JG Fall 2018

JG

Girl Scouts

Take Action Page 17

The Juliette Gazette for

Fall 2018 A Publication of Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska

The girls of Hastings Troop 00914 all felt so much stronger after a fun workout at CrossFit Ground Up.

JG The Juliette Gazette

The Juliette Gazette

Cr ssing Fit with Fun C

by Madlyn Karr Girl Scout Junior

is a triannual publication of Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska.

JG Staff: Publisher/Designer Lucia Kroeger Renz Editor/Writer Shannon Peterson Photo Editor Michelle Cleary Writer/Copy Editor Melissa Breazile Design Intern Isabella Saklar

rossFit is a lot of fun. You get to play fun games. You get to swing on a rope. There is an obstacle course.

In the obstacle course there is a rope to swing on, and you are jumping on and off boxes and weaving around cones. CrossFit is a fun way to get exercise.

I

We are supported in part by:

by McKenna Verbeck Girl Scout Junior

loved CrossFit! My favorite part was when we were on the boxes and swung on the rope. The rings were hard for me.

I couldn’t get flipped over.

The crab walk was fun too because everyone just kept on falling and laughing. It was so fun at CrossFit. It is a fun way to exercise and be healthy. I hope I can go back soon.

The CrossFit obstacle course challenged the girls with bear crawls, box jumps, ladder hops, and ring flips.

The JG Is Going All Digital!

As Girl Scouting evolves, so do our publications. Beginning with the next issue, the Juliette Gazette will be published exclusively as an online magazine. This shift away from a printed edition reflects our council’s commitment to responsible stewardship of our financial and environmental resources.

We look forward to continuing to share your photos and girl-written stories in the digital version of the JG! Our online platform allows you to download and print all or part of the magazine, so your Girl Scout memories can still be preserved in your scrapbook!

As always, your photos and stories are welcomed and encouraged at marketing@girlscoutsnebraska.org.

GirlScoutsNebraska.org PUBLICATION OFFICE: 2121 South 44th Street Omaha, NE 68105 Date of Publication, December 2018 Printed by Kingery Printing Effingham, Illinois PRINTED IN U.S.A.

On the Cover: Wahoo Troop 50497 won our Girl Scouts Take Action Contest by battling bullying at their school.

Please recycle or pass me on to a friend.

A Nebraska Girl Scouts team explored the cosmos during an exclusive workshop at NASA’s premier research facility last summer.

Out of this Kate Lem

bree, W en and Kris dy Jamison, H an ta Testin at NASA nah Sims, Space F ’s Goddard light Ce nter.

Blasting Off to NASA

T

by Kate Lembree Girl Scout Ambassador

he Girl Scouts Reach for the Stars trip was one like no other. Girl Scouts and amateur astronomers from across the country were chosen to go to NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland for a week-long leadership training camp. My team is from all around Nebraska. I am from Omaha; Hannah Sims, another Girl Scout, is from North Platte; astronomer Krista Testin is from Omaha; and astronomer Wendy Jamison is from Chadron. We had a lot of fun getting to know one another, building lifelong bonds, and working together to create new astronomy clubs for Nebraska.

by Hannah Sims Girl Scout Senior

Reaching for the Stars

T

his trip was soooooo amazing! I learned about many things that I’d never heard of like astrobiology and heliophysics. We had presenters every day that did short presentations on topics like social media, internships, and how to help with our oncoming astronomy club. We also got to participate in many engaging activities!

We got to play a game called Astrobiobound where we had to make our own spacecraft to survive a flight to The Clean Room was one of my favorite parts about the trip. The Clean find out if there is life on Europa, Enceladus, Mars, Room at Goddard is one of the largest in the world! Although we were and Titan. Dr. John Mather, a winner of the Nobel Prize not allowed to go inside, we learned about the James Webb Space in Physics, presented to us about his work and Telescope that will be launching in March of 2021. Inside the room, people cosmology. We got to see the STEAM lab at Goddard must wear lab coats, hair protection, eye protection, and even shoe Space Flight Center, and we got to build a telescope. covers. The room blows oxygen through small holes in the wall from right During the evenings we had free time, except one to left, meaning the cleanest part of the room is on the right-hand side. night when we got to have Star Party with the Goddard Other fun parts of the trip were our experiences in virtual reality and Astronomy Club. We were able to see Jupiter and four our peek into the world of 3D printing! We were able to try on some VR of its moons, Saturn and its rings, the moon, and the goggles in a special tech room and explore outer space without leaving twin stars. On other nights we went sightseeing or just the ground! We could zoom by the sun and travel around our solar hung out at the hotel and talked. system in a snap. We were also able to go into a replica of the Clean Room, where everyone’s favorite thing to do was throw around expensive lab equipment. After we left our virtual world, we learned about 3D printing and how it is used on the International Space Station. The special printers allow astronauts to build tools in zero gravity, which means less time waiting for supplies from Earth. It was fascinating to see how other kinds of jobs, like programming and video game design, ASTRONOMY CLUBS come into play at NASA Goddard!

Beyond OUR World

This was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I really enjoyed being around other people that are passionate about the same things as I am, learning about the variety of careers available through Goddard, and honing skills that will help me later in life.

The Beyond our World Astronomy Clubs will launch in January. The clubs, for Girl Scout Juniors and older, will meet four times a year to explore space science in Chadron, North Platte, and Omaha.

Register on our website!

Fall Issue 2018

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Taking Action to

GO GOLD S

ince 1916, the Girl Scout Gold Award has been the organization’s highest award. Girls in grades nine through 12 earn this elite distinction by completing a community project that will make a meaningful impact on people’s lives and stand the test of time.

This year, 21 Nebraska Girl Scouts earned their Gold Award by tackling issues such as childhood literacy, mental health, environmental challenges, poverty, medical needs, disabilities, bilingual education, and more.

“The Girl Scout Gold Award is the ultimate achievement for a Girl Scout, and these Gold Award Girl Scouts have demonstrated their leadership skills and commitment to a goal by earning this prestigious award,” said Fran Marshall, Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska. “Each girl identifies a project that is important to her, puts together her plan and executes that plan to earn her Gold Award. We could not be more proud of the accomplishments of these young women.”

Congratulations to the 2018 Gold Award Girl Scouts: Megan Capal, North Platte Celebrating New Life Community Baby Shower Megan addressed her community’s need to educate new mothers and pregnant women.

Working with the Women’s Resource Center in North Platte, she hosted a community baby shower to introduce organizations that offer pregnancy services and created a pamphlet outlining resources for pregnant women.

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Lucy Cordes, Omaha Girls Inc. Piano Class Lucy partnered with Girls Inc. to help children from low-income households learn to play an instrument. She donated a piano to the organization, where dozens of girls can use it, and wrote a piano class curriculum, so girls can learn to play without expensive lessons.

Cayley Carpenter, Minden Pioneer Village 1980s Bedroom

Harley Davidson, Ewing Learning in Style

Cayley worked with her local Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, and Girl Scout troop to educate the community about the need for improvements at Pioneer Village, a Minden tourist attraction that has experienced a decline in visitors.

She also updated the museum’s 1980s bedroom; one of the period rooms that shows how life has changed through the generations.

After noticing all the walls in her school were one color, Harley decided that creating a more colorful environment would make coming to school more enjoyable. She led her classmates in painting the walls during art class, which sparked interest and engagement among other students.

Liliana Delgado, Omaha Self-Harm Awareness Liliana educated her peers and community about self-harm, suicide, and mental health. Partnering with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and Bellevue East High School, she developed a program that examined the causes of self-harm and provided prevention strategies. The youth ministry of a local church adopted her program.

Megan Ferris, Columbus Leaders Save Lives Megan tackled the lack of awareness about the need for blood donors among her peers by meeting with groups of young women and developing educational packets for each Girl Scout level. She also partnered with Lakeview High School and the American Red Cross to build a team that collected 29 units of blood.

Sadie Fick, Kearney Mission: Organization Sadie improved the infrastructure of the Robotics Club at Kearney Catholic Middle School. With the support of fellow club members, school administrators, and community groups, she built an additional practice table for the growing club and provided home-schooled children a chance to participate.

Soleil Mast, Kearney Child Intake Center: Kearney DHHS Office After learning that children removed from their homes and awaiting foster care placement didn’t have a place to play and could overhear sensitive phone conversations, Soleil created a kid-friendly intake center within the Department of Health and Human Services office. The new center provides privacy for social workers and a spot where children can rest and feel safe.

Reagan Petersen, Syracuse The Sensory Sensation Fidget Kits for Kids Reagan addressed the daily classroom obstacles experienced by some children with autism spectrum disorder. She created and provided fidget kits to four schools in southeast Nebraska. The kits help students overcome sensory challenges by either satisfying an urge or by helping them process information.

Emma Porter, Unadilla Little Hands Big Dreams: A Book in a Nook Project Emma focused on her community’s lack of available children’s books. She recruited three local businesses to house “book nooks,” which are filled with donated books and help promote childhood literacy.

Mariah (MEG) Griffin, Omaha Special Prom

Rachelle Rice, Nebraska City The Morton Mentors

MEG assisted faculty at the Madonna School, an organization that serves students with cognitive and developmental disabilities, by creating a detailed guidebook they can use to plan the annual Spring Fling dance. She also introduced new activities for students, including decorating for the dance, a photo booth, and a cake walk.

To bridge a generation gap in her community, Rachelle created a mentoring program between the residents of a local senior living home and teenagers. By pairing mentors and mentees through personality quizzes, she facilitated the development of healthy relationships based on common interests and similar traits.

Izabelle Krupa, Omaha Dressing Namibia

Elise Roselius, Lincoln Hola, Qué Paso? An Introduction to Spanish

Her sister’s college trip to Africa ignited Izabelle’s interest in Namibia. During the trip, University of Nebraska-Lincoln students made dresses for girls who live in the city of Windhoek’s most disadvantaged area. Izabelle built a team that sewed more dresses, which will be distributed during future UNL trips.

Elise aimed to instill a love of language learning into students at a young age, while addressing a lack of foreign language knowledge. She created a Spanish Club at the Holmes Community Learning Center to teach second- through fourth-graders basic Spanish vocabulary and conversational skills.

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Cassidy Runyon, La Vista The Butterflies and the Bees

Lexi Webber, Superior Creating a Superior Outlook

Cassidy taught groups of children about the importance of bees and butterflies, explaining why pollinators are essential to the environment. She planted a pollinator garden to study how plants grow in the area and used her findings to create a curriculum she shared with schools and outreach programs.

Lexi took on the deteriorating condition and lack of use of the Community Cabin in Superior’s Lincoln Park. She partnered with FFA members, Main Street Floral, and other community volunteers to install benches, beautify the area, and improve the cabin’s appearance.

Lily Slimm, Omaha Project Pets 101

Samantha Wetzel, Ravenna The Ark in the Park

Lily saw a need for pet care education among children from countries where pet ownership is rare. She soon realized many children were unaware of how to properly care for pets. Lily partnered with the Nebraska Humane Society and Belvedere Elementary to teach pet care to students in kindergarten through fourth grade.

Samantha noticed the playground equipment owned by Faith Lutheran Church in Hazard Park was unsafe and outdated, so she used her woodworking skills to make improvements. She repainted the merry-go-round, slide, and swing set with vibrant colors, and she power washed, stained, and sealed two wooden playsets.

Sarah-Kate Splichal, Sidney Promote the Path

Helen Whetstine, Omaha Bilingual Books Building Stronger Communities

To promote physical fitness and the need for exercise in her community, Sarah-Kate built two Fix-It Bike Stations on the trails in Sidney. Rough patches and steep hills along the trails create many opportunities for bike damage, and each fix-it station contains tools for bike repair and a tire pump.

Wondering how you can Go Gold? Contact Libby Snipes at lsnipes@girlscoutsnebraska.org or 402.779.8223 to get started.

During volunteer work with the Millard North Chapter of the Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica, Helen noticed that children of non-native English speakers developed reading and language skills later than their monolingual peers. She led a group of volunteers to create more than 125 bilingual books for the South Omaha Library and a children’s home in the Dominican Republic.

One Gold Award honoree has chosen to remain anonymous.

Young Women of Distinction

HONORED

Liliana Delgado

T

hree outstanding Nebraska Gold Award Girl Scouts were recognized for their extraordinary efforts to make the world a better place. Each girl addressed a local challenge that related to a national or global issue, including adolescent self-harm, pet care education for refugees, and improving the literacy skills of children of non-native English speakers.

This year’s Pat Meyer Nebraska Young Women of Distinction was awarded to: Lily Slimm Liliana Delgado, Lily Slimm, and Helen Whetstine, all of Omaha.

A lifelong Girl Scout and Girl Scout volunteer, Pat Meyer provided unwavering support to the girls in her troops and helped many young women achieve their Gold Award. Following her death in 2014, her family honored her with a Girl Scout award and $500 scholarship named in her memory.

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Helen Whetstine

s l e s Wes

Wild About

and History

by Samantha Morris Girl Scout Daisy

M

y name is Samantha Morris and I just turned 6 years old. This was my first year as a Girl Scout Daisy. I love going on different activities.

I went with my mom, who is also our troop leader, to the Wild About Wessels program in late April. It was really cold that day, but it was still super fun. I love learning about things in the past and really enjoyed this event a lot. My favorite part was the old schoolhouse. I liked it because I got to use an old-fashioned ink pen.

It was really cool learning how kids like me got to learn in a one-room schoolhouse. It sure was nothing like my school is now. I really like the old school bell, that was super cool.

We then got to tour the old farmhouse where we learned how to make popcorn on their old stove and actually made some to eat. I didn’t really like the taste of it, but it was fun to make it like they did in the past. We then got to make our own butter. That was super yummy and fun to do.

Next, we went outside to help in their garden. It was so super cold that day, but we still got to help plant flowers and vegetables. In the barn, we learned how to shuck corn cobs, got to pet a couple animals, and fed the chickens.

Samantha tried her hand at old-school penmanship.

I had so much fun and told my mom I can’t wait to go back again but when it’s warmer out.

I still want to see the old schoolhouse again.

I absolutely loved learning about all the stuff from the past.

Girl Scouts braved the chilly weather to plant flowers at Wessels Living History Farm in York.

Earn Maggi Thorne’s

A

BOWPatch

merican Ninja Warrior competitor Maggi Thorne, who lives in Lincoln, is a former Girl Scout. She dreamed up a patch featuring her signature pink bow and worked with Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska staff to turn her dream into reality.

The new BOW Patch is a celebration of inner and outer strength. It signifies not just overcoming obstacles but also celebrating your true self – important lessons that Maggi loves to share with Girl Scouts.

NEW FUN PATCH!

“In Girl Scouts, girls take the lead in discovering their own power,” Maggi says. “My hope is to help girls know their true selves and to never stop dreaming as they discover their purpose.”

Girl Scouts can earn the BOW Patch by completing entrepreneurship, service, and empowerment activities. Get the details at www.girlscoutsnebraska.org/bowpatch.

Fall Issue 2018

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ing. and oh, so amaz ue iq un so s ut co Girl S It’s what makesyou put your skills to the test! . .L .R .I G a of A n N D he We all share theexamples of what you can do w w fe a e Here ar

GO-GETTER The Great Nebraska Trash Off isn’t glamorous, but that didn’t stop Troop 20372 from getting their hands dirty and making Nebraska a cleaner place. These go-getters joined the statewide marathon cleanup project that covered 846 miles and resulted in 2,355 bags of collected trash. After these dedicated doers picked up roadside litter along Highway 41, they were honored with a sign at mile marker 81 recognizing their hard work!

INNOVATOR Learn. Eat. Grow. Let your power show! The innovators of Cadette Troop 45325 designed and delivered an inspiring and educational cooking program for homeless youth at the Open Door Mission’s Lydia House. The G.I.R.L.s researched nutrition, prepared menus, sought donations, shopped, and taught classes. Their “Kids in the Kitchen” curriculum included games, educational activities, food preparation, and a chance for youth to enjoy a healthful meal they created. That’s how Girl Scout visionaries create real results!

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Abby Moseke

RISK-TAKER “Less Drills, More Bills” was Abby Moseke’s mantra when she bravely joined Lincoln’s March for Our Lives Protest in March 2018. She challenged adults to spend less time talking and more time taking action to change gun control laws – a topic for a true risk-taker! “Ever since I have been in school, we practice lock down drills. Lock down drills are where you practice going into a closet with the lights off in case someone was in the school with a gun. I wish that we did not have to practice stuff like this and less people would want to hurt kids. My position is that adults should be allowed to have guns that don’t shoot a lot of bullets at once. Adults should have a license to have a gun.

I think adults should be able to have guns to go hunting like some people in my family.”

LEADER

Addison Fix

Being a leader takes many forms! Addison Fix tells us how Lincoln Troop 20631 empowered themselves to be good friends to their Girl Scout sisters. “Let’s say a friend is having a bad day at school. We found a way to solve that problem! The troop made up themes for each day of the school week. These themes will make it easier for us to think of ways to help cheer up our friends: Motivational Monday; Thoughtful Tuesday; Wonderful Wednesday; Thankful Thursday; and Friendship Friday. So, the next time a friend is having a bad day, just think of the theme of the day to find a way to cheer them up. Not only will it help your friend, but you’ll feel better too!”

Fall Issue 2018

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You’re simply the best!

Y

es, Volunteer Appreciation Month is in April, but we appreciate our Girl Scout volunteers all year round! Each and every day, you blow us away with the amazing things you do. This year, to express our boundless gratitude, we created the Best of Girl Scouting awards. During our quest to find the best, YOU (girls, parents, friends, and volunteers) nominated the volunteers and troops that inspired you!

Congratulations to the Best of Girl Scouting Winners: Service Unit Star Award Service Unit Member of the Year West ­– Cassondra Schreiner, Service Unit 162 Central­ – Cathy Cochnar, Service Unit 004 Northeast ­– Jenny Stewart, Service Unit 511 Southeast ­– Tracy Masek, Service Unit 215 East Central –­ Kathy Robbins-Wise, Service Unit 421 Rising Star Award Rookie of the Year, Under One Year of Service Central­ – Carol Stoppkotte, Troop 00036 Northeast ­– Sarah Jensen, Troop 50493 Southeast ­– Stephanie Wendtlandt, Troop 20815 East Central –­ Michelle Hupp, Troop 41906 #TrendingTroop Award Troop of the Year West ­– Troop 18542 Central­ – Troop 00030 Northeast ­– Troop 50509 Southeast ­– Troop 20754 East Central –­ Troop 44642 Heart of Gold Award Veteran of the Year, 10+ Years of Service West ­– LaRae Atteberry Central­ – Jill O’Neill Northeast ­– Lynette Jennings Southeast ­– Karrie Alshwede East Central –­ Dawn Eisert Go-Getter Award Co-Leader of the Year West­ – Charlene Walters, Troop 10324 Central­ – Amber Ohlman, Troop 08438 Northeast ­– Heather Urich, Troop 50473 Southeast ­– Stefanie Hamilton, Troop 20712 East Central –­ Annie Hensley, Troop 45312

Cookie Champ Award West ­– Anna Frederick Central­ – Jackie Russell Northeast ­– Rhonda Hopkins Southeast ­– Amy Nolan East Central ­– Ashley Christline Family Leading the Way Award Central­ – Julie Fuqua & Family Northeast ­– Kristine Kinzie & Family Southeast ­– Amanda Neal & Family East Central ­– Mary Juett & Family Evergreen Award Central­ – Cecilia Fick Northeast ­– Martha Settles Southeast ­– Julie Van Meter East Central ­– Karen Smith Parent Hero Award Central­ – Betsy Vieth Northeast ­– Megan Wingate Southeast ­– Laura Fikar East Central ­– Jennifer Delaney Heritage Award Central­ – Becky Johnston Northeast ­– Mary Janette Matzke Southeast ­– Nicole Griepenstroh East Central ­– Jennifer Miller Hand in Heart Award West ­– Carol Aten Central­ – Karen Decker Northeast ­– Jennifer Bowland Southeast ­– Jill Gable & Vanessa Hohlen East Central ­– Jana Ammon

What Does It Take to Be the Best?

Omaha Troop 44642 received the most nominations throughout the council. Here are some cool things we heard about these G.I.R.L.s: ⚬ This troop has really made an impact. They designed, painted, and installed a buddy bench on the playground at their school. They have organized clothing drives, put together craft kits for children in the hospital, and put together birthday bags for COPE, which is our parish outreach program.

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⚬ Each girl blossomed in character, social awareness, the inclusion of others, leadership, self-confidence, and leaving no one behind. These are the real reasons this troop rocks it! ⚬ Co-leader Susie D’Agosto is kind, fun-loving, considerate, and great role model.

Think you have the best volunteer or troop? We can’t wait to hear about it during Best of Girl Scouting 2019!

The Camporee united Girl Scouts from across the state.

Ab ut the

Girl Scout

by Audrey and Evelyne Brown Girl Scout Cadettes

T

he first Girl Scout Camporee in Nebraska took place at the Nebraska 4-H Camp in Halsey from June 1-3, 2018. Approximately 350 people attended. This camp is in the largest hand-planted forest in the United States.

A Camporee is a gathering of girls of all ages from all over the state in one place to be outdoors, shoot arrows, ride horses, cook s’mores, square dance, make crafts, sing songs, camp, play Gaga ball, eat garlic bread and spaghetti, hike, exchange SWAPS, and have fun!

Our favorite activity was the horseback ride with Dusty Trails. The ride took 45 minutes, which was the longest we’d ever ridden on a horse.

All the horses were entertaining. Audrey’s horse was white, and Evelyne’s horse was brown. Our mother’s horse was black. We rode in the park, and we saw a lot of different native plants, like goldenrod,

cottonwood trees, by Girls built bonds

and oak trees. trading SWAPS.

There were

15 people in our group, and we rode in a long line, one horse in front of the other. Audrey’s horse was slow on the hills, both up and down, and then she would run to catch up to the horse in front of her on the flat terrain. We had to wear helmets, jeans, and tennis shoes. We liked it a lot because we saw a lot of stuff and spent a lot of time on horseback.

Hands-on a ct girls to learn ivities challenged new outdoo r skills.

Campers built lifelong memories and friendships.

While we really enjoyed our weekend in central Nebraska, we would love for future Camporees to offer water activities (a pool, a lake, or boating), a guided hike, or a zip line. We’d also like more scheduled activities throughout the day because some of our friends did not have much to do Saturday morning.

This weekend was one of the highlights of our summer vacation. We had never been to that part of Nebraska before, and we enjoyed our four-hour trip from Omaha. We heard that the next Camporee will be held during the summer of 2020.

We hope to see you there!

Horsin g highly around was popula r.

What is a ?

Camporee

camp.o.ree / kamp ' re/ ' noun a local or regional camping event for Girl Scouts.

Fall Issue 2018

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Building

confdence

W

hat’s a Girl Scout summer without camp?

Making new friends, learning new skills, and overcoming challenges—plus, girls say camping is their most memorable Girl Scout experience.

What a great way to build go-get-‘em problem-solvers and expose girls to the outdoors as they grow their 2018 courage, confidence, and character. After all, camp Counselors life is the best life!

Hiking

Archery

Horse riding

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Girl Scout Summer Camp How Many: Making friends

String games

girls attended camp?

→ 1,635

people braved our zip lines?

→ 659

Girl Scouts rode horses?

→ 551

counselors worked with girls?

→ 21

campfires were built?

One every evening s’mores were eaten?

Teamwork

Enough to sink a battleship Fall Issue 2018

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friendships were made?

Too many to count

Bronze Award goes to the

by Taylor Bergman,

Evelynn Henderson, Addyson Moore,

and Miarra Breitkreutz (not pictured) Girl Scout Juniors

G

irl Scout Troop 45492 took action on an amazing project for our Bronze Award. Our idea was to collect donations for the Nebraska Humane Society. We planned our project and put in many hours of hard work between December 2017 and June 2018.

With the help of our project advisor, Tara Moore, we were able to use the donation bin at Pet Supplies Plus for three months. We even volunteered for an afternoon to promote the bin. We worked on many other projects together, such as making chew toys, dog tag

The girls posed with the donations they collected for the Nebraska Humane Society and visited the animals they were helping through their Bronze Award Project.

ornaments, fleece blankets, and snuffle boards.

We also gathered donations from our families and friends.

After working so hard for several months, we were finally able to give the donations to the Nebraska Humane Society. We were surprised to see how much we collected. We are very proud that we helped the animals at the Humane Society and that all of our hard work paid off.

Life is a

HIGHWAY

By Anna Zingler Girl Scout Senior

T

he Car Care Badge was one of the most informational tasks our troop has completed.

Learning how to take care of your car and keep it in good running condition is very important, especially as everyone in our troop begins to get driver’s licenses and cars.

The manager of Firestone Complete Auto Care taught these Girl Scouts how to check oil levels in a car.

Todd, the manager of Firestone Complete Auto Care at These go-getters ar e ready to hit 175th and Center in Omaha, let us come in after hours the road safely. and taught us what we need to know as teenage drivers.

How to change a tire and check the air pressure of all four tires, as well as oil levels are just some of the things we learned.

Because of this experience, we all now know what to do in an emergency and how to keep our cars in good shape for the years to come.

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Checking tire pressure was just one of the important skills Troop 43846 learned while earning their Car Care Badge.

Troop 43012 joined the pre-game parade at Werner Park and later camped in the outfield with hundreds of other Girl Scouts.

Storm Chases

from Stadium

Storm Chasers mascot Vortex blew in for a photo with the girls from Troop 43012.

by Olivia Schraut and Grace Davis Girl Scout Juniors

O

n a HOT Friday night in June, several members of our Junior Troop went to the Girl Scout sleepover at the Omaha Storm Chasers game! This was our fourth year going to the game and the third year for the sleepover.

During the baseball game, we watched the game, ate lots of yummy food for dinner and snacks, and went to the Family Fun Zone. At the fun zone we went on the bounce houses and merry-goround. We stayed there for a long time! Some of our favorite snacks were popcorn, Dippin’ Dots, and cotton candy! At the end of the game we watched the awesome fireworks!

After the game, we went outdoors to gather up our sleepover gear. We had fun waiting in line for the stadium to open back up. Then we set up our tents. All the girls from our troop stayed in one

big tent, and our leaders and moms set up a tent next to us. We watched the movie Zootopia and enjoyed hanging out with each other. The movie was over around 1 a.m., and we stayed up talking for a while.

Around 3 a.m. we were woken up because it was really windy, and we learned a bad storm was coming. We quickly cleaned up our gear and tents and left around 3:30 to try and avoid the storm. Some of us went home and a few of us went to our leader’s house to sleepover. Later, we found out we left a little bit before the stadium was evacuated due to the storm. Even though we had to leave early, it was the best sleepover we went too!

Brownie Troop 43057 from Pine Creek Elementary school in Bennington sang the national anthem before the game.

Takes the Field in Hastings It was a beautiful day for baseball as Girl Scouts took the field with the Hastings Sodbusters.

Girl Scouts helped make history as the Hastings Sodbusters kicked off its inaugural season at Duncan Field. Girls joined the players for on-field fun during a special Girl Scout promotion.

The team is part of the new Expedition League, which features collegiate summer wood bat baseball. #GoBusters

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t? r e s e D e th in g in p m a C Survivor

by Sadie Fick and Alaynna Pederson Girl Scout Ammbassadors n August 2017, Troop 00699 started planning a survival hiking and camping trip. We first thought of going to Colorado or South Dakota, but we’d been there before and wanted a new challenge, so we decided to go the Moab, Utah. To prepare for the trip, we took a Wilderness First Aid Class. We learned about different types of medical emergencies, and more importantly we learned how to stay calm and how to react appropriately to situations. We also talked to another girl that completed a seven-month hike on the Appalachian Trail. She explained all her gear and how she used it on her hike.

After extensive planning and a long drive, we arrived in Moab. Our first day there we went canyoneering. Canyoneering is a blend of hiking, rock climbing, and rappelling. Our amazing guide, Melissa, encouraged and assisted us as we scaled boulders, squeezed through crevices, and rappelled down an 80-foot cliff. Some of these skills came in handy on our survival camping hike.

The next day we prepared our packs with all the food, water (at least a gallon each), and supplies we were going to need for the next 24 hours in the desert. Our meals included

an MRE (Meal Ready to Eat) and a meal of dehydrated food that we had prepared months earlier. At 4 p.m. we started out into the Grandstaff Canyon. The next mile and a half was one of the longest ever as the trail alternated between winding along the stream, through fields of poison ivy, and scrambling up and down over rocks on the cliff side; all the while carrying a 35-pound backpack under the desert sun.

After a couple of hours, we found a relatively flat space that was rock-and-cactus-free to set up camp.

We built our tarp shelters and then ate our supper of MREs. It was fun to see what goodies were in those.

Some people had lemon pound cake, others had peanut butter and M&Ms in addition to the main dish.

We also heated the main dish by using water to create a chemical reaction in the heaters. We went to bed listening to screaming frogs (we think they were frogs anyway). In the morning, we hiked farther out to the Morning Glory Natural Bridge before returning to civilization.

Despite the physical effort required for our survival night, there was something very neat about knowing everything we needed to survive was in our packs, and we did it. We not only survived to crawl out of the desert and croak “water,” but we walked out under our own steam, carrying our backpacks.

To finish our incredible trip, we stopped at Arches National Park and saw the Double Arch. Despite the harshness of the desert, Moab truly is an extraordinary place and made for memorable trip.

Sadie rappelling

During an intense desert survival camping trip, Troop 00699 tackled canyoneering – a thrilling blend of hiking, rock climbing, and rappelling down an 80-foot cliff.

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Tarp shelters aren’t glamorous, but they get the job done!

Troop 42146 learned how to respond to an emergency while earning their Junior First Aid Badge. They also toured Nebraska Medicine’s Biocontainment Unit where Ebola patients were treated. These innovators were the very first Girl Scout troop to tour the unit.

Trying to

B ioContain Our Excitement

O

by Madison Ensign and Brynlee Hansen Girl Scout Juniors

n May 9, 2018, Troop 42146 met to earn their Junior First Aid Badge. We led the meeting to teach girls how to help in an emergency. First, Brynlee taught the girls “Check, Call, Care,” which are the first steps to take in an emergency. Then, we helped the girls in the troop practice.

Next, Madison helped the girls make their own portable first aid kit. Madison introduced her mom, Kate Ensign, who is a registered nurse.

Nurse Ensign taught us how to handle urgent first-aid issues and how to take care of someone who is sick.

After the meeting, we visited Nebraska Medicine’s Biocontainment Unit, and registered nurse Kate Boulter, the manager of the unit, gave us a tour. The unit was opened in 2005 and has cared for patients who had the Ebola virus, a highly infectious but not a highly contagious disease. The hospital has cared for three Ebola patients so far, but only two of them lived. The

one that died was a doctor who was caring for Ebola patients in Africa. They can also handle other highly infectious diseases like monkeypox.

While we were there, Brynlee and Nurse Ensign got to try on personal protective equipment (PPE), which included wearing three pairs of gloves. We also got to see scary patient dummies that the workers train on. One was in a bed covered with plastic. Nurse Boulter also had us try on gloves, then taught us a special way to take them off so we don’t get germs on our hands or anywhere else.

We were honored to be invited and to be the first Girl Scout Troop ever to tour the unit. It was a fun experience, and we learned a lot!

Brynlee Hansen and Kate Ensign model the personal protective equipment worn in the biocontainment unit.

Gold Award Girl Scout Earns National Honor Anna Vaughn of Blair was named a Distinguished Finalist by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a national program honoring youth for volunteerism. After learning that hospitalized premature babies often receive hats that are too big, Anna earned her Girl Scout Gold Award by designing special looms to make tinier hats and training a team of volunteers to continue knitting them. An incorrect photo accompanied an article Anna Vaughn about Anna in the Summer 2018 issue of The Juliette Gazette.

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Erin at the Grand Canyon!

ALUM SPOTLIGHT☙

Giving Back to

Girl Scouts

A

trip to the Rocky Mountains anchors a definitive Girl Scout moment for Erin Dempsey. Her troop stayed in a cabin and experienced their first high adventure – whitewater rafting. Concerned about bears while trekking in pairs to the restroom in the middle of the night, the girls sang “Movin’ on Up,” the theme song from the television show The Jeffersons, as loud as they could to scare any bears away.

Troop 702’s Senior bridging ceremony. From left: Kim (Rutledge) Mahrt, Nicole Vaccaro, Megan (Semke) Niday, Erin Dempsey, Kristin (Miles) Holtgrew, and Marisa (Pont) Westerholm.

The clever coping (and safety) mechanism was the most significant moment of Erin’s Girl Scout journey because it made her understand what it meant to support one another and be in something together. As an adult, women supporting women is extremely important to her, and she ties it back to this very moment.

Her Girl Scout co-leaders, Susan Taylor and Sheryl Pont, also fostered the drive to serve others in each of their troop members. Service to others has become one of Erin’s core values, and she knows Girl Scouts is where that part of her identity began to form. Now as a co-leader herself, her favorite thing is watching her troop continue that tradition of service by regularly completing Take Action projects.

Erin, a Lincoln native, joined Girl Scouts as a Brownie, continued through high school, and earned her Girl Scouts Gold Award.

In addition to being a co-leader, Erin is a founding member of the Girl Scouts young professionals group Advancing Modern Professionals for Tomorrow (AMPT) and served on the Lincoln area Volunteer Awards Committee. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln before receiving a doctorate at the University of Kansas in archeology.

Currently, she works with the National Park Service’s Midwest Archeological Center.

Staying involved in Girl Scouts as an adult is important to Erin because she benefitted tremendously from female mentors who provided opportunity, advice, and perspective that have helped her find personal and professional fulfillment.

“I want to provide that same kind of mentorship to young women,” she said. As a member of AMPT, Erin mentors girls about to embark on life after high school while facing challenges like school, relationships, and appearance. She remembers preparing for adulthood and hopes her mentoring will help girls gain insight and develop new skills.

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As a woman in a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) field, Erin is proud that Girl Scouts works hard to expose girls to career opportunities in STEM fields.

“Letting girls know that they can be a scientist or an engineer if they want to be is incredible and uplifting,” she said. “Finding a career that aligns with and underpins your own values is necessary to be a productive adult.”

In her work with the National Park Service, Erin uses archeology, history, geology, and environmental science. She also protects and preserves our nation’s most sacred places. Every day she works toward a mission so deeply intertwined with her values that she feels she lives and breathes it. She hopes all Girl Scouts will find the same career satisfaction with support from their mentors, leaders, and other role models.

Erin puts her STEM skills to work in a cave at the Ozark National Scenic Riverways in southeast Missouri.

Troop 50497 spent the year trying to understand bullying, finding ways to prevent it, and learning how to protect themselves, their peers, and the community.

BULLY ING

STOP HERE

S

N O I T C A TAKE IANG TO B

O

Y D D BU

ne of the best things about being a Girl Scout is helping other people while making the world a better place. That’s a reward all its own!

Recognizing our brave risk-taking and go-getting sisters is important, too. That’s why, in a previous issue of The Juliette Gazette magazine, we asked you to participate in a Take Action contest by completing a project and sharing your work.

All the participants shared inspiring projects that made an impact on their classmates, families, and communities. Troop 50497 from Wahoo earned top honors for their “Buddy Bench.” These empathetic Girl Scouts grew concerned about bullying, so they worked with their school to install a special bench where kids can sit when they need a friend.

Congratulations to Troop 50497 and to all the changemakers who are lifting their voices to make a difference!

Here’s what Troop 50497 had to say about their Buddy Bench…

How will the Buddy Bench help students?

Rylee: It will help stop bullying. And peeps could make

What did you learn while working on this project?

new friends.

Rylee: That you should always be kind and never bully ever.

Elizabeth: It will help them by a kid sitting down and a friend

And bullying has gotten bad so we should help.

coming to sit down and help.

Elizabeth: That bullying is a serious thing in the world.

Kendelynn: That you don’t have to be mean. And you

Kendelynn: Getting new friends and help kids not get bullied as much. And if you are sitting on it then someone might come ask you if you want to play with them.

Sami: It would help if you didn’t have a friend.

Kadence: Because they will help kids have someone to play with if they don’t have someone to play with.

don’t need to change who you are!

Sami: That kids will have a friend.

Kadence: It will help kids have fun with different people each year.

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A well-deserved celebration photo after painting the entire United States.

g Painthion ol Our Sc

Beautiful

by Nicole Koloen Girl Scout Cadette

W

hen it came time to do our Bronze Award, Troop 45492 started thinking about the map outside our school. It was fading and needed to be repainted. Along with the map, the hopscotch, basketball, and four-square lines needed to be repainted as well.

We spent awhile planning out how we were going to do each state. We decided we were going to have to paint the states the same colors they were before, so we headed outside to write down the color of each state.

When that was done, it was time to tape out the edges.

We could only tape a few states at a time, otherwise there would be unpainted lines between the states. After we taped the first round of states, we got all the colors of paint we needed, which were green, white, pink, purple, blue, and red. Then we started to paint.

After painting the first few states that we had taped off, we let them dry until the next meeting. Then we peeled all the tape off and repeated those steps until the map was done. We also painted abbreviations on each state so kids can learn the state abbreviations.

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It took lots of planning, time, and dedication for the G.I.R.L.s of Troop 45492 to complete their Bronze Award project, but they never even considered giving up!

When the map was done, we moved on to the hopscotch lines. We put tape in the shape of the hopscotch game, and we painted it with white paint. Then we peeled off the tape and the hopscotch game was done. We followed a very similar process for the basketball court and four-square games. We put the tape down, painted the white paint, and peeled the tape up. After all of the paint dried, we were done!

Now the map, hopscotch, basketball, and four-square courts are ready for kids to come and play on!

It takes tremendous focus and attention to detail to color the world beautiful, and these Girl Scouts gave it their all!

Meet Me at

by Krista Weyrauch Girl Scout Senior t a camp, that is far, far away, but within driving distance of Omaha, there is a group of Cadettes: Corgi, Anti, Peep, Charlene, Kit Kat, Dakota, Buddy, Gabbie, Cupcake the 3rd, and their leader, Kennedy. As their final days at Camp Maha arrive, they tell all the things they liked about the past summer at My Summer Place – a summer-long day camp in Omaha that included a week at Camp Maha.

As Corgi exclaims, “Being with friends is all that matters.”

“Being able to help and take care of the few animals that I saw was amazing,” Anti says.

“I chose to go to camp even though my mom told me that I didn’t have to,” Peep exclaims.

“I got to meet and find new friends,” Charlene says.

As Kit Kat wonders aloud she says, “I love how everyone is always filled with joy, and how everyone is a sister to every Girl Scout.”

“I like all the activities that we do at camp and that everyone is friends,” Dakota explains.

“I really like camp because I get to hang out with friends that I only get to hang out with during the summer, and the crafts,” Buddy says.

“The crafts are fun and exciting,” Fannie says shortly.

“I really like on how you can afford it and still have way more fun with friends that feel like family at times. I’m really glad I have been able to come all these years (5),” Cupcake says.

This is why so many girls come back year after year: to have fun with the activities and meet new friends.

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o

& t about

Just a Splash of Color You just ran 3.1 miles, and all you got was covered in colored powder! That and a chance to bond with tons of other Girl Scouts and their families at the Girl Scout Family Color Run in Laurel.

Exercise, great company, and a rainbow explosion – what a fun way to spend a Sunday!

Derby Day The Girl Scout Springtime Derby takes racing to a whole new level. Hosted by Service Unit 204, it was a day of big fun for the 120 racers and major dedication for the seven girls and three parents working. But, more importantly, it was an opportunity to give back to the Lincoln community. Participants donated feminine hygiene products for the People’s City Mission.

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Looking for new challenges is what G.I.R.L.s do! Troop 00012, along with some friends and siblings, saddled up for a horseback riding camp in Kearney.

They can’t wait to take the reins on their next adventure.

Big-Hearted Brownies

Put ‘Em Up Two High Girl Scout Troop 00670 came together and refused to give up on the fight against cancer at Scouting for the Cure.

Dressed in pink to support breast cancer patients and survivors, these girls are learning early to be advocates for themselves and their health.

Hay Girl Hay

That’s a Wrap As another year of Girl Scouting came to an end for Troop 00887, they celebrated poolside, showing off some of the badges and patches they earned.

Plans for the next year of go-getting, innovating, risk-taking, and leading are already underway!

While working on their Philanthropy Badge, Troop 20662 toured the Lincoln Food Bank. The girls were delighted to learn how the food bank helps people and were inspired to do their share.

They collected food and donated a meal. Big ups for giving back, Brownies.

Journey to Success Daisy Troop 20832 spent their year becoming engineers with new badges and Journeys! The girls challenged themselves by making marble runs, experimenting to see which designs worked best, and adapting their creations. They also put their imaginations to work building structures out of paper straws and toilet paper tubes, while learning important lessons about using resources wisely.

Now that’s the Girl Scout way!

One of Those Days It was a fantastic day as Troop 50521 put on their great big Brownie smiles and bridged up to Juniors at the Wahoo Fire Department. They celebrated by reading letters they wrote to themselves during their first year as Brownies, reviewing the badges they earned, and, of course, by eating cake! Let the jammin’ Junior journeys begin.

Look Out, Scooby-Doo If there’s a mystery to be solved, call on Troop 42668. The Bennington Juniors teamed up with a police officer to earn their Detective Badge. They learned about fingerprinting and investigative techniques, and even made edible DNA strands. What a delicious way to solve crimes!

A Camping We Will Go Stop, Drop, and Be Prepared A Girl Scout is ready to help out wherever she is needed. To make sure they are prepared, and to earn their safety pin, Troop 48303 toured the downtown Papillion Fire Station. They climbed into a fire truck, checked out firefighting equipment, and became fire safety experts.

Final Petal of the Puzzle St. Patrick’s Daisy Troop 48816 completed their last petal, Respecting Authority, with guest speaker Nebraska State Patrol Trooper Brooke Schwartz. Women only make up 6 percent of Nebraska state troopers, and she is one of them! She captivated these go-getters with the message that they can achieve any goal they set for themselves and they should never give up.

A troop’s first camping trip is an exciting adventure! The Daisies and Brownies of Troop 41906 spent their first overnight at Camp Catron, cooking dinner, baking birthday cakes for two girls, and prepping breakfast. They learned about kitchen safety, nutrition, healthy food choices, healing plants, the importance of staying hydrated while hiking, and SO MUCH more. They’re definitely ready for more outdoor fun.

Listen to Your Art Troop 84178 embarked on an artistic adventure while working with local artist Hailey Thiem on a special collaboration. Teamwork ruled as the girls learned new techniques, worked together, and expressed themselves to create a unique piece of art for the Girl Scouts artVenture Omaha auction.

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S’more Success Looking for a new cookie-selling strategy? Morton Middle School’s Troop 84184 has a fresh idea. Set up a Girl Scout Cookie booth at parent-teacher conferences! There’s no way parents can resist these smiling cookie bosses and their awesome entrepreneurial skills.

They’re ALL Girl Scout At their last meeting of the year, the Girl Scouts of Omaha Troop 84188 celebrated exploring what’s possible, turning dreams into reality, and changing the world. They spent the year taking on leadership roles, developing skills they’ll use to make a difference, building new friendships, and unleashing strong!

Flowers for Fallen Heroes Girl Scouts from all of Crete’s troops united to celebrate Memorial Day at the town’s Riverside Cemetery. The girls participated in a Veterans of Foreign Wars ceremony by placing flowers on crosses, while names of fallen service men and women were read. You make us proud!

Keep the Party Going Bennington Service Unit 426 went all out for Girl Scout Week. They tried Mommy and Me Yoga, dove into swimming at the YMCA, and extended the fun with late-night bowling.

That’s how you celebrate good times!

GIRL WRITTEN? We Will Publish!

We LOVE to hear from our girl members.

When we get a story written by a girl author, we will publish it in the JG!

We’ve found MORE awesome ways to be a Girl Scout.

Send your girl-written stories to marketing@girlscoutsnebraska.org and be sure to include photos.

Look for Stories Written by Girls.

They’re the BEST!

Community Collaborators provide activities for troops and families looking for fun and interesting things to do.

You choose the place, time, and date that work for you!

GirlScoutsNebraska.org

We’ve Got an

Troop 20372 let their leaders knew how much they are appreciated by writing thank you messages in sidewalk chalk.

Attitude...

of Gratitude

by Norah Ahlschwede Girl Scout Brownie

M

y name is Norah Ahlschwede, and I am eight years old. I have been a Girl Scout for three years. This year, my troop earned the Attitude of Gratitude patch. First, we learned what gratitude means. Gratitude means to be thankful for something. Then we learned what a volunteer is. A volunteer is someone who does something for someone else without getting paid. As a Girl Scout, I am grateful for the adult volunteers in my troop: my leaders!

My troop showed our leader, Sandie Shields, how grateful we are for all of her hard work by writing her thank you cards, saying “thank you” to her in three different languages, and by decorating the sidewalk outside our meeting place with sidewalk chalk. We drew pictures of our favorite Girl Scout activities and wrote messages of thanks for her.

We earned a super cool patch and let Sandie know how much we appreciate her. I really recommend this patch program to all Girl Scouts! It is important to make sure all Girl Scout leaders feel appreciated! We can’t have fun without them!

The troop comple ted th Attitude of Gratitu e Spirit of Nebraska’s de patch requirem ents.

Learn how you can earn an Attitude of Gratitude Patch on our website!

Just search for “gratitude.”

Girl Scout Trip Abroad

Inspires

♥of Travel

by Madeline Werner Girl Scout Alum

A

s I reflect on my trip to Germany, I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to travel and meet Girl Scouts from all across the country.

When I first arrived in Germany, it was nothing like what I thought it would be. The whole trip was full of new and fun experiences!

I enjoyed taking in the culture and trying new things, which in turn, led me to see the culture differently. I was made aware of what it feels like to be in the minority. One night as we were walking through the main plaza, we came up on a Neo-Nazi rally. This experience made me grateful for what we have in America and how our rights are very important to us.

During the first couple days of the trip, I was hesitant to try new foods or experiences, but as the trip progressed, and I got more comfortable with the culture, I fully immersed myself.

We enjoyed schnitzel and gelato very frequently! Because of this trip, I am more willing to try new things and learn new things about different countries.

re Maddie immersed herself in a new cultu during her Girl Scout Destinations trip, “Germany: Castles in the Sky.”

This trip also inspired me to learn more of the German language. I knew a little bit going in, but it is a very difficult language to learn, so I wasn’t able to learn as much as I wanted to before I left. We even came across a woman who moved to Germany from London five years ago, and she still doesn’t fully understand the language!

A couple surprises I had on the trip were that most people spoke English, especially kids and young adults because they learn it in school, and the amount of poverty is significantly lower than some places in the United States. Lastly, traveling to Germany inspired me to travel more often.

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2017 and 2018

PRODUCT Programs

E

ach year, girls whose efforts result in cookie sales of more than 1,000 packages become members of the elite 1000 Club. For the first time, top sellers during the 2017 Fall Product Program joined this powerful group of entrepreneurs when they reached $2,000 in sales.

Reaching these milestones are major achievements. That’s why girls who become 1000 Club members receive a special patch, medal, certificate of achievement, and recognition in council publications (like this edition of the JG!). Congratulations to the go-getters who made the world a sweeter place this year!

1000 Club

2017 Fall Product Program Alexis Miller Lettie Waterman Samantha Hasbrouck Kaylee Converse Kealy Titus Harley Schultz Taia Tosspon

Here are the na m 500-999 packa es of the girls who sold ges of Girl Scou tC those who joine d the 1000 Club ookies and b 1000 packages of cookies or re y selling aching $2,000 in sales during the Fall Product Program.

1000 Club

gram 2018 Girl Scout Cookie Pro Leilani Ayala, 2366 Kierstin Rehrs, 2302 Kamryn Wanser, 2201 Celena Metcalf, 2164 Nora Erickson, 2084 Danika Gentry, 2049 Lorelia Smith, 2031 Katelyn Pischel, 2023 Dakota Vrbas, 1836 Ava Lyons, 1780 Carreagan Endorf, 1719 Maggie Brandt, 1566 Lillian Henry, 1525 Abbey Steager, 1517 Bailey Fuller, 1512 Jenna Fuehrer, 1510 Madelyn Reed, 1506 Madison Dimmitt, 1500 Khloe Woods, 1500 Taylorlynn Mitchell, 1500 Lizabeth Buike, 1442 Lillie Birch, 1400 Olivia Burns, 1340 Savannah Pospisil, 1323 Kaycee Canova, 1316 Kamryn Canova, 1316 Kourtney Hawk, 1269 Chloe Lippstreu, 1269 Kimberly Evans, 1257

Madison Hensley, 1217 Rebecca Metzger, 1206 Sami Lee, 1205 Isabella Lester, 1200 Alexandra Widga, 1175 Kaitlinn Henderson, 1172 Aryanna Wagner, 1152 Alexis Hanson, 1142 Graysen Coleman, 1140 Evelyn Vanek, 1139 Charlotte Vanek, 1139 Darci Liehs, 1137 Emma Elliott, 1127 Dakota Christiansen, 1121 Halona Wootton, 1118 Corissa Madsen, 1113 Kassie Brabec, 1109 Kyleigh Chambers, 1106 Stella Akromis, 1105 Mckinley Matthews, 1102 Braelyn Wilson, 1100 Teagan Crossman, 1092 Savannah Phillips, 1082 Haley Dunn, 1069 Hanna VanCleave, 1068 Katie Ireland, 1065 Annabelle Sorenson, 1059 Elizabeth Reiser, 1058 Lastara Yates, 1057

(Girl Scout, packages sold) Alyssa Lee, 1050 Lilly Ross, 1048 Reese Haberer, 1039 Alyssa Hruska, 1038 Brynlee Mosher, 1036 Kloie Campbell, 1029 Caitlyn Talkington, 1027 Laura Campbell, 1026 Harley Pittz, 1024 Renee Stehlik, 1022 Karlee Urbaschek, 1022 Rebecca Kucera, 1020 Alexis Miller, 1019 Saylor Brockman, 1019 Taylor Boseneiler, 1017 Magan Waite, 1014 Emma King, 1007 Mia Crawford, 1007 Jersie Cave, 1006 Abigail Samson, 1006 Brinley Rathjen, 1006 Addison Anderson, 1003 Kelley Lebahn, 1002 Caitlin Sindelar, 1000 Camille Kotouc, 1000 Laura Stehlik, 1000 Charlee Temple, 1000

914 Troop 00

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Troop 487 80

Troop 505 09

500 Club

gram 2018 Girl Scout Cookie Pro Keilah Curtis, 976 Bailey Hamilton, 970 Annaliese Brosman, 948 Haley Happold, 928 Raemi Kellen, 922 Ashlyn Erickson, 913 Leiliana Amory-Martinez, 903 Melanie Ostrander, 902 Hayleigh Delaney, 900 Trinity Miller, 900 Emily Rath, 900 Bianca Geislar, 890 Alexandria Mawhiney, 884 Elizabeth Michaels, 882 Ella Grummert, 878 Samantha Cummings, 878 Mallory Beethe, 875 Lena Rosas, 872 Dalaney Harris, 872 Jaydyn Jorgensen, 870 Daisy Zeigler, 866 Kiara Aponte Ortiz, 864 Lily Cammarano, 861 Minnie Banks, 848 Samantha Helling, 847 Justice Taylor, 846 Rylee Burtis, 846 Stephanie Eller, 842 Samantha Richie, 839 Kaylin Peck, 838 Jayla Deronjic-Reid, 837 Makenzie Martin, 830 Mikaela Roger, 827 Lydia Kent, 826 Kendall Freeman, 824 Katie Casto, 823 Taia Tosspon, 822 Emma Wheeler, 821 Samantha Hasbrouck, 820 Halee Masek, 818 Leyna Ahlschwede, 814 Abigail Beavers, 814 Emily Beck, 811 Jenessa Williams, 807 Katelyn Mcgee, 806 Kaylee Cook, 806 Nevaeh Jones, 804 Jade Cook, 803 Genavieve Henry, 801 Lilli Allen, 801 Marrissa Davey, 801 Elizabeth Routt, 800 Arielle Gardner, 800 Nella Tuttle, 800 Brooklynn Comstock, 800 Jaimie Zwiener, 800 AiEnna Harris-Goodman, 800 Madison Klement, 800 Leila Wright, 788 Alexandra Moyer, 783 Alexis Marlar, 781 Ella Dunlap, 776 Lilly Bax, 775 Audrey Brown, 775 Harley Schultz, 774 Gabriella Evans, 771 Krystal Jones, 770 Bridgette Hottell, 764 Allyssa White, 759 Jaina Darrow, 755 Josephine Obner, 755 Skyler Laflin, 750 Sophia Losole, 750 Addison Kiraly, 747 Kaylee Converse, 744 Payton Johnson, 744 Athena Jackson, 742 Katelyn Fricke, 741 Bailey Vodehnal, 740 Jazmin Gardner, 739 Payton Mosala, 738 Kadence Fisher, 736 Araya Johnson, 736

Kya Mentgen, 732 Joslyn Mossberger, 731 Evelyne Brown, 729 Dakota Mccormack, 726 Maliyah Metoyer, 726 Cali Cabieles, 724 Karalyn Stevens, 722 Isabelle Bare, 720 Mikenna Dorn, 719 Kalissa Hagan, 718 Hannah Schall, 715 Aubryaunah Silva-Lee, 712 Karyssa Johnson, 712 Elizabeth Mcacy, 712 Esther Healy, 711 Abigail Pieper, 710 Alaina Naranjo, 710 Hannah Stromer, 708 McKartni Norton, 708 Payton Collier, 708 Chloe Mischke, 707 Carie Mascarello, 706 Emily Hughson, 706 Sophia Weyhrich, 705 Wanita Weddle, 702 Xyanna Onuoha, 702 Rachel Koch, 702 Addison Sonnie, 701 Taelynn Wunderlich, 701 Isabella Booth, 700 Morgan Jones, 700 Riley Gabelhouse, 700 Izabella Wood, 700 Ayla Brosman, 700 Marley Jensen, 700 Kaylee Colburn, 700 Paige Asher, 700 Cynthia Christian, 700 Kyleigh Nielsen, 700 Kylie Klingenberg, 697 Zalena Hernandez, 684 Camryn Orr, 683 Addyson Monico, 681 Lexie Adler, 681 Jordyn Buss, 681 Larissa Vaughn, 676 Lena Baca, 674 Ainsley Mcgahan, 668 Lexi Harral, 661 Jacelyn Prouty, 660 Brittany Hensley, 660 Kristilee Finch, 659 Olivia Neumann, 659 Hannah Downing, 657 Kenly Kottmeyer, 657 Alivia Watson, 656 Mayla Sutherland, 656 Shazlyn Perkins, 656 Rylie Zessin, 655 Josilyn Dobey, 654 Kylie Carman, 650 Kara Woodworth, 647 Ailynn Helms, 645 Kaylie Hagert, 645 Samantha Morris, 645 Audrey Wilcoxson, 644 Meadow Reinders, 643 Kenley Spencer, 642 Gretchen Hunsinger, 641 Jilliann Schueler, 641 Riley Streeter, 640 Rylin Thomas, 640 Jaedin Wilson, 640 Charlie Lamken, 639 Delaney Jennings, 639 Lilliana Renner, 638 Abigail Parker, 638 Reba Watts, 637 Zoe Davis, 637 Hailey Gubbels, 636 Kierstin Gay, 635 Emmaline Lewis, 635 Izabella Fanders, 635

(Girl Scout, packages sold) Ashley Watson, 634 Raelynn Sugden, 633 Beyna Taylor, 632 Alexis Smith, 629 Jadyn Pokorny, 628 Zada Hernandez, 628 Esther Silva, 627 Eliese Schwinck, 627 Johnna Bazan, 626 Teryn Everts, 626 Malayna Mcfarling, 624 Shaylee Milleson, 623 Kaylynn Novak, 621 Aurora Schroeder, 619 Lucy Kaczmarek, 618 Natalie Davis, 618 Lettie Waterman, 617 Rebecca Cox, 617 Baylee Greene, 617 Mya Martin, 617 Doe Carder, 616 Adrianna Mincer, 615 Kaitlin Kinsey, 614 Elizabeth Schlecht, 613 Alyce Lair, 613 Serena Martinez, 612 Hayley Miles, 612 Pieper Roeder, 612 Josie Walker, 612 Kylee Bosard, 611 Raelynn DeMaranville, 611 Natalie Luhn, 610 Rebekah Denton, 610 Dalyce Sell, 609 Natalie Burenheide, 609 Lyla Russell, 608 Hailey Mcdonald, 608 Aurora Seip, 608 Eryn Korensky, 607 Elizabeth Spellman, 607 Olivia Grieser, 607 Amelia Belik, 607 Addie Borgmann, 606 Kylee Kort, 606 Lauren Mead, 606 Lacey Powell, 606 Lexi Randles, 606 Reese Mobley, 606 Kaelin Groenjes, 605 Kathryn Mathiasen, 605 Olivia Strachan, 605 Paige Berglund, 604 Emily Ayers, 604 Olivia Schraut, 603 Taeylor Samuelson, 603 Ava Andrews, 603 Carleigh Keller, 603 Layla Waide, 603 Kallan Reed, 603 Elizabeth Bernt, 602 Chloe Mcnerney, 602 Caryn Sparks, 602 Victoria Mannel, 602 Amira Keys, 602 Bailey Kiehl, 602 Josie Dagosto, 601 Hailee Sweet, 601 Stephanie Cederburg, 601 Mercedes Deidel, 601 Caylee Conour, 601 Carly Lukes, 601 Brianna Novak, 601 Jalynn Redding, 601 Lana Schroeder, 601 Addison Pithan, 601 Naviannah Lennemann, 600 Summer Hammerling, 600 Morgan Lewis, 600 Vivianne Beck, 600 Ashley Libby, 600 Madeline Prieto, 600 Triniti Rowe, 600 Evalinn Eisel, 600

Ava Braun, 600 Cloe Dalton, 557 Ellieanna Buskirk, 600 Makayla Maxson, 556 Kelsey Koch, 600 Jenessa Bruner, 556 Amber Lundquist, 600 Addison Randall, 555 Elizabeth Marsh, 600 Abigail Dohmen, 555 Delainey Kaster, 600 Grace Nilson, 555 Syllas Parker, 600 Madison Ball, 554 Hailey Swinscoe, 600 Meredith Smith, 554 Hannah Stein, 600 Laree Duey, 554 Olivia Ostgaard, 600 Charlotte Gifford, 553 Lindsay Michler, 600 Claire Schmitz, 553 Claire Hayford, 600 Addison Birmeier, 552 Sydney Hale, 600 Kirstin Keffer, 552 Mackenzie Zwetzig, 600 Samantha Baltzell, 552 Kaelin Groenjes, 599 Bailey Bessert, 552 Libby Evans, 597 Lochlyn Thomas, 552 Bralyn Danekas, 595 Mykayla Hastings, 551 Charlie Allen, 591 Jozlynn Randall, 551 Jamilya Bearfield, 590 Aryanna Myers, 551 Arie Jackson, 589 Jacqueline Mahoney, 551 Cashlie Corman, 588 Brookelynn Matzen, 551 Katelyn Kennedy, 585 Violet Mckibbon, 550 Jovi Eder, 585 Brooklyn Baxter, 550 Karrie Weaver, 585 Chloe Jorgensen, 550 Claudia Paulsen, 584 Simone Goodwin, 550 Hannah Preston, 582 Grace Goodwin, 550 Ciara Garman, 582 Evelyn Filips, 550 Elli Bock, 579 Payton Johnson, 550 Lillianna Trevino, 579 Riele Lewis, 550 Kendly Mestl, 579 Breanna Johnson, 550 Olivia Wright, 579 Jordee Yonker, 550 Brenna Breuer, 578 Hadley Anderson, 550 Riley Somchana, 577 Marisol Mandl, 550 Abbigail Johnson, 577 Harley Martin, 550 Sophia Phillips, 577 Alexa Dankert, 550 Delaney Dubbs, 576 Josephine Tuttle, 550 Temperance Townsend, 576 Emma Gehrig, 550 Kiera Burns, 575 Jazmine Saltzgaber, 550 Katie Borg, 575 Isabella Bencker, 550 Kelani Glover-Shimerdla, 574 Tatum Brandl, 550 Madelyn Monson, 574 Sabrina Zelfel, 550 Hannah Jamison, 574 Shellsea Warner, 550 Leena Walters, 573 Maggie Kindler, 548 Sylvie Kurpgeweit, 573 Willow Gerkensmeyer, 548 Olivia Cook, 572 Ashlynn Humphrey, 548 Lilly Ballard, 572 Shya Kielion, 547 Gabriella Cushman, 572 Tristen Wassinger, 546 Annibel Zaloudek, 571 Rhonda Clarke, 546 Holly Wilson, 571 Kara Trace, 545 Larissa Rockenbach, 570 Tyliee Hendricks, 544 Lynaysha Weiler, 570 Lilly Stange, 544 Blakeley Meyers, 569 Piper Kurpgeweit, 544 Signe Morrow, 569 Emily Brunow, 544 Madison Schnell, 568 Corrinne Groven, 541 Heyden Hilsabeck, 568 Isabella Mccormick, 541 Kendyll Tomlinson, 568 Sophia Eddy, 540 Brynn Almgren, 566 Caitlin Duncan, 540 Milie Monico, 565 Emily Reade, 540 Wren Pflug, 564 Emelia Stull, 539 Sophie Rutherford, 564 Vira Nelle, 539 Khloe Rice, 564 Mady Renz, 538 Elliot Iwan-Lintz, 563 Dacie Henderson, 538 Sadie Fick, 562 Maggie Schlichtman, 537 Ryleigh Mccrumb, 562 Libby Bennett, 537 Lilith Reichenberg, 562 Braelyn Wiesner, 536 Marissa Claussen, 562 Kassidy Urich, 535 Vivianna Prather, 562 Lola Ayers, 535 Piper Rutt, 561 Lyla Mcdonald, 535 Grace Howe, 561 Victoria McCarter, 534 Arkaya Warfield, 561 Aspen Vanhorn, 534 Lily Hays, 560 Kaelyn Fink, 534 Emma Goodrich, 560 Cheyenne White, 534 Jordyn Pella, 560 Sarah Spahr, 533 Tracy Reyes, 560 Jayla Moton, 533 Hannah Schilz, 560 Ciera Westerfield, 532 Mariposa Soto Valdovinos, 559 Rebecca Reynolds, 532 Erica Horne, 559 Olivia Foster, 532 Tenleigh Scdoris, 559 Katelyn Crook, 532 Evelyn Hirko, 558 Brooklynn Craigmile, 531 Alexa Baxter, 558 Taylor Muller, 531 Sarah Hargreaves, 557 Jamie Feit, 531 Rose Tuttle, 557 Joshlyn Konen, 530 Corbyn Hevi, 557 Morgan Bartek, 530 Girl Scout names continue on the next page

Fall Issue 2018

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500 Club continued Jael Lammers, 530 Mia Bieranowski, 530 Emma Sorce, 529 Kaylee Hanson, 529 Nevaeh Bush, 529 Kallie Baxter, 529 Alexis Hillman, 529 Bailey Eckhardt, 528 Aurora Wismont, 528 Vivian Putnam, 528 Brianna Luhman, 528 Victoria Hofmann, 528 Anna Berger, 527 Zivah Allen, 527 Tarike Rinehart, 527 Bristol Fraizer, 527 Laurynn Baxter, 527 Mya Rhiley, 526 Hailyn Evans, 526 Madelyn Wickwire, 525 Alexavia Mendez, 525 Rebecca Blackford, 525 Shyenne Kirby, 525 Layla Sugden, 525 Anastacia Jackson, 524 Eliza Ricker, 524 Kailyn Schafer, 524 Mikaylah Rand, 524 Karlee Duncan, 524 Jurnee Mullenhoff, 524 Haley Yonker, 524 Lauren Feltner, 524 Madison Rolle, 523 Camdyn Chamberlain, 523 Brynnleigh Weaver, 522 Kylinn Baker, 522 Kinley Nixon, 522 Kendall Bryan, 522 Ella Kanne, 522 Helena CruzBachman, 522 Rylan Croll, 521 Vivian Thayer, 521 Zoe Sivils, 521 Michaela Moore, 521 Kali Kuck, 520 Madison Smith, 520 Ellie Weyhrich, 520 Sara Micanek, 520 Anna Speirs, 520 Alexis Uhrich, 519 Aubrey Leclair, 519 Sadie Grinnell Kiser, 519 Lela Hass, 519 Rachel Harre, 519 Emma Rohde, 518 Alivia Bailey, 518 Emmy Sheldon, 518 Mackenzie Miller, 518 Ava Pusek, 517 Nadine Williams, 517 Cara Camplin, 516 Breken Brown, 516 Helen Christen, 516

Kennedy Chase, 516 Taylor Peterman, 516 Madelyn Aulner, 516 Meadow Anderson, 516 Kenni Parr, 516 Emily Browning, 516 Kylee Ceballos, 515 Lacie Frear, 514 Juliet Avers, 514 Kirsten Brethauer, 514 Leah Comstock, 514 Isabel Koenig, 514 Brooklyn Seibel, 513 Camryn Hansen, 513 Lexie Hansen, 513 Ireland Casey, 513 Macy Rogers, 513 Madison Nolan, 512 Savonah Cleary, 512 Caleigh Crandall, 512 Natalie Campos, 512 Olivia Gardner, 512 Kaitlynn Kleinsasser, 511 Sydney Vavra, 511 Abigail Jacobsen, 511 Josephina Roger, 511 Elizabeth Broders, 511 Anna Danahy, 511 Grace Warta, 511 Paige Stanczyk, 510 Rylyn Moody, 510 Keira Caniglia, 510 Lola Rowse, 510 Dawnica Clanton, 510 Natalie Bang, 510 Grace Kraftka, 510 Aubrey Herbolsheimer, 510 Kayla Griepenstroh, 510 Ella Jacobs, 510 Lauren Allen, 510 Kiera Devaney, 509 Mia Majorins, 509 Mckenzie Jones, 509 Makaylee Stuehm, 509 Aidyn Bonifas, 509 Mathilda Hillabrand, 509 Madison Ensign, 509 Megan Mcdonald, 508 Skyler Oberg, 508 Eliza Raven, 508 Amber-Lynn Barnes, 508 Cheyanne Richardson, 508 Lextyn Harker, 508 Cadence LeCrone, 508 Abigail Sanchez, 508 Sofia Bunch, 508 Fianna Glenn, 507 Hailey Cepel, 507 Cara Royal, 507 Brooklynn Wisinger, 507 Taya Waller, 507 Ella Donahue, 507 Tierney Carman, 507

Ava Erb, 507 Sadie Smith, 506 Isabella Roe, 506 Morrigan Lovitt, 506 Kalee Rosenthal, 506 Isabelle Reams, 505 Zoey Sieck, 505 Addison Nauenburg, 505 Emma Larsen, 505 Makaila Myers, 505 Ashley Patterson, 504 Melanie Deming, 504 Adeline Ferguson, 504 Kar’tajaah Watson, 504 Lauren Rallis, 504 Bessie Johnston, 504 MiKenna Schroeder, 504 Audrey Lenners, 504 Leah Hinman, 504 Mckenna Mullanix, 504 Lincoln Schroeder, 504 Emili Canning, 503 Aubrey Lattig, 503 Collens Hampson, 503 EmmaClair Wicks, 503 Amya Powell, 503 Caitlyn Adams, 503 Morgan Morlock, 503 Katelyn Weidman, 502 Emily Dohmen, 502 Olivia Barboza, 502 Reagan Purcell, 502 Macyn Veleba, 502 Kadence Pieper, 502 Alexandra Jensen, 502 Delilah Broders, 502 Lucy Lindau, 502 Tricia Sherwood, 502 Madilynn Miles, 502 Alexis Miles, 502 Gracie Pendergras, 502 Hailey Swanek, 501 Elizabeth Thuernagle, 501 Mackenzie Burnett, 501 Brooklynn Rollag, 501 Catherine Augustyn, 501 Alexandria Erickson, 501 Jayla Burk, 501 Emberlei Cassell, 501 Daisa Smidt, 501 Maci Smidt, 501 Zoey Martin, 501 Cecelia Holst, 501 Lindsey Mathis, 501 Avery Frisbie, 501 Ali Gable, 501 Molly Bergantzel, 501 Jordyn Ratzlaff, 501 Mcclellan Millner, 501 Rachelle Rice, 501 Judith Backman-Cruz, 501 Hailey Rahmy, 501 Lily Watts, 501

Troop 45513

Troop 20783 Brynlee Tucker, 501 Alexis Augustyn, 501 Britany Lofton, 501 Alyssa Lane, 500 Maeve Mcgill, 500 Harper Krantz, 500 Camillya Wilson, 500 Ava Brown, 500 Maya Beck, 500 Jaden Jeppesen, 500 Brylee Turner, 500 Annika Bannwarth, 500 Savannah Kelliher, 500 Kora Grunke, 500 Jessica Gooder, 500 Michaela Nanfito, 500 Elizabeth Menke, 500 Adalen Ehler, 500 Cadence Noleaf, 500 Lillian Freouf, 500 Isabella Weiser, 500 Amara Uden, 500 Analisa Wirt, 500 Allison Hart, 500 Macie Bidler, 500 Tessa Hattan, 500 Brianna Holmes, 500 Kaylie Waite, 500 Haylie Chapman, 500 Tanya Lopez, 500 Carlee Knull, 500

SAVE THE DATE 2019 GIRL SCOUT C

KIE PROGRAM

February 1 – March 10, 2019

To participate, fill out the Product Program Intent Form on our website.

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Jaiden Ertzner, 500 Bailie Daharsh, 500 Makayla Cerny, 500 Kristen Schellenberg, 500 Cadence Johansen, 500 Lillian Ehlers, 500 Caleigh Hensel, 500 Kloie Burkhardt, 500 Alizabeth Harding, 500 Aubree Dahlgren, 500 Abby Umana, 500 Jordan Turner, 500 Xyairah Onuoha, 500 Madalyn Franta, 500 Skiler Watson, 500 Paityn Settell, 500 Carey Colvert, 500 Arianna Bonafilia, 500 Kourtney Dowding, 500 Reese Wickham, 500 Ella Hartfield, 500 Samantha Nanfito, 500 Addison Balzer, 500 Alexa Hartfield, 500 Katelyn White, 500 Jeanette Gonzalez, 500 Eden Strawn, 500 Ellyana Walkington-Reeder, 500 Harmony Knapp, 500 Jordan Rourke, 500

Cookie Cheer

The warm-hearted girls of Kearney Troop 00887 truly put the Girl Scout Law into practice. They generously used their cookie proceeds to fill goodie bags for children at their local hospital. We just know the toys, stickers, stuffies, coloring books, and art supplies will make the hospital a better place for its young patients!

Celebrate Good Times

There was a party going on at Lincoln’s Bowling Lake Park when Daisy Troop Wanting to make a positive impact on the 28725 celebrated the end of their first Lincoln community, Brownie Troop 20661 year of Girl Scouting. In addition to planned, built, and installed a Little hitting the playground and devouring ice Free Pantry at the Willard Community cream sundaes, this motivated group of Center. These budding activists stocked do-gooders included cleaning up litter as the pantry with non-perishable food part of the festivities. items for people in need. The best part?

People are using the pantry and helping restock it!

Little Pantry, Big Impact

Peanut Butter Jelly Time

Brownies love giving back, and if they can make someone’s day a little brighter… well, that’s even better! Omaha Troop 41365 dedicated part of their spring break to spreading kindness as they donned hairnets, tied on aprons, and made lunches at the Open Door Mission’s Lydia House.

The Last Straw

Earth Day got extra attention in Elkhorn when the Seniors of Troop 43846 hosted Troop 42675 from Skyline Elementary and worked toward ending plastic pollution. Using crafts, a circle discussion, a word search, and more, this super-sized girl squad learned how to protect the planet – one plastic straw at a time.

Making Meaningful Meals

Anyone can donate to a shelter, but Troop 50509 wanted to do more! The group of go-getters went the extra mile by using their cookie proceeds to purchase food and by preparing a meal for the Care Corp Homeless Shelter in Fremont. That’s how you take the lead like a Girl Scout.

Fall Issue 2018

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Over the

Moon

Falls City G irl Scouts don ne their finest d attire for th e M e a nd M y Guy Dance .

for My Guy

F

alls City Cadette Girl Scout Troop 20705 decided to host a Me and My

by Delainey Kaster Guy Dance for the younger Girl Scouts Girl Scout Cadette in our town. Cayleigh Eickhoff, Mataya Wilcox, and I spent several days planning I called Henry Wendtlandt to see if this event. he would deejay the dance, and he was We decided to host the dance to raise happy to help. However, he was going to money for our entire Girl Scout troop to attend the dance with this daughter, so he go camping at Camp Catron and stay at got his wife, Stephanie, and his good friend Sky Camp. We had to decide on a theme, decorations, set up someone to deejay the and band member, John Dunlap, to do the dance, find someone to take pictures, and music. We made a playlist for them to use, and the music was awesome. come up with a music list.

The theme was going to be “Over the Moon,” so we decided to decorate with moons and stars, and use the colors of blue, purple, and black. We made corsages and boutonnieres for everyone attending the dance. We lined up Ryan Schutte, owner of Natural Beauty Photography, to take pictures. nced d their guys da

We recruited the Cadette girls from Troop 20058 to assist with chaperoning the dance. Rarely, did anyone sit out a dance, as we kept them out on the dance floor.

The dance was a success. We raised over half the money we needed to go to camp.

The younger girls have requested that we plan another dance next year.

Girls an . the night away

ts n e v E y u G t a e r G e r o M M

ale role models are truly influential in the lives of girls. That’s why so many Girl Scouts, like these, love My Guy and I events!

Girl Scouts and the special men in their lives hit the kitchen for the council’s My Guy and I Cake Bake program in Columbus.

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Troop 43012 enjoyed dancing and snacks at a special My Guy and I Masquerade Dance hosted by their school, St. James Seton in Omaha.

Madelynn loved getting to meet other Girl Scouts from all over the country during her trip to Ecuador.

I Went Snorkeling with

Sharks

by Madelynn Carbaugh Girl Scout Ambassador had the amazing opportunity to go to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands on a Girl Scout Destinations trip.

The first place I went to in Ecuador was a city called Quito, which is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. A bunch of the houses were on mountains. Small stores with warm smiles inside waited on almost every corner.

I then ventured off to the Island of San Cristobal. Stepping out of the plane, I could already see the island’s beauty surrounding me.

I loved the crystal blue ocean, the sunlit sky, the white desert-like sand, and cacti that were strung about. I was so excited. Then we went to our hotel and somehow it got even prettier. The two girls I was with Reagan and Leah (they are pretty cool) and I got a suite. Our hotel room had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a kitchen, plus a lizard that I named Charlie! When you stepped out onto the deck you could see the whole city. The city was small, and the smell of forbidden street food lingered in the air. The smell of ocean air surrounded me everywhere.

The next morning, we went on a hike around one of the beaches and then went snorkeling. The beach was so beautiful. The sand was warm and white with big black rocks lining the shore. The Island was covered in sea lions. There was a mom and baby sea lion. They were so cute! Then it was time for us to snorkel. After we swam out a small bit I felt something touch my leg and when I looked I saw a sea turtle passing by me!

The next day, while waiting for the ferry to Isabela Island, a sea lion decided to pay a visit and hopped up onto the ramp to the boardwalk before deciding to take a nap on a bench on our ferry boat. On the ferry, after we went a little way, I saw a whole flock of blue-footed boobies! They were diving into the water. They were so cool, there looked to be thousands of them! As our boat pulled into the dock I noticed some sea lions sunbathing on the stairs of the dock, also crabs were everywhere.

The next morning, we got up and it was snorkel time again. Getting into the water you could look and see thousands of miles down because of how clear the water was. The ocean floor was lined with sea cucumbers almost everywhere we swam.

We came upon a huge coral reef that was similar to a tunnel, and we swam through it. At the bottom we saw a small shark, which may sound scary, but because of how plentiful the food is it was highly unlikely any harm would come to us. It was so cool getting to see a shark! On my way back to the boat a sea lion kept head-butting me and trying to play with me.

I then went to Santa Cruz Island where we went to a Galapagos tortoise breeding center and the original Charles Darwin Research Center. This research center is where Charles Darwin developed his theory of evolution! There were baby tortoises, and they were so cute! One of the tortoises tried to climb the fence to say hi to us. All the adult tortoises were huge yet so cute at the same time. We also took a bus to the highlands to see Galapagos tortoises in the wild. It was amazing!

I’m glad I went on my Destinations trip to the Galapagos and Ecuador because it opened my eyes to another culture. I left home with only two carry-on bags and I came back with new Girl Scout sisters, pictures, memories, and the experience of a lifetime.

Snorkeling gave Madelynn the opportunity to interact with wildlife like sea lions, sea turtles, sea cucumbers, and sharks.

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