Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois: Around the Council May 2018

Check out the exciting things that Girl Scouts have been up to all around Southern Illinois!  See our photo album to catch Girl Scout troops in action!



Alton area Girl Scout Brownie Troop #55 had their first-ever camp out!  The girls went hiking, practiced first aid and put up tents!

Troop #792 from Madison County collected 192 lbs of tabs for the Ronald McDonald House of St. Louis - and received a trophy prize for their efforts! 

Cadette Troop #2141 from Charleston earned their Field Day patch where, among other games, they played a match of Quiddich! 

Girl Scouts from SU 202 ClinClair worked on their Outdoor Journeys, as well as Junior Aide and Leader-in-Action awards. 

Freeburg Troop #8349 learned a lot of OWL Flight School. 

Troop #8163 from Carbondale learning water safety

Troop #8163 from Carbondale has been busy - they learned water safety, earned their Pottery badges, went camping and explored the 3 Cheers for Animals Journey at Crab Orchard Wildlife Refuge.

Marion Troop #8869 honored WSIL TV anchor Evie Allen with the Inspiring Woman award at their 2nd Annual The Empowerment Project and Empower You Career Fair.

Girl Scouts from SU 107 South Macoupin County marched in the Staunton Memorial Day Parade.

Girl Scouts from SU 101 Alton/Godfrey/Wood River/Roxana marched in the Alton Memorial Day Parade.

Girl Scouts placed flags on veterans' graves at the St. Peter and Paul Cemeteries in Waterloo to honor Memorial Day. 

Girl Scouts from Troop #238 held a Court of Awards and potluck. 

West Williamson County Girl Scouts marched in the Herrin Festa Parade. 

Girl Scouts at Scott Air Force Base learned more about firefighting. 

Troops #238 and #513 from Scott Air Force Base took a fire station tour and learned about the engines on the flight line. 

Girl Scouts from Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Troop #370 bridged to Ambassadors by serving as Pages in the Illinois House of Representatives. 

SU 202 ClinClair held an awards and bridging ceremony at St. John's United Church of Christ. 

Troop #130 from Wood River placed flags on veterans grave sites as part of their Memorial Day commemorations. 

Brownie Troop #744 and Daisy Troop #1044 volunteered to serve the monthly community meal in Gillespie. 

Troy Cadette Troop #717 completed their Breathe Journey Take Action project by placing plants in the classrooms at their middle school, thanks to a donation from Sunnyside Nurseries.  Each plant removes volatile compounds from the air.  

Girl Scout Troop #717 added plants to their middle school classrooms.

Marissa Schatz from Scott Air Force Base Receives the Girl Scout Gold Award

For her project, Art for the Heart, Marissa raised awareness of the value of art in society by organizing professionally taught art classes for SAFB youth and creating a gallery area in the Youth Center for them to share their artwork with family and friends. In addition, she coordinated an art show during SAFB’s annual Youth Fair, which hundreds of families attended.

“The arts are often overlooked in our society,” said Marissa. “I made an impact by demonstrating to children how entertaining art is in hopes that they will spread its joy throughout their lifetime.”  

While the children at SAFB learned more about art, Marissa developed crucial leadership skills for her future, including decision making, time management, effective communication and organizational skills. “The amount of knowledge I obtained through the course of this project is astounding,” she said. “It gave me confidence that I can achieve what I set my mind to if I have enough passion to pursue it.”

Marissa has been a Girl Scout for 13 years and received the Girl Scout Trifecta Award for earning her Girl Scout Bronze Award, Girl Scout Silver Award and Girl Scout Gold Award. Marissa is currently a senior as Mascoutah High School and plans to attend college to major in Biology next year. She is the daughter Kim and Wayne Schatz.

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.