Gold Award Spotlight: "Fun in the Outdoors"

Girl Scout Ambassador Katie in Troop 4161 recently earned the Girl Scout Gold Award for a project she completed titled, “Fun in the Outdoors.” To earn this award, Katie shared her love of geocaching with her community. Geocaching uses a geocaching app or GPS device to find hidden containers called geocaches. The word combines the prefix geo, meaning earth, with cache, which means hiding place, and today, there are more than 3 million caches worldwide. Geocaching has grown in popularity over the past few years, since it is held outdoors and is an inexpensive activity.

Katie placed geocaches at Chesapeake locations that included: Northwest River Park, Indian River Park, Centerville Park, and Oak Grove Lake Parks. She then invited the community to discover geocaching by placing flyers in the parks with step-by-step instructions about how to set up a free geocaching app and how new users could get started having fun with this new hobby.

 

Katie’s caches included small trinkets inside a case which listed their GPS coordinates online. In all, Katie created 20 caches over the four sites.

 

“There are few outdoor activities that don’t cost money and that are easily accessible to families. It is important for people, especially kids, to get out and move because obesity rates are on the rise. Geocaching creates opportunities for people to get out and move while having fun. We also made some of the geocaches accessible by placing them near the roadway or sidewalk for those who use mobility aids.” 

Congratulations, Katie!

Girl Scout Ambassador Victoria in Troop 52 recently earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest achievement and honor in Girl Scouting, by completing a Gold Award project she titled, “Mustang’s ‘FUN’damental Library.” Victoria became aware of the effects of the pandemic on literacy rates in her North Carolina community and took action to make reading more accessible for the students of Shawboro Elementary School in Shawboro, North Carolina. 

 

Victoria said, “In my county 5 of the 6 elementary schools classify as Title I Schools. To be a Title I school, your school must have a poverty rate of 40% or higher. Often, parents cannot buy extras like storybooks. Even though the schools and staff try very hard to make sure students have what they need to reach the next grade level, lots of kids fall behind.”

 

To begin addressing this issue, she took a look at the bigger picture and determined the major challenges families are facing when trying to access reading materials and came up with a simple yet practical solution. 

 

“I noticed during Covid that kids had no way to get their hands on storybooks. All of our schools were closed and so were the school libraries. Our county libraries were closed, as well. With no way to practice basic reading skills at home, children fell behind and they couldn't meet the expectations for their grade level. Roughly 35,000 third graders in North Carolina were ultimately ‘retained,’ which means they took another year of third grade or were advanced to fourth grade but put in a transitional class or classified as retained for reading." 

 

Victoria took action by creating a literacy box outside of Shawboro Elementary School, which is accessible by students and the community, at any time. The literacy box is an outdoor structure that encourages visitors to give and take books. The box is stocked with books for school-aged children and contains over 100 titles at any given time. Book donations came in from the community, along with Victoria’s friends and family, and will continue to be fulfilled by future book drives at the school. Along with book donations, this project was supported by proceeds Victoria earned from participating in the Girl Scout Cookie Program, a monetary donation from the Moyock Women’s Club, as well as a donation of all materials needed to build the structure by Advanced Waterproofing & Restoration of Virginia Beach.

Congratulations, Victoria! 

Bronze Award Spotlight: Recycle Garden

Girl Scout Juniors Alice, Ava, Alexis, Brooke and McKenna of Troop 1041 recently earned their Bronze Awards by completing a project they titled, “Recycle Garden.” Using recycled materials, like tires and old planters, the Girl Scouts created a garden bed and picnic area for guests to enjoy while visiting Bluebird Gap Farm in Hampton. To get started, the Girl Scouts consulted with Bluebird Gap Farm to determine their needs and were then provided a large ground area to execute their project. The girls coordinated a team of volunteers to help with the process and received donations from friends and family to support their project. Throughout the process of creating the garden, the girls did weeding, mulching and more to improve the landscape. The girls also took additional steps to redo flower beds and refurbish picnic tables at the site for guests to enjoy.

 Troop leader Conny Osborne said, “The project was intended to bring fun and light to the community visiting Bluebird Gap Farm. The girls spent over 20 hours over a year long process, renovating, gardening, and adding color and fun for the community. The girls learned the importance of nature and how to see and appreciate nature through their nature journey. They also learned how much they can give back and appreciate the outdoors and how to show others to appreciate nature and what values from your surroundings one has."

 

Congratulations, Troop 1041 of SU 120 and thanks for making your community a better place!

A Year in the Life of Juliette Patch Program OCTOBER: GIRL SCOUTS GO PINK

On October 15, 2022, Girl Scouts of all grade levels gathered at A Place for Girls in Chesapeake to kick of the “A Year in the Life of Juliette Low” patch program, a 12 month series themed around the life and accomplishments of Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of Girl Scouts of the USA. October’s patch, “Girl Scouts Go Pink,” was designed to promote breast health and cancer prevention. At the event, girls were encouraged to learn about the importance of breast health by participating in games, crafts, research and other fun activities.

 Juliette Gordon Low died in 1927 at the age of 66 from breast cancer. At the time of her death, the words "breast" and "cancer" were not spoken in "polite company," and it wasn't until 1996 that it was disclosed to Girl Scouts around the world that Juliette Low had died from breast cancer.  As our organization is moving into our next 100 years, girls can be more involved in raising awareness about breast cancer. By raising awareness, girls can make a difference in the lives of women and can help family members to cope with the impact that breast cancer can have. Many Girl Scout girls and adults have had the experience of having a mother or another family member suffer with breast cancer. And, like so many other serious illnesses, breast cancer affects not only the patient, but the patient's family, as well. In fact, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States, except for skin cancers and accounts for about 30% (or 1 in 3) of all new female cancers each year, according to the American Cancer Society.

 Patches are only available by attending the in-person events. Find and sign up for remaining sessions like “Including All Friends” and “Fabulous Fashion” here.

Meet Dawn Brotherton: Author, Publisher, and GSCCC Board Member

Meet Dawn Brotherton, a talented author, owner of Blue Dragon Publishing, and a member of GSCCC’s Board of Directors. Blue Dragon Publishing, located in Williamsburg, recently became a sponsor of the 2023 Cookie Classic Run, and we give many thanks for their support of our highly anticipated event which is coming up on January 14, 2023! Dawn is an award-winning author and has been a featured speaker at writing and publishing seminars. Last weekend, she brought her literary talents to Camp Skimino in Williamsburg through a Girl Scout workshop for Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors titled, “The Author in You.” During the workshop, Dawn helped Girl Scouts in kindergarten through fifth grade discover their abilities as storytellers and illustrators. At the event, the group was inspired by a reading of one of Dawn's own books, "If I Look Like You," a tale about the value of individuality and friendship. At the end, each girl took home a book signed uniquely for them!

When it comes to being an exceptional writer, Dawn said she draws from her experience as a retired US Air Force Colonel, a softball coach and Girl Scout leader. Along with “If I Look Like You” for younger kids and a few adult titles, she has also written four middle school level books, “Trish’s Team,” “Margie Makes a Difference,” “Nicole’s New Friend,” and “Tammy Tries Baseball.” The four books are all parts of the “Lady Tigers” series, a series about a girls’ fastpitch softball team with messages that encourage young female athletes to reach for the stars in the games they love.  As a mother of two female athletes and former Girl Scouts, Dawn is intent on “playing like a girl,” which, to her, means playing with determination, teamwork, sportsmanship and most of all, a love for what you do.

Register for the 2023 Cookie Classic Run at www.gsccc.org/cookieclassic. Learn more about Blue Dragon Publishing here.

Bronze Award Spotlight: "Saving Native Wildlife"

Girl Scout Juniors Aubrey, Anna, Caeleigh, Sophia, and Karly of Troop 522 recently earned their Bronze Awards by completing a service project they titled, "Saving Native Wildlife." These Girl Scouts coordinated with Evelyn's Wildlife Refuge to make a difference for the species they help to conserve. For over 25 years, Evelyn's Wildlife Refuge, located in Suffolk, VA, has been providing shelter and rehabilitation services to orphaned, sick, and injured wildlife in the Hampton Roads area and they rely on support from the community and their donors, like these Girl Scouts.

The girls began by speaking with Evelyn's Wildlife Refuge and receiving their wishlist of what was needed for the upcoming baby season. During their research, the girls learned more about rescuing animals and got to name a baby raccoon, who was rescued, and named him Striper. The girls then coordinated a successful supply drive and had a collection box at A Place for Girls in Chesapeake, VA, featured previously on the GSCCC blog. In addition to collecting supplies, the troop worked together to build 12 den boxes to be used as animal habitats. They also taught younger Girl Scouts in Troop 382 how to make tie blankets and all together created 24 blankets for donation.

   
The girls wrapped their project up by presenting at the September 13, 2022 SU340 Leader Meeting to explain their full project and to present their project's website. Dawn Muscolino, troop leader, said, "The girls learned how to organize and time manage to bring a project together. They also learned about native animals through Evelyn's Wildlife Refuge and what to do to help keep animals safe in nature."

Troop 522, now Girl Scout Juniors, have been together since they were second year Brownies. Last year, they doubled their 2022 Girl Scout Cookie goals, and used funds earned from their participation in the Girl Scout Cookie Program to benefit their Bronze Award project as well as to enjoy a troop overnight visit to Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg, VA.

Along with their most recent service project with Evelyn's Wildlife Refuge, Troop 522 has also previously packed meals for children who cannot afford lunches through a local church program.

Congratulations to Troop 522 on a job well done! 

Bronze Award Spotlight: "Helping Evelyn's Wildlife Refuge"

Girl Scout Juniors Avery, Bess, Julia, Kendall, Madeline, and Maya of Troop 671 recently earned their Bronze Awards for taking action to help preserve wildlife and completed a service project they titled, "Helping Evelyn's Wildlife." For over 25 years, Evelyn's Wildlife Refuge, located in Suffolk, VA, has been providing shelter and rehabilitation services to orphaned, sick, and injured wildlife in the Hampton Roads area and they rely solely on support from the community and their donors. Girl Scouts from our Council have supported Evelyn's Wildlife Refuge through service projects and donation drives, in the past, and Troop 671 recently took the lead to make a difference for the organization and the wildlife they serve. 

Troop leaders of Troop 671, Kacey Farrell and Stephanie Cook, helped to provide support to the Girl Scouts throughout the process, which took the troop roughly 6 months to plan and execute. Kacey said, "the girls met in February to decide on a Bronze Award project and quickly narrowed down their field of interest to helping animals. We got in touch with a rehabber from Evelyn's Wildlife Refuge and set up a tour of her property to learn about Evelyn's Wildlife Refuge does and what kind of help they need. The girls also met and named a newborn raccoon." 

The Girl Scouts were inspired to tackle a big project, so they decided to build a large outdoor enclosure for the baby raccoons who are fostered and rehabilitated by Evelyn's Wildlife Refuge. The troop held a large scale yard sale to fundraise and then purchased an outdoor enclosure to install at Evelyn's Wildlife Refuge. 

Kacey continued, "They assembled the entire piece with minimal help from adults- we were so proud of them- and used the remaining funds to make no sew blankets for animal bedding, as requested by Evelyn's Wildlife Refuge and purchased more items from Evelyn's Wildlife Refuge wish list. They also spent time individually doing a beach and park clean up, nearby, to protect wildlife. They learned to work together as a team and support each other. They learned they are capable of putting together a large scale project and figuring out the hiccups and bumps along the way, that they could run a successful fundraising event, and they learned about how to help and protect wildlife."

Donations provided by Troop 671!

The troop meets a baby raccoon at Evelyn's Wildlife Refuge in Suffolk, VA.