Connections News for Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council supporters
Fall 2026 Save the Date: Feb. 3 Just Desserts Donor Event
State of the Girl Report Today’s girls are navigating a world filled with both tremendous opportunity and significant challenges. The Girl Scouts of the USA State of the Girl 2026 report reveals that while many girls face loneliness, body image concerns, and confidence barriers, they also possess remarkable ambition, creativity, and resilience. Girlhood today can be messy, contradictory, and complex. Girls are struggling in their relationships, in the classroom and internally with their mental and emotional health. By ninth grade, 70% of girls have already thought seriously about their future careers, yet 58% do not believe they are smart enough to achieve their dream job. At the same time, three in five girls say they have lacked confidence at school because of concerns about their appearance. These challenges are why Girl Scouts matters. We help every girl uncover the power that’s already within her by giving her the space, support, and sisterhood to embrace who she is and rise into who she’s meant to become. View the report at gssjc.me/stateofthegirl.
The world deserves to see her full potential — and she deserves to experience it. Your support helps more girls build confidence, develop leadership skills, and discover the limitless potential within themselves.
Mel Underhill Named as New Board Chair Melinda “Mel” Underhill began her three-year term as council president and chair of the board of GSSJC on June 1. Underhill credits her own Girl Scout experience with inspiring her commitment to helping girls build courage, confidence, and character. She has volunteered with GSSJC since 2015 and joined the board of directors in 2016. Since then, she has held several key leadership roles, including Executive Committee member, board chair-elect, board vice chair, and chair of the Human Resources Committee. A native Texan, Underhill earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin. As the chief volunteer and human resources officer for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, one of the region’s largest volunteer-driven organizations, Underhill brings extensive experience in volunteer engagement, talent development, and organizational leadership to the council. “Mel’s deep commitment to Girl Scouts and proven leadership make her exceptionally well-suited to guide the council over the next three years,” said GSSJC CEO Mary Vitek. “Her passion for empowering girls and her strong governance experience will help us continue to deliver impactful programs to more than 39,000 K-12 girls that we serve.” Welcome to this role, Mel, and thank you for your commitment!