Colorado Leader by Girl Scouts of Colorado

Inside this issue: Live Healthy, Lead Healthy

Get involved with the Healthy Living Challenge. page 3

Summer camp for troops

Camp with your girls while staff takes care of food and programming, and let Cookies get you there! page 6

Montrose girl saves mom’s life

A 10-year-old girl credits Girl Scout training for quick thinking when her mom was in need. page 7

WINTER 2012

colorado

LEADER Published for the volunteers of Girl Scouts Of Colorado

There’s more to Girl Scout Cookies than what’s in the box and this year we want you to put your social circles to work to spread the word. Girl Scouts of Colorado is organizing a Social Media Day on Feb. 8. We want all volunteers, members, families, alumnae, staff and community supporters to use their social circles (Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Pinterest, Instagram) to share the five important skills in action that girls are gaining through the Cookie Program. Be sure to tag Girl Scouts of Colorado in your posts and share our website. Prizes will be given away throughout the day on Girl Scouts of Colorado’s social media channels—get involved and increase your chances to win! Selling cookies teaches goal-setting, decision-making, money management, people skills and business ethics—aspects essential to leadership, to success and to life. Much more information about the Cookie Program is inside: Important dates (sale starts Jan. 27), Super Six, cupboard management, tips for success, the first-ever National Girl Scout Cookie Sleepover and more! Read more on pages 4-5.

COUNCIL BRIEFS Enjoy Tomahawk Ranch via horseback Exciting travel opportunities coming up Girl Scouts of Colorado is excited to announce several great upcoming opportunities for Girl Scouts to experience the fun and adventure of travel. Go to girlscoutsofcolorado. org/volunteers/travel to learn more.

March 15-17, 2013 – Winter Adventure at Meadow Mountain Ranch Let’s play in the snow! Come and experience beautiful Rocky Mountain National Park the way it was meant to be experienced! GSCO is partnering with The Women’s Wilderness Institute to give you the very best winter adventure— snowshoeing, hiking and so much more.

May 24-31, 2013 – Girls Unite: Dream, Act, Change at Disney World Meet, learn and grow with Girl Scouts from around the country during this celebration of your girls’ power to act on their dreams and make a big change in the world. Participate in Disney Youth Education Adventures, a Sing-along Dinner, and a Sweets and Swaps Social to celebrate the spirit of Scouting at the Walt Disney World® Resort.

June 17-25, 2013 – Canyon Skies The stunning scenery of the Southwestern U.S. never fails to awe and inspire those who take the time to discover its riches. Warm yourself by a campfire as you visualize ancient tales recounted by a Navajo storyteller and flute player under the endless stars of Canyon de Chelly. Enjoy a true escape as you raft the San Juan River. Explore hidden and mysterious cliff dwellings and learn how their original inhabitants faced conservation issues similar to those we face today.

Colorado Leader

Through December and January, Girl Scouts of Colorado is offering hourly trail rides at Tomahawk Ranch as well as hourly lessons for beginner and advanced riders (girls and adults). Limit of 10 riders per hour session. Certified staff will teach the riders about horse care, Western beginner and advanced riding disciplines, stable management and more. Or you can come and enjoy a relaxing trail ride. Girls must be in at least 2nd grade to participate in trail rides, or in 4th grade to participate in lessons. Cost is $20/hour for registered Girl Scout members and $25/hour for nonmembers. Learn more on our website at girlscoutsofcolorado.org/horses.

Family login coming to eBiz An exciting upgrade is coming to online registration, but we need your help! The new upgrade will allow for a single login for families for Girl Scouts of Colorado membership, program and training registration. It recognizes the family based on who in the daughter’s online profile is listed as a “guardian 1.” Parents need to make sure they log into their daughter’s account and make sure they have a guardian 1. Also make sure this guardian 1 has an email address. This guardian 1 will ultimately be the one who will have the ability to manage family registrations online come summer of 2013. If assistance is needed in updating this information or there are questions, please email customer support at inquiry@gscolorado.org or call at 1-877-404-5708.

Volunteers are the strength of the Girl Scout movement Do you know a volunteer who’s done something great? Be sure to say “Thank you!” and show your appreciation for the work that they do. This can be a simple verbal or written thank-you from you, the parents or, even better, the girls. It can be more formal like a gift certificate from our shop or a lifetime Girl Scout membership for someone who has given many years of service. If you know someone who’s gone above and beyond, nominate her or him for a GSUSA volunteer award! These awards are for currently registered Girl Scout volunteers—groups or individuals, any Girl Scout troop, Service Unit, committee or an individual, including girls and parents, can nominate a volunteer for an award. Nominations are reviewed twice a year with deadlines for submission on March 1 and July 1. Visit girlscoutsofcolorado.org/ volunteer-awards for more information in the recently updated volunteer recognitions booklet as well as online nomination forms.

Supplement Girl Scout Journey with field trips, activities and more Girl Scouts of Colorado program team is sharing weekly Journey tips on our website, girlscoutsofcolorado.org/program/journeys, and blog to help leaders like you guide your girls on the best possible Girl Scout Journey. Click on the weekly tips in the Talk to Us section on each program-level Journey web page. You can also subscribe to our blog to get an email notification when posts are made. We know there are plenty of great ideas out there and we hope you will share yours. Click the Submit a Journey tip button and submit a quick idea. Did you go on a great field trip? Is there a business or group in your area that fits well with a certain Journey? Did your girls get the most out of a certain activity? Share your tips today.

PROGRAM INITIATIVE

Giving girls a healthy advantage—take the challenge Girl Scouting gives girls a fun way to develop leadership skills they can use in their daily lives. Making healthy choices and promoting healthy living are necessary to the foundation girls need to become strong leaders. That’s why healthy living activities are incorporated in the Girl Scout Journeys and that’s why Girl Scouts of Colorado has developed the Live Healthy, Lead Healthy initiative, sponsored by the Thiry O’Leary Foundation. Girl Scouts of Colorado and ZisBoomBah.com, an interactive, healthy gaming site, have teamed up to offer girls, parents and troop leaders creative ways to connect with healthy living. The site offers fun ways for Girl Scouts to engage in online and offline activities to get them moving and choosing their own fun, healthy foods. ZisBoomBah, has created a portion of their site just for Daisy, Brownie and Junior Girl Scouts of Colorado members. It’s not too late to get registered and use this awesome free tool with your girls. Visit girlscoutsofcolorado.org/live-healthy-lead-healthy to get started. Troop leaders can register their troop and assign quests that meet the Girl Scouts National Leadership outcomes and are designed by a team of nutritionists and fitness experts. Or they can assign their own personal troop and badge goals. In addition, Brownie or Junior Girl Scouts can take the Live Healthy, Lead Healthy Challenge and will get to participate in a fun Live Healthy, Lead Healthy Challenge party this summer. The challenge involves completing a badge set as part of your Journey, completing Zisboombah Quests and doing a Take Action project. For more information contact Sloan Moore at sloan.moore@gscolorado.org. Although the Zisboombah Live Healthy, Lead Healthy Challenge is geared toward younger Girl Scouts, the importance of making healthy choices continues to be key as girls grow older and even for adults.

Troop Leader Sue DiRanna wants to challenge all Girl Scouts and adults to make healthy choices. “Healthy living is a choice,” she said. “The girls need to be able to make the hard choices that face them in a society that flashes instant gratification such as commercials with images of sugary treats, tech toys that encourage hours of sedentary activities, shows glorifying questionable behaviors, and unrealistic definitions of beauty. Being able to navigate through these choices is difficult, even for adults.” Sue, who was involved with Girl Scouting for seven years as a girl and has been a troop leader for seven years as well, proposed incorporating a Live Healthy, Lead Healthy Challenge for older girls. She leads a group of active Cadettes in Parker. “I think we need to reach out to and inspire the older girls and adults to find ways that they can incorporate healthy living into their lives and into their leadership skills,” she said. Sue and her girls came up with a plethora of ways to incorporate healthy living in their lives. Some examples: Drink more water instead of soda, join a sports team or participate in a 5K, serve only healthy snacks at meetings, take a break during meetings for a 15-minute game, start or coach a neighborhood sports activity, teach Zumba to a younger troop, or start a walking club. “The goal would be to see these commitments become a part of their lifelong healthy living. Measureable goals would be easier to track so try to be specific. It is OK to slip up on the commitment. Don’t be hard on yourself, it is just good to try,” she said. The Healthy Living initiative is a perfect fit for Girl Scouts. “Girl Scouting is a well-rounded program that supports girls,” Sue said. Visit girlscoutsofcolorado.org/live-healthy-lead-healthy for details on the older girl Healthy Living Challenge. Girls will need to complete a badge set as part of a Journey, participate in an online GSCO Live Healthy Challenge and do a Take Action project. Older girls who complete the challenge also can purchase a patch and participate in a Live Healthy, Lead Healthy party this summer.

Live Healthy, Lead Healthy Expo coming to Denver soon Girl Scouts of Colorado will host the Live Healthy, Lead Healthy Expo at the University of Denver. This is for the whole family. Discover healthy living through hands-on activities covering topics such as nutrition, exercise, anti-tobacco use, strong bones, breast and heart health, and self-esteem. Families can attend a DU gymnastics meet, where girls will be able to meet the gymnasts after the meet. Girls who complete the Healthy Living passport will earn the Live Healthy, Lead Healthy Expo patch.

This is a community event so bring your friends, co-workers, neighbors and fellow Girl Scouts. Check the Activity Finder for date and registration information.

Winter 2012

There’s more to Girl Scout Cookies than what’s in the box As another cookie season gets going, Girl Scouts of Colorado is excited about supporting girls in developing their business and people skills, being a Super Six council, improving inventory management and making this the best cookie sale ever! Use your 2013 Cookie Program Troop Guide (available online at girlscoutsofcolorado.org/volunteers/cookies) for the nuts and bolts information you need to get started. That web page is the go-to place for your most up-to-date cookie sale information. You can also like us on Facebook (facebook.com/gscoproductsales) to stay updated that way. There are plenty of important details involved in the cookie program, yet it’s most important to remember that for the girls it’s fun and they’re gaining valuable skills.

The 5 Skills for Girls and Why They Matter Selling cookies teaches goal-setting, decision-making, money management, people skills and business ethics— all aspects essential to leadership, to success and to life. Goal-setting: Girls set cookie sales goals and, with their team, create a plan to reach them. This matters because girls need to know how to set and reach goals to succeed in school, on the job and in life. Decision-making: Girls decide where and when to sell cookies, how to market their sale and what to do with their earnings. This matters because girls have to make many decisions, big and small, in their lives. Learning this skill helps them make good ones. Money management: Girls develop a budget, take cookie orders, and handle customers’ money. This matters because girls need to know how to handle money—from their lunch money to their allowance to (someday) their paycheck.

People skills: Girls learn how to talk (and listen!) to their customers, as well as learning how to work as a team with other girls. This matters because it helps them do better in school (on group projects, on sports teams and on the playground) and, later, at work. Business ethics: Girls act honestly and responsibly during every step of the cookie sale. This matters because employers want to hire ethical employees— and the world needs ethical leaders in every field.

It’s important that parents, other volunteers and the community at large know about the 5 Skills so they understand that the girls are earning and learning when selling Girl Scout cookies. Even if your girls have been selling cookies for years, don’t assume the adults in their lives truly get why the Cookie Program is so important. Tell them!

Important Dates: 4

Colorado Leader

January 27 – Sale starts February 8 – Booth sales begin and Social Media shout out day March 3 – Sale ends

Help adults give girls the support they need Here are five things you can say when you talk about cookie sales to adults, whether it’s at a Cookie Rally, a troop parent meeting or any place you have a chance for a quick chat. When girls sell Girl Scouts cookies: They learn to set goals and meet deadlines. That means your daughter won’t tell you at the last minute that her science fair project is due tomorrow. They learn to work well with others. That means your daughter will do better on school projects or as a member of a sports team. They learn to talk and listen to all kinds of people. That means your daughter will be able to ask a teacher for help or navigate the school cafeteria more easily.

They learn how to handle money and make decisions about how to use it. That means your daughter will learn about spending, saving, and giving to those in need. They learn to act honestly and fairly. That means your daughter’s friends, classmates, and teachers will count on her and think of her as trustworthy.

The 5 Skills in Action handout is a fun way for adults to think about what they hope girls will learn. Be sure to remind the adults in your girls’ lives that the Girl Scout Cookie Program is girl-led. Adults can support their girl in many ways but it’s important that they never do things for her that she can do for herself!

First-ever National Girl Scout Cookie Sleepover On Jan. 12, 2013, Little Brownie Bakers will hold the first-ever National Girl Scout Cookie Sleepover on their website at littlebrownie.com. This online event begins at 8 p.m. Troops and Service Units can use this opportunity to host a Cookie Rally or use this resource in addition to a Cookie Rally. For more info visit girlscoutsofcolorado.org.

New This Year! This year Girl Scouts of Colorado is excited to be rolling out the Super Six program, which makes sales and inventory control super simple for girls and volunteers! We will be selling the six most popular varieties of Girl Scout Cookies: Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs, Trefoils, Do-si-dos, and Savannah Smiles. Other councils around the country have successfully used the Super Six format and found it to be an easier way to manage inventory on all fronts. Girls in councils who have moved to Super Six have also found that customers buy more packages of their favorites. Adding more selling girls can pay off! One of the great new incentives this year is your troop can earn an extra penny per package when you add two additional selling girls. Add one more selling girl and you’ll get an extra half-penny per package. Service Units with 5 percent more girls selling in 2013 will earn a $200 GSCO property credit. Service Units that increase their number of selling girls by 10 percent can earn $400 in GSCO property credit. Cookie packages are getting a new look! The new graphics help share with customers all the exciting opportunities Girl Scouting provides to girls today. All the packages have the same number of cookies and package weight as before and all the packaging is recyclable. Please note this will be a “soft roll out,” meaning all the packages in our initial order will be of the classic style. Cookies we reorder from the bakery may be a mix of the classic and new packaging. As Girl Scouts, we use our resources wisely and our bakery partner is also environmentally minded. Please advise parents that they may receive a mix of packaging throughout the sale. All cookies, regardless of packaging, will be a freshly baked product. Cupboard Management App: To participate, the cupboard clerk must have a smartphone and data plan to accommodate the transactions. The Troop Cookie Manager will place a pending order with the cupboard for the cookies needed and select a pick up date for the order. The app retrieves the cupboard clerk’s pending orders from eBudde. The cupboard clerk will find the order the troop is picking up, then the TCM authorizes and electronically signs for the transaction by entering her eBudde login. The transaction is stored in eBudde, which immediately updates the troop and cupboard transaction pages. Booth Sale Recorder App: To participate, the troop level user must have a smartphone and data plan to accommodate the transactions. The app records Booth Sale data entered by the user and integrates the data into eBudde. The TCM reviews the data entered for accuracy and assigns packages to girls, if not already done through app.

Winter 2012

CAMP

Gather your troop and head to camp this summer—exciting new troop camp opportunities—and Cookies can get you there! There’s no better way to bond with your girls than a camping experience in the great outdoors. This summer, Girl Scouts of Colorado is stepping up its troop camp offerings at several of our beautiful properties. Have a blast with your girls while camp staff takes care of the meals and programming. This summer, troop camp sessions are being planned at Lazy Acres, Meadow Mountain Ranch, Sky High Ranch and in Southwest Colorado near Durango. Choose from 3-day and 6-day sessions with a wide variety of adventurous and fun themes. As part of Girl Scouts of Colorado’s new property use plan Sky High Ranch, in the Pike National Forest near Woodland Park, will focus on troop camp. (Individual girl overnight camp sessions will be at Magic Sky Ranch, Meadow Mountain Ranch and Tomahawk Ranch.) Give staff-led troop camp a try. Take your Daisies or Brownies to a weekend camp sampler in July; join your Brownies, Juniors or Cadettes for an end of summer party; sign on for an adventure with your Cadettes, Seniors or Ambassadors. If your girls love horses, try one of the many troop camp horse sessions at Sky High. Archery, ziplining, backpacking, Digglers, outdoor skills, star gazing, kayaking and canoeing are all possibilities during a troop camp adventure. Watch for complete listings and registration information in the Summer Program Guide available on the Girl Scouts of Colorado website in January and delivered to mailboxes by early February.

RENT ONE OF OUR BEAUTIFUL MOUNTAIN PROPERTIES FOR YOUR NEXT EVENT. Corporate trainings or retreats Family reunions Weddings Day and overnight use Many catering options Great discounts for Girl Scout members!

GIRLSCOUTSOFCOLORADO.ORG/GETAWAYS 1-855-726-4726 EXT. 4824

GIRL SCOUTS IN ACTION Girls across Colorado create tree skirts for National Christmas Tree project

Montrose Girl Scout saves mom’s life, receives Medal of Honor In her mom’s eyes, Reanna is a hero. For Reanna, she was just doing what needed to be done. Earlier this spring, Michelle McKeehan, Reanna’s mother, awakened her daughter in the middle of the night because she wasn’t feeling well. Shortly after, Michelle collapsed. Being the only one at home, Reanna was quick to call 911 and communicate her mother’s condition, including checking for her pulse, monitoring breathing and checking for other injuries. When paramedics arrived, she was able to answer questions and give them her mother’s medications. “Later when I saw my mom in the hospital, her first words to me were, ‘You’re my hero’,” said Reanna Lawhorn, 10, from Montrose.

Each year a United States National Forest is chosen to provide the National Capitol Christmas Tree for Washington, D.C. This year the White River National Forest, Blanco Ranger District, located in Meeker, was chosen as the site and Girl Scouts in Colorado were invited to make 70 tree skirts to adorn the 70 companion trees. Girl Scouts across the state were up to the challenge and got creative and in the holiday spirit. Some girls in Eagle even added a service component and made additional tree skirts for their local senior center. In November, the tree made its way across the state on route to Washington, D. C., and Girl Scouts got to participate in festivities surrounding the tree’s send-off.

Reanna credits the Girl Scouts for helping her learn how to handle emergency situations. “I had earned Girl Scout badges where we practiced what to say when you call 911, how to answer questions as well as how to check someone’s pulse and see if they were breathing,” said Reanna. On Sept. 7, Girl Scouts, with the help of Montrose Mayor Thomas Smits and representatives of the Montrose Fire Department, recognized Reanna’s heroic acts in saving her mom’s life by presenting her with the national Girl Scout Medal of Honor Lifesaving Award. This award has been presented only two other times in Colorado since 2009.

Northern Colorado Girl Scouts ‘Lighten Up’ and learn about science

Girl Scouts lead Colorado State Fair parade in Pueblo

On Sept. 8, 27 teen Girl Scouts gathered at Colorado State University for a science program called Lighten Up. The event focused on the science of light where girls participated in hands-on activities, including making telescopes, learning about lasers and color, how light travels through different objects, as well as careers in STEM. This event was put on in partnership with CSU, and volunteers for the event were college students from CSU’s Society of Women Engineers. Another session will be offered in Denver in March!

Cadette Girl Scouts served as the color guard leading off the Colorado State Fair Kid’s Day Parade on Saturday, Sept. 1st. They were followed by Girl Scouts from Pueblo West and Pueblo celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Girl Scouting.

Winter 2012

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage

PAID

Denver, CO Permit No. 271

Girl Scouts of Colorado P.O. Box 9407 Denver, CO 80209-0407

Address Service Requested

Girl Scouts of Colorado Service Centers Colorado Springs 3535 Parkmoor Village Drive Colorado Springs, CO 80917 T 719.597.8603 F 719.597.5986

Fort Collins 1600 Specht Point Road, Unit 105 Fort Collins, CO 80525 T 970.493.1844 F 970.493.6838

Denver 400 S. Broadway Denver, CO 80209-0407 T 303.778.8774 F 303.733.6345

Grand Junction 580 24 ½ Road Grand Junction, CO 81505 T 970.242.4461 F 970.243.9066

Durango 2243 Main Ave. #8 Durango, CO 81301 T 970.375.7913 F 970.375.7916

Pueblo 21 Montebello Road Pueblo, CO 81001 T 719.543.4690 F 719.543.4693

girlscoutsofcolorado.org Customer Support: 1-877-404-5708 Girl Scouts of Colorado is a United Way agency.

Follow Girl Scouts of Colorado at girlscoutsofcolorado.org, facebook.com/girlscoutsofcolorado and twitter.com/gscolo

Get going with the GSCO Activity Finder girlscoutsofcolorado.org/activities Where can you find the most up-to-date happenings to help plan your Girl Scout adventures? The Girl Scouts of Colorado online Activity Finder—and it just got even better! You’ll find council-sponsored events, activities and events put on by other Girl Scouts and great opportunities provided by outside groups. It’s also the place to go to search for adult learning opportunities, camps, day camps, troop camp and other overnight opportunities. Try out the new star system to save and share your favorites with your Girl Scout troop. Star activities that sound like good options for your girls to consider, and then you can share or print the list to see all your favorite ideas together at a glance. Your search can be as wide or as narrow as you choose. Filter by region, date range, program level, activities, keyword or see it all. Use the social share tools to let others know about a great Girl Scout event.