Camp Skimino Family Camp

Spend the Fourth of July in the great outdoors during GSCCC’s Family Camp at Camp Skimino! Registered Girl Scout girls, adults and families are invited to enjoy Camp Skimino between July 2 and 7—stay for as many nights as you would like! There will be plenty of time to swim, hike, canoe, fish, take part in all-camp activities and enjoy nature. Or, families can take day trips out. Colonial Williamsburg, Water Country USA, Busch Gardens and other attractions are nearby—create your own adventure! Plus, Thursday, July 6 is parents' night out!

Families are responsible for their own meals. They can cook them at camp or take a short drive from camp to enjoy a Williamsburg restaurant. If you choose to cook at camp, bring your own supplies, but we’ll provide ice for your coolers at no additional cost. Each tent site has a screened in shelter with picnic tables and a refrigerator for all campers at the site to share.

Family Camp is $25 per person, per night. Children under five stay for free. Families will stay in platform tents with cots and mattresses for up to five people. Modern shower houses with hot water and flush toilets are located nearby.

Family Camp at Camp Skimino is the perfect way to enjoy Williamsburg on a budget. Explore this popular tourist destination without paying for a hotel. Spend a night or the whole week—it’s up to you!

Find more information and register for Family Camp here.

Gold Award Spotlight: Arts and Crafts with Kylie

Kylie, a Virginia Beach Girl Scout, has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouting.

For her project, Kylie created an arts and crafts class at First Colonial Inn, a senior living community. During each session, Kylie led residents in creating a new craft project for them to keep. They made wreaths, sun catchers, clay bowls, picture frames, greeting cards and more. Kylie also helped the seniors create a large, grapevine wreath and a mosaic table that are on display for everyone at First Colonial Inn to enjoy. Kylie’s arts and crafts sessions were not only a fun experience, but also helped the residents maintain motor skills and stimulate the creativity in their brains.

“No matter what age someone is, they can express themselves through art,” Kylie said.

Kylie held classes twice a week for six months. They were so popular that the classes will continue with the help of staff at First Colonial Inn. 

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

Envision Lead Grow

Angela D. Reddix, president and CEO of ARDX, a multi-million dollar healthcare management and technology consulting company based in Norfolk, is offering a series of workshops for teen Girl Scouts at A Place for Girls, the regional Girl Scout program center, that focus on how to become a successful entrepreneur. She is using her vision to give the future generation of girls a helping hand as she launches a new endeavor – the Envision Lead Grow (ELG) nonprofit. The mission of the nonprofit is to break the cycle of poverty for 1,000 girls in underserved communities in the U.S. each year. Angela is determined to help them build their futures through entrepreneurship. She is also determined to earn her doctorate in organizational development while making a difference.

“It’s not how your life starts, it’s how you end your life,” Reddix said to the 20-plus girls who attended the first of four workshops on March 4.

Her inspiring story of how she took charge of opportunities given to her inspired the girls to get out of their comfort zones and share their own life journeys. Reddix told them that confidence and caring about themselves is key to any success in life.

ELG will be taking a similar workshop similar to the one shared with Girl Scouts on the road this summer. Reddix is collaborating with colleges and community groups in six cities to deliver the program. Girl Scouts going through ELG program are receiving a tailored version to help them meet requirements for the Girl Scout Entrepreneurship badge.

“Partnering with Girl Scouts is smart on so many fronts,” Reddix said. “As a donor and supporter, I want to invest in organizations that are change agents and that’s how I see Girl Scouts.”

In addition to the workshops, Reddix is also offering free online webinars for teen girls that focus on helping them gain confidence through business skills. The hour-long webinars are designed to bring together girls between the ages of 13 and 19. Visit EnvisionLeadGrow.org for details of upcoming webinars. Upcoming webinars will be held at 7 p.m. on April 27 and May 25.  

Spread the Scouting Word

On April 1, we are hosting an event in conjunction with Boy Scouts to introduce families to all of the fun and adventure that scouting has to offer. If you know someone who is interested in joining, please share this event with them!

Family Scouting Sampler Day is a free event that will take place on Saturday, April 1 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Thalia United Methodist Church in Virginia Beach.

Girls and boys will get to visit stations to complete activities and learn about scouting. At each station, they will receive a stamp in their “passport.” After they earn all of the stamps, they will receive their first patch! Stations will include pottery painting with Color Me Mine, building a mini first aid kit, making an edible campfire, learning about community service opportunities, finding out about outdoor activities in scouts and more!

Girls who register to be Girl Scouts during the event will receive a free ticket to Girl Fest on April 29 at the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach!

Currently registered Girl Scouts can participate by sharing this event with their friends. Spreading the word about Family Scouting Sampler Day can count as one activity towards earning the Girl Scout Recruiter patch!

Meet Samoa Soiree Judge: Xerxes Nabong

When it comes to finding the highly-recommended restaurants and businesses, many people turn to Yelp, an online community where users can write reviews, post photos, find events and more. Xerxes Nabong is the Community Manager behind Yelp Hampton Roads. He has weighed in on more than 1,000 restaurants and businesses since he joined Yelp in 2011, posting reviews about the good, the bad and the ugly. He also organizes parties and get-togethers for top Yelpers in the region, oversees a weekly enewsletter, hits the streets to attend festivals and events and, most importantly, spreads the word about Yelp.

This month, Nabong is taking on one of his tastiest challenges yet—he is serving on the judging panel at Samoa Soiree, an event hosted by Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast where local chefs make a sweet or savory dish using a Girl Scout Cookie as the key ingredient.

Xerxes receiving a plaque for Yelp's sponsorship of
the 2015 Samoa Soiree.

After attending Samoa Soiree for the past for years as a guest and sponsor, Nabong is looking forward to putting in his two-cents as a judge. He enjoys trying new foods, never knowing quite what to expect. For Nabong, it is all about that anticipation and excitement.

Although each dish at Samoa Soiree is made with at least one type of Girl Scout Cookie, among the desserts are plenty of savory dishes, which Nabong tends to prefer. He says that he can always go for a steak, and chicken wings are a close second. But, that does not mean that he hasn’t ever made a big dent in a batch of chocolate chip cookies.

Samoa Soiree isn't the only way that Xerxes
supports Girl Scouts. In 2015, he joined the
organization as part of the Man Enough to
 Be a Girl Scout campaign.

“I do recall a cheesecake that I couldn’t help but get seconds, okay thirds, of a couple of years ago at Samoa Soiree,” Nabong said.

Before the big night, March 25, Nabong offers a bit of advice to this year’s competing chefs. He says that he appreciates dishes that are simple. He’s looking for something that anyone could make, but the chefs have executed perfectly and presented the cookie in an unexpected way.

“Sure, the stylish, fancy ones are nice to enjoy, but when simple dishes get a little pizazz added to them, it gives us regular folks some hope of throwing our own creativity into some of the simplest things,” Nabong said.

And, one other word of advice to the chefs—Thin Mints are Nabong’s favorite Girl Scout Cookie.

Samoa Soiree will take place on Saturday, March 25 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center in Norfolk. Great food and drinks, along with live music and a silent auction—all for a great cause. Tickets are $75 each and can be purchased at www.gsccc.org.

Cookie Captain Abby

Like most Girl Scouts this time of year, Abby is on a cookie mission. Abby, who is a fifth grader in Girl Scout Troop 308 in Virginia Beach, set a goal to sell at least 200 boxes of cookies this year, and she has already exceeded her goal by more than two-fold.

For Abby, this accomplishment is exceptional. She was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of four and has faced years of treatments, a bone marrow transplant and complications. In July, her health deteriorated to the point that her family brought her home for hospice care. But, Abby had bigger plans. She has gained strength and has returned to school for a couple of hours each day. Through all of this, Abby has kept up with her Girl Scout troop.

In November, she attended the Cookie Kickoff at the Children’s Museum of Virginia in Portsmouth. Abby has to carefully plan how to spend her energy, and this event had been on her family’s calendar for months. At the Cookie Kickoff, she had the chance to spend the evening with Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast CEO Tracy Keller, who presented her with a Cookie Captain shirt and cape. The two rotated through cookie-themed activity stations together, especially enjoying the chance to sample the new Girl Scout S’mores cookie.

This winter, Abby’s story was published in the Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast magazine. It was here that Lin Olsen, executive director of the Great Bridge Battlefield and Waterways History Foundation, read Abby’s story and wanted to support Abby’s cookie goal. She reached out to Keller, who introduced her to Abby. On March 1, Abby, her mom, and her younger sister Emily loaded up the family van with cookies and headed to A Place for Girls, the Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast regional program center in Chesapeake, and met Olsen and some her friends, who all purchased cookies.

Abby set up a makeshift cookie booth in the lobby at A Place for Girls. She talked about her busy cookie season and enthusiastically talked about each flavor of cookie. She also shared that she is collecting cookies to donate to People in Need (PiN) Ministries in Virginia Beach, an organization that provides food, clothing, shelter and medical care for people who are homeless or living in poverty in Virginia Beach. Abby’s troop has served food, held a clothing drive and sewed items for people at PiN in the past, and collecting Girl Scout Cookies for them is just one more way for them to make a positive difference in the community.

After purchasing cookies for herself, family and friends, Olsen also bought five boxes for Abby to add to her collection for PiN. Thanks to the support of Olsen and her friends who came to buy cookies, Abby has now sold more than 500 boxes of the sweet treats.

This spring, Abby, who is an avid hockey fan, is looking forward to attending Cookies on Ice, an annual Girl Scout night out with the Norfolk Admirals, with her Girl Scout troop.

Samoa Soiree Silent Auction- Buy it Now!

This year, we’re giving our Samoa Soiree guests – and others – a chance to buy three of the awesome Samoa Soiree silent auction items in advance of the event. Buy it Now silent auction items are only available for purchase from March 15 to 22, on a first come, first purchase basis. Read to the end for purchasing information.

Are you Going to Disney World? – Value $1,915 – Buy It Now Price - $1,500

Treat yourself to an unforgettable family vacation from May 25 through June 1, 2017, at Marriott's Grande Vista. These elegant resort villas are ideally placed in Orlando, Florida near a host of Disney® attractions, world-renowned golf courses and more. Make yourself at home in your spacious, one bedroom accommodations for four people. Visit our luxury resort in Orlando, Florida to benefit from creative, challenging course play at our Grande Vista Golf Club, a vast selection of on-site restaurant options, a state-of-the-art luxury spa, four heated swimming pools and a complete fitness center with free classes. Along with placing you near the unparalleled excitement of Walt Disney World®, our resort villas are only minutes away from Universal Studios Florida®, SeaWorld® and Amway Arena. Contemporary excellence is waiting for you at Marriott's Grande Vista. 

Four Walt Disney World One-Day Park Hopper Passes are included so you can start enjoying the sights as soon as you arrive.

Compliments of Michael Mendelsohn, GSCCC Board of Directors

Adventure is Out There! – Value $800 – Buy It Now $600

There’s nothing like a day at The Adventure Park at Virginia Aquarium! The amazing aerial forest park features climbing and zip lining through majestic trees near the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center’s Marsh Pavilion. Your group of 16 people can take to the treetops on 15 trails that weave between tree platforms on a 6-acre site. Trails are marked by the degree of challenge they provide, offering adventures for ages 5 through adult.  Explore the park on your own or make memories with your family and friends. This is a perfect outdoor activity for birthday parties, scout groups, school field trips, and corporate events or team building programs. Ages five to adult are welcome!

Compliments of The Adventure Park at Virginia Aquarium

Get Away to Mexico – Value $4,060 – Buy It Now Price – $3,500

Celebrate the 4th in Mexico this year! The Mayan Sea Garden Mazatlán has a luxurious one-bedroom suite for four waiting for your arrival on July 1-8, 2017. This beach-front property adds deluxe leisure-time amenities to one of the most breathtaking beaches in Mexico.  Enjoy your favorite water sport or experience the best fishing in the Pacific Ocean, all from the comfort of Mayan Sea Garden. Or take advantage of the multiple swimming pools and fine dining. Called "The Pearl of the Pacific," Mazatlán has the feel of a small town by day and energetic city by night.

Compliments of Michael Mendelsohn, GSCCC Board of Directors

Here’s how it works:

Buy it Now silent auction items are available for purchase one week only-- March 15-22, 2017, on a first come, first purchase basis.

Contact us at philanthropy@gsccc.org if you are ready to Buy it Now. Intent to buy messages sent to philanthropy@gsccc.org will be processed in the order they are received.

All winning bidders must claim their items within 24 hours, paid in full, to secure it. Payment in full is accepted with credit (online) or check (in person).

Any items not paid in full within 24 hours will go to the next bidder or remain available the week of March 15-22, 2017.

Items not purchased during Buy it Now will be available at the Samoa Soiree on Saturday, March 25, 2017.