Northeastern North Carolina Girl Scouts Exhibit Talents at Art Gallery

By Guest Blogger Sandra Warren, with Troop 2119 in Camden

A casual conversation about how to help a Girl Scout Senior finish her GIRLtopia Journey led to an amazing opportunity for all the Girl Scouts the Heart of the South Service Unit in northeastern North Carolina. Troop Leader Deborah Verhofstadt worked with the staff at the Arts of the Albemarle Gallery in Elizabeth City to arrange an exhibition of work for not only the Senior, but also for all girls in her service unit.

The message went out that any Girl Scout who was interested could submit a painting, photograph, drawing or collage piece. They were encouraged to base their pieces off of their Girl Scout badges and Journeys. Twenty girls took the opportunity to have their work put on exhibit.

Darlene Tighe, the gallery manager at Arts of the Albemarle Gallery, was so excited about the idea of the girls displaying their work that she wants to make the exhibit an annual event for the Girl Scouts. She was very impressed with the quality and variety of the submitted pieces, and she shared that members of the public even inquired about purchasing some of the artwork, and she explained that the pieces were just for display.

During a reception at the gallery on August 26, Girl Scouts from the Heart of the South Service Unit presented Tighe with a Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast Community Award, which is given to show appreciation to organizations and individuals in the community who support the Girl Scout movement. Impressed and inspired by the turnout at the reception, Tighe will be creating a community art wall for other community groups to use to display artwork.

The Girl Scout Art Exhibit will be on display through the beginning of October at the Arts of the Albemarle Gallery at 516 East Main Street Elizabeth City, NC 27909/

Gold Award Project Update

Last summer, Elizabeth City Girl Scouts Emily and Jessica completed their Gold Award projects at the SPCA of Northeastern North Carolina. Emily built five walking trails, including signs to mark the trails and a staircase and bridge to help make parts of the trails easier to walk on. Jessica built benches and trash bag holders to encourage people to pick up after the dogs. Both of the girls intended for their projects to create a safer and more inviting space for people to get to know the dogs available for adoption, as well as a place for staff and volunteers to exercise the dogs at the shelter.

In May, the SPCA of Northeastern North Carolina moved to a new location with more indoor and outdoor space to accommodate the animals, staff and volunteers. Knowing that their projects were no longer in use, this summer, Emily and Jessica contacted the shelter and volunteered to move the items they had built for their Gold Award projects to the new location. The shelter accepted the offer, eager to add some seating, as well as elements for the dogs, in their new outdoor space.

Emily and Jessica returned to the former SPCA building and dug up all of the items they had built for their project. They brought everything home to make some updates and adjustments. They then visited the new SPCA site to install the benches. Emily turned her bridge into a ramp for dogs to play on in the field. Her staircase for the trail at the previous site was also added to the new area as a play element for dogs.

With their project moved to the new site, the pieces that Emily and Jessica built are continuing to serve the animals, staff, volunteers and potential adoptive families at the SPCA. Once again, there is a safe and inviting outdoor space for animals and humans to play and relax.

Emily and Jessica recently finished their senior year of high school. Come October, the start of the next Girl Scout year, they will officially be Girl Scout alumnae and will continue to participate in the organization as adult members.

Girl Scouts Celebrate Military Volunteers: Brittney Webb

Each year, Americans recognize May as National Military Appreciation Month to focus attention on the individuals who serve in the armed forces and their achievements. Many members of the military serve their communities in more ways than one—including as volunteers for nonprofit organizations. One of these volunteers is Coast Guard Officer Trainee Brittney Webb of Moyock, who can trace her community involvement back to her days as a Girl Scout.

For OT Webb, Girl Scouts was a big part of her childhood. Some of her fondest memories come from camping with her Girl Scout troop— canoeing on the lake, cooking over a campfire and singing with friends. Girl Scouts was a place where she was encouraged to try new things and where she learned about the value of teamwork and power of friendship. It was through Girl Scouts that she learned the importance of giving back to the community.

Years passed since her time in Girl Scouts, and OT Webb went on to graduate from high school and join the Coast Guard. Then, earlier this winter, she was asked by her command if she would be willing to attend a Girl Scout troop meeting to help girls earn a military patch. All of her great Girl Scout memories came flooding back, and she eagerly volunteered to help out.

In January, OT Webb traveled to Chesapeake to meet with Girl Scout Troop 805. She was one of eight representatives from four branches of the military who talked to the girls about the differences between the branches, what their daily work lives are like and what it takes to serve in the military. After the troop meeting, OT Webb had the opportunity to chat with the troop members and really enjoyed reconnecting with the organization that had made such a positive impression on her as a child.

“After coming to the meeting, the troop leader asked if I wanted to continue with the troop,” OT Webb said. “Thinking back to all of my own wonderful Girl Scout memories, I agreed.”

Just days after her first meeting with Troop 805, OT Webb ran alongside her new Girl Scout friends in the Girl Scout Cookie Classic, an annual fundraising 5k hosted at Bells Mill Park in Chesapeake. She has also been supporting the troop members as they complete projects to earn the Girl Scout Bronze Award, which is the third highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouting.

OT Webb, far right, with Troop 805 at the Girl Scout Cookie Classic Run

“Girl Scouts is a valuable program because it gets girls involved in things they would never do otherwise,” OT Webb said. “The biggest impact Girl Scouts had on me was teaching me the importance of friendship, doing good for the community and empowerment for girls."

OT Webb is just one of the many Girl Scout volunteers who give their time and talents to make a difference in the lives of girls despite the demands of their career in the military. For more information about volunteering with Girl Scouts, visit www.gsccc.org.

Volunteers Make Improvements at Elizabeth City Field Center

On Thursday, July 23 and Friday, July 24, a group of volunteers from Piedmont Natural Gas gave a helping hands to Girl Scouts. The volunteers spent time at the Girl Scout program center and office in Elizabeth City to make improvements to the property.

The volunteers painted the exterior trim of the program center, and they also made repairs along the roofline. These improvements are essential to helping Girl Scouts maintain a safe and comfortable environment for the girls and volunteers who use the Elizabeth City Field Center.

Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast relies on volunteers all year long to not only serve as mentors and guides for nearly 14,000 girls across the region, but also to help maintain camp properties and program facilities. For more information about volunteering with Girl Scouts, visit www.gsccc.org.

Gold Award Spotlight: Run, Walk, Play

Girl Scout Ambassador Emily from Elizabeth City has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor and achievement in Girl Scouting. Emily has been a Girl Scout for 12 years and previously earned the Girl Scout Bronze and Silver Awards.

For her project, Emily addressed the need for an outdoor space for dogs at the SPCA of Northeastern North Carolina. She created five trails for staff and volunteers to use to exercise the dogs. Although the SPCA used to have trails, they were not properly maintained and were no longer functional. After creating the new trails, Emily arranged for local scouting troops to maintain them so they can be enjoyed for years to come.

“I chose this project because I care a lot about dogs,” Emily said. “At most shelters, dogs don’t have a place to be walked so they end up sitting in a cage all day. I wanted to make sure the dogs would have a place to exercise outside before being adopted.”

The Gold Award requires girls to identify an issue in their community and carry-out a Take Action project to address the matter through leadership work. Nationwide, less than 6 percent of eligible Girl Scouts earn the Gold Award, which adds Emily to an elite group of female leaders across the country with the honor.

Gold Award Spotlight: Sit, Rest and Clean Up

Girl Scout Ambassador Jessica from Elizabeth City has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor and award a girl can earn in Girl Scouting. Jessica has been a Girl Scout for 12 years and has previously earned the Girl Scout Bronze and Silver Awards.

For her project, Jessica built six benches and installed them along the trails at the SPCA of Northeastern North Carolina. She also built several animal waste trash bag holders that she placed along the trails to make sure the trails are a waste-free environment for dogs and humans to enjoy.

Jessica chose this project because she wanted to create a comfortable and clean environment where dogs and their potential owners could meet. Her project also made the outdoor space at the SPCA a more pleasant environment for SPCA staff members and volunteers to walk dogs.

"My dogs came from shelters, and I think all shelter animals need homes,” Jessica said. My project gives the dogs at the SPCA a chance to get outside to meet people.”

The Gold Award requires girls to identify an issue in their community and carry-out a Take Action project to address the matter through leadership work. Nationwide, less than 6 percent of eligible Girl Scouts earn the Gold Award, which adds Jessica to an elite group of female leaders across the country with the honor.

Encourage Access to Girl Scouts

GSCCC members in North Carolina, please support North Carolina Senate Bill 400 sponsored by NC Senator Erica Smith-Ingram.

S400 - This bill would encourage regional schools in North Carolina to facilitate access for students to participate in activities provided by the Boy Scouts of America, and its affiliated North Carolina groups and councils, and the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, and its affiliated North Carolina groups and councils. Student participation in any activities offered by these organizations shall not interfere with instructional time during the school day. Find details of the bill here.

Allowing Girl Scouts to give information on, and provide activities from, the Girl Scout Leadership Experience will help us reach more girls and serve our mission of helping build girls of courage, confidence and character, to make the world a better place!

Find members of the North Carolina Assembly – Whorepresents me?

Meet Elizabeth City Girl Scouts Emily and Jessica

Every girl deserves the chance to see the world, and when they’re exploring new cities, experiencing new cultures and seeing new sights, Girl Scouts are expanding their horizons. In January, Girl Scout Ambassadors Emily and Jessica, along with their mother and Girl Scout volunteer Julie, traveled to New York City with a group of over 30 Girl Scouts for an action-packed long weekend to discover the best of the city.

Emily, Julie and Jessica outside of the GSUSA central office

From Times Square to the Statue of Liberty and everything in between, Emily, Jessica, Julie and their Girl Scout travel companions took advantage of all of the time that they had during their stay in New York. They had a private tour of Radio City Music Hall, experienced the breathtaking views from the top of the Empire State Building, strolled through the galleries of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and saw a Broadway show.

“As we stood in the halls of Ellis Island, we could picture our civics lessons in our heads as they came to life before our eyes,” Emily said. “We then took a ferry to the Statue of Liberty, and she was an amazing sight!”

For Emily and Jessica, who have been Girl Scouts since they were five years old, a highlight of the trip was visiting the Girl Scouts of the USA central office. There, they visited the national Girl Scout archives and participated in a focus group about the Girl Scout Cookie Program. They also had the opportunity to meet the CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA, Anna Maria Chavez.

“We told her all about our Girl Scout careers,” Jessica said. “She looked at all of our badges and pins and asked about them. Some of them she had not seen before!”

Jessica helps Emily build benches for part of her
Girl Scout Gold Award project

Emily and Jessica, who are in their final years of being girl members of the organization that they love, are working on their projects to earn the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouting. Each of their projects benefits the SPCA of Northeastern North Carolina. Emily is building new trails to replace the walkways that have not been maintained over the past few years. Jessica is building benches and animal waste trash bag holders that will be placed along the trails. Both of their projects will help provide a nice outdoor space for people to walk and get to know the animals that are available for adoption.

Emily and Jessica will also be traveling to Raleigh later this month to take part in Girl Scout Legislative Day, an annual event to raise awareness about the issues important to girls and young women and educate legislators on what Girl Scouts are doing to address these issues.

Elizabeth City Girl Scout Troop Takes Action to Make a Difference

When it comes to the members of Girl Scout Troop 1624 in Elizabeth City, they’re all about taking action. The 15 members of the troop, many of whom are starting their second year in Girl Scouts this year, meet on a weekly basis to plan and take part in fun and meaningful activities. Though many of the troop members are still in elementary school, they have already learned about how they can make a positive impact on their community.

In April, when strong storms brought tornadoes through northeastern North Carolina, Troop 1624 partnered with Chick-fil-a to deliver sandwiches and water to families in neighborhoods affected by the storms. The Girl Scouts, along with other volunteers in the community, handed out 1,500 cases of water and 5,000 sandwiches to local residents in the days following the storm. The volunteer leader of the troop, Diane Siniard, is always looking for ways that girls can help out in the community and learned about this project on social media.

Diane with troop members Samantha, Marlie and Brianna
during Operation School Supplies.

Most recently, members of the troop helped collect school supplies through WAVY-TV’s annual campaign to help ensure that children in the region have the resources that they need for a successful start to the school year. The girls spent a day helping to “stuff the bus” for Operation School Supplies, collecting and sorting donations of notebooks, glue, scissors, pencils and more outside of a Chesapeake Farm Fresh.

“Community service teaches girls that there are people less fortunate than they are, which gives them a new perspective on the things they do have,” Siniard said. “It is important for them to learn about civic duty at a young age, and I try to give them plenty of opportunities to make a difference.”

Siniard, who spent a short time in Girl Scouts while growing up, reconnected with the organization when her daughter started kindergarten and was old enough to join Girl Scouts. In addition to providing girls with community service opportunities as the leader of Troop 1624, Siniard also keeps up to date with trainings in order to provide outdoor experiences for girls through camping trips, as well as STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) activities through TechBridge, a hands-on learning program to expand academic and career options for girls.

The troop has more community service projects on the horizon, including collecting clothing and blankets to donate to the homeless through a local shelter and adopting a highway segment to keep clean. They’ll also be supporting local families during the holidays through Angel Tree, through which they’ll provide gifts of clothing, personal care items and toys to those who are unable to afford such gifts.

Community service has been a cornerstone of Girl Scouting since the organization was founded over 100 years ago. Through their work to improve the community, the members of Troop 1624 have learned to identify community needs, become resourceful problem solvers and inspired others to take action. These lessons will last them well beyond their youth years in Girl Scouts and will give them the courage and confidence to continue to take on leadership roles in the future.

To share your troop's community service efforts, email kaitlins@gsccc.org.

Girl Scouts Explore and Discover in STEM

The opportunity for girls to explore and discover in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields is more important than ever. The demand for numbers in the STEM workforce in the United States continues to grow, yet women hold less than 30 percent of STEM careers. According to the Girl Scout Research Institute, girls are interested in STEM and are drawn to the creative, hands-on aspects of these subjects, but they need more exposure and better education about STEM careers and what they can offer in order for girls to seriously consider a job in these fields.

Girl Scouts is committed to offering opportunities for girls to have these STEM experiences all year long. This spring, Girl Scouts were introduced to female STEM leaders and what they do at events hosted in conjunction with community partners, including the American Association of University Women (AAUW), Society of Women Engineers (SWE), Booz Allen Hamilton and Port Discover.


Girl Scout Junior Sianna from Norfolk learn computer

programming from Valencia Ingram with Norfolk State

University at Tech Savvy.

At Tech Savvy hosted by AAUW at Tidewater Community College on March 15, girls learned how a STEM education can broaden their career choices. Girls had the chance to explore marine technology with Nora Kelly, outreach instructor with the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center, learn computer programming basics with Valencia Ingram from the Norfolk State University College of Science, Engineering and Technology, study brains with Marissa Rice, a PhD student at Cornell University, discover a world of chemistry with Jamika Brown from the Norfolk Naval Shipyard and more. The event also included workshops for parents to learn about supporting their daughters as they pursue education and careers in STEM. 

Girl Scout Brownie Dorina from Chesapeake tells

Megan Roche, a member of  SWE, what she learned about density.

Later in the month, engineers from SWE and Booz Allen Hamilton hosted a workshop at A Place for Girls called Design Divas, which gave girls insight into how engineers solve everyday problems with science and creativity. Girls learned about energy and friction by making puff mobiles, explored static electricity and density, discovered the use of levers, pulleys and gears in everyday machinery and tried their hand at chemistry by making their own lip gloss.

During the last weekend in March, Port Discover in Elizabeth City hosted a special day for Girl Scouts to learn about life sciences and participate in activities from the Girl Scout National Leadership Journey, It’s Your Planet—Love It!, which engages girls in activities to learn about the protecting the earth and its natural resources. Girls explored the life of a bug, ventured into the Kid’s Grow Garden to learn about flowers and learned about tree species in northeastern North Carolina, taking a close look into the world of forestry.

Girl Scout Daisies Madelyn and Maddie from Smithfield touch
a hissing cockroach at Port Discover.

Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast is dedicated to creating opportunities for girls to interact with women in STEM so that girls can observe firsthand what these careers are like, as well as talk to women about how they have overcome obstacles to succeed. The Girl Scout Research Institute found that 66 percent of girls who are interested in STEM say that they know someone in a STEM career, showing the importance of girls having a role model in these fields.

In September, Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast and Norfolk State University will be hosting Science Alive, a day of gun and learning with sessions in engineering, chemistry, medicine, biology and physical science. All girls, whether or not they are currently registered Girl Scouts, are invited to participate in STEM activities with Girl Scouts. Find opportunities in GO!