p9 – 2025 C.E.L.E.B. Camp Adventureful Recap and Pictorial
p12 - GSHS Community Troop Engagement and Activities
p12 – Upcoming Travel & Program Opportunities
p14 – Quarterly Council Program Highlights
p15 – Upcoming Trefoil Trunk Sales!
p16 – Troop Tales
this year's C.E.L.E.B Camp Adventureful on Saturday, May 10 at Camp
3
14
12
Cover Photo: Girl Scouts Kaiya and Tyleigh (pictured left) had fun hanging out with their moms Melody and Ketri at
Fisherville.
September 13, 2025
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Landers Center 4560 Venture Drive, Southaven, MS
This exciting, annual, all-ages event is totally FREE for EVERYONE! Bring a friend! Girl Scouts and Non-Girl Scouts are ALL welcome!
The event style is come and go, with tons of activities happening throughout the day! Girl Scouts Heart of the South is partnering with many local organizations to bring this event to the community to show girls all about the exciting things Girl Scouts has to offer, as well as meeting new faces from across our 59 counties!
Vendors from across our council will be on hand to have fun with you and show off all the amazing things girls can do! We can't wait to see you there! Make Plans NOW to
On Saturday, April 26, 2025, GSHS members from across our council region gathered at Collierville United Methodist Church to celebrate the council's accomplishments of the past year, conduct necessary council business, meet and install the members of our Girl Scouts Heart of the South 2025-2026 Board of Directors, and to honor our 2024-2025 Girl Scout Higher Awards and scholarship recipients and Product Sales winners.
GSHS Second Vice Chair Sharon Younger welcomed the eager crowd of over 150 attendees and members of Collierville Troop 13141 presented the colors. Afterwards, the crowd was treated to an inspiring video message from GSHS Board Chair Lori Patton. Following Lori's message, GSHS CEO Venus Chaney - along with GSHS Director of Product Sales Brittan Davis and GSHS Chief Operations Officer Myra Collins - presented the annual State of the Council address. Together, they shared news about the council's accomplishments this past year including being recognized as a top ten council out of 111 Girl Scout councils across the nation for achieving 90% of our total 2025 membership growth goal and growing by 7.8%!
Brittan shared that through the efforts of our amazing, entrepreneurial girls and our dedicated
volunteers - our council had a great 2024 Fall Product Program with 218 troops participating. 1,049 girls sold a total of $368,198.68 in nut, candy, and magazines. Together, the top 5 Fall Product sellers - named on page 8 - had $17,650.90 in combined sales!
During the 2025 Girl Scout Cookie Program, we had 444 troops participate with 3,250 girls selling a total of 996,133 boxes of cookies! Together, our top 5 2025 Cookie Sellers – named on page 8 – sold 28,664 boxes of cookies! Way to go, girls – and volunteers!
Myra shared details of the many council partnersponsored events that have happened throughout the year including those that have been highlighted in previous issues of The Promise Quarterly. We’re grateful to FedEx, AutoZone, Toyota Mississippi, ABB, DHL, Ducks Unlimited, Harcros Chemicals, the Memphis Fire Department, the NFL, Vitalant, and many other partner organizations for offering unique STEM and life skills experiences and events to our girls! Thank you!
GSHS Board Treasurer Nancy Cochran then presented the council's current audited financial information which can be found on the Governance Page on our website. After Nancy's remarks, Sharon Younger (continued on page 5)
Members of GSHS Council Staff
Past GSHS Board Chairs and Longtime Volunteers
GSHS MY25 Girl Scout Silver Award Recipients
GSHS MY25 10-Year Award Recipients
GSHS MY25 Girl Scout Bronze Award Recipients
GSHS Super Sellers Class of 2025
(continued from page 3) returned to the podium to recognize and thank our three outgoing GSHS Board Members, Jil Jordan Greene, Rosemarie Fair, and Keith Fulcher. After serving many years as integral members of our Board of Directors, their terms of service came to a close this year. Sharon recognized each of these outstanding volunteers individually and presented them with a small token of our appreciation. Thank you all – again – for your outstanding contributions to our organization. We love you and will miss each of you dearly.
The 2025-2026 GSHS Board of Directors Slate and 2025-2026 Board Development Committee Slate were then both voted upon and the incoming 2025-2026 GSHS Board of Directors members were formally installed. You can find the full list of both our 2025-2026 GSHS Board of Directors and Board Development Committee members on page 6.
After the 2025-2026 GSHS Board of Directors Installation, attendees voted for the new slate of 2025-2027 GSHS Council Delegates (named on page 6) and recognized outgoing delegates Micahya Brown, Morgaan Butler, and Tess Hinkle.
Immediately following this recognition, Brittan Davis returned to the podium to begin the presentation honoring our 2024-2025 Top Product Sellers. Their names and individual accomplishments can be found on page 8. She also introduced the inaugural class of our new Super Sellers Club honoring all girls who succeed in selling 20,000+ boxes of cookies during their career as Girl Scouts. The names of these girls
and their outstanding achievements can be found on page 8.
GSHS Director of Public Relations and Higher Awards Jenny Jones then took the podium to recognize our 2024-2025 Girl Scout Higher Awards recipients. She began by introducing those girls receiving their 10-Year Pins in 2025 (named on page 6). She then introduced each of our 2024-2025 GSHS Scholarship Recipients. Each of these girls' names and their awards can be found on page 7.
After the GSHS Scholarships presentation, Jenny then introduced our 2024-2025 Girl Scout Bronze and Silver Award recipients. Those present were invited to come forward as a group and were presented with a small token of appreciation and recognition from the council. Each of these deserving girls' names and the titles of their inspiring Take Action Projects can be found on page 7.
The 2024-2025 GSHS Higher Awards presentation concluded with the introduction and honoring of our 2024-2025 GSHS Girl Scout Gold Award recipients. The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest achievement in Girl Scouts and is historically only achieved by 5% of Girl Scouts. Since 1916, Girl Scouts have been making meaningful, sustainable change in their communities and around the world. While earning the Girl Scout Gold Award, girls create their own personalized leadership journey through goal-setting, community engagement, leadership development and service through a sustainable Take Action (continued on page 6)
GSHS MY25 Girl Scout Gold Award Recipients
(continued from page 6) project. Earning the Girl Scout Gold Award is a major accomplishment in a girl’s life and is a culmination of all that a girl has learned in Girl Scouts.
Before the individual recognitions, Jenny invited 2024-2025 Girl Scout Gold Award recipient Lauren Hobson to the podium to share about her experience in working toward her Gold Award and her Take Action Project entitled "When We Speak: Raising Awareness of Stuttering."
Following Lauren's presentation, Jenny read the names of the 2024-2025 GSHS Girl Scout Gold Award girls in attendance and shared information about each girl's inspiring Take Action Project as Venus Chaney and Sharon Younger presented them with their awards.
Gold Award Girl Scouts are courageous leaders and visionary change makers. The names of all 18 of our GSHS Girl Scout Gold Award recipients and the titles of their amazing projects are listed on page 7. We
invite you to learn more about all of our inspiring 2024-2025 Higher Award recipients and their amazing Take Action Projects by viewing the video playlist linked HERE
After the Higher Awards presentation, Venus returned to the podium and began to draw names for the fun and exciting 2025 Annual Meeting attendee drawing. Service Unit Team and Troops sending at least two representatives to the Annual Meeting were entered into a drawing to win their choice of one of four exciting prizes from the council. Congratulations to SU 181 Stateline, SU 174 Germantown, Troop 10731, and Troop 20200!
After the formal conclusion of the meeting, attendees were treated to a tasty taco lunch and fellowship with their Girl Scout sisters. It was an amazing day, and we are already preparing for an even more exciting event next year! Make plans to join us next year for the 2026 Annual Meeting on Saturday, April 25, 2026! Save the date!
2025-2026 Board Development Committee
Desi Franklin - Chair
Sharon Younger Michalyn Easter-Thomas
Sydney Diavua
Amanda Johnson
Lori Patton - Ex-Officio Member
Skyelar Jones
Tamia Maben
Deanna Mellinger
Ivy Mutchler-Lee
Cayla Robinson
Kimorra Rucker
Serena Todd
Maygen Walker
Rayven Walker
Yasmine Whitley
Lori Patton Board Chair Sharon Younger First Vice Chair Reagan Taylor-Fondren Second Vice Chair
Dr. Debra West Secretary
Nancy Cochran Treasurer Desi Franklin Board Development Committee Neki Catron Member at Large Amanda Child Member at Large
Sydney Diavua Member at Large Michalyn Easter-Thomas Member at Large
Dr. Pam Evans Member at Large Amanda Johnson Member at Large
Bishop Phoebe Roaf Member at Large Lana Suite Member at Large Dr. Michelle Taylor Member at Large Tracey Zerwig-Ford Member at Large
2025
Scholarships
West Tennessee Girl Scout Scholarships
$8,000
E. Jane Hazlewood Leadership Scholarship
Katie Savage
Donna M. McHaffey Leadership Scholarship
Madison Erving
William R. Taylor Leadership Scholarship
Kelsey Hicks
Susan C. Anderson Leadership Scholarship
Emma McGregor
Sharon Younger Leadership Scholarship
Johnia Hudson
Reelfoot Legacy Leadership Scholarship ($4,000)
Savannah Hagan
Dianne Belk Gold Award Scholarships
$1,000
Ella Harris
Gabrielle Willis
Debbie Moore Memorial Gold Award Scholarship
$500
Lauren Hobson
CONGRATULATIONS TO
Emily Duncan Troop 13922
58,395 BOXES SOLD!
Jasmine Tolbert Troop 10339S10
53,602 BOXES SOLD!
Micahya Brown Troop 10121
36,174 BOXES SOLD!
Makayla Tolbert Troop 10339C8
31,263 BOXES SOLD!
Genesis Bonner Troop 13137
30,375 BOXES SOLD!
Morgaan Butler Troop 13366
30,033 BOXES SOLD!
Madison Baker Troop 13922
27,429 BOXES SOLD!
Zoey Wakefield Troop 10095
22,578 BOXES SOLD!
Madison Stewart Troop 10339S9
20,969 BOXES SOLD!
On Saturday, May 10, on the grounds of Camp Fisherville, the amazing group of girls who sold 800+ boxes of cookies during the 2025 Girl Scout Cookie Program (our Cookie C.E.L.E.B.s) - accompanied by equally-dedicated caregivers and volunteers - were treated to an aftenoon of fair-like fun! An annual, council-sponsored event, this unique experience - complete with fair food like Pronto Pups and Funnel Fries - is a treat to celebrate their outstanding accomplishments.
Our 2025 Cookie C.E.L.E.B.s enjoyed several
large-scale bounce houses, a rock-climbing wall, inflatable bull riding, a 360° photo booth, the Mobile STEAM Lab, Gaga ball, face painting, ax-throwing, and treats from tasty food trucks! With over 200 girls, volunteers and caregivers in attendance, the 2025 C.E.L.E.B. Camp Adventureful event was an amazing success!
We invite you to take a look at all of the smiling faces pictured here and on the following page, and we hope they inspire YOU to aim high and join us at C.E.L.E.B. Camp Adventureful 2026!
GirlScouts
oftheSouth COMMUNITY TROOPS
This spring our Community Troop member Girl Scouts were buzzing with excitement as they dove into new badges, fun adventures, and meaningful ways to make a difference! From celebrating Women's History Month to giving back on Earth Day, they explored and enjoyed all that Girl Scouts has to offer together!
In March, the girls worked on their Game Making badges. They used their imaginations to create and share new games, including scavenger hunts, mystery games, party games, and even inventing new sports. This meeting provided a great opportunity for them to learn teamwork, problem-solving, and creativity— all while having a blast. They also worked on their Inclusion badges. They explored what it means to be a good friend, understand different perspectives, and create a welcoming environment for all. These skills not only strengthen their troop bonds but also help them navigate friendships in school and beyond.
In April, they celebrated Earth Day. In this meeting, girls learned about Earth Day and about becoming environmentally conscious while doing fun, hands-on
activities. They also learned about “All things Etiquette.” This meeting’s curriculum taught girls about making new friends using appropriate conversation skills, how to practice good table manners and the importance of being a good friend to others.
Thanks to a generous donor and our partnership with Playhouse on the Square, this spring, many of our Community Troops were also treated to live performances of “Freedom Trail,” a play depicting the life of Harriet Tubman, presented on-site at the girls’ schools by the Playouse on the Square mobile troop! We invite you to read more about these unique and inspiring events on pages 14 & 15!
In May, Community Troop member Girl Scouts throughout the council area took part in Fresh Air Days at Camp Fisherville and Camp Tik-A-Witha and also held their End of Year Celebrations. Each girl received a certificate and the badges they had earned throughout the year—an exciting way to celebrate their hard work, creativity, and courage!
Thank you for helping us make this year one to remember! We’re so proud of the girls’ growth and enthusiasm—and grateful to our families and community partners for their support.
Attention Juniors (ages 12+) - Ambassadors ~ GET
READY TO GET WET!!!
8:00 AM Friday, August 1 - 6:00 PM Sunday, August 3, 2025 $160 per GSHS registered member
Pack your paddles and sense of adventure! Our Girl Scout whitewater rafting trip on the Ocoee River is going to be an ABSOLUTE SPLASH!!! We'll take on rushing rapids with expert guides, cheer each other on through thrilling twists and turns, and celebrate every splashy success. After a day of wild water fun, we'll return to camp, cook delicious meals together, and chill under the stars with s'mores and giggles around the campfire.
From fearless paddling to cozy camp vibes, this trip is all about friendship, courage, and unforgettable memories. Whether it's your first time rafting or you're a seasoned splash sister, this adventure is made for making waves! Get ready for a weekend full of energy, excitement, and Girl Scout spirit!
This is a primitive tent camping experience. All girls must be 12 years of age or older at the time of the trip. Registration ENDS at Midnight, Sunday, July 20, 2025. MIN/MAX: 8/10 Click HERE to register today!
Celebrate National S'mores Day
with Girl Scouts Heart of the South 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Saturday, August 9, 2025
All Ages, Families, Volunteers Shelby Farms Park - Memphis, TN Fairpark - Tupelo, MS Location TBD - Jackson, TN
GSHS is hosting FREE events throughout our council area to celebrate this yummy day! Join us!
Did you know Girl Scouts invented s'mores? Come join us as we celebrate National S'mores Day by roasting marshmallows, playing games, and making fun s'more SWAPS with your Girl Scout friends. The event style is come and go and is FREE for all Girl Scouts and their families! Bring a friend too! Stop by one of our three locations around the council and enjoy a tasty s'more with us to celebrate!
Click HERE to register for the Jackson, TN event. Click HERE to register for the Memphis, TN event. Click HERE to register for the Tupelo, MS event.
Click the image at left to view the most recent issue of "Program Possibilities" - our bi-weekly Programs & Events newsletter. For the most up-to-date information on our Programs & Events offerings, visit our Activities Calendar.
Saturday, April 12, 2025
QUARTERLY COUNCIL PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
On Saturday, April 12, girls and their favorite male caregiver participated in Guys and Gals Day with our friends at Ducks Unlimited! This unique event introduced Girl Scouts to the world of wildlife conservation, outdoor sports, and environmental stewardship through fun activities such as fishing and archery. Girls and their favorite guy role model even learned how to use a duck call!
Thank you to our friends at FedEx and the FedEx Cares Team for hosting GSHS girls and their families for a Mother's Day filled with football and fun at Girl Scouts Day with the Memphis Showboats! Girl Scouts Heart of the South girls and GSHS CEO, Venus Chaney, participated in the Game Day Ball Delivery at the beginning of the game, and several girls and their mothers got the chance to compete as members of either the Purple or the Orange Team to run the halftime FedEx Delivery relay! Our generous partners at FedEx contributed to the troop treasuries of BOTH teams to help further their amazing Girl Scout experiences! Thank you, FedEx, for a wonderful day and for your continued support of Girl Scouts Heart of the South!
This spring, Girl Scouts Heart of the South proudly partnered with Playhouse on the Square to bring a remarkable cultural and educational experience to our Community Troop schools. As part of Playhouse’s annual spring touring production, girls had the opportunity to attend Freedom Train, an inspiring play that tells the courageous story of Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad.
Performed on-site at each school, Freedom Train provided a dynamic mix of dialogue, dance, and historical music, Freedom Train captured the strength and spirit of Tubman’s mission to lead enslaved people to freedom. Songs like “Follow the Drinking Gourd” and “Steal Away” brought emotional depth and authenticity
to this moving tale of bravery, resilience, and hope.
Thanks to a generous donor, students at participating Community Troop schools were able to attend the performance completely free of charge, making the arts and meaningful storytelling accessible to all. The production toured March-May and performed for 12 of our Community Troop schools - for Girl Scouts and their classmates alike - across the region.
Opportunities like this help bring the Girl Scout mission to life — encouraging girls to explore history, express themselves through the arts, and reflect on what it means to be a leader and change-maker.
We’re deeply grateful to Playhouse on the Square for this powerful partnership and to our generous donor for making this unforgettable experience possible.
Guys & Gals Day with Ducks Unlimited
Girl Scout Day with the Memphis Showboats - Sponsored by FedEx Sunday, May 11, 2025
Freedom Train Community Troop On-Site Performances by Playhouse on the Square
Troop Tales
▲ above: Members of the Community Troop SOAR Program at Belle Shivers Middle School made bookmarks for their school library.
▼ below: Members of Troop 10380 celebrated World Thinking Day by learning about their chosen country of Mexico.
▲ above: Members of SU 289 Lee County "Hopped into Giving" by making care bags for residents at the Traceway Retirement Home. They delivered the items to the residents on Saturday, April 12th.
▶/▼above right and all below: On April 11th & 12th, Service Unit 184 of MS Central held a Camporee at Camp Tik-A-Witha. The theme was “Think Like a Citizen Scientist.” Troops participated in a biodiversity challenge using the iNaturalist app. Over 450 observations were documented and 191 species of plants, animals, fungi, and fossils were identified on-site! Troops also created a field journal and learned how to calculate the age of a tree using its circumference. Other activities included high ropes, rock wall, archery, and canoeing. 49 girls and 23 adults were in attendance.
Girl Scouts are more likely than non-Girl Scouts to meet Leadership Outcomes:
Have a strong sense of self (80% vs. 68%)
Have positive values (75% vs. 59%)
Seek challenges and learn from setbacks (62% vs. 42%)
Develop and maintain healthy relationships (60% vs. 43%)
Exhibit community problem-solving skills (57% vs. 28%)
FACT SHEET
Our Mission
Girl Scouts builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.
W h o W e A r e
Through activities in science and technology, business and economic literacy, and outdoor and environmental awareness, Girl Scouting provides girls with opportunities for fun and friendship while fostering the development of leadership skills and self-esteem.
Girl Scouts Heart of the South serves over 5,100 girls in grades K-12, and over 2,100 adults in 59 counties in West Tennessee, North Mississippi, and Crittenden County, Arkansas with 30+ dedicated full-time staff members, three camping facilities and three owned or leased leadership centers. The headquarters are located at our leadership center in Memphis, Tennessee at 825 Valleybrook Drive. Girl Scouts Heart of the South’s two other leadership centers are located in Tupelo, MS (1140 West Main Street) and Jackson, TN (1007 Old Humboldt Road).
Youth who develop these outcomes are happier, healthier, and more engaged in school, are less likely to engage in problem behaviors, are stronger job applicants, and are more likely to pursue a college education.
W h a t W e D o
Girl Scouts offers girls and young women the world’s premier personal growth and leadership development experience. Programs and girl-led community service opportunities engage girls in discovering their talents, connecting with others, and taking action to make the world a better place.
In Girl Scouts, girls participate in programs that are age-appropriate, girl-driven, teach life skills, and reflect the interests and needs of today’s girls. Through enriching experiences, girls grow courageous and strong. Girl Scouts helps girls develop their full potential; relate to others with increased understanding and respect; develop values to guide their actions; and contribute to the improvement of society.
In addition to supporting and providing resources for the full complement of Girl Scout experiences such as badge earning opportunities and Girl Scout Journeys, Girl Scouts Heart of the South partners with other local businesses and organizations throughout the year to offer unique programming and events for our girls. Some of our current partners include:
Daisies ` Grades K-1
Brownies ` Grades 2-3
Juniors ` Grades 4-5
Cadettes ` Grades 6-8
Seniors ` Grades 9-10
Ambassadors ` Grades 11-12
G
5,432 Girl Scouts in grades K-12 2,203 adults, volunteers, & lifetime members C
i n k s Facebook.com/girlscoutshs Youtube.com/user/girlscoutshs Instagram.com/girlscoutshs Twitter.com/girlscoutshs
W e s t T e n n e s s e e
N o r t h
M i s s i s s i p p i
G S H S P r o g r a m s & I n i t i a t i v e s
• STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)
• Outdoor Adventure
• Healthy Living & Life Skills
• Entrepreneurship & Career Exploration
• Invent It, Build It
• She Leads!
• GSHS Community Troops
• Annual Volunteer Leadership Summit
• Girl Scout Higher Awards (Bronze, Silver, Gold)
• Totally Trefoil
• HERo Day
• Toyota Mobile STEAM Lab
Proudly supported by C r i t t e n d e n C o u n t y , A R
r l S c o u t L a w I will do my best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what I say and do, and to respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place, and be a sister to every Girl Scout.
G i r l S c o u t P r o m i s e
On my honor, I will try:
To serve God and my country,
To help people at all times, And to live by the Girl Scout Law
Owner,RoadshowBMW/Mini,Memphis,TN
V i c e C h a i r , S h a r o n Y o u n g
President,YoungerAssociates,Memphis,TN
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Attorney,Memphis,TN
S e c r e t a r
, D r . D e b r a W e s t Chancellor,ArkansasStateUniversityMid-South, WestMemphis,AR
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n Consultant,BurleighConsultingGroup
D e s i F r a n k l i n Sr.VP,AssistantGeneralCounsel,FirstHorizon Corporation/FirstHorizonBank, Memphis,TN
M e m b e r s A t L a r g e : N e k i C a t r o n GlobalCommunityEngagementandInclusion&Diversity Manager,Sylvamo,Memphis,TN
A m a n d a C h i l d Paralegal,InternationalPaper,Memphis,TN
S y d n e y D i a v u a AssistantVicePresident,CommunityDevelopmentatthe FederalReserveBankofSt.Louis,Memphis,TN
D r . M i c h a l y n E a s t e r - T h o m a s MemphisCityCouncil,CityofMemphis,Memphis,TN
D r . P a m e l a E v a n s PhysicianOBGyn,InspireWomen’sHealth,Jackson,TN
A m a n d a J o h n s o n ExecutiveDirector,ClarksdaleCollegiatePublicCharter School,Clarksdale,MS
B i s h o p P h o e b e R o a f EpiscopalDioceseofWestTennessee, Memphis,TN
L a n a S u i t e DirectorofResearch,YoungerAssociates,Jackson,TN
D r . M i c h e l l e T a y l o r DivisionDirector/HealthOfficer,ShelbyCountyHealth Department,Memphis,TN
T r a c e y Z e r w i g - F o r d DirectorofCommunityEngagement,HutchisonSchool, Memphis,TN
