Thursday, October 29, 2015

Marlaina Snow From Troy Has Earned the Girl Scout Gold Award



Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is pleased to announce that Marlaina Snow from Troy has received the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive.

For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, called C.A. Henning Butterfly Garden, Marlaina built a butterfly garden at the school. When the new school playground was built, the former butterfly garden was destroyed. She had fond memories of the old butterfly garden and wanted to bring it back to her school.

Her new butterfly garden has an outdoor classroom for students to explore and teachers to give lessons about butterflies and nature.  There are also multiple benches for students to sit on and many butterfly houses for the butterflies. 


Marlaina herself learned valuable lessons about goal setting and flexibility through the course of her project.

"Throughout my Girl Scout Gold Award project, I learned that not everything is going to go as planned," she said.  "Sometimes you have to come up with a new idea so your original goal will run smoothly."

She added that while doing her Girl Scout Gold Award project she learned that not everything goes as planned and sometimes you have to come up with new ideas so your original goal will go smoothly.

Marlaina is the daughter of Brad and Marla Snow from Troy. She is currently a junior at Triad High School. She has been a Girl Scout for 11 years.

The Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can earn, recognizes a Girl Scout's commitment to excellence as she develops skills and values to meet present and future challenges in her life. To earn the Girl Scout Gold Award, a Girl Scout Senior or Girl Scout Ambassador must design and carry out a project that fulfills a need within a girl’s community, creates change, and is sustainable. The project must be completed with a suggested minimum of 80 hours of work. Only about 6 percent of eligible girls earn the prestigious Gold Award.

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Way of Lights Walk Together Full & Closed. No Walk-In Registrants, Please

 
 
We have received the following important message regarding the Illinois Trekkers Girl Scout Walk Together at Our Lady of the Snows Shrine on Nov. 17.
 
 
Way of Lights Walk Together November 17, 2015
Due to the overwhelming response this year for our Girl Scout Walk Together, Illinois Trekkers will NOT be accepting walk-ins on event day. Only those who have pre-registered will be able to walk through the lights. We have over 600 Girl Scouts and families registered at this time. Our start point is too small to accommodate any more participants. We want everyone to enjoy their experience with us and are working to alleviate the situation so we may have unlimited walkers in the future. Please keep us in mind in 2016!
Thank you,
Deb Kruep AVA Youth Chair

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Haley Gregson From Waterloo Earns the Girl Scout Gold Award



Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is pleased to announce that Haley Gregson from Waterloo has received the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive. 

For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, called Growing For Faith, Haley built a flower bed at Camp Wartburg Lutheran Retreat in Waterloo. As part of her project, Haley first bricked the edges, then planted bright and colorful perennial plants and finally mulched the area.  

“I hope my Girl Scout Gold Award project will make a positive impact on Camp Wartburg campers,” Haley said. “I used plants that are native to the Monroe County region. Through this project, I learned to never give up and that effort is the key to success,” she added.

Haley is the daughter of George and Beth Gregson from Waterloo. She is currently a senior at Waterloo High School. She has been a Girl Scout for 11 years.

The Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can earn, recognizes a Girl Scout's commitment to excellence as she develops skills and values to meet present and future challenges in her life. To earn the Girl Scout Gold Award, a Girl Scout Senior or Girl Scout Ambassador must design and carry out a project that fulfills a need within a girl’s community, creates change, and is sustainable. The project must be completed with a suggested minimum of 80 hours of work. Only about 6 percent of eligible girls earn the prestigious Gold Award.

Monday, October 12, 2015

100+ Girls Turn in Final Reports to Earn Girl Scout Awards




GSSI is in the middle of a Gold (Silver & Bronze) Rush! More than 100 girls have turned in final reports to earn the highest awards in Girl Scouting!

Due to the influx of final reports this October, processing may take slightly more time than usual - thank you for your patience.  For more information about Girl Scout Awards, please visit our website or contact Awards Program Manager Julie Fox at 800.345.6858, ext. 1119 or e-mail jfox@gsofsi.org.


More About Girl Scout Awards:




The Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award in Girl Scouting, recognizes the leadership, effort, and impact girls in grade 9-12 have had on their communities. Only about five per cent of eligible girls take the rigorous path toward earning this prestigious award, but those who complete the journey change the lives of others and their own in amazing and significant ways.  The Girl Scout Gold Award tradition will turn 100 in 2016.

A Gold Award project is something that a girl can be passionate about—in thought, deed, and action. The project is something that fulfills a need within a girl's community, creates change, and hopefully, is something that becomes ongoing. The project is more than a good service project—it encompasses organizational, leadership, and networking skills.

Girls typically spend a minimum 80 hours working on their projects, after the completion of two Girl Scout Journeys and project approval. Girl Scout Gold Award recipients do well in life! They rate their general success in life significantly higher and report higher success in reaching their goals within many areas.




The Girl Scout Silver Award was introduced in 1980 and is the highest award girls in grades 6-8 can earn. It is symbolic of accomplishments in Girl Scouting and community activities, as a girl becomes her best self and builds the world around her. The Girl Scout Silver Award represents a girl's accomplishments in Girl Scouting and her community as she grows and works to improve her life and the lives of others.

Girls typically spend a minimum 60 hours working on their projects, after the completion of a Girl Scout Journey and project approval.





The Girl Scout Bronze Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout in grades 4-5 can earn, was created by a troop of Girl Scout Juniors from an individual council and introduced in 2001. It requires a Girl Scout Junior to learn the leadership and planning skills necessary to follow through on a project that makes a positive impact on her community. Working towards this award demonstrates her commitment to helping others, improving her community and the world, and becoming the best she can be.

Girls typically spend a minimum 20 hours working on their projects, after the completion of a Girl Scout Journey and project approval.

Friday, October 9, 2015

GSSI Girl Scouts Tell Their Destinations Travel Stories

 
 
 
Visit the “Girl Scout Stories” section of GSSI’s website, www.gsofsi.org, to read recent essays written by GSSI Girl Scouts who participated in Destinations, or travel experiences.
 
 
 
 
Katie Albert from Waterloo took a trip to China on “The Great Panda Adventure” Destination. There, she explored local culture and attractions, including touring a Buddhist monastery, visiting Tianamen Square and the Forbidden City and attending a traditional Chinese Opera.  She also volunteered at the Ya'an Panda Conservation Center, where she weeded tea gardens, cleaned enclosures, prepared panda cakes and even got to hand feed a panda.

Katie, who has been on several Destinations trips during her Girl Scout career, said “Everything was so different: bathrooms, food, utensils, architecture, even the smell of China. It was truly unlike anything I’ve experienced in my travels so far.”
 
 
 
 
 
Elizabeth Burr from  went on the “Hollywood Dreamin’” Destination, a filmmaking experience in California. She was able to help write scripts, learn about film pre-production, direct, run sound mixing, edit video and many more hands-on filmmaking activities. She was also able to tour some local attractions, such as the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

 “I’ve dreamed almost my entire life to be where I was on that Destinations trip,” said Elizabeth. “It was a full week of busy things to do, but also full of the best moments I’ve ever experienced in Girl Scouts.”
 
Read Elizabeth's Essay & See More Photos




Lauren Wratchford from Fults spent six days on a cataman on the "Virgin Islands Tall Ship Sailing Experience" destination.  Along with sailing, she also got to snorkel, stand-up paddleboard, hike and explore beaches. 

"I will never forget all the fun I had with my six new best friends," Lauren said.

Read Lauren's Essay & See More Photos




 
Learn more about upcoming Destinations opportunities

For more information about the Destinations application process, fund-raising ideas and other information, please contact GSSI Program Manager Julie Fox at 800.345.6858, ext. 1119 or jfox@gsofsi.org.
 

Thursday, October 8, 2015

GSSI Forming Travel Committee





GSSI Program Manager Mary Buchanan is seeking Cadettes-Ambassadors, leaders and parents to form a Girl Scouts Travel Committee.  Participation will consist of quarterly web-based meetings (GoToMeeting) to discuss possible future GSSI trips and the Travel Pathway.  

The first meeting will be Wednesday, Oct. 28 at 6 p.m.  Interested girls or adults should e-mail Mary at mbuchanan@gsofsi.org.

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Girl Scout Registration Nights: October 2015



Looking to get your daughter signed up for Girl Scouts?  Visit our website, www.gsofsi.org or find a Girl Scout Registration Night in your area!   Events may be listed by town or by county.  This list will be updated frequently with new information.  Want to sign up but don't see your area?  Check the list below for the contact in your area or contact GSSI's Director of Membership Joan Burke at 800.345.6858, ext. 1120 or e-mail jburke@gsofsi.org!


Fairview Heights/Caseyville Girl Scout Registration Night
October 24, 2015
11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Pleasant Ridge Park
Contact: Toni Goodwin at 800.354.6858 or tgoodwin@gsofsi.org

Fayette County Girl Scout Registration Nights
October 8, 2015
5:30-6:30 p.m. at Ramsey High School Gym
Contact: Lesa Woods at 800.345.6858 or lwoods@gsofsi.org


Past Girl Scout Registration Nights & Contact Information 


Alton/Godfrey Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Darcy Rowland at 618.466.3502 or krowland1@yahoo.com

Bridgeport Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Tammy Brunson at 618.928.4344

Buncombe Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Heidi Stapleton 618-771-3998

Campbell Hill Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Lesa Woods at 618.242.5079

Carbondale Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Kristen Heavri at 618.899.5211

Carterville Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Debra Horn at 618.727.0002

Centralia Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Kathy Stachowski at 618.322.2755

Charleston/Eastern Coles County Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Miranda Zerbst at 217.246.0848 or 
charlestongirlscouts@yahoo.com 

Chester Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Lesa Woods at 618.242.5079 or lwoods@gsofsi.org


Clay City Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Beth at 618.676.1866

Clay County (North) Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Shelley Callahan at 618.335.6887

Coles County (Western) Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Katina at 217.235.6268 or e-mail 
su521gs@gmail.com

Crab Orchard Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Gretel Piepoint at 618.521.5614

Creal Spring Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Gretel Pierpoint at 618.521.5614

Cypress Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Heidi Stapleton 618.771.3998

Desoto Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Monica Hanson at 618.795.4271

Edwardsville Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Arti Clemon at 800.345.6858 or aclemon@gsofsi.org
 

Edwards County Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Tammy Krouse at 618.445.2859

Fairview Heights - William Holiday School Girl Scout Info Night
Contact: 
Kathryn.Tandy@gmail.com or 618.795.2607

Fayette County Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Lesa Woods at 618.242.5079

Franklin County (North)  Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Alicia Dixon at 618.439.6030
 

Gillespie Schools Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Nicki Striegel at 
nstriegel@nelsononline.com or 217.839.2486.

Goreville Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact:  Angie Bernard at 618.889.1437


Granite City Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Arti Clemon at 800.345.6858 or aclemon@gsofsi.org

Greenville Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Lesa Woods at 618.242.5079 or lwoods@gsofsi.org

Hamilton County Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Susanna Mills at 618.643.4919

Herrin Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Debra Horn 618.727.0002

Highland Area Girl Scout Registration Night
(Also Alhambra/Grantfork) 
Contact Kathy Arend at 
katarend@charter.net or Dena Davis at denadavis@yahoo.com

Iuka Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Melissa at 618.322.8419 or Cyndi at 618.267.9638

Jerseyville Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Jennifer Kallal at 618.401.2054

Johnston City Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Gretel Pierpoint at 618.521.5614

Kinmundy Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Melissa at 618.322.8419 or Cyndi at 618.267.9638

Lawrenceville Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Tammy Brunson at 618.928.4344

Marion Girl Scout Registration Night
 Contact Gretel Pierpoint:  618.521.5614

Marion County (East)  Girl Scout Registration Night 
Contact: Melissa at 618.322.8419 or Cyndi at 618.267.9638

Massac County Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Lesa Woods at 800.345.6858 or lwoods@gsofsi.org  

Metropolis Girl Scout Registration Night 
Contact: Lesa Woods at 618.242.5079
 or lwoods@gsofsi.org

Mulberry Grove Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Lesa Woods at 618.242.5079 or lwoods@gsofsi.org

Murphysboro Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Kristen Heavrin at 618.899.5211 or kheavrin@gsofsi.org

Odin Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Melissa at 618.322.8419 or Cyndi  at 618.267.9638

Patoka Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Melissa at 618.322.8419 or Cyndi at 618.267.9638

Perry County Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Mary Reese at 618.571.3010
Pocahontas Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Lesa Woods at 618.242.5079 or lwoods@gsofsi.org

Prairie Du Rocher Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Lesa Woods at 618.242.5079 or lwoods@gsofsi.org

Red Bud Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Lesa Woods at 618.242.5079 or lwoods@gsofsi.org

Richland County Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Mary Lou Spieth at 618.204.6528


Salem Girl Scout Registration Nights
Contact: Melissa at 618.322.8419 or Cyndi  at 618.267.9638

Sorento Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Lesa Woods at 618.242.5079 or lwoods@gsofsi.org

Southwestern School District Girl Scout Registration Night
Brighton Troop Contact: Trisha Clevenger at 618.407.4618 or 
trishamc@hotmail.com
Medora Troop Contact: Tasha McQuay at 314.650.4638 or pschins@hotmail.com

Sparta Girl Scout Registration Night
Contact: Lesa Woods at 618.242.5079 or lwoods@gsofsi.org