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A message from the desk of
Lidia Soto-Harmon
CEO, GSCNC
Dear Girl Scout Family,
Welcome to a new Girl Scout year, following our whirlwind 100th anniversary celebrations. We are eager to get started helping girls explore new adventures, learn new skills, make new friends and accomplish great things; all this while laying a strong foundation for girl leadership.
Across the country, 15 million children are alone and unsupervised after school, according to a study by the Afterschool Alliance for United Way. A daunting statistic and why Girl Scouting makes an incredible difference in the lives of girls. In addition to providing girls with a leadership experience, Girl Scouts connects girls with caring adult volunteers who can have a positive impact on their lives. A Girl Scout Research Institute study found that girls are greatly influenced in their career choices by inspiring role models.
If you are not already engaged join us. We could not deliver the best leadership program for girls without our dedicated adult volunteers. You play an important role, from volunteering as a troop leader and mentoring girls to helping with the Cookie Program, chaperoning at events and so much more. Thank you, and to learn more about how to become a Girl Scout volunteer click here.
We are kicking off this new Girl Scout year with an exciting program, the Capital One Financial Fitness Challenge. We know that when girls learn financial literacy, they make wiser choices and create self-reliance. Our Council is encouraging all Girl Scouts to earn one of the Financial Literacy or Cookie Business badges designed for each Girl Scout level. Not only will you and your daughter become more financially savvy, but we are delighted that Capital One is making it possible for each girl who takes the challenge to receive a free patch for participating.
We thank you for all you do to help girls realize that their leadership will make our world a better place.
Sincerely,
Lidia Soto-Harmon
Chief Executive Officer
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New Design Featured on
Girl Scout Cookie Boxes!
Our Girl Scout Cookie boxes have a fresh new look. Each box includes stories of what girls do and learn today in Girl Scouting. We are excited that the 70 million boxes of Girl Scout Cookies sold nationwide will now feature Girl Scouts' highest earned award, the Gold Award.
The boxes also promote the five business skills Girl Scouts gain when participating in the Girl Scout Cookie program: 1. Goal Setting; 2. Decision Making; 3. Money Management; 4. People Skills; 5. Business Ethics.
We can't wait to see how the new look of the boxes increases awareness and sales! The Girl Scout Cookie program runs from December 21-March 24, 2013. Every year Girl Scouts in our Council sell an average of 106 boxes per girl. Remember this is a great way for girls to earn money for their Girl Scout projects. Thank you for supporting your daughter's participation in the Cookie program.
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Have a used car, truck, boat or plane?
Donate it to SHARE, our annual giving campaign
Donating a car to Girl Scouts is easy, even if the vehicle is not running. Your vehicle will be picked-up at no cost to you and towed away. Proceeds from the auction or sale of scrap materials are all donated to our SHARE (Share Her Annual Real Expenses) campaign.
Ask your neighbors, friends and family to donate their unwanted vehicle, and specify that it's for the Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital. To learn more click here.
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Girl Scouts do a World of Good!
What can a Girl Scout do? A World of Good
Nominate a Girl Scout or troop who has made their community or world a better place. Girl Scouts do a World of Good is a new Council certificate for the service work Girl Scouts perform in the Greater Washington Region.
Planted a garden for a local food pantry, collected clothing for a shelter, cut off your locks so children with cancer can have wigs? Let the Council know. Girls will receive a special certificate from the CEO of the Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital. Selected Girl Scout projects will be featured on our Council's website, Facebook and social media channels.
All Girl Scout levels may participate. For more information or to nominate a girl or troop, visit our website at www.gscnc.org, or you can complete the nomination form here. Not online? Pick up a form at your local Girl Scout office and submit it to the main office at: GSCNC, 4301 Connecticut Ave, Washington, DC 20008, attn:PR.
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Girls Enjoyed the Great Outdoors
We are happy to report another safe and fun-filled Girl Scout summer camp season. Girls had a great time at our sleep-away, day and evening camps.
Nearly 3,400 girls attended Girl Scout sleep-away camps this past summer. All sleep-away camps hosted special 100th anniversary programs like the Golden Eaglet program at Camp Coles Trip, which allowed girls to go back in time to the early days of Girl Scouting. Campers at Camp Potomac Woods hosted a Girl Scout birthday party each Friday, complete with a birthday cake and special guest appearance from Juliette Gordon Low.
At Camp CEO, teen Girl Scouts connected with successful business women, and many returned to their Girl Scout roots, canoeing, hiking and toasting s'mores over an open fire. The women shared their personal journeys, discussed career choices and inspired girls to reach for their dreams. They even created a Walk of Inspiration service project, where girls and CEOs wrote inspirational quotes for all who visit Camp Winona to see. This year, new Camp CEO mentors included: Kristina Bouweiri, Reston Limousine; Debbie Jarvis, Pepco; Charito Kruvant, Creative Associates; Stephanie Lennatz, Marriott International; Laura Lane, UPS; and Rynthia Rost, GEICO.
Summer day camp introduced more girls to the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. Thanks to our dedicated volunteers and committed funders, this summer we held 26 community- based day camps, serving over 2,900 girls; and 35 fee-funded day camps, which served over 5,550 girls. Many day camps celebrated the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts. At Ashgrove Adventure, over 350 girls created a mosaic bench to commemorate the 100th anniversary. Camp Tuckerman invited alumnae back for a campfire and candle lighting ceremony in honor of Juliette Gordon Low.
New this year, Camp Starfish, a day-camp for girls with disabilities, focused on self-discovery and empowerment. The girls enjoyed a week of arts and crafts, fun with food and outdoor activities that fostered new friendships. We are very excited to report that every girl who participated in this camp has been placed in a Girl Scout troop.
Despite a derecho that hit our region on June 29, 2012, Girl Scouts, ever prepared, managed to clean-up fallen trees and repair facilities in one short week. Though four sleep-away camps closed for one week, all were back-up and running for the rest of the summer. Girl Scout campers impacted by the canceled session will receive priority placement for the 2013 summer sleep-away season.
The Council has launched a special SHARE campaign to raise money to purchase generators at all four sleep-away camps. There is still time to support this effort, click here to donate to SHARE.
Get Ready!
The 2013 Girl Scout Camp brochure will be available online by January 1, 2013 in time for you to register for summer camps. Make sure your daughter's information is up-to date in the Personify Girl Scout database. Click here for more information, or call registration at (202) 274-3328.
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Women of Distinction
Girl Scouts Honored Outstanding Women in WV
Congratulations to the 2012 Women of Distinction. The Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital held its 8th annual Women of Distinction luncheon on September 26, 2012 in Martinsburg, WV. The event honored three outstanding women from the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia who are leaders in their profession and community, and dedicated to inspiring young girls. The keynote address was delivered by Joanne Tomblin, the First Lady of West Virginia, President of Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College and Girl Scout alumna.
Read more about this year's Women of Distinction: Leslie Crabill, Ora Dixon and Stacy Dugan here.
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Girl Scout Day at the
U.S. Department of State
Secretary Clinton spoke warmly about her experience growing up as a Girl Scout in Illinois and was presented our 100th Anniversary pin by Girl scout Ambassador Abrar.
Over 150 Girl Scout Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors from our Council gathered at the U.S. State Department on October 10, 2012, in honor of the United Nation's International Day of the Girl Child.
The Girl Scouts spent the day learning about global issues attending workshops led by State Department staff. They earned Citizen Series badges and learned about the Girl Scouts of the USA's Global Action Award. The event culminated with a press conference with Secretary Hillary Clinton, Nobel Laureate, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and U.S. Ambassador for Global Women's Issues Melanne Verveer.
In preparation for the meeting, Girl Scouts sent messages to Secretary Clinton. Read the messages and watch the video from Girl Scout Day at the State Department here.
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Girls Participate in the
2012 Environmental Leadership Institute
Girl Scout Cadettes gathered at Camp Potomac Woods in Leesburg, VA to focus on ways to engage their communities in environmental programs. Girls explored how to make environmental stewardship the focus of their Silver Award projects and met with experts in environmental leadership, including Natalie Givans, Senior Vice President of Booz Allen Hamilton and incoming member of our board of directors.
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Take Pride in America
Girl Scouts Receive National Award
Girl Scout Troops 40726 and 40480 from West Virginia received the 2012 Take Pride in America National Award for Outstanding Youth Program from the U.S. Department of Interior, on October 11, 2012.
The Girl Scouts worked with park rangers at Antietam Battlefield, helping to tell the Civil War story. What started as a community service project to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of Girl Scouts, developed into an on-going partnership between the park and Girl Scouts. The girls had a hand in preserving the natural and cultural resources in the park and performed over 1,000 hours of community service work. The Girl Scouts are an inspiration to fellow Girl Scouts and future generations of young people.
The awards are presented annually and recognize individuals, groups and organizations for outstanding stewardship projects or awareness efforts involving federal, state and local lands and waters. Congratulations Girl Scouts.
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Girl Scouts is for Girls of ALL Abilities
Girl Scout Inclusion Specialist Andraea LaVant and CEO Lidia Soto-Harmon thank Anne Gunsteens of Marriott International for making Girl Scouts Rock the Mall accessible for all girls.
The Include All Girls Initiative is our Council's comprehensive outreach to girls with disabilities. We have a resource center with adaptive tools, equipment and resources for girls with disabilities, and provide interpreters, Girl Scout books in Braille and adaptive sports equipment. We can tailor programming to meet the needs of all girls,
thanks to support from our generous partners: Mitsubishi America Electric Foundation, CVS Caremark Charitable Trust, HSC Foundation, Kids Included Together, Easter Seals, Imagination Stage, Partners for Youth with Disabilities and the I am Norm Campaign, Girl Scouts is a model for inclusion.
For more information on inclusion training and resources, contact our Inclusion Specialist Andraea LaVant at alavant@gscnc.org. |
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Local Girl Scout Named to
National Student Poets Program
Luisa B, Girl Scout Ambassador and teen representative to the GSCNC Board of Directors, was named one of five teen poets for the National Student Poets Program, the nation's highest honor for young poets, by the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. Luisa will serve as a literary ambassador for poetry through readings and workshops at libraries, museums and schools.
Luisa attends Washington-Lee High school where she is an International Baccalaureate Diploma Candidate. A Girl Scout for over 10 years, she received the Girl Scout Gold Award for establishing a poetry workshop at her former elementary school.
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Lidia Soto-Harmon Receives
Two Prestigious Awards
Lidia Soto-Harmon, CEO GSCNC, in recognition of her work founding Encuentro de Chicas Latinas, and for our Council's outreach to underserved communities, will receive the Regional Mujer Award (Regional Woman of the Year Award), presented by the National Hispanic Leadership Institute, an organization dedicated to promoting Latinas as ethical leaders.
She was also recognized by the Washington Business Journal as a "Woman Who Means Business" for her leadership in the region, steady guidance and growth of Girl Scouting, and for bringing one of the largest events to the Greater Washington Region, Girl Scouts Rock the Mall on June 9, 2012.
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Girl Scouts Discover, Connect and Take Action to Protect Puppies
Over the past few years, Girl Scout Troop 6811 of Sandy Spring, MD fought to protect the rights of innocent animals. When the troop began their Bronze Award project they dedicated themselves to ending the overpopulation and homelessness of dogs and cats in Montgomery County, MD. Today the troop continues to work on this issue and recently shared their feelings on the work they are doing for animals.
"I am proud of what we were doing. I felt prepared and knowledgeable of the issues." - Girl Scout Tessa
"We helped many puppies and dogs by meeting with an official at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He said we were a true inspiration to him." - Girl Scout Katie
"I am proud and happy that we worked together and the project turned out so well." - Girl Scout Mary Fran
"I hope to meet the President, raise more awareness in people who buy dogs from puppy mills." - Girl Scout Rachel
"I would like to work for the Humane Society of the United States when I am older and inspect puppy mills." - Girl Scout Allie
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Thank You for Supporting Girl Scouts!
- Boeing for the Forever Green Program
- The CarMax Foundation for Encuentro de Chicas Latinas de las Girl Scouts
- The Grants for Girls Fund at the Community Foundation of Frederick County, MD for Girl Scouting in Frederick County
- CVS Caremark Charitable Trust for Girl Scout programs and resources to support inclusion of girls with disabilities
- Dell for the Powering the Possible Program
- District of Columbia Housing Authority for Girl Scout programs and resources for girls residing in DCHA communities
- The Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation for Girl Scouting in Eastern West Virginia
- Girl Scouts of the USA/Alcoa for the Forever Green Program
- Girl Scouts of the USA/Dove for Girl Scouts Rock the Mall and self-esteem programming
- Girl Scouts of the USA/Coca-Cola for healthy living programming for teens
- Hard Rock Café DC for Girl Scouts Rock the Mall
- Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation for the Step Showcase and healthy living programs
- HSC Foundation for Girl Scout programs and resources to support inclusion of girls with disabilities
- The James M. Johnston Trust for Charitable and Educational Purposes for community-based day camps
- KPMG for Girl Scouts Rock the Mall
- The Nancy Peery Marriott Foundation for general operating support
- The Meyer Foundation for the Young Leaders Program
- Nestle for Girl Scouts Rock the Mall
- Pepco for Girl Scout leadership programming and Girl Scouts Rock the Mall
- Prince Charitable Trusts for Girl Scout programming for teens in the District of Columbia
- Purple Promise Foundation for a sun-safety day camp and Girl Scouts Rock the Mall
- Shentel Foundation for Girl Scouting in the Shenandoah Region
- Sip & Dip for Girl Scouts Rock the Mall
- UPS for general operating support
- US Patent and Trademark Office for the Girl Scout Inventors Program
- Wells Fargo for Girl Scout programs and resources for girls in low-income communities in Northern Virginia
- The Philip and Janis Wertheimer Fund at the Community Foundation of Frederick County, MD for Girl Scouting in Frederick County
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