Keeping The Promise Resource Development Newsletter: December 2023

December 2023

KEEPING THE PROMISE Resource Development Newsletter

FEATURED STORY

Barn Smarts Circle C Equestrian Center

NOTE FROM OUR CEO

Here at Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont, we are wrapping up another remarkable year. We’ve continued to push forward by enhancing our community partnerships, building on solid Girl Scout programming and improving the Girl Scout experience for everyone involved.

Being a donor with us means you are making an investment in the future of girls. In the next few pages, you will see just how important your gifts, commitment and passion for our organization is to making sure that girls in our communities are thriving and learning in the best ways possible.

Thank you for helping us keep the focus on our girls. We are wishing you the best this holiday season!

Yours in Girl Scouting,

Jennifer Wilcox Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont CEO

LOOKING BACK 2023 held several council highlights and events! In October, we celebrated 70 years of camp magic at Camp Pisgah during our Pisgah Forever weekend that included a concert under the stars by band Royal South. We also hosted our first council-wide Camp Out in October at Keyauwee Program Center. Troops from across the council came together to enjoy the outdoors, build new friendships and celebrate our founder, Juliette Low. And recently, we held our first Cookie Expo, where girls were able to get excited about the upcoming cookie program with games, giveaways and goal setting activities. Thank you for being a part of all of these great moments!

Pisgah Forever Weekend

Council-wide Camp Out

Cookie Expo

Strengthening Girls & Family Connections It is through donors like you, and our dynamic programming and community partners, that we can continue to leave our mark on the girls we serve. Your commitment to our organization is vital and truly makes a difference for girls across our communities. You can see the proof right here: During our six-week, Healthy View, Healthy You! summer program with Crossnore Communities for Children, we were able to work with 12 girls in grades K-6, teaching them how to value themselves and others and be proactive in maintaining a positive and healthy lifestyle. These girls were able to build connections with one another and Ivy, a third grader who participated, left saying “I love Girl Scouts because I know wherever I am, I have sisters.”

Another parent, whose daughter attended one of our councilled workshops, reported that after the program, she was able to have more open conversations with her daughter about her struggles in transitioning to high school. “My daughter didn’t know it was ok to not feel 100 percent positive about her new school, and the workshop made her feel confident to talk to me about her worries.”

“I love Girl Scouts because I know wherever I am, I have sisters.”

Barn Smarts Teaching lessons on and off the saddle.

Circle C Equestrian Center, located on our Keyauwee Program Center property in Sophia, NC, is a special place for horse lovers and Girl Scouts alike. It is a place where girls can come and take their first ride on a horse, a place where girls can find a safe space and a new friend to call their own, a place that offers exciting opportunities for girls to learn about horse care (and maybe even how to shoot an archery bow while riding horseback!) and it’s a place where the horses love the girls as much as the girls love the horses.

With high caliber instruction and safety measures provided by professional and experienced instructors, Circle C offers: • Year-round riding lessons (including private, semi-private and group) • Girl Scout riding programs that teach horse care and improving riding abilities, as well as workshops that are therapeutic-focused for girls • Summer camp opportunities

Did you know you can be a part of helping our horses stay happy and healthy year-round? Through the Adopt our Herd program, your gift can provide things like hay and grain, farrier care and veterinary and dental care. It takes approximately $5,000 every year to care for each of our horses in the barn.

Becoming a Horse Buddy can make all the difference!

Learn more at bit.ly/adoptourherd.

HOW GIRL SCOUTS CAN LEARN IMPORTANT LESSONS FROM HORSEBACK RIDING The following excerpt from our blog was written by Katie Rose Crane, 2023 GSCP2P Marketing Intern.

Getting girls comfortable around horses and teaching them not only how to ride, but also how to care for the animals and listen to what the horses are communicating to their riders, is a big part of the work that happens at Circle C. When someone comes into the barn, we want them to take away more than just the fun of riding.

Horses can teach humans lots of important lessons including: Leadership: Horses provide a natural therapeutic environment that teaches kids to work hard and be present in the moment. Children who are around horses learn to use their voice to instruct the horse, be confident in their decisions, understand animal behavior and manage situations.

Responsibility: When your child is in a riding program, they learn to tack their lesson horse up, groom and ride. Learning to make the horse’s needs a priority builds your child’s sense of responsibility.

Empathy: Horses communicate in a variety of ways, many of which are non-verbal.

Learning to be attentive to these cues increases your child’s connection to the horse and builds stronger empathy skills.

Courage: Children learn to overcome fears and how to build up their confidence. At Circle C Equestrian Center whenever a girl faces a fear either from the barn or riding, they get a Feed Bag Fairy. A Feed Bag Fairy carries their accomplishment into the woods with the other fairies.

Confidence: Some people are under the misconception that riding is easy, but, in reality, it can take years to learn.

Understanding difficult concepts of riding requires a rider to connect their physical body and their brain together. Mastering these concepts increases self-esteem. They also build confidence by believing in their abilities to overcome obstacles.

Plus, being able to team up with a 1,500-pound animal feels powerful!

Physical coordination: There are so many physical advantages of horseback riding! When you are riding, you have to learn how to control your body- move your body with the horse’s gait, have gentle hands and proper posture.

Riding also improves your muscles in your whole body!

Riding requires balancing in the saddle, which is why therapeutic riding is so beneficial to people with reduced mobility.

DONOR SPOTLIGHT

PAT SINGER Greensboro, NC

How did you become involved with Circle C? Cathy Thacker (Equine Experience Manager at Circle C Equestrian Center) was my daughter’s riding instructor, beginning when she was seven years old. Cathy found Buddy, my daughter’s first horse, for us. Later, when Buddy needed a new home because he had some physical limitations, we asked Cathy if she would take him into the Circle C program.

She said yes and he’s been there for nine years, helping little girls learn how to ride. Then when Cathy began her work at Circle C, my daughter and I participated in some of the programming there since Buddy was there too.

What is your favorite part about volunteering with Girl Scouts and Circle C? I love horses. They have been therapeutic and fun for me all my life. Being able to support other little girls find out about the mystical, challenging experiences horses can provide leaves me filling fulfilled.

Why do you think the horse programs at Circle C are important for today’s girls?

Being around horses has been shown to decrease stress, enhance independence, promote a feeling of mastery, as well as allow people to enjoy a natural outdoor environment.

The benefits are really endless! Girls learn leadership skills, biology, horse behavior, social skills and so much more.

Under Cathy’s supervision, the Circle C program has become such a professional, responsible and refined horse program. To me, the opportunities afforded to girls here at Circle C to learn great horsemanship skills, life skills and have fun is unparalleled in our day and time. You won’t find this experience anywhere else!

Why do you think it’s important to give of your time and money to Circle C? Again, I just love horses, and they have been a positive influence in mine and my daughter’s life. Circle C is a unique, rare jewel in this crazy mechanized world. It is very important to me that all people have a chance to see, feel and experience the wonder of the horse!

Cathy Thacker & Pat Singer

“Circle C is a unique, rare jewel in this crazy mechanized world. It is very important to me that all people have a chance to see, feel and experience the wonder of the horse!”

Circle C Supports Special Olympics Team In July 2023, Circle C Equestrian Center began a partnership with the Guilford, Randolph and Davidson County Special Olympics to host an Equestrian Team of Special Olympic athletes.

Circle C staff Cathy and Stephanie both have backgrounds and past careers as Adaptative Riding Instructors, so it was a great opportunity to participate in this special collaboration.

The athletes met at the barn for eight weeks of team practice- where some got on a horse for the first time ever! More experienced riders got the opportunity to learn some new riding skills, while all the athletes were able to participate in the work that goes into riding. After all the training, the athletes put together a horse show for their friends and family that consisted of rail classes, dressage tests and a trail course.

“The athletes did a great job managing their nerves, their horses and showcasing some great riding,” said Thacker.

A variety of volunteers were needed to help with this event since each athlete needed different levels of support. Girl

Scout members, current volunteers and the local horse community really stepped up to make this experience a wonderful one for the athletes.

“It was important to recruit a phenomenal group of dedicated volunteers who could walk the fine line between support and allowing the athletes to learn and grow as riders,” said Thacker. Some of the volunteers had a background in Circle C programs and were invaluable for their help in managing the horses, while our newer volunteers had extensive horse show experience and were invaluable for their incite in coaching athletes through typical horse show challenges. We were also pleased at how well our horses rose to the occasion and made solid and dependable partners for the riders.”

The upcoming goal for the Circle C Equestrian Team is to attend the North Carolina Equestrian Championships at the Tryon International Equestrian Center in September 2024.

“Special Olympics aims to combine high quality sports with a wide audience, while being a driving force for social inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities.

Circle C Equestrian Center’s staff and volunteers are honored to participate in that mission,” said Thacker.

“Special Olympics aims to combine high quality sports with a wide audience, while being a driving force for social inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities.

Circle C Equestrian Center’s staff and volunteers are honored to participate in that mission.”

TROOP SPOTLIGHT

GIRL SCOUT TROOP 10213 Lake Lure, NC

Michelle Bartley of Lake Lure, along with her co-leader, Frances Brown, are so excited to be a part of Girl Scouting’s return to the Lake Lure community.

Bartley, who grew up in Girl Scouts, knew she wanted her daughter to have the Girl Scout experience. “Some of my fondest childhood memories are from my time with Girl Scout Troop 1981. We were together from elementary to high school and are lifelong friends. Many of us are now Girl Scout leaders or have daughters in the organization,” said Bartley. “Since moving to Lake Lure a year ago, I’ve heard many people who grew up in the area say that they wanted to be a Girl Scout when they were younger or wanted to get their daughters involved. When my own daughter started kindergarten in September and we discovered there was not a local troop, I was happy to help make it happen!”

Bartley’s troop, Girl Scout Troop 10213, began meeting in October at Lake Lure Classical Academy and to her knowledge is the first Girl Scout troop in the area in several decades.

Her troop currently has four girls, ranging from grades K-5, but she expects it to continue to grow as more people find out there is a local group.

The troop, though small in number right now, has really hit the ground running, participating in council projects and local events. So far they’ve thrown a birthday party for Juliette Gordon Low as part of their Girl Scout Way badge, placed flags on the gravesites of veterans as part of Veterans Day, stuffed shoeboxes for families in need with Service Unit 127, started working on their Outdoor Progression by organizing a hike with their school’s Hiking Club teacher and collected items as part of the Good Turn for Goodwill service project. They are also celebrating the holidays by marching in their first parade and caroling at a local nursing home.

“As a very small troop, I am so happy with the large impact we have already had on our community.”

“We let the girls guide what types of activities they want to do and what badges they want to earn, but we do hope to teach them life skills, to love the outdoors, to be self sufficient and make positive life choices,” said Bartley. “As a very small troop, I am so happy with the large impact we have already had on our community.”

Girl Scout Troop 10213 is a wonderful example of how Girl Scouting has such an impact on girls and the communities they live in. Even two leaders and four girls can make a difference!

“Girl Scouting teaches girls valuable life skills and exposes them to experiences that they may not otherwise have. Also, the sisterhood that is nurtured through Girl Scouts creates lifelong friendships and beautiful, strong traditions that can be passed down through the generations,” says Bartley. “The best thing about being a Girl Scout leader is seeing the excitement on the girls’ faces when they learn something new or discover they can do something they’ve never done before. It’s truly priceless!”

“Girl Scouting teaches girls valuable life skills and exposes them to experiences that they may not otherwise have.

Also, the sisterhood that is nurtured through Girl Scouts creates lifelong friendships and beautiful, strong traditions that can be passed down through the generations.”

Michelle Bartley and her daughter, Vivian

Honoring veterans for Veterans Day

Girl Scout Destinations When girls participate in a Girl Scout Destinations trip, they discover a whole new world through hands-on activities and behind-the-scenes opportunities, while connecting and building relationships with Girl Scouts from across the country. These travel opportunities are open to all Girl Scouts, whether they are in a troop or a Juliette (individually registered) Girl Scout, and girls choose which trip best suits their individual interests. During the summer of 2023, three girls from GSCP2P attended a Destinations program. Enjoy this glimpse into what they learned!

DESTINATIONS SPOTLIGHT

AVERY JAMES Broadway Bound

Madison, NC | Girl Scout Troop 2171 “Coming from a theatre kid, this has been a dream come true- my Broadway Bound trip was the best Destinations trip by far! We got to see the Broadway shows Peter Pan Goes Wrong, Six, &Juliet, Sweeny Todd and Wicked. My favorite was &Juliet- it was a jukebox musical that had its own twist to pop songs and is told from the angle of if Juliet didn’t die after Romeo. Another amazing thing we got to do was participate in workshops with Broadway Imagine, with actual actors from Broadway. We were even given the surprise of meeting the cast from Six. All the girls that were on the trip made it feel like family, and we still text in our group chat and plan to have a reunion back in New York City!”

EST. 1953

CAMP PISGAH

In the summer of 2025, GSCP2P will be the host of their first Destinations program, Land of Waterfalls. Girls from across the country will come to Brevard and stay at Camp Pisgah as they explore the many waterfalls and Great Smokey Mountains that call North Carolina home. Girls can get a sneak peek of this Destinations program by attending the weeklong, overnight camp session “Land of Waterfalls” this summer at Camp Pisgah.

DESTINATIONS SPOTLIGHT

CATE THORNTON REYNOLDS

Wildlife, Geysers and Mountains at Teton Science Schools Kernersville, NC | Girl Scout Troop 2983 “Choosing to go to the Grand Teton National Park was one of the greatest decisions of my life.

It helped open my eyes and realize that there is so much more to this world outside my small North Carolina town. I saw the ways the earth, air and animals were different out there, but most of all I got to hear people’s stories. I learned about Native American heritage, wildlife preservation and the history of the parks. One of the main things that changed my perspective was learning about the Native American culture- specifically about their relationship with the buffalo and how it had led to the breeding of bison that we have today. Although my time in the parks was short, the memories and knowledge I retained will last me a lifetime.”

DESTINATIONS SPOTLIGHT

MARISSA VERNON

Biomedical Engineering Immersion Lewisville, NC | Girl Scout Troop 2385 “The beautiful thing about my Destinations trip to Texas for biomedical engineering is that it confirmed my passion for working in the medical field and serving children and seniors. It helped me to learn about all the opportunities available to me in biomedical engineering, it helped me explore career possibilities, it gave me the opportunity to meet Girl Scouts from around the country and it helped me learn more about the great state of Texas. We were able to visit the Fort Worth Stockyards, visit and talk to women that were in STEM fields at the University of Texas: Dallas, go to a transplant lab- and I even got to do a biopsy on a kidney!

I have been a Girl Scout since second grade, and I have been able to explore different places through the Destinations program like Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, Teton Science School in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, California through the Color Me Orange County program and now Texas for biomedical camp. My Destinations experiences over the years have taught me to be more confident, how to be a leader and to explore the possibilities that I can do hard things.

Resilient in the face of change.

Ready to embrace the next adventure.

Strong enough to change the world.

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