Published for the volunteers of Girl scouts of colorado sPrinG 2013

coloradoLEADER

InsIde thIs Issue:save the date for FallapaloozaFun and informative training events coming to you this fall. page 2

summer checklist Take these simple steps now to get your Girl Scout year off to a great start.page 3

Feel the power of Power up! Girl Scouts of Colorado’s anti-bullying program, Power Up, draws support from Temple Grandin, Ph.D. page 6

Thank You, Girl Scout

VOLUNTEERS!On this National Girl Scout Leader Day, we want to say “Thank you!”

• Thank you for helping girls reach their potential.

• Thank you for making the world a better place.

• Thank you for building a new generation of Colorado leaders.

You make a difference in the lives of girls. Girls have great ideas and the drive to make the world a better place. They can’t do it alone. They have Girl Scouts. They have you! Thank you!

Read more on pages 4-5.

“Thanks for being there. Thanks for the laughter, love, and friendships. Thanks for the

opportunities not only to try new things, but also to discover myself.”

– Nicole Smith, of Fort Collins, in a letter to her troop and troop leaders.

Keep the Girl Scout experience hot this summer—pick a path to adventureRegistration for summer camp is underway but plenty of great options are still open. Remind your girls and their families to take a look at the Summer Program Guidebook when making their summer plans. Girl Scouts of Colorado has great day camp sessions, overnight camp sessions and even troop and family camp opportunities to keep the Girl Scout Leadership Experience going all summer long. Also check out the events, series, travel and virtual opportunities that you could do with your girls.

Save the date for FallapaloozaGirl Scouts of Colorado will host Fallapalooza training events across the state in August and September. This is a great opportunity to get in-person training, network with other Girl Scout volunteers and have some fun. Dates and locations had not been determined as of press time, so please check girlscoutsofcolorado.org/adult-learning-activity-finder for details and to get registered.

Early Bird registration saves fall hasslesEarly Bird membership registration began April 15 and continues through June 15. Get this detail out of the way now so your troop can get off to a great start next fall. Troops registering a minimum of five girls and two adults that have turned in their completed Annual Troop Report by June 15 will receive a troop coupon for 15 percent off earned awards, badges and Journey books.

Girls who are registered by June 15 will also receive free admission to a Fall Product Sale rally.

You can either have parents/guardians re-register the girls individually, or you can use the Troop Management Tool to re-register everyone yourself. Just make sure you have updated information for each girl (grade, school, guardian contact information, etc.).

Membership dues increaseGSUSA announced an annual membership dues increase of $3 to $15, effective October 1, 2013. This also applies to Early Bird registration. The $15 annual membership dues goes to Girl Scouts of the USA and covers insurance, learning and support tools for the Girl Scout Leadership Experience delivery, and technology. A $15 membership is a great value for an unmatched, well-rounded leadership experience for girls. Girls can use cookie credits to pay for their annual membership dues.

Take our publications surveyWe’re taking a close look at the printed publications we produce and need your input. Keeping lines of communi-cation open with you, our volunteers, as well as members, families, alumnae and community supporters is important to us. Please take a few minutes to complete the publications survey at girlscoutsofcolorado.org/publications-survey and help shape the future of Girl Scouts of Colorado publications and communications.

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COUNCIL BRIEFS

Summer Program Guidebook2013

Thank you for a great cookie season Girl Scouts in Colorado, with the support of their leaders, families and friends, sold 4.19 million packages of Girl Scout Cookies this season! Congratulations to the girls for their success and to the volunteers for guiding girls to discover the 5 Essential Skills: goal-setting, decision-making, money management, people skills and business ethics.

The total sale was down about 5 percent from last year, however there were about 6 percent fewer selling girls, so the per girl average actually increased.

The top seller in the state, Madison Walker of Arvada, sold 4,200 packages of cookies! Fifteen girls sold 2,500 packages of cookies or more across the state. Last year, only seven girls reached that goal.

This year, girls earned $245,000 in Cookie Credits to pay for camp, events, travel, Girl Scout merchandise and more.

As a team, parents, volunteers and staff improved inventory management procedures, which helped to reduce the amount of cookies remaining at the end of the sale by more than half. Thank you for working hard to manage your inventory and meet return deadlines.

We’re looking forward to another great year in 2014.

After 17 years of service to Girl Scouts in Colorado, Dorothy Gregory is retiring. Her product sales leadership has been instrumental in funding the Girl Scout Leadership Experience for generations of girls in Colorado—a priceless contribution! Angel Haxton will be the new statewide product sales team leader for Girl Scouts of Colorado.

Get your Early Bird registration in before June 15.

File your Annual Troop Finance Report. This is due no later than June 15. We’ve made a new, web-based form to make this task easier for you and save paper too. Find it at girlscoutsofcolorado.org/forms/annual-troop-report. Make sure you have your most recent bank statement on hand; you’ll need to attach it as a jpg, tiff or png. If you don’t have an electronic copy, taking a photo with a Smartphone can work great.

End of year troop meetings are often busy affairs with bridging, community service project wrap ups and more, but don’t forget to get a head start on next year and help guide your girls to choose the Girl Scout Journey they’d like to do. Or if you don’t have time at your end-of-school year meeting, you could plan a mid-summer gathering—maybe at a local pool or park or other activity—and help your girls pick a Journey then.

Plan some fun summer activities. Use the Summer Program Guidebook to pick an event, series or camp sessions to enjoy with your full troop or groups of girls. The girls love keeping in touch over the summer and Girl Scouts of Colorado has great programming year-round.

Take your girls on a troop camping adventure! This summer Girl Scouts of Colorado has staff-led troop camp opportunities where you’ll have a great time with your girls but leave the programming and food details to us. If those don’t work in your schedule, plan your own activities with your girls at Girl Scouts of Colorado properties at Sky High Ranch, Hamp Hut, Twisted Pine and more. Check out the new property reservation system and see where your troop can go today! girlscoutsofcolorado.org/properties.

Ask your girls to register at Girl Scout Voices: girlscoutvoices.org. Girl Scout Voices is an opportunity from the Girl Scout Research Institute that lets girls, volunteers, parents and staff members share their thoughts about Girl Scouting through occasional online surveys. We hope that you will be willing to share your views and experiences so we can help make Girl Scouts the best leadership development program for girls!

Visit the Girl Scout Shop to use your 15 percent off coupon before it expires in September. Each troop that completes Early Bird registration for at least five girls and two adults will receive this coupon good for 15 percent off earned awards, badges and Journey books. Another great reason to Early Bird and choose your Journey—use this coupon so you’ll have more funds to put toward a fun and fulfilling year!

Sign up to receive the monthly events e-blast for your area. We’ll email you the events coming up in your area (or any areas you select to receive) on or near mid-month. You can quickly scan for activities that will interest your troop and click through to register for those events that work for you. This is the best way to stay up-to-date on fun Girl Scout events. Of course, you’re always welcome to scan the Activity Finder too and filter searches to meet your needs. Use the star system to save your favorite events and share them with your girls and their families. Another great way to stay up-to-date on Girl Scout activities is to connect with our social media channels.

Be ready for Fall Product Sales. Check girlscoutsofcolorado.org/fall-sale for information on the 2013 Fall Product Sale. Remember Fall Product Sale Rallies are scheduled Sept. 1-20 and the sale begins Sept. 21. Every girl who completes Early Bird registration gets free admission to a Fall Product Sale rally!

Get away from it all at GSCO Getaways! Everyone needs to find a little time for R&R during the summer months. Take your break at one of Girl Scouts of Colorado’s beautiful properties. Check out the online reservations system, girlscoutsofcolorado.org/properties where you can see photos and learn about the amenities at each property, then click Reserve Now to check availability. Rent a cabin with your Girl Scouts or get away from it all with friends and family. GSCO has a wide variety of facilities in the most beautiful parts of the state.

Attend a Fallapalooza training near you. This is an easy way to get the training you need, enjoy a few enrichment classes, network with other Girl Scout volunteers and share your thoughts on Girl Scouting with council staff. Fallapalooza locations and dates will be announced soon.

Invite a new girl to join your troop. Summer can be a great time to recruit new girls. If you’ve heard of new girls in your area who want to join, summer is a good time to get them signed up. That way you can start your fall Journey together ready to go.

spring 2013 3

Girl Scouting over the summer: a checklist

It’s springtime and that means minds begin to dream of the lazy days of summer. It also means everyone gets incredibly busy with graduations, end-of-school year celebrations, sports teams, standardized testing, family vacations and more.

that’s why we’re providing a simple checklist of items you can do during the late spring and summer to ensure your fall Girl scout year gets off to a smooth start.

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Thank you for helping girls reach their potentialA new generation of female leaders blossoms because of you

Girl Scouting is nothing without the dedication of our fearless volunteers. At times, being a Girl Scout volunteer may seem like a thankless job. But, the effort you put forth for girls is appreciated. It’s appreciated by the girls, their families, council staff and the community at-large.

Whether you lead a troop or two, help out with product sales, volunteer at camps or work behind the scenes, you make a difference in the lives of girls.

The value you bring to the Girl Scouting Movement is huge every day, but as National Girl Scout Leader Day (April 22) and Volunteer Appreciation Week are here, it’s time for a huge shout out.

Every time a girl selects a chore or plans a Girl Scout activity, you are helping her on her path to leadership. When a quiet girl takes a chance and speaks up because she feels comfortable and supported in her troop, you’ve helped another voice be heard. Thanks to you, her confidence grows as she realizes her voice matters.

When a group of Girl Scout Brownies bounces off the walls of their meeting room because they have so many ideas on how to Take Action, you’re guiding them to a lifetime of service to community and making the world a better place.

As girls progress from selling a few boxes of cookies to their friends and neighbors to developing a business plan and engaging a marketing strategy, they’re learning to set goals and how to meet them. You’re giving them essential life skills.

Because of you, a new generation of leaders is blossoming and the future looks promising.

You might get a ‘thank you’ from a girl or two now and then or a pat on the back from a parent. Some girls might later realize the impact you and Girl Scouting have made on their lives.

We know you don’t do it for the recognition, and, in fact, many volunteers say they get as much from the experience as the girls.

“Being a volunteer and troop leader for these girls has been an inspiration to me,” said Christina Burke. “I have learned to be more patient and nurturing. I am also learning the values of the Girl Scout Journeys. I hope to volunteer for many years to come and look forward to watching ours girls become the very best they can be.”

It’s a privilege to watch the girls grow and witness their transformation to courageous and confident young ladies.

Girl Scout volunteers never ask for ‘thanks,’ but it feels good to hear it. Thank you for all that you do!

“Girl Scouts have helped to show me the world. My values

and dreams are clearer, thanks to Girl Scouts.”

~Emily Krizmanich, 2013 Gold Award Honoree

spring 2013 5

Thank a volunteer todayNational Volunteer Week is a time to celebrate people doing extraordinary things through service. There are plenty of ways to say “Thank you,” from nominating a volunteer for an official Girl Scouts of the United States adult recognition to sending a simple thank you note.

Learn more about the official GSUSA adult awards on our website, girlscoutsofcolorado.org/volunteer-awards. There are six potential awards and nomination forms are available online. Nominations are reviewed twice each year on July 1 and March 1.

In addition to the official awards that require council-approval, there are plenty of creative ways to thank a volunteer. (Don’t forget your troop cookie manager, co-leader, your daughter’s leader, a Service Unit volunteer or a favorite camp counselor.)

• Volunteer pins for each grade level are available through Girl Scout Merchandising and the online shop at shop.girlscoutsofcolorado.org/store/. These pins are great resources to welcome and thank volunteers for roles working directly with girls or supporting a grade level behind the scenes. These position pins are not earned, but given in recognition of service supporting Girl Scouts in a variety of ways.

• Purchase a small gift certificate from the Girl Scout Shop. Find the hours for the Girl Scout shop near you, girlscoutsofcolorado.org/service-center-and-shop-hours.

• electronic greeting cards: Most greeting card companies have online tools for you to send free e-cards for any occasion. You can send your e-cards by e-mail or even post to Facebook! Here are a just few examples of e-card sites: Blue Mountain, American Greetings, Hallmark and e-Greetings.

• send virtual flowers—they’re free and they never wilt! Visit virtualflowers.com, iflowers.com or 123greetings.com/flowers.

• Make a certificate to give to your favorite volunteer, see our website for links to free downloadable certificates.

Tune in to Girl Scouts of Colorado’s social media channels during Volunteer Appreciation Week and Leader Day as we recognize your service to Girl Scouts. And participate in the conversation by giving a shout out or sharing photos of Girl Scouts of Colorado volunteers you want to recognize.

PROGRAM

Temple Grandin supports Girl Scouts’ anti-bullying program

Temple Grandin, Ph.D, a professor of animal sciences at Colorado State University, best-selling author and the most accomplished and well-known adult with autism in the world, is partnering with Girl Scouts of Colorado in support of our Power Up anti-bullying program.

Grandin didn’t speak until she was 3 ½, instead communicating her frustrations with screams, peeps and hums. In 1950, she was diagnosed with autism and her parents were told she should be institutionalized. Her parents did not heed that advice and instead encouraged her and supported her as she struggled with sensory stimulation and communication.

During her school years, Grandin was teased and bullied for being different. She remembers those times as “absolutely miserable.”

“It was absolutely miserable and it would be worse today,” she said. “I wasn’t teased while (horseback) riding or at the electronics lab. If it were today, I’d be getting teasing texts while horseback riding.”

Grandin said it helped to have shared interests with her peers and a mentor who recognized her talents and interests.

“What saved me was getting involved in specialized activities with like-minded peers,” she said. For Grandin, it was horseback riding, 4H and electronics.

For girls today, that safe haven can be Girl Scouts.

Girl Scouts of Colorado’s anti-bullying program, Power Up, encourages the 85 percent of the population who are bystanders to bullying (rather than targets or bullies) to recognize the strength in those numbers and use it to intervene when they see something wrong. Power Up is focused on preventing the unique verbal and relational bullying prevalent among girls.

“The worst part of my life was my teenage years,” Grandin said. But although being teased and bullied was tough, Grandin also had caring people in her life who wouldn’t let her become a recluse.

“A Girl Scout troop can be a shared interest and a safe haven,” she said.

A Girl Scout troop that has been through Power Up training together can be especially powerful. The Power Up program, developed by Girl Scout staff in Northern Colorado in 2007, leads girls through fun role-playing activities that make them think about how it feels to be bullied and gives them tools to intervene when they see bullying. It’s not a matter of confronting the bully with comebacks but rather girls realizing that doing nothing is not an option and creating a safe, supportive environment where bullying does not occur. They recognize roles they’ve played in real-life bullying—whether it’s the bully, target, assistant or bystander—and they practice how to diffuse the situation.

The Power Up program is different than most bullying prevention programs because it’s experiential, high energy and fun; it focuses on the relational bullying (some would call it girl drama) that is so hurtful to girls, teaching girls to call bullying what it is and practicing solutions that could really work in a school hallway. It is taught in a same-sex environment because girls bully so differently than boys; and it focuses on diffusing the power of the bystander.

A few well-chosen words can make a huge difference in the life of a girl who is bullied.

For Grandin, being different and teased didn’t define her life. Despite her challenges, she achieved academic success and helped revolutionize the livestock industry by applying her unique way of seeing the world to design a more humane slaughter system. Her life story was the subject of an Emmy Award-winning movie, “Temple Grandin,” starring Claire Danes.

Check the website, girlscoutsofcolorado.org/power-up for more information and Power Up events in your area.

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“A Girl Scout troop can be a shared interest and a safe haven”

GIRL SCOUTS IN ACTION

Girl Scout Gold Awardees visit Colorado State CapitolOn April 8, 11 of this year’s 38 Colorado Girl Scout Gold Award recipients from throughout state (yes, even one from Montrose was there) visited the State Capitol in Denver. The Gold Award is the highest award in Girl Scouts.

The girls had a chance to sit on the floor of the House of Representatives as well as take a tour of the capitol grounds, among other activities. Many of the recipients’ family members joined them for the visit.

Colorado’s House of Representatives also read information on the floor about this year’s Gold Award recipients during their business of the day on Monday. Additionally Fox 31/CW2 TV out of Denver covered this event for their newscasts as well as the GSUSA Blog.

We are so proud of this year’s recipients! Look for more information on the blog and website soon about this year’s projects.

follow Girl scouts of colorado at girlscoutsofcolorado.org, facebook.com/girlscoutsofcolorado and twitter.com/gscolo

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