latest issue of GirlsWorld - Girl Scouts of Central Maryland

GIRLSWORLD
SPRING 2013
Summer
Camp Starts
June 17
a share supported publication
Girl Scouts of Central Maryland
Sheela Murthy, Esq board chair
Lynne M. Durbin, Esq 1st vice chair
Suzanne Thompson 2nd vice chair
Marian C. Hwang, Esq 3rd vice chair
Karen B. Albert treasurer
Patricia Hicks Levy secretary
A MESSAGE from the board chair
Summer will soon be here and with it
comes great adventures in the outdoors:
swimming, hiking, canoeing, horseback
riding, expeditions, even learning new
skills like archery and rappelling. Best of all, our Girl Scout resident and day
camps offer it all! If you haven’t been to summer camp before why not try
one of our short camp weeks (like Session 3: June 30-July 3), Overnight
Mommy & Me (July 5-6) or Troop Adventure Camping (July 19-21).
In preparation for summer campers, we are getting our properties ready.
We are happy to report the Council received funds for maintenance
and repairs at Camps Woodlands, Whippoorwill and Conowingo. We are
grateful to the State of Maryland for granting us $150,000 to preserve
the nationally acclaimed Lambs Lodge, a unique structure designed by
architect Charles Lamb—whose passion for this award winning building still
burns. We thank Maryland State Senator Joan Carter Conway (District 43,
Baltimore City) and Delegate Mary Ann E. Love (District 32, Anne Arundel
County) for their sponsorship of our Bond Bills in the Senate and the
House. We especially thank all the GirlsWorld readers who sent postcards
to their representatives! Your efforts paid off. We have also received camp
support from the Chesapeake Bay Trust and the IKEA Life Improvement
Project (p. 8). A big thanks to our Facebook friends who voted!
For those who use summer to replenish and reinvigorate, it is a great time
to think about fall service projects (p. 5)—and of course the annual cookie
sale. As you know, this year we have a new cookie partner, ABC Bakers,
and they have a host of resources, tools and tips that are sure to make
your cookie sale successful! You can meet the new cookies—and the new
baker—at the BIG Event on September 21 (p. 9). Be sure to check gscm.org
for updates and information about this popular event. We hope you will
get outdoors this summer and enjoy all that it has to offer—from summer
camp to The BIG Event, it will be a fantastic season!
Yours in Girl Scouting,
Sheela Murthy, Esq., Board Chair, Girl Scouts of Central Maryland
2 GIRLSWORLD spring 2013
members-at-large Betsy A. Bender, Regina Clay, Wendy L. Emrich,
Kathryn Freeland, Robert E. Giovagnoni, Esq.,
G. Louise Green, Bonnie K. Heneson,
Mary Hester-Clifton, Constance Holt,
Barbara A. Hutchinson MD PhD,
Stephanie D. Kinder, Esq., Stephen V. Kolbe,
Donna Mason-Peterson, Judy McGovern,
Barbara A. Nicklas, Gwendolyn D. Skillern,
Mark Smoot, Lori M. Trumble,
Elise D. Morris, Esq. (ex-officio)
GSCM Nominating Committee
executive staff leadership team
Traci A. Barnett ceo
Lorrie Caudle vice president,
membership, volunteerism & program
Pattie Dash vice president, external affairs
Yong Kim cfo
GirlsWorld
Danita Terry director, communications &
media relations
Rachel Matthews graphic designer
GirlsWorld is a quarterly newsletter produced,
in part by funds from SHARE. This newsletter
is for Girl Scouts, their families and volunteers.
Know of something that should be included in
the next issue of GirlsWorld? Send us an e-mail at
[email protected].
Girl Scouts of Central Maryland
4806 Seton Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21215
410.358.9711 phone 410.358.9918 fax
visit us online gscm.org
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On the cover:
Girl Scouts at The Big
Outdoors Event (April
14, 2013) learned all
about camping and
the great outdoors. If
you're ready for your
next great adventure,
come to summer
resident camp at
Camp Conowingo.
To find a camp for
you, visit gscm.org.
Troop Round Up
Central Maryland Girl Scouts are always out and about working on great
community service projects, taking trips and coming up with ways to make
the world a better place. Let us know what you or your troop is doing. Send an
e-mail to [email protected] and you could be in the next GirlsWorld!
Thinking Day Projects
As a part of their Thinking Day
celebration, troop 401, who hosted
the event for Service Unit 37,
collected pet food, toys and supplies
for donation to the Anne Arundel
County SPCA.
Annapolis troop 1853 turned bright
red pillowcases into smart fashion
for young girls half a world away. The
dresses were sent to refugee children
in Liberia.
Do Unto Others
Troop 1910 of Ellicott City went to
Ronald McDonald House to cook
dinner for the residents. The girls also
entertained families with Girl Scout
songs and campfire skits. They loved
the experience and plan to continue
to support the House.
Cookie Funds for a Good Cause
Owings Mills troop 2339 partnered
with Transformation of Life to send
relief supplies to the victims of
Hurricane Sandy. They used $400
from their cookie sale proceeds to
purchase Red Cross recommended
items.
Pretty Boy Planting
Embracing the lessons of the "It's
Your Planet, Love It" Journey, troops
2087 and 10258 pitched in on Pretty
Boy Day at Pretty Boy Dam in Parkton.
Hosted by the Department of Public
Works and the Pretty Boy Watershed
Alliance, the event taught girls about
Baltimore’s drinking water system,
energy conservation and ways to keep
water clean. The troop also planted
trees around the dam, helping to
preserve Pretty Boy Dam's beauteous
moniker.
Harvest for the Hungry
It took 43 bags to haul the 172 lbs of
food troop 2270 collected for the
Harvest for the Hungry campaign to
the shelter. The logistics were tricky,
but helping out a shelter in their
own neighborhood made the effort
worthwhile.
Mondawmin Mall Lock-In
175 Girl Scouts of all ages attended
the Mondawmin Mall Lock-In on
March 16. The event kicked off
National Youth Violence Prevention
Week for Baltimore and included
dramatic performances, boxing/
defense demonstrations and dancing.
Next year's lock-in will be March 15,
2014. Mark your calendars now!
Into the Woods
It's difficult to earn a nature badge
when you are afraid of all the critters,
big and small, in the big outdoors,
but Girl Scout Shélice of troop 259
was determined. Her troop and
family started small—with hikes at
Loch Raven and a visit to the Caitlin
Dunbar Nature Center. Membership
specialist, Elise Highsmith invited
her to the IronBirds sleepover, where
she learned how to pitch a tent and
roast marshmallows. Each activity
assuaged her fear. Now Shélice goes
camping with the rest of her troop
and is counting down the days until
she is old enough to attend summer
resident camp. And yes, she earned
her nature badge.
gscm.org spring 2013 3
To earn their Girl Scout
Bronze Award, Troop 4149
will host a Leadership
Conference in October. You
are cordially invited to attend.
Troop 4149's
Ladies in Leadership
Conference
Event Key Note Speakers:
Hosted by Anne Arundel Medical Center
October 14, 2013
Fueled by GSUSA’s ToGetHerThere campaign, troop 4149 has been organizing
a conference—Ladies in Leadership—for their Girl Scout Bronze Award.
ToGetHerThere asks adults of all walks of life and professions to work together and
take action to level the playing field so that the next generation of women can lead
wherever they choose—in their communities, in the board room, on Wall Street, Main
Street or in political offices. The campaign is working because members of troop 4149
are leading the way.
Girl Scout Cadettes, Seniors & Ambassadors in central Maryland and Washington, DC
are invited to attend the Ladies in Leadership Conference, October 14, 2013. Girls will
have the opportunity to talk with six women executives who will share their success
stories and explore Anne Arundel Medical Center’s new Simulation to Advance
Innovation and Learning Center. Troop 4149 member Molly believes “it is important
for others to attend because you will be able to ask the leaders questions.” Troop
member, Sammy says “I think it’s important so they can learn how those women got
to where they are now.” Ainsley, also of troop 4149, said she thinks girls should attend
“because they can learn about and explore new careers.”
The experience of planning and organizing the conference has already yielded great
results for the girls. Molly said she’s learned “to let everyone speak, and to somehow
smush it together.” Caitlin said she’s “learned to work together as a team which is
important in most careers.”
To Register for the Conference:
To register, or learn more about this special event, e-mail [email protected]
or call 410.757.3460. The cost is $10 per girl and $8 per adult. Registration closes on
October 1, 2013. “I really believe that this conference can change Girl Scouts’ lives,”
said Lucy. She and her troop hope girls will come and see how it changes their lives.
4 GIRLSWORLD spring 2013
•
Victoria W. Bayless
•
Shirley J. Knelly
•
Patricia Czap
•
Barbara Baldwin
•
Lisa Hillman
President/CEO
Anne Arundel Medical Center
Vice President of Quality and Patient
Safety/President of Pathways
(Substance Abuse)
Physician and Medical Director of
Primary Care
Chief Information Officer
Vice President Public Relations/
Fundraising and Senior Vice President,
Legislative Affairs, President, Anne
Arundel Medical Center Foundation
pullout section
Ready, Set, Plan!
The summer is the perfect time to start planning your
next great service project. Make preparations now so
you can take action in the fall and winter.
There have been a lot of amazing service projects by some equally amazing
Girl Scouts this year. What we keep hearing from girls who have completed
their projects is how important it is to plan ahead. First there is the idea:
What are you going to do? Who are you going to help? How? And where?
Then you'll need to connect with people in the community and coordinate
dates and other important details. Will you need extra volunteers? Then
you'll need extra time to recruit them. Will you need extra funds? Special
insurance forms? Transportation? By using the summer to plan ahead, you
and/or your troop will be ready to go in the fall.
You can incorporate your service project into you cookie sale goals by
making signs letting customers know why making your goal is important. Let
them know that if they buy cookies from you, they will be contributing to
your service project that will help make the world a better place.
And remember to let us ([email protected]) know what you're up to so we
can share your project with the rest of the Girl Scout community.
Girl Scout Bronze,
Silver & Gold Award Project
Questions?
Ask Allison Jakubczyk [email protected]
Camp Whippoorwill
or Woodlands Project
Questions?
Ask Ranger Boots [email protected]
Camp Ilchester Project
Questions?
Ask Ranger Heinbuch [email protected]
Camp Conowingo Project
Questions?
Ask Bill Ensor [email protected]
gscm.org spring 2013 5
Bicycle Rodeo
Here are a few fantastic
Girl Scout Gold Award projects
that were recognized this April.
Project by: Kate Rizzieri
Kate organized a “bicycle rodeo,” to teac
grasp the concept of riding a bike as a ch
hang of it, I would be on my bike any chan
riding my bike, I had multiple injuries due
project, I learned that bicycle accidents
getting head injuries.” Kate partnered wit
community to facilitate each station of h
which she turned over to the principal of
could be recreated.
[By working on my Girl Scout Gold Award p
myself, like how I want to dedicate my life to ma
being a part of Doctor’s Without Borders. I have
to help people in some way or another, but this pr
use the talents I have been blessed
Based on conversations with girls who have
completed Girl Scout Bronze, Silver and
Gold Award projects, here are the most
common pieces of advice:
MAKE IT
PERSONAL
What inspires you? What do you
enjoy doing? The most successful
projects tend to come from issues
the person cares deeply about.
GET ADVICE
FROM OTHERS
You are not in this alone! Talk to a
variety of people about your idea.
Consult experts and have them
weigh in. This will help you plan.
If you have questions about service projects, opportunities or need advice on how to plan your project contact Allison
6 GIRLSWORLD spring 2013
Thinking Today, Feeding Tomorrow
Project by: Kieran Butler
ch bike safety. “It took me a while to
hild,” Kate said. “Once I finally got the
nce I got. Even though I had a lot of fun
e to bicycle accidents. While doing this
is one of the leading causes of children
th cyclists and organizations in her
her rodeo. She also created a manual
f St. Margaret’s School so her project
project] I learned so much about
aking the world a better place by
e always known that I was meant
roject really taught me how I can
d with to help change the world.”
I had to become the leader and take control of
my project and that has helped me in school, as
well as other parts of my life.”
Kieran’s goal was to inspire others
to help the children suffering from
famine in the Horn of Africa. She
helped local students relate a global
issue to their own lives, motivating
the 4th grade classes at Lutherville
Laboratory to make a difference.
Kieran gave a presentation to other
Girl Scout troops and donated her
materials to her Service Unit for
Thinking Day events so they could
continue to spread the word about
the crisis in Africa.
Nutrition on a Shoestring
Project by: Cheyenne Marlin
One of the challenges I faced was planning—I had to ask local
musicians to play, and when some of them had to decline, it
narrowed the option of local musicians who could help.”
Inspired by a summer arts camp lecture about poverty in Appalachia,
Cheyenne focused her project on helping to provide resources to this
impoverished, American region. She also held a benefit concert called “Feeding
Appalachia through Music” to fund the project, then created a cookbook of
healthy, low-budget recipes. She also cooked for a shelter in the area with
donated food. Her cookbooks have been widely distributed to people in need
in five states and will be re-printed when necessary by the Pike County Health
Center in Kentucky and a musician in Tennessee.
Literacy
Program at
Grassroots
Project by: Kristina Titus
[Since finishing
my project] I go to
Grassroots one Sunday a
month and when I see the
children, I get so excited
knowing how excited
they are to simply color
or to read a book.”
Kristina addressed the lack of
literacy programs in shelters for
underprivileged children by creating
a program at Grassroots Homeless
Shelter. She donated books and
created workbooks for children
to use after finishing a book. High
school students in the Catholic
Youth Ministry program at St. Louis
Church will keep this program going
after she graduates.
COME UP
WITH A PLAN
BE PREPARED TO
IMPROVISE
USE YOUR
NETWORK
Your project will require a lot of
coordination between people—this
can be tricky. The more planning
you do ahead of time, the better.
Things happen—from bad weather
to the chicken pox. When project
hiccups happen stay calm, get
creative and improvise.
You might not know how to do
something, but you might know
someone who knows someone who
does. It never hurts to ask!
n Jakubczyk at [email protected].
gscm.org spring 2013 7
New Funding for Camps
Help Restoration Efforts
With the help of the South River
Foundation a $58,000 grant
has been acquired through
the Chesapeake Bay Trust to
implement shoreline restoration
projects at Camp Woodlands
along Broad Creek. We received
$150,000 from a State of
Maryland Bond Bill to address
many of the structural and
preservation projects needed
to ensure that Lamb’s Lodge
(aka the TeePee) and the camp
will continue to be an ideal
site for outdoor exploration,
camping and water activities.
We also received $10,000 from
the IKEA Life Improvement
Project for updates at Camp
Whippoorwill. The $10,000 will
be used to replace the kitchen—
which includes new flooring and
appliances—in the Big House,
as well as other updates and
repairs at the camp.
Camp
Service
Projects:
Girls from troop 882 and 906 show off their
handiwork at Camp Whippoorwill's Big
House. The troops earned their Girl Scout
Silver Award by painting bedrooms and
hanging curtains.
Troop 355 will be working on their
Girl Scout Bronze Award this year by
working to restore Camp Woodlands'
Friendship Knot. The Friendship Knot
is a spot that is pretty, serene and a
bit isolated, which makes it an ideal
location for troops to meet, sing
songs, plan events...etc. However,
when troop 335 recently visited the
Friendship Knot they found it in disrepair. "We found the
path to the friendship Knot was all washed out by runoff, but we followed it anyway," they wrote. "When we got
there, we discovered the platform was damaged by a fallen
tree, the benches were either broken or missing, and the
platform was totally covered by debris." That day they ran
into another troop working on their own service project at
the camp. Troop 355 was inspired to take action. Working
with Ranger Boots, the girls have created a plan for their
own service project. Their project proposal includes:
clearing away debris, repairing the Friendship Knot platform
floor, creating a retaining wall to hold back debris from run
off, building benches for the platform and better marking
the path to the Friendship Knot.
Woodlands
& Whippoorwill
If you would like information about Troop 335's project,
or to inquire about starting your own project at Camp
Woodlands or Whippoorwill, contact Ranger Boots at
[email protected].
8 GIRLSWORLD spring 2013
September 21, 2013 from Noon to 4 pm
Howard County Fairgrounds
Join Us for The Big Event
Bring the whole family and kick-off the cookie
season in a BIG way. The Big Event is back
and we are partnering with local businesses
to bring you a day full of fun at the Howard
County Fairgrounds. Girl Scouts will enjoy
getting a head start on earning their cookie
awards and patches while participating in Girl
Scout Cookie program skill building activities
that focus on: Goal Setting, Decision Making,
Money Management and Marketing. They’ll
have fun developing strategies and ideas for their booth
sales. And, our new cookie partner, ABC Bakers will be
hosting a special Meet Your New Cookies session just for
Girl Scouts.
Refreshments will be available for purchase; and Juliette’s
Closet will be there so you can get the latest Girl Scout gear.
All attendees will receive a Cookie Kickoff Patch.
Volunteers are Needed!
If you would like to run a booth, volunteer or just
have questions, please contact Katie Pedersen at
[email protected] or 410.358.9711, ext. 219.
Event Service Project
We will be collecting items for a Council service project at
the event. Please check the Council website at
gscm.org for specific donation items.
February 15— A celebration
was held in honor of girls
who sold more than 500
boxes of Girl Scout Cookies
during the 2012-2013 Girl
Scout Cookie Program.
At the ice cream social/
awards ceremony, the
top sellers from each
geographical area were
announced.
The Top Sellers: Howard County's Morgan, Carroll County's Erin, Baltimore County's Christina,
Baltimore City's Crystal and Anne Arundel County's Emily. (not pictured: Katie from Harford County)
gscm.org spring 2013 9
Fabulous Volunteers
Family Tradition
Sisters Tina Collins and Melissa Thomas love of
Camp Whippoorwill began when their troop leader & mother
took them camping at the site when they were children.
Now leaders themselves, the sisters are the driving force
behind a year-long clean-up effort at Camp Whippoorwill.
“We had been Girl Scouts for 15 years, so it was a natural choice to carry on the
tradition,” Melissa said. “We took our girls out camping three years ago, and when we
saw the conditions it upset us. We wanted to bring it back to the way it was when we
were kids.” The two tent camped at Whippoorwill during the warm months and did
their winter camping in the Big House, the only winterized cabin on the property.
Tina and Melissa started off hoping to improve the grounds by removing the
overgrowth around the camp. Their goal was to keep the camp functional and usable
by girls. However, they discovered the job was much bigger than they anticipated.
“It was difficult to remove the brush and debris,” Tina reflected. Soon, members of
Service Unit 638 became involved to assist with the massive job.
Pleased and encouraged at the progress they had made with the help of their entire
Service Unit and their Girl Scout troops, Tina and Melissa began feeling better about
the camp they had spent so much time at as children. With much of the camp
grounds work under control, the two began assessing the work that needed to be
done to the main buildings. “The Big House needs new bathrooms and kitchens and
roof repairs are needed on a number of the buildings,” Tina noted. They were thrilled
when they heard that the Council was the recipient of the IKEA Life Improvement
Project and awarded $10,000 to improve Camp Whippoorwill. Now, thanks to their
initiative, hard work and persistence to bring Camp Whippoorwill back to the state
they remember, the Big House will be getting a new kitchen that includes a new floor
plan, new flooring and new appliances.
Thank you Tina and Melissa—you are both fabulous volunteers and great Girl Scouts.
We applaud you and your community’s efforts to restore Camp Whippoorwill.
Want to learn how you can help GSCM properties like Camp Whippoorwill?
Contact Pattie Dash, Vice President of External Affairs
at [email protected] or 410.358.9711 ext. 232.
10 GIRLSWORLD spring 2013
Can't make it to Camp Ilchester
to check out the nature center?
Let the nature center come to
you! Ranger Billy "Box Turtle"
Heinbuch, who recently earned
his certification as a Maryland
Master Naturalist, can come
to your next troop meeting or
service unit event to give a nature
talk and introduce you to his
favorite critter companions.
Contact Ranger Heinbuch at
[email protected] to schedule a
visit from the nature center today!
Thank You,
Sponsors!
Girl Scouts of Central Maryland
would like to thank the
businesses and individuals
who sponsored our annual
Distinguished Women's Award
Reception on
April 24, 2013,
especially our
Ambassador
Signature
Sponsor:
Wells Fargo.
A big thank you to:
• Wells Fargo
• CareFirst
BlueCross
BlueShield
• Innovalon, Inc.
• Lion Brothers
Company, Inc.
• McCormick &
Company, Inc.
• Murthy Law Firm
Pencilthisin
Go Online!
Vist gscm.org/
eventscalendar.html
for more events.
Keeping you current on events & activities happening around the council.
Meet Your
NEW Cookies:
Info Session
and learn all
about the new
resources.
July 22, 2013
7-8:30 pm
Camp Ilchester
July 24, 2013
7-8:30 pm
Westminster United
Methodist Church
July 25, 2013
7-8:30 pm
Camp
Whippoorwill,
Big House B
July 30, 2013
7-8:30 pm
GSCM Urban
Program & STEM
Center
July 31, 2013
7-8:30 pm
Christ our King
Presbyterian
Church Bel Air, MD
August 3, 2013
7-8:30 pm
St. Ursula’s
Catholic Church
Parish Center
Parkville, MD
Questions? E-mail
[email protected].
GSCM has a new
baker for the Girl
Scout Cookie
sale. Come to
one of our Meet
Your Cookies
info sessions to
meet the new
bakers, taste
the new cookies
The BIG Event
September 21, 2013
Noon - 4 pm
Howard County
Fairgrounds
Bring the whole
family and
kickoff the
cookie season
in a BIG way
at this notto-be-missed
event at the
Howard County
Fairgrounds.
There will be
activities, crafts
and more. We
are partnering
with local
businesses
to bring you a
day full of fun
activities.
Questions? E-mail
[email protected].
Want to volunteer?
E-mail kpedersen@
gscm.org.
Summer Camp
Session 1
June 17-21
Session 2
June 23-28
Session 3
June 30-July 3
Session 4
July 7-12
Session 5
July 14-19
Session 6
July 21-26
Session 7
July 28 - August 2
Session 8
August 4-9
To find a camp
program for you
please visit
gscm.org/camps/
camp-listings/.
Great
Adventures
await you at
Girl Scouts of
Central Maryland's
Summer Camp.
Go to gscm.org
to find a camp and
register online today!
Juliette’s Closet:
Now available at all Juliette's Closet
locations (including online at gscm.org):
Images of America: Girl Scouts of Central
Maryland, the 100th Anniversary book.
New low price! $18.50 per book
Tornado Relief
Support our Sisters in Oklahoma
If you and your troop are looking
for a way to support our sister
Girl Scouts after the devestating
tornados on May 20, there are
several ways you can help.
Donate Via Text:
Text the word GIRLS to 20222 to
make a $10 donation.
Girl Scouts of Western
Oklahoma Tornado Relief Fund:
Go to gswestok.org/donate to
contribute to a fund that will help
get troops back up and running,
provide scholarships for programs
and offer other support to Girl
Scouts in affected areas.
Trefoil Artwork Collection:
The Western Oklahoma Council
is asking girls to send messages
or art in the shape of the Girl
Scout trefoil, which the Council
will present this summer to Girl
Scouts affected by the storm.
Send your trefoil artwork to:
Girl Scouts-Western Oklahoma
Mary Nichols' Family
Leadership Center
6100 N. Robinson Ave.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 73118
Juliette’s Closet:
GSCM Urban Program
& STEM Center
4806 Seton Drive
Baltimore, MD 21215
Phone: 410.358.9711
Juliette’s Closet : Camp
Ilchester
5042 Ilchester Road
Ellicott City, MD 21043
Phone: 410.455.0542
gscm.org spring 2013 11
4806 Seton Drive, Baltimore, MD 21215
410.358.9711 800.492.2521
Non-Profit
U.S. Postage
PAID
Baltimore, MD
Permit No. 2861
To assign your workplace giving
campaign donation to Girl Scouts
of Central Maryland, please use
these codes:
•
Combined City & State Charity Campaigns 8050
•
Combined Federal Campaign 83032
•
United Way of Central Maryland 050
All New Girl Scout Cookies!
Learn all about our whole new line of Girl Scout Cookies and our new bakery
partner, ABC Bakers, at The Big Event, September 21, 2013 at the Howard
County Fairgrounds. It'll be a day of activities, crafts, entertainment and more.
$7 at the door. $5 if you pre-register at gscm.org.
Meet Your Cookies: Info Session
Need the 411 sooner? Come to an info session—see pg. 11 for details.