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Long Range Property Plan - Phase I Available for Review | | |
The Properties Committee of Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington, at the direction of the board of directors, has been working for over a year developing a long range plan for management of our many outdoor program properties. The first phase of this plan is complete. It has been presented to the board of directors and they are in general concurrence with the recommendations the Committee has made. However, they will not give formal approval until we hear from you, the members.
Visit girlscoutsosw.org to read the plan and find out how to submit your feedback. The comment period is open until May 15, 2012. |
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Nominate a Girl Scout Great! | | |
Do you know an inspirational girl, volunteer, business or policital leader, scientist, inventor, devoted parent or other amazing individual that was or is a Girl Scout? If so, we want to share their story with the world! Nominate a Girl Scout Great by sending their name and a short synopsis of their story to Sarah Miller. They might just be selected for publication in local media! |
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Girl Scout Leader's Day: April 22, 2012 | | |
Did you know that, on average, a Girl Scout leader spends 150-200 hours per year on event and meeting preparation? The leader of your Girl Scout's troop gives their time selflessly to make Girl Scouting a meaningful and fun learning experience for your girl. How will you say thank you?
For appreciation ideas or more information on adult recognitions, visit our adult recognitions Web page. |
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Geocaching Hosts Needed! | | |
Hosts are still needed for our 100th anniversary geocache program! Girl Scout troops/groups or families to setup and maintain a "cache" - a small to medium-sized waterproof container that holds a logbook and pen in a zip lock bag and SWAPS for trading in a zip lock bag. Our caches will be just for members of Girl Scouts OSW and site coordinates will be posted on a secure site with access by request only (details available on our council Yahoo! group). The site will be active through August 31, 2012. For information and rules or to apply to host a site contact gscachers@gmail.com. |
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| A Letter from Karen | | |
 As our organization celebrates a century of building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place, I want to shine a light on you - the parents and guardians - who make Girl Scouting possible in the lives of your girls.
Perhaps you choose to involve your girl because you experienced the benefits of Girl Scouting as a child and want to pass on this 100-year-old tradition. Maybe you believe in the values and critical life skills that the Girl Scout Leadership Experience offers to girls, and want to see these outcomes unfold in the life of your child. Whatever your reason for choosing Girl Scouting, we want to thank you for being such a critical and supportive partner in our goal of helping girls reach their full potential. We are honored to have the opportunity to do so.
As we look toward the future, we see bigger and better things for Girl Scouting and the girls we serve. Recent research has illuminated some serious challenges facing girls today - only 21% of girls believe they have what it takes to lead, programs for girls receive only 7.5% of philanthropic dollars and only 17% of U.S. senators, representatives and governors are women. In an effort to answer these challenges and move toward balanced leadership, Girl Scouts of the USA has launched a campaign - To Get Her There - to rally families, businesses and communities in support of developing leadership in girls.
I encourage you to take part in this important step forward by visiting ToGetHerThere.org, learning the facts, signing the pledge and encouraging others to do the same. I have seen firsthand the incredible potential that girls have, and I have also seen the significant barriers facing them. Together, we can work to break these barriers down and make the world a better place for girls to lead.
Thank you for all you do, and I look forward to seeing you soon as we continue to celebrate our anniversary all year long!
Karen Hill
Chief Executive Officer |
| Upcoming 100th Anniversary Events! | | |
While March 12, 2012 (our official 100th anniversary) has passed, the party continues all year long. Here are some upcoming opportunities to celebrate:
March 30 - Girl Scouts After Dark
Vancouver, Washington
Community organizations and stores will provide badge activities at Westfield Vancouver. Girls can watch a fashion show of the latest trends with Girl Scouts models, participate in an ice cream social and more! Registration now open - don't miss this fantastic event!
Register today »
SOLVE Partner Events
March 31 - Spring Beach Cleanup
Various Locations
Celebrate 100 years of Girl Scouts making the world a better place as we partner with SOLVE to clean up Oregon's beaches. To find a site and register, visit solv.org. When registering, identify yourself as a Girl Scout under "Group information" so that we can see how great of an impact our organization has. Be sure to wear Girl Scout gear to the event to show the power of Girl Scouts together!
April 21 - SOLVE IT
Various Locations
Caring for the Earth has always been an important part of being a Girl Scout. Help celebrate 100 years of service by participating in a SOLVE IT project - whether pulling invasive weeds, planting trees or picking up trash, your hard work will improve the land, air and water that we all depend on. Visit solv.org to find a project near you.
Stay up to date on local and council-wide anniversary events - visit our Anniversary Event Calendar or contact your troop leader or service team to learn what's in store in your area. |
| Leadership & Growth Opps for Girls | | |
Every month, we'll list a new way your girl can benefit from Girl Scouting based on her own interests and goals. This month we have two opportunities for older girls:
Northwest Centennial Roundup
By attending the Northwest Centennial Roundup in Sweet Home, Oregon this fall (August 6-12, 2012), older girls will have the opportunity to meet other Girl Scouts from around the council (and possibly the globe), as well as try new activities and skills. Options will include rock climbing, swimming, sports, concerts, jewelry-making, canoeing, gold mining, buidling house with Habitat for Humanity, a trip to the council birthday celebration in Albany and much more! Learn more at girlscoutsosw.org - registration closes May 1, 2012!
Program Aide Any Girl Scout Cadette, Senior or Ambassador can take Program Aide training to learn to work with a troop or camp unit of younger girls under the supervision of an adult volunteer or staff member. This leadership workshop will train girls in the responsibility of leadership, Girl Scout basics, growth and development, dealing with groups of girls and more. Trainings will be held in multiple locations across the council this spring - for dates, locations or to register, visit girlscoutsosw.org. |
| Volunteer Opportunity | | |
Help Make History at Roundup!
Volunteers are needed for the Northwest Centennial Roundup August 6-12, 2012 in Sweet Home, Oregon!
Event activities will include rock climbing, swimming, sports, jewelry-making, canoeing, gold mining and much more. For more information about the event or to fill out a Request to Volunteer Form, visit the Roundup Web page. Questions? Contact anniversary@girlscoutsosw.org. |
| STEM in Action: Digital Media Studio | | |
With the information offered in this month's featured article, Generation STEM: What Girl Say about Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, you might be wondering what STEM opportunities our council offers to girls. Enter the Digital Media Studio!
The Digital Media Studio was developed last year through a generous grant from Yahoo!. The program offers girls the opportunity to Take Action in the digital realm, learning not only the "how" of digital media, but the "why" as well.
"Most gadgets we throw at kids these days have cameras, and very few people are teaching them why we use these devices, or how to use the resource effectively," says GSOSW Program Specialist Alden Bagnall. Through the Digital Media Studio, girls gain photography and editing skills, confidence using Apple products and tools to help them create and share their story. Experiences in the studio help girls explore careers in digital journalism, advocacy, marketing, advertising and more.
Upcoming workshops are also planned to prepare volunteers to teach these skills to girls on their own. Access to equipment and open office hours (for Girl Scout program purposes) are made available to volunteers who complete the training.
While the Digital Media Studio is currently only available out of the Portland Service Center, we are excited to announce that the program is expanding to Eugene and Bend this spring. Volunteers for this program are always needed! For more information or to volunteer, contact Alden Bagnall at (503) 977-6850 or abagnall@girlscoutsosw.org. |
| Save the Date: 2012 Annual Meeting | |
The council's annual meeting will be held Saturday, April 21 at Portland State University in Portland. The tentative schedule will include:
- 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. - Learning opportunities for girl and adult members.
- 11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. - A "Conversation of Consequence," a new component of our annual meeting including a panel discussion of influential women on the topic of women in leadership (Q&A session will follow).
- 1:00 p.m. - Business meeting.
Satellite sites are tentatively scheduled for Bend, Hermiston, Eugene, Klamath Falls and Medford. Please note these locations are subject to change.
For more information or to register, visit girlscoutsosw.org. Remember, you don't have to be a delegate to attend. Be sure to save the date and plan to join other members for a celebration of our council at the annual meeting! |
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