Summer
2025
Connections
News for Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council supporters
Thanks to You, $105,000 in camperships have been awarded allowing 206 girls to experience the joy of camp this summer!
CampHER: Empowering Girls in
Nature Capital Campaign Brings Exciting Enhancements to Our Camps!
Outdoor programming has long been one of the most transformative aspects of Girl Scouting. Camp is where girls build courage, confidence, and character while learning to lead, take healthy risks, work as a team, and connect with nature.
“The best thing I did in Girl Scouts this year was going to Misty Meadows Ranch twice because I didn’t realize until now that I LOVE horses.”
After decades of consistent use, critical infrastructure across GSSJC’s camp properties no longer fully meets the needs of today’s girls, volunteers, and staff. Our capital campaign, CampHER, addresses these challenges with a focused plan to update core facilities and increase capacity at the council’s most cherished camps.
Key priorities include:
“At camp I was able to calm down, embrace nature, and had time to really think about who I am. That is why I love Girl Scouts.”
• Casa Mare: Replace two outdated dorms built in the 1960s to improve the camper experience and accessibility.
• Camp Agnes Arnold and Misty Meadows Ranch: Upgrade cabins and platform tents, kitchen shelters, and program and activity spaces to support year-round use.
• Camp Robinwood: Renovate dorms and the lodge to improve functionality for campers.
Construction on priority projects began in May, with full completion expected by summer 2027. These investments are essential to sustaining the excellence of Girl Scouts’ outdoor programming and will:
• Improve and modernize facilities to enhance the camper experience.
• Expand access to outdoor programs by 22%.
• Create more spaces for belonging and sisterhood by increasing accommodations.
• Strengthen girls’ confidence, leadership, and social-emotional skills.
Be a Part of the Future of Girl Scout Camps! Together, we can create unforgettable camp experiences that will inspire Girl Scouts for generations! If you, your company, or someone you know wants to support this life-changing campaign, contact us at donate@sjgs.org. We look forward to partnering with you!
“Attending camp was special this year because we did canoeing, fishing, and archery for the first time ever!”
Girls Thrive in the Outdoors
Outdoor programming is more than an activity; it’s a foundation for lifelong wellness, leadership, and environmental responsibility. When girls participate in Girl Scouts’ outdoor experiences, they grow in powerful ways:
• Outdoor Competence – Skills to safely explore and enjoy nature.
• Outdoor Confidence – Courage to face new challenges.
• Outdoor Interest – A lasting interest in the natural world.
• Environmental Stewardship – A commitment to protecting the environment.
Robinwood Lodge
Platform Tents
Girl Scouts Dazzle Crowds at the Downtown Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Parade
Our Girl Scouts impressed spectators at this year’s annual Downtown Houston Rodeo Parade – which ushers the start of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo – by showcasing the unique experiences that Girl Scouting offers.
The GSSJC Green Starlettes dance team electrified the crowd with their energetic performances. The Girl Scout Media Team greeted the community from the council’s cookie-themed float and conducted live interviews with local media to highlight the world’s largest girl-led business – the Girl Scout Cookie Program. Additionally, two of our many special interest groups – the Stars and Spurs horseback riding teams rode horses through downtown Houston, proudly displaying their Girl Scout spirit and true rodeo style. Their participation in the parade exemplified Girl Scouts’ legacy of helping girls build courage, confidence, and character.
Every year, the parade is a fantastic opportunity for our Girl Scouts to engage with the community and the public to witness our girls in action, displaying the many skills they’ve learned through Girl Scouts. We hope our girls inspire others to join the fun and adventure!
We appreciate the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo for supporting our girls and Girl Scouting programs. Together, we empower girls to achieve their full potential so they can make our world a better place.
Girl Scouts Get Inspired by Forensics Weekend
Sponsored by Dow
We extend a big thank you to Dow for its longstanding support for our Forensics Weekend. This year, 82 Girl Scouts participated in an unforgettable weekend of hands-on learning and leadership made possible by Dow’s generosity.
Many girls who attended the event on Jan. 24-26 described the experience as “cool” and expressed a newfound interest in forensic science. One Girl Scout said the event inspired her to consider becoming a detective.
Forensics Weekend is an annual Girl Scout event organized by the council’s Older Girl Planning Board. The girls take the reins on everything from theme selection and session planning to event execution and teaching younger girls. This year’s Goosebumps! theme brought a monster-sized dose of fun and forensic science to life, with themed stations and a screening of the Goosebumps movie.
Activity stations featured forensic drug testing, an escape room, an obstacle course, trivia, a Q&A with two Seabrook Police Department detectives, a reveal reality station, and an interactive session with chameleon/charades. With 12 older girl leaders guiding the experience, the weekend offered an inspiring mix of mentorship and hands-on discovery.
Thanks to the efforts of the Older Girl Planning Board and the support of Dow, the weekend was a resounding success!
Sailing Program Makes Waves!
The Mariner sailing program is having an exciting year! Fourteen new girls have earned the Mariner title, and the Gathering of All Mariners (GAM), a tradition celebrating seamanship and sisterhood, returned in April with 65 participants after being paused due to the pandemic.
And there’s more good news! Our Mariners earned several awards for participating in the 63rd Annual Christmas Boat Lane Parade last December in Kemah. The Mariners received the i45 Now People’s Choice Award, the Old Salt Award for 31 years of participation, and the Best Overall Sponsored Boat.
Girls interested in sailing can join Introduction to Sailing, a fun weekend at Casa Mare for girls ages 11 and up. They will sail with experienced Mariners and explore the program. The Mariner program helps girls build confidence, leadership, and sailing skills while having fun on the water! If you would like to contribute to the Mariners program, please visit our website at www.gssjc.org/donate.
Thank You, Donors!
$100,000-$499,999 –Silver
Shauna G. Noonan
$50,000-$99,999 –Bronze
EOG Resources, Inc.
$25,000-$49,999 –Ambassador Chevron USA
Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo
Elizabeth “Betsy” Kamin
$10,000-$24,999 –
Senior
Harry E. Bovay Jr. Foundation
Girl Scouts of the USA Insperity Services LP
Harris and Eliza Kempner Fund
Fred and Mabel R. Parks Foundation
United Way Galveston County Mainland
The Vogt Family Whalley Foundation
$5,000-$9,999 – Cadette
Gulf Coast Medical Foundation
OCuSOFT Inc
Mary Zappone
$1,000-$4,999 – Junior
Craig B. Allen
Marilyn G. Archer
Bank of America
BNY Mellon
Donna Carvalho
Great care has been exercised to ensure the proper recognition of our donors. If an error or omission does occur, we apologize and hope you will bring it to our attention. Contact Suzanne Carmona at scarmona@sjgs.org. Contributions made Jan. 1 – March 31, 2025.
Anna B. Charlton
Julie M. Deeter
ExxonMobil
Jane K. Gasdaska
Alice Taylor Gray Foundation
Candice E. Koederitz
Margaret Lincoln
Cynthia K. McCall
Phillips 66 Company
Sewell Automotive Companies
Shell Energy Solutions
Texas Parks and Wildlife
Melody van Denzen
Western Midstream
$250-$999 – Brownie
AIG
Robin Brown
Chord Energy
CNOOC Petroleum North America ULC
Karen K. Davidson
Enbridge Inc
Laura Faulkenberry
Evelyn Holm
Corrie B. Jenkins
Jarvis Kolen
The Kroger Company
Boyd S. Lange
The Lubrizol Corporation
Donna Marshall
OXY
Eboni Taylor Mallett
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Texas Instruments Foundation
United Way of Midland County
Danielle Ward
Memorials
In Memory of Timothy P. Cooper
Colony Creek Community
Karen Cooper
In Memory of Stacy P. Methvin
Mary K. Ryder
Phoebe Wood
Honorariums
In Honor of Lance Feldman
Melanie Rippentrop
In Honor of Corrie Jenkins
Genevieve Walls
Lessons in Networking
Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council welcomed the University of Houston’s Delta Zeta Sorority to the Program Place for Girls to learn networking skills from 20 professional women who served as mentors.
During the March 24 event, the young women participated in three lively rounds of speed mentoring and honed their networking skills.
In addition, they gained valuable advice and made meaningful connections with their mentors, many of whom are members of Girl Scouts’ Women’s Leadership Network (WLN).
Thank you to the wonderful mentors who dedicated their time to support the next generation of female leaders. Your generosity and guidance are helping to make the world a better place! To join WLN
3110 Southwest Freeway
Houston, TX 77098-4508
Visit us online at www.gssjc.org.
The reConnect: Alumnae and Friends Network Has Launched!
We recently launched something new and exciting for our many Girl Scouts alums – the reConnect: Alumnae and Friends Network! ReConnect offers an extraordinary opportunity to re-engage with Girl Scouts and join a community of changemakers and leaders.
We hosted a reConnect launch party in April and had a fantastic time making SWAPS, building care packages, and connecting with friends - new and old. We hope you will join us for future network gatherings, as we have plenty of enjoyable activities planned!
Invite your fellow alums and friends so we can continue to celebrate our sisterhood and have fun together!
For more information or to subscribe to the reConnect Newsletter, scan QR Code or contact Katie Gordon at kgordon@sjgs.org.
Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council