JG Spring 2017

JG The Juliette Gazette

Spring 2017 A Publication of Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska

Camp Life is the

Best Life Page 11

Becky and her family were treated to a party at Baxter Toyota La Vista when they picked up their prized Cookie Car.

Hanna Top C ookie Seller

!

JG The Juliette Gazette

The Juliette Gazette is a triannual publication of Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska.

JG Staff: Publisher/Designer Lucia Kroeger Renz Editor/Writer Theresa Cassaday Sales/Writer Shannon Peterson Photo Editor Michelle Cleary Contributor Kassy Jo Novak Copy Editor Marian Wascher

Sweet Day for

C T

KIE CAR

We are supported in part by:

WINNER

here is no better way to celebrate 100 years of Girl Scouts selling cookies than by giving away a brand new car!

Becky Galvan of Omaha was the winner of the cookie- and llamaadorned 2017 Toyota RAV4 in our first-ever car giveaway.

Mrs. Galvan, who teaches first grade at Holy Name School, was thrilled when she heard the news and called the prize “a blessing for my family.”

Becky

♥s Cookie Car GirlScoutsNebraska.org PUBLICATION OFFICE: 2121 South 44th Street Omaha, NE 68105 Date of Publication, May, 2017 Printed by Kingery Printing Effingham, Illinois May 2017 PRINTED IN U.S.A.

She was presented with her “RAVs’more”

by Hanna Van Cleave, the top Girl Scout Cookie seller in Nebraska; Fran Marshall, Spirit of Nebraska CEO; and Kevin Ryland, GM of Baxter Toyota—our proud sponsor.

How do you top the Cookie Car??

Cookie Rocket Ship, anyone?

Please recycle or pass me on to a friend.

Girl Scouts from Morton Middle School received the NHS Bones patch for making and donating pet toys. They also toured the facility and learned about pet care and adoption.

Taking Action Feels

I

t’s im“paws”ible for girls to resist anything cuddly and cute, especially when it is pets in need. That’s why the Nebraska Humane Society (NHS) is such a popular destination for Girl Scout field trips and service projects!

One of our troops em“bark”ed on a project to create enrichment toys from empty water bottles and socks.

The shelter pups went crazy for the crunching noise the special chew toys make. Girls also made messy, but dog-gone delicious pumpkin and oat treats for the animals. Bone appetit!

There are always lots of yips, meows and chirps during the facility tour as cats, dogs, birds, ferrets, bunnies and other animals have an op“paw”tunity for extra attention.

The girls from the Lydia House troop worked on their Pet Badge during a recent field trip.

To meet the requirement to “make a pet feel loved,” these kind Girl Scouts went the extra mile and read stories to the dogs waiting for their “fur”ever homes.

“Cats” off to all the girls who take time to give the NHS animals a purr-fect day!

Girl Scouts’ Community Outreach is sponsored in part by:

Nine girls from Lydia House Troop 84206 participated in this service project—petting cats, reading stories to dogs, making toys and treats, and learning about pet care and adoption.

Spring Issue 2017

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Girls learned the basics before grouping up to build and launch their rockets.

L FTOFF to Future Success

G

irl Scouts are building their futures and embracing the world of STEAM (Science Technology, Engineering Arts and Math).

Exposing girls to STEAM disciplines opens a new world of educational and career opportunities and encourages them to seek unique leadership-building activities.

Across the state, troops are exploring STEAM with creativity and innovation. The girls of Spring Lake Troop 84786 earned their Entertainment Science badge when they brought physics to life with marble roller coasters, and Norris Troop 84259 performed bubble experiments to earn their Home Scientist badge.

In Grand Island, Girl Scouts discovered that engineering “rocks and rolls” when they designed and constructed their own rockets at the Raising Nebraska exhibit. Even though their custom rockets didn’t always liftoff as planned, they would get back to work and try, try again—full STEAM ahead!

What is your troop doing to pick up STEAM? Send your photos and highlights to marketing@girlscoutsnebraska.org.

Bubbles and marbles made physics fun when girls earned their Girl Scout badges.

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Girls had an “udderly” good time discovering the science of cows.

Climbing to

Heights C

ourage and confidence were on full display when Lincoln Troop 20616 experienced an awesome day of rock climbing at the UNL Outdoor Adventures Center.

With a little instruction and safety harnesses tightly secured, these brave Brownies persevered to climb higher and higher. A few even made it to the top!

Keep your eye on this terrific troop as they set their sights on their next adventure and reach for new heights.

The group paused for a pic after a day of fun and adventure on the rocks!

One thing is for sure...GIRLS ROCK!

Alumnae

Reconnect at Catron

L

ast fall, we invited treasured alumnae back to Camp Catron for a day of memories.

The event, which was generously sponsored by the Order of the Silver Trefoil, featured a vintage Girl Scout uniform fashion show, camp exploration, archery, a challenge course adventure, trivia, games, a delicious lunch and a craft, of course! Kimmel Orchard also provided a midday break, complete with wine tasting.

Upcoming Alumnae Day Retreats Saturday, September 30 Lakeview Cabin, North Platte

Saturday, October 7 Inspiring guests, Sändra Washington, Kay French, Catron Camp and Retreat Center, Wendy Hamilton, Michelle Chambers, Cami Kopetka, Nebraska City Lisa Hiatt, Misty Ahmic-Burroughs and Dalyce Ronnau, were invited to share Girl Scouting stories with event attendees.

The ladies (and gentleman) concluded the day by swapping stories with girls from the Girl Scout Advisory Group (GSAG), and singing songs together while roasting s’mores around the campfire.

It was so much fun, that we’re expanding the Fall Alumnae Retreat to Lakeview Cabin. If you’re interested in getting back in touch with your inner-Girl Scout in the great outdoors, please contact Girls stepped back mburroughs@girlscoutsnebraska.org or register at in time for a vintage fashion show. www.girlscoutsnebraska.org/alumnae.

Attendees enjoyed their day of fun and friendship at Catron.

Danny Reneau and the girls with whom he co-created art for artVenture.

by Hayley Long Girl Scout Senior

Why

I

T

Hayl ey

artVenture

o me, artVenture is a really important and fun program. The whole point of artVenture is for girls and artists to collaborate together doing something they have a passion for and create a variety of artwork. It is one of the many things that I enjoy and love in Girl Scouts. It gives girls a chance to express themselves and to learn something new from the dedicated artists. It also gives artists a chance to share their passion and interests with girls.

This year, I did a water color artVenture with a guy named Danny. Not only is it fun to learn different art mediums and techniques, but it’s also interesting to watch the artists grow and bond with us. In the beginning, he taught us different styles and techniques and ways to manipulate the water. By the end, he was teaching us how to blend colors and styles together to make the main piece.

The final piece was a collage of Lincoln places and culture. It had trees, the zoo, the capital, and Northeast High School all in one picture. It was really cool and it was extremely fun getting to know Danny as well as the other girls I worked with.

The artVenture auction itself was really fun to be a part of. I volunteered this year and while I was working, it was fun to just observe everyone and see their reactions. Whether it was the little Girl Scouts squealing over the art piece they did, a grandparent commenting on how intricate and creative something was, or one of the artists beaming and being able to say, “This one was my group’s!” So many girls got excited over the fact that their piece was just being displayed so everyone could see. You would think it was a $1000 piece of art, and to them, it was much more than that. It’s gives you an amazing feeling to see so many people compliment so many girls’ art pieces and so many get sold. Even if they weren’t mine, it still made me proud because so many people were enjoying something girls worked together on with local artists.

Overall artVenture is a very important program because it brings girls closer and creates new bonds between Scouts and the community. Not only do girls learn a new art technique, but they learn about teamwork and how to calculate the price and sell something. After, they get to watch it be auctioned off and feel proud knowing someone liked it and wanted it. It is a very happy atmosphere and it makes so many people happy and proud. artVenture was extremely fun this year and I can’t wait to see what next year brings!

The watercolor Hayley and her team donated to the auction.

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Brownies Get

! y g g u B W

hen Troop 43012 decided to earn their Bugs badge, they knew they needed to go where plenty of crawly critters could be found, so they planned a hike. Because they had previously worked on their WOW Journey, they knew they needed to prepare for hiking safety. The girls talked about how hats shield you from the sun and keep you cool, so they decorated hats. They knew hydration and a healthy snack would keep them going, so they each created a pouch in which to carry water and trail mix.

A Fontenelle educator gave the girls an up-close look at crawly creatures.

With colorful, handmade equipment ready to go, these Brownies headed to Fontenelle Forest to work on their badge! They learned about many bugs and their natural habitats. There were even insects in display cases so the girls could get an up-close view of different species.

When the day was done, these happy girls were all smiles knowing they just added another hard-earned badge to their Brownie uniform!

Givingto

Brownie “Bugs” Badge Guests enjoyed an evening of recognition and inspiration at the Juliette Low Society annual dinner.

Grow

L

Like Juliette Low

ast November at the Lincoln Country Club, we held our annual appreciation dinner to recognize members of Spirit of Nebraska’s Juliette Low Society and their outstanding contributions. With help from Troop 20653 and speakers Cami Kopetka and Lana Schroeder, we said “thank you” in our unique Girl Scout-style.

Pat Norris ga ve high fives to the gi rls who came to sh their apprecia ow tion.

Through the generosity of the Juliette Low Society, we can provide more opportunities for girls, families and volunteers across our state. This group of loyal supporters believes in our founder’s vision that every girl has potential, and in the importance of fostering girls’ individual growth, character and self-sufficiency.

Without the amazing support of our community and donors, there would be no Girl Scouting in Nebraska. Thank you for everything you do to make the world a better place for girls!

Spring Issue 2017

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Troop Goes

“

”

By Cadette Troop 45523

Madison Eisert, Sabrina Heckens, Sian Jones, Caitlyn Robbins and Eme Starbuck

for Silver W

e started our Silver Award Take Action project by learning all about bats. We decided to build bat houses, and with the help of our project mentor Gerry Eisert, who is also Madison’s dad, we reviewed designs, photos and handouts from Bat Conservation International for ideas. We also watched the Wild Kratts’ “A Bat in the Brownies” to see how bats survive in the wild and how to build suitable homes for them. Amy Campagna from Nebraska Wildlife Rehab, Inc. attended a troop meeting and showed us a real bat. Bats are cuter than we thought!

We then met at Camp Maha with ranger Mark Dietz to discuss our project and identify the best locations to place the houses. Based upon what we knew about bats, we agreed that they should be near the water and face SE/SW for long hours of sun and warmth. They also had to be atop long metal poles so other animals couldn’t reach or harm the bats.

Home Depot embraced our project and not only generously donated many of the supplies, they used their laser saw to cut the wood for us! We got mesh for the bats to hang on and picked out paint brushes, caulking, glue, buckets, screws and nails.

We built eight single-chamber houses for our winged, echo-locating friends, and it was an experience we will never forget. Each of us nailed, drilled, hammered and glued, and we were so proud to add our CUTE wooden die-cut bat detail!

Then, it was back to Camp Maha to raise the bat houses. Volunteers and friends from the community gathered in honor of Juliette Low’s birthday to watch and help with the final phase of our project. For extra fun, we buried a time capsule at the base of the bat house near Riverview Lodge that included mementos of things we have shared as a troop, a few patches, copies of newspapers, Juliette Gazettes and photographs.

We’re looking forward to seeing these fascinating, flying mammals occupy their home sweet bat homes!

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Through hard work, dedication and good connections, this project was destined for a “bat-tastic” finish!

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Spring Issue 2017

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W

ho says that kids don’t love opera? Not anyone that knows about Girl Scouts!

Our girls are always open to trying new cultural endeavors and last fall, an enthusiastic group attended a workshop to immerse themselves in the magic of Puccini’s timeless love story, La Bohème.

At the bustling event, hosted by Opera Omaha, girls rotated through various interactive stations. The assistant stage manager taught acting techniques and three child actors talked about the rehearsal process and what’s it’s like to perform on the Orpheum Theater stage. With the guidance of a local artist, Girl Scouts designed their own sets, and they sketched costumes with La Bohème’s costume designer.

The girls also learned the value of female leadership when they discovered that the entire stage management team, production manager and director were all women!

Hands-on activities inspired girls to design and imagine their very own world of opera.

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Costume Designer, Kathleen Trott

s h a Hit! m S

Opera Week a

o l and Al a h a oha M

by Charlie Croteau & Caitlyn Talkington Troop 45483

Hawai i

O

ur Girl Scout trip to Hawaii was the experience of a lifetime. We visited the island of Kona, and learned much about the extraordinary culture and history of Hawaii. We got scuba dive certified over the course of four days, went to a luau, and took a tour of the island. We even had extra time for shopping!

Everything was so absolutely terrific that we couldn’t possibly pick a favorite. Scuba diving was wondrous, especially with the dolphins we saw and the manta ray night dive! One day, we did a boat dive and saw a lot of really cool animals like moray eels, zebra eels, sea cucumbers, and a sea urchin. The luau was splendid with great food and an outstanding show! The tour was the most interesting and captivating experience; learning about

Charlie, Caitlyn, Jenny and Maria had fun in the water and on dry land!

Hawaiian mythology and walking through lava tubes! Overall, it was the most fantastic trip ever, and the vacation of a lifetime!

But, the most fun was being with Ms. Maria (our leader) and her daughter Jenny on this trip.

We’re really looking forward to travelling more as Girl Scouts!

Troop 20729

Honor Roll of

T

o become a Spirit of Nebraska Honor Troop, you must be organized, motivated and tenacious! Last year, 45 leaders/ troops went the extra mile to reach this Girl Scout milestone.

They met deadlines, completed forms, attended meetings and strategically planned their year. Girls participated in flag and investiture ceremonies, attended programs, completed at least one Journey, observed Girl Scout holidays, participated in Product Programs and “took action� in their communities.

0 Troop 0061

Every troop has what it takes to become an Honor Troop! Girls receive an Honor Troop patch, and leaders build life-skills from the experience.

Get started today at GirlScoutsNebraska.org, search: Honor Troop.

2015/2016 Honor Troops: Goldenrod Great Plains

Troop 5001 3

Troop 00610 Troop 00670 Troop 00699 Troop 00854 Troop 00856 Troop 00869 Troop 00873 Troop 00888 Troop 00889

Guiding Star Troop 10081 Troop 10291

Homestead

Troop 10 291

4642 Troop 4

Troop 20044 Troop 20058 Troop 20108 Troop 20126 Troop 20296 Troop 20321 Troop 20372 Troop 20449 Troop 20566 Troop 20705 Troop 20712 Troop 20724 Troop 20729 Troop 20730 Troop 20754 Troop 20762

Troop 41802 Troop 42103 Troop 42173 Troop 42425 Troop 42445 Troop 42466 Troop 42526 Troop 42734 Troop 43006 Troop 43635 Troop 44642 Troop 45056 Troop 45312 Troop 45492 Troop 45523

Prairie Hills Troop 50013 Troop 50030 Troop 50194 Troop 50293 Troop50494

Top reasons to go to Girl Scout camp:

We are super excited to see you at camp this summer. We have programs ALL ACROSS the state and activities for EVERY GIRL to enjoy!

Visit org . a k s a r b e N GirlScouts xt r your ne to sign up fdoventure. camp a

Spring Issue 2017

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Hartman’s Happy Holiday

Girl Scouts from Omaha’s Hartman Elementary channeled their kindly Christmas spirit and put some hard work into creating holiday cards for the Open Door Mission. They learned that little actions make a big impact and giving back feels good, any time of the year!

Who Let the Dogs Out?

When the Kearney dog park needed improvements, Troop 00670 was “furr”-ly certain they could make a difference! These creative girls brought the old, dreary dog tunnels to life by painting cute, captivating canine designs. As an extra “bone”-us, the Juniors earned their Bronze Award.

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The Gift of Warmth

Teaming up to share the joy of Christmas, the Girl Scouts from Mount View and Central Park elementary schools made tie blankets and holiday cards for the Lydia House! Helping others feel special can also mean having fun and spending time with your Sister Scouts.

Considerate and Caring

The Daisies of Hastings Troop 00012 are living the Girl Scout Law. Each girl learned how to care for a special animal, then shared their new knowledge in a presentation to the whole troop! These Daisies gained dynamite skills, and they became brave and polished public speakers!

Lending Helping Hands

Keeping it Kind

Pleasanton Girl Scouts honored Anti-Bullying Month by organizing a “be kind” day at their school. Posters spread the word and welcoming messages were written in sidewalk chalk so students would start their day with a smile! Everyone wore orange to take a stand against bullying, and those caught being kind were rewarded with treats.

A desire to help other children led this passionate group of Kearney girls to touch lives through their Take Action project.

Troop 00856 gathered food, coloring supplies, an activity table and chairs, and baby items such as lotion, toys, clothes and blankets to donate to children awaiting foster placement.

Delicates for Dollars

An unusual fundraiser inspired Scottsbluff Troop 10263 to bling out a brassiere in support of one of their awesome moms, who is battling cancer. Local restaurant Backaracks auctioned off 70 decorated bras to raise money for the Festival of Hope charity, which helps patients with non-medical expenses.

Sounds of the Season

No More Grumpy Cats

It was a happy day at the Alliance Animal Shelter when Troop 10296 brought in 100 items as a result of their Take Action project. The girls researched the shelter’s needs, created flyers and newspaper ads for their drive, and collected donations at Kmart. They were rewarded with a shelter tour and that glow you get when you make the world a better place.

Leave it to Girl Scouts to spread love to those around them during the holidays.

The jolly elves of Troop 20372 brought cheer to a local nursing home by sweetly singing Christmas carols and sharing their smiles. Their kind deeds helped make the season bright!

Dozens of Deeds

Meet the most amazing Cadettes: Troop 20712. These generous girls committed to doing 12 community service projects this year! Here they are helping the Department of Health and Human Services assemble dental packs for thousands of kids. Now, that’s brushing up on the Girl Scout Promise.

Finding Their Santa Bliss

Bags Full of Birthdays

Troops from Morley Elementary celebrated Juliette Low’s Birthday by building 40 birthday bags for families in need. The girls asked their fellow students to donate cake mix, frosting, plates, balloons, candles and more. They assembled the items, made birthday cards and learned all about our Girl Scout Founder! She would be so proud.

While finishing their Bliss Live It! Give It! Journey, Troop 42270 discussed that, sometimes, to get what you want or what others may need, you must ask! Since it was Christmastime, the girls decided to go straight to the guy who grants wishes: Santa! It was a symbolic and rewarding adventure that concluded with Santa reciting the Girl Scout Promise.

Merry and Bright

Troops 43221, 43412 and 43457 from Patriot Elementary in Papillion delivered holiday cheer to residents at Papillion Manor. The girls were decked out in holiday fashion when they came to sing carols and give their hosts candy canes.

They created a winter wonderland and shared their holly jolly feeling of Christmas.

Spring Issue 2017

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Patriotism at Patriot

Fighting Hunger, GS Style!

According to Feeding America, more than 48.8 million people face the threat of hunger daily in the United States. Troop 44393 took action to make a dent in those stats by collecting 125 cans of food for the Salvation Army’s Fight Hunger Campaign.

Amazing girls find an amazing way to make the world a better place.

Nebraska 911

Police officers have a tough job, so Troop 50308 wanted to say thank you. The girls hosted a meal, gave out gifts and performed a play called “No One There” depicting how scary it would be if no one answered calls to 911. They also made and donated blankets that officers can give to children they meet in the line of duty.

W

hen Girl Scouts of the USA celebrated its 100th birthday, we wanted to do something extra special for every girl born on that date: March 12, 2012.

On the morning of Veterans Day, Girl Scout troops from Patriot Elementary in Papillion demonstrated their community spirit and grateful hearts. They stood in front of the school clapping and waving signs and American flags in the carpool lane to thank the veterans living in their neighborhood.

Naom i Baby Phot

o

We fondly and informally named them Troop 100, and made a promise to each of the seven newborn girls that we would pay their annual membership dues from the time they are Daisies through Ambassadors. That’s 13 years to be part of the amazing world of Girl Scouts!

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We wish Troop 100 all the best when they begin their Girl Scouting journey this fall.

Naomi Peplinski is a Troop 100 m ember who will so her Girl Scout Da on begin isy adventure.

, R E W ❧ P EM e t a c u d e , e g a g en & Lead!

R

ainbow Rowell is a best-selling author, and she lives in…Omaha! Yep. Right here in Nebraska. Girls who attended YWE3Lead last fall had the amazing opportunity to meet Rainbow and hear about her life.

“It was awesome,” said Girl Scout and Program Aide Kristilee Finch, who is very interested in writing and reads Rainbow’s books.

“She’s one of my favorite authors. I freaked out a lot!”

The popular novelist devoted much of her time at YWE3 answering girls’ questions—about her writing process, what it takes to get published, struggling through middle and high school, and how you can never give up! She also signed books for the girls and volunteers.

Kristilee Finch and Rainbow share a selfie moment at YWE3Lead.

ie f l e #s

YWE3 encourages girls to discover who they are and who they can become through workshops focused on leadership. Organizer Taylor Jackson said the girls also enjoyed speaker Ferial Pearson, who talked about her book “Secret Kindness Agents: How Small Acts of Kindness Really Can Change the World.”

Ferial inspired girls to make a positive impact on the world through small acts, such writing notes of appreciation or eating lunch with a student who normally sits alone.

Another YWE3Lead is in the works! National Geographic explorer and best-selling author Helen Thayer will join us for next fall’s event. She is the first woman to walk to any of the world’s poles and to trek across the Sahara and Mongolian Gobi deserts. Helen uses her adventures to inspire girls to reach their goals through courage, persistence and commitment to action!

Visit GirlScoutsNebraska.org for 2017 YWE3Lead details.

#ywe

Girls spent the day bonding and sharing their time with special guest Rainbow Rowell.

Spring Issue 2017

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S’more

C thanKIES EVER! W

e celebrated 100 years of Girl Scouts selling cookies, introduced a popular new flavor, gave away a Cookie Car and watched 10,000 girls crush their cookie goals!

Thank you for weathering weather, blinging your booths, dealing with delivery delays and selling s’more S’mores than we thought possible.

This year, Spirit of Nebraska girls broke a council record by selling 2,040,000 boxes/packages of Girl Scout Cookies, and they made it look like “no prob-llama.”

Which Cookies do Nebraskans ♥ the Most?

This is percentage of each flavor sold.

5.77 12.90

23.15

5.80 0.02

8.69

Flashback Phot o

Blast from the Past!

Look what happened with Girl Scout Cookies back in the 1940s.

Sound familiar?

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17.94 15.42

1.10 9.20

Thanks-A-Lot®

Peanut Butter Sandwich

Thin Mints®

Peanut Butter Patties®

Caramel deLites®

Shortbread

Trios

Girl Scout S’mores

Lemondades™

Cookies Sold Online

Cookie Program

SUPERSTARS! W

e would like to say “THANK YOU!” to our girls, parents and volunteers for their support during the 2017 Girl Scout Cookie Program. It was an exceptional year, for many reasons, and we want you to know how much your dedication means to us.

Our Cookie Program team is five members strong, but with 77,000 square miles, 10,000 girls and hundreds of thousands of customers—we could not deliver this program without our Product Sale Coordinators (PSC) and Cupboard Managers (CM) who devote countless hours and give new meaning to doing “whatever it takes.”

Maria Reiter as Chewbacca.

PSCs provide troop support by organizing paperwork, data entry, product and recognition distribution, and payment procedures. CMs work with their area Cookie Program team member to coordinate all aspects of cookie distribution including accurate inventory, data entry and storing all those cookies!!

Please join us in thanking your Product Sale Coordinators and Cupboard Managers: Goldenrod

Amber Kennedy, PSC Angie Langer, PSC & CM Anna Itzen, PSC Anne Dorn, CM Betina Weidman, PSC & CM Betty Jacques, PSC Bev Kindler, PSC Brandi Oeltjen, PSC & CM Candice Muller, PSC Casey Henderson, PSC Chandra Muske, PSC Cheska Hubbard, PSC Christina Markvicka, PSC Dawn Brandt, PSC Emily Hawkins, PSC Fran Murr, PSC Gloria Smith, PSC Heather Boettcher, PSC Jen Meyer, PSC Kala Meyer, PSC Karla Bennetts, PSC Karrie Huryta, PSC Karrie Woehrle, PSC Kathy Wilkins, PSC & CM Kelly Vincent, PSC Kim Sutherland, PSC Kris Saulsbury, PSC & CM Kristi Kleinsasser, PSC Kristy Liehs, PSC Leigh Ann Webber, PSC & CM Lila Munsell, CM Lori Watts, PSC Lynette Riemersma, PSC Margaret Marks, PSC & CM Marie Sweley, PSC Melanie Engelhardt, PSC Melanie Wieseler, PSC Melissa Canterberry, PSC Monica Drozd, CM

Nancy Wren, PSC Nicole Witthuhn, PSC Pennie Hort, PSC Penny Evans, PSC Sabrina Nelson, PSC & CM Sara Schmidt, PSC Sara Stanczyk, PSC & CM Sherri Stroh, PSC Stephanie Rodriguez, PSC Susan Rohrer, PSC & CM Tanya Crouch, PSC Traci Brittain, PSC Tracy Palmer, PSC

Summer Jennings, PSC & CM Suzy Hansen, PSC Theresa Clary, PSC Tracy Cook, PSC

Guiding Star

Amanda Broderick, PSC & CM Amy Hawk, PSC & CM Anna Frederick, PSC & CM Carla Potts, PSC & CM Cinda Ross, PSC Jennifer Harger, PSC Deann Speirs, PSC & CM Dulcey Mannel, PSC & CM Great Plains Julie Eidson, PSC Angela Gosch, PSC Julie Ellis, PSC & CM Becky Moore, CM LaDonna Welton, PSC & CM Carly Moore-Sird, CM Laura Rowan, PSC Carol Eggerss, CM Lindsay Brusoe, PSC Dianne Fago, PSC Lindsay Stamm, PSC & CM Erica Mascarello, CM Lora Beckius, CM Gayle Jordan, PSC Melissa Smith, PSC Jamie Sacks, CM Natalie Phillips, PSC Jane VanHorn, CM Sabrina Sandoval, PSC & CM Jessica McNett, CM Sarah Strawn, PSC Joann Hruska, CM Shelley Beguin, PSC JoAnn & Scott Wilbur, PSC & CM Shelley McConville, PSC Kathy Lipsys, PSC & CM Stacy Barenberg, PSC Leah Hubbard, PSC & CM Teresa Davis, PSC Lori Marco, PSC Homestead Lynette Jennings, PSC Amanda Applegarth, CM Marie Richards, PSC Amy Salistean, CM Marti Gude, PSC Amy Nelson, PSC & CM Mary Dolan, PSC Angie Duba, PSC & CM Monica Gissler, PSC Barb Tisdale, PSC Nancy Cooke, CM Bill & Betty Lou Lang, CM Rachael Olson, CM Chris Schreiber, PSC Rachel Nelsen, PSC & CM Elizabeth Lucas, PSC & CM Ruthe Grote, PSC Jacqueline Baird, PSC Sandy Snodgrass, CM

Jerri Elwonger, PSC & CM Jessica Kopejtka, PSC & CM Karen Brenden, PSC & CM Krissy Comstock, CM Linda Gentleman, PSC & CM Lorie Lambrech, CM Mindy Mertz, PSC & CM Nicole Pischel, PSC Opal Tallant, CM Sarah Torkelson, CM Shawna Peterson, PSC & CM Sondra Petersen, PSC Staci Hergott, PSC Tammy Grosskopf, PSC

Prairie Hills

Anna Kruger, CM Danielle Wackler, PSC & CM Deana Henderson, PSC & CM Diane Randall, PSC & CM Erin Moody, PSC Jami Fye, CM Jeanne Young, PSC Jennifer Bowland, CM Jenny Jacobson, PSC Judy Kruger, CM Marietta Freeman, PSC Nina Yeargan, CM Pamela Wegener, PSC Peggy Stambaugh, PSC Renee Schmid, CM Rhonda Hopkins, PSC & CM Dale Hopkins, CM Rosemary Dannelly, PSC Roxie Boschult, PSC & CM Shawna Mitchell, PSC Sherilynn Hawkins, PSC Susan Nissen, PSC Terri Hoeneman, PSC

Superstars!

Spring Issue 2017

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Made from repurposed cardboard, packaging parts and old parachute cord, this booth captured everyone’s attention with its clever design and moving parts.

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Blow-out!

Do you hear that? That’s the sound of Spirit of Nebraska’s Bling Your Booth record being smashed! This year, we received 91 entries, which is 15 more than last year and three times as many as the year before.

w.

The Cla orks! w y ll It rea

The judging panel (comprised of more than 20 staff members) is always impressed by the creativity and booth decorations, and LOVES how girls embrace their ideas and make them SHINE! The bling and dazzle must have done the trick, too, because girls sold more Girl Scout Cookies in Nebraska than ever before! Another council record crushed.

First Place

Cadette Troop 20211, Lincoln “Cookie Collector Claw Machine”

Second Place

Brownie Troop 00854, Kearney “Peruvian Llama and Machu Picchu”

2

ND

This troop said “no prob-llama” to their cookie goals. They incorporated World Thinking Day into their theme, learned about Peru, and then built a giant llama and Machu Picchu.

Honorable Mention We must give a shout out to Lincoln Brownie Troop 20631. Although they didn’t take one of the top spots, you gotta love the “live” approach to their cookie booth.

Visit GirlScoutsNebraska.org to see the photo gallery of all entries!

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Third Place

Daisy - Junior Troops 46100, 46102 and 46110, Omaha “Girl Scouts’ Arctic Adventures”

3

RD

An arctic setting was the theme when these girls created a living and detailed diorama. Take a close look, there is a lot going on in this “cool” cookie booth.

More than

C KIES S

ometimes, when the cookie dust settles at the end of the program, we receive correspondence that bring us joy!

This note reminded us that everything we do is for the benefit of girls and the experiences they have as Girl Scouts.

Nebraska, ailey is in Dear Spirit of ies this year. H ok co ld so ho (Troop ughters w second grade in is I have two da la Ly d an , (Troop 45397) rn in numbers kindergarten at we would tu th d te ar st e w d to each before irly distribute fa e 42362). I knew b ld ou w s. that proceeds oxes of cookie separately, so la’s was 500 b Ly d an 0, 21 goal was together troop. Hailey’s y girls worked m ly ul hard. Hailey rf de on how w ey worked so ow Th kn n. ig to u pa m yo d ca e e I wante e down with th throughout th th sisters cam s door-to-door Bo ie r. ok he co ot t e ng ou lli th t se d Lyla did , the other wen the street, an was home sick er st si e did one side of on n whe t weekends, so flu on differen lp her sister. he ie count to ok ved one was in co r he lit mily whose lo and sp fa a ; ay w e th okies in along hadn’t had co many people d so an e et m m s ho rl s gi hi ily My dn’t leave just lost a fam man who coul d another who an y s er ie hospice, a kind rg ok su t co from r pastor bough ei ers recovering Th om n. st te cu lis s, to ar ye share. time with whom to ways took the ne al eo s rl m gi so e d Th . fin to member encourageking the girls s, who offered them back, as er ve fic ga of e en lic th d po an l and and in the hospita of the military s as w er b d da em m se et ho w They m r a customer ade a poster fo m ey Th t. en m eryone! , u letters to ev keep her safe wrote thank yo d an adult to ha rl gi ch ea al him ong lped, so brother—toting ld a Van Hulle he -o m ar nd ye ra G 4r ei Th ith their little is all of this w and they did th agon. as a family. in a wooden w on changed us as se is th h uc my heart. tell you how m other touched ch ea r fo t I can’t begin to en uragem love and enco My daughters’ boxes!

Hailey and Lyla shared the work and the rls. ore than 1,000 m ld so ey th rewards, and little brother (pictured, top) ence for my gi , ri pe ex Together ng gi e chan lif a as rode along for all the cookie fun. w t ..i s. e than cookie It truly is mor Thank you,

Andi Girl Scout Mom

, Omaha

Spring Issue 2017

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#ToyotallyAwesome ☙ #SweetRide ☙ #NewCookieSmell

Here Comes the

C N

KIE CAR

othing was more exciting than hearing happy shrieks as we pulled up to a Girl Scout Cookie Booth in the Cookie Car.

We put more than a few miles on our delicious SUV and had tons of fun!

Here are just a few of the pics we captured when the Cookie Car hit the road.

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Beep Beep!

Finding Homes for

Lily

and

Lucy

Megan & Lucy

No Prob-llama!

G

irls literally CRUSHED their cookie goals.

We are so proud of all of you. Way to go Cookie Bosses!

As a bonus recognition, we held a Lucy and Lily Llama drawing. To be entered, girls were asked to sell 250 boxes/packages of cookies or more. Many of you reached that goal, in fact, 2,664 of you qualified and that’s a record!

Lilly Lily &

Lilly Glaug (yes, Lilly won Lily!) and Megan Endorf were the names drawn at the conclusion of the Cookie Program. Please congratulate them as they welcome new, fluffy members to their family.

ZIP UNO Students

Int o

CATRON

L

ast fall, the staff at Camp Catron in Nebraska City was thrilled to welcome international students from UNO’s Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI). The students came to camp for a day of adventure on the high and low ropes, and they tackled the course like champions.

The fierce and fearless YSEALI group learned confidence, effective means of working together and ways to sharpen their problem-solving skills. From the zip line to the giant swing, they soared to new heights and even discovered what it means to be a “flying squirrel.”

We have low and high elements at most of our camps and the public is welcome! Visit GirlScoutsNebraska.org/camps to plan your next high-flying outing.

The “Cookie Crumbler” was a favorite attraction for the students from UNO.

Spring Issue 2017

21

o

& t about

A Smoothie a Day…

Perfectly Presidential

A special Wellness Day at Creighton was not only a healthy field trip, but a great intro to college life. Troops from Yale Park Apartments and Jackson, Liberty and Kellom elementary schools did Zumba, sampled green smoothies, toured campus and built their self-confidence. The Jays just added a few new, enthusiastic fans!

It was definitely not politics as usual at the Future Madam President program in Hastings. After observing candidates, reading ballots and “voting,” girls created campaign slogans and posters to use when they really run for president! Campaigning couldn’t be any cuter or kinder when you’re a Girl Scout.

Delightful Denim Designer Bags Using resources wisely can be totally adorable. Omaha Daisy Troop 84220 recycled old jeans to make crazy cute purses out of the back pockets.

Fashion-forward and resourceful – look out Project Runway!

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JG

Practice Makes Perfect Ever since Katniss Everdeen laced up her bow in The Hunger Games, archery has shot up in popularity! These Brownies embraced a new challenge and perfected their skills at Archery Solutions in Hastings.

May the odds be ever in their favor!

Shop ‘Til You Drop What’s super fun and educational?

Shopping, of course! Lincoln’s Park Middle School troop discovered how to find the best deals and resist impulse buying when they earned their Comparison Shopping badge. Now they can smart shop no matter where they go.

The Great Outdoors The Gilder Elementary girls love playing outside. Fresh air, exercise and great friends make for fantastically fun meetings! These go-getters were also hard at work indoors working on their Home Scientist badge and geared up for serious Cookie Business with Meet My Customers.

Celebrating Zombie Style Service Unit 206 threw a zombie-themed party for Juliette Low’s birthday, complete with mummy SWAPS and scary makeup.

The girls learned survival skills such as self-defense and how to identify edible plants. They also honored Juliette’s “spirit of giving” with donations for the food bank.

Zombies with hearts of gold!

Dunking Doughnuts Hometown Tourists While working on their Girltopia Journey, Troop 00610 spent a day as “tourists” in their home town of Kearney. They visited interesting downtown hot spots, but MONA (Museum of Nebraska Art) was the handsdown favorite. The girls loved the different art mediums used in Mujeres, a special exhibit featuring five female Latino artists.

Lincoln Troop 20631 went behind-thescenes at Hurts Donut to learn how bakers create all of their delightfully delicious doughnuts. After this sweet experience, the girls are trained and ready to get to work...in a few more years! For now, they are happy to simply sample tasty treats.

Fun with Flag Swag Every Girl Scout troop has a unique identity, and Lincoln Troop 20708 celebrated their special personality by creating a troop flag!

Their swanky flag was adorned with the Girl Scout Law and their troop crest – a unicorn! We can’t wait to see what these glue-gun do-it-yourselfers will dream up next!

Here We Go Girl Scouts!

Paddle Your Own…Kayak Sometimes you just need to get away from it all, and the adventurous and confident Girl Scouts of Troop 41365 found the perfect solution: they hit Lake Zorinsky for a fun, outdoor kayaking excursion. With sunshine and good friends, it’s easy to Keep Calm and Paddle On.

The Lincoln East High School cheerleaders brought their A game when they visited Troop 20735. They were loud, proud and full of team spirit as they taught the girls dazzling dance moves and awesome cheers. 2-4-6-8, who do we appreciate?

Girl Scouts!

Spring Issue 2017

23

Comfy, Cozy Christmas Beautiful Brownie Butterflies What better place to earn the Bugs badge than the butterfly house at the Omaha Zoo? Millard Troop 41368 even wore wings, so they could they could really get into the mindset of the butterflies! They may only be knee-high to a grasshopper, but they’re making a beeline for their next adventure.

The Gangs All Here Kids are busy these days, so getting all 13 seventh-grade Cadettes to a meeting is cause for celebration. Troop 44642 was super excited when the stars aligned and all members were present to plan their Buddy Bench Silver Award project and a daddy/daughter dance. Fingers crossed, everyone will be at the next meeting!

You Want Fries with That?

Arby’s may have the meats, but recently, they also had the Daisies. Omaha Troop 42734 took its first field trip to Arby’s where they learned how to identify money, how much things cost and how to write a check. The girls also “worked” for their meal by taking drive-thru orders!

Ramblin’ Through the Rockies Road trip! The Juniors and Cadettes of Troop 45312 traveled to Colorado over fall break. Always ready and willing to try new things, the girls took a train up Pikes Peak, hiked Seven Falls and rode horses through the Garden of the Gods. JG editor’s note: Next time, girls, please invite us!

There were twice as many reasons to celebrate when two St. Patrick’s Elementary School Daisy troops hosted their second annual, dual troop Christmas party. All the girls (and grown-ups) wore pajamas, munched on reindeer pancakes, played games and donated more than 30 stuffed animals to the Aspen Drake Seemann Foundation. Ho, ho, happy times!

Pumpkin Patch Party!

These go-getter Girl Scouts from Grand Island embarked on a great adventure to Helgoth’s Pumpkin Patch near Saint Libory last fall. It was a new experience for many of the girls, who bravely climbed aboard for their very first hayrack ride!

When the day was over everyone was beaming and a lot of little pumpkins found happy, new homes.

How I See Me An Omaha Brownie painting party turned into a wonderful journey of discovery. Girls gathered pictures of things they love and incorporated them into creatively crafted self-portraits. Looks like Troop 41358 is filled with boundless joy and amazing artists!

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SXSD:

South by South Dakota

by Justine Bierman Girl Scout Junior

O

ver fall break, me, my sister Kiernan, my mom, my friend Katherine and her mom went to South Dakota to go to the National Parks.

Leave it to my mom to find a Girl Scout event there! We went to Reptile Gardens for the event where Katherine and I went to the flower stations to earn our Junior Flowers badge, which we DID! When we were done there, we went to the Girl Scout office in Rapid City to get some souvenirs from our trip. It was fun but we worked hard!

Junior “Flowers” Badge

The girls enjoyed every bloomin’ minute of their South Dakota ad venture

Camp Adventure

Sparkles Silver with

by Sarah Loeffelholz Girl Scout Cadette went to a Silver Award Journey Camp at Catron. Some of the activities that we did were hiking, singing, joke telling and a skit. My troop and I went to this camp and had a blast! There are six girls in my troop and we got the Journey done in two days.

These busy Cadettes stood still just long enough to take this photo during their whirlwind weekend.

My favorite things about camp were all the activities: hiking, making friends and bunking. I am still in contact with some of the friends that I met! The funniest thing about the leaders was that they made up camp names for each other. One was Nurse Mom and one was Skinny Mom.

Sarah

Silver

Before we left, we did a brainstorming on what kind of Silver Awards we could do. I had an amazing time at camp. I am glad I went!!!!!!

Becoming “water wise” was the goal when girls tested samples at Elmwood Park.

Testing the

Water W

ater is everywhere! But, did you know that less than one percent of all the Earth’s supply is suitable for human consumption? That’s what motivated two Omaha Girl Scout troops to find ways to protect our most precious resource. They teamed up with Nebraska Watershed Network (NWN), a UNO student-run organization that promotes water quality awareness, and got to work!

Lewis and Clark Troop 84014 worked with NWN to collect and investigate the water from the creek at Elmwood Park.

They sent samples to a laboratory to test for contaminates and to measure the accuracy of the tools used during their evaluation.

Over at Morton Middle School, Troop 84184 also became NWN “citizen scientists” when they tested local water samples for nitrates, nitrites, phosphates and pH, and learned about the water cycle, run-off and why it’s so important to keep our water clean.

“Water” wonderful way for girls to get outdoors and discover how science applies to real life!

Girl Scouts’ Community Outreach is sponsored in part by:

Illustrations of the water cycle and careful calculations turned these girls into citizen scientists.

Spring Issue 2017

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Seeing

[GREEN ] at the

Ilysa

BEAN

by Emily Binder and Ilysa Blake

y

Emil

[t]

roop 20215 got the chance to visit Chicago last July.

Among some of the things we saw included visiting the Willis Tower, seeing street performers, visiting the Shedd Aquarium and going to Navy Pier. We also enjoyed riding the Chicago “L” (elevated commuter train). A highlight of the trip included seeing the Bean, as shown in our photo. Earning the money for the trip also played a role in the fun of the trip.

We held a bake sale, a car wash, a concession stand and of course, sold Girl Scout Cookies!

A few photos at the famous Bean (above) and a ride on the “L” were just a few highlights of this Chicago adventure.

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

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

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

Early Bird Begins May 22!

GirlScoutsNebraska.org

g a r z a e t r S DIY Telescope

No campfire is complete without the timeless ritual of lying under the stars.

This activity gives you a reason to come together for an evening of indoor “stargazing” while creating a homemade telescope!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED: 1. Telescope decoration: stars, moons and planets below

2. Empty paper towel roll 3. Coloring materials 4. Black construction paper 5. Glue ★ Any other craft supplies you like

1.

2.

3.

(glitter, paint, stickers, etc.)

PREP:

4.

5.

★ Color and cut out the telescope decoration on this page in whatever style you want—from neon queen to glittery space traveler and everything in between.

★ Next, glue the decorations around the paper towel roll and allow to dry. ★ Lastly, cover one end with a square of black construction paper and carefully poke small holes in it using a pen or safety pin.

★ Hold up to the light to see your stars!

Telescop e Decorat ions

Spring Issue 2017

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2121 S 44TH STREET OMAHA NE 68105