Hannah Grotecke from Granite City Has Earned the Girl Scout Gold Award

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is pleased to announce that Hannah Groetecke from Granite City has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive. 

For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, called Old Six Mile Museum, Gabriella said she wanted to help make improvements to the Old Six Mile Museum and save part of the history of Granite City. The museum roof was damaged and needed to be replaced. Through her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Hannah was able to mobilize volunteers to help and to donate supplies needed. After the roof was repaired, Hannah helped to promote the great things the museum offered including the free library, tours, home-made honey, unique history books and its new produce stand.

"I not only learned about my hometown," said Hannah, "but also learned that there are many helpful citizens that can be brought together to get things done." 

Hannah is the daughter of Heather Groetecke and Donny Groetecke. She completed her Girl Scout Gold Award Project during her senior year of high schoo and currently is a student at Southwestern Illinois College. She was a Girl Scout for 13 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 5 percent of eligible girls earn the prestigious Gold Award.

2016-17 Girl Scout Bronze Award Recipients

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

Congratulations to the following girls from Southern Illinois who earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award during the 2016-17 school year.

A
Kaylie Adams
Lauren Amlung
Aliayah Anderson
Hope Angle
Morgan Angle
Isabella Armoussou
Mackenna Ashby
Josephine Athy
Chelsea August

B
Elizabeth Back
Ava Baldwin
Keara Barlow
Chelsea Beck
Emma Berg
Jaci Bethel
Franki Boente

Katelynn Bone
Callysta Borders
Tess Brummer
Brianna Brunner
Elise Burk 

Loralei Burress

C
Ella Burton 

Lylah Calhoun
Leah Cartright

D
Alyssa Crossin

Mackenzey Dalla
Kylie Davis
Monica Davis
Paige Dickhaut
Ellie Doolittle
Jada Dougherty 

Savannah Downey

E
Hannah Eade
Reagan Easter
Leah Edwards
Caitlin Eggemeyer
Courtney Ellis
Emma Ellis
Karleigh Ellis
Melissa Ellis

F
Brooke Ferguson

G
Samantha Gibbs
Lia Goedken
Leah Goins
Nevaeh Greer

H
Mia Hardimon
Norah Hardin
Mia Harness
Delaney Harrison
Kaitlyn Hart

Monique Hart
Madeline Healey 

Olivia Heine
Olivia Hemmerle
Adaline Hendricks 

Kyia Henrichsmeyer
Leanna Henson
Makenzie Hillard
Halle Hites
Jayci Hopkins
Madison Hopkins
Kailee Hubbard

J
Alayna Jarvis

Adrienne Jines
Madison Jockisch
Maggie Johnson
Sanaa Johnson

Lily Jurgena

K
Alaina Kao
Allison Kessel
Emma Kilpatrick
Chloe Kious
Morgan Korves
Faith Kossina
Kendra Krause

L
Marissa Lager
Kylie Lee
Haley Linafelter
Sarah Linafelter
Sophie Lingle

M
Kerringtyn Malley
Maggie McGuire
Julia Melosci
Sarah Mensing 

Ashtyn Mewes
Kyra Miller
Cheyenne Missey
Livia Montgomery
Lily-Marie Moss

N
Katie Mueth
Raistlin Noll

O
Melia Oestreich
Abigayle Owen
Emma Owens

P
Emma Patrick
Gabriela Patterson
Margaret Paty
Kiersten Pedigo

R
Ava Rahman
Claire Rantanen
Helen Rickard

Vivienne Runnalls
Ireland Rushing
Isabella Russell
Savannah Russell

S
Rhylee Sauerbrunn
Riley Scheibel
Marlo Schiber
Rachel Schiber
Allie Schrumpf
Emily Schrumpf
Olivia Schulz
Jansen Scrivner
Jaelynn Sebring
Eleanor Sedabres
Mallary Shipley
Catherine Shortal
Abigail Showmaker
Kensall Sigafoos
Annsley Silvia
Melinda Smith
Mikayla Straight
Alexandria Summers
Hannah Summers 

Cheyene Sumner

T
Grace Taylor 

Audrey Thompson
Corrinna Tutterow

V
Julia Venus
Peyton Vest
Deseray VonBurg

W
Morgan Waller

Alayna Walton
Katie Weaver

Hannah Webb
Autumn Whelan

Y
Sophia Yankey

Z
Laine Ziegler

Introducing GSSI Customer Care

You may have noticed there's a new team at GSSI responding to your e-mails and phone calls: Customer Care. 

What is Customer Care?  

It's a new department of GSSI staff that is equipped with the tools and information necessary to help answer most questions and resolve most issues on your first contact with the council office.   

Need help navigating the registration system or have a question about an upcoming program?  Customer Care is there for you.  Looking to place an order with the shop or reserve a camp?  Customer Care can help.  Customer Care can even walk you through opening and closing a troop checking account, renting a van or taking out non-member insurance. 

Parents - Customer Care has your needs covered too!  They can help renew your daughter's registration, transfer to a new troop, or answer questions about her product program or an upcoming program she's attending. 

In the rare case that Customer Care is not able to assist you, then you will be quickly forwarded to the staff person who is an expert in that area. 

You can reach Customer Care at 800.345.6858 or customercare@gsofsi.org.      

More Improvements Coming Soon!

Revitalized customer service is just one way GSSI is striving to make your experience with Girl Scouts even better.  See more about the CEI (Customer Engagement Initative) and the positive changes it will introduce:

Three key technology tools support the initiative – Volunteer Systems fueled by Salesforce, the Volunteer Toolkit, and a new Web Platform.

Volunteer Systems

A best-in-class membership and customer care database that is fueled by Salesforce, which also includes the Salesforce Marketing Cloud, a digital marketing tool to help communicate with volunteers and parents. Volunteer Systems will roll out in August 2017.

Web Platform

Launched in April 2017, GSSI's new Web Platform offers upgraded functions and improved data security.  You can still find our website at www.gsofsi.org, but with some updates and new features. You will notice that our new website looks very similar to other Girl Scout websites across the nation, for a uniform brand experience.  It is also the gateway for the NEW Volunteer Toolkit, which is coming soon. 

Girl Scouts' Volunteer Toolkit (or VTK): helps volunteers access the information and resources they need through their personal computers or mobile devices, and stay better connected to troop leaders and parents. It makes forming and maintaining a troop easier than ever before, which means more time spent on girls and less on administrative tasks. Volunteers can plan out a whole year of impactful activities to ensure their girls receive the best Girl Scout experience possible. 

The Volunteer Toolkit will offer sample K-5 badge-based year plans, K-5 journey-based year plans and help making meeting plans. It focuses on the pillars of our program where we know girls benefit most, especially in a girl-only environment: the outdoors; STEM; life skills and entrepreneurship.  While VTK attends to the needs of K-5 troop leaders, parents and girls to start, Girl Scouts plans to expand the reach to girls and adults participating in delivery models beyond the troop, and to middle and high school girls.

The Volunteer Toolkit will be available through our website, www.gsofsi.org, after the Volunteer Systems and new Web Platform are in place. 

About CEI

Through implementation of CEI, including significant process improvements, staffing alignment and training, and technology tools, Girl Scouts is improving volunteers’, parents’ and girls’ experiences, making it easier and less time consuming for volunteers to effectively complete tasks. For the first time, Girl Scouts is investing in shared tools and technology that will empower us to dramatically improve the Volunteer and Girl Experience. From joining and getting oriented, to managing a troop and renewing membership – being a volunteer will be easier, more manageable and more enjoyable. This results in an enhanced Girl Experience.

The ultimate goal of CEI is to provide girls with exciting, meaningful and impactful experiences and to ensure every girl who wants to participate in Girl Scouting, can do so, with a caring adult to support her.

Girls' Choice Troop Camping Badges Available for Digital Download

Girls have spoken! The winning Girls’ Choice badge topic for 2017 is Troop Camping.  And, without further ado, we’re pleased to announce . . .

The 2017 Girls' Choice badge requirements are now available for digital download. What a great way to kick off the summer and build go-get-‘em problem-solvers, encourage challenge-seeking, and expose girls to new experiences as they grow their skills, confidence, and character.

Daisies will get a first taste of the camping fun and excitement in their first-ever Girls’ Choice badge, and then the Brownie Ambassador badges will build on that foundation.

So head on over to the Girl Scout Shop today for your digital downloads; badges and printed requirements will be in council shops by August.  They’re chock full of opportunities for her to take the lead like a Girl Scout and unleash her inner G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)™. And we can’t forget all the adventure, fun, and excitement great Girl Scout memories are made of! 

Jordyn Thompson from O'Fallon Has Earned the Girl Scout Gold Award

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is pleased to announce that Jordyn Thompson from O’Fallon has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive. 

For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Jordyn held a LaVerna Evans Elementary School Fall Fun Fair and Fall Book Fair in O’Fallon. She worked with her local school officials to revive the Fall Fair and design new games and activities for parents and students who attended the event. Her Girl Scout Gold Award project included planning and creating new games, organizing the event and getting volunteers to assist during the Fall Fair. Her overall goal was to bring the parents and students out to the school and engage them in activities so they could learn about La Verna Evans Elementary School and its various programs.

“In completing my project, I learned how to be a leader, and I learned organization skills and that when directing people to have good communications skills to be effective. Also I learned, to allow others to offer advice, to be flexible and have a Plan B,” Jordyn added.

Jordyn is the daughter of Curtis Thompson and JoAnn Williams-Thompson. She will graduate from O’Fallon Township High School in 2018 and has been a Girl Scout for 12 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 5 percent of eligible girls earn the prestigious Gold Award.

Girl Scout Troop #333 Holds Hygiene Drive

Recently, Girl Scout Troop #333 planned and completed a hygiene drive for the Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Community.  On one Saturday (April 22), Girl Scouts from Service Unit #108 distributed information to many households across several neighborhoods about hygiene items needed.  

On the next Saturday (April 29), we collected items and brought them to our service unit office to be sorted by category.  These items included shampoo, soap, detergent, toothpaste/toothbrushes, and deodorant.  We spent three hours collecting and sorting, and then dropped off these items at the Glen-Ed Food Pantry.  The Glen-Ed Pantry weighed all the items, and our total was 1,019 pounds of donations!  The troop was so excited to see how much was donated, and the Pantry was very grateful for the needed items.  

In the future, we hope to expand our range of collection to local elementary schools and businesses in the community.

Submitted by Kyra Miller, 11 years old, Troop #333

Caroline Stewart from Belleville Has Earned the Girl Scout Gold Award

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is pleased to announce that Caroline Stewart from Belleville has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive. 

For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, called Washington Park Good Samaritan Center Playground, Caroline constructed an urban playground at the Good Samaritan Center in Washington Park. In the past, she assisted with Vacation Bible School and her and other volunteers noticed that the existing playground was unsafe. Through her efforts, a new playground was built from recycled materials that included a swing, a slide, a seesaw and a climbing structure. In addition, a basketball court was installed from grant money that had been received.

“I learned time management, better interpersonal communications skills, and how to ask for help when I needed it,” Caroline said of what she learned by completing her Girl Scout Gold Award project.

Caroline is the daughter of Doug and Christine Stewart. She graduated from Governor French Academy in 2017 and has been a Girl Scout for 12 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 5 percent of eligible girls earn the prestigious Gold Award.

Give Your G.I.R.L. More Opportunities to Shine: Renew Her Girl Scout Membership Today!

In Girl Scouts, the next chance to stand up, speak up, and take the lead is never far away. We believe in the power of G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-Taker, Leader)™ is in every girl and strive to give her opportunities to shine.

Another year of adventures is waiting!
Renew her membership today!

BONUS:  Every girl whose membership is renewed by June 15 will receive a free t-shirt.  ORDER HERE

(Please note - adults can also order #LikeAGirlScout t-shirts for $8 each.  Please contact our Customer Care Department at 800.345.6858 or customercare@gsofsi.org to purchase.)

Staunton Girl Scouts Earn Presidential Volunteer Service Awards

Every girl in Troop #106 from Staunton earned a Presidential Volunteer Service Award for her community service this year! 

The President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) is the premier volunteer awards program, encouraging citizens to live a life of service through presidential gratitude and national recognition.

GSSI Graduating Girl Scouts - Class of 2017!

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois Class of 2017!

Troop #63 Deja Adams, Fairview Heights

Troop #63 Danielle Gaston, Fairview Heights
Troop #63 Karribian Scott,  Fairview Heights 

Troop #75 Julie Baker, Dorsey
Troop #75 Helena Frisbie Firsching, Dorsey
Troop #75 Hannah Pocuca, Edwardsville 

Troop #180 Emily Baima, Collinsville
Troop #180 Autumn Baumgartner, Collinsville
Troop #180 Elizabeth Burr, Collinsville
Troop #180 Lauren Carter, Collinsville
Troop #180 Lauryn Mosby, Collinsville
Troop #180 Shawnee Shaver, Collinsville
Troop #180 Samantha Thomlinson, Collinsville 

Troop #200 Monet Penson, Shiloh 

Troop #243 Katja Doebelin, New Baden
Troop #243 Ally Friend, New Baden
Troop #243 Emily Woods, New Baden 

Troop #248 Sarah Eversman, Belleville

Troop #255 Amy Bertelsman, Belleville
Troop #255 Jackie Davis, Belleville
Troop #255 Gabrielle Sullivan, Fairview Heights 

Troop00345 Sarozjani Hunter, Belleville
Troop00345 Kennedy Sims, O'Fallon
Troop00345 Caroline Stewart, Belleville 

Troop #362 Emma Boone, Edwardsville
Troop #362 Lilyanne Grieve, Edwardsville
Troop #362 Riley Kloostra, Edwardsville
Troop #362 Kathleen McCracken, Edwardsville
Troop #362 Emma Taylor, Edwardsville 

Troop #371 Brandy Biggs, Granite City 

Troop #403 Savanah Tyler, Granite City 

Troop #440 Kaitlin Koenig, Granite City
Troop #440 Kirsten Koenig, Granite City
Troop #440 Dakota Smallie, Granite City 

Troop #451 Johannah Comish, Highland
Troop #451 Samantha Hawkes, Highland
Troop #451 Katherine McGlasson, Highland
Troop #451 Elisabeth Meadows, Pierron
Troop #451 Shannon Miller, Highland
Troop #451 Noah Veitel, Highland 

Troop #471 Danielle Demay, Troy
Troop #471 Peyton Fandrey, Troy
Troop #471 Elaine Fitzgerald, Troy
Troop #471 Hannah Johnson, Troy
Troop #471 Marlaina Snow, Troy
Troop #471 Sidney Snyder, Troy 

Troop #521 Hannah Groetecke, Granite City

 
Troop #577 Martha Woelfel, Bethalto 

Troop #782 Susan Mcdowell, Belleville
Troop #785 Morgan Fleshren, Belleville
Troop #785 Rachael Hickey, Belleville 

Troop #785 Caitlyn Peters, Belleville
Troop #785 Chloe Terry, Belleville

Troop #787 Aly Tuhely, Smithton

Troop #797 Kimberly Behrends, Brighton
Troop #797 Madelynn Clevenger, Piasa 

Troop #830 Sarah Goldacker, Glen Carbon
Troop #830 Amber Sommer, Glen Carbon 

Troop #841 Breanna Ahrens, Edwardsville
Troop #841 Riley Coad, Glen Carbon
Troop #841 Andrea Gross, Glen Carbon
Troop #841 Caroline Kaminsk,y Glen Carbon
Troop #841 Kathleen Pennington, Edwardsville
Troop #841 Julia Sylvies, Edwardsville 

Troop #864 Morgan Hutchinson, Columbia
Troop #864 Peyton Schmidt, Columbia
Troop #864 Kelsey Weatherford, Columbia 

Troop #884 Samantha Hartkop, O'Fallon
Troop #884 Kelsey Lentz, O'Fallon
Troop #884 Rachel Sabella, O'Fallon  

Troop #884 Olivia Weidenbenner Belleville 

Troop #889 Candria Campbell, Belleville
Troop #889 Katherine Gemmingen, Belleville
Troop #889 Amelia Schmitz, Belleville 

Troop #907 Brianna Yenne Wood River 

Troop #915 Victoria Birchem, O'Fallon 

Troop #1078 Rose Eller, Alton

Troop #2025 Michelle Clinton, Newton
Troop #2025 Miranda Clinton, Newton
Troop #2025 Lydia Druin, Mattoon
Troop #2025 Abigail Shamdin, Mattoon

Troop #2029 Rachel Due, Greenup 

Troop #2073 Mackenzie Chasteen, Effingham
Troop #2073 Nicole Homann, Effingham
Troop #2073 Andrea Sills, Effingham
Troop #2335 Ashley Dryden, Toledo
Troop #2335 Heather Kistner, Neoga
Troop #2335 Kayli Worthey, Neoga 

Troop #4042 Cheyenne G, Edwardsville
Troop #8038 Rachel Dahl, Benton
Troop #8038 Hailley Purdie, Benton
Troop #8038 Bethany Zinzilieta, Benton 

Troop #8070 Faith Simpson, Johnston City

Troop #8093 Abbigail Stowers, Herrin 

Troop #8099 Gillian Besson, Hurst
Troop #8099 Kayla Cantrell, Herrin
Troop #8099 Charlotte Harrison, Hurst
Troop #8099 Makayla Horn, West Frankfort
Troop #8099 Savannah May, Hurst
Troop #8099 Alyssa Perry, Herrin 

Troop08132 Elizabeth Ryterski, Pinckneyville 

Troop #8239 Autumn Rowold Chester 

Troop #8303 Tessa Miller Red Bud
Troop #8303 Megan Thompson Red Bud 

Troop #8474 Kathryn Krouse, Albion 

Troop #8518 Taylor Brashear, Olney
Troop #8518 Hannah Stanley, Olney 

Troop #8603 Sara Gregory, Mount Vernon
Troop #8603 Emily Hocking, Mount Vernon
Troop #8603 Cheyanne McGrath, Mount Vernon
Troop #8603 Danielle Patton, Mount Vernon 

Troop #8643 Brenna Collins, Bluford 

Troop #8649 Jessica Cook Cypress 

Troop#8659 Gabrielle Gwodzik Goreville 

Troop #8663 Alexandria Hirsch Vienna
Troop #8705 Jasmine Compton Lawrenceville
Troop #8754 Jamilyn Martin Hoyleton
Troop #8911 Kanami Omura Metropolis 

Individual Girl Scouts:
Bethany Carrillon. Carlyle
Josefina Pimentel, Carbondale
 Karly Hankins, Metropolis
Tarynn Mays, Du Quoin
Jill Buettner, Belleville
Autumn Olson, Aviston