4 minute read
Upcoming Programs
Last summer, older Girl Scouts across Montana and Wyoming submitted survey responses to tell GSMW the theme they want to pursue for their CSA-only events in January. CSA Girl Scouts told us what they want, and GSMW listened. This January, our older Girl Scouts have requested creative art programs across the council. From wood sign painting, to culinary arts, and art museum education and creation, our girls will experience art with interactive experiences all over Montana and Wyoming. Check out our events page for an art program near you! For those CSA girls looking for a virtual art program, be sure to check out our Kawaii Doodle Art Party on Monday, January 9th. Under professional instruction from our Girl Scout alum educator, Girl Scouts will learn to draw all types of cute kawaii animals, plants, and foods that come to life! In pop culture, Kawaii has come to mean anything that is cute, and generally is used to describe art, characters, plushies, toys and figures that are drawn in a cute Japanese style.
World Thinking Day
Making the world a better place is Girl Scout Law, so it’s no surprise we have a holiday dedicated to doing just that. Each February 22nd , Girl Scouts and Girl Guides across 150 countries celebrate World Thinking Day. It’s a day of international friendship and a time to stand up for causes that could improve the lives of girls around the globe. And while the holiday itself comes in February, the World Thinking Day Award can be earned at any time of year. Observed by 10 million Girl Guides and Girl Scouts worldwide, World Thinking Day has a different theme each year. In 2023, the theme is “Our World, Our Peaceful Future: The environment, peace, and security.” To earn your World Thinking Day Award, you will explore environmental problems and learn how you can work with nature to create a more peaceful and secure future for girls everywhere. Check out the activity guides below to get involved and learn about how you can make a difference in the world. Across GSMW, our troops, service units, families, and volunteers come together to host World Thinking Day events. To help our Girl Scouts earn the awards, please review GSUSA’s 2023 World Thinking Day Award activity guides:
• Activity Guide for Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors • Activity Guide for Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors
In addition, for our Globally-minded Girl Scouts, consider taking-part in Girl Scouts Global Action Days. GSUSA has again provided our volunteers with a handy toolkit to help your Girl Scout engage in global days of action. Girls can earn the Global Action Days patch by celebrating three of the Global Action Days during the year. The toolkit illustrates how your Girl Scouts can complete activities to meet the patch requirements.
Montana Meth Project
The Montana Meth Project is launching 2023 Paint the State, Montana’s largest public art contest, with the goal to engage young Montanans in on-the-ground drug prevention outreach. All Montana troop leaders and parents of youth in 7th - 12th grade are invited to sign their group of girls up for Paint the State to lead youth participation in this exciting art contest. The Meth Project is also providing a limited number of $250 art supply stipends for youth teams. Please have an adult register on behalf of the girls, and do it as soon as you can to capitalize on the $250 supply stipend.
Sign-up now to hold your spot for the stipend here: https://paintthestate.org/girls-scout-leader-sign-up/
Students who participate in Paint the State will: · Learn about the risks of Meth use and the Meth problem, the state’s top drug problem. · Engage in authentic peer-to-peer conversation about drug use. · Create monument-size pieces of art that spark community dialogue and raise awareness. · Inspire Montanans to live vibrant drug-free lives. · Enter to win cash prizes up to $3,000 for the winning teams.* The project you pursue can stand alone as a great community service project for your Girl Scouts, but girls should also consider whether they want to pursue this project as a Silver or Gold Award. If you want to know more about how this program can help you fulfill the Highest Awards requirements, please contact customercare@gsmw.org, and we will help you! *If your Girl Scouts should win a cash prize as a result of your project, the money would need to be given to GSMW and maintained here for future Girl Scout financial assistance. Yukon Derby Resources
GSMW Events Page
The Missoula Service Unit has arranged an amazing outdoor survival-themed program called a Yukon Derby, for Junior and older Girl Scouts. The Yukon Derby is patterned after the heritage of the Yukon Gold Rush in the late 1800’s when gold prospectors traveled in cold weather by means of dogsleds. They needed adequate survival skills such as fire building, knots, lashing, etc. At the event, patrols, acting as sled dogs, pull homemade sleds with all their equipment, around a field course, with outdoor skills stations all along the way. Girls operate in teams of about four. The girls love the event, and through their participation they learn how to cooperate as a team while honing their outdoor skills. The Missoula Service Unit wants to help all volunteers make Yukon Derbies happen all across Montana and Wyoming. They have a complete resource kit to share, including patch and sticker designs created by a local Gold Award Girl Scout. Using the template, volunteers will need to secure a location and provide guidance and supplies to participating Girl Scouts and troops. Included in the template is a design for the Derby sleds. If you are interested in learning more about this program, GSMW can provide you with contact information for the Missoulaarea volunteer. Contact customercare@gsmw.org for more information on the Yukon Derby contacts.
