Troop Times
GSNYPENN Media Team Newsletter // October 2024
Summer Camp
Camp
- Ramona P., Cadette, Oneonta, N.Y.
That campfire’s warmest glow can melt the bitterest snow but it cannot melt the summer ending sadness that is pending To send us into gloom
The week is over, pack your stuff Many friendships will be missed bracelets hold the memories of this summer bliss
No thoughts, no cares, just late-night scares And swimming in the sun I know I never thought that it’d be done
Nervous to be here, sad to leave Tears falling like ice from under the eaves Hug me once, forget me never an unforgettable endeavor
A week to live, a week to breathe At camp, I never want to leave
Summer Camp Adventures
- Lola H., Cadette, Oswego, N.Y.
Summer only feels complete after going on a camping adventure! Camping has always been a memorable experience for me. Some of my favorite activities are singing camp songs, archery, kayaking, axe throwing, making s’mores and playing Gaga ball! Each year my troop goes on a camping trip with money we earn throughout the year, and we usually stop at a museum or historical site along the way. My troop is usually pretty chill, we work together to pitch our tents and set up our campsite. At night we gather around a campfire and sing songs. We’ve even heard coyotes howling!
For the last three years, I’ve been able to go to Cookie Camp at Hoover which is always action-packed! There are so many new things to try there! The first time I attended I kayaked, caught a toad and threw an axe for the first time ever! Meeting new people and trying new things builds my confidence and makes learning new skills enjoyable.
GSNYPENN has four camp properties: Amahami, Comstock, Hoover and Trefoil. Each one offers a variety of camp options. You can go to day camp or overnight, ride horses, learn to sail, go on excursions, learn survival skills or focus on making art; there are so many adventures to choose from! You can use your Experience Credits earned from our Treats, Reads & More and Girl Scout Cookie programs to help pay for the camping experience you choose.
Camp Comstock Is Really Fun
- Abigail M., Cadette, Syracuse, N.Y.
Are you a Girl Scout who wants to go to Summer Camp or someone who wants to join Girl Scouts and learn about camp? Some of my Girl Scout friends and I went to Camp Comstock this summer.
Here is our review:
My favorite thing about Comstock is the option to spend time sailing. It was just so much fun, I did not know how to sail before this experience, and it was amazing spending time on the water with all my cabin friends. I learned how to steer the sail and how to capsize in a good way so that everyone doesn’t just panic. The food at camp is also great! One night we had hamburgers and the next morning we had French toast sticks! They even had food for my vegan friend.
There was a cabin that didn’t learn to sail, and my friend Violet was in that group. I wanted to put myself in her shoes, so I asked about her experience. I asked her what she did while my cabin was sailing, and her answer was, “We went to arts and crafts, and we also sometimes played Gaga ball.” I also asked her about meeting all the new people in her cabin and she said, “It was really fun to meet new people. A few of my new friends are Sigrid and Taz, who are sisters, and Riley who was in my cabin.” I asked Violet about rest hours and wind-down time at camp. She told me, “Wind-down time was fun. Most of the time I read my book, wrote letters or played cards.”
Overall, it was a great experience for Violet and me, even though we did different things. Thanks to all the counselors at Comstock that made this summer so much fun!
Highest Awards Highest Awards 101
- Lola H. Cadette, Oswego, N.Y.
In Girl Scouts, we have three highest awards: Girl Scout Bronze, Silver and Gold! Gold is the highest award a Girl Scout can earn. Whether you’ve already earned a highest award or are just learning , here are some common requirements and differences for each one.
The Bronze Award is the highest award a Girl Scout Junior (grades 4-5) can earn. I earned my Bronze last year and plan to work towards my Silver soon! A requirement to earn Bronze is that Junior troop members must learn about problems in their community. Then, they agree on the topic/issue they feel most passionate about, research it and do their best to solve the problem. Juniors working on this award decide on a “take action project” and must work a minimum of 20 hours on it.
Here’s an example of a Bronze project posted on girlscouts.org: “You might live near an ocean and notice there’s a lot of trash on the beach. As you research your issue, you might realize that even though there are trashcans and recycling bins available, people aren’t using them! After doing more research, you learn that your community doesn’t understand how bad trash is for the ocean. So, you decide to host a service unit beach cleanup and education day with activities that explain how important clean oceans are. You also put up signs around the beach and on trashcans about keeping the beach clean.”
The Silver Award is similar to Bronze and is the highest award a Girl Scout Cadette (grades 6-8) can earn. Instead of working 20 hours on their project, Cadettes are required to work at least 50 (more than double what’s required for Bronze). Another difference is that the project must be sustainable, which the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines as “capable to be sustained” and “using a resource so that the resource is not depleted.” So, the project must be able to continue and not be a one-time event.
The website cadette-girl-scout-journeys.blogspot.com better explains the process. “First, the girl must complete at least one of the three Journeys at this level. Then the girls have to pick a project that they want to work on alone or with a group. There is a lot of planning that goes on with this, but as an older girl, she needs to stand on her own two feet to figure out what will work and what will not. These projects are meant to ‘make the world a better place,’ an integral part of the Girl Scout Promise.”
The Gold Award is the highest earned in Girl Scouts! To earn it, Girl Scout Seniors (grades 9-10) and Ambassadors (grades 11-12) need to work a minimum of 80 hours on their projects and must tackle a community issue. According to girlscouts.com, Gold is awarded to less than 6% of eligible Girl Scouts, this award is a huge deal! Another difference between Gold and our other highest awards is that the Gold Award is an individual award. There are some college scholarships that Girl Scouts who earn this award may apply for and if a Gold recipient enlists in the U.S. Armed Services, they will enter one rank/pay grade higher.
Each Girl Scout highest award is progressively more challenging, and all are incredible accomplishments! Take action projects give Girl Scouts the ability to lead, problem-solve and make a positive change in their communities.
Past GSNYPENN Gold Award Projects
Musical Lending Library
Young History Climate Change and the Monarch Habitat
GSNYPENN Programming
Unlock New Adventures With Experience Credits
- Lola H. Cadette, Oswego, N.Y.
Experience Credits are rewards you can earn through our Treats, Reads & More (TRM) and Girl Scout Cookie programs . This was a big year for Experience Credits for me! I sold more cookies than ever before and earned $350 in credits! While at Cookie Camp at Camp Hoover, I used some of my credits to shop at the camp store. Experience Credits can also be redeemed to purchase apparel, uniforms and merchandise from the GSNYPENN stores in Syracuse and Horseheads and our new press shop in Syracuse. You can also redeem these credits for Summer Camp or go on spectacular travel adventures with other Girl Scouts! There are so many trips and events listed on gsnypenn.org/events that you can choose from. I hope when I’m a little older, I can travel overseas on one of the Girl Scout trips abroad! Go ahead and participate in TRM and the cookie program so you can unlock new adventures with Experience Encampment is our favorite event of the year for Girl Scouts!
Thin Mint® Dessert Cups
Tasty Treats
Girl Scout Cookie Recipes
- Serenity F., Brownie, Jordan, N.Y.
Ingredients needed:
1 box of Thin Mints
1 box of instant chocolate pudding
2 cups of cold milk (or non-dairy milk)
8 oz of Cool Whip
Steps to follow:
1. Take half the box of Thin Mints and crush them into gravel-consistency
2. Coarsely chop the remaining cookies
3. Prepare the instant pudding per the instructions on the box
4. Mix the coarsely chopped Thin Mints into the pudding mixture
5. Then, fold in the Cool Whip
6. Sprinkle the cookie gravel mix into the bottom of the dish
7. Add pudding mixture, then top with more cookie gravel
8. Refrigerate for a few hours
Tagalongs® Shake
Ingredients needed:
a box of Tagalongs
6 cups of vanilla ice cream
1 cup of milk
1 can of whipped cream (optional)
Steps to follow:
1. Mix cookies, ice cream and milk in a blender
2. Blend until you reach your desired thickness
3. Serve with whipped cream and crumbled cookies on top
Community Event Recap
Syracuse Orchestra Music Review
- Mackenzie N., Junior, North Syracuse, N.Y.
On July 24 at Destiny USA, the Syracuse Orchestra performed the “Star-Spangled Banner,” “Dance Negre, Charleston Rag,” “Overture to Treemonisha,” “Symphony No. 1 Mvt. 3” and “Legend of Zelda.” They also performed “Malaguena from Andalucia,” “Melody, Libertango” and “Suite from Hamilton.” The orchestra’s music was loud, energetic and enjoyable. This was a free concert so anyone who happened to walk by could enjoy the music!
My favorite piece that the orchestra played was “Suite from Hamilton” by Lin-Manuel Miranda. This was my favorite because it was exciting yet calming at the same time. The main message is that opportunities are limited and are hard to come by. This musical is about Alexander Hamilton’s life.
The conductor was Mr. Thomas Hong, and he did very well at conducting the orchestra. He has worked with many orchestras, including the Berlin Symphony.
I recommend the Syracuse Orchestra to people who like exceptional and exciting music. The flawless and bright music is why I’m giving the Syracuse Orchestra a score of 5 out of 5 stars!
Media Team Updates
- Abigail M., Cadette, Syracuse, N.Y.
I joined the Media Team during Member Year 2024! I participated in photo and video shoots. I was also part of a campaign that allowed me to make a Build-A-Bear video and a thank-you video for donors.
Our GSNYPENN Media Team
Thank you to our dedicated and talented Troop Times writers for this issue! These Girl Scouts wrote articles that tell the stories of their experience with Girl Scouts and within their communities. We can’t wait to see what you all accomplish in Member Year 2025!
Questions about our team? Contact Media Team Advisor Amanda Coyle at acoyle@gsnypenn.org
