Family Connection
Welcome to a brand-new Girl Scout year! We are so grateful you’ve chosen to be a part of our amazing community. We especially want to thank our families for volunteering this year. Your involvement helps make Girl Scouting the incredible experience it is.
Girl Scouting is a family experience, with countless ways for everyone to get involved beyond troop activities. From programs you can do as a family, travel opportunities with your Girl Scout, and volunteering with your troop to taking advantage of Member Perks, check out this issue of Family Connection for exciting ways the whole family can join in the fun!
While Girl Scouts is full of fun and engaging experiences, the most rewarding part is watching Girl Scouts grow in confidence and skills year after year. Girl Scouts provides a safe space where everyone can be themselves, try new things, and understand that it’s okay to fail and try again. We hope our Girl Scouts will embrace the lessons that come from both successes and challenges.
Now more than ever, the world needs people committed to caring for one another, preserving our planet for a better tomorrow, and feeling empowered to ask tough questions and propose meaningful change.
We love seeing Girl Scouts take the lead, discover how they can make an impact in their communities today, and grow into the leaders of tomorrow.
Thank you again for being a part of our Girl Scout family. Here’s to another exciting year ahead!
Patti Shafto-Carlson Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes CEO
Where are we?
Girl Scout Offices
Central Girl Scout Center & Camp Del O'Claire 3501 Northwestern Avenue Wausau, WI 54403
East Girl Scout Center 4693 N Lynndale Drive Appleton, WI 54913
Green Bay Office 512 E Walnut Street Green Bay, WI 54301
Northeast Girl Scout Center & Camp Pow Low 911 E Airfield Road Gwinn, MI 49841
West Girl Scout Center 4222 Oakwood Hills Pkwy Eau Claire, WI 54701
Visit gsnwgl.org for current hours. We’re here to help! Contact us at info@gsnwgl.org or 888.747.6945. Thanks!
Serving Girl Scouts across Wisconsin & the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Current Girl Scout Centers & Camps Future Divestment
400 miles east to west
300 miles north to south 58 counties
Property Rentals
Scan the QR code to learn more about our facilities and rental opportunities.
Girl Scout Mission
Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.
Girl Scout Law
I will do my best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what I say and do, and to respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place, and be a sister to every Girl Scout.
Girl Scout Promise
On my honor, I will try To serve God* and my country, To help people at all times, And to live by the Girl Scout Law. *Members may substitute for the word God in accordance with their own spiritual beliefs.
Girl Scouts embark on a journey filled with many exciting stops—from exploring the outdoors and building entrepreneurial skills to mastering life skills and discovering their passions—but the ultimate destination is a brighter, more empowered future.
83% of families say Girl Scouts connects them to something bigger. 8 in 10 families say they value being part of the larger troop community.
The Family Experience
Girl Scouting is a family experience, with countless ways for everyone to get involved beyond troop activities. From programs you can do as a family, travel opportunities with your Girl Scout, volunteering with your troop, or taking advantage of Member Perks, check out this issue of Family Connection for exciting ways the whole family can join in the fun!
It doesn’t take much to be involved and make Girl Scouts a family affair—and the benefits are enormous. Here are a few ways to make this year the best yet.
Need some family or troop activity inspiration? Check out our Girl Scout Patch Programs for fun ideas on exploring culture, mental wellness, the great outdoors, and beyond. Patches are appropriate for all ages and stages. Girl Scouts can complete patches with their troop, family, or on their own! Here’s just a few patch programs to get you started:
Girl Scouts Love the Outdoors
Girl Scout Tree Promise
Mental Wellness
After each meeting, have your Girl Scouts share what they did and learned. They’ll love being the expert, and you’ll probably even learn a thing or two! Plus, talking about their experience will help all that new information stick even more.
Team up to tackle some fun Girl Scout activities from the Scout Activity Zone. Explore hundreds of activities you can do with your Girl Scout anytime!
Scan the QR code to check out experiences and events you can participate in on your own or as a family.
Discover how you can give back to make your community— and the world—a better place. National Service Projects are a great way for families to partner with their Girl Scouts to improve their communities and the world. Flip the page to learn more.
Looking for your next great troop field trip or a family outing? Girl Scout Field Trip & Travel Partners makes it easy with ready-to-go experiences whenever you’re ready to book. We partner with museums, nature preserves, local attractions, and everything in between to bring hands-on learning to life.
Want some whole family fun? shows and sporting events with Perks. Sit back and enjoy the show!
Step up for the troop! carpools, take pics at events, organize a cookie booth, or lead the Girl Scouts in some badge activities, tell your troop leader exactly how you’d like to help. (Flip to pages 12–13 to learn more about supporting your Girl Scout and their troop.)
Work together to help your Girl Scout earn the special Entrepreneur Family pin
National Service Projects
All across our country and our world, Girl Scouts are leaping to the aid of others by engaging in wonderful acts of service and kindness. Whether by writing letters to senior citizens, honoring first responders, taking part in a citizen science project, or promoting voting and democracy, Girl Scouts can work with their families or troops to get involved in these unique Girl Scout activities, too.
National Civic Action: Promote the Vote and Shape Tomorrow, Today
Discover how you can inspire voters and make a lasting impact with Promote the Vote. Learn more and start shaping the future!
Girl Scouts Give Back: Honoring Our Everyday Changemakers
Small acts of kindness and gratitude can have an incredible impact on your community! Through this national service project, inspired by the Becoming Me program series, Girl Scouts can pay it forward by recognizing the people in their communities who have supported them in finding their unique paths.
National Service Project: Fighting Hunger
More than 50 million people in the U.S. are experiencing food insecurity—that is, a lack of nutritious food to help them live active, healthy lives. This includes members of our own communities, friends and family, and members of our troops, making this a sensitive and important Take Action issue for Girl Scouts. Girl Scouts can make a big difference in their communities by supporting hunger relief efforts.
National Service Project: Citizen Science
How can your family play a part in solving some of the biggest problems facing our planet? Enter citizen science, where volunteers help scientists collect data for their studies and experiments. Anyone can be a citizen scientist—all you need is curiosity and a willingness to help!
Girl Scouts Give Back: Letter-Writing Service Project
The idea is simple: Girl Scouts write letters to people in nursing homes, senior residences, and assisted living facilities, including the dedicated staff and caregivers. This long-distance hug is a way to share your good thoughts with these vulnerable and loved community members. It’s a great project to do as a family!
Get Involved
Your Girl Scout will see you in a whole new light when you step up to lend a hand.
Girl Scout Family and Supporters
We encourage families to find ways to contribute at least 5 hours to troop support each year.
Tell your Girl Scout’s troop leader exactly how you’d like to help. Offering “whatever you need” is nice, but troop leaders are often too busy to think up or assign roles to family members. Being specific about how you can contribute will be appreciated!
Ways your family can support your troop:
• Be a driver for field trips.
• Return phone calls, emails, and paperwork in a timely manner.
• Be on time for pick-up and drop-off at meetings and events.
• Organize snacks.
• Help plan a party.
• Take pictures.
• Babysit for other volunteers' children.
• Teach a craft, song, game, or skill.
• Share your skills and hobbies in outdoor, STEM, entrepreneurship, and life skills experiences.
Ways to say thank you to the volunteers making a difference in your Girl Scout’s life:
• Just say it! Smile and say thank you when you see them and offer your support & encouragement.
• Send a thank you note—either from your Girl Scout or from your Girl Scout Family—or both!
• Nominate them for a Volunteer of Excellence Award. Find more details at gsnwgl.org.
• When your Girl Scout comes home happy from a Girl Scout meeting or event, send a text or photo to let the leader know.
• Organize a thank you gift from troop families.
• Lending a hand may be the most important way to say thanks!
Think back to when you were a kid. Remember the people who listened to you, inspired you, and supported you through it all? It’s your turn to be one of those people for a new generation. When you volunteer with Girl Scouts, you provide a safe space for kids to discover themselves. You help them try new things, build each other up, and make unforgettable memories through fun, laughter, and connection.
You can be a role model and mentor just by being yourself! You don’t need any special leadership training to get involved—just a passion for helping others.
Girl Scouts are ready to go, and they can’t do it without you!
Sign up to become a Girl Scout volunteer today.
Your talents can help them shine.
When you become a volunteer, you’ll immediately start to feel and see the impact you can have on the lives of Girl Scouts. You’ll be with them as they experience new adventures and learn new skills. You’ll watch their confidence soar. You’ll experience the joy of creating a more fair, equal, and compassionate world where everyone has a seat at the table.
You’ll help them reach their potential while achieving your own.
• Experience the confidence that comes with being a role model.
• Discover your leadership style as your Girl Scouts discover theirs.
• Meet new people and make friends in your community.
• Build new skills and have fun doing activities with your Girl Scouts.
Live Your Best Life
You want a brighter, happier tomorrow for your Girl Scout—and that’s exactly what we want too. Studies show that being a Girl Scout improves girls’ confidence and prepares them to weather life’s challenges. That’s because everything a Girl Scout does is based on:
Finding Their People
Girl Scouts soon realize the remarkable strength they find within their community of friends, mentors, and advocates. These bonds empower Girl Scouts to embrace their true selves without hesitation. They create a secure environment where they can try new experiences and encourage one another to flourish. This unwavering support serves as a source of motivation for whatever may come their way.
Discovering Their Joy
Every Girl Scout has their own curiosity, dreams, and talents—so when they decide which of the
thousands of Girl Scout activities to try, the sky’s the limit. Whether visiting an animal shelter, camping, hosting a dance-off, or directing a music video, they’re learning to take risks, trust their gut, and team up with others for good. But mostly? They’re figuring out the things that will bring happiness to their lives for years to come.
Knowing Their Power
From planting trees to stocking the local food pantry, Girl Scouts learn firsthand that they have the power to help. These days, knowing they can make a difference (and feeling the joy that comes from doing it!) may be more important than ever.
7 Ways to Raise Respectful Kids
Building Community
Groups of Girl Scouts from the same community, called troops, typically meet weekly or biweekly for an hour or two. Hand in hand with adult volunteers, Girl Scouts complete exciting activities and projects, explore their neighborhoods, and make new friends. Together, they earn badges to reflect the skills they’ve learned, the growing they’ve done, and the adventures they’ve had.
Living Their Best Life
While we know being a Girl Scout helps kids earn better grades and make healthier decisions in the long run, everything a Girl Scout does is designed to make sure they feel seen, supported, and cared for—right here, right now. In a time when anxiety and depression are affecting young people in record numbers, we can’t think of anything more important.
Making It a Whole Lot Easier to Raise Girl Scouts With Confidence
Raising girls to be happy, healthy, and successful is simpler than ever with help from Girl Scouts. We’re proud to stand with parents and caregivers as they raise up the next generation of girls and young women. From knowing how much to help with her homework to navigating sensitive issues in the news with your family, we’ve got everything you need to raise girls with confidence.
Your Year in Girl Scouts*
Check out important dates, then add your own troop meetings and activities you can do as a family.
Welcome to the new membership year!
Have you renewed for this Girl Scout year?
Mental Health Day
International Day of the Girl Fall Product order-taking ends
Founder’s Day & Juliette Gordon Low’s Birthday
Final registration for Pearl Challenge
January
April
July
February
May
August
Celebrate cultural richness. Explore multicultural diversity.
We’re stronger together. By acknowledging the diversity, heritage, and contributions of our multicultural communities, Girl Scouts can find new ways to make the world a better place for everyone.
GSUSA Patch Programs
• Hispanic Heritage Month Patch Program (September 15–October 15)
• Native American Heritage Month Patch Program (November)
• Black History Month Patch Program (February)
• Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Patch Program (May)
• LGBTQ+ Pride Month Patch Program
Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes Patch Programs January 20: Martin Luther King Jr. Day Patch Program June 19: Juneteenth Patch Program
22: World Thinking Day
With the Girl Scout Cookie Program
Your cookie business = a family affair. It’s never been easier to support your Girl Scout as they develop business skills, make amazing memories, and earn a different pin every cookie season. The simple, agespecific guidelines meet them where they are developmentally, making success a snap.
How the Cookie Crumbles
kick off on January 22, 2025 and run through
January 22–February 5 Girl Scouts take orders
January 22–March 30 Girl Scouts take online orders with Digital Cookie
February 5–March 30 Girl Scouts take KeepGoaling orders
February 21–23
National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend
March 7–30
Troops participate in Cookie Booths and Walkabouts
Here is how the proceeds from the annual Girl Scout Cookie Program support our Girl Scouts:
• 50% Our council (programs for Girl Scouts, volunteer training, camps, operations, financial assistance, and more)
Five Essential Skills
The Girl Scout Cookie Program provides important ingredients for leadership by helping Girl Scouts develop five key skills:
Goal Setting
Girl Scouts learn how to set goals and create a plan to reach them. Decision Making Girl Scouts learn how to make decisions on their own and as a team. Money Management Girl Scouts learn to create a budget and handle money.
Daisy Brownie Junior
Cadette Senior Ambassador
2025 Girl Scout Cookie Program
Caramel Chocolate Chip (Gluten Free) Adventurefuls™
Peanut Butter Sandwiches Toast-Yay!™ Trefoils
Peanut Butter Patties®
Thin Mint®
Lemonades®
Caramel deLites®
Your Uniform Tells a Story
Shop online anytime at girlscoutshop.com! Every purchase at girlscoutshop.com supports Girl Scouts right here in our community.
What’s your Girl Scout story?
Your uniform says it all: from your interests and achievements to where you’re from and what you’ve learned along the way. Write your unique chapter in a story more than 100 years in the making—one badge, pin, and award at a time.
Ready to proudly wear yours? We have you covered with uniform diagrams for every grade level. Look to these diagrams when you’re ready to showcase your Girl Scout pride in style.
Pressed for time? The new customization service can help! GSUSA will add council insignia and troop numerals when you order a tunic, sash, or vest so it will arrive ready to wear. Visit girlscoutshop.com for details.
Daisies Grades K–1
Cadettes Grades 6–8
Seniors Grades 9–10
Ambassadors Grades 11–12
Brownies Grades 2–3
Juniors
Grades 4–5
Daisies
Brownies
Juniors
Cadettes
Seniors
Ambassadors
Adults &
Volunteers
Travel Highlight
From campsites to city lights. From wilderness to world wonders. Experience it all with Girl Scouts.
“My daughter and I have traveled internationally with GSNWGL on two trips, Panama in 2022 and Italy, Austria, and Germany in 2024. Both experiences have created a lifetime of memories for her and I.
Our first tour guide, Abdiel, told us we are travelers, not tourists, and we have truly taken that to heart. We have been able to see so much more than just the ‘tourist’ things through these trips. Abdiel took us off the beaten path and had us eat a termite! They taste like carrots! The locally guided tours gave us so much history about the places we visited. Without those guided tours in Italy, we would have simply walked around and looked at statues. Our Colosseum tour guide had a PhD in art history and told us the entire history of the building. She was spunky and animated, making the Colosseum visit more than just looking at a ruined building. It came to life.
As a mom traveling with her teenage daughter, the trips were a great way to allow her to have independence traveling in a safe way. She was not ready to travel without me on our trip to Panama. She was unsure who the other girls would be and if they would get along. We had the itinerary but not the little details, which was also a bit intimidating for her. EF Tours and Carrie Andringa had everything planned; all we had to do was show up at the designated time. Both trips had a great group of Girl Scouts, and the girls had no issues getting along.
I highly recommend any Council Trips to anyone looking to explore new places and see the world.”
—Amy, Girl Scout Parent
Travel as a troop, on your own with new friends, or pair up with a parent or caregiver on your next Girl Scout adventure!
Upcoming Trips
GSNWGL’s Adventure Bound Crew is open to registered Girl Scouts in middle and high school. We welcome their travelminded caregivers, too! We aim to build traveler confidence, cultural awareness, and global connections through incredible domestic and international travel experiences. These opportunities allow Girl Scouts to explore the world and learn more about their place in it.
London & Paris—June 2025
London & Paris—July 2025
Service Learning in Costa Rica—June 2026
Belize Wildlife Adventure—June 2027
Italy/Austria/Germany 2024 Recap
Twenty-two travelers experienced three countries over nine days on an epic European adventure!
We started in Italy and visited Rome, Pisa, Florence, and Verona. Then we traveled north to Austria and stayed overnight in the Alps in Innsbruck. The last leg of our trip took us to Germany where we had two days in Munich. Throughout all of the 575 miles we traveled in Europe, we learned about the culture and history of the cities we passed through. And we got to experience it together—as Girl Scout travelers!
Gold Award Spotlight
“Pursuing the Gold Award pushed me out of my comfort zone, challenging me to connect with my community in a new way. I have a new sense of pride in pursuing an issue facing my community, and I have developed a platform that I can use to educate people for many years.
The Gold Award is the pinnacle of Girl Scouts, a culmination of skills and ideas that Girl Scouts have been working on from the very first time they recited the Promise and Law. I encourage any Girl Scout considering the Gold Award to go for it! You will learn more about yourself and your community than you ever imagined.
Lastly, don’t wait! I earned my Gold Award just two weeks before moving to college. Although I was able to do it and encourage anyone to try their best no matter how late, it is not an ideal situation. Begin brainstorming early! Intentionally interact with community members and learn what issues are surrounding you. You might be surprised and inspired by what you learn!”
—Elsie B., Gold Award Girl Scout
Reimagining Spaces, Reinventing Programs: Girl Scouts Leading the Way
Adventures on the Go™ (AOTG) is GSNWGL’s mobile unit, which allows us to get more youth on the water, in the trees, and under the stars. Led by our highly qualified program specialist, Girl Scout troops and leaders gain courage, confidence, and character by learning archery, paddleboarding, snowshoeing, orienteering, and more!
We are happy to report that in our first year on the road, we have served over 900 kids. AOTG is the only mobile outdoor program experience for Girl Scouts in the United States! We hope you and your family will have the opportunity to experience a program with Adventures on the Go in the upcoming year!
Thank you to our sponsors and supporters!
AOTG Tour Sponsors
In-Kind Sponsor
• Loon Paddle Company
Sustain the Journey Sponsor ($2,500)
• Fox Communities Credit Union Inner Compass Sponsor ($1,000)
• Mayo Clinic Health System
Gear the Adventure Sponsors ($500)
• Barron Electric Cooperative
• River Country Co-op
• Scheels – Eau Claire
• UMR
Activity Sponsors ($500)
• Buckley-Baldwin VFW Post #2534
• Fortifi Bank
Start Your Engine Sponsor ($200)
• Copper Shores Community Health Foundation
AOTG Sponsors
Silver ($10,000+)
• Animal Medical Center of Marquette
• Connexus
• King’s Campers
• U.S Venture
Bronze ($5,000+)
• Bergstrom Automotive
Exciting Renovations Underway:
Central Girl Scout Center and Camp Del O’Claire
As part of our strategic property plan, we’ve relocated our staff from the Scout Center to Camp Del O’Claire in Schofield, WI, marking the beginning of exciting renovations designed to enhance our facilities and the Girl Scout experience.
Over the past ten months, we’ve transformed the basement into a vibrant, multi-purpose space. The remodel serves two key purposes: providing our staff with a functional workspace and meeting the high demand for additional troop spaces. The new basement features shared office spaces, storage for supplies, and dedicated spaces for troop activities—a hangout room and a maker space.
We are working on furnishing and equipping the new troop areas. The hangout room will include a large monitor, tables, comfortable seating, a kitchenette, and convenient amenities. For current rental information, please watch our council newsletters or visit our website.
Soon, we’ll have the maker space designed with tables, chairs, and supplies for badge work and meetings. Our upstairs kitchen, fireplace room, restrooms with showers, and bunk rooms will still be available, accommodating up to three groups at a time.
We’re eager to welcome more Girl Scouts into our space at our Central Girl Scout Center!
Save the Date
Join us for an open house on December 5, 2024, from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m.
We’ll share vision boards for spaces available for rent and have an idea board where you can share your dreams and ideas. Watch your inbox and GSNWGL socials for more information.
If you’d like to contribute to outfitting these new spaces, please check out our Amazon wish list.
New Activity Zone Coming Soon at the East Girl Scout Center
We’ve heard from Girl Scouts and troop leaders that more space for troop meetings and activities would be a great addition to our East Girl Scout Center. In January 2025, GSNWGL will pilot a new Activity Zone where Girl Scouts and their troops can work on activities, badges, and programs. Stay tuned—more details are coming soon!
Win a pink electric guitar!
Refer a friend before March 1, 2025, and you’ll be entered into a drawing to win a pink Fender Squier Sonic Stratocaster electric guitar and amp, plus you’ll get a new fun patch!
Once your friend joins, complete this form to enter.
gsnwgl.org/join
gsnwgl.org/join
We know Girl Scouts do awesome stuff! Girl Scouts are go-getters, innovators, risktakers, and leaders, and we want to hear all about the things you do!
Share your story!
us all about your Girl Scout experiences, adventures, and memories. We love pictures—share those too (with parent permission)!
• Did you do an amazing community service project? Tell us about it!
• Did your troop go on an awesome outing? Tell us about it!
• Did a Girl Scout experience shape your life? Tell us about it!
• How has volunteering impacted your life? Tell us about it!
• Have you participated in Girl Scout experiences as a family? Tell us about it!
• What inspires you to support Girl Scouts? Tell us about it!
Appleton, WI 54913 gsnwgl.org
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Be sure to visit our Events page to find all of our council-run activities, events, and camps! Whether your Girl Scout is looking for troop trips, badgeearning programs, or wanting to get started on a highest
Girls
There’s still time! Fun with friends. New adventures. Make a difference. You’re ready to go and Girl Scouts is ready for you! gsnwgl.org/join