Gold Award Spotlight: Sports Safety

Girl Scout Ambassador Margaret from Chesapeake has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor and achievement in Girl Scouting. For her project, Margaret focused on the increased number of sports-related injuries among young athletes. In order to educate the public about this issue, as well as help prevent future injuries, Margaret hosted three workshops at two Chesapeake Montessori schools and held clinics at local sports tournaments at Virginia Wesleyan College. She also created an interactive presentation about the issue that she presented at the Greenbrier YMCA’s Healthy Kids Expo. Through these events, she was able to reach a wide variety of people and spread the word about preventing and recognizing sports injuries.

“I chose this project because I have aspirations to become a physical or occupational therapist where I would encounter many sports-related injuries that are similar to the ones I researched during my project,” Margaret said.

Margaret also created brochures that include statistics, facts and tips on sports injury prevention and recognition, which she placed at the Chesapeake Central Library and the Great Bridge Recreation Center to reach even more members of the community.

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 Margaret to an elite group of female leaders across the country with the honor.

Day of Caring at A Place for Girls

Eight volunteers from TowneBank gave a helping hand to Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast as part of Day of Caring, sponsored by United Way of South Hampton Roads. Organizations across the region are benefitted from this special day, held on Friday, September 12.

Volunteers spent the day at A Place for Girls, the headquarters and program center for the Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast located in Chesapeake. They put a fresh coat of paint on one of the picnic pavilions in The Outback, a nearly 9 acre nature area situated behind A Place for Girls. The pavilions are used by both Girl Scout members and visitors all year long as they enjoy the boardwalk that meanders through the tidal wetlands, a health and fitness trail, two boat docks for canoeing and kayaking on Bells Mill Creek and a 50 foot observation tower.

Barbara Tierney and Dee Kloskin

Among the volunteers was Barbara Tierney, retired senior vice president at TowneBank and Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast board member. This is the second year in a row that she and a team from TowneBank have worked with Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast for Day of Caring.

“I was a Girl Scout when I was growing up, and it certainly enhanced my life.” Tierney said. “It’s amazing to see the great things that girls are doing today, and I am glad that we can help make a difference for Girl Scouts.”

The annual United Way Day of Caring was established to promote volunteerism, as well as to raise awareness about organizations that are making a difference in the community. Each year, hundreds of volunteers from the business sector participate in Day of Caring and give service to non-profit organizations.

Thank you to all of the volunteers from TowneBank for making a difference at Girl Scouts!

Guest Blogger: Girl Scout Cadette Sianna

This blog post was written by Girl Scout Cadette Sianna from Norfolk.

My name is Sianna  and I am a first year Girl Scout Cadette. I went to Fort Monroe in August because I was doing a photo shoot, representing Girl Scouts and helping launch the Junior Ranger Program for kids.

Fort Monroe is in Hampton, Virginia, and it’s completely FREE! Now if you go to the museum, you don't have to go through security and the museum is lots of fun. It’s an amazing place to visit, and I learned lots of facts while I was there. For example, the Junior Ranger mascot is a cartoon version of a real dog that helped out at the base. I also got to walk into the real cell that Jefferson Davis was imprisoned in for about four months.

Sianna was sworn in as a Junior Ranger at Fort Monroe by
Kirsten Talken-Spaulding, who is superintendent of
Fort Monroe National Monument and a Girl Scout alumna.

The Junior Ranger Program is meant for kids ages 5-12 but you don't have to be a kid, lots of adults do it too (they are called “Not So Junior Rangers”). All you have to do to complete it is pick up the book from the Visitor Center, finish the book, (you have to do most of the book if you're over 8, and less if you're younger) then one of the rangers will swear you in as a Junior Ranger, and you get a pin.

I went out West this Spring and did the Junior Ranger program and collected badges and patches from seven national parks. You can collect park stamps by going to the visitor center and you will get a stamp for that park. My favorite park was the Grand Canyon, because I went there when I was 3, and it brought back memories from when I was little. While I was there I got sworn in as a Junior Ranger for the Grand Canyon.

I hope you all go to Fort Monroe and enjoy all they have to offer.

Gold Award Spotlight: Merry Melodies

Girl Scout Ambassador Mary Elysse from Moyock has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor and achievement in Girl Scouting. For her project, Mary Elysse developed a program to bring weekly live music performances to the Currituck House, a senior living facility in Moyock. Mary Elysse used her talents for singing and playing ukulele and guitar to entertain the residents at the Currituck House. She also invited guests, including the female quartet from her church, to perform along with her once in a while. During each performance, Mary Elysse engaged the residents in a variety of songs, ranging from hymns to show tunes.

“I have always loved music and my grandfather was my first music teacher,” Mary Elysse said. “He was a resident of the Currituck House during the last summer of his life and he always said he wished there was live music to enjoy, so I decided to do my Gold Award project in his memory.”

Her favorite part of the project was having the opportunity to get to know some of the residents at the Currituck House. She got to learn about their fascinating lives and saw firsthand how music reaches people in a way that words cannot.

After nearly a year of running the live music program, Mary Elysse shared her project with her fellow members of the chorus at Currituck County High School and the students are going to help continue the project after Mary Elysse graduates.

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 Mary Elysse to an elite group of female leaders across the country with the honor.

Tidewater Community College Students Lend a Helping Hand to Girl Scouts

On Saturday, August 16, more than 15 students from the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at Tidewater Community College Chesapeake Campus gave a helping hand to Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast as part of the Society’s Day of Community Service. The volunteers spent the morning at A Place for Girls the headquarters and program center for Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast located in Chesapeake.

The group of students added a fresh coat of paint to one of the picnic pavilions in The Outback, a nearly 9 acre nature area situated behind A Place for Girls. The pavilions are used by both Girl Scout members and visitors all year long as they enjoy hiking the trails, climbing the outlook tower, canoeing on Bells Mill Creek, picnicking and more.

Phi Theta Kappa provides opportunities for the development of leadership and service for college students. Members of the Alpha Zeta Lambda chapter at Tidewater Community College Chesapeake Campus have been making a difference in the local community for over 30 years.

Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast relies on volunteers all year long to not only serve as mentors and guides for nearly 15,000 girls across the region, but also to help maintain camp properties and program facilities. If you are part of an organization that would be interested in partnering with Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast, please call 757-547-4405.

Hampton Girl Scouts Meet with Senator Tim Kaine

Last month, seven Girl Scouts from Hampton had the opportunity to meet with Senator Tim Kaine while he was in Norfolk for a senatorial forum. The Girl Scouts organized this meeting in order to inform Senator Kaine about the organization’s commitment to providing educational opportunities for girls to explore and discover in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields.

GSCCC CEO Tracy Keller presented Senator Kaine with the
Council's STEM patch.

During their meeting, the Girl Scouts presented Senator Kaine with the Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast STEM patch, which was created in honor of Dr. Sandra DeLoatch, when she was served as the dean of the College of Science, Engineering and Technology at Norfolk State University. The patch is just one of the ways that Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast creates oopportunities for girls to explore their interests in STEM.

Senator Kaine then sat down with the girls to hear about how being a part of Girl Scouts has not only given them opportunities to participate in STEM activities, but to do so in a supportive and encouraging environment.

“At school, I really became interested in science and engineering, and I've had even more opportunities to learn about science through Girl Scouts,” Girl Scout Senior Ashleigh told Senator Kaine. “Last year got to go to Science Alive with Girl Scouts at Norfolk State University, and my favorite part of the day was making ice cream with liquid nitrogen.”

Members of Girl Scout Troops 1289 and 1361 from Hampton
with Senator Kaine and GSCC CEO Tracy Keller.

After hearing from each of the girls, Senator Kaine shared his support of STEM education and talked about his belief in the value of career and technical education, as well as the importance of higher education being affordable. He also shared his recognition of the challenges that women face in joining the workforce, and he talked to each girl about her future aspirations. The girls, whose interests range from becoming an architect to a geneticist, each shared what interests them most.

The Girl Scout Research Institute has found that girls are overwhelmingly interested in STEM, but, despite women making great strides in education over the last 50 years, they continue to be underrepresented in the STEM fields. Girls need more exposure and better education about what STEM careers are and what they can offer. As the premier leadership organization for girls, Girl Scouts given a variety of ways to participate in hands-on STEM learning all year long.

This fall, Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast has numerous STEM events planned for girls, including Society of Women Engineers Day on November 1 at Old Dominion University and Think Like a Scientist on December 6 at the Virginia Living Museum. All Girl Scout events are open to all girls, whether or not they are currently registered members of the organization.

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.