Three Ways to Play- Girl Scouts Love State Parks Day Weekend

Join Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast for the 3rd annual Girl Scouts Love State Parks Day Weekend coming up September 11- 12, 2021! There are three ways to play this year: two in- person events and a virtual option. Read on to learn how you can get involved!

Regardless of how you choose to participate, every registered participant will receive the 2021 Girl Scouts Love State Parks Day patch! Cost is $6.00 for each registrant of the in-person events and $7.00 for the virtual, mailed option. Registration deadlines are August 30, 2021 for the virtual option and September 5, 2021 for the in-person events.

Option 1: York River State Park in Williamsburg, VA

Check in 10 am- 12 pm. 

Join us at York River State Park on September 11, 2021! This will be a self-led event and you'll receive a packet during check in at 10 am -12 pm. There will be four different opportunities to attend an interpretive program by park rangers at York River including a fossil hike or river seining. Times of individual programs will be emailed to participants before the event so you can plan your adventure ahead! Register here.

At York River State Park guests may stop by the visitor's center, bike, walk trails, rent water crafts at hourly rates and more. Click here to learn more. 

Note: *Parking Fee is not included in the cost of the York River event and is payable to the park upon entry per vehicle*

Option 2: Merchants Mill Pond State Park in Gates County, NC

Check in 10 am- 12 pm. 

Join us for the third annual Girl Scouts Love State Parks Day on September 12, 2021 at Merchants Mill Pond State Park in North Carolina! At this self-led event and you will receive a packet during check in 10 am -12 pm. We are currently working with the park rangers to secure an interpretive program, but is not guaranteed at this time. Guests are free to explore the park on their own. Non-motorized boating is also allowed at Merchants Mill Pond, weather permitting. Register here.

Guests visiting Merchants Millpond may bike, hike, rent water crafts and more. Click here for more.

Option 3: Girl Scouts Love State Parks - On Your Own

If you are unable to join us for our Girl Scouts Love State Parks Day Weekend events, this is the opportunity for you! You can choose between Jockeys Ridge, First Landing or York River State Parks and receive a packet of activities and your 2021 Girl Scouts Love State Parks Day patch right to your door. You can then visit your chosen state park on your own at any point! Register here.

Note: If you choose to go to Jockeys Ridge September 11th or 12th, 2021, Kitty Hawk Kites will be present between 10am - 4pm for a kite festival where you can meet some professionals and see kites flying high!

Bronze Award Spotlight: Virginia Women of Distinction

Girl Scout Juniors Cailin, Claire, Grace M., Grace T., Harper, Lily, Martha-Ann, and Molly of Troop 1539 earned their Bronze award by completing their project titled, Virginia Women of Distinction.  After studying the various government badges offered by GSCCC, speaking with a State Delegate 

Simonds on a troop Zoom meeting, and earning the Explore Virginia Women's History and 

Explore Virginia Women's Suffrage patches, the girls of Troop 1539 were inspired to create a video about famous women of distinction.  Each girl researched a woman of relatively recent history and prepared a short speech about the woman's life and her contributions to history.  At the end of each presentation, there is a statement about what can be learned about ourselves or what we can be inspired by from the story of each woman's life.

In addition, the Girl Scout Juniors completed their Agent of Change Journey throughout their project. By doing so, they learned how women can affect voting outcomes and they reviewed the work of Ruth Bader Gingsberg, former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

 

In addition, the Girl Scout Juniors completed their Agent of Change Journey throughout their project. By doing so, they learned how women can affect voting outcomes and they reviewed the work of Ruth Bader Gingsberg, late former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

 

Congratulations, Troop 1539!

 Want to learn more about Virginia and North Carolina Women of Distinction?

Explore Virginia Women's History

Explore Virginia Women's Suffrage 

Explore North Carolina's Women's Suffrage

Program Spotlight: Science of Happiness Badge Program

Did  you know that Girl Scout Cadettes can earn a Science of Happiness Badge? To earn the badge girls will create a month-long strategy for increasing their own happiness!

The Science of Happiness badge takes Cadettes through five steps, including “Make yourself happier” and “Get happy through others,” each with its own recommended activities. Girl Scouts can make a collage about someone meaningful to them, write a list of things that make them feel good, or create a family “bliss box” of memories and souvenirs. Girls also keep a journal about the activities and their plans for future projects.

 

The badge is intended to boost the girls’ awareness of the science behind happiness and psychology. The Girl Scouts hopes to teach them that they have a measure of control over their feelings and actions.

Try this activity at home for a glimpse at our Science of Happiness program!

 

Activity Details

There is a proven science on how you can increase self-happiness. Become both a scientist and test subject while testing two different methods that can increase your happiness. You’ll need a journal, a writing utensil and 1-14 days to reflect on what you’re grateful for or what throughout the day makes you happy.  

Activity: Count three blessings; Get a journal and write down, record video or audio what three things that you are grateful for each day over a course of 1-14 days.  What did you identify? Did identifying what your thankful for make you happy?

Stop and smell the roses; take a moment each day (over 2-14 days) and write down 3-5 things throughout your day that made you happy.  Was it your dog? Talking to your friends? Playing outside in the backyard?  

If you had fun with this activity, check out the other activities in the Science of Happiness Badge.

GSCCC also offers a virtual workshop for girls of all age levels, titled, The Science of Happiness. This online workshop and kit will includes directions and all materials needed to earn the Cadette Badge or a Science of Happiness Patch. Find details on our website’s Events page.

Learn more about girls’ mental health issues by reading Girls Speak Out About Mental Health, a study and report by the Girl Scout Research Institute, found on www.girlscouts.org .  

Bronze Award Spotlight: Animal Aid is on the Way!

Girl Scout Juniors Kelsey and Lorelei of Troop 5098 earned their Bronze Award by completing their project titled, Animal Aid is on the Way! The focus of Kelsey and Lorelei's project was to do something that would benefit the Animal Aid Society in Hampton, VA.

The two Girl Scouts took on several projects at the animal shelter. They cleaned and resurfaced signs, cleaned up walking trails, highlighted tree roots with orange spray paint to ensure the safety of those on the trail, and raked up old mulch and leaves to clear out paths.

"Permanent volunteers mentioned that they did not even know there was a second trail that made a circle," the girls said.

After clearing the trail and ensuring they were safe to use the girls came back a week later to do finishing touches like repairing signs and replacing zip ties.

"What we learned from this experience is that with enough teamwork we can do anything. We both had to be leaders and we worked faster together. We came together and didn’t stop until we were done," the girls remarked.

The pair say there is always more they can do to make a difference and are now working to collect dog food cans to donate to the Animal Aid Society.

Thank you, Kelsey and Lorelei, for making the world a better place!

Bronze Award Spotlight: The Outback Beautification Project

Girl Scout Junior Emmalyn wanted to beautify the entrance of The Outback and earned her Bronze Award along the way in her project titled, The Outback Beautification Project. 

Emmalyn’s project consisted of renewing part of the entrance of The Outback, the 8.5 acre nature area behind A Place for Girl in Chesapeake to give new Girl Scouts a great first impression. Emmalyn said, “I wanted to beautify The Outback, an area that is sometimes the first place new Girl Scouts see. It was the first place I saw when registering for Girl Scouts.” 

Emmalyn always enjoys looking at the small fish pond at The Outback when visiting and noticed it could use some updating. 

“The area near the pond was not as pretty as it used to be,” Emmalyn said. “It was full of weeds and needed an update. I mulched, removed debris and weeded the area. I also wanted to add a game to the area as a way girls could find a friend and meet other girls.” 

In addition to landscaping, Emmalyn assembled an outdoor tic tac toe game board and painted rocks as ladybugs and bumblebees all atop a wooden spool she refinished as an outdoor table.

Congratulations, Emmalyn!

Silver Award Spotlight: The Outback Weather Station and Benches

Girl Scout Cadettes Brooklyn and Paige from Troop 192 earned their Silver Award by completing their project they titled, The Outback Weather Station and Benches. The two Girl Scouts worked together to refinish the weather station on the walkway of The Outback, the 8.5 acre nature area behind A Place for Girl in Chesapeake. Brooklyn and Paige wanted to make the weather station more fun so they included interactive elements for day campers and visitors to try out while reading information boards about The Outback. 

The girls also refinished eight outdoor benches by hand at A Place for Girls to ensure guests will have a comfortable place to enjoy nature for years to come. 

Thank you Brooklyn and Paige for helping to ensure sister Girl Scouts and our guests will have a great adventure at The Outback!

Famous Formers Spotlight: Janet Roach

2020-2021 Famous Formers Honoree, news anchor, award winning journalist and filmmaker, Janet Roach, spent five years as a Girl Scout in the area in a troop led by her late mother. Janet said, “My favorite Girl Scout memory has to be the pride I had in watching my mom train to become a Girl Scout leader. I was moved by her commitment to make a difference for the girls who joined the troop and myself. I remember so many of my closest friends and girls whom I didn't even know well excited to be part of Troop 432.”  

Janet said forming the troop made her feel as if her family was doing something very special for her community- and indeed they were. Describing her time as Girl Scout, Janet reminisced, “We learned how to sew. We learned leadership skills. We took some fabulous field trips and more. My entire family got involved. She [Janet’s mother] showed me that life isn't about sitting back and waiting for others to step in to give their time to make a positive difference in the lives of others. That was my first impactful example of how to be a “go-getter” and a leader.” 

Janet’s passion for Girl Scouts has trickled over into her professional life as an adult, using her skills as a journalist and speaker to bring awareness to issues citizens in Hampton Roads face and to make a positive difference in their lives. She has helped support Girl Scouts by promoting events, fundraisers, and by getting involved whenever she can. 

“It has been an honor to tell the stories of my community for a few decades now,” Janet said. “Throughout my career, I've had many people thank me for a story I've done that made a difference in their lives.” 

Janet believes that girls need to build a strong foundation of leadership skills, self confidence and independence at a young age. 

She said, “Studies have shown somewhere between the ages of 9 and 12, many young girls begin to shy away from the spotlight, suffer with self esteem issues and fail to speak up for their beliefs. Girl Scouts is the perfect group to help girls set the stage for their future positive development.” 

Congratulations, Janet Roach and all other Famous Formers honorees. A limited number of tickets are still available for the 2020-2021 Famous Formers Luncheon, September 23 at The Cavalier Golf and Yacht Club. Get yours today!

Keep Norfolk Beautiful Visits Campers at Girl Scout Camp Apasus

Morgan Deweese, public services coordinator, and Faith Martin, administrative technician, of Keep Norfolk Beautiful came out August 2, 2021 to Girl Scout Camp Apasus in Norfolk, VA to teach Girl Scout campers all about how to "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!"

Girls were read a story about "Henry the Herron" and how he got rescued after getting plastic rings stuck around his neck that were making it hard for him to eat and breathe. Girls learned about ways they can help prevent this from happening to other birds and what to do if they see wildlife in trouble. 

Faith Martin and Morgan Deweese of Keep Norfolk Beautiful pose with "Henry the Herron"

Keep Norfolk Beautiful also did activities with the Girl Scouts where they showed different types of plastics, whether or not they are recyclable, and all about micro plastics and how they end up in what we eat.

Girl Scout Juniors Angelina and Arianna sorting "microplastics"

Girl Scouts playing a plastic sorting game at Camp Apasus with Morgan Deweese of Keep Norfolk Beautiful

Keep Norfolk Beautiful works to lead the Norfolk community to reduce litter, recycle right, and beautify Norfolk through education and volunteerism. These efforts help support clean, safe, and resilient neighborhoods.

Keep Norfolk Beautiful was part of a recycling initiative that is on display at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens. Guests are invited to come check out how trash can become treasure in their "Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea" exhibit now through October 31.