Have you seen green? - GSSJC needs your feedback!

Connections
Winter 2012/2013
The newsletter for past, present and future supporters of Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council
Have you seen green?
Supporting future leaders
Chances are you have...
There has never been a
shortage of hard work and
dedication in the Fraga family.
Lupe and Irene Fraga founded
Tejas Office Products
50 years ago to provide
Houstonians with quality
office supplies. Their children,
Michele, Alisa and Stephen,
worked alongside them, giving
back to their community
and building a strong brand
along the way. Over the years,
the company has grown to become the largest independent office
products company in the Houston area.
Today, all three children serve as officers for Tejas. Michele and
Alisa, along with their brother, have received numerous accolades
for their philanthropic work, which includes mentoring others and
volunteering when they can. They have sustained the values their
parents instilled in them years ago that were reinforced when they
were Girl Scouts. As alumnae, they hope to pass the skills they
acquired to the next generation of women decision makers.
Fraga Family
From Girl Scout Brownies
to business owners
Michele and Alisa began their Girl Scout journey as Brownies, attending St. Francis De Sales Catholic
School in the Sharpstown area of Houston. They continued their journey until the eighth grade.
Despite their early departure from Girl Scouts, Michele and Alisa are grateful for the leadership
opportunities Girl Scouts provided and credits the organization with helping them strengthen the skills
needed to run a business.
Valero Port Arthur Refinery awarded $10,000 to GSSJC to enable
In-School Girl Scouting free-of-charge to approximately 1,250 atrisk girls throughout the school year in underserved areas of Port
Arthur. Lacking local volunteers and resources in underserved
areas in Port Arthur, GSSJC provides part-time staff onsite to
deliver programming that these girls would not otherwise receive.
Community outreach programs such as In-School Girl Scouting
develops basic life skills and leadership capacity in a generation
of future women leaders.
“[Girl Scouts] was so motivational and encouraged me to have confidence,” said Alisa. “It was
wonderful to be around a group of ladies who encouraged you to think outside the box and to believe
that you can do whatever you put your mind to.”
Alisa’s daughter is a Girl Scout Brownie and when she attends her daughter’s meetings, she often
remembers the skills she learned that she carried into her everyday life. “Girl Scouts definitely
contributed to who I am, and my daughter will go further than I did,” said Alisa. “Girl Scouts teaches my
daughter how to prioritize and how to stay committed when she is involved in multiple extracurricular
activities.”
Alisa’s fondest memory of Girl Scouting is the same as her sister Michele. They both enjoyed being
with their friends and taking their very first camping trip to Camp Agnes Arnold, where they learned
how to make a fire. Alisa and Michele still keep in touch with a few of the girls from their troop. Two of
their fellow troop members and their co-leader currently work with them at Tejas. “It’s very important
to have these ladies work with us,” said Michele. “There’s familiarity, continuity and it’s nice to be able
to go to people who have known you the longest. Sometimes they know you better than you know
yourself.”
Before beginning her Girl Scout journey Michele, was a shy six-year-old. She credits the organization
with taking her out of her comfort zone by providing an environment that encouraged her to do things
she would not have done with the hopes of earning a badge or learning a new skill that could be applied
to her future life. The only thing she regrets is not sticking with Girl Scouts long enough to experience
some of the opportunities offered to older girls. “It’s a shame, because I didn’t realize how many
life-building skills Girl Scouts taught girls that would have affected many of the decisions I made later
in life,” said Michele. “Parents should keep girls in Girl Scouts a lot longer because of the countless
activities the organization offers girls that I don’t think you can get anywhere else.”
Have you seen green? profiles Girl Scout alumnae who are using their skills to reach their full
potential and impact their communities. Submit recommendations to [email protected].
David Ruiz, Houston market manager for Bank of America, and
Patti Abshire, Houston community relations manager for Bank
of America, present Diane Pavey, GSSJC director of major gifts,
a $20,000 check for the Council’s Girl Scouts in the School Day
(GSISD) community outreach program. GSISD is delivered freeof-charge to girls in underserved areas of Houston, their families,
and their school campus. Each year, GSSJC reaches more than
9,600 girls who attend schools in the Channelview, Galena Park,
Houston, Pasadena and Sheldon school districts.
Archery program gets boost from movies
Girl Scout receives first place in Junior Olympic archery division
Long before the movies Brave and The Hunger Games, Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council (GSSJC) was teaching girls to
hit the mark with its Archers in Motion (AIM) Program. As a matter of fact, a Girl Scout Junior in the AIM program recently
became the national winner of the Female Bowman Barebow Category of the Third Quarter Outdoor Junior Olympic Archery
Division (JOAD) Mail-in Tournament.
“I love archery because there is nothing like the special moment when my bow, my arrow and I become one,” said Mireille. “I
aim at the target and hit the bull’s-eye.” Ten-year-old Mireille is a JOAD member of AIM, which follows USA Archery guidelines.
The AIM Program meets monthly at Camp Robinwood, one of eight GSSJC camp properties, to attain specific JOAD and
GSSJC shooting levels.
As part of the program, girls age 8 and older, also learn how to safely shoot a bow and take score, and they work towards
earning distance medals. Like most Girl Scout acitivities, AIM teaches girls discipline, confidence and team-work. Members
of AIM also help teach archery at different Council events throughout the year. In addition to AIM, Girl Scouts of all ages can
learn the skill of archery during GSSJC resident, daylight and twilight camp sessions being offered this summer.
To support the AIM program, or Girl Scouting in general, visit www.gssjc.org/donate today.
Girl Scouts develops and expands Camp Myra S. Pryor in Nada, TX
Council to continue growing membership with excellent outdoor experience
Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council, the second largest Girl Scout council in the U.S.,
is developing and expanding its Camp Myra S. Pryor property in Nada, Texas to
accommodate its growing membership and expansion of programs. “For 100 years,
Girl Scouts has utilized outdoor education and exploration to teach girls to become
courageous and confident leaders,” said Mary Vitek, GSSJC CEO. “Our camp
program is an intrinsic part of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, and we believe
Camp Pryor has the greatest potential for development as we move forward into the
second century of Girl Scouting.”
GSSJC held a groundbreaking ceremony in October to commence the construction
of Camp Myra S. Pryor’s Ranch Site, one of three distinct sites that will maximize
the camp’s vast and varied terrain. Camp Myra S. Pryor’s 277 acres will be utilized
to develop a Ranch Site, Lake Site and River Site that will offer a myriad of diverse
programs.
Facilities at the Ranch Site will include a renovated George Activity Center, combining
the two existing buildings, adding more restrooms and a catering kitchen in addition
to providing more space for indoor camp activities. There is also a new outdoor
gathering pavilion in the middle of a town square for stage productions, movies,
outdoor trainings, and other outdoor group gatherings. The kitchen at the Wildflower
cabin cluster will be re-configured to serve more girls and new fire circles will be added.
The Lake Site will include tree-top cabins to allow more utilization of the camp built
around a newly dug lake to better serve our kayaking and canoeing program. New
shade buildings, a ceremonial bridge, an activity field and an amphitheater are a few of
the additional structures at the Lake Site.
The River Site’s focus is a 1,000 square foot nature observatory tower that will allow
girls to admire the beautiful panorama of south Texas, the Bald Eagle’s nest across the
river and the migratory birds highway.
Above: Stacy Methvin, president and board chair of the GSSJC; The Honorable
Phillip Spenrath; Peter Boudreaux, project architect, Curry Boudreaux Architects,
LLP; Colleen Clayburn, The Trull Foundation; Tom Brown, The Hamill Foundation;
Brigitte Griffin, Valero Energy Corporation; Bill Jameson, The George Foundation
trustee; Cindy Pao, Key Energy Services; Mindi Snyder, city manager, City of El
Campo; Dee Koch, The George Foundation; Kathey Brown, facilities manager,
GSSJC; Mary Vitek, GSSCJ CEO; Norma Petrosewicz, GSSJC board member and
Madison Charitable Foundation; and Joe McCool, property manager and ranger,
Camp Myra S. Pryor.
Currently, Camp Myra S. Pryor’s eco-friendly design and river-side location make it
an ideal destination for 3,800 girls and adults each year. The addition of new cabin
clusters will allow Camp Myra S. Pryor to serve many more girls. GSSJC hopes to
complete the expansion of the camp within five years, pending fundraising efforts.
Current donors of the Camp Myra S. Pryor expansion include: Ellen DeSanctis, The
George Foundation, Gulf Coast Medical Foundation, The Hamill Foundation, George
and Mary Josephine Hamman Foundation, Henderson-Wessendorff Foundation,
Key Energy Services Inc., Madison Charitable Foundation Inc., Marathon Oil
Corporation, Ed Rachal Foundation, Schlumberger Oilfield Services, The Vivian L.
Smith Foundation, TLL Temple Foundation, The Trull Foundation and Valero Energy
Corporation.
If you would like to contribute to this project, or if you would like to select a
facility to be named after you, your family or your business, contact Beth Shea
at 713-292-0321 or [email protected].
Right: The Ranch Site, one of three distinct areas at Camp Myra S. Pryor, will allow
girls to create their own Girl Scout camp experience. It will feature a town square,
including a horse trough for the camp’s growing equitation program, a windmill and
a western-themed building to house program activities and training. The site will
focus on environmental education. (Plenty of naming opportunities still available.)
Thank You, Donors!
(Contributions made Sept1. 1-Nov. 30, 2012)
$25,000 + Ambassador
The George Foundation
Dorothy M. Goodykoontz
The Henderson- Wessendorff Foundation
Insperity Services LP
Jean T. Janssen and Stephen P. Pate
$10,000-24,999
Senior
The Bank of America Foundation
The Brown Foundation Inc
ConocoPhillips Inc
Ellen R. DeSanctis
EP Energy LLC
The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation
Stacy and Dee Methvin
Texas Aromatics LP
Cathy Wining-Thomas and Jim Thomas
$5,000-$9,999
Cadette
William R. Bell
Harry E Bovay Jr Foundation
Cadence Bank
Capital One Bank
Kay K. Craig
Kinder Morgan Foundation
Alice Kleberg Reynolds Meyer Foundation
Penny and Paul Loyd
Stan and Cathy Gist Mann
Mary McIntire
Evelyn and Stephen Richter
TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Company
$1,000-$4,999 Junior
Ashdon Farms
BP Fabric of America Fund
Craig & Heidt Inc
Constance C. Eicher
Halliburton Giving Choices
Dan and Delores James Hinkle
Sandra A. Judson
Cynthia M. Kwik
Sharron Melton
Montgomery County Community Foundation Inc
M. Anne Murphy
Thomas J. and Norma
Petrosewicz
Susan L. Reese
Mary K. Ryder
Beth Shea
Nancy and Bud Simpson
TEXAS EZMONEY LP
Gail Tompkins
Troop #02108
Truist
The Trull Foundation
United Way of Brazoria County
Urban Outfitters Inc
Evelyn T. Vittone
Sara and Spur Walker
Abe & Rae Weingarten Fund
Weingarten Realty Investors
Randa L. Duncan Williams
Great care has been exercised to ensure the proper recognition of our donors. If an error or omission does occur, we
apologize and hope you will bring it to our attention. Contact 713-292-0273 or [email protected].
Marguerite Woung-Chapman
Dr. Kelly Zuniga
$250-$999 Brownie
Craig B. Allen
AT&T United Way Employee Giving Campaign
Katie Bailey
Barbara S. Barnes
Terrie Bean-Minero
Diana Beste
Matthew Briggs
Jean Ann Bryant
Bucher Holdings Ltd
Capital One Services LLC
Charles E. Cernik
Chance Brown Real Estate LLC
Constancia Chavez
William A. Conklin
Tunis L. Deal
Julie Deeter
Heidi and David Doll
Robin Dombrowski
ExxonMobil Foundation
Kelly George
Tracy L. Gillin
Doris E. Hill
Andrew and Debbie Huang
IBM Employee Services Center
Corrie B. Jenkins
Bette B. Lehmberg
Randi Lewis
Martha Turner Properties
Kenneth A. and Kate Marx
Elena and Scott McCreery
Ida Pearl McDonald
Nancy McGuire
Gina L. Murphy
Becky M. Normand
Ralph S. O’Connor
Deborah J. Prosperie-
Woodson
PwC
Kathy and Steve Rapp
Linda M. Ross
Safeway Inc US Corporate
Carole Ann and Avery Smith
Josanna Smith
Pam Soles
Aimée R. Sproles
Myra Stefek
Sally G. Swanson
Symetra Financial
Sharon W. Timmons
Mona Tolbert
Troop #12557
Troop #12772
Troop# 13533
Troop #17274
Janet M. Trotter
United Way of Galveston Inc
United Way of Orange County
Jamie L. Vazquez
Honorariums
In honor of Marlene
Edwards
Dorothy M. Goodykoontz
In honor of Jean Gribi
Sally G. Swanson
In memory of Peggy Dockery
Dorothy and Janet C. Stanzeski
In honor of the GSSJC
History Committee
Saundra Kuykendall
In memory of Lillian “Tex”
Hanks
Patty Adams
Saundra Kuykendall
In honor of Indigo Marx
Kenneth A. Marx
In honor of Stacy Methvin
Toni, Lee, Peggy, Sally and Jo
In honor of Virginia Reed
Dorothy M. Goodykoontz
In honor of Steve Richter
Abe & Rae Weingarten Fund
In honor of Cathy WiningThomas
Janet and Trent Balke
In honor of Dr. Mary McIntire
Ralph S. O’Connor
Cathy Wining-Thomas and Jim Thomas
Memorials
In memory of Evelyn P.
Cernik
Charles E. Cernik
Sara Snell
In memory of Michael Head
Rochelle B. Salazar
In memory of Cynthia
Hendricks
Karen D. Carter
Cynthia Costales
Pamela G. Lyle
Loyce L. Pennington
In memory of William Klyng
Marlene M. Edwards
Saundra Kuykendall
Sara L. Walker
In memory of Marjorie Love
Lynnette L. Tyer
Mary M. Vitek
In memory of Viola Luna
Maria Brown
Paul Cones
In memory of Karen Orsak
Quilt Guild of Greater Victoria Inc
In memory of Mary Lou Wilson
Saundra Kuykendall
Girl Scout family reflects on the importance of leadership
For many families, Girl Scouting is not just an extracurricular activity; it’s a way of
life, a family tradition, a legacy left for the next generation. For Randi Lewis and the
women in her family, which includes her grandmother, Ruby Allison and mother,
Carol Dyson, the passion for Girl Scouting is carried on through their daughters’ work.
Carol Dyson was not aware of Girl Scouts until her family moved to Odessa, Texas.
While attending school, Carol said she encountered a girl in her class wearing “the
most wonderful uniform with a big yellow tie and hat.” Carol said she wanted that
dress and hat and would do whatever it took to get them. “I joined Girl Scouts
and immediately loved the structure and goals Girl Scouting offered girls in the
1950s,” said Carol. “[My troop leader] introduced us to the magic of nature, how to
understand and live with the environment and the importance of living the Girl Scout
Promise and Law.”
When Carol’s daughter, Randi was old enough to join Girl Scouts, she recalled how her
own mother, Ruby Allison, who was also a Girl Scout, gave up her time on weekends
to drive her troop to many camping activities and Girl Scout events and signed up to
be her leader. Even a move across the world to Bethioua, Algeria didn’t stop their Girl
Scout journey. “Once school began in Algeria, I met other mothers who wanted to
make it possible for their daughters to continue being Girl Scouts, so I formed Troops
on Foreign Soil (TOFS) Troop #1, with 6th grade girls who attended the International
School,” said Carol. TOFS would later be called USA Girl Scouts Overseas.
The next year, TOFS Troop #1 bridged to Cadettes and a Brownie and a Junior troop
were formed. Due to Carol’s enthusiasm TOFS Troop #1 had grown into five troops –
two Brownie troops, two Junior troops and the original Cadette troop – in just a few
years. The TOFS Girl Scouts participated in many
community service projects, organized parades,
sold UNICEF greeting cards and donated money to
charitable organizations. They even raised enough
“It makes
money to fund a spring break trip to Our Chalet in
me so proud to
Switzerland and Olave House in London, two Girl
say that we really do
Scout world centers. The troops also continued to
earn badges and awards just as Girl Scouts in the U.S.
bleed green.”
did. “If my actions inspire even one girl, as that girl
in the glorious green uniform did for me, to love Girl
Scouting as I do, then I have fulfilled my Girl Scout
Promise,” said Carol.
In 1980, Carol and her family moved back to the U.S. and resided in Odessa, Texas.
Randi continued her Girl Scout journey. Today, Dyson and her daughter Randi
Lewis are still involved with Girl Scouts through Randi’s two daughters – Halee, a
7th grade Cadette, and Hanna, a 5th grade Junior. Randi credits Girl Scouts with
giving her daughters opportunities to learn skills that they would never have learned
without Girl Scouting.
“Halee learned to sail at
the age of 10 at Camp
Casa Mare,” said Lewis.
“We live well over an hour
from any major body of
water, so that opportunity
would have never been
available to her without
our Council’s Mariner
program.”
As a mother, Girl Scouts
has given Randi the
opportunity to be an
integral part of her girls’
development. Although
Randi was nervous about
letting Halee go to camp
for two weeks and knew
the physical demands
of sailing, seeing Halee
persevere and achieve
things during those
two weeks was rewarding. It reminded Lewis of her own experience as a girl. Her
daughters are learning the same leadership skills and gaining the same confidence,
something Lewis believes they will carry into their adult lives and careers.
Randi is not only a mother of two Girl Scouts, she is a troop leader who views Girl
Scouting as a bridge between the lessons learned at school and church. “Our meetings
are a place where my girls can learn things like patriotism, outdoor skills, self-reliance
and entrepreneurship,” said Lewis. “I try to provide an environment where the girls feel
safe enough to try new things, be silly, serve the community and learn to further their
personal beliefs as they apply the values of the Girl Scout Law.”
She has also served as Fall Product chairman for her service unit, Council delegate
and even a dorm mom at camp. She believes
Girl Scouting instilled in her a desire to serve and respect the world around her, and
she feels good to be able to give back to an organization that has given the women
in her family so much. “I’m certain that my mom’s legacy will be carried on for
generations,” said Randi. “It makes me so proud to say that we really do bleed green.”
Join the Girl Scout Alumnae Association today! Contact Sally Swanson at
713-292-0346 or [email protected].
It’s Girl Scout Cookie time!
Sale starts January 5, 2013
Every Girl Scout Cookie has a mission: to help girls do great things! The Girl Scout
Cookie Sale is a unique program activity for girls. Participation is voluntary, but the
experiences girls gain and the leadership skills they acquire last a lifetime. Through
the Girl Scout Cookie Program girls develop five essential skills: goal-setting, money
management, decision making, people skills and business ethics.
During cookie activities, girls are members of a team working towards a common
goal, with each girl striving to do her best.
Girls set cookie goals to support their chosen activities for the year, like funding
community service projects, attending summer camp or even traveling. In addition,
Cookie proceeds stay within the Girl Scout organization and are used to support girls
LOCALLY! For more information visit www.gssjc.org.
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
Special thanks to IHS for teaching Girl Scouts about STEM careers
Girl Scouts from the San Jacinto Council participated in the first-ever Geoscience
Day held by IHS, the leading global source of information and analytics, in
conjunction with the Houston Geological Society. “The girls had a great time, and
we really enjoyed having them at our IHS Geoscience Day workshop,” said Mary Lou
Castleman, senior quality assurance engineer at IHS, who along with Keith Patton,
senior geologist at IHS, organized the event. “They were incredibly enthusiastic,
eager to learn and very polite young ladies,” Castleman added. “They embraced the
curriculum and the hands-on activities, and our IHS colleagues had fun teaching
such a bright group.”
As part of the day, the girls circulated through four workshops, which included handson experiments designed to teach the fundamentals of geology and geophysics,
lithology types, wave theory and well logging. The workshop also addressed reservoir
attributes such as porosity and permeability, and fluids and traps.
“We are so grateful for the support of IHS who has provided an opportunity for
our Girl Scouts to get a first-hand look at geology and geophysics and how they
play a part in energy exploration,” said Emily Kremer, GSSJC’s program manager
responsible for STEM programs. “Girls want to help make a difference in the world
and to get them there, we need the support of companies like IHS to help us teach
girls the value of STEM and the skills they will need to fill the roles of the future.”
The concepts the girls learned in the workshops were later applied during a team
drilling exercise where teams were charged with recommending areas to drill on a
3-D reservoir model. The girls made drilling recommendations based on their team’s
budget and their analysis of various data resources, including seismic information,
well logs, maps and other vital data. Girl Scouts also had the opportunity to
search for a salt dome in a 3-D reservoir model using IHS Kingdom® geophysical
interpretation software.
“We at IHS are truly
excited to be able to
contribute to the Girl
Scouts’ ToGetHerThere
initiative with our first IHS
Geoscience Day event,”
said Patton. “Like the Girl
Scouts, we realized that
getting girls interested
in math and science
needs to start early.
There are tremendous
opportunities for women
in math and science
careers, and we were glad
to be able to introduce these budding young minds to the geosciences.”
Girl Scouts launched the ToGetHerThere initiative during its 100th anniversary
in 2012. Since its inception, the premier leadership organizations for girls, has
provided girls with opportunities to learn how STEM is relevant in everyday life. STEM
experiences are framed within the context of leadership and engage girls through
the three Girl Scouts processes of: girl-led, learning by doing and cooperative
learning. Girls also learn skills on specific topics when they earn badges like the Cook,
Artist and Athlete badges and use STEM in fun ways.
To learn more about the ToGetHerThere campaign and how you can help girls
succeed, visit www.togetherthere.org. Because when girls succeed, so does society.
Girl Scouts in the spotlight
GSSJC made its presence known at this year’s Houston
Holiday Parade with a sparkling green and white float that
paid tribute to the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award
a Girl Scout can receive. This year’s theme was “Go Gold!”
and several Girl Scouts who earned the Gold Award this past
year rode the float. Special thanks to them and the Green
Starlettes, GSSJC’s drill team, for waking up early on turkey
day to participate in the parade with us. Needless to say,
the girls had a fantastic time!
NONPROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
HOUSTON, TX
PERMIT NO. 6743
3110 Southwest Freeway
Houston, TX 77098-4508
Visit us online at www.gssjc.org.
Girl Scouts builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.
Join us at the
2013 Success to Significance Luncheon
April 26, 2013
11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
JW Marriott Houston Hotel
5150 Westheimer Rd., Houston, TX 77056
Honoree
Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council recognizes successful
women leaders who have used their success to make a
significant difference in the community through our annual
Success to Significance Luncheon. This year we are proud
to recognize the leadership and life-long accomplishments
of the Dean of the Glasscock School of Continuing Studies
at Rice University, Dr. Mary B. McIntire.
(Learn more about Dr. McInitire at www.gssjc.org/S2S.)
Tables start at $2,500
Individual tickets are $150
To learn more visit
www.gssjc.org/s2s or contact
Emily Adkison at [email protected]
or 713-292-0358.
Presented by
Featuring Keynote Speaker
Bonnie St. John
Join us to hear first-hand from the first AfricanAmerican Olympic ski medalist, amputee, Rhodes
Scholar, former White House official and best-selling
author Bonnie St. John, whose remarkable success in
the face of physical adversity taught her that the key
to winning is not just bouncing back from obstacles:
but to do so faster than your competitors. The
celebrated author of six books, St. John co-authored
her no. 1 best seller, “How Great Women Lead,”
with her teenage daughter, Darcy.
We look forward to sharing the latest news and interacting with members, volunteers and alumnae via our
Council’s Twitter account, Facebook Fan Page, YouTube Channel and our new blog at www.gssjc.blogspot.com.
If you’d like to join our online Girl Scout community, visit GSSJC’s social media accounts below:
GirlScoutsGSSJC
GSSJC.blogspot.com
Facebook.com/GSSJC
girlscoutssanjacinto