Chair of the Board Barbara Tierney Receives Dorothy Barber Lifetime Achievement Award

Barbara Tierney has had a lifetime of Girl Scouting that has included some amazing moments! At a young age when she was a Girl Scout Brownie,  her family moved to Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela. Her mother, Betty Hoover, who had been her leader in the US, decided to start a troop in Venezuela as well - even though there was no troop and had no history of one. It was a family affair where Barbara's sister Vickie and her father also became involved. The troop was a success, and many local girls joined this troop designated as a Troop Overseas by GSUSA. The girls also worked to become an official Girl Guide unit so it could continue long after Barbara's family stay. Once again, a success! Lady Bayden Powell, the first Chief of Girl Guides, traveled from London to Venezuela to do their first pinning ceremony and to declare the unit as Girl Guides. 

Lady Bayden visits Girl Scouts in Venezuela all the way from London

Throughout her school years Barbara was active in Girl Scouts. She and her family lived many years in Ohio where her mom left the volunteer ranks to become an executive director for the Lake to River Girl Scout Council. In college, Barbara spent summers working at Girl Scout camp teaching bike safety and maintenance along with sharing her talents in folk dancing and taught Spanish. 

Barbara and her mother, Betty.

As a young adult volunteer, Barbara was chosen to lead six Girl Scout Seniors on an International Encampment in Mendoza, Argentina. Later, she represented the United States at the Women's Conference sponsored by the Organization of the American States in the Dominion Republic. 

Making a difference and giving a helping hand has always stayed with Barbara. She has volunteered to support Girl Scouts in many roles, the most recent being GSCCC's Chair of the Board where she has tandemly led the Council with GSCCC CEO Tracy Keller during a particularly challenging period.  

Thank you, Barbara, and congratulations on receiving the Dorothy Barber Lifetime Achievement Award, a GSCCC award named after former Council President Dorothy Barber that honors a woman who has achieved success in life, contributed to GSCCC and her community, and is a role model and mentor to other Girl Scouts. The award was presented during a virtual awards program, Be the Change, by the 2017 award recipient, Janic Johnson. 

Gold Award Spotlight: “Pollinator Power”

Girl Scout Ambassador Christine of Troop 1324 earned her Gold Award through her project titled, “Pollinator Power!” Christine wanted to focus on environmental education and sustainability, so she worked with master gardeners of the Colonial Beekeeper’s Association to address the drastic decline of bees in her community.

“Recent years have seen an extreme decline in pollinator populations, primarily as a result of human activities,” Christine said. “If no action is taken now, future generations will have to deal with a complete upheaval of the food chain and significant environmental impacts.”

Christine learned that a major variable in our community is designer backyard landscaping with non-native species of plants, which greatly reduces the natural habitat for pollinators. She led a project to create a pollinator garden at Yorkminster Presbyterian Church, her church and where her troop meets. Christine created a video presentation for volunteers from the congregation and girls from her troop to explain the necessity of pollinators and shared plans how they could help her create the garden.

She and her volunteers spent hours constructing garden beds and planting native species.

She hopes the education of her congregation will encourage them to adopt these practices, make changes in their own home gardens and to continue to share her message of how small changes can make a big impact on our tiny heroes- the pollinators!

Gold Award Spotlight: Unstoppable

Girl Scout Ambassador Elyse earned the Gold Award, by completing a project she titled, “Unstoppable.” Elyse felt there was not enough representation of women in STEM in her school curriculum and on the TV so she decided to write a book that shared information about women in STEM who were historically overlooked!

“Young girls are often not given the exposure to STEM careers that boys typically are through movies, books, toys, along with school,” Elyse said. “In biology, we do lots of water tension labs, but I had never heard of the name Agnes Pockles."

To write her  book, she recruited peer volunteers from The Advanced Technology Center (ATC) in Virginia Beach and assigned each classmate a female figure in STEM to research and illustrate. Each write-up and illustration was edited into a final draft by Elyse and she worked with Amazon as the publisher of her book to get assigned an ISBN number and have copies made. The copies of her book, “Unstoppable: Women in STEM,” were distributed to local school libraries and mailed to girls across the country!

Elyse also designed a Girl Scout patch program that goes along with her book and held a special presentation of her book at the Zeiders American Dream Theater in Virginia Beach on March 13, 2021.

Congratulations, Elyse!

Elyse on open night at Zieder's Theater alongside Zeider’s Community Liason, Sibel Galindez.

2021 Cookie Season Wrap Up and Top Ten Sellers

A BIG thank you to all of our Cookie CEOs who worked so hard, and to the parents and volunteers who’ve made it possible for them to pursue their dreams. Together, we accomplished so much during the 2021 cookie season, including breaking our own Council’s goal! More than 1 million boxes sold.

One of the hallmarks of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience is our cookie program. Through the Girl Scout Cookie Program, the largest financial literacy and business entrepreneurship program for girls in the country, our girls learn important skills and gain confidence and initiative. The cookie program lays the foundation for a lifetime of success for our girls and motivates them to never give up and to keep trying. It helps them see the possibilities in all things.

Every Girl Scout Cookie season is challenging, but this year has had to be the most challenging our Council – our girls – have ever experienced. During a pandemic, our girls came up with innovative ways to connect with customers. We recognize this and applaud all the girls who participated. The Girl Scout Cookie Program is life-changing and uplifting!

A special congratulations to our Top Ten cookie sellers! These ten girls sold over 42,000 boxes of cookies combined!

2021 Cookie Program Top 10 Sellers

1) GS Ambassador Makiyah M. (Troop 1320) sold 7,250 boxes

2) GS Senior Maureen K. (Troop 359) sold 5,635 boxes

3) GS Cadette Lorelei T. (Troop 1026) sold 5,415

4) GS Senior Makenzie T. (Troop 4151) sold 3,850 boxes

5) GS Daisy Sophia H. (Troop 1658) sold 3,711 boxes

6) GS Ambassador Rachael M. (Troop 4151) sold 3,670 boxes

7) GS Senior Abigael S. (Troop 235) sold 3,582 boxes

8) GS Junior Madison B. (Troop 778) sold 3,082 boxes

9) GS Junior Alexa R. (Troop 287) sold 3,058 boxes

10) GS Senior Kailie B. (Troop 805) sold 3,058 boxes

We are also pleased to report an outstanding turnout for our Virtual Gift of Caring program. Girls were able to donate – 50,756  boxes of Girl Scout Cookies- 14,066 boxes more than last year- and double what we did in 2014 (just 4 years ago) through a pandemic!

Each and every girl who participated in the Girl Scout Cookie Program deserves to feel proud of their cookie entrepreneurship and willingness to help the community!

 Thank you to all - girls, parents, volunteers and, of course, our customers who made this season a SWEET success!

Gold Award Spotlight: Musical Therapy Stress Relief

Girl Scout Ambassador Abby earned the Gold Award, by completing her project she titled, “Musical Therapy Stress Relief.” After her grandmother had to have a stay in the hospital, Abby learned about the stress and anxieties that patients sometimes experience during their visit due to being away from home. Abby knew she could help and used her passion for music to make a difference!

“Being in the hospital, facing injury, and recovering from surgery is a stressful time in a person's life,” Abby said. “There are a lot of different uncertainties and outcomes that can occur and this causes stress among patients. The stress can slow the healing process, make their stay longer, only adding onto the stress that is already occurring.” 

Abby worked with Warwick Forest Rehabilitation Center in Newport News, VA to understand the needs of patients and to figure out how she could help. She developed a self-paced learning program to learn to play the kalimba, a small handheld musical instrument known for making relaxing tones.

A kalimba

Her program also provides a way for patients to connect with one another while they practice together and learn how to play the instrument. Forest Rehabilitation continues to use music therapy as an element of their healing process and Abby’s self-paced curriculum gives patients control over their instrument and how fast they learn. 

“Because I provided the resources, the Warwick Forest continues to utilize music therapy in their rehabilitative care activities,” Abby said.

Abby used proceeds earned from participating in the Girl Scout Cookie Program to fund her project.

Congratulations, Abby!

April is Month of the Military Child- Contest Details!

 April is Month of the Military Child

No matter where a family’s military service takes girls, Girl Scouts is at the ready with tried-and-true programming and a supportive network that allows girls to continue their unique leadership journeys; build new friendships; and enjoy a reliable, safe space of their own. 

 Share your story!

Post a picture or video on social media using #MonthoftheMilitaryChild and #BecauseOfGirlScouts, and tag @girlscouts and @gsccc. Don’t forget to enter the GSCCC Month of the Military Child Contest!

 

Have a great story you’d like GSCCC to share to the media or place in our communications? Email marcomm@gsccc.org

 

 Show Your Pride

There’s a special patch and T-shirt you can purchase in our GSCCC shops.  Show you’re part of a global community of military-connected Girl Scouts.

 

GSCCC Month of Military Child Contest

 

To celebrate locally, we're asking all GSCCC Girl Scouts who are military family dependents to submit an entry to win a Girl Scout gift certificate worth $20 that can be used in one of our GSCCC shops during a scheduled visit or pick up experience. There will be two winners - one for the art submission and one for the essay submission. Winners will be spotlighted on our social media. 

Girl Scout Daisies, Brownies & Juniors  - Create a drawing or other piece of art that portrays parent (s) at work, as you know it. Juniors, do the same but add a paragraph detailing what is taking place in the drawing/art. 
Girl Scout Cadettes, Seniors & Ambassadors - Write at least a 600 word essay about an experience you had as a military child - perhaps overseas, participating in a special program or why you are proud to be a military child. 

Artwork and essays should be sent to marcomm@gsccc.org.

Deadline to submit is April 30, 2021 at 11:59 PM.