Virginia Beach Girl Scouts Visit Chocolate Factory

Virginia Beach Girl Scout Troop 152 is a group of lively and energetic second and third graders. The troop meets each week, and together, the girls earn badges, explore the great outdoors and make a difference in their community. In the weeks since Girl Scout Cookie season ended, the girls have toured a police station and earned their Letterboxing badge. On April 20, the girls got together for a “sweet” meeting at the Schakolad Chocolate Factory in Virginia Beach, funded by the proceeds that they earned from cookie sales.

For the troop members, it is important to plan meetings and outings that they can all take part in together, including Aly. Aly, who now lives in The Albero House, an adult care facility at St. Mary’s Home, is a volunteer assistant leader with the troop. Aly was a member of the Girl Scout troop at St. Mary’s when she was younger, and she enjoyed all of the opportunities that she had with Girl Scouts, from building a butterfly garden at St. Mary’s Home to taking a trip to Washington, D.C. Judy Salway, support coordinator at St. Mary’s Home, was looking for a way to get Aly more connected with the community. Knowing all of the fun that she had in Girl Scouts, she contacted her daughter-in-law, Heidi Salway, who is a leader of Girl Scout Troop 152, and the rest is history. Aly is an integral part if the troop and enjoys taking part in activities with the rest of the troop members.

At the Schakolad Chocolate Factory, Aly and all of the troop members made a Girl Scout Trefoil-shaped chocolate lollipop, dipped a marshmallow in chocolate and decorated their own chocolate bars. They also enjoyed a short movie to learn about where chocolate comes from and about the history of the delicacy, and they watched a live chocolate mold demonstration.

“My favorite part was decorating my own chocolate bar,” Olivia, a third-grader in the troop, said. “I can’t wait to get home because I am going to split it in four pieces to share it with my family.”

Troop 152 still has plenty of fun planned before they take a break for the summer. Next on their agenda, the girls will be learning about genealogy. Each girl took home a family tree to fill out at home and share at the next troop meeting as part of earning the My Family Story badge. With cookie season complete and warm weather in the forecast, the troop is looking forward to a spring full of fun and adventure together.

Girl Scout Cookies & Milk – A Sweet Event for North Carolina Legislators

GSCCC Girl Scouts with Secretary Elaine Marshall

Board Chair Carolene Goodwyn-Harris with Senator Bill Cook

What a perfect way to end the Girl Scout Cookie season! Several Girl Scout teens from our North Carolina counties joined GSCCC CEO Tracy Keller and Board Chair Carolene Goodwyn-Harris at an advocacy day Cookies and Milk event in Raleigh on April 26 at the North Carolina Legislative Building. The goal of the day was to reach out to legislators and government officials to share our Girl Scout legislative agenda that included report findings from the State of Girls 2017 report released by the Girl Scout Research Institute. In addition, girl representatives from Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont, Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast, Girl Scouts, Hornets’ Nest and Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines shared their leadership experiences and were shining examples of the go-getters, innovators, risk-takers, and leaders that Girl Scouts help to build!

Girl Scout CEOs Lisa Jones from Coastal Pines and
Tracy Keller from Colonial Coast with Senator Ingram-Smith
and Girl Scouts Isabella, Nidhi and Victoria

Highlights of the day for all included introductions by Representative Beverley Boswell during the House session and Senator Tamara Barringer during the Senate session, and meeting and hearing from North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall who attended the Cookies and Milk reception. Secretary Marshall spoke to the girls about how she became interested in public office and what her job entails, which involves overseeing a department of 200 employees and responsibilities such as pursuing product counterfeiting as part of trademark protection law enforcement. Marshall stated that while she was not a Girl Scout growing up, she has been a strong supporter of Girl Scouts as an adult and has served as a volunteer in an advisory capacity.

Governor Roy Cooper signing the proclamation in the historic
House chambers in the Capitol

During the afternoon, representatives from the four councils toured the historic Capitol building and had an opportunity to meet Governor Roy Cooper. In the historic House Chambers room, packed with Girl Scout representatives, the Governor’s address to Girl Scouts included praise for the community service they offer, the examples they set for other youth and the importance of the Girl Scout program in developing our nation’s leaders. He ended his time with the group by signing a proclamation in recognition of 100 years of Girl Scouts selling cookies!

Norfolk Girl Scout Earns Silver Award

Isabella, a Norfolk Girl Scout, has earned the Girl Scout Silver Award, the second highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouting.

Isabella, who volunteers at the Virginia Beach SPCA, started an awareness campaign about the organization for her Silver Award project. She visited Girl Scout troop meetings, where she spoke about adoptable animals and invited a representative from the SPCA to talk about what staff and volunteers do at the shelter. Under Isabella’s leadership, groups of Girl Scouts collected food and toys to donate to the SPCA.

Isabella also took photos of adoptable pets at the SPCA and made fliers that she posted a pet supply stores and libraries around the region.

“I wanted to help homeless animals find homes,” Isabella said. “All animals need a loving place to live.”

The Girl Scout Silver Award is the top award that middle school age Girl Scouts can earn. To earn the award, girls have to identify a need in the community and carry out a Take Action project to address the matter through leadership work.

Hampton Girl Scout Earns Silver Award

Ashlin, a Hampton Girl Scout, has earned the Girl Scout Silver Award, the second highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouting.

For her project, Ashlin worked with The Cat Corner, a nonprofit, no-kill shelter in Hampton. Ashlin refurbished the bench that sits on the porch of The Cat Corner by peeling off the old paint, filling in the cracks, sanding the wood, adding a coat of primer and adding a fresh coat of paint. Ashlin painted cats and the organization’s name on the bench before securing it back in place at The Cat Corner. She also worked with a Girl Scout troop and taught the girls how to make cat toys, which they donated to The Cat Corner.

Ashlin also interviewed a volunteer at The Cat Corner and put together a video about what people should do if they encounter a stray cat, the importance of spaying and neutering cats and how people can adopt a cat from or volunteer with The Cat Corner. In order to share the information with a wide audience, Ashlin placed her video online for anyone to view.

The Girl Scout Silver Award is the top award that middle school age Girl Scouts can earn. To earn the award, girls have to identify a need in the community and carry out a Take Action project to address the matter through leadership work.

Dominion Virginia Power Takes a Girl Scout to Work

In the middle of launching a rebrand, Dominion Virginia Power – soon to be Dominion Energy – took time to host a Girl Scout during the Take a Girl Scout to Work Day sponsored by Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast. Girl Scout Breea Sandy was the lucky girl chosen to spend a day with employees at Dominion Virginia Power and was given an opportunity to learn first-hand about various departments at the company, including state and local affairs, design and customer service.

External Affairs Manager Troy Lindsey offered Breea insight into what it takes to be a manager at Dominion and the history of his 15-year career with the company.

“This is a great place to work,” Lindsey said. “When I started in 2001, I set my sights on the job I currently have. I never really thought I would get here so soon, but I have been given many opportunities to grow. As a math major in college, I never envisioned myself in the job I’m in now.”

From being a manager overseeing 25 employees in a call center to analyst and on to his current position, Lindsey says Dominion is committed to assessing the talent of their employees and helping them achieve. With a big grin, he said, “It worked for me!”

For someone who has so much ahead – college and then a first real job – this was good news. Breea said she will look for in an employer like Dominion in the future.

Breea also spent time in the Design department and traveled with Customer Project Designers Nancy Coons and Kim Alvis to a nearby construction site of the new Norfolk Premium Outlets. She learned how important the placement of transformers were, how lines were laid underground and about machinery used to place electric poles.

“I never knew there were so many different types of jobs to choose from,” Breea said. “There were a lot of people who had jobs very different from what they went to college for, so I guess you never know where life takes you. One thing was for sure, everyone told me math was important no matter what, so I guess I’ll keep trying harder at algebra!”

Take a Girl Scout to Work Day is modeled after the national Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® (TODASTW), where each year more than 3.5 million American workplaces open their doors to over 39 million employees and their children on TODASTW Day. Girl Scouts is committed to providing opportunities for girls to explore and discover in a wide variety career interests. Through opportunities, including Take a Girl Scout to Work Day at Dominion Virginia Power, Girl Scouts is able to introduce girls to professionals who show girls that they can be whatever they want to be.

Scout of the Year 2017

Girl Scout Senior Michaella from Virginia Beach was selected as the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) General MacArthur Memorial Post 392 Scout of the Year for 2017.

Michaella has been a Girl Scout for 11 years and is an active member of Troop 475. Last year, she earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor in Girl Scouting, for her project about community pride that included building two lending libraries and leading a neighborhood effort to paint a mural in Baylake Pines. During the past year as a Girl Scout, Michaella has also volunteered at the Judeo-Christian Outreach Center, marched in the Veteran’s Day parade and served as a role model and mentor for the members of Girl Scout Troop 13. The members of Troop 13 are now middle schoolers, and Michaella has volunteered with the troop since the girls started Girl Scouts as kindergartners and first graders.

In addition to her success as a Girl Scout, Michaella is active in her school and as a volunteer. She is an honor roll student, a member of the Student Council Association, part of the Art Honor Society and plays on her school’s lacrosse team. She has earned the Gold Level of the Presidential Volunteer Service Award, which requires at least 100 hours of community service, by working with organizations including St. Mary’s Home, Lynnhaven River Now and Club Sandwich, an afterschool program for disadvantaged youth.

Michaella was recognized by VFW Post 392 as Scout of the Year at a meeting on April 5.

The VFW Scout of the Year program is open to youth who have earned the highest honor and achievement in their organization, including the Girl Scout Gold Award, who display standout citizenship, patriotism and love of country.

Gold Award Spotlight: Creating a Nest Success

Ashlyn, a Smithfield Girl Scout, has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouting.

After learning about the lack of suitable habitats for wood ducks in her community, Ashlyn decided to take action to support the wood duck population. After recruiting a team of volunteers to help, she built wood duck houses and installed them at Windsor Castle Park in Smithfield. Although there were birdhouses at the park, there were not designated habitats for wetlands wildlife.

“Wood ducks need very specific living conditions,” Ashlyn said. “I provided housing for the wood duck population in my area, and I encouraged others to follow in my footsteps to help maintain the wood duck population.”

Ashlyn educated members of her community about wood ducks and their habitat needs. She spoke at meetings of the Virginia Master Gardeners in Smithfield, the Smithfield Chapter of Ducks Unlimited, the Isle of Wight County Women’s Club, local Girl Scout troops and her civic league. She also created a Facebook page to share her project with others.

Ashlyn has arranged for members of the Historic Southside Chapter of the Virginia Master Naturalists to upkeep the wood duck houses. She set up a Wood Duck Specialty Group within the organization and trained members about how to care for the boxes.

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