Spring 2024 Golden Link

Link The Golden

The official publication of Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council. | Volume 50 Issue 1 | Spring 2024

Celebrating 50 years of The Golden Link!

Re-register your membership April 1 – 8 and receive $5 off and an Early Bird Patch!

PROUDLY PRODUCED BY THEATRE UNDER THE STARS

Special Girl Scout Pricing of $30 on Select Performances!

FREE Commemorative Patch With Purchase of Each Scout Ticket!

For more information or to order scout tickets, call 281-367-9717 or email christina@texasgrouptickets.com.

President of the Council and Chair of the Board Betsy Kamin Chief Executive Officer Mary Vitek Chief External Affairs Officer Connie Chavez Marketing/Communications Director Heather Ganucheau Visual Brand Manager Joanne Pastalaniec Mission Statement GSSJC: Girl Scouts builds girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place.

Troop 149064 earned their Bronze award for their Mary Prayer Garden project at St, Cyril of Alexandria Catholic Church. They clean up the area, plant flowers, landscape, and install the Mary statue and new benches. They also built a Little Library that they stocked with donated books, handmade rosaries, and handmade prayer cards. After the project was finished, they revealed it and held their bridging ceremony from Juniors to Cadettes. See more Scrapbook photos on page 40.

Contents Spring 2024

DEIB Statement Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council fosters belonging and respect for all girls. We empower all girls, volunteers and staff to fulfill their potential and make the world a better place. Our Girl Scout Promise drives us to provide diverse, equitable and inclusive experiences where all girls, volunteers and staff are confident they belong. We stand firm in these commitments and united by these ideals.

Circulation The Golden Link is published four times a year. It has a circulation of more than 25,000. The Golden Link is also available online at www.gssjc.org. The Golden Link reaches 26 Texas counties: Angelina, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Hardin, Harris, Houston, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, Tyler, Walker, Waller and Wharton. To report address changes or if you have problems receiving The Golden Link call Customer Service at 713-292-0300.

Deadlines Deadline for submitting items is the first of the month two months prior to publication. GSSJC does not accept responsibility for unsolicited materials. Send news and photographs and Scrapbook photos to communications@sjgs.org.

Advertisements Advertising rates are available by calling 713-292-0314. Advertisements are accepted in good faith that all the information is correct.

Acceptance of advertising does not reflect endorsement of services or goods by the Council.

The Golden Link is published by Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council, 3110 Southwest Freeway, Houston, TX 77098 The Golden Link is also available to read online at www.gssjc.org/publications Copyright ©2024. All rights reserved.

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From the Top Shop News

Special Feature 4

Let's Go to Camp!

Features

Not to late to join in on 14 Adult Recognition Event 2024 the Cookie Program!

14 Harris County District Attorney’s Office Contact your CCM to Invests in Future Female Leaders 15 Gold Award Girl Scouts learn how.

19 All Aboard For the Summer of Highest Awards!

20 Distinguish Yourself With the Girl Scout Highest Awards 21 Family Celebrates Three Gold Award Girl Scouts 22 Little Library Brings Children and Cows Together Through Reading 22 Travel Scholarships Available 23 Troop gives the United States a Facelift 23 Outdoor Experience Department Needs You Columns 24 Discover Aviation Patch 41 Adult Trainings 26 Spring Recruitment and Placement Trainings 44 Philanthropy

Activities 27 General Activities Calendar 31 Archery 31 Environmental 32 Fine Arts 34 High Awards 35 History 36 Horseback Riding 37 Sailing 38 STEM 40 Travel

45 Scrapbook

Need help finding food, transportation, child care, or other social services?

Our 211 Texas/ United Way HELPLINE is here 24/7.

Just dial 211 for help in 150 Languages or go to www.unitedwayhouston.org/icj and start your integrated client journey.

Spring 2024 l The Golden Link

3

Spring is here, and do you know what that means? It is time to register for Girl Scout summer camp! I encourage every girl to sign up for camp because it is a cornerstone of the Girl Scout experience, providing an opportunity for girls to explore the outdoors, practice independence while away from home, try new activities, Betsy Kamin and learn to overcome challenges – all President of the Council while having fun and making new and Chair of the Board friends and lifelong memories.

While girls can experience camp year-round in our council, our summer overnight camp program, which is held at Camp Agnes Arnold, Misty Meadows Ranch, and Casa Mare, provides a safe and structured environment for girls to develop qualities, skills, and values that are essential for success in today's world and that equip them to become tomorrow’s leaders.

Summer camp promotes healthy communication and the cultivation of genuine relationships through a spirit of sisterhood.

Girls are also encouraged to step beyond their comfort zones and participate in a technology-free zone where they can unplug from their cellphones and focus on community and nature.

At camp, girls have fun – lots of it! – as they learn how to row a canoe, ride a horse, overcome a fear of heights on our Adventure Park, but they also learn soft skills like teamwork, self-sufficiency and time management. These soft skills will serve them well throughout their lives.

Our council offers a variety of overnight and day camps for girls of all ages, hosted at our many camp properties which are rated among the best in the country. As you read this issue, you will find more information about our open house and camp tours, camp facilities, and camp sessions available this summer. Spots fill up fast, so be sure to register as soon as you can.

I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the significant contribution of our camp counselors in ensuring your Girl Scout enjoys a positive and enriching camp experience. Our counselors receive intensive training to ensure the safety and well-being of campers, both physically and emotionally, and to provide a fun and engaging environment. They play a crucial role in guiding girls to develop socio-emotional and leadership skills, fostering the discovery of values and passions, and facilitating connections with individuals from diverse backgrounds. I not only admire the work that they do with our Girl Scouts but I’m also profoundly grateful that we have such dedicated staff.

I strongly encourage you to renew your Girl Scout membership during the Early Bird renewal campaign that starts in April. Yes, there are still many months left in the 2024 membership year, but why not cross this off your to-do list today? Additionally, consider the exclusive 2024 Early Bird patch designed for both you and your Girl Scout - and only available to those who renew early.

I am always happy to see girls continue their Girl Scout journey because the Movement has so much to offer them - from developing courage, confidence, and character to learning new things and realizing their full potential as emerging leaders. But equally important is that you and your Girl Scout matter to us. Girl Scouts is an awesome organization because you are a valued part of it.

From the

TOP

4 Spring 2024 l The Golden Link

Shop Hours

Program Place for Girls 3000 Southwest Freeway, Houston 713-292-0247 Tues. – Thurs. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Fri. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Sat. 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Imperial Valley 15800 Imperial Valley Dr., Houston 281- 447-8870 Tues. – Thurs. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Fri. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Lufkin 1202 College Drive, Lufkin 936-634-4688 Tues. and Thurs. 10 a..m. – 5 p.m.

Beaumont 700 North Street, Suite F, Beaumont 409-832-0556 Ext. 1500 Tues. to Thurs. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Westside Wednesday pickup only: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. No in-person shopping.

Provide min 24 hour notice on orders by contacting shop at shop@sjgs.org or 713-292-0247 531 FM 359 South, Brookshire

We're hiring!

If you are ready to embark on

a rewarding career and make a difference in our community, explore job openings at www.gssjc.org/careers.

Stafford 12300 Parc Crest, Ste 170, Stafford 281-670-5982 Tues. – Thurs. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Fri. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Sat. 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Bay Area 1300 A Bay Area Blvd., Ste. 106, Houston 281-282-6077 Tues. – Thurs. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Fri. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Sat. 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Cypress/Jersey Village 19708 Northwest Freeway, Suite 100, Jersey Village 346-818-3227 Tues. – Thurs. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Fri. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Sat. 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Clip these dates and save!

Important Dates •

Registration now open for camp!

•

March 12

•

March 24 Cookie Program ends

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April 1

Early Bird starts

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April 20

Adult Recognition Event

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April 20

Annual Meeting

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April 22

Earth Day

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May 19

Gold Award Ceremony

Girl Scout Birthday

Girl Scout week is March 10 –16!

Adventure Awaits at Girl Scout Summer Camp!

Camp is important! We're all surrounded by screens—phones, laptops, TVs, you name it.

Sometimes, you just want a break from it all, right? We totally get that. Our staff are friendly and caring. They'll help your girl navigate our progression programs and push her to take some healthy risks and experience new things that help build essential life skills, like: • • • •

Scan code to register and find more about camp. Or go to www. gssjc.org/summercamp.

Interpersonal and social skills Conflict resolution and collaborative teamwork Critical thinking and problem solving Confidence and independence

She'll have a blast playing, exploring, discovering who she is, and making memories that will last a lifetime.

Summer overnight camp registration has opened, and some sessions have filled but many still have openings. You can also add to the waitlist for full sessions.

Misty Meadows Ranch Week 1 June 9 –15 Br

Week 2 June 16 – 22

Week 3 June 23 –29

Week 4 June 30 – July 3 Mini Week

• Br Gardener (Half Week) • Little Bits (Half Week)

Week 5 July 7 –13

Week 6 July 14 –20

• Br Gardener (Half Week) • Little Bits (Half Week)

Week 7 July 21 –27 • Br Gardener (Half Week) • Little Bits (Half Week)

Jr

• You can't do THAT at Camp!

• Ranch Hand • Horsin' Around (1R) • Sure Saddles (DR)5th+

• Field to Fork • eQUESTrians (DR, 5th+)

• You can't do THAT at Camp!

• Ranch Hand • Horsin' Around (1R) • Sure Saddles (DR)5th+

• Choose Your Own Adventure

• You can't do THAT at Camp!

• eQUESTrians (DR, 5th+)

• Horsin' Around (1R) • Sure Saddles (DR)5th+

• Field to Fork • eQUESTrians (DR, 5th+)

Cad

• Ranch Cook • Trailblazers (DR) • Sure Saddles (DR)5th+

• Crafting Cadettes • Trailblazers (DR) • eQUESTrians (DR, 5th+)

• Ranch Cook • Trotters (DR) • Sure Saddles (DR)5th+ • Vaulting 1 (DR)

• Choose Your Own Adventure • SPURS Training (DR, 7th+)

• • • •

Ranch Cook Vaulting 1 (DR) Trotters (DR) eQUESTrians (DR, 5th+)

• Glamper • Vaulting 2 (DR) • Sure Saddles (DR)5th+ • Misty Riders (DR)

• Photography Session • Misty Riders (DR) • Trailblazers (DR) • eQUESTrians (DR, 5th+)

Sr/Amb

• Bits & Bridles (Week 1) (DR) • Trailblazers (DR) • Sure Saddles (DR)5th+ • CIT/WIT II (Week 1)

• Bits & Bridles (Week 2) (DR) • Trailblazers (DR) • CIT/WIT II (Week 2)

• Trotters (DR) • Sure Saddles (DR)5th+ • Vaulting 1 (DR) • CIT/WIT I (Week 1)

• Choose Your Own Adventure • SPURS Training (DR) • Equestrian Aide (DR) • CIT/WIT I (Week 2)

• Vaulting 1 (DR) • Trotters (DR)

• Voyager • Vaulting 2 (DR • Sure Saddles (DR) 5th+ • Misty Riders (DR) • Equestrian Aide (DR)

• • • •

Session Descriptions by Camp and Age Level

Brownie

Brownie Gardener Calling all nature lovers! Does hanging out in the Misty garden and learning to plant your own food sound fun to you? Do you want to hang out with the Misty goats and help collect chicken eggs? Join us for this fun-filled half-week session to do just that and so much more at Misty Meadows Ranch! Round out your time at camp with camp songs, crafts, and swimming. This is a half-week session, offered either Sunday through Wednesday OR Wednesday through Saturday.

Cost: $400 Little Bits First-time campers, this one's for you! This is a great introductory session for Brownies who are not quite ready for a full camp session, but still want a taste of what Misty Meadows Ranch is all about. You will tour the barn, make horse treats, and go on one led pony ride. This is a half-week session, offered either Sunday through Wednesday OR Wednesday through Saturday.

Cost: $400

Camp Fandom Misty Riders (DR) Trailblazers (DR) Equestrian Aide (DR)

Welcome to Misty Meadows Ranch, where all campers experience the fun of a ranch camp! Campers will get to pet a horse this summer, visit the chickens and goats, and help tend the garden. We’ll also offer camp sessions tailored to interests in arts and crafts, glamping, and cooking! Note only sessions marked with 1R (one ride) or DR (daily ride) will ride a horse during camp session.

Junior

Ranch Hand Is ranch life your style? Join us for this session just for Juniors!

Your days will be filled with hiking around camp, learning about Misty's goats and chickens, and learning about camping out on the ranch. You'll also get to enjoy all your favorite camp activities like swimming and archery and plan a night under the stars and cook outside!

Cost: $750 Horsin' Around Do you love horses, but you're not sure if you're ready to start the Misty Meadows Progressive Riding Program yet? If that's you, this session if you! This session is for Junior girls who want a chance to ride one time at camp and make sure they're ready to ride every day in the progressive sessions. After completing Horsin' Around, your camper will know she's ready to ride every day in the Rainbow Level session next summer! When you're not at the barn, you'll get to do all the best things Misty has to offer, like swim every day, shoot arrows at the archery range, and hike around camp!

Cost: $750

FULL

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Field to Fork Where does the cleanest food come from? The soil, of course! Learn about gardening and growing your own food, collect eggs from the Misty chickens, and more. You will get real, hands-on homesteading experience while gaining a better understanding of where your food comes from. Add in traditional camp activities like swimming, archery, and hiking, and you've got one amazing week!

Cost: $750

Ranch Cook Learn how to turn fresh produce and fresh eggs into delicious meals over the fire, in the kitchen, or on a camp stove! The possibilities are as endless as your imagination during this session! You'll also learn how to plant your own seeds so you can start your own garden at home and continue your fresh food adventure!

Cost: $750

You Can't do THAT at Camp!!!

Do you get excited about trying new things? If the answer is yes, this session is for you! You'll get to participate in nontraditional camp activities like staying up late to watch a movie, making your own face masks, listening to music, making messes, and more as you bust the myths of what you may *think* you can't do at camp, and don't worry you can still do all your favorite traditional camp activities too!

Cost: $750

Junior and up

Junior/Cadette

eQUESTrians (Rainbow) (fifth grade and older) Do you dream of riding a horse, but either don't know where to start or haven't ridden much? Build your confidence with your favorite four-legged friends while riding in the comfort of a covered arena. Learn to groom, mount and dismount, and control a horse at a walk. Get ready to enjoy traditional camp activities such as swimming and archery as well. This session includes riding in the arena every day and ground school lessons. This session is for campers who haven't come for a weeklong riding session at Misty Meadows yet or who were recommended for the Rainbow Level after their 2023 session. No previous riding experience is necessary. This session is part of the progressive riding program, Rainbow Level.

Cost: $750

FULL

Cadette

Photography Session Join us at Misty Meadows to learn all about capturing moments and memories through photography! You and your camp friends will get to take pictures of nature, each other, and all the fun happening at camp. After you capture everything, you can head to the dark room to learn how to develop your own photos! When you're not taking photos of everything you see, you'll get to do all of your favorite camp activities like swimming, archery, singalongs, and so much more!

Cost: $750 Crafting Cadettes Are you bursting with design ideas? Get ready to DIY your heart out this week as you sew, knit, paint, crochet, pound, and create!

Take inspiration from the outdoors and take a break from crafting to enjoy a dip in the pool, or a round of archery.

Cost: $750 Glamper Do you like to camp, but every so often want something more relaxing that includes movies with your friends, late nights, and relaxing. If you like to brainstorm new and exciting activities you haven't gotten to do at camp, this session is for you. We can't wait to see what you produce!

Cost: $750 6 Spring 2024 l The Golden Link

Choose Your Adventure Come to camp for a short week after the Fourth of July! During this session, each camper will get to write their own story as they choose which activities they participate in as an individual during their time at camp. Choose traditional camp activities like archery, riflery, and hiking or maybe you want to see what living life on the ranch is like and you choose to learn about planting seeds and foraging for food in the wilderness. The choice is yours!

Cost: $400

Cadette, Senior, Ambassador

Sure Saddles (Pink) (fifth grade and older) This session is for girls who attended a weeklong riding session at Misty and want to continue learning more about riding and caring for horses. Girls in this session will get a refresher on grooming and tacking their horse and advance their riding skills in the arena and on the trail. This session includes riding in the arena every day and ground school lessons. Prerequisite: To register for this session, you must have been recommended for Level Pink at the end of your 2023 camp session. Contact the camp director at mistydirector@sjgs.org to determine if your camper has equivalent skills to participate in this program. This session is part of the progressive riding program, Pink Level.

Cost: $750 Trailblazers (Red)

Vaulting Level 1 Are you interested in acrobatics AND horses? Why not put them together? Spend the week learning basic vaulting moves on the ground, on the barrels, and on horseback. When you're not in the barn, you'll swim in the pool and hang around camp.

Campers in this session will vault on a barrel and horse every day and have ground school lessons. No previous vaulting or riding experience is needed, but participants must be physically able to jump, bend, and move into various acrobatic positions.

This session is not part of the progressive riding program.

Cost: $750

Do you have some riding experience but want to go further while still enjoying all your favorite camp activities? Immerse yourself in horses during this session and review basic skills (start, stop, steer), play arena games, and be introduced to trotting. This session includes riding in the arena every day and ground school lessons. Prerequisite: To register for this session, you must have been recommended for Level Red at the end of your 2023 camp session. Contact the camp director at mistydirector@sjgs.org to determine if your camper has equivalent skills to participate in this program. This session is part of the progressive riding program, Red Level.

Cost: $750 Trotters (Tangerine) Did you attend Horse Whisperer last summer, but feel like you need more practice trotting before you're ready to trot all day long? If your answer is yes, this is the session for you! We added this session to the progressive program after last summer because we want our riders to have even more practice trotting before they get to Level Yellow. This session includes riding in the arena every day and ground school lessons. Prerequisite: This session is between levels Red and Yellow and requires girls to have previously trotted on a horse. Contact the camp director at mistydirector@sjgs.org to determine if your camper has equivalent skills to participate in this program. This session is part of the progressive riding program, Tangerine Level.

Cost: $750

FULL

Misty Riders (Yellow) Are you a more advanced rider, ready to show off your equitation skills? Spend the week riding in the arena to polish your riding skills, then finish by testing your knowledge in a riding evaluation to see how much you've learned during one of our most advanced riding sessions! This session includes riding in the arena every day and ground school lessons. Prerequisite: To register for this session, you must have been recommended for Level Yellow at the end of your 2023 camp session. Contact the camp director at mistydirector@sjgs.org to determine if your camper has equivalent skills to participate in this program. This session is part of the progressive riding program, Yellow Level.

Cost: $750

Vaulting Level 2 Have you done vaulting at one of our previous sessions and love it? Spend a week this summer advancing your skills!

This session includes vaulting on a barrel and horse every day and ground school lessons. Participants must be physically able to jump, bend, and move into various acrobatic positions.

This session is not part of the progressive riding program.

Prerequisite: To register for this session, campers must have attended a weeklong vaulting session before or have equivalent skills to register. Contact the camp director at mistydirector@ sjgs.org to determine if your camper has equivalent skills to participate in this program.

Cost: $750 SPURS Training (7th grade and older) Do you enjoy working with horses and want to share that with other girls on weekends at Misty during the school year?

Spend a short week at Misty learning the theories and hands-on skills needed to join the SPURS (Super People Using Riding Skills) special interest group at Misty Meadows Ranch while also participating in evening camp activities. Girls will receive their Level 1 SPURS scarf and be ready to work with the weekend riding program during the school year. No previous riding experience is necessary. This session is not part of the progressive riding program.

Cost: $400

Senior/Ambassador

Counselor in Training/Wrangler in Training I The GSSJC CIT/WIT program is an important step toward the exciting path of becoming a camp staff member. Becoming a CIT/WIT is the best way to continue your camp adventure and develop the skills to become a fabulous leader at camp.

You'll learn to work with campers, lead activities, and still get to experience the fun and magic of being a camper while also being the role model you've always wanted to be! The application for this program is built into registration and interviews are scheduled for early April. Only CIT/WIT I campers should complete the application. The application deadline is April 1. Campers must be 15 years old and entering 10th grade or above.

Cost: $900

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Counselor in Training/Wrangler in Training II CIT/WIT I graduates, this is the ultimate internship opportunity!

Live at camp, work in units, and get in-depth, on-the-job experience and training. During week one, brush up on your skills, review camp procedures, and explore “growth mindset.”

Over the weekend, you will just focus on fun as you prepare for the next week. Then, internship week kicks off! During week two, you will live and work as a professional camp staff team member. This will be your opportunity to utilize your amazing talents, put your newly learned skills to the test, and make a difference in the lives of girls. Your immediate family is invited to attend the Final Night campfire on Friday, June 21, to watch the pinning ceremony. CIT/WITs may choose to check out after the campfire or leave with the rest of camp on Saturday, June 22, at the regular checkout time. Completion of CIT/WIT I is required to enroll in CIT/WIT II. To successfully complete the program, participants must complete the full two-week program.

Cost: $1000 Bits & Bridles (Green) Calling all experienced riders who are ready to bring their equestrian skills to the next level! Gain more equestrian knowledge in a classroom setting before having a blast in the barn and doing all your favorite things with your horse and around camp. This two-week session includes riding in the arena every day and ground school lessons! Prerequisite: To register for this session, you must have been recommended for Level Green at the end of your 2023 camp session. Contact the camp director at mistydirector@sjgs.org to determine if your camper has equivalent skills to participate in this program. This session is part of the progressive riding program, Green Level.

Cost: $1500

Equestrian Aide Would you love to help teach riding skills to younger girls?

Spend the week at the barn as an equestrian aide (EA)! Girls will earn leadership and service hours. When you're not helping at the barn, you'll get to do your favorite camp activities! Campers must be at least 13 years old and have achieved Level 3 SPURS or completed STARS PA training by their registration date to be eligible for this session. If your camp does not meet these criteria, they will not be removed from the session. Contact the camp director at mistydirector@sjgs.org to determine if your camper has equivalent skills to participate in this program.

Cost: $500 Camp Fandom Are you a big fan of all things summer camp? Then this session is for you! In this Senior and Ambassador-only session, you'll get to share your favorite fandom with new friends at camp - whether you love Sci-Fi, Anime, Comics, Potter, Media, or something else! Combine your passion with your favorite things to do at camp, and top off the week by completing a project that will live on at camp after you've left. When you're not completing your project, you'll spend the week living your ideal week at camp with your counselors and fellow campers. You've probably done the basics, like archery and hiking but now you have the opportunity to put new creative twists on your favorite activities!

Cost: $750 Voyager This is the perfect session for girls who love all things Misty, Arnold, and Casa! Spend your week living in one of the Misty dorms and experience all your favorite things about all of GSSJC's overnight summer camps! You can head over to Arnold for a day and do your favorite activities before coming back to Misty for dinner or you can try all new things if you want. The choice is yours in this exciting new session exclusively for high school campers!

Cost: $750

Camp Agnes Arnold Week 1 June 9 –15

Week 2 June 16 – 22

Week 3 June 23 –29

Daisy

Week 4 June 30 – July 1 Mini Week

Week 5 July 7 –13

• Daisy Day (July 2)

Br

• Magical Mermaids

• Firelight and Fairytail (Half Week)

• Magical Mermaids

• Me and My Gal • Me and My Guy

• Firelight and Fairytail (Half Week)

Jr

• Explorer

• H-2 Whoa!

• Junior Survivalist

• Explorer

• Me and My Gal • Me and My Guy

• Junior Survivalist

Cad

• Water You Doing Tonight?

• Adventure Trek

• Night Owls • Wanderer

• Water You Doing Tonight?, Adventure Trek

• Me and My Gal • Me and My Guy

• Night Owls • Wanderer • Adventure Trek

Sr/Amb

• Adventure Trek • CIT/WIT II (Week 1)

• CIT/WIT II (Week 2)

• Adventure Trek • CIT/WIT I (Week 1)

• CIT/WIT I (Week 2)

• SPARK • Adventure Trek

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Located near Conroe, Camp Agnes Arnold offers a wide variety of classic camp activities, including archery, nature hikes, arts and crafts and much more! Shadow Lake is the main attraction, giving campers 35 acres of cool, refreshing fun–girls can canoe, fish, swim, explore nature, and more around the lake. Campers can focus on camping, outdoor adventures, or canoeing and water fun during their sessions.

Camp Agnes Arnold Daisy and Adult

Daisy Day Discover Camp Agnes Arnold during this day-only program.

Create your own craft, canoe in Shadow Lake and explore science and nature. This is the perfect introduction for Daisies and their parents to learn about the magic of camp! One adult registration must accompany every two girls for this program.

Adults must be a registered, background-checked Girl Scout members. Check-in is at 9:30 a.m., the program ends at 3 p.m.

Cost: $65 Adult Cost: $65 Girl

Daisy, Brownie, Junior, Cadette, Adult

Me & My Gal - Treehouses Attention, all Girl Scouts! This session is your chance to bring your favorite lady to camp. You can experience all the exciting activities at camp together and create memories to last a lifetime.

Spend your days making cool crafts, canoeing, hiking, and more! Each camper must have an adult female family member who is a registered, background-checked Girl Scout member accompanying her for this session. Adults may accompany up to two girls per adult. Participants in this session will stay in treehouses. Cadettes and their adult partners will have the option to add a session on the Adventure Park for an additional fee.

NOTE: participants must weigh a minimum of 70 lbs. and a maximum of 250 lbs. to participate in Adventure Park.

Cost: $125 Adult Cost: $125 Girl

FULL

Me & My Gal - Air-Conditioned Cabins Attention, all Girl Scouts! This session is your chance to bring your favorite lady to camp. You can experience all the exciting activities at camp together and create memories to last a lifetime.

Spend your days making cool crafts, canoeing, hiking, and more! Each camper must have an adult female family member who is a registered, background-checked Girl Scout member accompanying her for this session. Adults may accompany up to two girls per adult. Participants in this session will stay in air-conditioned cabins. Cadettes and their adult partners will have the option to add a session on the Adventure Park for an additional fee. NOTE: participants must weigh a minimum of 70 lbs. and a maximum of 250 lbs. to participate in Adventure Park.

Cost: $125 Adult Cost: $125 Girl

FULL

Me & My Guy - Treehouses Attention, all Girl Scouts! This session is your chance to bring your favorite guy to camp. You can experience all the exciting activities at camp together and create memories to last a lifetime.

Spend your days making cool crafts, canoeing, hiking and more! Each camper must have an adult male family member who is a registered, background-checked Girl Scout member accompanying her for this session. Adults may accompany up to two girls per adult. Participants in this session will stay in treehouses. Cadettes and their adult partners will have the option to add a session on the Adventure Park for an additional fee.

NOTE: participants must weigh a minimum of 70 lbs. and a maximum of 250 lbs. to participate in Adventure Park.

Cost: $125 Adult Cost: $125 Girl

FULL

Me & My Guy - Air-Conditioned Cabins Attention, all Girl Scouts! This session is your chance to bring your favorite guy to camp. You can experience all the exciting activities at camp together and create memories to last a lifetime.

Spend your days making cool crafts, canoeing, hiking and more! Each camper must have an adult male family member who is a registered, background-checked Girl Scout member accompanying her for this session. Adults may accompany up to two girls per adult. Participants in this session will stay in airconditioned cabins. Cadettes and their adult partners will have the option to add a session on the Adventure Park for an additional fee. NOTE: participants must weigh a minimum of 70 lbs. and a maximum of 250 lbs. to participate in Adventure Park.

Cost: $125 Adult Cost: $125 Girl

FULL

Brownie

Firelight and Fairytales Are you a first-time camper? This is the perfect session for you to get the chance to get to know and love camp! If you like eating s'mores, singing songs, playing games, swimming, cooking outside, and listening to fairytales, this session is for you! Join us for a few days of camp fun and outdoor exploration, taking in all camp has to offer during this mystical, magical time at camp.

Enjoy swimming, arts and crafts, and more! This is a half-week session offered either Sunday through Wednesday OR Wednesday through Saturday.

Cost: $375 Magical Mermaids Splish, splash, and have a blast while swimming in the pool, canoeing on Shadow Lake, and playing water games! The only thing missing from this session is a tail and gills! This is the perfect weeklong session for girls who have come to camp before and want to spend a full week having fun!

Cost: $725

FULL

Junior

H-2 Woah!

If you are looking for a week to splash around at camp, this is the coolest session out there. Whether you like lakes or pools, canoes or swimming, lazy days by the water, or fun water competitions, this session has it all! You'll also get to participate in all the best camp activities outside of the water too!

Cost: $725

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Cadette/Senior/Ambassador

Adventure Trek Have you been dreaming of climbing near the treetops?

Well then, come on over to Camp Arnold's state-of- the-art Adventure Park. Discover how to push yourself to new limits and try new things all over camp. You'll learn to work together as a team with your new camp friends in this session and get to do all your favorite camp activities, even if they're not up in the air! NOTE: Girls must weigh a minimum of 70 lbs. and a maximum of 250 lbs. to participate in Adventure Park.

Cost: $725

FULL

Senior/Ambassador Junior Survivalist Learn the ways of survival in this ultimate camp challenge! Your cellphone is dead, your food has fallen off a cliff, and your water pump is broken. To survive, build a water filter and team up to complete challenges of survival by building shelters and starting a fire. Take a break and splash in the pool, shoot arrows, or canoe on the water! Will you survive the wild?

Cost: $725 Explorer Explore camp to discover the fun of the great outdoors! This classic summer camp session will fill the week with campfires, swim parties, camp explorations, and more. All girls entering fourth and fifth grades this fall will have the opportunity to choose their own adventure during their time at camp. All campers will participate in swimming, nature programs, arts and crafts, campfires, cookouts, and camp sing-alongs!

Cost: $725

Cadette

Night Owl Not a morning person? We’ve got the session for you! Sleep late every morning and explore camp during the midnight hours while other campers sleep. Enjoy late night swims and hikes, tell stories around the campfire, visit the lodge for late night activities, and more! Note: Campers in this session will stay up late every night and sleep in most mornings.

Cost: $725 Water You Doing Tonight?

Do you love doing all things water at camp? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to try them out after dark? If so, this is the session for you! The only thing that can make swimming, canoeing, and paddleboarding more fun? Stars and glowsticks, of course! Note: Campers in this session will stay up late every night and sleep in most mornings.

Cost: $725 Wanderer Is camp your favorite place? Have you been looking forward to coming back all school year? Join us for a session full of camp fun! Girls in this session will get to help build their own schedule when they get to camp. You'll get to do all your favorite activities and try out new things too! The adventures are endless as you explore everything camp has to offer!

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Counselor in Training/Wrangler in Training I The GSSJC CIT/WIT program is an important step toward the exciting path of becoming a camp staff member. Becoming a CIT/WIT is the best way to continue your camp adventure and develop the skills to become a fabulous leader at camp.

You'll learn to work with campers, lead activities, and still get to experience the fun and magic of being a camper while also being the role model you've always wanted to be! The application for this program is built into registration and interviews are scheduled for early April. Only CIT/WIT I campers should complete the application. The application deadline is April 1. Campers must be 15 years old and entering 10th grade or above.

Cost: $900

FULL

Counselor in Training/Wrangler in Training II CIT/WIT I graduates- this is the ultimate internship opportunity! Live at camp, work in units, and get in-depth, on-the-job experience and training. During week one, brush up on your skills, review camp procedures, and explore "Growth Mindset". Over the weekend you will just focus on fun as you prepare for the next week. Then, internship week kicks off!

During week two you will live and work as a professional camp staff team member. This will be your opportunity to utilize your amazing talents, put your newly learned skills to the test, and make a difference in the lives of girls. Your immediate family is invited to attend the Final Night campfire on Friday, June 21, to watch the pinning ceremony. CIT/WITs may choose to check out after the campfire or leave with the rest of camp on Saturday, June 22, at the regular checkout time. Completion of CIT/WIT I is required to enroll in CIT/WIT II. To successfully complete the program, participants must complete the full twoweek program.

Cost: $1000 SPARK What ignites your passions? Do you love archery, cooking, paddling, teambuilding, climbing, and water safety? What's your SPARK at camp? Girls entering ninth through 12 grades this fall will pick an area to specialize in, develop their skill, and learn techniques to teach that favorite activity. You will even get to practice facilitating your specialized skill.

Completion of this session will give you the skills to volunteer at weekend SPARK events year-round and share your SPARK with younger campers. (Previously Adventure Park Aide and Canoe Aide) Cost: $500

Casa Mare Casa

Week 6 July 14 –20

Week 7 July 21 – 27

Brownie • Adventurer (half week)

• Brownie Pirate's Plunder

Junior

• Junior Olympics • Pirates of the Bay

• Explorer • Pirates of the Bay

Cadette

• Cadette Olympics • Ship Wrecked • Basic Sailing (11+) • Sail Aide (13+)

• Wanderer • Ship Wrecked • Basic Sailing (11+) • Sail Aide (13+)

Casa Mare Brownie

Adventurer Be an Adventurer! All girls going into second and third grades this fall are invited to jump into an action-packed summer camp session. Girls will get a classic summer camp experience with an introduction to all the fun the outdoors has to offer.

All Adventurers will swim, hike, participate in arts and crafts, and experience campfires and outdoor cookouts. Girls will even work as a group to choose extra activities that they want to try like fort building, rock climbing, jewelry making, and more! This is a half-week session offered either Sunday through Wednesday OR Wednesday through Saturday.

Cost: $425 Brownie Pirate's Plunder Embark on a thrilling adventure at Casa Mare on Galveston Bay with our Brownie Pirate's Plunder Scavenger Hunt! These young adventurers will decode maps, follow mysterious clues, and conquer challenges to uncover the bounty scattered across camp. May the winds be in your favor as your camper also participates in all the best camp activities Casa has to offer like archery, swimming, and sing-alongs!

Cost: $800

This summer we are bringing traditional overnight summer camp back to Casa Mare!

Join us for a week (or half week if you’re a Brownie) for some time by the bay! Girls will enjoy themed weeks plus archery, outdoor fun, and daily swimming. Casa campers will have fun with their session groups and with all the girls at Casa this summer at our fun and exciting All Camp activities!

Junior

Explorer Explore camp to discover the fun of the great outdoors! This classic summer camp session will fill the week with campfires, swim parties, camp explorations, and more. All girls entering fourth and fifth grades this fall will have the opportunity to choose their own adventure during their time at camp. All campers will participate in swimming, nature programs, arts and crafts, campfires, cookouts, and camp sing-alongs!

Cost: $800 Junior Olympics Join us for a spirited session for Juniors where campers will transform into champions, competing in a medley of Olympicinspired challenges. From relay races that test speed and teamwork to mind-bending puzzles that challenge strategic thinking, every camper will have the chance to showcase their athleticism and sportsmanship. The Casa will be transformed into a spectacle of colors, camaraderie, and healthy competition as participants vie for gold, silver, and bronze medals. As the torch is lit, let the spirit of the Games ignite your passion for fun, friendship, and the pursuit of excellence. Gear up, camper, for a Camp Olympiad like never before, where every scout is a winner in the journey of discovery and triumph!

Cost: $800 Pirates of the Bay Yo, Ho, Ho! Calling all pirates for a week of rule bending, land running, treasure hunting fun! You and your friends will hunt treasure at night, raid the galley, create art and more! You might even see some other pirates at camp with you that you can run amok with! You'll also get to enjoy all of your favorite traditional camp activities during your week at camp.

Cost: $800

Cadette

Wanderer Is camp your favorite place? Have you been looking forward to coming back all school year? Join us for a session full of camp fun! Girls in this session will get to help build their own schedule when they get to camp. You'll get to do all your favorite activities and try out new things too! The adventures are endless as you explore everything camp has to offer!

Cost: $800

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Shipwrecked Travel to the beautiful land of Casa to enjoy a camp session stranded on Galveston Bay. You'll enjoy searching for treasure around camp and sleeping under the stars by the ocean. Since you've been shipwrecked, you may even have to forage for your own food around camp and cook over a fire you built yourself!

Cost: $800 Cadette Olympics Join us for a spirited session for Cadettes where campers will transform into champions, competing in a medley of Olympicinspired challenges. From relay races that test speed and teamwork to mind-bending puzzles that challenge strategic thinking, every camper will have the chance to showcase their athleticism and sportsmanship. The Casa will be transformed into a spectacle of colors, camaraderie, and healthy competition as participants vie for gold, silver, and bronze medals. As the torch is lit, let the spirit of the Games ignite your passion for fun, friendship, and the pursuit of excellence. Gear up, camper, for a Camp Olympiad like never before, where every scout is a winner in the journey of discovery and triumph!

Cost: $800

Basic Sailing Want to learn how to sail the open seas? Are you interested in being a Mariner? This is the session for you! Learn how to rig and sail a Sunfish sailboat. You will learn boat safety, injury prevention, knot tying and more. This is a physically and mentally demanding activity. Be prepared to be challenged and have fun. Basic Sailing is a two-week session. Girl Scouts must be 11 years of age or older and have successfully passed the GSSJC Proficient Swimmer and Advanced Swimmer Test. For questions contact casadirector@sjgs.org. $1600 Sail Aide Do you want to help teach sailing skills to younger girls? Spend the week on the bay as a Sail Aide! A Sail Aide is a Mariner who successfully completed the Sail Aide training. A Mariner Sail Aide will help the instructors with Mariner Basic Sailing.

They will work under the direct supervision of an authorized instructor who is actively teaching the course. When you're not on the bay you'll get to do all your favorite camp activities at Casa! $500

Council Day Camp Program Place for Girls and Katy Mills Mall Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

June 10-14

June 17-21

June 24-28

July 8-12

July 15-19

July 22-26

July 28- Aug. 2

Into the Spotlight

Wacky Science

Camp Quest

Mystery Academy

Culinary Cookoff

Puppet Pals

Art Explorers

Scan QR Code to register for Council Day Camps.

Join us for a full-day, staff-led day camp at the Program Place for Girls or the the Girl Scout Resource Center at Katy Mills Mall. Girls can work on badges, sing new songs, and make new friends. Camp sessions will focus on the arts, games, STEAM, and crafts. Snacks are provided daily, but a sack lunch and water bottle are required. Camp is from 8 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Contact daycamp@ sjgs.org if you have any questions.

Week 1 - Into the Spotlight Work together to write an exciting play script based on a fairy tale. Create the set, props, and costumes, and at the end of the week, put on a dazzling show for your family and fellow campers. The stage awaits.

Week 4 – Mystery Academy Learn the mysterious skills of the spy such as writing in codes and making invisible ink. Learn about famous spies and practice solving puzzles. Then, put your skills to the test at the end of the week by solving a real-life mystery.

Week 2 - Wacky Science Get your mad scientist on at camp with some wacky experiments.

We’ll be making toothpaste for elephants, colorful slimes, and you’ll even see an exploding watermelon.

Week 5 – Culinary Cook-off Master the basics of culinary arts and learn a collection of simple recipes. At the end of the week participate in a friendly cooking competition.

Week 3 – Camp Quest Join us for a magical week of fantasy adventure. You will help create our very own fantasy world for an immersive storytelling game experience. Work with your fellow campers to create our own band of adventurers to defeat bad guys, solve puzzling challenges, and save the day at Camp Quest.

Week 6 – Puppet Pals Do you love art and theater? Explore the magic of puppets in this week of silly puppet fun. Create your very own homemade felt puppet pals and put on some wacky puppet performances.

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Week 7 – Art Explorers Find your new favorite form of art with us as we learn about different ways to express yourself. Sculpt with clay, paint on a real canvas, and make a special collage.

Volunteer-Led Day and Twilight Camps

Are you ready for a Summer of fun? Our dedicated volunteers are working hard to provide quality summer experiences around council! The camps listed below are volunteer-led camps that are supported by council staff to offer girls continued Girl Scout fun throughout the season. If you are interested in volunteering with these camps or registering your girl, feel free to reach out to the contact information provided for the camp or GSSJC customer service.

Camp Happy at Bay Area Park It will be s'more fun at camp this summer at Bay Area Park!

Enjoy songs, games, arts and crafts, archery, canoeing, and other fun programs as we kick off the beginning of summer! We cannot wait to see you there!

When: Register:

Cost: Contact:

June 3 – 7, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Cheddar Up. Registration begins March 3, at 10 a.m.

Late fee will be charged after May 3. $50 - $125 badccamphappy@gmail.com

NW/Jersey Village Twilight Camp Join us for a week of camp for all ages to learn all about Marine Life around the world. We will be playing games, making crafts, and trading swaps. Each unit will build a float for the parade on Friday night along with eating Hot Dogs, chips, and a dessert.

Parents are welcome to the parade at 8:30 p.m. Parents, please bring your own chair.

When: Register:

Note:

Cost:

Contact:

July 22 – 26, 6:30 – 9 p.m.

CheddarUp, Deadline: June 15 Payment can be made by cash, check, or cheddar up and sent to: Lynda Starbuck at 11211 Evensong Lane, Cypress, Texas 77429 Join our Facebook group: GSSJC TwilightCamp NW Houston or https://www.facebook.com/ groups/504155790323037 $40-$50*, includes a cup for daily sno-cones, a T-shirt, and a patch. jerseyvillagetwilightcamp@gmail.com

Wilderness Explorers at John Paul Landing Do you have what it takes to survive in the wild? Come learn with your fellow girl scouts! Learn how to shoot archery, fish, identify different types of bugs and wildlife, and most importantly how to survive in the wild!

When: Register: Cost: Contact:

July 8 – 12, 5 –8 p.m.

CheddarUp. $30-$70 cworkinger23@gmail.com

Outta This World Twilight Camp at Casa Mare Blast off for adventure at this STEAM-themed twilight camp!

Do a deep-dive study into ocean life! Explore the surface of our planet observing bugs and birds. Jump into forensic science and learn how to catch a criminal! Blast off to outer space and chat with an astronaut to learn what it's like to train for and live in space. Come find your STEAM passion and discover more about the world around you!

When: Register:

Cost: Contact:

June 17 – 21, 4 –9:30 p.m. https://outta-this-world-twilight-camp-2024. cheddarup.com beginning March 1. Late after June 1. PeeWee Unit will be available if there are enough registrants. $40-$80 outtathisworldcamp@gmail.com

Camp Dreamcatcher in Cypress Are you ready to blast off to camp?! Join Camp Dreamcatcher to earn your Citizen Scientist Journey (all Levels) while making new friends, enjoying crafts, songs and more.

When: Register: Cost: Contact:

June 26 – June 28, 6 – 9 p.m.

Deadline is May 1. $40 fireflytrailsevents@gmail.com

Have fun this summer while building your resume!

Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council is on the lookout for enthusiastic women ages 18+ to lead Girl Scouts through an incredible summer of fun at both overnight and day camps.

Scan QR Code for more information.

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Adult Recognition Event 2024 April 20 at Camp Agnes Arnold Doors Open: 8:30 a.m.

Event Starts: 9 a.m.

Cost: $25 Per Person or Purchase a table $150 for six spaces Girl Scout volunteers participate in many ways. Celebrate them! Even though volunteers believe passionately in our mission of empowering girls, they appreciate receiving recognition for their hard work. Say thank you at the Adult Recognition Ceremony 2024.

Join us as we return to brunch and table seating and celebrate all the volunteers who work so diligently to serve our Girl Scouts!

Contact Cassie Robinson (crobinson@sjgs.org) for questions about the event or Dejah Covick (dcovick@sjgs.org) with questions about nominations.

Older Girls: Become a Green Angel!

Green Angels serve volunteers their meals at the Adult Recognition Ceremony as a thank you for all they do. This is a great opportunity for girls to earn service hours while showing appreciation for their Girl Scout leaders and volunteers! Girls must be a Cadette and above to volunteer and must be able to spend the night at camp on April19 and stay through the ceremony on April 20. Registration closes on March 31, so register soon!

Cost: Contact:

$5 (includes one night of camping and brunch the next morning) Cassie Robinson (crobinson@sjgs.org) if you need more information or have questions.

Harris County District Attorney’s Office Invests in Future Female Leaders According to a recent Girl Scout Research Institute report, 59% of young women are interested in a future leadership role through advocacy, public service or as an elected official.

But without devoted mentors and role models and access to programs like the Girl Scouts, many girls are not equipped with the essential tools and guidance to develop the confidence, problemsolving and decision-making abilities needed to become successful community leaders.

By reinvesting $100,000 in legally seized criminal assets into the Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council’s Success to Significance Outreach program, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office is helping to ensure that 20,000 girls living in low-to-moderate income areas have the opportunity to develop crucial leadership skills.

As a woman in leadership for the top law-enforcement agency in Harris County, District Attorney Kim Ogg knows first-hand the uphill battles young women often face to establish themselves as leaders.

“Many of the top prosecutors in our office – including myself – were once Girl Scouts,” Ogg said. “The impact of this organization extends far beyond badges; it shapes character, resilience, and a strong sense of civic duty, often propelling these young women into roles of significant influence and service.”

The outreach program also provides special programming for girls at the Harris County Juvenile Detention Center and the Burnett Bayland Rehabilitation Center, where having strong female role models is exceptionally important to provide guidance and encouragement. This program focuses on conflict management, decision-making, self-esteem, self-awareness and healthy relationships, along with leadership skills.

“This reinvestment of funds seized from criminals like drug dealers and human traffickers takes the power away from those who prey on vulnerable young women,” Ogg said. “Instead, we’re investing in our community and empowering the youth who will become the leaders of tomorrow.” The Harris County District Attorney's Office uses reinvested criminal asset funds to support crime prevention and victim services programs.

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Gold Award Girl Scouts The Girl Scout Gold Award represents the highest achievement in Girl Scouting. The award recognizes girls in grades 9-12 who demonstrate extraordinary leadership through sustainable and measurable Take Action projects. Since 1916, girls have successfully pursued the highest award, an act that indelibly marks them as accomplished members of their communities and the world.

Maryam Albitar published a children's book to inspire kids to treat others with empathy through a whimsical princessthemed journey, "Princess Pearl's Tea Party." It's available on Amazon.

She also visited a local school, Iman Academy, where she read her book to an audience of about 50 kindergarteners.

She also donated copies to three libraries and three schools.

No Photo Available

Ava Cauley wanted to combat the pervasive issue of anxiety and depression that plagues the elderly residing in dementia care facilities. Ava worked with her church to create a connection and bring adult and youth volunteers to the senior care home bi-monthly to continue her project activities.

She created informational PowerPoints and added to an Alzheimer’s website along with videos of all the project activities for others to help their communities.

Portia Berryman worked with a local and national handbell organization to create a website with all the information music teachers would need to start and sustain a handbell choir at their schools. The website includes videos demonstrating basic techniques, free choir curriculum, instrument care, and recruitment materials. Handbell Musicians of America is promoting her website on their social media.

Fiona Charlton joined the Alzheimer’s Association and realized how nutrition can help prevent diseases like Alzheimer’s.

After better understanding how diet influences the brain, she spotlighted brain healthy foods and recipes and determined ways to get this information out, which included hosting two workshops to raise awareness and making a website to share all she had learned.

Tabassum Bhaidani, seeing that distracted driving is a primary reason for teenage driving accidents, focused her project on an educational seminar at her local library. She also held a second, virtual educational seminar and created a website with tips to avoid engaging in distracted driving. The website also includes some helpful articles and information about this issue to continue creating awareness and spreading the word.

Aditi Chaubal raised awareness of the issues that migratory birds face and how individuals and communities can change their habits to make our skies safer. She partnered with the Houston Humane Society. She also built six birdhouses and also created a video that will be on their social media. She gave presentations about bird conservation to businesses in downtown Houston and urged them to keep their lights off during migration season.

Chloe Brisset designed her Gold Award project to address the health and nutrition disparities within lower income LatinX communities while raising awareness of this issue. To do this, she partnered with a free medical clinic whose clients are from this group and created a recipe book with culturally related foods and options for low-budget, high nutrition foods that also positively impact health. Her recipe book included a health tracker and is available at the clinic and also online.

Chimamaka Chinagozim addressed micro-aggressions in schools by providing tools that staff can use to improve communication and relationships with their students. She created training videos which included: student-to-student mediation, teacher mediation, and the importance of unique name pronunciations. She showed the videos to educators at McGovern Medical School for feedback, then edited and posted them on YouTube where they are accessible to all educators.

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Haley Dave aimed to interest pre-teens in programing by organizing a four-session online workshop for fourth through eighth grade students. The curriculum allow those in who live in underserved areas to gain access to hands-on education. She recorded each session, then loaded the videos as a playlist on YouTube. She also contacted all the schools in her district to share her project materials to help with starting computer clubs.

Elizabeth Dodson saw the potential loss of crafting knowledge in Texas and decided to plan workshops, brochures, social media graphics, and resource videos to raise awareness and to pass on these skills. Her three workshops included sessions in embroidery, bead weaving, crochet, origami, and paper quilling, and emphasized the importance of continuing to practice these crafts. Her videos will continue to be used by a local art teacher and are available online.

Devyani Dayal created her “Defense Against the Dark Scams” project to share awareness about online scams with seniors and help them be safe online. She held multiple presentations, covering what to do if you are targeted and how to proactively project yourself. Devyani’s 10 team members included experts on cybersecurity to help with content. Her partner, the Sathya Sai Center of South Houston, gave her access to a community of seniors and will continue to share her project.

Clover Focke focused her project on improving queer teen mental health by hosting a creative writing workshop in partnership with The Montrose Center, the largest and most established LGBTQ support group in Houston. The end result was a printed anthology of the participants' submitted works being available at the Montrose Center, which will carry the workshop forward in the future. They plan to do another session during Pride season and parade time.

Viviana De la Rosa noticed many special education students lacked the skills to tie their shoes so she chose to create a project that would help them to learn this essential skill. Her Google slide presentation will continue to be used to show teachers and future volunteers how to do the lacing workshops and the education department has chosen to continue to use this lacing project to teach their students.

Catrina Gerard wanted to educate people about autism and how it impacts those with it and leads to social isolation.

To do this, she did research and interviews to create a video to explain and share information on autism. She used volunteers’ personal experiences along with the assistance of a therapist. She presented the video to a group, which included Qs & As, shared with friends, and posted on social media where it has received over 150 views to date.

Nabila Dhanani wanted to help high schoolers plan financially for college and to increase their odds of getting into their dream schools. She created informational webinars that included deadlines, advice, and questionnaires to assist in decision making. She spread informational flyers around her high school and hung them in local libraries. She also used social media like group chats to spread the word among teenagers and other troops.

Isis Griffith focused on the issue of microaggression toward minorities for her project. She created presentations to raise awareness among students in four grade levels at the Houston Academy for International Studies. The presentations included teacher testimonies. Using recordings from the presentations, she made a microaggression video that she distributed to all teachers at the school for use annually during their homeroom

Sneha Dharmalingam noticed the lack of attention, resources, and education for young children to develop typing skills.

So much schoolwork is now required to be done online that she decided to create an application specifically for children to learn touch typing, practice their skills, and play typing games. She held a workshop to beta test the app with 30 volunteers and now has had 96 product views and over 30 application downloads.

Megan Harvey childcare facilities struggle to stay open and to provide educational materials to their children during and after the pandemic. For her project, she created and provided educational workbooks loaded with fine motor activities to a local organization.

Twice a week for five weeks, Megan taught a group of kids at a day care center using her workbooks, which she gave to the facility for future use.

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Jaime Hahn chose to educate urban elementary school children about agriculture and where their food comes from. She partnered with the Katy ISD Outdoor Learning Center to design lesson plans for fourth graders and create new garden beds at the center. During the Katy ISD Folk Life Festival, she introduced the new garden beds to the students, who enjoyed planting in them. Jaime gave three elementary schools the curriculum,

Jessica “Abby” Merrill addressed overcrowding at animal shelters by educating pet owners about the benefits of microchipping their pets.

She also held a fundraiser to purchase of microchip readers. She held two awareness booths at the Katy Dog Park.

Her fundraising and awareness efforts made it possible to give 26 readers to animal shelters, animal control facilities, and police departments.

Saachi Jain sought to revitalize the meditation garden at the JVB center destroyed in the 2021 freeze. Fort Bend Master Gardeners helped her develop a garden that could thrive in our climate.

Now visitors can take part in outdoor classes and appreciate nature while practicing meditation. To ensure the longevity of the garden, she prepared a booklet with detailed information about each of the plants for the center to use.

Ann-Elise Merrett raised awareness about how feeding park ducks explodes their population. She presented at a farmers market where 26 people signed a pledge not to feed the ducks. She and her team created a video that she posted on YouTube and shared it with her environmental science teacher and environmentalists at The Woodlands Township. A public Instagram account continues to share these duck facts and raise awareness.

Dalena Locklear focused on ways to create a safe space for children to explore how to develop friendships.

With her team, she designed and built a friendship bench for St. Catherine of Sienna’s Preschool for her Gold Award project. She also worked with their staff to produce lesson plans about friendship.

Dalena taught three friendship classes, and the school will continue to hold these classes each year.

Lindsay Moore dealt with the problems related to maintaining a nonprofit museum within a small city or area, which can lead to lost or forgotten history. She planned and created a permanent exhibit that included recording oral histories, labeling items, recording an exhibit video. She also relabeled the current exhibits to improve the flow and created an interactive experience that appeals to people of all backgrounds and ages.

No Photo Available

Karina Marquez partnered with Kids’ Backporch Productions (KBP) and organized a workshop to teach elementary and middle school students the basics of theatre for her project. She held a showcase at the end of the workshop to share what the children had learned. She also created a patch program for Girl Scouts to earn when they attend KBP’s shows. KBP plans to continue offering her workshops in the future.

Tatiana Rachuk addressed the increase in major accidents at her high school due to confusing traffic patterns. Her project focused on crosswalk safety, and she created educational videos and made reflective flags in five-gallon buckets to use at the crosswalks. All three Dulles schools are showing the educational videos to their students, and a club and parking director have committed to rolling the crosswalk flags in and out every school day.

Rowan Marshall taught the importance of art and to encourage children to participate in art. For her project, she designed three lesson plans to teach three different classes at the Montrose Center. With the help of her volunteers, she taught 40 kids that art is about having fun and expressing yourself. They also created videos, which they gave to the center along with the lesson plans so future art classes could continue.

Kaviya Ravikumar addressed the social disconnect experienced by patients in long-term care at the Houston Ronald McDonald House and Houston Methodist Hospital. She worked with volunteers from the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston to host art sessions for the RMH patients, which they followed up by delivering art activity bags. At HMH, they gave older patients access to a Patient Art Cart supplied with art kits containing a guide for a CAMH-inspired art activity.

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Isabel Rider addressed social media's addictiveness and its effect on teen mental health. She and a psychologist speaker gave a presentation to her National English Honor Society. Isabel also created an app to promote productivity and boost mental health by turning teens’ attention away from social media and toward new hobbies and healthy activities. She has an Instagram account with posts on mental health and motivation to serve as a platform to promote the app.

Amelia Theroff planned a three-day summer camp for fifth through eighth graders with assistance from Pearland ISD and the Pearadox Robotics team.

She produced the idea after providing a fun STEM opportunity for children.

When the number of students registrants for her camp doubled, she worked to make sure there was room for everyone.

She outlined and documented the camp instructions so the robotics team can continue to host future STEM camps.

Parker Roberts wanted to change the narrative of women being underestimated and deprived of rights across the globe, so she highlighted women who have changed their communities and the world. She researched and designed an educational coloring book to enlighten young girls about what women have accomplished in the past and to motivate them to work to improve their communities.

Katelynn Thai wanted to improve the health of animals in the Houston Humane Society’s shelter to reduce the shelter population. She partnered with the society to design and build an agility course to give the dogs the chance to be physically active, stronger, and healthier. They also created and held a dog health workshop at the shelter, designed an awareness pamphlet, and created a YouTube video to increase their audience.

Anisha Sakhare educated dog owners on how to keep their pets safe through videos about proper collars and leashing while walking dogs, along with hosting workshops on making one-sheet plywood dog houses for pets and also for animals in need. Her partnership with Farm Gals Animal Ministry will continue through their use of her educational videos which are available to all on YouTube.

Abby Tian raised bone marrow donation awareness after learning both children of family friends were diagnosed with leukemia. Bone marrow donors must be genetically compatible with the recipient, so she focused on raising awareness about the need for donors, especially among racial/ethnic minorities. She designed a website and made presentations at local schools and churches to reach more people.

Emma Sjodin organized a robotics camp at her high school and its sister school.

Her project goal was to teach students engineering skills, educate them about engineering careers, and increase their confidence in STEM. She partnered with team mentors, experienced students on the robotics team, and guest speakers to reach about 40 people this year, most of whom are choosing to continue participating in robotics and STEM during the school year.

Aishwaryaa Udeshi helped bridge the gap between members of marginalized groups and computing. She worked with the Alliance, a nonprofit organization that serves refugees, to teach young Afghan refugee women, ages 13-18, a detailed curriculum of web development, Python, and robotics. She also set up a volunteer program through which other people can teach programming workshops to ensure that all refugees can continue to learn.

Olivia Smith established a clothing closet for local elementary school students after she found out they lacked clean clothing to wear to school. She partnered with her school district’s superintendent and local volunteers to run a clothing collection and set up the closet. They prepared a process to maintain the closet and to host annual clothing and fund raisers for future students.

Arushi Varshney, along with her five volunteers, held six art workshops for Texana School students on the autism spectrum. She also edited the Texana curriculum by adding art to the class.

Now during their 30-minute free time, students can work with her donated art supplies from an art drive at Jordan High School.

18 Spring 2024 l The Golden Link

Rachel Weinstein chose to tackle the nationwide issue of distracted driving due to cellphone. She held a workshop at a library that included a presentation, posters, live-action role playing and online questionnaire. She also presented the workshop so more teens and young adults become aware of what distracted driving looks like and how devastating it can be. She posted the workshop on Instagram and YouTube and shared it with multiple Girl Scout troops.

Madison Wood collaborated with her neighborhood HOA to address the issue of children falling behind in school and losing social skills during the pandemic.

Together, they added a Little Library with bilingual books, a reading nook playhouse, and a hopscotch game to a local park. She also hosted an opening ceremony to introduce to the library and social area plus educate neighbors about this issue. The HOA has agreed to do a similar event once a year at this park.

Noelle Windsor saw a need after her church moved to new building to have a place for young children to learn about Christianity while their parents attend services. She and her volunteers cleaned out an unused room, then painted, redecorated, and refurnished it into a safe and fun environment for children.

They also created age-related lesson plans, recruited a volunteer team to continue to use the space, and spread the word on social media.

Michaela Wood chose to help children with disabilities learn about their senses. She partnered with Halter Inc., a therapeutic riding center, to design and build a sensory garden that includes a fairy garden and wind chime alley. She worked with the owner to create a Sense Care curriculum that will include the sensory garden. She also held workshops during opening week with her sense care lessons. Halter will continue to use the lessons with their clients.

All Aboard For the Summer of Highest Awards!

Did you know that most girls who successfully earn their Highest Awards earn them during the summer? Summertime is a great time to work on your Highest Awards! Follow these steps to earn your Highest Award this summer.

Note: This timeline is completely optional. Girls can work on and complete their Highest Awards any time during the year. Current 5th, 8th, and 12th graders should be aware of upcoming Highest Awards deadlines.

Learn more about Highest Awards and Take Action on the Highest Awards Online Community!

Bronze

Silver

Gold

March

 Complete your Jr. Journey material.  Learn about and brainstorm a Take Action Project.

 Complete your Cad. Journey material.  Learn about and brainstorm a Take Action Project.

Note: Completion of two Journeys OR one Journey and the Silver Award is required for Gold. This timeline covers one Journey.  Complete your Sr./Amb. Journey material.  Learn about and brainstorm a Take Action Project.

April

 Complete your Journey Take Action Project.

 Complete your Journey Take Action Project.

 Complete your Journey Take Action Project.

May

 Review all Bronze Award material on the Highest Awards Online Community.  Brainstorm a Bronze Award Take Action Project. Contact local community experts to refine your project.

 Review all Silver Award material on the Highest Awards Online Community.  Brainstorm a Silver Award Take Action Project. Contact local community experts to refine your project and identify a Project Advisor and Partnering Organization (optional).

 Review all Gold Award material on the Highest Awards Online Community.  Complete Gold Award Orientation on online (1.5 to 2 hours). Sign up for gsLearn access here.  Choose and contact a Gold Award Mentor from the Gold Award Mentor Lookbook found at the end of Gold Award Orientation.  Partner with your Gold Award Mentor to brainstorm a Gold Award Take Action Project. Contact local community experts to refine your project and identify a project advisor and Partnering Organization.

June

Implement your Bronze Award project.

Complete and submit the Silver Award Project Proposal form via Jotform.

Complete and submit the Gold Award \ Project Proposal form via GoGold.

JulyAugust

Implement your Bronze Award project.

Implement your Silver Award project.

Implement your Gold Award project.

September

Submit the F-483 Bronze Award Reporting Form via Jotform.

Submit the F-486 Silver Award Final Report via Jotform.

Submit the Gold Award Final Report via GoGold.

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Distinguish Yourself With the Girl Scout Highest Awards The Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award Girl Scouts are the most prestigious leadership awards you can earn as a Girl Scout. Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award recipients have distinguished themselves as leaders and change-makers by creating a long-lasting impact in their community in any topic of their choice. How amazing is that?

Distinguish Yourself with the Highest Awards by: • Developing advanced leadership skills like communication skills, adaptability, responsibility, time management, and project management.

• Demonstrating self-motivation and commitment in an area that interests you.

• Stepping outside your comfort zone to work with adult experts in the community.

• Earning scholarships and having a stand-out college/career resume!

Please explore ALL information provided about your Highest Award BEFORE reaching out to the corresponding Highest Award email.

Most questions will be answered by reading the appropriate guides and forms, and by watching any relevant trainings.

Eligibility

Bronze Award

Silver Award

Gold Award

Juniors–Complete in a troop or group

Cadettes– Complete as an individual Senior and Ambassador– Complete as an or in a group of up to four girls individual

Hours (PER GIRL) 20 hours

50 hours

80 hours

Prerequisites

Complete one Junior Journey, including the Take Action Project

Complete one Cadette Journey, including the Take Action Project

Complete two Sr./Amb. Journeys OR the Silver Award and one Sr./Amb. Journey, including the Take Action Project/s.

Complete Gold Award Orientation on gsLearn. (Sign up at: https://gssjc.me/gaorientation)

Approval Process

No project proposal required. Final Report submitted/approved by troop leader.

Required Project Proposal and Final Report approval from the Silver Award Committee. Responses typically take 2-3 weeks.

Required Project Proposal and Final Report approval from the Gold Award Committee.

Reviews typically occur every two weeks.

Deadlines

Final Report due by Sept. 30 of the year the girl completes 5th grade.

Final Report due by Sept. 30 of the year the girl completes 8th grade. Girls who have completed 8th grade must submit their Project Proposal by July 1.

Final Report due by Sept. 30 of the year the girl completes 12th grade. Girls who have completed 12th grade must submit their Project Proposal by July 1.

Where to Start

Visit GSSJC’s Highest Awards Online Community and read the Bronze Award Project Guide.

Visit GSSJC’s Highest Awards Online Community and read the Adult Guide for Earning the Silver Award. Take Silver Award Training on Zoom/gsLearn.

Visit GSSJC’s Highest Awards Online Community and read the Gold Award Project Guide. Girls sign up for Gold Award Orientation on gsLearn at: https://gssjc.me/ gaorientation.

Contact

bronzeaward@sjgs.org

silveraward@sjgs.org

goldaward@sjgs.org

Be an Early Bird!

Renew your membership beginning April 1 and take advantage of individual, troop, and community incentives.

Renew April 1 – 8, and get $5 off your membership for the 2024-2025 year.

Be on the lookout for more Early Bird information and let’s soar into the new membership year!

20 Spring 2024 l The Golden Link

Family Celebrates Three Gold Award Girl Scouts Girl Scouting is a family tradition in the Vestal household, and now that tradition has reached a Caroline new level, with three sisters earning the Gold Award, the highest award in Girl Scouting. Caroline Vestal recently earned the award, joining her twin sister Lucy and older sister Molly as Gold Award Girl Scouts.

Over the past four years, the sisters have channeled their passion into projects that have made a difference in their community and beyond. Caroline earned her Gold Award last year after completing a project to increase awareness about period poverty and stigma. In 2022, Lucy earned a Gold Award for helping middle school girls become more confident and develop positive relationships with other girls.

Molly’s project aimed to help seniors with technology, earning her a Gold Award in 2021.

Having triple Gold awards in the family is a gratifying achievement for the sisters. However, they never made a pact for all of them to earn one – it just happened, they said. “I think it’s really cool,” said Lucy. “It made us feel closer and super motivated. And it was awesome to have my sister (Molly) as a role model. The Gold Award is a huge learning experience. Hopefully, we can inspire others to do it.”

The sisters have been Girl Scouts since kindergarten, following the path of their paternal grandmother and their mother, Jenny Vestal. The girls say their grandmother, a lifelong Girl Scout, always talks about the fun times she had as a Girl Scout, which has influenced their Girl Scouting experiences. To this day, their grandmother still has fun with her former troopmates through periodic reunions. Just last year, she and her friends met and made s’mores over a firepit.

For Caroline, pursuing her Gold Award started in ninth grade. That is when she first began thinking about project ideas. Then, in 10th grade, she learned about period poverty through the menstrual equity club at her school, which held a period supply drive. She realized that many people did not know poverty and stigma existed. It motivated her to find a solution.

Because she wanted to do so many things, Caroline took a multi-prong approach to her project.

She organized a period product drive and donated the products to the Star of Hope homeless shelter. She also collaborated with her church to give a PowerPoint presentation on period poverty and education at a women's summit. After the presentation, she led a sewing session to teach participants how to make reusable pads from fabric. The reusable pads were donated to a women's center in Uganda in coordination with the Girls for Girls organization with Lighting the Path.

Caroline then teamed up with the school nurse at Kolter Elementary School to educate fifth-grade girls Lucy about the issue of period stigma. She created fun information cards with positive messages and uplifting quotes and gave them to the 60 students who attended the presentation.

Molly “I learned so much from my project. I feel like I learned how to organize my thoughts and ideas into common goals and to put my thoughts into action,” Caroline said. “It also made me more comfortable speaking in front of people. I learned that I like speaking in public and presenting information about something I care about.”

Passionate about promoting self-love, Lucy’s project helped 17 middle school girls build selfconfidence and learn how to create meaningful relationships with other girls. She designed a Girls Who Thrive website with uplifting videos she wrote and produced. The website also includes TED talks, books, movies, and documentaries as resources. She also hosted a forum with her team of volunteers, and they led small group sessions with the girls. “I learned that I could make things happen if I stay motivated. I also learned the importance of being organized and that there is a lot of planning behind the scenes. I know now what project management looks like, and I got better at talking to adults," she said.

Lucy and Caroline, now seniors at Bellaire High School, said having a sister who had gone through the Gold Award process was helpful. They said Molly gave them valuable tips, such as wording to use on the Gold Award application and keeping a flexible timeline. But Molly said she was simply a cheerleader, encouraging her sisters from the sidelines. The twins did all the work from beginning to end, and they did it while taking challenging classes and participating in extracurricular activities, she said.

Molly's inspiration for her Gold Award was her grandmother, who sought technology advice. “She would call me constantly asking questions like how to text and connect to Wi-Fi,” said Molly, now studying at the University of California-Santa Barbara. “I love it when she calls me, but I prefer the calls not to be about technology.”

So, Molly created a booklet for the residents at her grandmother's retirement home. The booklet teaches seniors how to use technology and empowers them to be more independent and confident using it. To develop the content, Molly worked with the retirement home staff to create a survey to determine the top technology issues that seniors faced. She used the results to create relevant content for the booklet.

She distributed the large-print booklets to her grandmother’s retirement home and two other retirement homes. The booklets are now included in the retirement homes’ welcome packages. In addition, she conducted small group presentations while observing COVID-19 protocols. Her demonstration on how to enlarge the font size on cellphones was a big hit among the residents, she said.

Molly, who is majoring in religion and history, said the Gold Award process taught her several valuable skills, such as time management, goal setting, and leadership. These skills have helped her balance classes and college life. “I also learned how to better address issues in my community. If I see something, I am fully capable of addressing it,” she said.

Jenny Vestal said she is “extremely proud” of her daughters, calling their projects labors of love. “We’ve been planning and working on earning Gold Awards for the past four years, so it’s quite a milestone," Vestal said. “And I especially love how each project was so different, and they were all entirely independent of each other.”

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Little Library Brings Children and Cows Together Through Reading Imagine children reading books with cows standing just a few away. It sounds a bit unusual, but it is a scenario that visitors can experience at Texas Gaushala, thanks to Girl Scout Naimisha Y., whose Girl Scout Silver Award project involved building and installing a Little Library at the farm sanctuary for indigenous cows. The library promotes reading and encourages interaction with the animals.

Naimisha collected donated books from family, friends, and neighbors to fill the library with over 100 books. Children can read them onsite or borrow them to read at home.

The Little Library is near the farm picnic area adjacent to the cow shed.

When families visit the Waller sanctuary for events, children can break away to grab a book to read silently or aloud to entertain the cows. Naimisha said she has dropped by the farm a few times since installing the library and has seen children absorbed in a book or petting the cows while reading. “They (the children) appreciate the library. I feel proud that I did something useful for them and the cow sanctuary,” Naimisha said.

The Silver Award is the highest honor earned by Cadettes. Girls focus on a community issue they care about and develop a sustainable solution. They must spend at least 50 hours creating a plan for their project and executing it. In the process, girls gain confidence and skills that will catapult them to lifelong success.

Naimisha said she spent several months deciding on a project before she settled on creating a Little Library. Eager to start her project, she approached several organizations and businesses about installing the library on their premises. She received one rejection after another. Feeling a little defeated and about to give up on her idea, Naimisha mustered all her courage and pushed forward until she got a yes from Texas Gaushala. Although it was a frustrating experience, Naimisha discovered a couple of things. “I learned I should be confident in myself,” she said. “When people say no, it’s OK.” With a place to house her Little Library, her next step was to figure out how to build one. Naimisha, with help from her dad, created a 3-D design on her computer and then purchased all the materials. Her troop leader allowed her to use his workshop and tools to build the 6-foot by 3-foot library. In the process, she learned basic carpentry skills, like wood cutting, nailing with a staple gun, and putting screws in the wood. It took two weeks and about 70 hours to complete the library.

“We had to make several trips, each lasting an hour and a half, to build a Little Library at my troop leader's house, as I lived far away. We faced some difficulties while bringing the library box home, but we managed to transport it successfully," she said.

Naimisha painted the library in Paradise of Greenery (green), Soft Boiled (yellow), and Hot Gossip (pink). She also created a wooden sign and used stencils to paint the words Texas Gaushala Vedic Library on the sign.

Alex Castillo, her troop leader, volunteered to transport the library to the farm sanctuary in his camping van. Because of the library's size, he had to deliver the top and base separately. Naimisha, her father, and Troop Leader Castillo worked together to assemble the library at the farm.

“As Mr. Alex drilled the Texas Gaushala Vedic Library sign onto the library, our minds went blank as were we so proud that the library was finally finished and filled with books,” she said. “After months of hard work, it was finally done!”

Travel Scholarships Available!

Are you planning to apply for a Destination in 2025? Did you know there are scholarships available to help cover the costs of your trip?

Make sure you participate in this year's Girl Scout Cookie Sale and Fall Product Sale next fall. Not only are these fantastic ways to raise money for travel, participation is also required if you apply for a scholarship.

Haven't started on the Cookie Program yet? Don't worry, The sale ends March 25. Contact customerservice@sjgs.org to get started. You don't want to miss out on a trip of a lifetime!

22 Spring 2024 l The Golden Link

Troop gives the United States a Facelift Girl Scout Troop 129173 repainted America for their Bronze Award project. The troop received permission from the principal at McNeill Elementary School in Richmond to refurbish the school’s 25-foot-wide mural of a United States map. The girls finished the project after eight painting sessions.

In addition to giving the map a facelift, troop members Ella F., Carolyn F., Jordyn H., Mia N., and Leanna P. created eight games that require utilizing the map. Each girl selected states from a hat and then researched them. They used information from their research to design the games, which they laminated and put in a binder for teachers to use with their lesson plans. The girls developed the games based on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards for the subject area.

Girl Scouts earn the Bronze Award by working up to 20 hours (required) on a community issue that’s important to them. The girls develop a plan, carry it out, and then share it with others. The Bronze Award is the highest award a Junior Girl Scout can earn.

Troop member Leanna attended McNeill and knew about the map and its condition. That’s how the troop came up with the project idea. To start the project, the troop had to figure out where to buy the paint and how much it would take to repaint the faded map on the school grounds. The girls visited a local paint store, which agreed to donate paint and brushes for the project. The girls selected paint colors and determined, with help from the store clerk, the amount of paint needed for the project.

Troop Leader Debby Fredrickson said the painting project took longer than the girls anticipated. The girl had to revisit their schedules to find additional times to work on the project. The girls worked on the project during the school holiday, after school hours, and even on the weekends.

When the girls finished the project, they celebrated by holding their bridging ceremony at the elementary school, where they walked across America (the refurbished map). The students at the school love the new map, including Leanna’s 7-year-old sister, a Brownie who likes to tell her classmates that her sister’s troop repainted the map.

The troop learned painting skills, cooperation, teamwork, and patience. They also learned the importance of planning, learning the rules, how to research a new topic, and the importance of commitment, said Fred.

Outdoor Experience Needs You!

Our Outdoor Experience team is looking for volunteers to help in a variety of areas. Experience in the outdoors is welcomed but not required!

Here are some of the things you will do: • Work with staff to coordinate events (Spark, Family Camp, etc.).

• Help manage camp and program supplies.

• Support the Backpacking SIG orientations and trips.

• Guide girls at the nature center.

• Become Adventure Park certified.

• Get trained in archery.

We are happy to help you find a role if you are interested in helping, but not sure where to start. Please contact customer service at customerservice@gssjc.org with inquiries, and you will be connected with the Outdoor Experience manager corresponding to your area of interest.

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Discover Aviation Patch To earn this patch, complete the two required activities, plus: Daisies - Complete one additional activity.

Brownies - Complete two additional activities.

Juniors - Complete three additional activities.

Cadettes – Complete four additional activities.

Seniors Complete five additional activities.

Ambassadors – Complete six additional activities.

(Required) Activity 1 – Why Does it Fly? • Lift–Look at some of the characteristics of things that fly, like the shape of a bird’s wing or the shape of an airplane’s wing. This is called the aerofoil shape. This shape produces a force called lift as it moves through the air.

(Check out Activity 13 to examine this concept further.)

• Weight – The effect of gravity pulling us down is weight.

To fly, we must overcome gravity.

• Thrust – Thrust is the forward force required to move through the air. It has to provide enough speed for a wing to develop enough lift to fly. Thrust can be provided by an engine (like in an airplane), by gravity (like in a glider), or by muscles (like birds).

• Drag - Something that slows us down is drag. Drag is the opposite of thrust.

• Make your own paper airplane or paper helicopter or make an airplane out of balsa wood and describe how the forces of lift, weight, thrust, and drag affect its flight.

(Required) Activity 2 – Aviation Career Exploration Talk to somebody who works in the aviation industry. What do they like about their career? What kind of education and experience do they have? Would you like to do this career?

Why or why not?

Soar Higher by answering these questions!

Lift: Does it fly better with or without wind? Does it help to fly with the wind or into the wind?

Weight: Does its ability to fly change if you add weight (like a paperclip) to the wings?

Thrust: Does it fly differently if you throw it hard or gently, or if you throw it from a height like off a balcony?

Drag: How does the shape impact your design? Would it fly as well with an index card taped to the front?

24 Spring 2024 l The Golden Link

For the requirements to earn this patch and others go to https:// www.gssjc.org/en/members/for-girl-scouts/ Activity 3 – What Flies?

Flying is controlled sustained movement through the air. Many things can become airborne, but are they actually flying and under control? For example, if you throw a ball, is it flying?

What about a frisbee? Or a paper airplane? A hang glider? A bat? A flying fox? A kite?

Make a list with your troop or group of things that fly, then group them into different categories. Your groups might include things that are natural, things made by humans, things that can fly on earth, things that can fly in space, things that can fly long distances or short distances. What other categories can you think of? Can something belong to more than one category?

Activity 4 – Phonetic Alphabet Learn about the phonetic alphabet, and why it is used in aviation. Practice sending and receiving simple messages using the phonetic alphabet.

Activity 5 – Control Surfaces Aircraft flight control surfaces may include the ailerons, control stick, elevators, rudder, and more. Demonstrate how the control surfaces of an aircraft affect attitude and how they are used for takeoff, turning, descent, and landing.

Activity 6 – Communication How do aircraft stay in touch with ground control? How do they know who’s listening on the other end of the radio call?

What is the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and what do they do? Explain the difference between a Mayday radio call and a Pan-Pan radio call. When might each be used?

Activity 7 – Interesting Aircraft Visit an airfield, airshow, or flight museum. Find at least five aircraft that interest you. Name them and identify their uses.

What makes them unique?

Activity 8 – Flight Check Under supervision, help conduct a pre-flight check on an aircraft. Why is this important?

Activity 9 – Flight Simulation Using flight simulator software on a computer, establish, and “fly” a course, including takeoff and landing.

Activity 10 – Take a flight!

After completing the required activities, take a flight in an aircraft. If possible, ask to tour the cockpit before or after the flight (the doors will be closed during the flight). What can you identify about the controls? (Be sure to follow the guidelines in Safety Activity Checkpoints.)

Activity 11 – History of Flight Learn how humans went from observing birds to flying and how they overcame some obstacles along the way. What are the current challenges and opportunities facing the aviation industry today?

Activity 12 – Women in Aviation Learn about at least one of the many ways women have impacted aviation. For example, learn about the Wing Scout Program in Girl Scouts, the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) program, Women in Aviation International, or the Ninety-Nines.

Activity 13 – Bernoulli's Principle Describe Bernoulli's principle and how it impacts the design of aircraft. Demonstrate how Bernoulli’s Principle works. (Science Kids has some great experiments to try, or you can come up with your own demonstration!)

Activity 14 – Ballooning How do hot air balloons fly, and how do their pilots steer?

What is the difference between a hot air balloon and a blimp?

Activity 15 – Pilot’s License What is the process to obtain a pilot’s license, and what are the different types of licenses? How old do you have to be to become a pilot?

Activity 16 – Safe Flight Skills Pilots need to master several concepts to ensure they have a safe flight. Explain at least one of the concepts below: • Weather– How do pilots check the weather report? Why do the wind direction, wind speed, temperature, and atmospheric pressure matter? How does this impact VFR and IFR? • Navigation– What is a trip planning log? How do an altimeter and compass work? Why are they important for pilots?

• Weight & Balance– How do you know an airplane’s load is within safe weight and balance limits? What happens when the center of gravity changes?

• Maintenance– Planes tend to last a lot longer than cars do.

Why is that? What do mechanics do to keep planes safe?

• Angle of Attack– What is the Angle of Attack, and how can pilots avoid stalls?

Activity 17 – Lots of “A” Words What is the relationship between aviation, aeronautics, and aerospace? What are the “A” words in NASA? How has NASA impacted the aviation industry in the United States and around the world?

Activity 18 – FAA What is the FAA, and how does it manage airspace in the United States? How does it help avoid traffic accidents between planes, space launches, hot air balloons, drones, and more?

What are the people that work for the FAA and talk to airplanes called? How do they monitor aircraft?

Activity 19 – Aircraft Construction What materials are used to construct aircraft? Are they the same materials that were used in the past? Why or why not?

Activity 20 – Creating Thrust How are engines used to create thrust in aircraft? Explain the similarities and differences between a piston engine and a jet engine. Are any other types of engines used in aircraft?

Activity 21 – Virtual Model Using a computer software program, build and test your own aircraft. Can you create a flying machine that works? What happens if you change the wing shape or size, or adjust the weight?

Activity 22 – Let’s Go Fly a Kite!

How do kites fly? How do the principles of lift, thrust, weight, and drag apply to a kite? On your own or with a group, create and test at least three different kite designs. What happens if you use different materials to build the kite? Does the size of the kite affect its flight? What about the tail? How does the kite’s design affect its ability to fly steadily or to do twists and turns? Will the kite fly if you turn it upside down? What is your favorite kite design?

Resources: There are several software programs available that include both aircraft building and flying components, such as Simple Planes or Balsa Model Flight Sim. Many programs also include a free demo.

The EAA eActivities offers several free virtual learning activities to help kids learn about topics in aviation.

The Houston Airport System has historical information available, as well as a list of local career opportunities in the aviation industry.

The Lone Star Flight Museum Aviation Learning Center in Houston offers field trip opportunities with flight simulators, hands-on displays, ground school, a pre-flight check on a real aircraft, and more.

NASA’s Glenn Research Center offers The Beginner's Guide to Aeronautics The National Museum of the United States Air Force offers a variety of lesson plans and activities for different age groups available to download.

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Thank You, Volunteers! Spring Recruitment and Placement Trainings A HUGE THANK YOU to all of the appointed recruitment team leads (RTLs) and placement liaisons (PLs) listed below for their incredible work to ensure every girl has an opportunity to become a Girl Scout and have a troop experience if desired. We know it takes many dedicated volunteers to recruit and place girls and adults in our Communities and we appreciate all of you!

We are immensely grateful for the following RTLs and PLs and our CLTs, CEMs, and Community volunteers who have managed meet-the-teacher tables, given girl talks, attended recruitment events, and all of the behind-the-scenes work for our fall recruitment season.

Community Spring Creek Trails Lone Star Trails Woodland Trails Woodland Trails Heart of Texas Wildflowers Klein Trails TopFlowingTrails Blossom Creek Emerald Oaks Island Creek Golden Coast Eastern Thicket East Enders Crystal Cove Gulf Coast Stars Clear Creek Lone Stars Colony Creek

Recruitment Team Lead Amanda Scott Kelly Larsen Regina Woody-Crain Kelly Kulkarni Ashley Bennett-Sigmund Melody Goodwin Sandy Kreps Stormey Shenk Doretta Elmore Julie Pascole Kimberly Wells Tiffany Sharp Amanda Moreno Kristena Stokes Emily Saldana Kimber Schwamb Jennifer Clements Becky Normand Michelle Manukonda

Community Magnolia Blossom Hills Spring Creek Trails Woodland Trails Heart of Texas Firefly Trails Wildflowers Copper Creek Meadows Klein Trails TopFlowingTrails Blossom Creek Emerald Oaks Island Creek Way Out West "WOW" Golden Coast Eastern Thicket East Enders Crystal Cove Gulf Coast Stars Willow Rock Windcatchers Lone Star Treasures Colony Creek

Placement Liaison Kathy Frazier Crystal Weems Regina Woody-Crain Ashley Bennett-Sigmund Brenda Zimmerman Erin Jones Crystal Reeves Heather Aguilar Karen Rexer Pamala Hegarty Kathleen Armstrong Kimberly Wells Robin Newbury Christi Worley Brittany Willis Regina Salinas Emily Saldana Kimber Schwamb Deirdre Rozowski Victoria Allen Michelle Christopherson Wally Davis

q q q

Recruitment Team Lead Sunday, April 28, 1 – 3 p.m.

Placement Liaison Sunday, April 28, 3:30 – 5:30 p.m.

Recruitment and Placement Training Day Sat. June 15 at the Girl Scout Center

Recruitment team leads and placement liaisons have slightly different terms of appointment than many Community Service Team members. Recruitment and placement begin in the spring with planning and troop opportunity development necessitating a term that begins mid-spring. CLTs begin the appointment process by submitting their recommendations to the council-wide Community Engagement volunteers by Feb. 1 (see the Community Handbook for details) for the appointment term of March 1 – Feb. 28. The term for School Liaison Team Lead and School Liaison is June 1 – May 31.

Key classes for anyone volunteering in recruitment and placement: Placement Liaison: The goal of a placement liaison is to have no girls on the waiting list for troops and all girls placed in a troop that fits their needs. This course fulfills the training requirement for Community placement liaisons. Topics include how to manage the online troop opportunity list, tracking current membership and openings, and strategies for encouraging adults to step up to troop leadership and the troop committee.

Recruitment Team Lead: This course is required for appointment to the role of Community recruitment team lead and is appropriate for other volunteers assisting with recruitment. Learn how to build successful year-round recruitment strategies for your Community. Topics include planning successful recruitment events, building your recruitment team, and how to best collaborate with volunteers in other recruitment and placement roles.

Recruitment Essentials: Create excitement and get your recruitment team charged up to meet the challenges of back-to-school recruiting. An overview of recruitment materials, proven techniques like girl talks, marketing strategies, tips for recruiting volunteers, and an updated “mock” troop formation event are all included in this workshop.

School Liaison: Harness the power of volunteers already associated with individual schools to benefit both organizations. School liaisons can collect important dates, smooth the way for a positive relationship, and provide opportunities for Girl Scouts to shine at their school.

Added classes for recruitment and placement volunteers: Elevate Your Sign-in Sheets Using Technology: Are sign-in sheets bogging you down? Do you have problems reconnecting with prospective Girl Scout members?

Learn how to create Google surveys for easy collection of data and readable sign-in sheets that are easy to share with your Community and staff partners.

The Art of Recruitment Talks: A key part of recruiting girls and adult leadership is a well-crafted “recruitment talk” at your events. Inspire girls and adults to join our great organization by exploring ways to make your talk informative without being too long and customized to your audience and recruitment needs.

S’More About Girl Talks: Girl Talks are the most successful promotion we have.

See how easy girl talks are to implement and start building attendance at your recruitment events!

Flyers and Promotions: Get creative with your flyers and promotions for recruitment events! Learn what is required when developing outside flyers (logos, etc.) and how to best promote your events!

DEMOS-DEMOS-DEMOS: Get your cameras ready! This fun interactive session will feature easy activities to use at recruitment events, a great adult recruitment method, a tour of the resources in the recruitment online community, and a look at themed events.

26 Spring 2024 l The Golden Link

Girl and Troop Activities

Register for events under the My Events tab in My Account. Go to gssjc.org and select MyGS, log in at the top right corner, next click My Events in the left-hand menu. If you have a question about your activity, contact 713-292-0370 or 1-800-392-4340. If you have a problem with your login, contact Customer Service at 713-292-0300 or registration@sjgs.org. For all events, bring Permission Slip F-204 and Medical Form F-185 for each girl and the Adult Emergency Form F-22 for each adult.

Attention Daisy leaders! Look for the Daisy in this section for activities that Daisies can attend.

Look for this symbol to indicate a virtual program offering.

These are some of the events and activities upcoming in the spring. You can find more information on the referenced pages.

Discover Aviation

DBJCSA

March 23

Page 29

Think Like a Citizen Scientist

B

March 23-24

Page 38

Family Camp -Fishing Rodeo

DBJCSA

March 29-20

Page 28

Gratitude Art Journaling

DBJ

March 30

Page 34

Taste of History

BJ

April 6

Page 35

Project Heart Smart

BJ

April 6

Page 30

My Dream Life

DBJC

April 6

Page 30

Eclipse Event

DBJCSA

April 6

Page 29

Girl + 1: Healthy Living

JC

April 13

Page 28

Junior Financial Literacy

J

April 13

Page 29

Business Start Up Badge

S

April 13

Page 30

Junior First Aid Badge

J

April 13

Page 30

Shapes in Nature Badge

DB

April 13

Page 32

Rock Stars- Geology Day

J

April 20

Page 39

Earth Day: Tree Planting

DBJCSA

April 27

Page 32

STEM Career Exploration Day

CSA

April 27

Page 39

Brownie First Aid Badge

B

May 4

Page 30

Camptastic- An Agnes Arnold Spark Event

C

May 11

Page 28

Brownie Snack- Mother’s Day Tea

B

May 11

Page 34

Senior and Ambassador Financial Literacy

SA

May 18

Page 29

Family Camp -Hello Summer Fun

DBJCSA

May 24-26

Page 28

Media Day with KPRC Channel 2 News

CSA

June 18

Page 30

Wait! Look Here First!

How to Register for an Event 1.

2.

3.

Go to www.gssjc.org and click on MyGS. Login with your Girl Scout credentials when prompted.

Click on My Events and then Register for Another Event.

To search, put in the ZIP code where the event is taking place. Move the search radius to 90 miles. Put the partial or whole title of the event in Keyword, using quotes. Click Search.

4. Click on the event you want. Add the appropriate number of girls and adults. Click Add Events.

5. Choose your registrants and check the credit card box. Follow check out instructions.

Tip: If you are a troop leader registering your group, be sure to toggle over to the Troop radio button FIRST when choosing registrants.

This will guarantee you continue to see your troop drop-down list when registering a group.

Girl Scout Day at Disney on Ice!

Journey through the timeless stories of Cinderella, Aladdin, and Toy Story, and today’s favorites including Encanto, Frozen 2, and Moana, brought to life in new ways. Includes admission, seating in a section reserved just for Girl Scouts and their families, and a special commemorative patch. Tickets will be emailed after registration closes.

Who: Cost:

All levels, volunteers, friends, and families $36/person

When: Sunday, April 14, 1 – 3:30 p.m.

Contact: Kathy Elliott at customerservice@sjgs.org

ⓓ-Daisy ⓑ-Brownie ⓙ-Juniors ⓒ-Cadettes ⓢ-Seniors ⓐ-Ambassadors

Spring 2024 l The Golden Link

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General Activities Adventure Park

If you are taking your troop camping and need an activity to do, we have just thing. Climb high in the trees on our awesome Adventure Park obstacle course and possibly end your climb with a ride down our zipline! The possibilities are endless in our beautiful Adventure Park!

Who:

When:

Cost: Contact:

ⓒ ⓢ ⓐParticipants must weigh at least

70 lbs. and no more than 250 lbs.

April 20, May 18 See the events page for the most up to date information on available times and dates. $35 Ashlie Watson at customerservice@sjgs.org

Family Camp – Hello, Summer Fun! Join us at Camp Pryor Memorial Day weekend to kickstart the summer at camp with the whole family! The family can canoe across Lake Hamill, practice archery skills, cool off in the pool, make summer crafts, and more. End the day Saturday with a catered dinner and campfire songs and s’mores.

When: Where: Cost: Contact:

May 24 – 26 Camp Pryor Overnight, $60/person; day only– $40 Natalie Jares at customerservice@sjgs.org

Family Camp - Fishing Rodeo

Join us for archery, games, crafts, canoeing, and competitions.

Earn points for your family throughout the weekend and win unique trophies and bragging rights! Let’s see who can make the most bullseyes at archery. Enjoy cornhole and wacky field games to see who can win the most points. Bring your fishing gear, and let’s see who can catch the biggest fish with your Girl Scout. Or join us at the campfire on Saturday night, and let’s see which parent/guardian and Girl Scout pair can tell the best "dad joke!"

Saturday night dinner is included.

When: Where: Cost: Contact:

March 29 – 30 Camp Robinwood Overnight - $60/person; day only - $40/person Natalie Jares at customerservice@sjgs.org

Camping Carnival Carousel Weekend

Join us at Camp Robinwood for a carnival-themed weekend including face painting, balloon art, science, songs, dance, and more! This weekend event is hosted by older girl Troop 108055.

Who: Where: When: Cost: Contact:

ⓑⓙ

Camp Robinwood April 5 – 7 $35/girl, $20/adult Natalie Jares at customerservice@sjgs.org

28 Spring 2024 l The Golden Link

Camptastic – An Agnes Arnold Spark Event

Soak up all that Camp Agnes Arnold has to offer, including Adventure Park, archery, hiking, campfire fun, and more! A camp reservation is required for troops that wish to stay overnight at an additional fee, which is not included in this event. Troops attending for only the day are NOT required to make a day only camp reservation. The camp units at Camp Agnes Arnold are being held this weekend for troops attending this event. Note: Event offering is based on weather and facilitator availability.

Who: When: Where: Cost:

Contact:

ⓒ

May 11, 10:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Camp Agnes Arnold $65/girl; $30/adult, lunch, dinner and s’mores at closing campfire Ashlie Yarborough at customerservice@sjgs.org

Ask the Experts – Careers in Sports

Do you love sports? Are you interested in a career in sports? What does it take to work for a major or minor league? Hundreds of people help support the athletes on the field. Join us to meet some of these people with fabulous careers with some of Houston’s local sports teams, ask them questions about their careers, and find out how you too could have a career in sports! This event will be held over Zoom. The link will be emailed one week before the event.

Experts will share their experiences with you and answer your questions. Ask the Experts Patch and Sports rocker included.

Who: When: Where: Cost: Host: Contact:

ⓒ ⓢ ⓐ adults

April 20, 12:30 – 3:30 p.m.

Virtual via Zoom $5/girl; free for adults GSSJC Kathy Elliott at customerservice@sjgs.org

Girl + 1: Healthy Living

The challenges of today's world don't only affect grownups.

With that in mind, GSSJC and The Women's Fund are excited to introduce Girl + 1: Healthy Living, a program designed to help Juniors, Cadettes, and their female caregivers on their journey to mental wellness. During this half-day program, participants will receive age-specific information and engaging activities on mental wellness and healthy habits and deepen their understanding of mental and physical wellness. Participants will have the resources to explore, share, and reflect from a space where they can hang out and be themselves. Breakfast, lunch, and a fun patch are included with registration. Seniors and Ambassadors are invited to volunteer and receive volunteer hours. Interested girl volunteers should email Shannon Crider at scrider@sjgs.org to volunteer.

Topics Include: • Work-life balance and self-care for adults • Self-esteem and stress management for Juniors and Cadettes Who: Where: When: Cost: Contact:

ⓙ ⓒ adults

Program Place for Girls, Houston April 13, 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Free Shannon Crider at customerservice@sjgs.org

ⓓ-Daisy ⓑ-Brownie ⓙ-Juniors ⓒ-Cadettes ⓢ-Seniors ⓐ-Ambassadors

Junior Financial Literacy Event with Capital One Bank

See how a financial institution works and learn how to track and plan your spending as Capital One Bank helps you earn your Junior Budget Maker badge.

Who: Where: When: Cost: Contact: Troop 114202 girls ready to see the Solar Eclipse in San Antonio.

Eclipse Event

Join GSSJC and the Houston Public Library (HPL) for a one-time only Pre-Solar Eclipse event! Explore the science behind why eclipses happen, learn how to safely view them, make space-tacular crafts, go on a solar system tour and, most excitingly, discover the cosmos inside HPL’s large inflatable planetarium! A custom event patch and NASA approved solar eclipse glasses are included in this event.

Who: When: Where: Cost: Contact:

All levels April 6, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Central Houston $15/girl, $5/adult Rachel Archer, 713-292-0300, customerservice@sjgs.org

Senior Behind the Ballot Badge

Learn about the importance of voting and find out about the electoral process in the United States and around the world.

Who: Where: When: Cost: Contact:

ⓢ

Program Place April 20, 12:30 – 3:30 p.m. $8/girl Jasmine Green, customerservice@sjgs.org

ⓙ

Program Place April 13, 10:30 a.m. – noon $8/ girl Jasmine Green, customerservice@sjgs.org

Senior and Ambassador Financial Literacy Event with Capital One Bank See how a financial institute works and learn how to track and plan your spending as Capital One Bank helps you earn your Senior My Financial Power badge and Ambassador Financial Planner badge.

Who: Where: When: Cost: Contact:

ⓢⓐ

Program Place May 18, 10:30 a.m. – noon $8/girl Jasmine Green, customerservice@sjgs.org

Ask the Experts: Careers in Finance Are you interested in working in the financial world and learning about the types of careers available in this field? Join us to talk with a panel of financial gurus from Capital One and learn what it takes to become a professional yourself! Experts will share their experiences with you and answer your questions. Ask the Experts Patch and Finance rocker included.

Who: Where: When: Cost: Contact:

ⓒ ⓢⓐ

Virtual via Zoom June 18, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. $5/girl Jasmine Green, customerservice@sjgs.org

Discover Aviation – Launch Event!

Are you interested in aviation? Do you dream about flying through the clouds, designing or building an aircraft, coordinating millions of travelers through an airport, or another exciting career or hobby in aviation? Join us at the Lonestar Flight Museum to Discover Aviation and be among the first in the council to earn this new patch! See page 24 for patch details.

(Patch and museum admission only for Daisies & Brownies) (Full event for Juniors, Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors) Explore the museum with your troop leader and learn about Explore the forces of flight as you interact with models, then take the forces of flight as you interact with models and view the your skills to the next level as you conduct a pre-flight check and collection of aircraft! fly a simulated mission! Learn about the history of flight with a guided tour of the museum! Explore different careers in aviation This event includes admission to the Lonestar Flight as guest speakers join us for lunch!

Museum and the new Discover Aviation patch.

This event includes a box lunch, admission to the Lonestar Flight Museum, and the new Discover Aviation patch. Please let us know ⓓ ⓑ Volunteers Who: about any dietary restrictions at least two weeks prior to the event.

When: Saturday, March 23, 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

(Come when you like; the museum will take about

two hours to tour.)

Who: ⓙ ⓒ ⓢ ⓐvolunteers Cost: $10/girl; $10/ adult (includes patch and museum When: Saturday, March 23, 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

admission) (not a drop off event) Cost: $80/girl; $15/adult (includes lunch, patch and Contact: Kathy Elliot at customerservice@sjgs.org

museum admission) Not a drop-off event Contact: Kathy Elliott at customerservice@sjgs.org ⓓ-Daisy ⓑ-Brownie ⓙ-Juniors ⓒ-Cadettes ⓢ-Seniors ⓐ-Ambassadors

Spring 2024 l The Golden Link

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Senior Business Startup Badge

Find out more about the entrepreneurial mindset and what it takes to start your own business. Badge included.

Who: Where: When: Cost: Contact: Note:

ⓢ

Program Place April 13, noon –3 p.m. $15/girl Jasmine Green, customerservice@sjgs.org Badge will be given at the end of this workshop

Brownie Budding Entrepreneur Badge

Become an entrepreneur by making something, testing it out, and improving your idea to make it the best it can be! Badge included.

Who: Where: When: Cost: Contact:

ⓑ

Program Place April 20, 12:30 – 2 p.m. $15/girl Jasmine Green, customerservice@sjgs.org

Media Day with KPRC Channel 2 News

Have you ever wanted to see behind the scenes at a real news station? Join us during broadcast and tour the KPRC Channel 2 news station. Meet the anchors, camera operator, meteorologist and more! Fun patch earned.

Who: Where: When: Cost: Contact:

ⓒ ⓢⓐ

KPRC Channel 2 News Station June 18, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. $10/girl Jasmine Green, customerservice@sjgs.org

Junior First Aid Badge

Join Rice University EMS to find out how to help people when they’re ill or injured and learn how to respond during an emergency.

Who: Where: When: Cost: Contact:

ⓙ

Rice University April 13, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. $22/girl Jasmine Green, customerservice@sjgs.org

Brownie First Aid Badge

Join Rice University EMS to find out how to help people when they’re ill or injured and learn how to respond during an emergency.

Who: Where: When: Cost: Contact:

ⓑ

Rice University May 4, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. $22/girl Jasmine Green, customerservice@sjgs.org

30 Spring 2024 l The Golden Link

Cadette Finding Common Ground Badge Find out how people in democratic governments make tradeoffs, giving up some things they favor to gain support for others.

Who: Where: When: Cost: Contact:

ⓒ

Program Place May 4, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. $8/girl Jasmine Green, customerservice@sjgs.org

My Dream Life

Do you wish you could be an adult just for ONE DAY? Then you should attend My Dream Life.At this fun, interactive adventure, Girl Scout Daisies through Cadettes will get to try out different careers, then gain experience earning, saving, and spending “money” all in the Dream Life world we create!

Girls will get to: - Open a bank account to keep their money safe; - Interact with real-life professionals while they determine their dream job; - Earn a paycheck and plan how they spend their money; - Create a driver's license at the DMV; - Relax with a well-earned vacation; - Receive a fun patch and other fun swag!

Where: Date: When:

Cost: Contact:

Program Place April 6 ⓓ ⓑ 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. ⓙ ⓒ 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. $15/girl Jasmine Green, customerservice@sjgs.org

Project Heart Smart - 2024 STEM Innovation Day

Join us at the Texas Heart Institute! Girls will learn the importance of staying fit for heart health with robot “Cool-E” of Project Heart fame while exploring heart anatomy, the cardiovascular system, healthy eating, and exercise. While the girls are having fun with games and activities, the adults will learn the Project Heart curriculum that can be shared with the girls! Juniors will work toward their Staying Fit badge and Brownies toward their My Best Self badge. All Girl Scouts will receive a special Cool-E patch! Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors – if you are interested in volunteering to help with activities at this event, please contact kelliott@sjgs.org.

Who: When: Cost: Contact:

ⓑ ⓙ adults Saturday, April 6, 9 – 11:30 a.m. $5/girl; Free for adults; NOT a drop-off event Kathy Elliott, customerservice@sjgs.org

ⓓ-Daisy ⓑ-Brownie ⓙ-Juniors ⓒ-Cadettes ⓢ-Seniors ⓐ-Ambassadors

Girl Scout Day at Ellen Trout Zoo

Join your Girl Scout sisters and their families at the beautiful Ellen Trout Zoo. Start the day with a behind-the-scenes tour, then explore the zoo with your troop and/or family. Bring a picnic lunch and take a break when you are ready at the large pavilion reserved this day exclusively for Girl Scouts.

Who: Where: When: Cost:

Bring: Contact:

All levels and families Lufkin Saturday, April 13, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. $4/person (children age 4+ and adults); Includes a patch for Girl Scouts Lunch and drinks Kathy Elliott at customerservice@sjgs.org

GRIT (Girl Rifle Instruction & Training) Special Interest Group/ Riflery Programs

Interested in learning the sport of rifle shooting? Under the supervision of a trained instructor, Girl Scouts ages 12-18 can attend the council’s introductory rifle session where they learn basic safety and one shooting position with an air rifle. If they enjoy the sport, they can progress to the marksmanship session to learn additional shooting positions and how to shoot at different distances. From there, girls are able to join the special interest group. As a GRIT member, they will continue to practice their skills and even have the chance to attend competitions.

This is a year-round opportunity through monthly meetings. Sign up represents participation in the group from August 2023-July 2024.

Registration will be required for each practice or GRIT event.

Please check the events page for the most updated list of GRIT practice openings. For more information about rifle programs, please contact Ashlie Yarborough at ayarborough@sjgs.org.

GRIT: Cost:

When:

$20 annual SIG membership fee; $10 monthly practice registration fee.

Second Saturday of the month at 9 a.m.

Must have completed Intro to Rifle and Rifle Marksmanship in order to join GRIT.

Intro to Rifle: Cost: $10 When: Second Saturday of the month at 10:45 a.m. and

1:45 p.m.

Special Interest Group Troop 101027 is amazing. The coaches do an excellent job working with the girls and covering JOAD requirements.

Archery and Rifle Archery

Are you interested in trying archery for the first time or just getting in some range time? Our archery sessions are open for girls to register as individuals or as a group with their friends.

During this time, girls will learn the basics of archery and have plenty time to perfect their shooting skills! This activity does not earn the archery badge.

Who: Girls in second grade and up Cost: $10/girl Time: Sessions run at 9 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 1p.m., and

2:45 p.m. on each of the following days: Where/When:

Camp Silver Springs March 23

Misty Meadows Ranch May 4

Camp Casa Mare March 16, April 20,

May 11

Camp Robinwood May 27

Camp Pryor April 6 Contact: For information or to volunteer to instruct,

contact Ashlie Yarborough at customerservice@sjgs.org ⓓ-Daisy ⓑ-Brownie ⓙ-Juniors ⓒ-Cadettes ⓢ-Seniors ⓐ-Ambassadors

Rifle Marksmanship: Cost: $10 When: Second Saturday of the month at 12:45 p.m. and

3:15 p.m.

Environmental Houston Arboretum Badge Workshops Girl Scouts can work towards a variety of badges or journeys while they investigate the fascinating ecosystems at the Houston Arboretum. Badge workshops are conducted by staff naturalists and use their nature sanctuary as a field laboratory for hands-on experience.

Who: Where: Cost:

Contact:

ⓑⓙⓒ

Houston Arboretum, Central Houston (2 hour workshops) $23/girl (2+ hour workshops) $28/girl Rachel Archer, 713-292-0300, customerservice@sjgs.org

Cadette Trees March 23 Brownie WOW March 23 Brownie Bugs April 13 Junior Flowers April 13 Junior Outdoor Art Explorer May 4 Junior Flowers May 11 Brownie Bugs May 11

9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

1:30 – 4 p.m.

9:30 – 11:30 a.m.

1 – 4 p.m.

1 – 4 p.m.

9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

2 – 4 p.m.

Spring 2024 l The Golden Link

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Daisy and Brownie Shapes in Nature Badge Workshop

Join the Fort Bend Master Gardeners for this fun and interactive workshop. Girls will learn more about how to identify shapes and patterns in nature as well as make their own! Brownies will learn about counting, graphing, symmetry, and tessellations. They’ll get to observe and explore the beautiful gardens on this journey. Girls will receive their badge.

A small snack is included for this event.

Who: When: Where: Cost: Contact:

ⓓⓑ

April 13, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Bud O’Shieles Community Center, Rosenburg $18 Rachel Archer at customerservice@sjgs.org

Daisy Flower Garden Journey Workshop

Learn more about how to help plants and flowers grow with Fort Bend Master Gardners. They will explore gardens, garden design, how to choose plants, seeds, and more! Girls will receive the Daisy Flower Garden Award set. A snack is included for this event.

Who: When: Where: Cost: Contact:

ⓓ

June 8, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Bud O’Shieles Community Center, Rosenburg $22 Rachel Archer, 713-292-0300, customerservice@sjgs.org

Earth Day: Tree Planting at Camp Robinwood

Earn your Girl Scout Tree Promise Patch and celebrate Earth Day at Camp Robinwood! Girl Scouts will get to plant trees, participate in activities from the Texas A&M Forestry Project Learning Tree and Texas Parks and Wildlife Angler Education Program, and even fish in the lake! Includes Girl Scout Tree Promise Patch.

Who: Where: When: Cost: Contact:

All Levels Camp Robinwood, Willis April 27, 8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. $10 Rachel Archer, 713-292-0300, customerservice@sjgs.org

Use QR Code to go directly to events page.

32 Spring 2024 l The Golden Link

Fine Arts For more information, contact Julia Noble, 713-292-0300, customerservice@sjgs.org

James and the Giant Peach Workshop and Show, CYT

CYT invites you on a journey of enormous proportions in this action-packed magical adventure, featuring a wickedly tuneful score by the Tony Award-nominated team of Pasek and Paul. Brownies and Juniors will have the opportunity to participate in a morning workshop, where they will learn drama techniques, exciting songs, and fun dances from the production, as well as getting a sneak peek behind-thescenes with a backstage tour! Brownies will complete the requirements for the Brownie Dancer badge. Afterwards, they will take to the stage to present a short performance of what they learned, then girls and adults will return to attend a full-length Broadway-style production of the show, presented by the students of CYT. After the show, they will have the opportunity to meet the cast and get autographs and pictures!

Who:

When:

Where: Cost:

Brownies and Juniors (Workshop); DBJC, Adults (Performance) April 20, 9 a.m. – noon (Workshop); 2 p.m. (Performance) Christian Youth Theatre (Humble) $45/girl, $22/adult

The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical Workshop and Show

CYT invites you to travel to the underworld and back in this action-packed mythical adventure, adapted from the best-selling book The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan and featuring a thrilling original rock score "worthy of the gods" (Time Out New York). Juniors and Cadettes will have the opportunity to participate in a morning workshop, where they will learn drama techniques, exciting songs, and fun dances from the production, as well as getting a sneak peek behind-the-scenes with a backstage tour! [Juniors will complete the requirements for the Junior Musician badge.] Afterwards, they will take to the stage to present a short performance of what they learned before breaking for lunch (on your own). After lunch, girls and adults will return to attend a full-length Broadway-style production of the show, presented by the students of CYT. After the show, they will have the opportunity to meet the cast and get autographs and pictures!

Who:

When:

Where: Cost:

Juniors and Cadettes (Workshop); JCSA, Adults (Performance) May 18, 9 a.m. – noon (Workshop); 2 p.m. (Performance) Christian Youth Theatre (Conroe) $45/girl, $22/adult

ⓓ-Daisy ⓑ-Brownie ⓙ-Juniors ⓒ-Cadettes ⓢ-Seniors ⓐ-Ambassadors

Heart to Art Volunteers Needed

Please Note: Due to conflicts arising from such a busy Spring, we have decided to postpone this event to Fall 2024.

This coming Fall, GSSJC will launch Heart to Art, a weekend artists' retreat at Misty Meadows Ranch that offers Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors an opportunity to achieve higher creativity through self-exploration, inspiration, growth, mindfulness, and gratitude. Girls will unplug and step away from their busy day-to-day lives by retreating into nature and immersing themselves in artistic experiences to nourish and reinvigorate their creative spark.

We are looking for the following volunteers who want to be part of the creative and planning process: Girl Planning Board (GPB) – This a super exciting opportunity to leave your mark by shaping an event in its very first year! For GPB application or more info, please reach out to GSLE Manager, Julia Noble, jnoble@sjgs.org Adult Volunteers – We are in search of adults with event planning / organizer experience to join our committee and take on various roles. If interested, please reach out to GE Volunteer Coordinator, Corrie Jenkins, cjen98@yahoo.com or GSLE Manager, Julia Noble, jnoble@sjgs.org

Theatre Makers: From Script to Stage

Have you ever wondered how the magic of Broadway is made?

It takes an incredible team of people to get a production up and running. Theatre is truly the ultimate melting pot of all art forms! Join the professionals at Main Street Theater to find out just what goes into putting on a show. Learn about the journey a show takes from conception to opening night and all the different people involved along the way!

Who: When: Where: Cost: Cost:

Seniors and Ambassadors March 30, 1 – 3 p.m.

Main Street Theater $27/girl $27/girl

Speak Up, Speak Out! Cadette Public Speaker Badge

Does the thought of standing in front of a group of people make your knees wobbly or do you love captivating an audience?

Either way, this workshop is for you! Whether prepping for a presentation, an interview, an audition, or teaching a class, public speaking is a skill every girl should have! In this workshop, you will work with professional actors and teachers to get a feel for performing solo, learn to focus on body language, learn how to command a room, find your inner performer, find your voice and be unafraid to speak up!

Who: When: Where: Cost:

Cadettes April 13, 10 a.m. – noon Main Street Theater $27/girl

Camp Obscura GSSJC Camps Photography Contest GSSJC is home to some of the most excellent camps in the country, with 10 different properties, each having their own unique landscape and offerings. The opportunities to capture the beauty of nature and the magic of camp are endless! Now, we want to see our camps through your lens!

Whether you've only ever snapped selfies on your phone or whether you know your way around a darkroom, every girl has an inner artist and a perspective worth sharing!

Register on gsevents and a submission link will be emailed!

Who: When: Where: Contact:

Self-Paced Photography

Vine Images, INC. (Virtual) Learn how to capture your vision of the world in photographs.

This course is designed to be hands-on while including video instruction that is fun and engaging. Students will watch a short video introducing a new photography technique or skill, watch a demonstration, and then complete a photo challenge using the new skill learned. Be prepared to learn a lifelong skill you will cherish forever! You never know where this one click will take you. Once the course starts, you will be given access to learning modules and challenges designed by real photographers! You will have 30 days to complete the modules at your own pace. Camera or smartphone with camera is needed. Juniors and Ambassadors will earn their Photographer badges.

Who: When: Where: Cost:

ⓙ ⓒ ⓢⓐ

Every month, available on your own time.

Virtual $18/girl

Photography in the Park

In this workshop, photography principles and image editing techniques are used to assist students in capturing their vision of the world in photographs! Learn the basics of photography through focusing on composition, light, motion, and telling a story. Learn the basics of digital camera use by speaking with an expert, taking tons of photos, learning how to edit, and putting together a project. Workshops available for every level! Juniors and Ambassadors will earn their Photographer badges.

Who: When:

Where: Cost: ⓓ-Daisy ⓑ-Brownie ⓙ-Juniors ⓒ-Cadettes ⓢ-Seniors ⓐ-Ambassadors

All levels Through Aug. 30, 2024 GSSJC Camps Julia Noble, JNoble@sjgs.org

All Levels 9 a.m. – noon ⓢ ⓐ – March 23 ⓓ ⓑ – April 27 ⓙ ⓒ – May 25 Program Place and Levy Park $35 Spring 2024 l The Golden Link

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Gratitude Art Journaling

The Art of Gratitude is a hands-on workshop that will teach you how to combine art journaling with gratitude journaling. You will learn a variety of art techniques to use with art journaling prompts that will allow you to channel stress and anxiety into a creative flow, while learning ways to incorporate mindfulness and gratitude into an art journaling practice. All supplies will be provided.

Who: When: Where: Cost:

ⓓⓑⓙ

March 30; 10 – 11:30 a.m.

Program Place for Girls $25

Brownie Snacks - Mother's Day Tea!

Calling all Brownie chefs! Earn your badges in this fun, hands-on, Mother’s Day workshop and event! Girls will learn how to brew a pot and make yummy tea snacks! Parents will be invited back at the end of the workshop, to sit and enjoy the afternoon delights with their girls. Badge is included! There is no additional cost for adults, but those attending must register.

Who: When: Where: Cost:

ⓑ adults May 11; 10 a.m. – noon or 1 – 3 p.m.

Program Place for Girls $25/girl; Adults free

String Art

Check out this new art workshop and get hands-on with mixed media! Create a unique piece of painting the wood or cardboard, forming the outlines with hammer and nails, then weaving the strings. All tools/materials will be provided.

Who: When:

Where: Cost:

ⓑⓙ

April 13, Brownies 10 a.m. – noon; Juniors 1 – 3 p.m.

Program Place for Girls $25

Brownie Snacks Badge

Calling all Brownie chefs. Earn your badges in this fun, handson workshop. Girls will learn how to make yummy snacks for themselves, their family, and friends. Badge is included.

Who: When: Where: Cost:

ⓑ

June 1; 10 a.m. – noon Program Place for Girls $25

Junior Simple Meals Badge

Calling all Junior chefs. Earn your badges in this fun, handson workshop. Girls will learn how to create delicious, healthy meals for themselves, their family, and friends. Badge is included.

Who: When: Where: Cost:

ⓙ

Highest Awards Highest Awards Online Community Are you looking for more information on the Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award? Check out the Highest Awards Online Community, where you will find forms, guides, FAQs, tips and tricks, and more!

Highest Awards 101 and Q&A

Are you curious about the Highest Awards, just starting a Highest Awards adventure with your girls, or feel stuck along the way? Join us for this virtual Highest Awards Q&A session to learn more about the Highest Awards program at all levels– Bronze, Silver, and Gold–and get your questions answered. This session is for adults.

Who: Where: When: Cost: Contact:

Adults Virtual March 21, 7 – 8 p.m. $3/person Alix Reilman at customerservice@sjgs.org

Juniors Take-Action Workshop

Curious about how to start a Bronze Award project or complete a Girl Scout Journey? Join us for a take-action workshop where we’ll cover the differences between community service and take-action and how to best plan a take-action project. We’ll also learn from each other by sharing examples and ideas! Come ready to brainstorm!

Who: Where: When: Cost: Contact:

ⓙ adults Virtual April 28, 3:30 – 5 p.m. $5/person Alix Reilman at customerservice@sjgs.org

Silver Award Training for Adults

This virtual webinar training is designed for troop leaders, advisors, and parents who are looking to support Cadettes through the Silver Award process. Topics to be covered include project guidelines, submission deadlines, coaching tips, and how to navigate pursuing the Silver Award despite the impacts of COVID-19. The webinar will include a presentation, service vs. take action activity and Q&A. Who: Where: When: Cost: Contact:

Adults Virtual May 4, 10 – 11:30 a.m. $5/person silveraward@sjgs.org

June 1; 1 – 3 p.m.

Program Place for Girls $25

34 Spring 2024 l The Golden Link

ⓓ-Daisy ⓑ-Brownie ⓙ-Juniors ⓒ-Cadettes ⓢ-Seniors ⓐ-Ambassadors

Older Girl Take-Action Workshop

Curious about how to start a Silver or Gold Award project or complete a Girl Scout Journey? Join us for a take-action workshop where we’ll cover the differences between community service and take-action and how to best plan a take-action project. We’ll also learn from each other by sharing examples and ideas! Come ready to brainstorm!

Who: Where: When: Cost: Contact:

ⓒ ⓢ ⓐ Adults

Virtual April 21, 3:30 – 5 p.m. $5/person Alix Reilman at customerservice@sjgs.org

Silver Award Training for Cadettes

Silver Award training is now available on gsLearn! Girls and adults are invited to take GSUSA’s new, self-directed Silver Award training for the Silver Award Suite (approximately two hours). This training offers girls and adults a comprehensive overview of the Silver Award steps. forms, and tools for identifying and developing Silver Award projects that fall within the national guidelines, and more. Keep Silver Award Suite materials, including the guides, forms, and Volunteer Toolkit meeting plans at hand as you go through the training. Taking Silver Award training prior to starting the Silver Award process is strongly recommended.

Note: Girls must access this training through a registered Girl Scout adult’s MYGS account. Girls should watch this training along with their Silver Award adult volunteer.

Gold Award Orientation

The self-directed online Gold Award Orientation provides girls and adults with a comprehensive overview of the Gold Award steps and forms, tools for identifying and developing Gold Award projects that fall within the national guidelines, and GSSJC’s process for Gold Award applicants. Orientation is required for all girls who plan to earn their Gold Award and must be completed prior to submitting their Gold Award Project Proposal. The online orientation is broken into sections, takes approximately 90 minutes to complete but does not need to be finished in one sitting. Girls may also refer to it after it’s been completed.

Who: ⓢ ⓐadults Where/When: Online Contact: goldaward@sjgs.org

Use QR Code to go directly to events page. ⓓ-Daisy ⓑ-Brownie ⓙ-Juniors ⓒ-Cadettes ⓢ-Seniors ⓐ-Ambassadors

History Juliette Low Tea Party

A touch of history in your teacup. The girls will learn how to brew the perfect cup of tea, table manners, tea sandwich tips, and a favorite of Juliette Low’s — fan etiquette. You may wear your favorite tea party dress or hat and join this unforgettable afternoon hosted by the Council History Committee Program team in partnership with the Kappa Delta Sorority. A fun patch and special token are included. This is a girl only event.

Where: Program Place for Girls, Houston Cost: $20/girl Contact: Shannon Crider, customerservice@sjgs.org Who Date Time ⓓⓑ March 21 4:30 – 6 p.m. ⓓⓑ March 23 1:30 – 3 p.m. ⓓⓑ May 4 1:30 – 3 p.m.

Juliette Chronicles: “Girl Scouting through Time”

Take a trip back in time and view girl scouting through the decades. Girls will participate in a variety of indoor and outdoor activities that their grandmothers and mothers did in their Girl Scout meetings, such as communicating before cellphones and identifying plants and animals. Girls will get to make crafts, go on hikes, and spend the day at camp. We will end the day by learning about a modern scouting activity – letterboxing. Girls will make their own stamp to take home. Each girl is to bring their own lunch and enjoy picnicking. A fun patch is included so do not miss all the fun at camp. Hosted by the Council History Program Committee. This event is for Juniors and Brownies who have completed second grade in 2024.

Who: When:

Time: Cost: Contact:

ⓑⓙ

Conroe Area, June 15 Camp Pryor, July 13 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. $20/girl Shannon Crider at customerservice@sjgs.org

Taste of History

Learn about cooking while exploring the tastes and recipes of the past in this exciting program at camp! Girls will try out tasty treats from the past while learning more about our shared history, including uncovering some special delicacies from Girl Scout history. Hint, it has been said Juliette Low as a child, enjoyed sweets, especially taffy. This program includes a fun patch.

ⓑⓙ Who: Where/When:

Camp Pryor, Sat., April 6, 9:30 a.m. – noon Cost: $20/girl Contact: Shannon Crider at customerservice@sjgs.org Spring 2024 l The Golden Link

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Horseback Riding Leadline Pony Rides

This one-hour session combines the best of riding, love, hug, and groom, and pasture portraits! The rides are line-led for 15 minutes and take place in the arena. Fifteen minutes of the session include hands-on grooming with camp horses. The remaining 15 minutes gives participants an opportunity to take pictures with their favorite horses! Girls must arrive 30 minutes before their scheduled time to be fitted for boots and helmets. Appropriate attire includes long pants and boots with a smooth sole and half-inch heels. Boots and helmets are provided. Limit of 20 girls per session.

Who: Where: When: Cost:

All levels Misty Meadows Ranch April 21 at 9 a.m. or 10 a.m. $35/girl

Pony Rides (Brownie +)

This one-hour session combines the best of both riding and love, hug, and groom! The rides are for 30 minutes and take place in the arena. The remaining 30 minutes of the session include hands-on grooming with camp horses. Girls must arrive 30 minutes before their scheduled time to be fitted for boots and helmets. Appropriate attire includes long pants and boots with a smooth sole and half-inch heels. Boots and helmets are provided.

Limit of 20 girls per session.

Who: Where: When:

Cost:

ⓑⓙ ⓒ ⓢⓐ

Misty Meadows Ranch April 6, 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m.

April 7, 9 a.m., 10 a.m.

April 27, 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m.

April 28, 9 a.m., 10 a.m. $35 per girl

Horseback Riding

Demonstrations and rides last one hour and take place in either the arena or on a trail touring the Misty Meadows Ranch, depending on the skill of the riders and/or the weather. Girls must arrive 30 minutes before their scheduled ride time to be fitted for boots and helmets. Appropriate attire includes long pants and boots with a smooth sole and half- inch heels. Boots and helmets are provided. Limit of 12 girls per session.

Who: Where: When:

Cost:

ⓙ ⓒ ⓢⓐ

Misty Meadows Ranch March 17 – 9 a.m., 10 a.m.

March 23 – 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m.

March 24 – 9 a.m., 10 a.m.

April 6 – 2 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m.

April 7 – 2 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m.

April 13 – 3 p.m., 4 p.m.

April 14 – 9 a.m., 10 a.m.

May 4 – 3 p.m., 4 p.m.

May 5 – 9 a.m., 10 a.m.

May 11 – 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m.

May 12 – 9 a.m., 10 a.m. $35/girl

36 Spring 2024 l The Golden Link

Love, Hug, and Groom Love, Hug, and Groom is a non-riding activity to introduce girls of all ages to horse care. In this one-hour session, girls will receive a barn tour, introduction to horse care, and participate in hands-on grooming with camp horses. Don’t forget the opportunity to take lots of pictures!

Limit of 24 girls per session.

Who: Where: When:

Cost:

All levels Misty Meadows Ranch March 16 – 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m.

March 17 – 9 a.m., 10 a.m.

March 23 – 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m.

March 24 – 9 a.m., 10 a.m.

April 6 – 2 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m.

April 13 – 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m.

April 14 – 9 a.m., 10 a.m.

April 20 – 3 p.m.

April 27 – 2 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m.

May 4 – 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m.

May 5 – 9 a.m., 10 a.m.

May 11 – 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m.

May 12 – 9 a.m., 10 a.m. $10/girl

Vaulting

If you love gymnastics and horses, this 1.5-hour session is for you! Vaulters will learn compulsories on a barrel before trying them out on a horse! Appropriate attire includes legging-type pants and water shoes/swim socks. Vaulting shows will be available for the session. Limit of 12 girls per session.

Where: Who: Cost: When:

Misty Meadows Ranch

ⓒ ⓢⓐ

$40/girl April 13, 9 a.m., 10 a.m.; April 20, 3 p.m.; May 4, 9 a.m., 10 a.m.

Just Horsin’ Around Badge Workshop

You will learn horse safety, parts of the saddle and bridle, how to groom and tack, take a horseback ride, make a stick horse, and do an obstacle course! Girls who complete the workshop will go home with a horse fun patch for their uniform. Limit of 32 girls per workshop.

Who: Where: When: Cost:

ⓑ

Misty Meadows Ranch April 20, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. $40/girl

Use QR Code to go directly to events page. ⓓ-Daisy ⓑ-Brownie ⓙ-Juniors ⓒ-Cadettes ⓢ-Seniors ⓐ-Ambassadors

Saddlehorns (STARS Program Level 1)

This program teaches girls about grooming, leading, equine nutrition, horse colors, and riding skills at a walk. Basic horse safety is emphasized. Girls will rotate through four sessions, including one riding session in the arena. The program begins with a Friday evening orientation. Rotations occur all day on Saturday. The program finishes with troop photos with the horses on Sunday morning.

Where: When: Cost:

Misty Meadows Ranch April 26 – April 28 $80/girl; $30/adult

Rustlers (STARS Program Level 2)

Girls will learn how to saddle a horse, how to clean and maintain tack and the basics of horse anatomy. Riding skills and horse safety will be reviewed and performed at a walk and potentially a trot. Girls will rotate through four sessions, including one riding session in the arena. The program begins with a Friday evening orientation. Rotations occur all day on Saturday. The program finishes with troop photos with the horses on Sunday morning.

Where: When: Cost:

Misty Meadows Ranch April 12 – 14 $80/girl; $30/adult

Wranglers (STARS Program Level 3) Girls will learn how to bridle a horse and will explore equine health and conformation. Horse safety will be reviewed, and riding skills performed at a walk and a trot. Girls will rotate through four sessions, including one riding session in the arena. The program begins with a Friday evening orientation. Rotations occur all day on Saturday. The program finishes with troop photos with the horses on Sunday morning.

Where: When: Cost:

Misty Meadows Ranch April 5 – April 7 $80/girl; $30/adult

STARS Program Aide Training (STARS Program Level 4)

Girls who are interested in teaching horse skills to younger girls should attend this course. STARS are asked to work at least one fall and one spring weekend per year. This training weekend will focus on improving horse handling skills, teaching techniques, professionalism, and teamwork. All food is provided for girls and adults. The program begins with a Friday evening orientation.

Rotations occur all day on Saturday. The program finishes with a trail ride on Sunday morning.

Where: When: Cost:

Misty Meadows Ranch April 19 – April 21 $70/girl; $30/adult

Sailing For all sailing activities, please contact sailing.coordinator@ gmail.com or Gabrielle Garritson at ggarritson@sjgs.org

Intro to Sailing

Are you curious about sailing? Do you want to feel the wind on your face and hear the water splashing around you? You will work alongside our Mariners Special Interest Group as they ready the boats to take you on a sailing adventure on the open seas! Sign up to be a “sailor” for the weekend. You must attend the entire weekend. Introduction to Sailing is a general sailing activity and is not a prerequisite to the Mariner program. Must pass the GSSJC Proficient Swimmer and Advanced Swimmer Test. Requirements are available on gssjc.org. Please see section on swim test requirements. Cards can be submitted to sailing. coordinator@gmail.com. Girls without cards will not be allowed to remain at camp.

Who: When: Where: Cost:

Mariner and Mariner Weekends If you have completed Basic Sailing and you want more sailing with like-minded girls, then the Mariners Special Interest Group is for you! What is the benefit of being a Mariner? You will learn leadership through instructing others, gain the experience to advance your sailing skills, and acquire service hours that can go towards school and troop requirements. Not to mention, it is a wonderful opportunity to meet new friends and tell them all about how awesome it is to go sailing. Register as a Mariner today! Adult volunteers must register as well.

Mariner Special Interest Group Fee: $10 Where: Casa Mare, Seabrook Prerequisite: Must have successfully completed and passed Basic Sailing Mariner Weekends You have completed Basic Sailing, registered as a Mariner, and now you are officially a Mariner! Part of being in this awesome special interest group is you will have the opportunity to hang out with other girls on weekends just for Mariners. You will have the chance to practice your sailing skills in a relaxed and fun environment. These weekends are typically themed, which adds to the fun! Mariners head to Casa Mare where they eat, sleep, and sail. You must already be a registered Mariner to attend and have successfully completed and passed Basic Sailing. Please reach out to our Mariner coordinator at mariner.coordinators@gmail.com for additional information. Adult volunteers must register as well.

When:

ⓓ-Daisy ⓑ-Brownie ⓙ-Juniors ⓒ-Cadettes ⓢ-Seniors ⓐ-Ambassadors

Girls 11 and older May 3 –5 Casa Mare, Seabrook $75

April 19 – April 21 or May 17 – May 19 *Two different weekends*

Spring 2024 l The Golden Link

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How Do I Obtain my GSSJC Proficient and Advanced Swimmer Card?

We have made it really simple!

All you will need to do is go to our website, www.gssjc.org. Once on the site, you will find the form needed under the “Members” tab. When you click on “Forms and Documents,” you can search “Swim test” and the form will appear. Print that form out and take it to your local community pool, recreation center, or swimming pool for the required professionals to administer the test. Please note that girls will still be re-tested at the time of the activity and could be requested to leave if they do not pass the test. If your Girl Scout has participated in American Red Cross swim lessons in the past and has obtained a Level 4 swim card, she can still use that as the requirement.

We Need Dorm Moms!

To help our program to be fun and safe, we need your help! Dorm Moms are an awesome group of women that assist with meals, serve as watchers during sailing, and ensure the girls are having fun during their weekend stay. Because the Mariners are girl-led, most of the activities will be led by our older girls. Consider this a small weekend getaway with some supervision! Enjoy a stressand worry-free stay for the weekend by the bay helping girls have their best time sailing! All dorm moms are required to complete Youth Protection Training Level 1 and Level 2, found in gsLearn.

Contact sailing.coordinator@gmail.com for additional details!

Instruction Weekends

Some courses are held over two weekends. Girls must attend both. Due to the commitment and nature of the courses, we cannot make special schedule adjustments or accommodations. If a girl is unable to attend both weekends in their entirety, she will be encouraged to enroll at another time. Please note that the success of sailing is based on the weather. Although we will do our best to ensure girls get as much sailing time as they can, sometimes weather simply will not allow it. Because of this, girls may not meet the requirements of completion and will be asked to repeat the course. There are opportunities to enroll in sailing during summer overnight camp or to try again in the upcoming season.

Basic Sailing Want to learn how to sail the open seas? Are you interested in being a Mariner? This is the activity for you! Learn how to rig and sail a Sunfish sailboat. You will learn boat safety, injury prevention, knot tying, and more. This is a physically and mentally demanding activity.

Be prepared to be challenged and have fun. Basic Sailing is a twoweekend course, and you must attend both weekends, no exceptions.

Girl Scouts must be at least 11 years old. Also, they need to successfully pass the GSSJC Proficient Swimmer and Advanced Swimmer Test.

Please see section on previous page on swim test requirements.

When:

Cost: Where:

April 26 – April 28 and May 10 – May 12 *Both weekends are required attendance* $150 Casa Mare, Seabrook

38 Spring 2024 l The Golden Link

Use QR Code to go directly to events page.

Girl Scouts Love Marine Mammals!

Discover marine mammals of the Gulf of Mexico and learn how you can contribute to conservation efforts while visiting the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network’s Rehabilitation and Research Center in Galveston. Take a guided tour of the facility, learn about marine mammals in Texas, view the bone specimen display, and dive into action at the beach as you participate in a mock stranding and rescue activities. Each participant will receive a dolphin conservation patch after completing the workshop. Optional - after the workshop, join some of the Marine Mammal Scientists for a ferry ride and dolphin spotting!

Who: When: Cost: Contact:

All levels, volunteers Saturday, June 8, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. $36/girl; Free for adults Kathy Elliott, customerservice@sjgs.org

STEM For all STEM events, contact Rachel Archer, rarcher@sjgs.org, or registars at customerservice@sjgs.org for more information.

Think Like a Citizen Scientist Brownie Camp Weekend

Join our older girl team captains to earn your Think Like a Citizen Scientist badge. Learn what is citizen science, how to make observations, participate in a citizen science project, and have a great time at camp! There are two options for this event: a Saturday overnight stay or a Saturday day only. Older Girl Scouts will serve as team captains for each group. Program materials and the earned badge are provided. All participants will receive Saturday lunch and dinner plus an afternoon snack. Overnight participants will also receive Sunday breakfast and s’mores supplies.

Who: When:

Where: Cost:

Contact:

ⓑ

March 23 – 24 (Day Only) Saturday from 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.

(Overnight) 9 a.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday Camp Agnes Arnold, Conroe (Day Only) $30/girl, $10/adult (Overnight) $60/girl, $35/adult Rachel Archer, 713-292-0300, customerservice@sjgs.org

ⓓ-Daisy ⓑ-Brownie ⓙ-Juniors ⓒ-Cadettes ⓢ-Seniors ⓐ-Ambassadors

Ask the Experts – Careers in STEM

Interested in science, technology, engineering or mathematics?

Meet a panel of engineers, scientists and experts from a variety of experts across the spectrum of science to learn about the careers in STEM. They will share their experiences with you and answer your questions. Ask the Experts Patch and STEM rocker included.

Who: When: Where: Cost: Contact:

ⓒ ⓢⓐ

May 18, 10 – 11:30 a.m.

Virtual $5 Rachel Archer, 713-292-0300, customerservice@sjgs.org

Rock Stars Team Captains

Do you want to work on your leadership skills? Do you think you can help Juniors learn to work as a team? Are you interested in earning your Service to Girl Scouting Award? Rock Stars is a day-only event for Juniors to learn about geology at camp. It is led by geologists and other planetary scientists/physicists. We are bringing this program back for the first time in five years! Team captains will attend a prep meeting and assist our volunteers in leading sessions at camp. Note: Girl Scouts need to attend BOTH the prep day and the main event Who: When:

Where: Cost: Contact:

ⓒ ⓢⓐ

(Prep meeting) Saturday, March 16, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

(Rock Stars) Saturday, April 20, 8 a.m. –5:30 p.m.

Misty Meadows Ranch, Conroe $30/girl, $10/adult Rachel Archer, 713-292-0300, customerservice@sjgs.org

Robotics Competition Team Informational Meeting for Adults

This informational meeting is for adults and troop leaders of girls who have not completed in a Girl Scout robotics competition team before, or who are progressing a level. Competing on a robotics team is a fantastic way for girls to explore collaboration and fun science topics while honing their engineering and coding skills.

Although we will form teams from girls whose parents don’t attend this meeting, it is recommended and highly encouraged for parents or leaders to attend this meeting to understand the commitment and content of the program. This meeting will go over timing, commitment, content, what girls do, what a typical season looks like, and more! We ask that no girls attend, as this is strictly informational.

Who: Where: When: Cost: Contact:

Adults (no girls, please) Virtual May 5, 4 – 5 p.m.; May 15, 7 – 8 p.m.

Free (all adults must register) Rachel Archer, 713-292-0300, customerservice@sjgs.org

ⓓ-Daisy ⓑ-Brownie ⓙ-Juniors ⓒ-Cadettes ⓢ-Seniors ⓐ-Ambassadors

Rock Stars – Geology Day at Camp

Join us at camp for a rockin’ day filled with hands on learning lead by real geologists, physicists and planetary scientists from Houston! Explore geology, minerals, earth science, earthquakes and more!

Who: When: Where: Cost:

ⓙ

April 20, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Misty Meadows Ranch $40/girl, $10/adult

STEM Career Exploration Day

Learn about different careers in a one-stop job fair. There will be two sessions. Girls will be able to speak to adults in different and various career fields that include STEM but also non-traditional careers like welding and pluming. Resume writing will be part of the girl’s day. The STEM Career Exploration will be part of the day.

Who: Where:

When:

Cost: Contact:

ⓒ ⓢ ⓐ adults

Rogers Middle School – Meeting Areas – Commons Cafeteria, 3121 Manvel Road Pearland April 27, (2 Sessions) 9 – 10:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. – noon $5/girl, $1/adult Jasmine Green customerservice@sjgs.org

ABB Supports Girls in STEM Patch ABB, a global technology leader, is teaming up with GSSJC to help spark girls’ interest in STEM. Girls are natural-born scientists! They look at the world around them with inquisitive eyes as they experiment, push boundaries, and learn as they go.

Throughout our 100-year-plus history, Girl Scouts have learned by doing. And because our program is girl-led, girls decide what they do together, often choosing to explore science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

In fact, Girl Scouts are more likely to participate in STEM activities than non–Girl Scouts–and in the process, they become better problem-solvers and critical thinkers, and more effective leaders.

Patch Requirements: To earn the ABB Girls in STEM patch from GSSJC, Girl Scouts will complete at least one STEM challenges, either on their own or with their troop or group. After completing an evaluation online, the free patches will be mailed out!

Take a look at the patch details!https://www.gssjc.org/en/ members/for-girl-scouts/council-patch-program.html

Use QR Code to go directly to events page.

Spring 2024 l The Golden Link

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Travel Contact: Adults:

Kathy Elliott, customerservice@sjgs.org If you are interested in being a chaperone for any trip, please email travel@sjgs.org for details.

2025 Council Trip to New Orleans

Delve into Creole and Cajun culture in the diverse and vibrant New Orleans. Stroll through the famous French Quarter, try your hand at Creole cooking, see how the floats are made for the world-famous Mardi Gras festival, visit the Whitney Plantation, and cruise down the Mississippi River with a live jazz band. This trip is open to individual girls as well as groups.

This trip will depart from the Program Place for Girls and includes ground transportation, accommodations, meals, and admission to all activities. Registration is open to girls who will be entering the fourth grade and up in 2025. Participants on this trip will have monthly Zoom meetings starting in the fall and have the opportunity to help choose some of the final activities. Girl Scouts on this trip may also participate in the fall product sale, cookie sale, and other money earning activities to help fund the trip.

Who: When: Cost:

ⓙ ⓒ ⓢ ⓐ volunteers

June 12-16, 2025 $1,350 per person (payment plan available)

2025 Trip to Nuestra Cabaña, Mexico

Visit one of the WAGGGS World Centre! Embark on an extraordinary journey to Las Estacas, a breathtaking natural park.

Prepare to be mesmerized by the crystal-clear turquoise waters of the river, engage in thrilling adventures like snorkeling and river rafting, or simply find tranquility on the picturesque bank. You’ll discover the power of nature in fostering personal reflection and growth.

This event embraces the spirit of camaraderie as you engage in cultural exchanges and sharing traditions and stories with fellow adventurers from around the globe. Get ready to unveil the beauty of nature, forge unforgettable friendships, connect with the locals in a community action activity and create lasting memories in this remarkable journey of adventure and connection.

This trip will depart from Houston Intercontinental Airport and includes airfare, ground transportation in Mexico, and accommodations and meals at Nuestra Cabaña. Registration is open to girls aged 13-18 at the time of the trip. Participants on this trip will have monthly Zoom meetings starting in the fall.

Girl Scouts on this trip may also participate in the fall product sale, cookie sale, and other money earning activities to help fund the trip. Depending on the airline schedule, this trip may depart one day earlier and/or return one day later and spend an extra night at Nuestra Cabaña.

Who:

When: Cost:

ⓒ ⓢ ⓐ volunteers

(girls 13 and up at time of trip) August 3 – 10, 2025 $2,300 per person (payment plan available)

40 Spring 2024 l The Golden Link

2026 Culinary Tour through France

This tour will expand your mind and entice your tastebuds, unveiling the secrets of the highly regaled French cuisine to every cook and foodie on your tour. Once you’ve had your fill of crepes and escargot, take a break from gastronomical research to explore the number of historical and artistic pit stops throughout Paris and the countryside. Come prepared with your best French and chef hat – and of course, come with an appetite.

This trip will depart from Houston Intercontinental Airport and includes airfare, transportation in France, meals and accommodations in France, admission to all activities, and a dedicated tour guide for our group. Registration is open to girls who will be entering the seventh grade and up in 2026, Participants on this trip will have monthly Zoom meetings starting in the fall. Girl Scouts on this trip may also participate in the fall product sale, cookie sale, and other money-earning activities to help fund the trip. Hosted by: GSSJC, through Explorica Tours Who: When: Cost:

ⓒ ⓢ ⓐ volunteers

June 12 – 21, 2026 $5,500 – $6,000 per person (payment plans available)

2025 Council Trip to Savannah, Georgia

Join us for a special trip to Savannah, Georgia to learn about Juliette Gordon Low. Visit the Girl Scout first headquarters and Juliette Gordon Low’s birthplace, enjoy strolling through beautiful historic Savannah, and have fun with a special Fourth of July celebration by the river! This trip is open to individual girls as well as groups.

This trip includes airfare from Houston, transportation in Savannah, accommodation, meals, and admission to all activities.

Registration is open to girls who will be entering the sixth grade and up in 2025. Participants on this trip will have monthly Zoom meetings starting in the fall and have the opportunity to help choose some of the final activities. Girl Scouts on this trip may also participate in the fall product sale, cookie sale, and other money earning activities to help fund the trip.

Who: When: Cost:

ⓒ ⓢ ⓐ volunteers

June 30 – July 5, 2025 $1,600 per person (payment plan available)

Use QR Code to go directly to events page.

ⓓ-Daisy ⓑ-Brownie ⓙ-Juniors ⓒ-Cadettes ⓢ-Seniors ⓐ-Ambassadors

Training Troop Volunteer Tranings

We value our volunteers and know that providing great learning opportunities is key to your success in Girl Scouts. Here you will find a schedule of upcoming training opportunities, both in-person and virtual, as well as descriptions of self-paced training available to volunteers in gsLearn. For in-person and virtual training, registration end dates are final. For questions about troop volunteer training, please contact Dejah Covick, dcovick@sjgs.org or 713-292-0254.

Schedule at-a-Glance: Date Course Registration Ends Prerequisite Self-paced Volunteer Basics Self-paced GSUSA’s New Leader Onboarding Series Self-paced Youth Protection Training Level 1 Self-paced Youth Protection Training Level 2 Youth Protection 1 Self-paced Camping and Overnight Basics (COB) Volunteer Basics Mar 16 Youth Mental Health First Aid VIRTUAL March 10 Online Coursework Mar 23 Volunteer Camper Certification March 10 COB Apr 6 Volunteer Camper Certification March 22 COB Apr 13 First Aid CPR/AED BLENDED March 30 Online Coursework May 11 First Aid CPR/AED BLENDED April 27 Online Coursework

Location gsLearn gsLearn gsLearn gsLearn gsLearn Zoom ATC ATC GSC GSC

GSC: Girl Scout Center (Houston) WAM: Wind A Mere (Alvin) ATC: Adult Training Center (Conroe) Camping and Overnight Basics (COB) Camping and Overnight Basics is an online course that certifies, registered background checked adults to lead camping and overnight trips for their troop. After taking this course you’ll be qualified to rent units at camp, lead overnight trips with the troop, and help your girls make the most out of their camp experience. Available online in gsLearn First Aid CPR/AED Blended Blended Learning First Aid/AED/CPR training comprises both online study and in-person skills demonstration. This Red Cross training certifies for infant through adult. Participants must complete both parts to receive their certification. You must complete the online portion, approximately 5-7 hours of training prior to attending the in-person skills demonstration. There are videos to complete and an online manual. Registration available in gsEvents GSUSA’s New Leader Onboarding Series In this series of self-paced trainings, learn what Girl Scouts do, how to engage families in troop activities and walks through your first troop meeting. Available online in gsLearn Youth Mental Health First Aid VIRTUAL Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis. Youth Mental Health First Aid is primarily designed for adults who regularly interact with young people. The course introduces common mental health challenges for youth, reviews typical adolescent development, and teaches a 5-step action plan for how to help young people in both crisis and non-crisis situations. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, substance use, disorders in which psychosis may occur, disruptive behavior disorders (including AD/HD), and eating disorders.

Come and join Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council and become certified in Youth Mental Health First Aid. This program is sponsored in part by HCA. This is a training that will cover a variety of sensitive topics. This is an all day training, but a break will be offered for lunch. Registration available in gsEvents

New Leader Sundaes: Café’s 1-3 Get a jump start on your next learning level as a new leader with these three trainings, all in one afternoon: Welcome to Our Community, Troop Finances 101 and Recruiting a Troop Committee.

You’ll be ready for your first meeting with Girl Scout families after this virtual meeting with other leaders who are just getting started, and our experienced facilitators, there to answer your questions.

Registration available in gsEvents Volunteer Basics The “basics” of being a volunteer in Girl Scouts of San Jacinto.

The four modules of this training cover Safety Basics, Troop/Group Basics, Financial Basics and DEIB. This training is required for all new leaders, and recommended for any volunteer. Available online in gsLearn Volunteer Camper Certification (VCC) After this hands-on learning experience you’ll be ready to get your girls outdoors and be able to support their camp planning activities safely and confidently. Participate in 4 different outdoor cooking methods, outdoor ceremonies, campfire basics and more. It also prepares you for cooking in a safe, efficient way and develop other basic outdoor skills. Most importantly, you will leave ready to apply what you have learned in both courses (this and the prerequisite) to help the girls plan camping activities. Prerequisite: Camping and Overnight Basics (COB). Registration available in gsEvents.

Youth Protection Level 1 Learn how to recognize the different signs of abuse and neglect, and how to be proactive to prevent child abuse. This course is required for ALL volunteers working with girls. Available online in gsLearn Youth Protection Level 2 Overnight activities bring a new set of circumstances for youth protection. This course is a deeper dive into the definitions, signs and symptoms of abuse as well as reporting and protecting yourself while volunteering with youth. This course is required for all volunteers attending overnights and/or camping with girls. Available online in gsLearn Spring 2024 l The Golden Link

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Summer Train-in IN-PERSON

We want to welcome you aboard the Summer Train-In! Select the route that matches closest to the level your girls will be in the Fall. If you have a healthy mix of program levels, invite another volunteer from your troop to attend another route and get twice as much learning in! Bring your own lunch for this training day. If you attended last summer and your girls aren’t bridging this year, we invite you to join Route E for a day full of Enrichment classes.

Where: Girl Scout Center, Houston

Route Y: Younger Girls

Route J: Juniors

Daisy Brownie Program Leadership 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Partnering with GS Juniors 9 – 11 a.m.

GS Traditions in the 21st Century 1:30 – 3 p.m.

Guide Girls to Take Action 1 – 2:30 p.m.

STEM Crafts 3:15 – 4:45 p.m.

Route O: Older Girls Partnering with Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Lunch and GS Shop Break What to do Instead of Banning Cell Phones 1 – 2:30 p.m.

Beyond Badges and Journeys 2:45 – 4:15 p.m.

Daisy/Brownie Program Leadership (4 hours) Route Y: Daisy and Brownie Volunteers Designed for leaders who are new to the troop leadership role working or new to working with girls in grades K-3. Participants can see the progression in characteristics of each age group and learn about earned awards; troop governance; field trips & service project readiness; ceremonies; the girl/adult partnership; tips on girl planning; and more with the use of available badge and journey resources.

GS Traditions in the 21st Century (1.5 hours) Route Y: Daisy and Brownie Volunteers Do you know the Girl Scout Handshake, Motto, Promise and Law and how to teach it to the girls?

Learn about traditions in Girl Scouting (to include investiture/rededication; Girl Scout holidays and more), not only what they are but what gave birth to them. It promises to be lots of fun.

STEM Crafts (1.5 hours) Route Y: Daisy and Brownie Volunteers Gain some hands-on experience creating exciting projects that will spark girls’ interest and give you some ideas for completing badge steps.

Route E: Enrichments Galore Make the World a Better Place 8:45-10:15am Mental Health Matters 10:30 a.m. – noon There’s No “I” in Team 1 – 2:30 p.m.

Money Management 2:45 – 4:15 p.m.

Partnering with Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors (2 hours) Route O: Cadette, Senior and Ambassador Volunteers This training is highly recommended for NEW leaders working with Cadette, Senior and Ambassador program levels or leaders moving to Cadette leadership. Gain insight on how girls this age think, guide them in girl planning and when to step back so girls can develop leadership skills.

Discover ways to become teen savvy, how to talk to girls about the 3T’s (Touchy Teen Topics) and the importance of maintaining confidentiality with troop members.

There’s No “I” in Team (2 hours) Route E: Enrichments What activities will help manage differences in personality styles and allow the troop to grow and learn together? That’s right: Team Building games!

Join us in this fun participatory workshop filled with games and activities aimed at team building and communication skills. You will leave with activities your girls will love that will bring the troop closer together.

Sessions continued on next page

Partnering with Girl Scout Juniors (2 hours) Route J: Junior Volunteers Adults new to the Junior leadership role are encouraged to attend this course, designated to provide specifics on working with girls in grades 4-5.

It includes various forms of troop government, characteristics of the girls, the girl/adult partnership, tips on girl planning and more.

Guiding Girls to Take Action (1.5 hours) Route J: Junior Volunteers Take Action projects are a chance for girls to learn about getting to the roots of issues, to mobilize others, and to strive toward creating lasting change in their world. Are you struggling with how to guide girls? Do you know your leadership style in supporting girls in their planning? Learn how to address the Take Action components as the girls complete Journey Take Action Projects and plan for higher award projects Beyond Badges and Journeys (1.5 hours) Routes J & O: Junior, Cadette, Senior and Ambassador Volunteers Higher awards, leadership awards and special interest groups are some of what makes Girl Scouting unique and life changing. Explore what is available to Juniors, Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors that will keep them coming back. Round out the course with valuable discussion among leaders and volunteers working with girls of this level.

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Save the Date for Summer Train-in VIRTUAL

We want to welcome you aboard the Summer Train-In from the comfort of your computer screen! Select the route that matches closest to the level your girls will be in the fall. If you have a healthy mix of program levels, invite another volunteer from your troop to attend another route and get twice as much learning in! If you attended last summer or the in-person training earlier this year and your girls aren’t bridging this year, we invite you to join Route E for a day full of enrichment classes.

Sessions continued from previous page What to do Instead of Banning Phones (1.5 hours) Route O: Cadette, Senior and Ambassador Volunteers This course is about strategies for getting Juniors through Ambassadors to own the expectations, behaviors, and discipline in their troop. Adults tend to get frustrated when girls miss planning meetings and come only to the fun, when girls appear to be texting during meetings instead of contributing and other older girl behavior. Discuss ideas to guide girls to create the behavior contract they want for full ownership of their troop as well as how to let go as a troop leader.

Make the World a Better Place (1.5 hours) Route E: Enrichments Take Action projects are a chance for girls to learn about getting to the roots of issues, to mobilize others, and to strive toward creating lasting change in their world. Are you struggling with how to guide girls? Do you know your leadership style in supporting girls in their planning?

Learn how to address the Take Action components as the girls complete Journey Take Action Projects and plan for higher award projects

Mental Health Matters (1.5 hours) Route E: Enrichments High stress and feelings of frustration are signs of trouble for you and the girls you work with. Taking care of yourself is an important skill for all volunteers. Join us for reflection, assessment, and conversation as we take back control of our lives. Learn how to decompress and say, “no,” without feeling guilty. Learn how to apply your new skills to your troop, family, and work. The work you begin in this class will be with you for a lifetime!

Money Management (1.5 hours) Route E: Enrichments Are troop finances a mystery to you? This course will provide basic information to help you and the girls manage the troop account. You will also get information on when and how you can apply for money earning activities, solicit troop donations, receive a volunteer grant from an employer, and how to stay in good standing with the Council as a leader/ advisor.

Administrative Trainings

For questions about administrative training, please contact Cassie Robinson at crobinson@sjgs.org.

Event Name Youth Mental Health First Aid Facilitator Essentials Adult Recognition Event Event Basics Weekend Events Recruitment Team Lead Placement Liaison Mentor Team Lead C.A.F.E. Recruitment Training Day

Dates Time March 16 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

April 6 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

April 20 8:30 a.m.

April 28 1 – 5 p.m.

April 29 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

April 28 1 – 3 p.m.

April 28 3:30 – 5:30 p.m.

May 14 7 – 9 p.m.

May 16 7 – 9 p.m.

June 15

Venue Zoom GSC Camp Agnes Arnold Zoom Zoom Zoom Zoom Zoom Zoom GSC

Price $10 $15 $25 $6 $6 $6 $6 $6 $6 $15

Youth Mental Health First Aid

Troop “To-Do’s” – Spring 2024

Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis. Youth Mental Health First Aid is primarily designed for adults who regularly interact with young people.

The course introduces common mental health challenges for youth, reviews typical adolescent development, and teaches a fivestep action plan for how to help young people in both crisis and non-crisis situations. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, substance use, disorders in which psychosis may occur, disruptive behavior disorders (including AD/HD), and eating disorders.

Join Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council and become certified in Youth Mental Health First Aid. This program is sponsored in part by HCA. This training will cover a variety of sensitive topics. This is an all-day training session, but a break will be offered for lunch. Please note: There is required pre-work for this course that must be completed before the day of the training.

This coursework is approximately two hours.

To DON’T: q Don’t wait until the last minute to purchase end of year recognitions for girls. q Miss the deadline for Troop Finance Reports. Prepare your Troop Finance Report (F-31) and turn it in by May 31. Submit through the Volunteer Toolkit.

Cost: $10

Date: March 16

Zoom: 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Check out this handy list of spring “to-do” and “to-don’t” for troop team members!

To DO: q Consider becoming a delegate for your Community and attend the GSSJC Annual Meeting on April 20. q Celebrate and thank volunteers on Volunteer Appreciation Day (April 22)! q Prepare for bridging and Court of Awards – plan it with your girls! q Early Bird renewal – get girls and volunteers renewed and ready for the next school year. q Plan something fun for your girls this summer. Check on day and twilight camp options in your area and share overnight camp information with parents. q Attend Summer Train-in and get trained up for next year!

Ways to Give Thanks to Volunteers

Volunteer Appreciation Week is April 14 – 20! There are many small ways to recognize the work of your Girl Scout troop volunteers.

• Just say, “Thank You.” • Create small thank you gifts to carry with you—see Pinterest • Send a card (better yet, have girls make one). for lots of ideas.

• Post a “shout out’ on Facebook.

• Visit the Girl Scout Shop for lots of themed items and ideas.

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Philanthropy Leave Your Legacy to Girl Scouts

As a Girl Scout of San Jacinto troop leader, Gold Award review board member, and donor, Thea Fabio understands the importance of giving back to girls. Fabio gave back directly to girls as a troop leader for two of her daughters. As she guided the girls’ progression and maturation through their Girl Scout Journey, Fabio discovered her passion – helping girls turn their dream of earning the Gold Award into a reality – and became a GSSJC Gold Award advisor. The Gold Award is the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn.

“I am a strong proponent of opportunities for girls to enjoy being with other girls, for them to gain confidence in their own abilities, and for them to demonstrate their leadership skills,” Fabio said. “I support girls’ schools and women’s colleges and organizations that promote women’s issues.”

Her support of girls’ and women’s organizations led Thea to earmark a donation to GSSJC in her will. “Girl Scouts give girls the opportunity to be with other girls, to excel outside the co-ed, stereotypical school peer pressures, and to lead,” Fabio said. “Girl Scouting has offered so much to my own daughters over the years and has provided me as a means to give back to girls and young women in a way that promotes their maturation and self-confidence.”

Make a gift to GSSJC in your will One of the simplest ways for you to make a future contribution is to include Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council in your will. If you have already made GSSJC one of your nonprofit beneficiaries, please share this with us. For more information, contact Susan Thraen at sthraen@sjgs.org or 713-292-0331.

Thank You, GSSJC Donors! $500,000+ - Gold Ellen DeSanctis $100,000-$499,999 – Silver The Melbern G. and Susanne M. Glasscock Foundation The Florence and William K. McGee, Jr. Family Foundation $50,000-$99,999 – Bronze EOG Resources, Inc. $25,000-$49,999 – Ambassador Entergy Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation The Vivian L. Smith Foundation $10,000-$24,999 – Senior H-E-B Ana and Will Kopf 44 Spring 2024 l The Golden Link

Thomas McGee John P. McGovern Foundation Michelle and Joseph Raab Sempra Infrastructure Texas Children's Hospital United Way of Mid & South Jefferson County $5,000-$9,999 – Cadette Julie and Richard Boushka Elaine Engel FORVIS Judy Moses Mutual of America Alice Kleberg Reynolds Foundation Karen Saltiel Strake Foundation United States Gypsum Company $1,000-$4,999 – Junior Ashdon Farms Ayco Charitable Foundation Leah R. Bennett Cadence Insurance Connie and Dean Eicher

For any questions about the donor list, contact Suzanne Carmona at 713-292-0334 or scarmona@sjgs.org. Honorariums listed are $250 and above.

Thea Fabio and Richard Merrill Kelli Fereday The Friedkin Group Brian and Mary Gedelian Girl Scouts of the USA Martha Gurwit Margaret Ann Harper Harris County District Attorney's Office Doris E. Hill KPMG LLP Bette B. Lehmberg Lauren Lindsay Audrey Ogawa Johnson Melanie Rippentrop Kathryn Sanders Nancy and Bud Simpson SLB Kristin Starodub Kathy M. Tamer Tamika Tyson $250-$999 – Brownie Erin Abbey Paola Antunez Archer Eby Design LLC Kimberly A. Ballew Bette Bowers Oakley Carlile

Magna R. Cayll Lori and Bill Dawson Shelly deZevallos Amanda Dickinson Laura Distefano Mary Dodson Erin Eckhart Ellen Elam Laura Faulkenberry Lee Handy Bill Hatfield Claudia W. Hayslip Lisa A. Hofmann Christine M. Hollinden Kathy Johnson-Throop Joyce I. Kamla Kamla Family Foundation The Kroger Company Caroline Lafond Amanda McMillian Cassandra McZeal April and Jason Moncrieff Amy Morris James Mott Anika Muslawski Anne Neeson Maribeth Negri Christy Novak

Ellen Stickney Sarah Thornton Lewis Susan Thraen United Way of Greater Atlanta United Way of Midland County Theresa Victoriano Danielle Ward Claire Williams Eileen K. Wilson Melinda K. Winn

Honorariums

In Honor of Lance Feldman Melanie Rippentrop In Honor of Shooting Stars Girl Scout Community Kathy Johnson-Throop In Honor of Amanda Vavilala Lori and Bill Dawson

Scrapbook Send your photos to communications@sjgs.org. Put your troop number in the subject line.

Troop 18963 bridged to adult Girl Scouts.

Troop 13467 Bridging Ceremony. Daisies bridged to Brownies.

Troop 143007 earned the Bronze Award.

Linda and Maia from Troop 111139 and Zoe from Troop 111029 decorated thank you bags for cookie donations to the NICU nurses at Memorial Hermann's Children Medical Center. The girls wanted to give back to the nurses that took care of Linda's triplet siblings during their stay in the NICU.

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Troop 111029 and 111105 met up at the Cypress-Fairbanks Science Resource Center to work on their Pets badge with Mr. Wallace. He gave them a tour of the facility and taught them all about what pets need to thrive.

Plus, the girls got to pet and hold many of the animals!

Troop 114149 pick up trash at their local high school for a Take Action Project.

Troop 114182 working at the Klein UMC Food Bank They shared information about s’mores with food bank families and donated supplies necessary to make s’mores along with two s’mores recipes not requiring a fire.

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Troop 136001 volunteered along side sister Girl Scouts at the "International Day of the Girl" service event at the Houston Food Bank. They loved helping the community, especially with other Girl Scouts!

Rainbow Trails Community held a Safety-First Event to work on First Aid badges and Safety Pin requirements.

Girls met with representatives from Klein Fire, EMS, Klein ISD Police, the National Forest Services, and Harris County Flood Control and Department of Homeland Security. Community volunteers also taught the girls how to stay safe when on the water (boating and outdoor tips) and what they should know when making 9-1-1 calls in the event of an emergency. Each girl additionally took part in our Anti-Bully campaign, decorating posters to share.

All the departments and volunteers were truly amazing!

The National Forest Rangers were particularly excited to come out and spend the day with our scouts! Ranger Danny Davis (edwin.d.davis@usda.gov) specifically asked to pass along their contact information to help coordinate more events with GSSJC and the Forest Service. There are several outdoor/trail-oriented service projects they have in mind for any troops looking for a Take Action activity/ project.

GSSJC partnered with Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey to host a trip to New York City.

Ten Girl Scouts from our council attended, including Tegan M. Visiting Ellis island and taking a tour of the Brooklyn bridge and the surrounding area. Tegan’s personal favorite activity was the tenement museum where they learned about two women’s lives 100 years apart in a New York tenement. Tegan also loved going to two Broadway shows (Peter Pan Goes Wrong and Six). Thanks to Colony Creek Community for offering a travel scholarship to help girls participate in events like this!

Troop 125071 wants to congratulate Indigo M. on being the youngest Cadette in their troop to earn the Silver Award.

Troop 111115 worked hard at cookie and fall product programs over the years. They saved, budgeted, and made it their goal to go to Disney World and bridge to Seniors. Girls had a blast at Disney last summer with some of their closest friends. Lots of lasting memories were made.

Troop 111029 worked on earning their Snacks badge during a troop meeting by making armpit fudge for something sweet.

Troop 125071 were all smiles as they celebrated with the Tall Pines Hill Girl Scout Community earning their Silver Award. Next up their Senior Girl Scouts will do their Senior Journey and GO FOR GOLD!

Troop 153042 earned the horse riding badge at Southern Breeze Equestrian Center. Not only did they ride, but learned about proper care of horses.

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Troop 114202 spent the weekend at Misty Meadows Ranch hiking and exploring.

Troop 114202 attended ceramic painting at The Glazery Art. Rainbow Trails Community and Wildflowers Community participated in the Tomball Holiday Parade.

Rainbow Trails had an axolotl representing for cookie season!

Troop 114202 had a Friendsgiving. Celebrating together with family and friends.

Above, GSSJC's SPURS IEA Hunt/Seat team had a competition in October and won numerous awards! Right, again in January the team was very successful.

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Troop 110065 met to celebrate the Day of the Girl by decorating lunch bags for Kids Meals Houston.

Harmony Creek Community hosted a food drive for the Houston Food Bank for Day of the Girl.

Daisy troop from St. John Paul II Catholic School met for a Friendsgiving dinner. Everyone made a dish from their culture and we all enjoyed trying new things! Part of this Friendsgiving event was set aside to make Blessing Bags, as their November service project. Together, the troop stuffed bags full of warm socks, lotion, ChapStick, tissues, toothbrushes/ paste, combs, water, granola bars, snacks, and even some candy for those people in need.

Troop 140149 earned the Space Science Badge at La Porte Planetarium. They also learned about law enforcement form a local police woman and earned a STEM badge. To earn their Daisy Garden Journey awards and start their Take Action project, they went to at a local community garden, where they will “adopt” a pollinator garden and tend to it over the next year.

Troop 153042 used their cookie earnings to attend an overnight at NASA event. They had so much fun with all the STEM activities and hearing about Artemis, the next mission with the first woman to go to the moon.

Rainbow Trails and Wildflowers communities participated along with the Starlettes in the Tomball Christmas Parade. The theme this year was Santa’s Beach Bash.

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Troop 120009 had their Bridging Ceremony and celebration of Bronze Award Recipients: Amari G., Kaidence B., Eveline F., Nyla G., Cerena M., Ja’Sha B., Rhlee M., and Mia O. Girls that bridged to Juniors: Kaidence B., Rhlee M., Cerena M., and Emilee E.; bridged to Cadettes: Amari G., Reagan H., Aryana B., Nyla G., Anna J., and Nyla G.; bridged to Ambassadors: Katherine C. and Camille J.; bridged to Senior: Jasmine J. and Amari D.

Troop 134034 and 134026 visited the La Porte Police Station.

Troop 114202 visited the Downtown Aquarium.

Troop 114032 had four girls earn their Silver Award. The girls learned several new skills throughout their projects.

But, learning to balance their very active schedules was a challenge and caused them to learn a lot about themselves. Projects were building two free libraries and building a website livingmylifeontheveg.com to educate 50 Spring 2024 l The Golden Link

Troop 120009 participated in Day of Girl by decorating lunch bags for the Kids Meals Houston and volunteering at the Houston Food Bank.

Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council 3110 Southwest Freeway Houston, TX 77098-4508

NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID HOUSTON, TX PERMIT NO. 6743

GIRL SCOUTS Save up to $6 on Tickets FREE Commemorative Patch with Purchase of Each Scout Ticket.

For orders of 8 or less, visit Ticketmaster.com and use code SCOUT6 by clicking the Unlock button.

NRG STADIUM APR 11 – 14

For more information or to order a group of 9 or more, call 281-367-9717 or email christina@texasgrouptickets.com.

Contact Christina for patches. Deadline to purchase groups: 4/4/24 Restrictions, exclusions and additional charges may apply. Subject to availability. Tickets at market pricing.