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TAKE THE
LEAD
JANUARY 2009
Sharing the Girl
Scout Story|
Telling
the Girl Scout Leadership Story |
Girl Scout Week and Summer Camp
| Council-Wide Community
Service Project
CLICK
HERE FOR .PDF VERSION
SHARING THE GIRL
SCOUT STORY
 Sharing
their story to support the Soldiers!
Girl Scout Brownie Troop 11229 from Fire
Trails Service Unit in Port Clinton, Ohio, decided their theme for
the troop year would be, “We will remember”.
As they discussed what service projects
they wanted to work on, their troop theme made doing a service
project for the soldiers an easy decision.
They walked in a local parade and
carried a banner reading, “We Remember”.
Then, these Girl Scouts Brownies
adopted one of the local soldiers as their pen pal.
Sergeant Lindsay Miller, was in the
Army, stationed in Iraq and appreciated the letters of support and
the care packages to let her know that she was in their thoughts.
The encouragement the Girl Scout
Brownie troop provided meant a lot.
As the holiday season approached,
Sergeant Miller shared that the Holiday season was a difficult time
for all of the soldiers in her platoon. The girls
 got
together again to discuss what they could do, and agreed to adopt
Sergeant Miller’s entire platoon.
The girls brainstormed and developed ideas on
how they could best provide support.
They set a goal to collect items the
soldiers could not get in their military store and identified the
groups they wanted to reach out to in the community.
They began to tell their story to
family members, schools, stores, and senior centers in their
community. It did not take long before the community knew of their
idea and goals and jumped in to participate.
Magazines, local newspapers,
toiletries, candy, Christmas ornaments, and a Christmas tree were
donated to their cause.
A local dentist even joined in the
collection by donating toothbrushes and floss.
When the collection period ended, the
troop was overwhelmed by the response from the community.
As the Girl Scout Brownies packaged the items
and prepared to send them overseas, they realized the cost of
postage was going to be more than they had planned.
So again they met to decide what to do.
For the last year they had saved and
planned a trip to a local water park, but unanimously they agreed to
use the money instead toward the postage for sending the goods.
Their gifts were a success with
Sergeant Miller’s platoon.
At the end of the year Court of Awards
ceremony, the girls were surprised by a visit from Sergeant Lindsay
Miller, the soldier they had adopted at the beginning of the year.
She presented the troop with a plaque
from the platoon and a flag which had been flown in Iraq.
She shared with the Girl Scout Brownies
and their families what the gifts had meant to the soldiers, many of
whom were still stationed in Iraq.
The girls were so inspired by Sergeant
Miller’s story and success of their project, they decided to carry
their project into this year as a Girl Scout Junior troop. And the
story continues……….
Telling the Girl
Scout Leadership Story
Spread
the Word
“Do
you have any cookies?”
Is this the immediate response you get when you tell someone that
you are a Girl Scout volunteer?
Many people think that Girl Scouts is only about cookies,
crafts, and camp. You
know that Girl Scouting is about so much more!
You have seen the changes in the girls in your troop that
“tell the story” of Girl Scouting - the Girl Scout Leadership story.
When you share stories about how girls have learned to set
personal and troop goals and to work together to accomplish these
goals, you remind parents and the community of the value of the Girl
Scout experience and motivate them to invest their time, make a
financial contribution, or to buy an extra box of cookies!
Telling your Girl Scout story is powerful, persuasive, and
helps people understand and see Girl
Scouting in action.
Sharing the Girl Scout Story With Parents
One-on-One and in Parent Meetings
-
Give parents updates about the ways that you have seen their
daughter change and grow.
-
Explain what leadership skills have been developed through their
daughter’s experiences in Girl Scouting.
-
Tell stories that will show what the girls have accomplished and
how they have grown as a troop.
Make this a regular part of your communication with parents.
Finding and Telling Your Girl Scout Story
Stories are everywhere.
They are at every Girl Scout meeting and event.
They are in places you wouldn’t imagine, but keep your eyes
open, the challenge is in seeing them.
We need to be conscientious in finding stories that connect to our
mission and goals. Can
you recall a story that would enable your listeners to see how
giving back to the organization through Family Partnership or
helping send a girl to camp had an effect on a girl or adult who is
involved in Girl Scouting?
Think of the impact this kind of story could have on a
listener? Hold on to
these stories.
If
something strikes you as memorable, if it makes you think, if it
renews your dedication to Girl Scouting, ask yourself, “Will this
make a good story?” If
so, commit it to memory, tell it often, and pass on the Girl Scout
Leadership story.
Remember, if you believe in the magic of your story, so will your
listener.
Storytelling and the Cookie Sale
Are you doing a booth sale?
Take time beforehand to let your troop answer these
questions:
Listen to their stories and discuss what might happen if all their
customers could feel the same way about the Girl Scout experience.
Give them time to come up with a favorite story.
Have them practice their one-minute stories and then let the
girls “Take the Lead” and you will soon be “Going Places.”
How do I tell the “Girl Scout Story”?
·Think
of a girl in Girl Scouting.
·Think
about our Mission and
Goals.
·Can
you tell a story about how Girl Scouting has made an impact in this
girl’s life?
Girl
Scout Week
This year, from March 8 through 14, Girl Scouts celebrate Girl Scout
week - a commemoration of the organization’s beginning 97 years ago.
Since 1912, Girl Scouting has helped millions of women grow
up courageous and strong.
Girl Scouting values and a social conscience in girls -
teaching them real-life skills to succeed.
Girl Scouts used to establish seven days of service during Girl
Scout week. The theme
for each day was established in 1954.
SUNDAY: Girl Scout Sunday or
Girl Scout Sabbath (Saturday)
MONDAY: Homemaking Day
TUESDAY: Citizenship Day
WEDNESDAY: Health and Safety
Day
THURSDAY: International
Friendship Day
FRIDAY: Arts and Crafts Day
SATURDAY: Outdoors Day
Here are some special activities that your troop/group can use to
celebrate Girl Scout Week and the Girl Scout Birthday:
-
Go to a place of worship with your troop or family and wear your
uniform.
-
Take part in the worship service to share the values and
principles of the Girl Scout movement through a reading or song.
-
Set up a table with Girl Scout information to share with your
community, school, or place of worship.
-
Have the girls in your troop create a poster about Girl Scouts
to hang in your school or local library.
-
Have a Girl Scout birthday party.
-
Learn the story of how Girl Scouts began.
-
Wear your uniform all week, especially at your place of worship,
at school, or out in the community.
-
Learn how Girl Scouting has changed over time.
What badges did they do in the 1920’s compared to now?
-
Have a Re-dedication Ceremony.
Additional activities and resources for Girl Scout Week can be found
at:
http://www.scoutingweb.com/scoutingweb/traditions/ScoutTraditions.htm
http://www.neighborhood13-1.com/GS_Week_Activity_Sheets.htm
2009 Summer Camp
Opportunities
G irl
Scouts of Western Ohio
believes in the value of environmental stewardship and are committed
to protecting the health and welfare of children.
Accordingly, we are pleased to announce our adoption of the
Go Green Initiative
with our
2009 Summer Camp Opportunities
brochure.
In an effort to embrace earth-friendly behaviors, lessen our impact
on the environment, and keep costs to the girls down, we are pleased
to announce the mailing of a the 2009 Camp Newsletter in place of
the full 38 page
2009
Summer Camp Opportunities
brochure.
The full camp brochure is still be available on-line.
On January 4, 2009:
A 4-page Camp Newsletter was mailed out to every registered girl.
The newsletter will contain highlights and information on what is
being offered in every region throughout Girl Scouts of Western Ohio
ON-LINE: The complete copy of the
2009 Summer Camp Opportunities
brochure will be available in color with:
·
detailed descriptions of opportunities for every camp in the
council.
·
complete general information, policies, and procedures.
·
on-line registration.
YOU WILL STILL RECEIVE:
Speedy on-line registration option
Quick reference charts
Same great choices of programs and themes
Alternatives for individuals with no or limited access to the
internet by contacting the regional office
Implementing the Project
Now that we have identified needs in the
community and found resources in your community to work with, it is
time to begin implementing the project.
Here are some ideas to help you through
the process.
1. Sift
through ideas, identified needs and resources and have the girls
decide on one project.
2. Create
a timeline for the project and identify some major segments of work.
3. Divide
tasks to give each girl a leadership opportunity.
4. Budget!
Do you need to do any troop
money-earning to support your service project?
The cookie sale is a great way to earn
money for projects and spread awareness about your service project.
5. Get
others involved!
The way to have a bigger impact is to
include community partners, and other adults and girls.
6. Implement
the project!
Make sure you alert the community about
your project.
The next issue of “Take the Lead” will
feature information on how to alert the media and how to spread the
word.
7. Evaluation!
The evaluation process is a very
important time for reflection.
Make sure to complete the
Council-Wide Community Service Evaluation
and turn it into your regional office.
8. Share
your story with us so that we can share it with others.
9. Recognition!
The girls deserve recognition for their
hard work.
Also, be sure to recognize and thank
partner organizations and volunteers.
A simple Thank You note can go a long
way.
Evaluating the Project
Spend time reflecting on the project with your girls by asking
questions in the Learning by Doing Cycle.
Questions should follow the “What”, “So What”, “Now What”
model.
· What
did you like/dislike about this project?
· What
did you notice while doing the project?
· How
did you feel about the project we did?
· How
did we help others with this project?
· What
were we successful at?
· What
would we do differently on our next project?
· What
have we learned from this project?
· Why
was this project important?
Thinking Day and Service Learning
Each year on February 22, girls participate in activities, games and
projects with global themes to honor sister Girl Guides and Girl
Scouts in Other Countries.
World Thinking Day is part of the WAGGGS Global Action Theme (GAT)
which aims to improve the lives of the world's poorest people.
The 2009 theme, which is focused on Health and addressing
global disease is a terrific opportunity for girls the work on the
Council-Sponsored Community Service Project and participate in “Service
Learning”
activities.
Combine Thinking Day and Service Learning by:
· Learning
about one of the health issues that face girls in other countries
(pneumonia, tuberculosis, malaria, or measles) and then put on a
puppet show to illustrate how it can be prevented.
· Designing
a poster to illustrate how malnutrition, unsafe water and disease
are linked, and put it up in your community.
· Choosing
a disease that is present in your community and finding out what you
can do to help an organization fighting that disease.
· Choosing
a country that is greatly affected by malaria in Africa, Asia or
Latin America, and learning about life for a girl your age living in
that country. Writing a
“Day in the Life” diary about her and reading it to your group or
displaying it.
You can get resources and activity sheets that support the 2009
WAGGGS theme at:
http://www.girlscouts.org/who_we_are/global/world_thinking_day
RECOGNITION FOR GIRLS!
· Mail
or carry in the evaluation to the shop in your regional office.
· Each
participating girl can receive the “It’s Your World-Change It” patch
and a hand to place around the outside of the world!
· Health
and Wellness - Red Hand
· Education/Learning
Centers - Yellow Hand
· Complete
additional projects and continue to add hands around the world!
· Remind
the girls that the hands represent the “Helping Hand” they are
lending to others through service.
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