SPRING 2020
New Virtual Girl Scouting 2020 Cookie Crunch Community Leaders: Meet Our 2020 Gold Award Girl Scouts
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This year I sold cookies for the future..So that girls in the future will get to experience the wonderful opportunities that we did. — Brianna Iannone
Spring 2 0 2 0 | VOL U M E 3 | N O. 3
Highlights
In Every Issue
SPRING 2020
3 CEO & Board Chair Letter 4 Council Highlights 4 Troop 7314 Update 5 Mary Mitchell Honored by YWCA 5 GSACPC Board Member Marches in Rose Parade 5 Inclusive Workplace Award 6 Mahogany in Motion Event 6 Poetry Contest! 6 Guidelines During Election Year 7 School Access Bill Update
New Virtual Girl Scouting 2020 Cookie Crunch Community Leaders: Meet Our 2020 Gold Award Girl Scouts
Managing Editor/Writer Susan de Queljoe Copy Editor/Writer Heather Thornton
8 Powered by G.I.R.L.s
12 My Story: Innovator 13 Leading the Way
Writers Alex Anton Vianca Navarete Guest Writers Brianna Iannone Alexis Kjellstrom Lindsey Shirley Bonnie Boyce Wilson Design Nicole Shores Contact Us info@girlscoutsaz.org stories@girlscoutsaz.org council@girlscoutsaz.org 119 E. Coronado Road Phoenix, AZ 85004 602.452.7000 800.352.6133 girlscoutsaz.org ¿Prefieres esta información en español? preguntas@girlscoutsaz.org o 602-452-7011 Follow Us @GSACPC
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Cookie Season 2020 Rundown! Keep Your Troop Connected
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Get Outdoors Challenge
13 13 13 13 14 15 16 17
Early Bird Registration Early Renewal Patch Contest Virtual Girl Scouts Explore the World Keep Your Troop Connected Leader Share Arizona’s Inspirational Women Patch Program Returns We ♥ Our Volunteers
18 Past Adventures
18 22 23 24 24
2020 Cookie Program Recap Mentoring Monday Dessert Challenge Champions Cookie Booth Buyouts Cookie Fast Pitch
25 Champion for Girls 25 26 26 27 27
Gold Award Girl Scout Still Giving Back Longtime Champions for Girls Banner Health Helps Girls Earn Cybersecurity Badges Badge Bash 2020 Ensuring Girl Scouting Remains Across Generations
28 Around the Bend 28 Summer Camp Update 29 Get Outdoors Challenge
30 Gold Award Girl Scouts 38 Awards and Recognitions
LETTER from the CEO and BOARD CHAIR
Staying Connected A Community of Girl Scouts Girl Scout Families, I hope each of you, and your families, are healthy and finding ways to feel connected while social distancing. In this time of isolation, I have discovered the paradox of feeling even more connected. Others have said they are feeling similarly. For many years, I have talked about the importance of the social capital we have across our Council and the communities we serve – the quality of the relationships we have with one another, our volunteers, our donors, and community partners. I believe we are realizing the benefits of those relationships in the social fabric we have all helped to weave in Arizona Cactus-Pine. Our priority over the next few weeks is to cultivate and care for our Council’s social fabric and even to enhance the social capital that we have with our volunteers and the families of the girls we serve. I believe this investment will result in the kind of resilience that will sustain and possibly grow the membership of our Council and the spirit of the Girl Scout Movement in our jurisdiction when this pandemic dissolves, and we move into our “new normal.”
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From what I’m seeing, the absence of social connection is making everybody more ardent for it. Our staff members and volunteers are demonstrating their innovation and ingenuity at finding ways to stay in touch with each other and the girls they serve. Our girls are also finding ways to stay connected from leaving notes in mailboxes, canvassing neighborhoods with door hangers, neighborhood free book boxes and virtual hugs. I read an article recently about the critical distinction between social connection and social solidarity. Social connection means feeling empathetic toward others and being kind to them. That’s fine in normal times. Social solidarity is more tenacious. It’s an active commitment to the common good — the kind of thing needed in times like now. As a community of Girl Scouts, I hope we will provide leadership in demonstrating social solidarity, an obligation to tenacious solidarity to protect the health and wellbeing of the whole of our community, particularly our health care workers, first responders, grocery and drug store workers and vulnerable populations through our commitment to decrease
all face-to-face human contact. What a rare opportunity we have to demonstrate heroism by staying home and reaching out and connecting through phones and technology. Teri and I send each of you a virtual hug. Please stay healthy and connected.
Love,
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COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS
Editor’s
NOTE
Corrections to Dec. 2019, Issue II, Vol. 3: Volunteer of Excellence Awardee Kim McKee was incorrectly listed under her nominator’s name Nikki Coburn. This was the case in all the Recognition Luncheon materials, and we deeply regret these errors. Although we work hard to publish an error-free magazine, we do make mistakes and apologize for them. Thank you for your understanding.
COVID-19 As we go to print, our way of life has changed considerably in response to social distancing guidelines issued by the CDC and local and national authorities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our in-person events and programs through the end of May have been canceled or postponed. Our physical office locations are closed to the public and minimally staffed. Our staff has been collaborating with one another, our Girl Scout families, volunteers, and program and other partners through phone, video, email, and other online resources. Thank you all for your calm and measured responses as we adjust to the impact of COVID-19 on our lives at work and at home. We want to support you, your needs, and lift our whole network up during this time. We have done our best to ensure this issue only contains current information. Given the rapidly changing environment, additional decisions and updates may have been made after this issue was published. Please refer to our new web page for the most up-to-date information, girlscoutsaz.org/covid-19. In our 108 years, we have weathered many challenges and come out stronger as an organization. In that spirit, we send you big hugs and wish you well during this uncertain time. —Your Editorial Team
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Troop 7314 riders take a quick break from pedaling to take a photo.
Troop 7314 Update – More Smiles for Miles on the Rez Roads
Before riding, girls learn from supporters and specialists how to change a bike tire.
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ast fall, we featured Indian Wells Troop 7314 and their inspiring 200-mile bike ride on the Navajo Nation, Tour de Sih Hasin, which was founded by their Troop Leader Claudia Jackson. Today, more girls are being impacted through Claudia’s biking troop thanks to a generous donation from Subway Kids & Sports of Arizona and a matching gift from Subway franchisee Mark Rose in November. Now all the girls in Troop 7314 have a bike to ride – including the six new troop members, some of which hail from Hopi and Sheepsprings, outside of Indian Wells. Of her troop and their families, Claudia says, “Teaching and learning life skills from a bike has been phenomenal. Especially when girls contact me and want to know when the next rides are. And their moms tell me, ‘They’re ready to ride in the rain, snow or shine because they miss riding with you.’ They inspire me, seeing their smiles, pedaling through life’s terrain. I’m overjoyed to be able to continue this journey because of supporters of Girl Scouts and our troop.”
Girls from Troop 7314 learn about the bikes and get fitted for one.
SPRING 2020
COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS
Mary Mitchell Honored by YWCA
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SACPC Deputy Director Mary Mitchell was recognized with the Arizona YWCA Metropolitan Phoenix's Tribute to Leadership Award in February. This award celebrates the accomplishments of leaders in our community who strive to improve the lives of women, girls, and people of color through leadership, advocacy, and community service. Mary’s tireless efforts to strengthen our communities by improving the lives of all women and girls are truly inspiring, and we’re deeply grateful for her leadership.
County Supervisor and GSACPC Board Member Marches in Rose Parade
GSUSA CEO, Sylvia Acevedo, poses with Liz Archuleta just before the parade!
On New Year’s Day, 100 women, including GSACPC Board Member and Coconino County Supervisor Liz Archuleta, marched in the Pasadena Rose Parade with the float “Years of Hope, Years of Courage.” Liz was selected to represent Arizona on this float alongside many extraordinary women from around the country, including civil rights activist and Girl Scout alum Dolores Huerta, and GSUSA CEO Sylvia Acevedo. The float recognized the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, granting women the right to vote. It featured a replica of the Statue of Liberty wearing a suffragette sash as she held a tablet of the 19th Amendment. The float also featured more than 1,000 yellow roses, the signature flower of the suffrage movement, and large signs with quotes like “Women Win the Vote” and “Lifting as We Climb.” In an interview with the Arizona Daily Sun, Liz expressed the honor she felt to represent the multicultural diversity of Arizona and her gratefulness for all the women who made history before us.
GSACPC Wins Inclusive Workplace Award On Nov. 15, GSACPC Director of Human Resources, Patricia Davis, accepted the Diversity Leadership Alliance Inclusive Workplace Award on our Council’s behalf. Our Council has been working hard to ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is reflected in all we do, and it was an honor to have our efforts recognized. We plan to continue providing more dialogue, learning opportunities, and actions to represent this value throughout our entire council.
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Social Shout Out!
COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS
The most liked post from our Instagram page Oct. 16, 2019 Jan. 31, 2020.
GSACPC Celebrates Black History Month at Mahogany in Motion Event
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n Feb. 17, GSACPC hosted over 75 girls and adults in celebration of Black History Month at The Parsons Leadership Center.
Patricia Davis, GSACPC’s human resources director wraps a scarf around a Girl Scout prior to joining the drumming circle.
Girls gather for a traditional African drumming lesson.
This highly participatory event included a traveling “Did You Know?” STEM history museum highlighting African American inventors and a Sister’s Circle for adults discussing the history of black girls in Girl Scouting and what today’s girls need to feel supported. The morning ended with traditional African drumming.
It’s Cookie Super Delivery weekend - girls and volunteers moving over two million packages of deliciousness! Shout out to all the #cookiebosses working hard to get ready for Monday! BIG HUGS to all our delivery locations and movers #gsinaction #gscookies #cookieboss #werk #girlscoutproud
Poetry Contest! April is National Poetry Month! To celebrate, we invite you to participate in our girl poetry contest! Please review the contest guidelines; all girls are encouraged to submit an entry. Entries will be shared in the Fall issue of Connections. HOW TO ENTER: Girls must be current members and submit their entry by May 22 at 12:00 am. All entries must be submitted to marcom@girlscoutsaz.org with the contest name in the subject line. When submitting your entry, include your name, troop number, Girl Scouting level, and parent email. Grand prize winner from each age category will win a $25 gift card to a Girl Scout Dessert Challenge restaurant and Girl Scout swag bag. Runner up from each age category will win Girl Scout swag bag filled with goodies!
Girl Scout Daisies – Juniors In the style of an acrostic poem, a poem in which the first letter of each line spells out a word or message, write a poem in which the first letter of each line spells the word GSACPC.
Girl Scout Cadettes – Ambassadors In the style of an acrostic poem, a poem in which the first letter of each line spells out a word or message, write a poem in which the first letter of each line spells the name GIRL SCOUTS.
Guidelines During Election Year VOTE
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While Girl Scouts encourages civic engagement, please remember that when in uniform, girls and adult volunteers may not participate in political campaigns of those running for public office. It is a violation of the law governing tax-exempt organizations, which we fall under. See 501(c)3 Advocacy Practices and Guidelines for more detailed information here: bit.ly/electioneeringpractices.
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COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS
Visitors’ Gallery and were welcomed by name by their legislator. Senator Tyler Pace read a proclamation naming the date Girl Scout Leadership Day. The afternoon concluded with tours of the Arizona State Treasurer’s office and the Capitol Museum. When the bill was heard in the House Technology committee, Gina Ferroni, Ella Hammer and Brianna Iannone each addressed the members of the committee, sharing their personal stories about the power of Girl Scouting in their lives. The bill was passed by the committee and later by the full House of Representatives. Thank you to everyone who emailed their representative to ask for their support. It made a difference. Girl Scouts gather with Rep. Bob Thorpe, sponsor of HB 2654, at the State Capitol's Rose Garden.
School Access Bill HB 2654 Update
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efore the Arizona legislature adjourned until April 13 or later due to COVID-19, our renewed efforts to pass school access legislation - now HB 2654 - were seeing results, and we were nearing the finish line. This bill would allow Girl Scouts and several other youth-serving organizations access to students at the beginning of the school year for recruitment. As of now, it’s unknown whether the legislators will reconvene this year. We are thankful to the Girl Scouts, their parents, and Troop Leaders for participating and getting a behind-thescenes look at how a bill becomes law. In January, a group of Girl Scouts and their parents had a productive meeting with Rep. Anthony Kern, who chairs the House Rules Committee, to talk about the bill and tell him more about Girl Scouts. Hearing
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HB 2654 was scheduled to be heard by the Senate Education Committee, but committee meetings were canceled due to the threat of the coronavirus. If and when the Senate reconvenes, we are optimistic about our bill being passed. Last year, we worked to pass a similar bill and were disappointed when it was defeated in the House during the marathon legislative session over Labor Day weekend. Learn more about the process of how a bill becomes law at bit.ly/BillToLawLearn.
from members of his district made an impact, and he agreed to support our bill. More than 100 Girl Scouts, volunteers and parents participated in Girl Scout Day at the Capitol in February. They were greeted by Rep. Bob Thorpe, from District 6 in Flagstaff, who is sponsoring this year’s school access bill, HB 2654. Afterwards, girls went either to the House or Senate
Rep. Anthony Kern met with Girl Scouts and learned about how a bill is reviewed before it's voted on.
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Every day Go-getters, Innovators, Risk-takers and Leaders
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1 GSACPC partnered with Ford Driving Skills for Life, which offers teen driver training clinics. A group of 25 Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts participated in a fun-filled day of hands-on driver training with Ford Mustangs. From basic driving safety to distracted and impaired driving courses, the girls had the opportunity to learn advanced skills they’ll need to know to get out on the roads on their own. After the clinic, the girls received a special Ford Driving Skills for Life patch to proudly wear on their uniforms - letting the world know that they are well-informed on driving safety! 2 Troop 3235 earned first place for their float at the Mayer Daze Parade in Mayer, AZ. Their float was decked out in Girl Scout style with a fake tent and horses around a campfire! This troop of Daisies and Brownies had never participated in a parade or made a parade float, and felt incredibly proud to hear their work won an award! We can’t wait to see what they can continue to accomplish as a team!
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3 Jessica from Troop 527 recently completed her Silver Award. She was inspired to put together “Comfort Bags” for cancer patients at Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center after her mother went through her first rounds of chemotherapy. The bags were filled with things that would bring patients comfort while receiving treatment, including a notebook with pens and pencils, gum, Chapstick, lotion, Kleenex, and so much more. Jessica hand-delivered the bags to patients who expressed their gratitude for her work. Thanks to Jessica, patients at Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center had a more comfortable experience during a difficult time. 4 Shea and Mackenzie from Troop 1827 wanted to inspire more people to get out and hike, so for their Silver Award, the Cadettes provided hiking sticks for hikers needing additional support. They began by proposing the idea to the Glendale Parks and Recreation, who approved the installation of a hiking sticks storage container at the Thunderbird Conservatory Mountain! Shea and Mackenzie encouraged their community to donate hiking sticks and found local contractors to help build the storage container. Once they completed their project, Glendale Parks and Recreation awarded the girls with a Certificate of Appreciation!
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SPRING 2020
POWERED BY G.I.R.L.s
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5 Troop 3835 took a trip down to Robinson Ranch at South Mountain, where they earned their Junior Horseback Riding badge! The girls learned the basics of horseback riding and caring for horses. This included learning the difference between English and Western horseback riding and how to use different equipment– then they went on a ride! 6 Troop 2400 in Lake Havasu City came together to help the animals affected during this past year’s wildfires in Australia. They took action because they saw that the animals were in need – no matter how far away they were, the girls were determined to help! The girls worked on crochet birds’ nests and pouches as well as “Joey Bags” for baby kangaroos. They handsewed each item and sent them halfway across the world during this devastating time. Thank you, Troop 2400, for making a difference in not only your own community but around the world! 7 Troop 6463 earned their Council’s Own Archaeology badge at the Deer Valley Petroglyph Preserve! The girls learned about what it takes to become an archaeologist, finding artifacts through digs, and how to make twisted twig animals that children would have played with thousands of years ago! The best part? They visited an archaeological site where they dug for hidden gems. It looks like we have future archaeologists on our hands!
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Every day Go-getters, Innovators, Risk-takers and Leaders
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8 Daisy and Brownie Troops from the East Kyrene Service Unit completed their Outdoor Journey during a fall Encampment at Parsons Leadership Center. The girls decided to build and donate six bat houses to the camp as their Take Action Project! Not only did they help weatherproof, assemble, and stain the new homes, but they also learned the important role bats play in our ecosystem. Thanks to these girls, Parsons Leadership Center now offers homes for bats to stay safe!
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9 Several troops around the West Valley earned their space badges at a Jamboree on the Air event. Girls learned about female pioneers in space discovery, the planets, constellations, Morse Code, and the moon. They even looked through a professional telescope and saw two of Jupiter’s moons! These young women are shooting for the stars! 10 Troop 4228 participated in a pet first-aid and CPR program at We Care for Animals in Bullhead City! They embarked on a three-hour program where they learned how to care for snake bites, heat strokes, water safety, resuscitation, and senior pet care. The girls know the responsibility it takes to look after a pet, and they took it a step further to be certified in case of an emergency!
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11 Through the cookie program, Troop 7387 used its 2019 cookie proceeds to plant a tree in Royal Palm Park with help from the City of Phoenix! The girls earned their Take Action badge because their tree supports the City’s Tree and Shade plan to combat urban heat. Troop 7357 is a prime example that Girl Scouts are more than cookies - they make the world a better place.
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12 During the 2019 holiday season, Troops 3821 and 3591 teamed up to bring some holiday cheer to Life Care Center of Paradise Valley. The girls entertained residents of the nursing home with fun songs, bingo, and of course – Girl Scout Cookies! To wrap up their visit, the girls gave handmade necklaces and cards to each resident. The nursing home enjoyed the troops’ visit so much that they invited the girls back! 13 Brownie Troop 3904 wanted to make other childrens’ holiday seasons even brighter! The girls used a portion of their 2019 cookie proceeds to purchase and donate toys to a toy drive in partnership with the Phoenix Fire Department. They learned how giving to those in need is important and that everyone should have the opportunity to experience the holiday joy! The girls also made cards to go with each gift!
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14 Troop 3282 participated in the Legacy Naturalist Day at Willow Springs last September. The Brownies enjoyed hiking and hands-on learning about bugs in the Prescott Pines. They went on to earn their Brownie Bugs badge after exploring the forests and learning all about bugs!
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MY STORY: INNOVATOR
SELLING COOKIES FOR FUTURE GIRL SCOUTS By Brianna Iannone
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his year’s cookie sales were bittersweet for me. I am graduating from high school this year, and this was my last time participating in the cookie program as a girl member. In 13 years, I have sold thousands of cookies. I have schlepped wagons full of boxes door-to-door and have moved thousands of cases at cookie deliveries. Every year, my favorite part of the cookie program (well, besides the access to boxes of Samoas) was to collect donated packages for Cookies for the Community. My Service Unit pulls cookies together, and we give them to a chaplain in the Air Force who gets them to deployed service people. The cookies bring a piece of home to those who are away from their homes, protecting our country.
spoken. For example, I learned to accept rejection and to be resilient. Believe it or not, there are people out there who CAN turn down a box of Girl Scout Cookies! Not every sales pitch lands a sale. Sometimes people passed our booth without even looking at us. Handling rejection in a healthy way is critical to everyone's development, and we learned how to accept rejection and moved forward healthily. Every year my troop set a goal and decided what to do with our cookie money. We paid for and had the time of our lives at summer camp several times. We have used some money for community service projects. And in the last few years, I have sold cookies so that my troop could help fund Gold Awards for my Girl Scout Sisters and myself.
And as we all get ready for the next step, this year’s program was bittersweet since we won’t be going to summer camp and, instead, preparing for college. I sold cookies for the future. So that each of my troop members One of the first things I learned about selling can get a Girl Scout Lifetime cookies was that I needed to be friendly and Membership. So that the outgoing! This tip works well when you are a camps we enjoyed so much small Daisy or Brownie, but as you become will be there for our younger older, customers want to know your goals. Once Brianna Last Cookies: Brianna holds up a “Last Chance to Buy sisters. So that girls in the [Cookies]” sign at her last cookie booth as a Girl Scout. I reached middle and high school, an important future will get to experience strategy was selling cookies door-to-door to the network of the fantastic opportunities that we did. I thank everyone who loyal customers who had known me since I was a Daisy. has supported girls like me through the cookie program to help fuel the experience and opportunity of Girl Scouting for Of course, I learned other skills like goal setting, money everyone and for years to come. management, and business ethics - all things I’ll use my whole life. I also learned things that aren’t as obvious and often not
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SPRING 2020
LEADING the WAY
Early Bird Registration for the 2020-21 Membership Year May 1 – June 30 We welcome Troops and Service Units to renew their memberships in the spring. They receive special perks for doing so! Here’s the breakdown this year:
Troops
Service Units
(who renew two adults and five girls, or more)
(who renew 60% or more)
• Eligible for the Early Cookie Booth Selection Round
• Receive 50% off 2021 encampment fees for building reservations
• Entered into a drawing for the chance to win 1 of 5, $500 program credits
Visit girlscoutsaz.org/renew for more details. If finances are a barrier for you or a member of your troop, please request financial assistance at girlscoutsaz.org/financial-assistance.
• Spring Registration Patch
EXCELLENT AT-HOME ASSIGNMENT: Design the 2020-21 Early Renewal Patch Create a unique patch design and submit it to us online - the winning design will be used as the patch everyone earns for renewing early. The designer will also receive a $25 gift card to the Council Shop. Open to all girls who register for the 2020-21 membership year during Early Bird Registration. Visit girlscoutsaz.org/renew for details.
Virtual Girl Scouts We invite you to take part in virtual Girl Scouting while staying at home. Explore outside from inside, experiment with coding, create beautiful art, and much more, all while earning badges! Visit girlscoutsaz.org/virtual-gs to get started!
Explore the World! Girl Scouts Destinations are the ultimate adventure for individual girls ages 11 and older (for troop opportunities, check out Getaways or International Events). With different destinations and itineraries, there’s something amazing for everyone. Pack your bags and experience a life-changing experience! Here are some upcoming trips you could plan for: JUNE 8-11, 2021 Savannah, GA Birthplace of Girl Scouts Troop 485 saved their cookie earnings for two years to visit two of their dream places last summer, Greece and Italy!
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JUNE 14-21, 2021 Explore Iceland: North and South
JUNE 27-JULY 6, 2021 Explore Japan & Studio Ghibli Museum
JULY 9-18, 2022 Scotland & Ireland
For more information on travel and to view a complete list of destinations visit girlscoutsaz.org/travel.
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LEADING the WAY • Show and Tell: Assign an activity or badge work that everyone completes on their own and then shares their part at the meeting
Virtual Girl Scouting GSACPC’s source for virtual programming. Get started on badge work by visiting girlscoutsaz.org/virtual-gs. • Tip: Program books and supplies are available through the Council Shop, which is taking phone and email orders with free shipping!
Keep Your Troop Connected: Ways to Host Virtual Troop Activities
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ith new precautions being put into place locally, statewide, nationally, and by our Council, we hope that troops can stay connected and participate in Girl Scouts virtually! We encourage Troop Leaders to lead parents and girls into a variety of online troop activities and encourage parents to explore programming girls can do at home. Hosting Virtual Troop Meetings The best way to keep Girl Scouts in touch over the summer and through times where it is safer to stay home is by hosting virtual meetups. When planning a virtual meeting, remember to test your equipment, set meeting expectations, have an agenda, agree on a schedule/time, and find ways to make them engaging. We encourage you to host meetings your troop would typically have in-person, online! Try some of these meeting topic ideas and resources in addition to our new Virtual Girl Scouts resources! Use free digital tools to host virtual meetings, hangouts, or discussions - group text messages, Google Hangouts, Facebook Messaging (which offers text), video Zoom webinars, and WhatsApp.
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• Zoom Meetings – video meetings for 40 min with a free account • Google Hangouts – video and chat with a Google account • Facebook Groups – create a private group where you can communicate and collaborate in one place • Skype – free online call, video, and chat with a Skype account
Troop Meeting Topics • Post-Cookie Season Celebration: host a recognition ceremony to acknowledge achievements and season highlights • Take-Action Projects: discuss, research, and plan projects you want to tackle in the future • High Awards: learn about the different High Awards and outline the steps needed to achieve it for your level
• Get Outdoors Challenge: Review the Challenge details and get activity ideas at girlscoutsaz.org/getout. • Stay at Home Challenge: Get the details at girlscoutsaz.org/virtual-gs • Guide to Giving Back: Get the details at girlscoutsaz.org/give-back
Additional Activities • GSACPC on social media: Follow us @GSACPC on Facebook or Instagram for daily activities! We’re featuring things that you can do at home. We also invite you to explore GSACPC's Pinterest for a wide variety of ideas and resources like outdoor skills activities and recipes. • Health/Fitness: A great addition to a daily routine is being active! With tons of free videos online, girls can participate, independently or through a virtual meetup, in fitness activities like stretching, yoga, Zumba or dance – and perhaps earn a patch or badge along the way! • Book Club: Start a new book and host check-in meetings to discuss learnings. Digital books can be found on public library websites.
Have an idea you’d like to share? Share how you’re keeping active by submitting a story to stories@girlscoutsaz.org!
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LEADING the WAY
Leader Share:
Here’s How Our Troop is Girl Scouting Virtually From Troop 655 in Payson troop Leader: Jessica Kjellstrom co-leaders: Denise Blanchette, Alexis Kjellstrom We got our girls busy on virtual patch-earning in mid-March – we completed Random Acts of Kindness and Keep Calm, I am a Girl Scout patches. Here is what we did if you would like to do it with your troop:
Random Acts of Kindness The girls learned what it meant to live the Girl Scout Promise and Law over eight days to earn the first patch. Every day they were asked to do something to exemplify a section of either the Promise, the Law or a combination. Each night they and their parents posted a picture, video or confirmation of what the girls did through our private online group. We were proud of their responses and feel this experience has helped them to understand GS values, not just memorize and repeat them.
activity sheet/instructions example Complete a listed action each day based on the Girl Scout Promise or Law. Have a parent post it in the online group each day, using a photo, video or drawing. It has to be done the same day it was posted. Suggest keeping this requirement so all patches can be earned with honor. We will start on
and continue for 8 days.
Questions? Contact Leader Day 1. Girl Scout Promise: What did you do to serve your God or Country? Day 2. Girl Scout Law: What did you do to be honest, fair, considerate and caring? Day 3. Girl Scout Law: How were you responsible for what you did or said, to show respect for yourself and others? Day 4. Girl Scout Law: In what ways were you courageous and strong?
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or Leader
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Day 5. Girl Scout Promise and Law: How were you friendly and helpful to at least one other person? Now, come up with an idea that would make a person smile. A card? A poster? A video? A song? Your funniest face? Day 6. Girl Scout Law: What did you do to respect authority? Day 7. Girl Scout Law: How did you use resources wisely? Day 8. Girl Scout Law: In four sentences, what does it mean to be a sister to every Girl Scout?
Troop 655 on Main Street trash pick-up day. Leader Jessica pictured in front right, and co-leaders Alexis and Denise in back row on the right, respectively.
Keep Calm, I am a Girl Scout The second patch we worked on was Keep Calm, I am a Girl Scout. This one was designed for family participation and ran for ten days. Since school started again, via the internet, we gave the girls two days for each project. Origami was our theme, starting out simple with a cat and dog face, we progressed to more difficult designs each day, ending with a pony that flips. Since not everyone had origami paper at home, and we did not want anyone going out for supplies, the girls were given several ideas of what they could cut into 6- or 7-inch squares. Magazine pages, Sunday comics, wrapping paper, copy paper that they colored, drew on, marbled, textured with water color and salt, or anything they could come up with.
We miss our girls but have had a great time coming up with ways to stay in touch through troop-specific activities, as well as the Get Out Challenge and Stay @ Home Challenge on girlscoutsaz.org/virtual-gs.
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LEADING the WAY
Arizona’s Inspirational Women Patch Program Returns – Honoring Four Additional Women Arizona’s Inspirational Women is an interactive patch program for girls to learn about women who have demonstrated a lifetime of courage, confidence, and character and made Arizona and our world a better place.
• Jean Fairfax – American educator, civil rights worker, community organizer, and philanthropist whose efforts have focused on achieving equity in education, especially for underserved African Americans.
The program aims to connect girls to generational stories of Arizona women who have demonstrated the Girl Scout Promise and Law in their life. It was created in partnership with United States Secretary of the Airforce Barbara Barrett and philanthropist Kathrin Parsons to annually highlight women who helped shape our community and country.
• Isabella Greenway – Democratic National Committeewoman and state campaign chairman for Franklin D. Roosevelt, who later became Arizona’s first congresswomen in 1933.
We introduced the program last year and committed to recognizing four admirable women annually. This year through this patch program, we recognize the following inspirational women:
• Susie Shizue Sato – Arizona native and renowned scholar of Japanese American history who was a longtime proponent of Mesa and Arizona history. She was also deeply involved with GSACPC, the Mahnah Club, John Rhodes Rehabilitation Institute, and earned Mesa’s first Pride in Mesa award in 1998.
• Dorothy “Dot” Elsie Wilkinson – Renowned catcher for the Phoenix Ramblers who won three national championships and played in the first Women’s Softball World Championship Game. Inducted into the National Softball Hall of Fame and Museum, Arizona Hall of Fame and International Bowling Hall of Fame.
Learn more about the women being recognized and earn the patch at home! girlscoutsaz.org/councils-own
April = Volunteer Appreciation Month
Volunteers – You bring the power of Girl Scouting to girls, thank YOU! National Volunteer Month is one of the most important months we celebrate. It’s no small feat to open the eyes, hearts, and minds of girls to a world of possibilities. You help them transform their fears into courage, doubts into confidence, and experiences into character. You’re the heroes behind service projects, voices behind successful cookie seasons, and the heart of what we do. With your mentorship and support, girls grow into the leaders and change-makers the world needs. We celebrate and thank you for being a Girl Scout Volunteer and so much more to our girls and community.
You still have time to formally recognize those special volunteers that go above and beyond. Fill out an Adult Awards & Recognition form at girlscoutsaz.org/adult-awards to recognize volunteers at the Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon in November.
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SPRING 2020
LEADING the WAY
We
Our Volunteers!
E
very April, we celebrate the powerful, lifechanging contributions our volunteers make to Girl Scouts all year long. Girl Scout Volunteers go above and beyond to provide girls with enriching experiences, opportunities, and love. Additionally, every year on April 22—Girl Scout Leader’s Day—we give extra kudos to our Leaders. Troop leaders: we love you, and we’re forever grateful to you for being the role models girls look up to, especially in challenging times like these.
Thank you for all you do. To honor all our volunteers, GSACPC Staff created a Kudoboard of images and messages to let our volunteers know for what and how much we are thankful. View all the messages and kudos online at bit.ly/GSKudoboard.
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GIRL SCOUT
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When Life Gives You Lemon-Ups – You Sell Them! 2020 GSACPC Cookie Program Recap
T
his year has been one for the books! We started it off by announcing our newest cookie, the delicious Lemon-Ups, our Cookie Boss in chief Renee Parsons, and increased our sales goal to 3.1 million packages of cookies! In just six weeks, Arizona cookie bosses pitched all of this to new customers and guess what, we sold over 3 million packages! Even better, through every sale (or rejection), girls built resilience and a muscle for innovation, learned skills like how to count change, improved their public speaking voices, learned about e-commerce, and decided how to spend earnings from their cookie business. There is so much that goes into the cookie program, each sale, and every single box. We are thankful to everyone who took part in the success of our girl entrepreneurs. Through your support, girls can fund their troop experiences, camp adventures, service projects in the community, and help all girls experience Girl Scouting in our Council.
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PAST ADVENTURES
SALES BY THE NUMBERS
packages sold
total girls selling
per girl average (PGA)
3,029,189
10,937
276
TOP SELLING GIRLS
Zoey Gerlach 6,585 packages
Maddie Dunlap 6,208 packages
Madison Carnal 6,101 packages
Carolyn Stewart 5,506 packages
Kaitlyn Van Der Werf 5,105 packages
Jilian Lazard 5,008 packages
TOP SELLING TROOPS
Troop 36 in Tempe sold 32,079 pkgs
Troop 558 in Peoria sold 27,127 pkgs
Troop 1892 in Lake Havasu City sold 22,318 pkgs
MIGHTY MINT CLUB Girls who sold 2,000+ packages! Zoey Gerlach Maddie Dunlap Madison Carnal Carolyn Stewart Kaitlyn Van Der Werf Jilian Lazard Olivia Canez Aurora Bogat-Kinkade Sheridan Bantau Emma Aldaz Eliana Lira Aleah Lopez Madison Snethen Kiana Jeskewitz Cybelle Lacis Sophia Harmon Hannah Mack
6,585 6,208 6,101 5,506 5,105 5,008 4,683 4,616 4,567 4,501 4,500 4,500 4,500 4,002 3,846 3,552 3,547
Nicole Hughes Kayla Wolfe Lily Sheehan Megan Berg Madison Fouty Sydnee Juker Faye Hicklin Scarlett Lacis Kloie Kalb Brynnleigh Warren Cora Poor Nicole Erickson Kyree Nelson-Turner Skyla Bishop Mia Avelar London Brown Amarissa Frias
3,514 3,192 3,184 3,000 3,000 3,000 2,676 2,586 2,552 2,551 2,513 2,510 2,510 2,503 2,500 2,500 2,500
Maya Hamer Serenity Kramer Maliah Winey Elizabeth Young Addison Schmeiser Nyna Kingsley Isabella Tapley Lillian Standerfer Raegan Rogers Kiera Rogers Abby Lange Daphne Lott Amber Sultan Amani Jones Blessing Cobb Lorelei Cruse Teegan Paugh
2,500 2,500 2,500 2,500 2,304 2,190 2,188 2,117 2,111 2,105 2,088 2,076 2,063 2,062 2,060 2,030 2,025
Madeleine Sinioris Sarah Spresney Rachael Francisco Imogen Williams Sophia Castillo April Costello Gillian Glithero Alyssa Hill Isabelle Hoag Jacqueline Lever Gabriella Nunez Melanie Pierson Mackenzie Redford Jacey Salisbury Marisella Urcuyo
GIRL SCOUT
2,019 2,002 2,001 2,001 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000
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PAST ADVENTURES
Service Unit Cookie Rallies
Cookie Cupboards
Getting your business in order is one key ingredient to success! Forty Service Units held cookie rallies to help girls prepare for the cookie program. They also provided lots of ideas, motivation, and inspiration. Thank you, Service Units, for contributing to the success of girls participating in the Girl Scout Cookie Program.
It was tough to keep the Cookie Cupboards stocked this season! This tells us two things: girls were successful, and Cookie Cupboard Managers were very busy. Twenty-nine inspiring and dedicated volunteers opened their homes and hearts to supply countless cookies to girls across the council. Thank you:
Cookie Super Delivery In just two days, we distributed over two million packages of Girl Scout Cookies! On Jan. 18 and 19, hundreds of volunteers and girls helped distribute cookies to fellow Girl Scout sisters. A few Service Units even had the chance to hold a delivery at the Chicago Cubs Spring training stadium, a first for us. Thank you to all the volunteers and staff who came out to help direct traffic, unload pallets and share their Girl Scout spirit with everyone over super delivery weekend!
• • • • • • • • • • • • •
Linda Arneson Joanne Becker Catherine Bell Tammie Bohnker Kati Brocker Lindy Buffett Chelle Daly Jessica Gattuso Kimberly Goldberg Kate Gookin Angela Gray Diane Gruener Renee Hollingsworth • Angela Kelley • Nita Kerl
• • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Cathy Kerr Jessica Kjellstrom Kathryn La Touf Emily Locke Pamela Meade Tonya Ondov Melissa Perguson Deb Reuterman Grace Ricca Diana LaulainenSchein Miki Spellman Kim Thursby Linda/Karl Weiss Theresa Zaun
Flat Stacie, Cookie Flair, Cookie Commercial Contests Over 180 girls participated in either the Flat Stacie, Cookie Flair, or Cookie Commercial contests this year! Contest winners were drawn at random to win $75 Council gift cards and notified directly.
A BIG thank you to our first-ever Cookie Boss Renee Parsons! You inspired the next generation of entrepreneurs and we’re deeply grateful.
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SPRING 2020
PAST ADVENTURES
Booth Partners A BIG thank you to partners who provided more than 19,000 booth spots for girls in our Council. • ACE Hardware • Aioli Gourmet Burgers • Aldape’s Market Place • Arizona State University
We held an open contest for girls to design the third annual Cookies for the Community patch. With lots of artistic talent in our council, it was difficult to choose a winning design! The winner is Kayla Wolfe from Troop 181. Congratulations! The patch will be available in 2021.
• North Point Market • Quick Quack Car Wash • Safeway
• Bashas’ Family of Stores
• Senator McGee’s Office
• Bookman’s Entertainment Exchange
• Smith’s Food and Drug Store
• City Market
• South Point Market
• Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers
Cookies for the Community: Design a Patch Contest
• Malee’s Thai Bistro
• Sonic
• CVS Pharmacy
• Sportsman’s Warehouse
• Dollar Tree
• The Herb Box
• Dunkin Donuts
• True Value
• Florian Florist
• University of Advancing Technology
• Fry’s Food Stores • Golden Gate Community Center • Goodwill Industries
• Ultra-Star • Vista Del Sol Community Resorts
• JoAnn Fabric and • Walgreens Craft Store • Walmart • Lowe’s
Superseller Events Alternatives and postponements for the 2020 Girl Scout Cookie Program reward events/trips are being discussed internally and with partners/venues, and will be communicated to qualifying sellers as necessary. We are working on ensuring rewards can be enjoyed, if just at a later date, and will keep you posted! Please visit girlscoutsaz.org/covid-19 for the latest updates.
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GIRL SCOUT
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PAST ADVENTURES
#WalkaboutGSACPC
O
ur 2020 Walkabout Contest was a hit! We had over 380 submissions throughout cookie season! We love seeing how many Girl Scouts are out in the community, meeting their neighbors, and selling cookies the old-fashioned way. This year we announced one Dessert Challenge gift card winner per week of the program. We can’t wait to see how many girls will participate next year.
WEEK 1
WEEK 2
WEEK 3
Clementine Anderson
Trinity Quintanilla
Ava Gillane
Troop 4692
Troop 3999
Troop 2202
WEEK 4
WEEK 5
WEEK 6
Malia Lovelace
Story Delgado
Taylor Aldrich
Troop 5212
Troop 3186
Troop 3249
Mentoring Monday with Phoenix Business Journal!
M Girl Scout mentees at Mentoring Monday (from L to R): Savannah, Ashley, Cheyenne, Tressa, Holly and Trinity.
GSACPC’s Deputy Director, Christina Spicer shares the importance of having a mentor and what it takes to be a Gold Award Girl Scout.
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Savannah meets and gets a speed coaching session from Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s CEO, Monica Villalobos.
entoring Monday is a national event held in 40 cities on the same day. It brings together local businesswomen to learn from one another. Through a speed coaching format, the event is a catalyst for meaningful networking between women of all professions and career stages. This is the second year of a national partnership between GSUSA and American City Business Journals (Biz Journals), which made it possible for GSACPC to participate in the Phoenix event. GSACPC Deputy Director Christina Spicer spoke to more than 200 attending female professionals and highlighted the importance of nurturing and elevating the next generation of female leaders who will leave their imprint on the future of our nation. GSACPC Gold Award Girl Scouts connected with influential female community and business leaders through a mentoring “speed-coaching” session. Christina Spicer also provided mentorship to mentees in attendance. The event was full of energy, courageous conversations, skill-building and networking – some Girl Scouts even secured connections for potential internships!
SPRING 2020
PAST ADVENTURES
Girl Scout Cookie Dessert Challenge
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estaurants created delicious Girl Scout Cookie-inspired recipes and served them to customers throughout the month of February. This year we had the most restaurants participating EVER! With over 36 venues across Central and Northern Arizona – our 7th Annual Dessert Challenge was the most exciting yet! From Tagalong show-stopper milkshakes to Trefoil Tiramisu – the chefs were extra creative competing to win the Champion title! What’s extra sweet, a portion of the proceeds from the promotion benefited Girl Scouting in Arizona. With more restaurants in Northern Arizona than we’ve ever had – we introduced a voting option for both Central and Northern AZ participants. The public had the voting power to decide TWO champions this year!
Congratulations to the 2020 Dessert Challenge Champions!
Thank you to all the restaurants who participated and showed support for girls through this tasty and friendly challenge! Aioli Gourmet Burgers Bill's Grill Eggstasy Famous 48 Humble Brag Hair Salon in partnership with Copper Star Coffee Ironwood American Kitchen at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess LOVECRAFT Luna Gelateria Malee's Thai Bistro Match Restaurant & Lounge at FOUND:RE Phoenix Hotel
CENTRAL ARIZONA CHAMPION
NORTHERN ARIZONA CHAMPION
959 votes
127 votes
MODERN Oysterbar Chophouse Ocean Prime Phoenix Old Ellsworth Brewing Company PHX Beer Co. Scottsdale PITCH Different Point of View at Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort Prado at Omni Scottsdale Montelucia Resort & Spa
Media Ambassadors met with Chef Lance Whipple at Four Seasons and made homemade Samoas-inspired cookies!
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Chef Mo from The Herb Box showed girls how to recreate her dessert featured in the Challenge!
Proof, An American Canteen at Four Seasons Resort
Scottsdale at Troon North Rusconi's American Kitchen Schmear: Bagelry & Cafe Serrano's Mexican Restaurant - Chandler ShadowRock Tap + Table at Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Sicilian Baker Silver Pine Restaurant & Bar at Little America Hotel Sushi Roku Terras at CIVANA Wellness Resort & Spa The Annex Cocktail Lounge The District The Herb Box 5th Avenue The Scottsdale Plaza Resort – JD’s Lounge The Thumb The Tourist Home All Day Café The Vig McDowell Mountain Timbers Tacos at Great Wolf Lodge Arizona Tinderbox Kitchen ZuZu at Hotel Valley Ho
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PAST ADVENTURES
Girl Scout Cookie Booth Buyouts! This past cookie season, we saw more members in the community buying out cookie booths than we’ve ever seen before! We are so grateful to have Girl Scout supporters throughout Arizona who are excited to surprise a troop in a big way. Thank you to everyone who chose to make a difference by contributing to girl’s cookie goals!
Cookie Fast Pitch On Jan. 25, twelve local CEOs and business executives got together to mentor over 35 girls at the first-ever, Cookie Fast Pitch! Girls met with expert business professionals and practiced their cookie sales pitches while the executives provided helpful feedback, ideas, and even purchased cookies! It was such a unique opportunity for girls to build confidence and learn from professionals. We are so thankful for the University of Advancing Technology for hosting, and thankful for the following executive mentors who supported our cookie entrepreneurs.
Girl Scout Amarissa gets tips on perfecting her pitch from CEO Jackie Norton.
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Our featured CEOs (from L to R) Carla Jasa, Jackie Norton, Shirley Baum, Ray Roberts, Lisa Urias, Lorraine Bergman, Ashleigh Bechtel (front), Ashley Shick, Diane Veres. not pictured: Dr. David Bolman, Peter Cohen and Robert Reder.
SPRING 2020
CHAMPIONS FOR GIRLS
50 Years Later:
Gold Award Girl Scout Still Giving Back By Lindsey Shirley Fry’s Marketplace Executive Chef Omei Eaglerider recounts an unforgettable journey that began with Girl Scouting.
W
hen it comes to owning your story and living out your dreams, Omei Eaglerider (aka Chef ‘O’) is a testament of what it means to wholeheartedly commit to your journey, while teaching and serving others along the way. And for Omei, her dedication to persevere and excel, began with Girl Scouting. It was 1967 when Omei joined Girl Scouts as a Brownie. She was in the second grade and was captivated by the thought of earning badges by participating in hands-on activities. But for young Omei, becoming a Girl Scout went beyond the badges. “To be completely honest, I was bullied in school from first grade to high school so much so that I can honestly say I considered taking my own life. My troop was outside of school, so at first, it was a refuge, but then it became the place where I could not only be myself but where I also excelled.” Omei’s drive to excel, and the creative gifts she realized she had throughout her 18 years Girl Scouting as a girl and staff
GIRL SCOUTS–ARIZONA CACTUS-PINE
member, served her well. Not only was she a recipient of the Girl Scout Gold Award at the age of 17 (then called the First-Class Award), but she even held the Guinness World Record for ‘Continuous Yo-Yo’ while in high school. Omei would also flourish in the arts professionally and, in her late twenties, began working in the film industry. Over the next 11 years, her ambition to cultivate her craft led her to earn some of the industry’s most prestigious awards, including an Oscar for special effects in the film “Titanic” and an Emmy for special effects in the made for TV movie, “Miracle Landing.” Omei credits her love of learning and the ability to believe and achieve, to Girl Scouting. “I discovered there was so much more in me than met the eye. I learned how to challenge myself and that I was capable of whatever I put my mind to. Girl Scouting helped me find joy, purpose, and friends that I have to this day.” Over the last 53 years, Omei has made it a point to stay involved with Girl Scouts in some capacity. As the Executive Chef
at Fry’s Signature Marketplace Culinary School in Paradise Valley, Arizona, she offers a wide variety of cooking classes and often works with troops from around the Valley to help girls earn their cooking badges.
“When we use our talents and stories to help and inspire others, the world becomes a better place. It’s a joy and honor that I get to use what I’ve been given every single day.” Chef O Loves to Concoct Girl Scout Cookie-Inspired Creations. Check out her latest recipe, ChocolatePeanut Butter-Toffee Cookie Bites at bit.ly/ChefORecipe.
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CHAMPIONS FOR GIRLS
Celebrating Longtime Champions for Girls: As You Wish
A
s You Wish owners and longtime Girl Scout partners, Lori and Scott Neff, have been champions for girls since they acquired As You Wish in 2007. They’ve consistently brought artistic fun to council events, including Badge Bash and our inaugural B.I.G. Event! Q&A with owner Lori Neff: Q: What do you love most about Girl Scouts? A: I love that Girl Scouts provides ways for girls to develop their individual leadership skills. These skills will help girls as they continue to grow and throughout their adult life.
Lori Neff smiles big while purchasing some cookies from Troop 1264.
Q: Why do you feel creativity is an important skill? A: Creativity helps you to express yourself, see things from a different perspective, and learn to deal with uncertainty. Creative people can adapt their thinking and learn to go with the flow, as life is not always certain. Q: What is your advice for aspiring business owners and entrepreneurs? A: The best advice I can give is that you must believe in yourself, be prepared to work hard, don’t be afraid to take risks, and remember that mistakes are opportunities to improve. Don’t give up!
Scott Neff helps himself to as many cookies as he can hold – and he’s still missing some flavors!
Banner Health Helps Girls Earn Cybersecurity Badges On Oct. 4, 30 Brownies and Juniors learned about cybersecurity in a workshop led by experts from Banner Health, and earned all three cybersecurity badges: Cyber Security Basics, Cyber Security Safeguards, and Cyber Security Investigating! Banner Health staff volunteers engaged girls in dynamic activity stations that were even accompanied by digital cartoon characters designed to look like Girl Scouts! Girls had a blast, to say the least, and completed the day by exploring a top-secret cyber evidence room, learned how to navigate a secure facility, and solved a cybercrime! These G.I.R.L.s are working to close the gender gap in tech, one badge at a time!
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SPRING 2020
CHAMPIONS FOR GIRLS
Save the Date for Badge Bash 2020 Saturday, Nov. 14 at Parsons Leadership Center Badge Bash is an opportunity for adults to experience life as a Girl Scout. Guests will experience a fun night of Girl Scout-inspired activities, while they earn “badges,” make new friends, enjoy a cocktail, and roast s’mores over a campfire. We invite you to bring a “team” of friends and test your skills in earning the most badges, and then dance the night away at the after-party! For additional information and to see photos from Badge Bash 2019, visit girlscoutsaz.org/badge-bash.
Ensuring Girl Scouting Remains Across Generations By Bonnie Boyce
M
y mother, Naomi Carlene Boyce, was my role model. She was my Troop Leader from the time I was a Brownie and served as a neighborhood chair, cookie chair, and volunteered for many other duties to keep Girl Scouts going in my community.
As I advanced through the levels of Girl Scouting, I had great adventures, earned many badges, and performed acts of community service. Among my treasures, I still have my sash, covered with badges, my Senior Patch, and World Pin. (Senior was the highest designation at that time.) My dad also was quite involved with our troop as he loved the outdoors and frequently loaded all of us girls, our tents, sleeping bags, camping gear, and food into his truck to spend weekends in the Colorado Mountains. My fellow Girl Scout Sister, Pat, and I regularly volunteered at camp and taught younger girls songs and games, kaper charts, sit-upons, and all the necessary activities to have a successful camping experience. When I started my own family and when my daughter became old enough, I was her Leader, and lead her experience through to her being a Girl Scout Ambassador. Her troop assisted with the Winter Olympic Games in New York. Similarly, my daughter was Troop Leader for her girls, and my greatgranddaughters are now eager to join their local Daisies troop. It is easy to see how Girl Scouting has profoundly and positively impacted my life and that of my family. I am honored to make a Legacy gift to pay it forward for other girls and their families to be enriched by the experience of Girl Scouts. We thank Bonnie for sharing the impact that Girl Scouting has had on her life and for her generous gift to ensure all girls have the opportunity to experience Girl Scouting.
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AROUND THE BEND
SUMMER CAMP UPDATE
T
he GSACPC Camp Team has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 summer camp sessions as advertised in the summer camp guide, in response to COVID-19. We feel that as an organization, we have an obligation to try to mitigate risk and the spread of the virus in our community and help our members stay healthy. We know this may cause a disruption in families’ summer plans and apologize for the inconvenience. We are deeply saddened to make this decision. However, the wellbeing of our girls, families, our volunteers and staff remain our priority. We strongly believe in the positive impact summer camp experiences have on girls’ lives and hope to see our campers later in the year. While the traditional summer camp programs won’t be held, the GSACPC Camp Team is designing other summer camp program options that could be offered when it is deemed safe to do so. Girls who were registered for camp will be given priority to register for these programs. We will update our website girlscoutsaz.org/camps if this becomes available. Our Customer Care Team has been processing refunds for all registered camper families since this decision was made in early April. If you haven’t received your refund yet, please contact reghelp@girlscoutsaz.org or call 602.452.7030. GSACPC Camp Directors are already missing all the camper faces and sending big hugs! They are hosting virtual camp/outdoor activities to stay connected – check it out at girlscoutsaz.org/virtual-gs.
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GET OUTDOORS CHALLENGE 2020 March 1 – July 31, 2020 Take part in this friendly competition in which individual girls, troops, and families complete outdoor-related activities to score points and earn patches! The Challenge has been extended to July 31 to ensure everyone gets the opportunity to get involved and track their activities! The Get Outdoors Challenge activities support girls’ work towards badges, Journeys, and Take Action Projects. Most importantly, they allow girls to participate in new activities where the mind, body and spirit can grow! Ready to get started!? Register your team online. Every registered participant will receive a Get Outdoors Challenge patch. Earn a single rocker for 500+, 1,000+, 1,500+, or even higher based on the points submitted during the Challenge! Share your Challenge photos by sending them to stories@girlscoutsaz.org or tag us on social media @GSACPC!
GIRL SCOUTS–ARIZONA CACTUS-PINE
Challenge Activities for Anytime and Anywhere Here are a few activities participants can try! Explore the full list of ideas at girlscoutsaz.org/getout. PTS
ACTIVITY
10
Hunt for insect homes (but don’t touch them!)
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Learn and identify a bird and its call
30
Play the Web of Life game
20
Teach other girls and practice the 7 Leave No Trace Principles
10
Learn about fire safety
10
Learn about sun safety
20
Learn about water safety
20
Learn and identify 3 species of native or invasive plants
10
Make leaf prints or rubbings using fallen leaves
10
Learn 4 knots
20
Learn about and practice knife skills and safety
20
Plan a backpacking trip
30
Track the phases of the moon for two weeks
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Issues of the World Have Met Their Match INTRODUCING THE 2020 GOLD AWARD GIRL SCOUTS
G
irl Scouts change the world! Nowhere is this more apparent than in Girl Scout High Awards, through which, starting as young as fourth grade, girls address community issues. And when they get to high school, they take it to another level—developing and carrying out innovative and sustainable solutions to issues in their communities and beyond. The prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award is the standout achievement of Girl Scout Seniors or Ambassadors who change the world in tangible and lasting ways. This year, 33 young women from central and northern Arizona have earned their Gold Award. They tackled issues ranging from teen suicide and children in foster care to the needs of people and pets experiencing homelessness. The environmental solutions included protecting wildlife and local eco-systems, recycling, rehabilitating natural landscapes, and planting gardens. Educational efforts provided more access to STEM programming, books, and study resources for teens, as well as technology education for the elderly. These remarkable young women are the leaders that campuses and communities need. They join an exceptional group of one million young women who have earned this award since 1916. An award that allows them to earn college scholarships, entitles them to enlist in the military at a higher pay grade, and showcases their leadership to their community, future employers, and the world.
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SPRING 2020
2020 GOLD AWARDS
Kori Berra Margaret Atkins Gilbert
Water Safety 101 Margaret was inspired by her summers spent as a lifeguard to share her knowledge of water safety with her community. She organized and hosted three water safety events at the Gilbert Fire Department, The House of Refuge, and her neighborhood pool. At her events, she taught people of all ages the importance of knowing how to prevent drowning and what to do in case of emergency. Margaret also created a “Water Safety 101” video. She posted on YouTube and it currently has over 300 views. This video will continue to help others learn about staying safe in the water. Margaret credits Girl Scouts for giving her the confidence to become a strong leader and speaker and the determination to overcome adversity. Margaret has been a Girl Scout for 13 years and plans to study journalism or communications after graduating from Chandler Preparatory Academy.
Cynthia Bateman Mesa
Art and Ag Patio Cynthia’s passion for agriculture inspired her Gold Award, which involved developing a small area of unused land at her high school, Highland High. An empty dirt-filled area at her school was transformed into an outdoor patio filled with garden beds, a tree, and a seating space to host students for academic purposes but also for them to have a place to wind down. Cynthia says her Gold Award has taught her the importance of communicating effectively and how to adapt to situations while working on completing a challenging goal. Through Girl Scouting, she has made lifelong friends who have taught her to be the best version of herself. She was a Girl Scout for nine years and is currently attending Northern Arizona University.
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Prescott
Restorative Justice in Prescott High School With the recent rise in mass shootings, schools throughout the nation have begun enforcing active shooter drills. Kori noticed these drills weren’t being taken seriously by her classmates – so she took action. Kori implemented a program at Prescott High School called Restorative Justice, which is a theory of justice that focuses on repairing the harm caused by hurtful behavior. The practice is conducted by holding a productive conversation to address how an event affected those involved personally. Kori’s research led to the creation of a student-led Restorative Justice club at her school that was qualified to take on cases turned in by school administrators. The club created a safe space for students to proactively address conflict and misunderstandings before they lead to revenge-oriented actions, often a motive of school shootings. Kori was a Girl Scout for 13 years and is studying biomedical science at Northern Arizona University.
Sara Curry Phoenix
Costume Closet Makeover In charge of costumes for her high school’s play, “Arsenic and Old Lace,” Sara had a difficult time accessing the school’s full inventory and quickly pulling costumes. She found that costumes had been stored incorrectly, and it often took too much time to search for a single piece. To solve this problem, Sara sorted through their one thousand costume items and designed an online database that featured a description and photo of each one. Now theatre club members can quickly search the inventory by keyword to find where an item is located. By creating an online database to manage the inventory, she has also garnered more interest from students to join the club. Sara has been a Girl Scout for 13 years and said this project has helped her recognize her strengths as a leader. She is currently enrolled at Arizona State University, studying environmental engineering.
Sadie DeShon Chandler
Taming Trichotillomania Workshop Sadie’s Gold Award was personal. Struggling with trichotillomania, a disorder causing compulsive hair-pulling, she aimed to bring awareness of it and educate students at her school. Sadie hosted a day-long workshop for students and their parents who struggle with trichotillomania. The workshop consisted of team-building activities, group discussions, and presentations from three professional counselors. She also created a Facebook support group for students to continuously encourage each other, share their stories and progress. In their feedback, participants called the workshop helpful and uplifting. By being vulnerable and sharing her personal story, Sadie felt rewarded to see how she had inspired and encouraged others to be brave. She has been a Girl Scout for 13 years and plans to attend a university to study history.
Gold Award Girl Scouts are more likely to currently be involved in volunteer work and community service and to make charitable donations, than non-alum. GIRL SCOUT
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2020 GOLD AWARDS
Gold Award Girl Scouts display more positive life outcomes compared with non-Girl Scout alum; Pertaining to a positive sense of self, life satisfaction, life success, leadership, community service, and civic engagement. Kansas Earnshaw Tolleson
Nichole Geist Mesa
Rainbow Gold After noticing a limited supply of LGBTQ+ books in her school library collection and community libraries, Nichole decided to take action by introducing resources into her high school and the Gay-Straight Alliance clubs in her area to help educate teens. She also built lending libraries at local foster homes, support groups and youth centers, allowing people to trade in old books for new ones. Among the resources she provided were over 500 LGBTQ+ fiction books featuring positive representations of LGBTQ+ characters and a website that she created where the community can learn about local events, support groups, and read about others’ LGBTQ+ journeys. Nichole has been a Girl Scout for 13 years and credits her troop for showing her that each person is unique, and everyone has something special to contribute.
Building a Fence Around a NonRetrieval Area From a family with a strong agricultural background, Kansas was determined to protect the food source for elk and deer in northern Arizona when she learned they were not getting enough nutrients. Wet grasslands, called riparian meadows, were constantly being destroyed by large vehicles driving through the meadows near Long Valley, north of Pine. Kansas teamed up with the Arizona Elk Society to build a log fence to protect the riparian meadows from further damage and allow the natural vegetation in the area to regenerate, directly supporting the growth of the elk population. It took over two years to complete this, as drought and forest fires intermittently put work on pause. Kansas credits her Gold Award for teaching her to stay motivated and persevere no matter the circumstance. She has been a Girl Scout for 13 years and plans to major in environmental studies and sustainability at the University of Arizona.
Juliet Farr
GIRL SCOUT
Phoenix
Knitting Know-How Inspired by her grandmother’s passion for sewing and knitting, Jasmine dedicated her Gold Award to reintroducing textile arts to youth in her local community. She started a club called “Knitting Know-How” where women of all ages would teach each other to knit, crochet, and participate in other crafts. Her club appealed to people from ages two through 80 which gave all generations the rare opportunity to regularly collaborate and converse together. She brought inspiration to the young participants and sparked creativity in the seniors at local senior housing facilities. Many members expressed that this club gave them confidence, new friendships and social skills and encouraged them to try new things. Jasmine says her Gold Award increased her leadership and time management skills. She was a Girl Scout for eight years and currently attends Phoenix College. She plans to transfer to Arizona State University and major in geoscience.
Tempe
Kimberly Hartle
A New Chapter in Reading
Chandler
Reading has always been a passion for Juliet, and she wanted to encourage more reading among elementary school students in her community. To increase accessibility to books for the students, Juliet created “library boxes” in the Tempe Elementary School District. Library boxes are small-scale versions of a library where students can trade in books they’ve already read for new ones. This system allows students to borrow books and exchange them for others at their leisure, thus sustaining the supply for other students. Juliet also created book logs for the library boxes she built to track the number of books borrowed or given. Juliet has been a Girl Scout for 11 years and plans to double major in marketing and design with a minor in Mandarin once she graduates high school.
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Jasmine Goode
Connections
Helping Hands While taking her first sign language class, Kimberly realized how little she and her fellow classmates knew about the language and the deaf community. She decided to spread awareness by creating a website called Simple Signs. It contains lessons on basic American Sign Language as well as information on the deaf community and their unique culture. The website garnered over 1,200 visits in just a few weeks and continues to grow. People from countries around the world have accessed Kimberly’s website and several visitors have reached out to her expressing their enthusiasm about the site. Kimberly is thankful for her nine years as a Girl Scout, especially for reminding her how unique each person is. She believes learning about others’ differences helps build a stronger and closer community. Kimberly is studying biological sciences at Arizona State University.
SPRING 2020
2020 GOLD AWARDS
Ashley Holt
Holly Hoogstra
Glendale
Chandler
People Helping Pets
Mindful, not Mind Full
Ashley wanted to give back to the AZ Humane Society through her Gold Award because of her own experience of adopting a dog and her general love for animals. She toured the facility and learned they were always in need of blankets because typically, cats and dogs are given blankets when they are sent home. Ashley created an educational brochure detailing shelter services and the need for blankets. She also organized a no-sew blanket event where she explained the need for donations and led 60 people in creating 156 no-sew blankets. Through her experience, Ashley learned that she is capable of being a leader and the importance of communication and time management. She has been a Girl Scout for 12 years and plans to study engineering at the University of Arizona.
GIRL SCOUTS–ARIZONA CACTUS-PINE
In 2018, Chandler High experienced a tragedy when that year's valedictorian committed suicide. A hard time for everyone at the school, Holly wondered how students cope with stress. She decided to develop and implement a mindfulness program to help students learn emotional coping techniques to manage stress and anxiety. She worked with staff, including her psychology teacher, and had a Mindfulness Room designated along with 1,000 positive affirmation bookmarks and 500 stress balls. She also created a club, Instagram page, and brochures to spread awareness of mental and emotional health. To measure her success, she surveyed students using a 1-5 grading system, five being healthiest. The school average was 3.6, and after a few months, it rose to 4! Holly says this project has taught her project management and communication skills. She has been a Girl Scout for 13 years and plans to earn her degree in economics.
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2020 GOLD AWARDS
Emma Horn Phoenix
STEM Educational Program A passionate STEM scholar, Emma decided to make STEM education more accessible to all students by designing a STEM activity program from the ground up. In partnership with the staff at Guadalupe Library, Emma developed an easy-to-deliver curriculum for the staff and library volunteers. Along with the initial pilot program, multiple programs have been successfully hosted and Emma’s goal of making STEM programming more accessible for children in her community has been realized. Through her Gold Award, Emma learned the importance of communication and conducting research prior to building a project. She has been a Girl Scout for 13 years and credits Girl Scouting for building her confidence and her drive to pursue her passions. She is currently enrolled at Barrett Honors College in Arizona State University studying mechanical engineering.
Gold Award Girl Scouts have had more leadership experiences in volunteer activities in school (66% vs 37%), in the community (54% vs 39%), and in politics (21% vs 8%) than non-alum. Alexa Howell
Ashley Hufford Gilbert
Hope for the Homeless Animals After visiting animals at the Maricopa Animal Shelter, Ashley knew she wanted to support the animals with supplies as well as make pets more adoptable. After raising $700 through donation efforts, Ashley sponsored 15 spay and neuter procedures at Altered Tails, a low-cost spay and neuter clinic. She also educated students at local schools about overpopulated shelters and hosted an event for Girl Scouts to create pet toys to donate. Ashley also led a donation drive where she collected pet supplies and over 500 pounds of dog and cat food. Lastly, she paid the adoption fees of two animals who had been at the AZ Animal Welfare League for a long time to make the dogs more adoptable. Ashley has been a Girl Scout for 10 years and says this program has given her a platform to express her voice. Ashley will be attending Arizona State University to study interior design.
Lauren Hyland Mesa
A Contemporary Tin Pan-Alley Lauren has a passion for music. She grew up playing the bass but only had access to a low-quality instrument due to the lack of affordable quality instruments. This inspired Lauren to help people find high-quality, affordable instruments and teach others tips and tricks to play on below-par instruments. Lauren traveled to three schools and taught the basics of playing guitar and bass as well as gave a presentation on common issues students face when playing used instruments. She then put all her valuable information on a website she created called Contemporary Tin Pan Alley. Lauren also hosted two community talent shows where she raffled two guitars for the community to win. She credits Girl Scouting for shaping her into a well-rounded person through countless activities. Lauren has been a Girl Scout for 10 years and will be studying business management at Northern Arizona University.
Queen Creek
#PlantASeed After taking an American Sign Language class during her sophomore year of high school, Alexa gained greater awareness of the need to create more accessibility to activities for those who are differently abled. Alexa connected with her school’s Garden Club mentor and offered to rebuild the garden, so more students were able to participate. Alexa built standing garden boxes, a shed, and stools for the garden. She then created captioned videos with lessons on how to plant and care for the garden so those who are hard of hearing can participate. Alexa’s efforts encouraged more students to join the Garden Club and existing students to come back the following year. Having been a Girl Scout for 11 years, Alexa feels the sisterhood has shaped her into the person she is today. She plans to study mechanical engineering after graduating from Queen Creek High School.
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GIRL SCOUT
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Samantha Janssen Gilbert
Plants Need to Be Conserved Samantha noticed the vegetation at Riparian Reserve at Water Ranch in Gilbert was suffering. She teamed up with a local naturalist to help guide her through the process of rehabilitating the desert landscape. After laying out her plans, she received a generous donation from Mountain States Wholesale Nursery to completely revamp a quarter of an acre of land on the reserve. Samantha cleaned out dried vegetation and replaced them with new native plants to promote a healthy environment. Samantha then created a YouTube video to spread a message to the community on the importance of the conservation of native plants and landscapes. Through the Riparian Reserve’s Agents of Discovery App, Samantha was able to share information about the conservation work she had done and inspire others to continue to protect the land. Samantha has been a Girl Scout for 12 years and plans to study engineering at Arizona State University.
SPRING 2020
2020 GOLD AWARDS
Ashley Lucas Peoria
Peoria Goes Green After discovering the shortage of recycling bins at her school, Peoria High, Ashley dedicated her Gold Award to making her school more environmentally conscious. She created a club and hosted informational booths about the importance of recycling, reducing waste and the impact it has on our earth. After successfully securing a donation of 40 recycling bins, she developed a schedule where her club would pick up the bins and properly dispose of the recyclable materials. Through this process, Ashley was able to measure her results by how many bins they had to empty on a weekly basis and the amount of materials each week. Ashley’s Gold Award inspired her to focus her future studies on sustainability and has taught her to be a better leader. She has been a Girl Scout for 12 years and plans to major in sustainability at Arizona State University.
Shannon Maloney Chandler
Saving the Environment One Step at a Time Shannon was disappointed the recycling program at her school ended due to a cost increase. She set out to reinstate it by educating her peers on the importance of of properly recycling materials. Then she created sustainability initiatives following the three R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. To reduce, Shannon collected over 300 signatures pledging to reduce their plastic straw usage and gave out 500 environmentally friendly straws. To reuse, Shannon worked with her principal to have water bottle filling stations installed at her school. And lastly, she reinstated the importance of recycling to faculty, recommending a new recycling company to her principal, and additional recycling bins. She also added one more R: Refuse, which encouraged her peers to refuse the use of plastic straws and bags. Shannon has been a Girl Scout for 13 years and plans to study geology after graduating high school.
Ashley Minks Gilbert
Caring for the Homeless In researching the homelessness crisis in our state and around the nation, Ashley decided to dedicate her Gold Award to raising awareness of this issue and support the local organization La Mesa Ministries. She organized a donation drive and collected clothing and blankets for the organization, which offers services to people experiencing homelessness. She also helped expand La Mesa’s children's ministry program and created social media accounts and content to reach more people in need. She credits Girl Scouts for preparing her with skills she can use later in life and skills necessary to be an effective leader. She has been a Girl Scout for 12 years and plans to study neuroscience and cognitive science at the University of Arizona.
GIRL SCOUTS–ARIZONA CACTUS-PINE
Gold Award Girl Scouts are more ambitious than non-alums, placing more emphasis on a successful career, financial security, and being a leader; and are more likely to believe they are achieving their ambitions in life. Gabrielle Nevers Peoria
Glittering Guard As an active member of the Color Guard program at her school, Gabrielle dedicated her Gold Award to supporting, improving and growing this team. Gabrielle noticed a lack of interest in this activity. To combat this, she hosted a “Try It Out Night” for incoming freshmen students to learn about the program and rehearse intro-level routines. During this process, she also re-organized, properly stored and cataloged all the flags. Her organizational efforts were applauded from visiting band directors in the region and her recruitment efforts led to the team doubling in size. Gabrielle learned time management, problem-solving and organizational skills. She credits the Girl Scout Cookie Program for helping her become a better leader. She has been a Girl Scout for 11 years and will attend Northern Arizona University to study elementary and special education.
Megan Nelson Gilbert
Math Path While math may be a subject some students despise, Megan learned to love math and hoped other students could, too. She learned that students with a stronger math foundation are more likely to take advanced courses, more likely to earn an undergraduate degree and have a higher income. For her project, she established the first math tutor center at her local Boys and Girls Club. She asked for donations from local businesses to purchase supplies, recruited high school student tutors, and students from elementary and middle schools who needed tutoring. As of February, 2020, her club had successfully tutored 604 students, with over 90 hours of tutoring work recorded. Megan feels this project increased her self-confidence, improved her writing techniques and communication skills. She has been a Girl Scout for 12 years and plans to attend a university and become a scientific researcher.
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2020 GOLD AWARDS
Davina Saber Emma Parry Litchfield Park
Theatre for Youth Theatre and performing arts were some of the ways Emma learned to be more confident. Throughout her involvement in theatre, she noticed fewer people attending or auditioning and wanted to bring awareness to performing arts to youth in her community, especially to those who are shy or don’t have access to theatre programming. For her Gold Award, Emma wrote and performed an antibullying one-act play inspired by The Wizard of Oz to 40 special needs students in her community. She managed the team and put together the logistics and supplies needed to perform the play. She then developed virtual kits and made them accessible to anyone via a website. Her Gold Award taught Emma that hard work and help from others can lead to making a difference. She has been a Girl Scout for 13 years and plans to attend Northern Arizona University to major in biology and chemistry.
Maricopa
Multicultural Club To help her foreign student peers, Davina founded a Multicultural Club at her school and provided opportunities for students to make new friends and learn about each other’s cultures. Davina led the club to participate in school events and service projects. They volunteered in school athletic activities, stadium clean-ups and at neighboring schools’ events. In total, they completed over 75 volunteer hours. Davina’s goal of inclusivity made a great impact not only at her school but on the club members. She learned that no matter how small, the effort one shows to an individual can impact their whole life, and despite differences, all kids want to experience true friendships. She has been a Girl Scout for 9 years and plans to join the U.S. Air Force.
Jacey Salisbury Tempe
Jacey Feeds at Jaycee Park After witnessing the number of people and pets experiencing homelessness in her community, Jacey took a different approach to help them. She reached out to her city’s Councilwoman, Jennifer Adams, and learned that people with pets are often denied housing because government housing assistance requires pets to be vaccinated. Jacey enlisted a local veterinarian to provide vaccinations for seven homeless pets, ultimately leading to their owner’s acceptance by housing requirements. She also handed out over 800 one-gallon bags of cat and dog food, leashes, collars and other necessities to homeless pets. Her work was recognized by Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell, who declared Oct. 29 Jacey Salisbury Day. She has been a Girl Scout for 12 years and plans to study psychology and business at Arizona State University.
Jessica Schuchman Brooke Pfingsten Mesa
Awareness of Mentality After Brooke’s best friend tried to commit suicide multiple times, she wanted her Gold Award to bring more awareness to this problem and educate other teens on suicide prevention. She produced a video with different testimonies of people who have contemplated suicide, have been depressed or have experienced PTSD. In this video she included prevention information and resources, as well as hotline information for people in need. She uploaded the video to YouTube and conducted surveys, which showed most viewers learned something new. Through this process, Brooke now feels like she can accomplish any task. She has been a Girl Scout for seven years and plans to study elementary or special education at Grand Canyon University.
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GIRL SCOUT
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Paradise Valley
Bunnies and Books The fear of being judged by her peers pushed Jessica to overcome her dyslexia by improving her reading skills with the help of some furry critters. As a child, Jessica would read to animals to develop her reading and build confidence. For her Gold Award, Jessica wanted to give this same opportunity to other children. She started a reading program called “Books and Bunnies” for children ages five to 12 at the Tranquility Trail Animal Sanctuary, where children could spend their time reading to bunnies. Jessica also partnered with the Jones Gordon Lower School, which arranged quarterly field trips to attend her program. Jessica’s reading program is now available to the public once a month. She credits her Gold Award to teaching her how to lead and organize large tasks. She has been a Girl Scout for seven years and hopes to attend Stanford University.
Sierra Smith Phoenix
Physics of Flight Sierra’s love of physics and aviation-inspired her to share her knowledge with others in a fun and interactive way. After multiple trial and error experiments, Sierra created a mock wind tunnel for under $100 that physics teachers around the world could use in their classes. Sierra designed blueprints, created an instructional guide, material list and lesson plans for others to be able to create the wind tunnel. Once she gathered everything needed, Sierra created a YouTube video where she demonstrates the entire production process. Sierra shared this resource with the public through social media. She credits Girl Scouts for inspiring her love of STEM over the past eight years and plans to go to college to become a Naval Aviator.
SPRING 2020
2020 GOLD AWARDS
Tressa Stevenson Chandler
Computer Confusion After witnessing her grandma struggle to operate a smartphone and navigate through social applications, Tressa realized there was a need for senior tech classes. For her Gold Award, Tressa developed curriculum, volunteered as the computer tutor at Chandler Senior Center, and taught computer classes to a group of 35 seniors. Her curriculum not only taught seniors how to use smartphones and computers but also how to be safe and efficient online and while using social applications. The seniors she taught expressed how this helped them feel up to date with modern communication styles and less isolated and lonely. Tressa has been a Girl Scout for 13 years and credits Girl Scouts for helping her speak up for change. She plans to attend Arizona State University and study global politics and Spanish.
Elise Stoops Gilbert
Birthday Bags for Foster Children Elise has always enjoyed helping others, especially young children. As she learned about children in foster care, she thought of ways to help them and bring more awareness to their experience. She created an informational website about children in Arizona foster care, with information on how to help, and articles about this issue. Elise also hosted a donation drive at her school to collect birthday gifts and gift bags to donate to AZ Helping Hands, a non-profit that provides basic needs and care to children in foster care. Her drive successfully collected over 100 items and provided the opportunity to share key information on this issue with the community. Through her Gold Award, Elise learned time management skills and how to be a better leader. She has been a Girl Scout for 13 years and plans to major in nursing at an in-state university.
Emily Stopher Chandler
Better Bags, Better Desert Emily participated in a clean-up event at South Mountain Park and Preserve, where nearly 8,000 pounds of trash was collected. After realizing most of the trash was plastic grocery bags, Emily dedicated her Gold Award to building awareness of the impact plastic bags have on our environment. Emily educated over 300 people on the importance of using reusable bags and how to properly dispose of them. Emily hosted drop-off destination events to exchange plastic grocery bags for reusable bags. In each reusable bag, she included a handout with information about her Gold Award and how to assist in reducing plastic bag usage. Emily collected over 12,000 grocery bags and worked with Sprouts Farmers Market to properly recycle them. Emily expresses how Girl Scouts has given her a platform to advocate for causes she’s passionate about. She has been a Girl Scout for 13 years and plans to study environmental engineering.
GIRL SCOUTS–ARIZONA CACTUS-PINE
Amanda York Laveen
International Distinguished Scholars Club With a mission to instill the importance of education in her peers, Amanda started the first student-led club at her high school called the International Distinguished Scholars Club. The club aimed to promote peer-to-peer learning and teach skills like teamwork and goal setting. The club also focused on providing resources to pursue post-secondary education and provided a safe space to grow and plan for the future. She shared all the resources the school has for club members and how to use them. The club organized a school-wide community project and collected 250 children's books to donate to a local daycare. They also read to children, organized books and assisted teachers at this daycare. Amanda’s club increased the desire for members to pursue college. Her experience taught her many levels of leadership. She has been a Girl Scout for ten years and plans to major in chemistry to pursue medical school.
Diana Zaun Sedona
Foster Fever After fostering two puppies for the first time, Diana felt she needed to bring greater awareness about fostering animals and how it provided needed help to shelters that are at capacity. Diana raised money to purchase pet supplies and created 60 care packages to be given to future foster families. In addition, she personally fostered 28 puppies and 2 adult dogs, all of which, except five, were adopted. Through her efforts, she has grown the foster animal program at the Coconino Humane Association and helped more dogs be nurtured in a family environment to help prepare them for adoption. Diana feels that earning her Gold Award has helped solidify her plans for the future and has improved her communication and leadership skills. She has been a Girl Scout for 13 years and plans to major in veterinary science at University of Arizona.
Learn more about the High Awards, including how you could earn yours at girlscoutsaz.org/go-gold. GIRL SCOUT
Connections
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Award
RECOGNITION
Tributes Reflects gifts made Oct. 1, 2019 - Jan. 30, 2020
High Awards
In Honor of Eileen and Ella Dreyfuss Lauren Dreyfuss Pat Edwards Renita Mollman Susan Panganiban O'Malley Kelly Brewer Bob and Renee Parsons Joan Lowell Carol Peterson Diana Everett Margaret Serrano-Foster Pam Del Duca Carolyn Sommerville Angela Cherevka George A. Young Carlie Back
Girl Scout Bronze Award
G
irl Scout Bronze Award is a leadership adventure and the highest honor a Girl Scout Junior can achieve. After completing a Journey, a girl and her team find and research a problem in their community. They plan and complete a “Take Action Project” that will address the root cause of the problem, look to see how others have solved similar problems, develop more confidence, meet new people, and have the kind of fun that happens when working with other Girl Scouts to make a difference in their community. October 1 – December 30, 2019: There were 13 different Bronze Award Take Action project reports submitted for the following 42 Bronze Award Recipients.
Troop 163 Jennica Dietz Alexus Thibeault Fayth Thibeault Troop 173 Phaedra Boyd Tyla Donnell Madison Penny
Religious Recognitions Recognitions received Oct. 1, 2019 - Jan. 30,
I Live My Faith Alexa Marquez Olivia Palma Kaylie White Kylie Wisner Family of God Zoe Luyster
Troop 181 Katie Anderson Olivia Strange Savannah Strange Troop 783 Avery Clifton Halle Gerst Riley Larson Brooke Martin Marisa McLaughlin Zoey Pozen Leia Ruiz
Troop 997 Olivia Lake Troop 1096 Angie Baker Lillian Oliver Troop 2711 Zoe Ordaz Troop 3133 Sophia Aberilla Sophia Lindros Saphina Richter Troop 3384 Isabelle Begay Brooke Bloom Karina Kapadia Izabella Kunz Karina Kunz Shauna Plater Zoey Stryker
Troop 3822 Hailey Aldaz London Rupert Troop 4482 Megan Brooks Tegan Bunn Malia Delgado Julia Lipfert Sophie Mears Anna Ptashnyuk Marisella Urcuyo-Acevedo Troop 4604 Violeta Alvarado Sophia Lopez Chloe Stewart
God is Love Trinity Anderson Mary the first Disciple Delaney Mawyer
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SPRING 2020
Memorials Reflects gifts made Oct. 1, 2019 - Jan. 30, 2020
High Awards
In Memory of
Girl Scout Silver Award
T
he highest award a Girl Scout Cadette can earn, the Silver Award gives a girl the opportunity to show she is a leader who is organized, determined, and dedicated to improving her community. After completing a Cadette Journey, girls look around their community and discover something they can change for the better. In a small team, girls working on their Silver Award make a plan to “Take Action” on the root cause of the problem they discovered and researched. They put their plan into motion, demonstrate an understanding of sustainability in the project plan, connect with others outside their immediate neighborhood, learn how others have solved similar problems and determine if the ideas of others can help with their plan. They share what they have learned with others. October 1 – December 30, 2019: There were 15 different Silver Award Take Action project reports submitted for the following 23 Silver Award Recipients.
IGM Katelyn Conley Diana Aurora Jackson Troop 119 Katie Schwartz Troop 316 Kylee Allen Alyssa Hill Kloie Kalb Troop 362 Mezaan Crosby Savannah Landrum Taylor
Troop 487 Lorelei Kight Taylor Ray Mackenzie Thompson Troop 998 Zoe Bode Madalyn McKee Troop 1135 Samantha Carriere Troop 1955 Maddie Coulson
GIRL SCOUTS–ARIZONA CACTUS-PINE
Barbara D. Anderson Harriet Redwine
Mary Sue Talley Paulette Brown
Andrea Borg Marie Edwards Debra S. Esparza Mark Hoover Janet A. Kington Harriet Redwine Lietta Scott Tamara J. Woodbury
Virgie "Nan" Uttecht Carol Martel
Ruth Catalano Renee Catalano Jacque Nelson Kathryn Cromley Paul Cromley Marian Cromley Wrage Patricia Holt The Cromley Wrage Family Margaret Danielson Marie Edwards Clare McCauley Ruth Anne Myers
Troop 2050 Chloe Bouton Ellie Salk Kira Schwimmer
Suzanne Douglas Donna M. Benge Maureen A. Douglas
Troop 2308 Marissa Phillips
Madelyn Rowe Rebecca Crum
Troop 2648 Naomi Fox
Leslie E. and Bella M. Seager Frederick and Genevieve Witteborg Trust
Troop 3384 Rosslyn Moore Troop 4604 Carolyn Stewart Mariposa Stewart
Margaret Stewart Dawn Corley Gari Dillon Marie Edwards Ruth Myers Virginia Payan Kay Utke
Becky Whitney Carol Ackerson Kelly Barr Natasha Bhuyan Kerry Blume Patricia Boykin Dawn Corley Diana Devine Gari Dillon Marie Edwards Alycia Elfstrom Lev Gonick Bonnie Halley Peggy Holman Andrea Keller Janet Kington Virginia Korte Nanette Kozdruy Susan McNab Mary Mitchell Jeannine Moyle Barbara Mundell Leanne Murphy Ruth Myers Virginia Payan Harriet Redwine Nancy Reuland Sara Rosenstock Emily Tice Kay Utke Jacquelin Violette Christine Whitney Sanchez Bonnie Wright The Rob and Melani Walton Foundation
GIRL SCOUT
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119 E. Coronado Road Phoenix, AZ 85004 Ph: 602-452-7000 / 800-352-6133 girlscoutsaz.org @GSACPC
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