Girl Scouts-Western Oklahoma Tornado Relief Fund

Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast joins the nation in offering our thoughts and prayers to those who have been affected by the tornado that devastated the Oklahoma City area on Monday, May 20.

We have learned that Girl Scouts-Western Oklahoma Council appreciates all of the good wishes being sent to them by fellow Girl Scouts, but they are unable to handle all of the calls and emails at this time. Instead, they ask that you check their website or Facebook and Twitter feeds for the latest information.

The council cannot accommodate material donations but asks that those interested in donating do so through the Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma Tornado Relief Fund. You can also text the word GIRLS to 20222 to make a $10 donation.

Another way to show your support is to send messages or art in the shape of the Girl Scout trefoil.

Send your trefoil artwork to:

Girl Scouts-Western Oklahoma

Mary Nichols' Family Leadership Center

6100 N. Robinson Ave.

Oklahoma City, Okla. 73118

Helping Girls Gain Financial Literacy

On Saturday, April 27, Girl Scouts of all ages attended workshops geared at financial literacy at A Place for Girls, the headquarters and program center for the Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast. The workshops were part of an event, Financial Fitness, organized by the Tidewater Chapter of the  Virginia Society of CPA's.

Members of the Chapter, many former Girl Scouts, led age-appropriate workshops that helped girls meet requirements for Girl Scout awards, such as the Money Manager badge. Girl Scout Daisies learned about coins and paper money; Girl Scout Brownies were introduced to philanthropy and took part in a community service project; Girl Scout Juniors had lessons on maintaining a budget; Girl Scout Seniors compared costs and conducted simple consumer research projects, and Girl Scout Ambassadors found out what it would take to live on their own.

From the youngest Girl Scouts in kindergarten learning how to save money to the Girl Scouts in high school learning to be smart consumers, girls were encouraged to think about their futures and to be prepared. Events such as Financial Fitness are only part of what Girl Scouts is doing to place attention on financial literacy.

The Girl Scout Research Institute recently published a study called Having It All: Girls and Financial Literacy. In this study, they found that girls are optimistic about their future lives but admit to lacking the financial confidence and knowledge they will need to achieve their dreams. They also found that many girls are open to learning about financial literacy and are interested in participating in activities that teach them how to set financial goals and how to manage money.

As financial literacy becomes a growing concern in the country, Girl Scouts are working to lead the way to give girls the tools to become financially independent and empowered. Opportunities such as Financial Fitness: The Sequel allow girls to gain financial confidence, learn how to have open conversations with their parents about money matters and be on track for a financially successful and independent life.

Helping Hands Food Drive

Girl Scouts Lend a “Helping Hand” with Council-Wide Food Drive

Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast, in partnership with TowneBank, Walmart and media sponsors -Tidewater Parent Magazine, WAVY-TV 10, Face of Fox43 and Adams Outdoor - will be hosting the 2013 Helping Hands Food Drive on May 4 from 9 a.m.to noon. Girl Scouts, and friends from the public, are invited to collect non-perishable food items and bring their donations to area Walmarts where volunteers will receive, sort and load the donations onto food bank trucks.

Hunger affects many residents of our community. They may be homeless, parents working for low wages, residents suffering from the recent loss of a job or senior citizens living on fixed incomes. The Girl Scouts are taking action to help those in need through this community service project. 

As part of the food drive effort, Girl Scouts are challenged to hold collection drives at schools, churches and other venues in the community during April. The collected food will be brought to the  Walmart locations on May 4. Girl Scouts who participate may enter a collection contest! The contest rules, along with tips and a public service announcement, can be found on the Council's website.

Get involved and lend a hand. Make a difference, because no child deserves to go to bed hungry.

Product Sales Program Update

The Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast requests that the use of Council issued endorsement stamps be discontinued when depositing checks directly into any of the Council bank accounts (ECB, Monarch, PNC, SunTrust, Wells Fargo). Effective April 1, 2013, all checks deposited to any of these accounts should be endorsed by writing “For Deposit Only GSCCC” on the back of checks.  

Please return all Council issued deposit stamps to GSCCC Finance Director April VanSkiver by May 31, 2013. These stamps may be brought to any Council office or given to your staff liaison/representative. 

Thanks for your help! 

GSCCC Girl Scout Honored with a Prudential Spirit of Community Award

On March 9, at the Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast annual meeting, Girl Scout Ambassador Orion Dunbar was recognized as a distinguished finalist for the 2013 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards and was presented with a bronze medallion by a Prudential representative.

The Prudential awards program represents the United States’ largest youth recognition program based solely on volunteer service. All public and private middle level and high schools in the country, as well as all Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and Hands-on Network affiliates, are eligible to select a student or member for a local Prudential Spirit of Community Award. Nearly 5,000 teen applicants were reviewed by an independent judging panel, which selected 102 state honorees and another 234 distinguished finalists based on criteria including personal initiative, effort, impact and personal growth.

Orion Dunbar has been dedicated to environmental stewardship for almost her entire life. Her efforts to promote recycling started in 2004 when she founded her own recycling company called R.O.C.K.—Recycle Our Clothes for Kids. When she was nine years old, her mother turned some jeans into cutoff shorts, and Orion discovered that the leg of the pants fit perfectly on her head. She added some feathers and jewels for decoration and had her very own hat.

Orion began setting up booths at festivals for children to make their own recycled jean hats and while doing so, set up a jar to collect money for the Children’s Hospital of the Kings Daughters. Through R.O.C.K., she partnered with Wrangler Jeans, CHKD Thrift Store and Norfolk Festevents to help raise money for CHKD, which she chose to raise money for because she wanted to help fund the educational programs the hospital provides.

As part of her Girl Scout Gold Award, this past year Orion expanded R.O.C.K. to include Teens for Jeans. This project engages high school students to host jean drives at their school in order to collect jeans to donate to homeless shelters. 1.7 million teenagers are homeless and jeans are the number one item requested by them in homeless shelters.

Orion currently leads the Teens for Jeans project at Western Branch High School, where she is a senior and leading the efforts to collect jeans for the local FORKIDS shelter. 

Congratulations to an outstanding Girl Scout – Orion Dunbar!  

National Girl Scout Cookie Day

Girl Scouts of Colonial Coast were busy on National Girl Scout Cookie Day! A visit was made to the Navy Mobilization Processing Site where a unit was getting ready to be deployed. They were presented with a Cookies and Milk (Coffee/Tea) reception led by a group of Girl Scouts who are home schooled. The girls had created thank you cards to give out to each military member guests, and they read poems and sang during a special program. The uniformed guests sampled the variety of cookies that were set out on trays  - everyone wanted Thin Mints! Each also received a box to take with them as a reminder of how much they are appreciated. 

Later that day, an Open House program was held at A Place For Girls. Juliette Low read to visitors and played the Cookie Twister game with guests. The spotlight was on the new Girl Scout cookie boxes that received an overhaul this year, along with the real purpose of the program - to teach girls five essential life skills: goal setting, decision making, money management, and business ethics and people skills.

On February 8, National Girl Scout Cookie Day, the message that was shouted out with the help of social media and Council communications was to buy one more box of Girl Scout cookies this season and support the Girl Scout Leadership Experience! For outcomes of the Girl Scouts’ social media team's contest - #onemorebox - visit Girl Scouts of the USA Facebook Girl Scouts of the USA Facebook. It was a great way to celebrate the largest girl-led business enterprise in the world.

According to a survey from the Girl Scout research institute, 85 percent of Girl Scout “cookie entrepreneurs” learn money management by developing budges, taking cookie orders and handling customers’ money. Research also shows that 83 percent build business ethics; 80 percent learn goal setting; 77 percent improve decision making; and 75 percent develop people skills.

Locally, Girl Scout cookies will be sold through March 24, 2013 and booth sales begin on February 24.  We hope more boxes of cookies and thank you cards will find their way into the hands of more military members as we ask area customers to purchase cookies through the Gift of Caring Program!

Enter a Contest and Celebrate Women’s History Month!

Girl Scouts are invited to enter the 3rd annual Coast Guard Federal Women's Program Girl Scout Poem and Poster Contest.  All entries must reflect the National Women's History Month 2013 theme: "Women Inspiring Innovation Through Imagination: Celebrating Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics."

You can read more about Women's History Month.

·         All Girl Scout Daisies and Brownies are eligible to enter the poster contest.

·         All Girl Scout Juniors, Cadettes, Ambassadors and Seniors are eligible to enter the Poem Contest.

The winners in each category will be guests at the organization's annual luncheon to be held in March. Each winner and one guest will receive a free ticket to the luncheon.

Additional tickets may be purchased for additional guests. The poster will be on display at the program and at the lunch. The Poem winner will read her poem at the luncheon.

The deadline to enter the contest is March 8, 2013. All entries may be sent/brought to A Place for Girls or to the GSCCC Peninsula Service Center. Questions may be directed to marcyg@gsccc.org.