a GSCO panel and will be announced on GSCO social media channels September 20th, 2024.

Brownies learn how the world works, fall in love with the great outdoors, and share their interests—from bugs to ballet—with a small group of true friends. Along the way, Brownies try and explore new things, gain important social skills, and, of course, have a blast; they're excited to discover all they can do and be. Brownies are currently enrolled in second or third grade in elementary school.   New Brownie troops that launch between now and Dec. 1, 2024, will be eligible for an awesome Brownie Boost package. Package includes:  A Girl Scouts of Colorado duffle bag to carry troop supplies An insignia and membership pin for every Troop Leadership Team member A fun patch for every registered Girl Scout (4+ girls required)   Requirements and eligibility: New Brownie troops must launch between Aug. 1 and Dec. 1, 2024, with Girl Scouts entering second or third grade in the fall of 2024. The new Brownie troop must have two registered, unrelated troop leadership team volunteers and four or more Brownie youth members on the roster.    Ready to get started? Email inquiry@gscolorado.org , or click Start a Troop on our website and mention that you’re ready to start a new Brownie troop. Want more info? Email inquiry@gscolorado.org with your ZIP code, the grade of your future Girl Scout, and any questions you have. W e will contact you soon to start your Girl Scout adventure! Want to join Girl Scouts, but aren't the right age for Brownies? You can learn more about all our Girl Scout levels on our main website.