Notes from Kim

Whether you are new to Girl Scouts or have been a member for years, there has never been a better time for us all to come together in the sisterhood that is Girl Scouts.

This year’s Spark magazine is dedicated to the Girl Scout Promise and Law and the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, which is so important to shaping the lives of our members and volunteers. For the first time in Spark, we are featuring Girl Scout alums, who will share how the lessons they learned influenced how they became confident women in their lives and careers.

One of Spark’s most popular returning features is “18 Under 18”. This section focuses on girls just like you, and how Girl Scouts helped them to find the courage, confidence, and character, to make the world a better place. Touch points such as “helping people,” “being courageous and strong,” and “using resources wisely” are among the many qualities they credit with learning valuable life skills. While looking through the book, take note of who has earned a Gold, Silver or Bronze Award, served as a Take the Lead presenter, achieved the title Cookie Boss and more!

Another featured highlight is the success of the MY20 Cookie Season! We are excited to share how girls, their families, and volunteers became more involved to achieve a very successful program. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing restrictions, we were unable to celebrate the girls who achieved 500 Club and Cookie Boss status this spring, but you can see them listed on pages 21-25! Congratulations again to all of you! We are so excited to celebrate with you virtually this Fall.

I know you are going to enjoy the many exciting stories in Spark. The Family Packet (included) will be a perfect guide to how Girl Scouts works and what you can expect from virtual and in-person experiences. We are looking forward to the time when we can safely meet with our troops or gather for events, but for this year, GSEP's Program Guide for Fall 2019/Winter2020 will be digital. The guide will be distributed to our membership in your email inbox and on the gsep.org website. You will be able to explore fun and exciting activities happening this Fall and Winter including badge workshops and weekend experiences for girls and their families!

We are committed to you, our Girl Scout family as we create awesome Girl Scout leadership experiences virtually. On behalf of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania, thank you for choosing Girl Scouts. We look forward to continuing this journey with you. Though we are apart....we are always together.

Yours in Girl Scouting,

Kim E. Fraites-Dow CEO, Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania