2017 Girl Scout Day Camp Photos Available Now!

Each summer, amazing Girl Scout volunteers make it possible for GSSI to hold Day Camps throughout our council. Girls get to learn new skills, build confidence trying new things, meet friends and most of all - have fun in the great outdoors!  At Girl Scout Camp, girls make memories that last a lifetime!   Check out our 2017 Day Camp photo albums to get a glimpse of the good times yourself: 

2017 Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois Day Camps: 

Camp Wassatoga - A Decade of Fun!

Hosted by SU 511 - Effingham County
June 4-10 at Camp Wassatoga in Effingham

Muggles, Magic & Mayhem (twilight camp)

Hosted by SU 110 - Highland
June 5-9, 2017 at Silver Lake Park in Highland

Project Funway

Hosted by SU 07 - Bond County
June 5-8, 2017 at First Christian Church in Greenville

Reconnecting With Nature (twilight camp)

Hosted by SU 107 - South Macoupin County
June 5-9, 2017 at Camp Chan Ya Ta in Worden

Let's Travel with the Movies

Hosted by SU 72 - UPAC
June 12-16, 2017 at Cobden Park

Ocean Adventures

Hosted by SU 207 - Belleville/Swansea
June 12-16, 2017 at Amerian Legion Post 58; Freedom Farms in Freeburg

Adventures of Science

Hosted by SU 31 - Jefferson County
June 15-17, 2017 at Girl Scout Little House in Mt. Vernon

Are You Courageous Enough to be a Girl Scout?

Hosted by SU 201 - O'Fallon/Shiloh
June 19-23, 2017 at Horner Park in Lebanon

Hungry Games - Cookie Edition (twilight camp)

Hosted by SU 102 - Granite City/Madison/Venice
June 19-23, 2017 at Camp Torqua in Edwardsville

Journey to Neverland

Hosted by SU 209 - Columbia/Dupo/Millstadt/Smithton
June 23-25, 2017 at Camp Butterfly in Farmington, MO

The Great Outdoors (twilight camp)

Hosted by SU 15 - Clinton County
June 26-30, 2017 at Fish Hatchery Park in Carlyle

Nature Girl

Hosted by SU 108 - Edwardsville/Glen Carbon
June 26-30, 2017 at Camp Torqua in Edwardsville

Mini STEM Camp

Hosted by GSSI
July 6-7, 2017 at Camp Torqua in Edwardsville

Girl ScOUT of this World Fun

Hosted by SU 111 - Collinsville
July 10-14, 2017 at Camp Torqua in Edwardsville

pARTy OUTDOORS

Hosted by SU 211 - Waterloo

July 10-14, 2017 at Camp Vandeventer in Waterloo

STEM Camp 5: Destined for Infinity

Hosted by GSSI
July 17-21, 2017 at Camp Torqua in Edwardsville

Coming Soon:

Nature Detectives

Hosted by SU 09 - Centralia
July 24-28, 2017 in Centralia

Kim Vrooman Joins Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois as Director of Development and Communications

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois is pleased to announce that Kim Vrooman has been hired as Director of Development and Communications. Vrooman comes to GSSI with over 15 years of experience in development, communications/marketing and civic engagement. She has worked in the non-profit sector where she established and directed an Illinois non-profit with the mission to empower children and families through green and community partnerships. She currently serves as the President of the Board of Directors for the Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville Meridian Society: a women’s philanthropy organization; as a board member of Southwestern Illinois College’s Herstory Month Committee; and as a proud member of the Women’s Auxiliary of the American Legion. Women and youth leadership building has always been a favorite service focus of Vrooman’s.

“My parents taught that service to others is the primary purpose of human existence and what better way to serve than by immersing myself in the mission of the Girl Scouts. Plus, I am a Girl Scout! Coming from a military family allowed me to serve as a scout in both Kentucky and Florida. I feel joining GSSI continues my scouting journey and my deep desire to serve.”

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois is a high-capacity Girl Scout council serving approximately 12,400 girls and engaging 5,000 adult volunteers in 40 ½ counties in Southern Illinois.   GSSI Mission: Girl Scouts builds girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.   The Girl Scouts organization is the world's largest leadership development organization for girls.  In partnership with committed adults, girls develop qualities that will serve them all their lives - like strong values, social conscience, and conviction about their own potential and self-worth. Today’s Girl Scouts not only enjoy camping and crafts, but they also explore math and science and learn about diversity, good citizenship, leadership and teamwork. Girl Scouting is the place where girls experience the fun, friendship and power of girls together.   Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois is a not-for-profit organization supported by various United Ways throughout the region.  Girl Scouts is a Proud Partner of United Way. 

Doubleknot Program Registration System Launching July 17!

As part of our Customer Engagement Initiative (CEI), GSSI will launch Doubleknot, a new program registration system, on Monday, July 17!

Program registration through eBiz will be down starting Thursday, July 13 and will be available July 17 using the new Doubleknot system.  

Membership registrations will still be able to be processed through eBiz at this time. 

Doubleknot Preview

If you have already registered for a program in eBiz that will moved to Doubleknot, you don’t have to register again. However, you can always contact Customer Care at 800.345.6858 or e-mail customercare@gsofsi.org to confirm your registration or receive a receipt.

You do not have to create a username and password to log in to Doubleknot. However, it will be beneficial if you do. After the first time reserving a program, you can save the names of the girls in your troop under your profile.

COMING SOON!

Camp property reservations will also be moving to Doubleknot within the next few weeks - more information coming soon!

Support Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois While You Shop on Amazon!

Did you know you can support Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois while shopping at amazon.com?

AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support GSSI every time you shop - at no cost to you.

When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization. 

On your first visit to www.smile.amazon.com select Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois as your charitable organization. For each eligible purchase, GSSI will receive .5% of your purchase price!

Gabriella Holmes from Millstadt Has Earned the Girl Scout Gold Award

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

For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, called Softball Pitching Fun and Exercise, Gabriella said she wanted to take her love for the game of softball and share it with youth to get them to exercise more and eat healthier. According to Gabriella one of the root causes her project was child obesity and her Gold Award project gave kids a fun way to exercise and taught them healthy eating habits. During her Softball Pitching Camp for youth, she taught exercise and fitness and gave the children healthy eating tips and provided them with a snack each day.

Gabriella said she learned how to work with and teach younger children. “Through this project, I have learned that I enjoy helping younger people and that I can be a leader,” she said.

Gabriella is the daughter of Rick and Tracy Holmes. She is a junior at Belleville West High School 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.