Gold Award Spotlight: Diamonds in the Rough

Emily, 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, Emily educated members of the community about the simple things that they can do to help reduce the human impact on diamondback terrapin, a native turtle species. She worked with Lynnhaven River NOW to create an educational brochure and website. Emily also hosted workshops at community events, including the Lynnhaven River NOW Fall Arts Festival and the Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation Winter Wildlife Festival, and she set up presentations at local libraries.

In addition, Emily delivered her brochure to local businesses and used social media to post facts and information about diamondback terrapins.

“These turtles face many threats, some of which can easily be controlled by our community,” Emily said. “Keeping dogs on a leash at the beach is one simple thing that people can do to protect turtle nests. Adding a Turtle Excluder Device to crab pots is another great way to make a difference.”

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

Day of Caring 2017

A team of staff from Chubb Insurance spent the morning at A Place for Girls, the regional Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast program center, on Friday, September 8 for Day of Caring. This annual event, hosted by the United Way of South Hampton Roads, connects local volunteers to nonprofit organizations to a fun-filled day of hard work.

On the agenda for the day, the volunteers added a fresh coat of paint to the picnic shelters in The Outback, a nearly nine-acre nature area behind A Place for Girls. They also helped with landscaping around the property—weeding garden beds, trimming hedges and clearing paths along the nature trail in The Outback.

Helena Lecke-White, chair of the branch outreach committee for Chubb Insurance, organized the volunteer experience for herself and her coworkers. During Day of Caring, she helped with both the landscaping and the painting projects.

“Many of our staff members are already volunteers in the community, and Day of Caring is just one more way for us to give back,” Lecke-White said. “We have been taking part in Day of Caring for at least 15 years, and we enjoy getting to work with and learn about different organizations in the community.”

Athena Cash of Chubb Insurance was especially excited to be working with Girl Scouts for Day of Caring because she was a Girl Scout while growing up in Newport News. One of her fondest memories was learning how to roller-skate as a Girl Scout.

“I remember how much fun my sister and I had as Girl Scouts,” Cash said. “We loved earning badges to add them to our uniforms.”

Day of Caring was established in 1991 to promote the spirit of volunteerism, increase awareness of local human service organizations and demonstrate how people working together for the common good can accomplish great things. This year volunteers from almost 60 companies are tackled more than 100 service projects in South Hampton Roads for Day of Caring.

Hurricane Harvey Relief

UPDATED 9/11/17:

Girl Scouts of the USA, with the support of the National Board, has lifted fundraising restrictions to enable girls to raise money for Girl Scouting recovery efforts at the four councils impacted by Hurricane Harvey: Girl Scouts of San Jacinto, Girl Scouts of Greater South Texas, Girl Scouts of Central Texas and Girl Scouts of Louisiana-Pines to the Gulf.

Fundraising efforts will be undertaken with the sole intention of providing membership scholarships to impacted girls. Such scholarships are typically defined as dues, uniforms, credentials (e.g. insignia worn on uniforms) and Girl Scout materials.

To contribute to this effort, donate online or text HurricaneHarvey to 41444. You can give to the fund for all four councils, which GSUSA will distribute based on need, or you can choose a specific council.

The impacted councils remain so grateful for the outpouring of support. However, they are still assessing their specific needs to get back up and running at this time. For this reason, councils are not currently in a position to process and organize material donations.

And, while we are working to support our members and their families whom Hurricane Harvey has negatively impacted, GSUSA is also monitoring the needs of those affected by Hurricane Irma, and possibly Hurricane Jose. Updates will be posted as they are received. 

Original post:

We have all been stunned by the impact of Hurricane Harvey and the threat of Hurricane Irma. When disasters occur, Girl Scouts young and old want to help. Realizing that the after-effects of Hurricane Harvey will be felt for a very long time, we can look to offer our support once we are fully informed of the needs by our sister councils.

At this time, the San Jacinto Council (Houston and surrounding areas) and the Greater South Texas Council (which includes Corpus Christi, Victoria, Rockport) are assessing their members’ needs and will be letting Girl Scouts of the USA know how we can help as a Movement. In the meantime, if volunteers and girls would like to take some type of action today, the Texas councils have created the Texas Hurricane Relief Patch for this purpose. The patch was designed to encourage girls to participate in relief efforts and increase awareness and understanding of natural disasters and how to be prepared.

In addition, Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council has directed their troops in need of supplies and encouragement to post on their Facebook page. Troops who would like to help can connect directly with those in need on the page. The Council will be setting up a financial assistance fund for those who would like to help affected troops replenish their Girl Scout supplies. Refer to the GSSJC Facebook page for updates.

Girl Scouts of the USA also has program resources with tips and examples for engaging girls who want to help— Girl Scouts and Disaster Recovery. There is also a helpful guide available about How to Talk to Your Kids About Natural Disasters.

We appreciate your desire to help your sister Girl Scouts during difficult times, and we will keep you informed as we learn more. Members of GSCCC have a long history of helping others, especially following natural disasters. Following Hurricane Sandy in 2012, GSCCC members came together to assemble children’s toiletry kits for storm victims. If you are aware of any local Girl Scouts taking action for Hurricane Harvey relief efforts, share the story with us.

Gold Award Spotlight: Teen Driving While Under the Influence

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

Jennifer’s project addressed the issue of teens driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. She developed a presentation that she shared with more than 200 students in their driver’s education classes at Deep Creek High School. She also made a presentation to the members of Students Against Destructive Driving at her school.

Jennifer also distributed fliers about the dangers of driving under the influence, as well as bumper stickers that she designed with the message, “Driving Impaired Causes Fatal Consequences.” She also designed a retractable banner about the issue that she displayed at her school and a local AAA Club.

“I know teenagers that drink alcohol, take drugs and huff household chemicals before or while driving,” Jennifer said. “I wanted to make them aware of the fatal consequences of their bad decisions.”

After presenting to students at her school, Jennifer sent a copy of her presentation to the principals at each of the high schools in Chesapeake. In an accompanying letter, she explained her project and asked that her presentation is shared with students at the schools. Jennifer also created a website, where she placed resources and information for anyone to use.

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

Gold Award Spotlight: Volunteer Transportation for the Sullivan House

Grace, a Virginia Beach Girl Scout, has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, which is the highest honor and achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouts.

Already a volunteer at the Sullivan House, a subsidized apartment home for seniors, Grace asked a social worker there about further needs at the home. After learning that approximately 40 percent of the residents do not have a reliable source of transportation, Grace created a volunteer-run transportation program. Grace set up a system so that after volunteers apply to drive and are approved, they are given access to a secure website where they can sign up to give rides to the residents at the Sullivan House who have posted a ride need.

To recruit volunteers, Grace developed a presentation that she shared at churches and community group meetings in her community.

“Since my grandparents live far away, I have always enjoyed getting the opportunity to spend time with residents at the Sullivan House,” Grace said.

In addition to the residents at the Sullivan House gaining a reliable transportation system, both they and the drivers developed meaningful relationships with one another.

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

Chesapeake Girl Scout Recognized as a 2017 National Young Woman of Distinction

GSCCC CEO Tracy Keller, Lea and
GSCCC Board Chair Carolene Goodwyn-Harris

Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast is excited to announce that Lea Bonner, a Girl Scout Ambassador from Chesapeake, was named by Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) as a 2017 National Young Woman of Distinction, the organization’s most prestigious honor. GSUSA selects 10 National Young Women of Distinction annually among candidates who have earned their Girl Scout Gold Award®, which represents the highest achievement in Girl Scouts.

Approximately five percent of all eligible Girl Scouts earn their Gold Award each year— and just 10 girls in this already-high-achieving group receive the National Young Woman of Distinction honor. Applications are judged by GSUSA executives, previous National Young Women of Distinction, leaders from a range of fields and a representative from the Kappa Delta Foundation, which provides the honorees with college scholarships.

For her Gold Award project, Lea established a recycling program for oyster shells from local restaurants in her community. With the help of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Lea created a sustainable system for the shells to be returned to the bay to create reefs to help the oyster population grow.

Lea joined GSCCC Board Chair Carolene Goodwyn-Harris and
CEO Tracy Keller on a visit to Rep. Scott Taylor to discuss issues
that impact girls and Girl Scouts, referencing the 2017 State of Girls
 report published by the Girl Scout Research Institute. 

To honor Girl Scouts’ National Young Women of Distinction, the Kappa Delta Foundation grants the selected girls a combined $50,000 in college scholarships, reflecting Kappa Delta’s commitment to girls’ leadership and pursuit of education. This includes $5,000 for Lea. An additional $100,000 in college scholarships, which includes $10,000 for Lea, is provided by Susan Bulkeley Butler, founder of the Susan Bulkeley Butler Institute for the Development of Women Leaders.

Lea will be honored during the Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast Volunteer Kickoff on Saturday, September 23 at Old Dominion University, where she will be featured as a keynote speaker. In addition, GSUSA will honor the National Young Women of Distinction at G.I.R.L. 2017, the largest girl-led event in the world, October 6–8 in Columbus, Ohio. In line with the theme of the event, “Experience the Power of a G.I.R.L.,” G.I.R.L. 2017 will provide every participating girl and girl supporter with amazing opportunities to celebrate achievements, build on aspirations, get inspired, and gain the tools girls need to empower themselves and create change in their communities―both locally and globally.

A Girl Scout Reflection

By Christiane, a Chesapeake Girl Scout

As I embark on my journey to college, I love looking back on my time as a Girl Scout. I first began Girl Scouts in kindergarten as a cute, little Daisy and have made the full journey to becoming a Girl Scout Ambassador as a high school graduate. Many people tend to think that Girl Scouts is just doing arts and crafts, camping and selling those delicious cookies! Boy, are they good! However, this is not the big picture. Girl Scouts is about working with each other to accomplish a common goal, having fun while learning new skills and having each girl discover who she truly is! Most of all, Girl Scouts is about supporting your fellow sisters and helping them to make the world a better place. 

Being a Girl Scout has allowed me to be a part of adventures and experiences I never could have imagined. Girl Scouts has helped me to develop the confidence to lead, the determination to reach my goals, the perspective to view the world in new ways and the ability to learn from setbacks.

This past year, I revitalized the outdoor classroom at Yorktown Elementary School, completing my Girl Scout Gold Award Project. The purpose of the project was to restore the outdoor classroom because it was damaged and in a state of decline. I built benches to replace those that were damaged by misuse, built and planted a flower bed and constructed two interactive work stations. The setback I experienced during this project was a delay due to construction that was occurring around the school. However, as I worked with the school’s administration and used my communication and leadership skills, my team and I successfully completed the project! Honestly, it was difficult, but it is a great feeling to know that I helped make a difference, especially for the students at Yorktown Elementary School!

Through Girl Scouts, I also met some of my best friends! We are not only a troop of sisters, but truly a family. We had so many great laughs as we would stay up at night playing board games during camping trips or singing silly songs and making gooey smores around the campfire. Yum! We also got down to business to make a difference in the world, one Take Action project at a time. Some of my favorite experiences completed in scouting include volunteering with the Norfolk Emergency Shelter Team to help set up beds and make lunches for the homeless, learning an Indian dance and making curry for the Girl Scouts’ annual World Thinking Day and traveling to Orlando with my troop for our last trip together before we all part our ways for college.

Girl Scouts has shown me to be more encouraging, braver, stronger, a risk-taker and leader! I believe that every girl should be part of the scouting movement, and I am proud to say that I will always be a Girl Scout!