1Winter 2011

Teen Scene

Reaching new heightsRock climbing trip

gives girls confidence

to take on

middle school

A publication by girls and for girls age 11 and olderWINTER 2011

2 Teen Scene

The World’s Strongest GirlOnce upon a time there was a girl. In fact, she was the world’s strongest girl, a virtual Girl Scout who takes action with the strength of 3 million members behind her. Watch the World’s Strongest Girl save a choking bear, deliver a mountainous stack of food to a local pantry, and explore the skies with a giant telescope.  When the camera zooms in on her badge sash you will find talking widgets that look like badges, where you can design your own badges, write your story and watch and hear your stories come alive on screen.  (Note that to submit a story a girl under the age of 13 must have parental approval, which is facilitated through an automated email process).

The World’s Strongest Girl was created by the Girl Scouts Council of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana with a team from Leo Burnett. Her adventure will you’re your imagination and empower you to tell your stories.  Check it out WorldsStrongestGirl.org

Springs Girl Scout honored with Outstanding Youth awardNicole Saucedo, a freshman at University of Colorado and a Girl Scout Gold Award recipient from Colorado Springs, was recently chosen to receive the Outstanding Youth award, a new honor at this year’s National Philanthropy awards.

Nicole has made volunteering and giving back a part of her life, and most of that community service was done through Girl Scouting. Nicole earned her Gold Award with a project that helped children in Ethiopia facing surgery.

Her Gold Award project inspired her to travel to Ethiopia with Operation Smile.

Watch what you watchGirl Scouts of the USA, along with the National Association of Broadcasters, the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, and The Creative Coalition, believe every child deserves to live in an environment that fosters confidence and character. We recognize that as children’s media use continues to increase, all youth would benefit from experiencing healthy and positive messages about girls and women.

“Watch What You Watch” hopes to build awareness about the need to pay attention not to just what kids watch, but how they watch it. Now more than ever, tools such as media literacy, public education and career exploration can be invaluable to young people. Go to girlscouts.org > Who We Are > Advocacy for more information, research and tips on how you can take action.

Girl Scout Gab

CONTENTS3 Reach for the Peak

4 Pillowcases to dresses

6 Rock climbing adventure

8 Purse project

10 Girl Scouts going places

11 Sand Dunes

12 Women Workin’ It

14 Cookie success

Get published!If you are a Girl Scout age 11 or older, Teen Scene is the place to share your stories. This magazine is written by girls, for girls, so get in on the action now! Teen Scene is published twice yearly and mailed to all registered Girl Scouts ages 11 and older

in Colorado.

Girl voices must be heard! Write about your experiences on a destination or at camp. Why did you join Girl Scouts and why do you stick with it? Tell us about a community service project you worked on or an award or badge

you earned.

Send submissions to Kristin Hamm at kristin.hamm@gscolorado.org. We want to grow the girl presence on our website, so don’t wait for the next Teen Scene, submit your story today and be featured at girlscoutsofcolorado.org!

TeenScene

WINTER 2011

33

By Allyson Ernst

Some people say that they can handle the great outdoors. Well, Reach for the Peak will test your skills. Troop 931 practiced every month to master first aid, knots and lashing.

We had a practice run for one night, and that really showed us what to expect while we were up at Sky High Ranch.

We had this amazing dinner and dessert planned. The dinner was Tacos in a Bag. Tacos in a Bag is meat with taco seasoning in it, on top of Nacho Cheese Doritos, then you just sprinkle as much cheese as you want on the top. The dessert was churros. It didn’t work out as well as we thought, but it still tasted amazing.

Everyone had to dress up as anything they wanted, so we dressed up as Tye Dye Divas. Our flag was a shirt that had Troop 931 on the front then on the back everyone who was going signed it.

I can’t wait till next year when we will do even better, but we will still have so much fun.

Allyson Ernst is a member of Troop 931 in Colorado Springs. She is 13 years old and has been a Girl Scout for four years. Outside of Girl Scouting, she enjoys

spending time with friends and family, cooking, camping and having FUN!

Reach for the Peak tests your outdoor skills

Winter 2011

4 Teen Scene

From pillowcases toDRESSESLongmont-area girls put clothes on the backs of African orphansBy Hailey, Kelly, Brittany, Emmy and Cara, Troop 800

Hi, I’m Hailey Ewing from Troop 800 in Longmont and I am 13 years old. My troop and I have been busy on our Silver Award lately. Our project is collecting pillowcases and turning them into dresses for orphans in Africa. We have been working with a program called “Dress a Girl Around the World.” (dressagirlaroundtheworld.com)

Our friend, Carolyn Griebe, took our first set of dresses to Uganda this summer. My neighbors, the Howletts, will be helping us

by taking 100 dresses from our workshops to Ethiopia in December when they go to build an orphanage! They have adopted two children (ages 2 and 5) from Ethiopia, and I have really grown to love them. I really wanted to go with my neighbors to Ethiopia but couldn’t because I was too young, so I feel when we send our dresses with them, I am with them and I have really helped them out a lot.

5Winter 2011 5Winter 2011

My name is Kelly Parrish, and I am very excited to be completing my Silver Award by making pillowcase dresses for girls. Just imagining the grins on their faces as they spin around in their new, flowing dresses and polka-dot underwear makes me smile big! Oh, did I mention we give them underwear too? This has been a great team-building activity for my troop. I talked to Ms. MacDonald, who teaches crafting at my school, and the class is now working on 23 dresses and lots of dolls. I hope that, even when we’re finished with our project, we can continue to help people in our community make dresses and dress girls just like us around the world.

Hello, my name is Brittany Ballard. Making the dresses has really changed my life in the past two months by making me think about all the people who are less fortunate than me. The Silver Award, to me, means that I get to help people. The thing I really like so far is the workshops where we teach kids to make the dresses and dolls. I like to show all the kids how do it and tell them about where the dresses are going. The dolls are really fun to make because you get to put prayers in the head with FLUFF STUFF. I know the girls who receive these dresses really appreciate all our hard work and that of everyone else who participated in our “Dress a Girl Around the World” workshops.

I am Cara Fitzpatrick and have enjoyed working with the “Dress a Girl Around the World” organization. I have been making plenty of dresses and getting schools involved. My mom and I have been enjoying making dresses for about six months. We have made around 30 dresses, just the two of us. My FACS teacher, Mrs. Servold, has been making dresses along with her classes. Brittany and I went to Trail Ridge Middle School to talk to her FACS teacher in hopes that her classes will help too. I have also contacted Dr. Peter Schmid in Longmont, who is doing a medical mission trip to Haiti in May. It’s so exciting to have found a contact for Haiti, having someone who can personally take dresses, as this country has so many children without basic necessities. It has been said more than once – it’s so rewarding to see pictures of girls with smiles on their faces wearing the dresses and holding the prayer dolls we made for them. It is such an exciting project!

We had a workshop on Nov. 13 at Longmont Christian School. We were excited to have another Girl Scout Troop from Longmont join us! We also had a Sew-In on December 4 at Lifebridge Christian Church. We had materials and machines there to make as many dresses and dolls as we could. We are also going to a 4H group meeting in January to teach them. We have made and given out more than 200 kits for people to make dresses. Our goal is to have 500 dresses and dolls by the end of the school year. You can keep up with our progress on our blog at pillowcasestodresses.com , designed by Hailey and her dad.

My name is Emmalee Zian. I feel so good when I help make dresses because I know that all of them are going to go to kids who don’t have very much. After Carolyn gave our dresses to the girls, she took pictures of them in their dresses. When she came back, it was an amazing feeling to see the girls in the dresses we made and to say that I dressed a girl around the world. I spoke to my school about our project, and they are letting us have workshops there on Saturdays. One of my teachers even gave extra credit to kids who came and helped us!

Wyoming rock climbing adventure a real confidence boosterMiddle school halls nothing compared to climbing these wallsLongmont-area girls put clothes on the backs of African orphans

By Cadette Troop 1573

We are Cadettes from Troop 1573 in Centennial. For the past six years, our troop has been on millions of Girl Scout trips together, but this was one adventure we will never forget.

We go on a troop camping trip every summer and are always looking for new outdoor activities to try. We had never climbed together before, though some of us had climbed at Girl Scout or other camps, but no one had ever experienced anything like this. We had taken classes in other subjects from the Colorado Mountain Club (CMC) Youth Education Program and thought they would be the perfect guides to bring with us and teach us to climb. Our troop leaders worked with the CMC to plan our climbing trip to Vedauwoo, Wyo., in August. We each chipped in for food and fees for our guides. Besides our two CMC guides, we had our two troop leaders and two dads on the trip.

We left Denver early Friday afternoon. Each of us was a little preoccupied and nervous because we were starting our first year of

middle school on Monday morning. About three hours later we arrived at our campsite in Vedauwoo State Park in Wyoming. Our campsite looked like a regular state park campsite, but it was surrounded by huge rocks and cliffs that we couldn’t believe we were going to climb. Within no time our school worries were forgotten. Our CMC guides and leaders talked with us about where and how to set up the campsite, as well as safety rules. We put up a three tents for girls to share, and there were three adult tents as well. Our troop leader had put together a kaper schedule for us, and we all went into our jobs of hopping, slopping and mopping to prepare our dinner and evening activities. After dinner, our CMC guides passed out climbing equipment to each of us and gave us some basic climbing information. It took a while to fit everyone with all of the equipment, and we each had to keep track of all of the parts on our own. We finished the night with a fire, popcorn, banana boats and scary campfire stories that sent us shivering to our tents in fits of nervous giggles.

On Saturday morning we woke up to the smell of bacon and pancakes, along with our leaders shaking our tents and singing “Alive Awake, Alert & Enthusiastic!” We quickly dressed to help with all the hopping, slopping and mopping. We also packed our lunches and gear to prepare for a day away from the campsite. The CMC guides were up early and were already out on the rock walls preparing our ropes and saving our climbing site. We hiked up a big rock area to meet our guides and actually had to belay up to get to our climbing site. At the site, there were three different ropes to climb, each a different level, and we all took turns throughout the day. Our guides taught us to belay, which is an important climbing skill, but also a lesson in trust. Climbing girls needed to work with and trust the girl belaying them. We had all been together in a troop for so long that it wasn’t a very difficult task for us. Our troop leaders and dads even trusted us to belay them.

Climbing was scary, but so much fun! It’s fun to be on the top of the world with wind in your hair and seeing friends far down

6 Teen Scene

7Winter 2011 7Winter 2011

Wyoming rock climbing adventure a real confidence boosterMiddle school halls nothing compared to climbing these wallsLongmont-area girls put clothes on the backs of African orphans

below. Some girls thought is was really scary and occasionally got stalled on the walls, needing help from guides to guide them down. Other girls scampered up like squirrels and couldn’t get enough of it. We each seemed to find what we were good at, either climbing or belaying, or both, and we spent the entire day climbing away. Our troop leaders and dads also climbed, and everyone cheered and cheered for each other. What a great day! Using a bathroom on a rock wall was a learning experience in itself, though we won’t go into the details. We went back to our campsite Saturday evening, exhausted, but ready for a fun night of campfire pizza, skits, stories, and dutch oven peach cobbler! The CMC guides joined us, and we’ll never forget one of the scary stories they read us.

On Sunday morning, we woke up tired and sore. We quickly broke down the campsite and got ready for another day of climbing. Our troop leaders were amazed at how fast we packed everything, but we were all anxious to meet our CMC guides at a new climbing site. We climbed a completely different type of rock and now know what crack climbing is. We climbed and climbed and belayed each other and were disappointed when it was time to quit. We finished the trip with a silent Scout’s Own ceremony in a peaceful area surrounded by all the rocks we climbed. Our leaders and guides read us inspirational quotes and stories and told us how proud they were of each of us for

working so hard together, and for trying and succeeding at something so new and so very adventurous. We each earned our High Adventure Badge, our first badge since bridging to Cadettes this spring.

All in all, it was an awesome trip. We didn’t want to go back home to our busy lives, and especially to our first day of middle school, but it was all a breeze after what we accomplished on our weekend of climbing. And now we are off to new and bigger adventures. We will all certainly keep climbing, as well as continue to try out lots and lots of new and exciting high adventures together. White water rafting, zip lining, backpacking, Outward Bound anyone?

Troop 1573 is based in Centennial and has nine adventuresome girls who attend Newton and Powell middle schools. Marlo Cheever, Sarah Greichen, Seneca Herring, Grace Richards, and Gabrielle Schrag attend Newton Middle School and have been Girl Scouts for six years. Katie Burns, Lindsay Carter, and Gianna Ruggiero attend Powell Middle School and have been Girl Scouts for six years.  Theresa Greichen and Janet Cheever have been our troop leaders for 6 years. Matt Krell and Pete Herring were the dads on the trip, and like to go with the troop on all their “high adventures.” Heidi Potter and Krista Javoronok were the incredible Colorado Mountain Club, Youth Education Program guides.

8 Teen Scene

‘Reduce, reuse and recycle’ goes glamorous with purse project

Girls go green, give plastic purses to Denver women leaders

How-to make a recycled plastic purse

1. Find three plastic bags from grocery or department stores. Try to find a pretty one to go on the outside.

2. Find a piece of cardboard to protect your table or whatever you are going to iron on. You’ll also need two pieces of baking “parchment” paper — one for the bottom and one for the top of the project.

3. Layer the three bags together. Put parchment under and on top of the bags. Then iron them with a medium hot iron.

4. Cut the resulting plastic into the desired shape so you can fold it into a purse.

5. Punch holes in the side for lacing. (A punch that makes a tiny hole is best.)

6. Use craft lace to lace up the sides.

7. Finish it off with a button and button hole or a large brad. (If you use a button, you have to use craft lace to “sew” it in place. Using a brad is easier, and they make some really pretty brads.)

How did the idea to make purses from plastic bags come about? Katie saw the idea in an American Girl book about “recycled crafts.” Since her patrol was working on the eco-action badge last year, they decided to try it. Everyone always has lots of plastic bags, right?

What did you learn about reuse and recycling while completing this project? That recycling can be a lot of fun and you can make some pretty, useful things when you recycle.

Why did you want to give the bags to the Girl Scouts Women of Distinction? Our troop was asked to be one of the live dioramas for the Women of Distinction event and we had wanted to do a diorama making the purses but it is a time intensive project. The troop still wanted to make the purses, so the girls decided to make them anyway and give them to the 11 Women of Distinction.

What was the reaction of the Women of Distinction who received the bags? The WOD were very surprised and many thought they were very cool. Theresa Marchetta of 7 News personally talked with us and she really liked her purse.

Why is it important to reuse and recycle? It’s important to recycle as our world has a lot of trash and we all need to help make our world better. We can all make a difference.

Do you have other “green” Girl Scout projects planned? We will probably do a Girl Scout green project again during Earth Day.

What other fun things does the troop do? We went to Colorado Springs this summer on cookie money (second year of being a Super Seller Troop) and rode the train up to the top of Pike’s Peak, camped at the Garden of the Gods campground, did a bat walk at the Garden of the Gods Park and completed the Junior Ranger Program there. This fall we went to the circus, participated in the Women of Distinction event, went to a badge overnight called Spa-tacular and completed the Spa-Tacular Me badge. Coming up is the self-defense class, Cookie Media Stars, Mystery Dinner, collecting gently used stuffed animals for a crisis center and singing at a senior home for Christmas. In February we are hosting the unit Thinking Day program to complete our Bronze Award project.

Troop 548 started as a Daisy troop in 2005. There are 13 fifth-grade girls from Fairmount, Westwoods, Hackberry Hill and Denison elementary schools in Jefferson County.

9Winter 2011

10 Teen Scene

Girl Scouts going places

When applying to the United States Military Academy, West Point, I found that there is a 15.7 percent acceptance rate. Although most people would be prepared for rejection, I was confident that my application would stand out. I had a lot on my resume such as being president of school clubs, being a soccer player on a high school and club team and being really active in my church and community; however so did the other 13,000 applicants. What made me stand out from the other hopefuls was that I was not only a Girl Scout, but had also earned my Girl Scout Gold Award.

West Point only accepts students with strong leadership, dedication and character. The Girl Scout Gold Award is looked upon highly, not only by colleges, but by future employers. It is said that girls who have earned the Gold Award go straight to the top of application lists. Being a Girl Scout has helped me get into such a prestigious college by showing my dedication and commitment to service. Earning the Gold Award was not only helpful in having colleges wanting me, but it also helped me realize that I want to help others.

This led me to my ultimate decision of attending the United States Military Academy. Starting an after-school program for my Gold Award project based on self-esteem and confidence for 5th grade girls in a low-income neighborhood, I have applied the leadership skills that I have learned through the years. I will remember all of the opportunities and obstacles I have faced in my 11 years of Girl Scouts. Selling Girl Scout cookies taught me money handling and how to approach and talk to people. Earning Brownie Try-Its exposed me to many different activities that I may never have been exposed to. Interest projects let me explore different activities while always being safety wise. As I leave on June 28 to start my adventures at West Point, I am confident that I have the knowledge, skills and abilities to succeed in the Army and in life. Girl Scouts has given me the fundamental tools “to be the best that I can be.”

Pueblo Girl Scout appointed to West Point

Megan Bordenave (pictured with Girl Scouts of Colorado President and CEO Megan Ferland) is a member of Troop 200 based in Pueblo , who graduated from Centennial High School in 2010. She earned her Gold Award this year.

To submit an item for Girl Scouts Going Places, please send an e-mail to Kristin Hamm at kristin.hamm@gscolorado.org. We’d love to highlight the significant achievements older Girl Scouts have made. We know there are many, many out there so please send them our way!

1111

Sand Dunes trip a great Colorado getawayCentral Denver girls bond and make memories

Jessica Hartig wrote this article drawing on the journal entries of Kira Schumacher, Katie Smith and Savannah Nichols. 

The photographs are being contributed by Isabella Cass (“Deer drinking from creek in the campground”, “Grace and Maya cooking breakfast”) and Grace Hancock (“Climbing the dunes”, “Footprints in the dunes”). 

The campers included Isabella Cass, Grace Hancock, Jessica Hartig, Savannah Nichols,  Kira Schumacher, Katie Smith and Maya Sterett.  They are all 12-13 years old.

In early June, my Cadette Troop 1750 (from central Denver) enjoyed the beauty− and the harshness − of the Great Sand Dunes in southern Colorado during a weekend trip. Our adventure was full of fun experiences: learning together, working together, and lots of late-night giggles together.

When we arrived at the campsite on Friday evening, we pitched our tents as the sun was setting. Many of us immediately explored a creek bed right outside of where our tent was set up. That night, we stayed up really late, imagining that doing so would be OK, thinking that climbing the sand dunes the following day would be a piece of cake. We were wrong.

The next day, we went to the sand dunes, sporting flip flops and very optimistic hopes. Once we started climbing, we soon realized that flip flops were a horrible idea. A lot of us would agree with Kira when she said, “I didn’t like how hot the sand was and how it would burn my feet.” We all wound up putting our flip flops away and marching up in socks with a brand new confidence.

We barely made it halfway when we decided that it was too hot to continue, so we ran back down and played in the river. This was Katie’s favorite part. She loved “just relaxing in the water under the sun,” as did the rest of us.

That night, everyone crept out of the tent and saw the stars. That was an amazing sight, and a favorite of Savannah, who said, “at our camping site, you could see Orion’s belt and the Big Dipper, and the Little Dipper, not to mention all of the 7 Sisters.” She concluded that “the best part of camping at the sand dunes was definitely the stars.”

We all bonded really well and ended the amazing trip with a lot of laughs at the Walsenburg water park. It was a trip we will never forget.

Winter 2011

Women Workin’ It to lifetime of leadership, success

50 girls mix it up with Denver’s most prominent womenFifty teen Girl Scouts learned that leadership is about a lot more than what you do; it’s how you do it − and they learned this first-hand from spending the day Nov. 13 connecting with 15 of Denver’s top female leaders, all Women of Distinction. The Women Workin’ It event was cosponsored by Girl Scouts of Colorado and the Women’s College of the University of Denver.

The event, held at the Women’s College at the University of Denver, began with a thought-provoking ice breaker where women and girls speed-shared their thoughts on topics as significant as who has been the most influential person in their lives to as silly as the unique contents of their purses, all in one minute interchanges. Then, the girls selected three out of 12 career exploration sessions that most interested them.

The girls learned about what shaped the women’s careers, life-changing experiences they had and the women even had discussions with the girls about bullying, female images in our culture and how far women have come in our society.

Here’s what some of the girls had to say about this opportunity:

I learned that even the littlest things you do can make a big impact on the world. I’m going to be more conscious of making people feel good in little ways like giving compliments and opening doors. Maybe I can start a chain reaction at school.

Amanda Powell, 14, Colorado Springs

This is a good opportunity to talk to successful women, which is great because I hope to be a successful woman one day too.

Katie Lillard, 16, Highlands Ranch

The Women of Distinction who participated in this event are: Dr. Julika Ambrose, a retired private practice dentist and professor; Sheila Bugdanowitz, president & CEO, Rose Community Foundation; Toti Cadavid, president, Xcelente! Marketing & Advertising; Gay Cook, vice president of programs at the Colorado Trust; Lynn Gangone, dean, The Women’s College of the University of Denver; Mary Gearhart, senior vice president, Brown & Caldwell; Maureen McDonald, executive director, Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation; Myrna Mourning, retired vice president of human resources, Time Warner Cable; Toya Nelson, executive director of the Governor’s Commission on Community Service; Katherine Peck, senior vice president for programs at the Gill Foundation; Sandra Scanlon, president of Scanlon Szynskie Group; Linda Strine, president & CEO, Infinite Link, Inc.; Mary Petryszyn, vice president, mergers and acquisitions, Raytheon; Kristy Schloss, owner, Schloss Engineered Equipment; and Jill Tietjen, president & CEO, Technically Speaking. The Women of Distinction are committed to supporting Girl Scouts and the organization’s leadership programs. Their support helps the young leaders, the Girl Scouts, see that their future can be anything they make it.  

12 Teen Scene

The leadership styles workshop taught me that people can be a leader in a lot of different ways than just what you normally think of.”

Kathleen Whalen, 13, Centennial

It was really fun to have these discussions with a group of girls and to be around so many women who want to make our community better.

Saranya Budangunta, 14, Longmont

I learned a lot about environmental science and why water is so important from Mary Gearhart (senior vice president at Brown & Caldwell). I saw a strong connection about how we can use environmental engineering to help others.

Srishti Singal, 14, Colorado Springs

Katherine Peck (senior vice president for programs at the Gill Foundation) has an amazing job because she makes a huge difference in people’s lives. She got to be present when President Obama signed into law the Hate Crimes Prevention Act that she helped create.

Emily Beckman, 17, Colorado Springs

13Winter 2011

14 Teen Scene

We’re Open for Business!Older Girl Scouts excel at cookie success

It’s a common misconception that cute, little girls have an advantage when it comes to Girl Scout Cookie sales. The numbers prove older Girl Scouts sell the most packages as they sharpen their entrepreneurial skills.

Last year, the per girl average for Daisies was 128 packages, for Brownies it was 163 packages, for Juniors it was 195, while Cadettes averaged 204 packages, Seniors averaged 228 packages and Ambassadors averaged 192 packages.

Colorado’s top-selling troop was a group of 5th through 9th graders from Colorado Springs, who sold 22,931 packages of cookies! They pulled out all the stops and when they realized they were 4,000 packages away from being the top troop, they stepped it up and sold 4,000 more packages in the last three days of the sale.

(Read some of their tips on page 15.)

Don’t forget to put technology to work for you to boost your sales to a whole new level. The new Girl Scouts of the USA rule allowing girls to market Girl Scout cookies online and accept cookie promises opened up a whole new world for cookie sales. Little Brownie Bakers reports 75 percent of orders sent out online are returned, with an average of 5.8 packages

sold per order. This is higher than both door-to-door and booth sale averages. With a return like that, meeting your goals is practically guaranteed.

You can also ask your friends and family to order cookies through your own Facebook, MySpace or other social networking sites. Remember the money can’t be paid online though.

Supercharge sales with online order takingCookie Club — You can now use the technology you love to ask for orders. Cookie Club lets girls email an electronic order from, which customers use to place their orders. Orders automatically populate onto the girl’s Cookie Club order page. Now that’s easy!

Girl Business Resources — Be a Cookie Entrepreneur. Tap into clip art to create signs or decorate your car. Print teen business cards and make business plans. Check out these great tools to make your cookie business a success!

Downloadable Activities — Volunteers and girls will love downloading the hands-on activities and exciting printable resources. They make it quick and easy to leverage the FUN and LEARNING from the Cookie Program.

Check out all these great resources and more at littlebrownie.com today!

Callyour

aunts and

uncles

Colorado’s top-selling troop was a group of 5th through 9th graders from Colorado Springs, who sold 22,931 packages of cookies!

15Winter 2011

Important datesDecember to Jan. 6: Service Unit cookie rallies and family cookie training

Jan. 6: Girl registration and permission slips due

Jan. 7: Cookie Activity begins

Jan. 23: Initial order form due

Feb. 10-16: Cookie pick-up and deliveries begin

Feb. 18: Booth sales begin

March 13: Cookie activity ends

March 14: Cookie money due

Cookies are $3.50 per package:

$1.91 Funds local Girl Scout activities

$.88 Cost of cookies

$.60 Troop proceeds

$.11 Cost of recognitions for girls

What did the Girl Scouts from Troop 931 learn from their high-selling experience?

Teamwork: If we work together, we can accomplish anything.  None of us could have achieved this goal on our own. To succeed we needed to work together, encourage each other and keep each other motivated.

Goal setting: We set goals, developed goal charts and kept them updated nightly. When we reached one goal, we set another one.  Rebecca met her goal of 1,800 packages of cookies two weeks before the sale ended. She took a couple of days off, then realized bigger and better things could happen to her troop if she sold another 2,500 packages. So she set a new goal and started selling again. She ended the sale with 2,800 boxes of cookies.

Some girls in the troop, like Madison and Allyson, were new to Girl Scouts and had never before sold Girl Scout cookies. They proved that with perseverance and hard work, experience wasn’t necessary to achieve great feats. They both sold more than 600 boxes their first year selling cookies!

Communication skills:  Shealyn sold cookies to a man who is deaf, and gained self-confidence when she completed the transaction and thanked him in sign language.  Holly, Jordan and Rebecca developed a PowerPoint presentation and presented it to about 100 women at a luncheon.  

We all heard “no” plenty of times but we kept up our spirits, knowing it’s all in the presentation and attitude, and, that in the end, being friendly pays off.

The art of sales: We created our own sales pitch, and practiced with each other before trying them out on customers.  We met as a troop every week and discussed what worked and what didn’t, gave each other tips and advice, and then tried new tactics.

Time Management: Girl Scouting isn’t the only activity in which we’re involved.  We had school, music, sports, tournaments, homework and CSAPs during the cookie activity. We had to learn to manage our time and sell Girl Scout cookies as well.

Money Management and Math Skills: We can tally up your order and make change at a moment’s notice, no calculator required.

Cookie questions answered online

The Colorado Product Sales Answers Facebook page will be available to address any

questions you may have regarding the cookie activity. Get there through the Girl Scouts of Colorado Facebook page at facebook.com/girlscoutsofcolorado.

MEdia

Cadettes look for the ME in media and learn how they can shape media—for themselves, their community and the world.

MISSION: SISTERHOOD!

Seniors learn how widening their network broadens their world, and benefits the world as well.

BLISS: Live It! Give It!

Ambassadors learn to dream big, now and for their future, and begin their legacy as leaders who help others achieve their dreams too.

It’s Your Story – Tell It!

Now available in your Girl Scout shop

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDDenver, CO

Permit No. 271Girl Scouts of ColoradoP.O. Box 9407Denver, CO 80209-0407

Address Service Requested

Colorado Springs3535 Parkmoor Village DriveColorado Springs, CO 80917T 719.597.8603 or 1.800.748.3343F 719.597.5986

Denver400 S. BroadwayDenver, CO 80209-0407T 303.778.8774 or 1.866.827.7033F 303.733.6345

Durango701 Camino del Rio, Suite 315Durango, CO 81301T 970.375.7913F 970.375.7916

Fort Collins1600 Specht Point Road, Unit 105Fort Collins, CO 80525T 970.493.1844 or 1.888.801.1269F 970.493.6838

Grand Junction580 24 ½ RoadGrand Junction, CO 81505T 970.242.4461 or 1.800.288.0463F 970.243.9066

Pueblo21 Montebello RoadPueblo, CO 81001T 719.543.4690 or 1.800.287.9252F 719.543.4693

Girl Scouts of Colorado Service Centers

This publication is brought to you in part by contributions to the Family Campaign and your participation in product sales.PRINTED ONRECyClED STOCK

girlscoutsofcolorado.org

The “It’s your Story —Tell It!” leadership journey

series uses a storytelling theme in a fun way for

girls to better understand themselves and their

potential. Building a strong sense of self is an

underlying goal of the series.

An emphasis is also placed on media literacy and

creative expression. Girls have opportunities to

engage in a variety of arts, including performing,

visual, culinary, and new media, to tell their stories

and take action to make the world a better place.

Visit girlscouts.org/it’syourstory for cool games

and activities