Gold Award Spotlight: Pollinators Thriving and ViBe-ing

 Girl Scout Ambassador Cailee earned her Gold Award, by completing her project titled, "Pollinators Thriving and ViBe-ing!" Cailee wanted to address the declining population of pollinators that is being seen around the country, including in her urban community, so she made a plan and got to work.

She worked with ViBe District of Virginia Beach coordinators and master gardeners to plan and build a garden area that included bee “motels” and native species of plants grown without pesticides, an important factor to sustainability.

“My goal for this project, long term, was to have people use less pesticides throughout their gardening because this hurts bees and creates spaces where they cannot pollinate,” Cailee said.

Cailee’s urban garden includes original artwork and an educational sign that explains her Gold Award project and the purpose of the bee “motels” and small ways people can help in their own backyards. 

“Bees are not endangered creatures but this does not mean it is time to ignore their declining populations,” Cailee said. “Bees can be saved if we do small things that lead to big changes in the way we view and care for our fuzzy little friends!”

Gold Award Girl Scout Cailee

Gold Award Spotlight: Removing Obstacles to Healthy Living

Girl Scout Ambassador Maya has a passion for getting outdoors and staying active and wanted to share her experience with others! Maya recognized that her community could use another place for to get outdoors and have fun. She took action and completed her project titled, “Removing Obstacles to Healthy Living,” earning her Gold Award along the way.

Maya recognized that living a healthy, balanced lifestyle has many life benefits, at all stages of life, and wanted to help make an accessible recreation space.

“Living a healthy lifestyle enables people, as they age, in their education, in their career and in their interactions with family and friends,” Maya said. 

Maya worked with Churchland YMCA in Churchland, VA to design and build an outdoor obstacle course with the help of community volunteers. Maya also created a video demonstration and educational literature about her obstacle course and did community outreach to invite families to get active at the Churchland YMCA.

Her project was a success and the community was invited to a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by Maya to unveil the course!

Congratulations, Maya!

Gold Award Spotlight: Distracted Driving Awareness

Getting your learner’s permit is an exciting time because you just can’t wait to get on the road! But what about some of the hidden dangers we may not think about when first starting out behind the wheel? We all know not to text and drive, but what other hidden dangers are there? 

Girl Scout Ambassador Francesca earned her Gold Award, by completing her project titled, “Distracted Driving Awareness” to address this issue. Francesca was inspired to spread distracted driving awareness education after her community experienced a tragic car accident that resulted in the loss of young life. Francesca worked with the York County Sheriff’s Department to create a Girl Scout patch program that brings awareness to the importance of safety on the road.

She created a curriculum and patch program aimed at teenagers to educate new drivers about types of distractions on the road and the dangers and legal consequences of breaking the law. She also designed a patch and had 300 patches made to be given to Girl Scouts who complete her program!

“Teenagers often do not realize how dangerous being on the roads can be,” Francesca said. “There are many variables that affect new drivers, not only cell phones.”

Francesca’s patch program, aimed at teenagers, educates new drivers about types of distractions on the road and the dangers and legal consequences of breaking the law. 

Francesca presented her program in front of the York County School Division as well as to local Girl Scouts. Francesca also created a website and petition to end distracted driving which received over 1000 signatures from her community and beyond.

Way to go, Francesca!

You can sign Francesca’s petition here- https://bit.ly/2YYO6v5

Gold Award Girl Scout Francesca

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!