LOOK INSIDE FOR - Girl Scouts Central Texas

LOOK INSIDE FOR
San Angelo dance troop steps up with confidence 4
Camp with Girl Guides in Cyprus!
7
2 GSCTX teams take their robots to Nationals
10
Ambassador sends 2 Girl Scout sisters to camp
16
“Girl Scouts has taught me how to be a
confident leader as well as how to build strong
teams. It has taught me all of the values that
are dear to me today, such as trustworthiness,
honesty, integrity, kindness, and courage.”
— SHELBY S., GOLD GIRL (SEE STORY, PAGE 23)
pictured: All smiles at Central Bell
Service Unit’s bridging ceremony
Board
of Directors
OFFICERS
Leslie Midgley
President/Board Chair
Charmaine Smith-Winters
President-Elect/Vice Chair
John Craddock
Secretary
Paul Pulley
Treasurer
Lynelle McKay
Chief Executive Officer
MEMBERS-AT-LARGE
Dr. Colette Burnette
Suzanne Copeland
Trish Coy
Becky Fearing
Whitney Hamnett-Pirkle
Pauline Lewis
Suzi Marshall
Alison Meador
Rina Patel
Lisa Reifsnider
Dr. Mischca Scales
Nicole Schwartz
Mary Kennedy Thompson
Dr. Gregory Vincent
Memorie Word
For more information
visit www.gsctx.org or
call (800) 733-0011.
This has been such an exciting year for us thus far! We have had a
great cookie season, fabulous events like STEMFest, Gold Centennial, Women of Distinction, and we have seen our girls shine in
their own unique ways. Attend any one of these events, and you
too feel the spirit of our movement and our council that I hope we
have captured in these pages. Here, you will find stories about our
girls’ many adventures, pictures that will make you smile—and underneath it all
runs the deep current that is the mission and purpose of Girl Scouts.
In the nearly five years I have spent in Girl Scouts of Central Texas as staff, and
10 years as a troop leader—not to mention being a Girl Guide for many years in
Mexico—I know without a doubt that this organization is not only a place for girls
to become leaders, but also a vital force for good in our communities, something
our world desperately needs right now. We are training girls to change the world.
Take a moment to let that sink in. Change. The. World. Little girls. One small
step at a time. That is what we do, no more, no less: change the world. There is
no single class, no one sport, and no solitary club that is going to give our girls
that opportunity. And all while having fun! The lessons and the memories that
our girls will get out of the Girl Scout experience will be worth the hours spent
in cookie booths, driving through traffic to make an event, working late into the
night on a service project. You, our volunteers and community partners, and you,
our girls and parents, are creating ripples that will be felt for years to come.
And the community is noticing! We have been in more newspapers, on more TV
and radio shows, in more magazines than ever before. (See The Chronicle piece
on page 14.) People want to know what we are up to, and we are showing them
what a girl is capable of. From our Gold Girls (page 20) to our robotics teams
(page 10), our girls are making their presence felt. And coming in the second half
of the year is even more fun (check out our events on page 26)!
I have never been prouder to be a Girl Scout. And I hope that when you read
these pages and reflect on your own journey, you too will feel a renewed sense of
accomplishment and pride.
Yours in Girl Scouting,
Lolis Garcia-Baab, Director of Marketing and Communications
I love Girl Scouts! These last six months I’ve been saying that to myself even
more often than usual. Do you feel the change? Thanks to our amazing
volunteers and our community partners, we are able to reach out
to more girls with better quality programming. And the girls are
thriving. From troops who have been friends since they were
Daisies (page 22), to a Senior who found herself through travel
(page 6), to the generosity of an Ambassador giving camp to a
fellow Girl Scout (page 16), you can see the evidence here that a
girl is forever changed by her Girl Scout experience. Go Girl Scouts!
— Lynelle McKay, GSCTX CEO
Board leadership passes baton
Incoming Board Chair Leslie Midgley
Leslie grew up as a Girl Scout,
beginning as a Brownie, eventually
earning the First Class (now called
the Gold Award), the highest
recognition a girl scout can earn.
Leslie’s mother was her troop
leader and later served on the
Council leadership
in Brownwood.
Leslie believes Girl
Scouts played a
major role in her
development and
is glad to give back
to this life-changing
organization.
“The lessons I learned through Girls
Scouts helped define who I am and
continue to inform my decisions
every day. Girl Scouts of Central
Texas is on the forefront, offering
incredible programming to help build
strong female leaders. How exciting
it is to be part of that,” says Leslie.
Aside from having been on the
GSCTX board since 2013, Leslie is
executive vice president and CEO of
the Texas Land Title Association, an
organization she joined 35 years ago.
We warmly welcome Leslie Midgley,
our new President/Board Chair and
Chair of the Executive Committee.
Outgoing Board Chair Beth Thorson
Beth Thorson has spent her entire
career—and a good part of her
non-paid career—feeding hungry kids.
Most of that was through federally
funded food assistance programs
and church outreach.
Beth was a Cadette for one year
growing up, but she evidently
learned the value of Girl Scouts as
her daughter Jeane is a Lifetime Girl
Scout. Besides serving on the GSCTX
Board, Beth’s other volunteer activities have included serving as Chair of
the Williamson County Cooperative
Extension Service Leadership
Advisory Board, and being actively
involved in several church ministries, professional associations, and
Kappa Delta Sorority. Beth has been
married to Derral for 40 years and
she has four furry babies at home:
two dogs and two cats.
ABOVE: Photos from the 2016
GSCTX Annual Meeting
Beth served as a Girl Scout troop
leader for ten years and in various
service unit positions (including
registrar and FOGS chair). She
joined the GSCTX Board in 2011 and
was chair from 2014 to 2016. During
her time as chair, she was able to
connect with girl and adult members
and staff alike.
“All these experiences have strengthened my conviction that Girl Scouts
is the premier
organization for
providing leadership
development
experiences for
girls who want to
grow in courage,
confidence, and
character, and who
want to make the world a better
place,” says Beth.
Aside from the great work she has
done for Girl Scouts, she is currently
the Director of Nutrition and Policy
for the Texas Department of Agriculture,
which oversees 12 federally funded
food assistance programs.
Thank you so much for your service,
Beth!
TREFOIL TRIBUNE | ISSUE 3
3
CONCHO PEARLS SPECIAL INTEREST DANCE TROOP
All it takes is one step forward.
Lauren White, GSCTX Membership
Team Lead, was on the Angelo State
University dance team in college, and
after she graduated she directed the
team for an additional two years. Her
dance experience at Angelo State
connected her to the larger dance
community of San Angelo, and as
a result, she was offered several
opportunities to judge dance team
auditions for both local high schools
(Lake View and Central).
As she judged auditions over the
years, she noticed a pattern among
first-year candidates. (There were no
programs in the city that offered drillteam skill building for middle school
students.) For 90 percent of the new
candidates, audition week was the
first experience they had had with
basic dance technique required for
acceptance. The girls walked onto
the floor looking defeated before
auditions even started. They were
obviously uncomfortable with
performing technical skills on top of
learning and executing choreography.
For Lauren it was heartbreaking to
see these girls want to be a part
of something so badly yet lacking
the preparation to be
4
TREFOIL TRIBUNE, ISSUE 3
successful in their efforts. Then,
inspiration hit.
traditional Girl Scout programs
such as cookie sales.
Two years ago, Lauren attended the
Girl Scout Annual Meeting where
the special interest Harp Troop was
featured. The concept of a special
interest troop was fascinating to her,
because it did not force the girls to
choose between harp lessons and
participating in Girl Scouts. Lauren
wanted to see if a special interest
dance troop might help bridge the
learning gap between eighth-grade
girls without any previous dance
experience and their first year of
high school auditions.
Many of the girls had little to no
experience in dance, but had plenty
of heart and dedication. Miranda T., a
Senior troop member, will be starting
Central High School as a sophomore
in the fall. When she first registered
with their troop she didn’t have
any previous dance experience.
She was shy with the other girls
and had little confidence in her
performance skills. After working
with her troop leaders throughout
the course of the 2015–16 program
year, Miranda worked up the courage
to audition for Tex-Anns, one of the
state’s oldest high school drill teams
formed in 1957, at Central High School.
Through her experiences with the
dance troop, Miranda gained the
courage, confidence, and character
that she needed in order to have
a successful audition. On April 22,
Miranda was selected as a member
of the 2016–17 Tex-Anns, and she will
now have the opportunity to be an
ambassador for both her campus
and the San Angelo community!
She reached out to local dance
friends with the idea and immediately secured a leader and co-leader.
They were thrilled with the concept,
and thus the Concho Pearls Dance
Team (Troop 5260) was formed.
The dance troop includes Cadettes
and Seniors, and the girls meet
twice weekly to work on strength
and conditioning, basic dance team
techniques such as leaps, kicks,
turns, and splits, drill-team etiquette,
and choreography instruction. The
troop participates in community
performances and appearances,
including the local Veteran’s Day
parade, the San Angelo Women
of Distinction ceremony, and the
GSCTX Annual Meeting. They
also participate in
For more information about this
troop, visit bit.ly/gsctx-special,
or contact Lauren White at
laurenw@gsctx.org
BOTTOM RIGHT PHOTO BY ISABEL L. (SENIOR)
Building courage one step at a time
There’s so much more!
Cadettes,
Seniors,
Ambassadors:
the fun is just
beginning!
Being an older Girl Scout means a new
world of opportunities are open to you!
TAKE THE FIRST STEPS
TOWARDS YOUR FUTURE
Learn about different careers you
can pursue after high school and
make the right connections to help
you get started. We’ve got all kinds of
cool programs and partnerships—like
our Emerging Leaders and A+ Federal
Credit Union’s Investing in My Future
programs—to give you the tools you
need and then some. Did we mention
we offer college scholarships? Oh
yeah, we’ve got your back!
LIVE (RESPONSIBLY) IN THE WILD
Gather up your older Girl Scout sisters
and set out on a life-changing journey
in the Great Outdoors. Choose a
destination, research the environment
issues there, plan your trip, document
your findings, and master all three levels of the Outdoor Journey program:
Terra, Alea, and Indagatrix.
SHAPE OUR COUNCIL’S FUTURE
What you have to say matters, and
we welcome your ideas about how
we can serve more girls and grow
stronger as a council. Let your ideas
shine bright as a member of the Girl
Advisory Board (GAB)! Applications
due September 1.
To apply to join the GAB and find
many more opportunities for Older
Girls, visit bit.ly/gsctx-og
A sampling of
CSA events
for fall
See an event you can’t
wait to attend? Head to
eBiz on the GSCTX website
(www.gsctx.org) to sign up now!
All Fall
Dare to Dairy Queen in Area 3
August
26
Pass the Plate, Please!
Gourmet Gallery, Waco
September
4
American Red Cross
Babysitting Certification
ARC of Central Texas, Austin
15
Texas Outdoor Adventure Day
McKinney Roughs, Austin
17
Culinary World Tour
Gourmet Gallery, Waco
24–25
SCUBA Diving Certification
Dive World, Austin
25
Emerging Leaders: Sports &
Fitness Professionals
University of Texas at Austin
October
15
Car Care
Stanley Chrysler Dodge
Jeep RAM, Gatesville
Media Girls
Stephenville
November
13
American Red Cross
Babysitting Certification
ARC of Central Texas, Austin
Pamper Yourself
B/CS Service Center
19
Great Escape!
The Great Escape of
Central Texas, Killeen
December
2
You’re on the Air!
KULM Radio, Columbus
10
Advanced Advertising and
Marketing Kid Style
Dr Pepper Museum, Waco
TREFOIL TRIBUNE | ISSUE 3
5
POINT OF VIEW: THE GIRL SCOUT
The difference travel
can make
BY RACHEL STARR
(AMBASSADOR)
In June of 2014,
I travelled internationally for the first
time through Girl Scouts. With empty passport in hand,
I explored London, Paris, Florence, and Rome for fourteen days without my mother.
Although I was travelling with family
friends, I was exhilarated by the idea
of this newfound independence.
However, upon arriving at Heathrow,
I quickly realized that my clothing,
my passport, my souvenirs, and
everything in between was my
responsibility and mine alone.
As we shuffled through hotels and
train stations, I made a few mistakes
along the way. I slept in on my first
night in London and almost missed
breakfast with my roommate. I left
my souvenirs outside of my suitcase
and they were tossed away, mistaken
for trash. In the paperwork, I forgot to
specify that I didn’t eat meat.
But with all of these mistakes, I
learned and grew from them. I set
my alarm thirty minutes early. I
kept a mental checklist of all of my
belongings and pre-packed everything
in the morning before leaving for
the next destination. I became more
adventurous with my diet and ate
escargot and an entire tilapia, head
and all. Through travel, I learned
valuable lessons that I otherwise
wouldn’t have had the opportunity to
learn. I became more independent,
adventurous, punctual, and aware of
the people and the world around me.
6
TREFOIL TRIBUNE, ISSUE 3
Yet most of all, I learned not about
who I was, but who I want to be.
I have been enthralled with art and
humanity alike for as long as I can
remember. While my elementary
classmates fawned over mermaids
and knights, I pored over the pages
of Picasso and da Vinci in hopes of
comprehending the deeper meaning
behind their works; of discovering
the depth of the artist’s experiences
and the world they thrived in
while creating another depiction
unique from their own realities. The
experiences of humans from another
time became a fascination of mine,
and my perception of my reality
swam through the works of Pollock,
Delacroix, Van Gogh, O’Keefe,
Rembrandt, and other artists before
my time. History became a passion
of mine, and my dreams of standing
before the paintings I had adored
for so long became a reality with the
help of Girl Scouts.
One of the destinations on the
itinerary was to visit the Louvre in
Paris. I had dreamed of standing in
this famous art museum one day,
but the experience was something
entirely unique. All I could do was
sob in awe. To stare at the Venus
de Milo was to stare into the eyes
of the artist himself and ponder the
true identity of the armless figure. To
witness the subtle grin of the Mona
Lisa was to wonder what truly made
her eyes flicker in such a captivating
manner. To sob before Delacroix’s
Liberty Leading the People, was to
realize that the painted individuals
would never return from their
revolution—hope was lost; devastation
would ensue.
I wanted to know more about artists
and their true intentions, about
people and their thoughts, about
experiences of the locals in Europe—
like the street vendor in London and
why he liked his coffee a certain way.
I wanted to know if I was leaving a
mark in these places, the way that
these places had left their mark
on me—whether or not the plump
man who served me gelato would
remember me as well as I remembered
him. In that moment, I knew that
I wanted to study anthropology, to
study people and their cultures.
During that trip I realized that we as
humans are raised in the restricted
mentality that knowledge lies within
the pages of books. However, true
knowledge lies not within the words
of an author, but in the depths of an
ink-stained passport.
Wish you were here!
DEAR CE
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POINT OF VIEW: THE PARENT
The worry—and the reward—
of sending my daughter abroad
BY KATHY STARR
(VOLUNTEER & PARENT)
When Sabrina LeMay (leader of Troop
278) invited my daughter Rachel
(14 at the time) to join her troop for
their trip to Europe, I was thrilled and
anxious at the same time. Thrilled because Rachel had dreams of visiting
the Louvre and touring Europe, and
this was a dream that we just might
be able to make happen; anxious
because parents often accompany
the girls on these trips. There was no
way we could afford for us both to go,
and we only had about six months to
come up with the money for Rachel
to be able to travel. As a family, we
made the decision to bite the bullet
and let her go. We knew we would
find a way to make it work. Rachel did
extra chores, helped me in my office,
whatever she could do to raise the
funds. She sold Girl Scout cookies
and found sponsors that also helped
her achieve her goal.
The hardest part of all was letting
her go without me. Not because we
were worried about her safety; with
Sabrina and Girl Scouts leading the
trip, we knew she was in good hands.
Though we had raised Rachel to be
responsible, use her manners, and
be respectful, we were more worried
about her being an additional person
for Sabrina to supervise, as Rachel
was the only girl traveling without
a parent. On the other hand, as
parents, we worried she would forget
things, oversleep, not keep track of
her belongings, lose track of time,
and so on. In the end, we had to trust
her and our parenting. Rachel had a
few hiccups along the way, but she
learned from them and moved on.
The trip transformed her into an
acutely aware, socially conscious
human being and reassured us that
all of her experiences in Girl Scouts
led her to the Louvre. Sabrina, the
parents on the trip, and Rachel’s
sponsors may never know how
profound an experience the trip was
for her and how grateful we are that
they helped make one of her dreams
come true. Letting her go to Europe
was by far the best decision we as
parents have ever made and we are
so grateful to Girl Scouts and Sabrina
for opening those doors.
U
T C YP R U
⇨ Popu
S
lation: 1.1
million
⇨ Lang
uage: Gre
ek
⇨ Girl G
uide Leve
ls: Chrys
Guide, Se
alid, Butt
a/Air/Fore
erfly,
st Guide,
Guide/ P
Senior
rospectiv
⇨ The
e Leader
island is
home to
Conserva
a Sea Tur
tory mea
tle
nt to help
animals
keep the
from goin
⇨ Cypr
g extinct.
us is hom
e to 750
⇨ Acco
species o
rding the
f plants.
Greek m
is home
y
thology, C
to Aphro
yprus
dite, the
love and
goddess
beauty!
of
Oh, the places
you can go
with Girl Scout
Cookie Dough!
What a SWEET deal! Cadette Cookie
CEO, Leah C., began saving her Girl
Scout Cookie
Dough as a Daisy
and after another
stellar cookie
season, she earned
enough Girl Scout
Cookie Dough to
almost completely
pay for her 2018
Destinations trip to the Galapagos
Islands. Way to go, Leah!
To learn more about what YOU
can do with Cookie Dough, contact
the Product Sales Team at
products@gsctx.org
To learn more about
GSCTX Travel, contact
Emily Magnotta at
emilym@gsctx.org
TRIP COS
T: $3,800
COOKIE
D OUGH
EARNED
: $3,050
TREFOIL TRIBUNE | ISSUE 3
7
NEED HELP? IDEAS?
Troop Tips just for you!
Daisies
Leader: Susan Keough
Troop: 9020
Service Unit: Bryan/
College Station
Building girls of courage, confidence,
and character is a team effort, which
is why our partners are so crucial to
our girls’ success. The young women of
Kappa Delta (KD), a national sorority
with nearly 230,000 members, have
been a vital partner of Girl Scouts
since 1998, guiding girls through their
Journeys and mentoring girls to help
them realize their full potential.
Within our council, Kappa Delta has
provided an array of programs this
past fall and spring, including:
⇨
⇨
⇨
⇨
⇨
⇨
Manners Workshop – Juniors
Social Butterfly Badge & Cadette
Etiquette Badge
Living Healthy Workshop –
Juniors Staying Fit Badge &
Cadette Eating For Beauty Badge
Performance Workshop – Juniors
Staying Fit, Musician Badge &
Cadette Public Speaker Badge
Cadette First Aid Badge Workshop
Cadette Naturalist Tree Badge
Workshop
aMuse Journey KickStart
Workshop
Thank you, Kappa Delta, for helping
us empower the leaders of tomorrow!
8
TREFOIL TRIBUNE, ISSUE 3
⇨
⇨
⇨
OUR AMAZING VOLUNTEERS
Kappa Delta
welcomes
Girl Scouts
into their
sisterhood
⇨
Brownies
⇨
Leader: Tammy Robinson
Troop: 5003
Service Unit: Concho Pearls
⇨
Juniors
Leader: Dawn Eades
Troop: 7067
Service Unit: West
The girls will have more fun if you as
the leader enjoy it, too! I have enjoyed
14 years of Girl Scouts. I have met some
wonderful girls who are almost adults
now, parents who have been with me
for years, and have made some lifelong
friends through this Girl Scout journey.
I made a commitment to my daughter’s
troop when she was a Brownie that I
would be her leader, and I was until last
May when she graduated high school.
Don’t give up on the girls!
Brownies are very eager and ask many
questions. They are also very talkative
and want to try and do everything. They
do not understand why Juniors can do
some events and they cannot. I love
being a leader because I get to watch
girls learn new skills, while building
confidence to conquer the world.
⇨
⇨
⇨
Encourage girl-led activities.
Help make activities interesting and fun.
Create awareness of the need to
volunteer in your community.
⇨
Be a real partner/team: empower the girls
but lend guidance because they really do
still want that.
Help them explore their world through
travel and trips. Help them gain confidence
by allowing them to plan for new
opportunities as a Cadette. Show
them that fundraising can literally
take them places.
Keep them talking with each other by
making meeting time a sacred place
for them to leave their new social and
homework pressures behind and talk
openly with each other about what’s
going on. They need to know that their
Girl Scout sisters are forever friends.
⇨
Cadettes
Leader: Lisa Cairns
Troop: 9022
Service Unit: Bryan/
College Station
Be ready for questions from Daisies,
about everything!
Plan some stand-by activities, just
in case you have extra time at the end
of your meeting.
Be patient.
⇨
WE LOVE OUR VOLUNTEERS!
We asked experienced troop leaders for tips on leading
Girl Scouts of different ages—here’s their expert advice!
⇨
Seniors &
Ambassadors
Leader: Judy Runyan
Troop: 260
Service Unit: Lady Bird
⇨
⇨
⇨
⇨
Multi-level
Leader: Christi Cheek
Troop: 8226
Service Unit: Central Bell
and
Leader: Crystal Callaham
Troop: 9504
Service Unit: Madison
County
⇨
⇨
⇨
⇨
Strong troops get girls active in decision
making (even at young ages). Girls can
vote on how they want to spend their
money, what they want to learn, and it’s
also a great opportunity for everyone to
realize that everyone has different likes,
dislikes, and challenges. Our girls really
liked the idea of zip-lining over Lake Travis
but realized that there were a couple of
girls in the troop that had vertigo or were
terrified of heights. The girls had to be
sympathetic and find alternative choices
to make everyone feel welcome.
Pick a designated meeting time and try
to stick with it. You may not get everyone
there every time, but the girls and
parents will know what to expect and can
plan accordingly.
Keep the girls learning in a fun way! Try
not to make it too much like school and
let them have the opportunity to help
plan and run the event.
Always listen to the girls.
Make sure the parents are involved but
not in charge. Parents don’t always know
what the girls want.
It does not always matter if the girls are
learning, but always make sure they are
having fun.
Communication from the leader needs to
start on day 1. I recommend scheduling a
parent meeting once or twice per year.
Be persistent in making sure that meetings and events are focused on the entire
group, not just specific levels.
Allow parent and girl scout involvement
and feedback whether good or bad.
BIRTHDAYS, HOLIDAYS, SPECIAL OCCASIONS
The GSCTX shop
has you covered!
No matter what you’re celebrating, you can always find
something in the shop to make the moment extra special!
We’ve got new GS ornaments and holiday gifts that we know
you’ll love, but you have to get ’em before they’re gone as we
have a limited supply! Call us at 800-733-0011.
Volunteer
Spotlight
LaTheasa
Stevens
MUSTANG VALLE
SERVICE UNIT
DIRECTOR
Why do you volunteer?
When I was a parent volunteer I saw
that my oldest daughter’s troop
leader was AWESOME! My daughter
learned canoeing, archery, and
making ovens out of a box and foil,
along with learning about nature at
Girl Scout camping grounds. It was
then I committed to do more for
and with my local Girl Scout troops.
I believe every girl should join this
amazing organization.
What is your favorite part of being
a Girl Scout volunteer?
There are no limits to what our girls
can do. My joy as a volunteer is
seeing growth in each girl. It’s exciting
when a girl expresses interest in
traveling or learning something
new. Our troops work with girls to
develop plans, set realistic goals, and
execute their ideas. These girls are
developing skills that will carry them
to any career.
What advice would you give to
other volunteers?
I would encourage every volunteer to
always remember that it is about the
girl! Every volunteer has other things
that takes our attention, so we have
to remain diligent. Staying focused,
and presenting excitement and new
adventures to every girl is not always
easy, but it is so worth it!
Q&A continued on our blog:
bit.ly/lstevens
Have a suggestion for a Volunteer
Spotlight subject? Email us at
communications@gsctx.org
TREFOIL TRIBUNE | ISSUE 3
9
TWO TEAMS, ONE JOURNEY
GSCTX’s all-girl robotics teams
travel to the national championships
They came from all over. Thousands traveling from places
like Haiti, Mexico, Tuscon, Arizona, and O’Fallon, Illinois. From
bustling metropolises to sprawling American suburbs,
nearly 700 teams gathered in St. Louis, Missouri, for the
FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and
Technology) Robotics Championships this spring—and
among them were GSCTX’s two all-girl robotics teams:
FRC Team 2881, The Lady Cans, and FRC Team 4335, The
Metallic Clouds. The GSCTX teams were two of just eight
all-girl teams who competed in this year’s championship.
Under strict rules, limited resources, and the guidance of
volunteer mentors including engineers, teachers, business
professionals, parents, and alumni, our teams have just six
weeks to build and program robots to perform challenging
tasks against a field of competitors. They must also raise
funds, design a team “brand,” hone teamwork skills, and
perform community outreach. For both teams, the
chance to go toe-to-toe with global competitors validated all the countless
hours they had spent building
LADY CANS HEAD COACH
their robots. Though they didn’t place at the event, the
experience they gained was invaluable.
Both The Metallic Clouds and The Lady Cans are GSCTX
special interest troops. Girl Scouts encourages girls to
discover all the possibilities STEM offers, from new ways
to build on the skills and activities they already love to
cultivating the confidence necessary to pursue STEM
education and careers. Building that confidence includes
dispelling the myth that girls have to naturally excel at
math and science in order to love and participate in STEM.
Both teams are recruiting new members now! Learn
more about our robotics teams and other special interest
groups at bit.ly/gsctx-special
“I don’t think girls realize how many options
there are in STEM. It is a growing (and well
paid!) career path in our digital world, so the
more exposure the girls can get, the better
opportunities they will have.”
— MEGAN HUNICKE, STEM PROGRAMS MANAGER
Susie Rich
Girl Scout leader, teacher, and mom,
Susie Rich is a source of constant
support and guidance for The Lady
Cans as their head coach. A Girl Scout
volunteer for nearly two decades,
Susie is passionate about helping girls
discover and excel in STEM.
How long have you been a
Girl Scout Volunteer?
I became a Daisy Girl Scout
leader in 1999.
What do you love most about STEM?
STEM is everywhere! From the chair
we sit on to the paper or computer
that we use everyday to the colors in
fabrics and paintings, STEM is a part
of each one.
10
TREFOIL TRIBUNE, ISSUE 3
Head to the Cookie Bite Blog to read the
full Q&A with Megan: bit.ly/MeganH
Why is it important for
girls to participate in STEM?
Girls can take cold, hard science and
give it the creative twist that makes
it easy to understand, marketable,
and useful.
What are the biggest challenges
girls in STEM face?
The biggest challenge is the misconception that a girl has to change
herself to fit into a STEM world. We
have to educate the population that
a girl can be both a scientist and a
girl at the same time. She does not
have to become “one of the boys”
to succeed. Guys don’t change who
they are; they are guys who enjoy
STEM. Girls should be able to do that
equally.
Favorite Girl Scout activity?
Taking girls to see and do new things.
If you could create any robot in the
world, what would it do?
I would create a robot that could
fold laundry.
“The FIRST competition and my team have
opened opportunities for me to show my talents
as a woman in STEM.” — Captain Marissa A.
MEET THE METALLIC CLOUDS
Bethany, Colleen, Rachel, Marissa,
Elisabeth, Ailynn
“This team has
given me the confidence
to pursue things even if they’re
male-dominated and really difficult.”
— Captain Ariana F.
MEET THE LADY CANS
front row (l to r): Juleea, Ariana, Stephanie, Sarah, Lynda, Aubree;
middle: Sindujah, Anagha, Kaylee, Tina, Anaita, Katie, Anannya;
back: Emma, Olivia, Carly, Tian, Bonnie, Rehanna, Vivian;
not pictured: Caroline, Carolyn, Claire, Erin, Grace, Izzie,
Josie Kate, Kierani, Lauren, Mary, Quinn, Xanthe
WHAT IS STEM?
Science, technology,
engineering, & math!
Why should parents know about
STEM and STEM careers?
METALLIC CLOUDS HEAD COACH
Joe Rizo
Joe Rizo passionately aims to help
girls realize their full potential as STEM
students of the future. He has been
the head coach/mentor for the FRC
(First Robotics Competition) Team
4335, The Metallic Clouds, for five
years and counting.
I hear some parents say, “I don’t think
my child is smart enough to do that,
to be an engineer.” We aim to break
that perception. While we promote
our engineers, there is so much more
to STEM than just engineering; our
program is more than the robot. We
need graphic designers, multimedia
personnel, and marketing-savvy girls
who can help in other ways besides
constructing the robot.
Favorite memory from the
2015-2016 season?
Watching the team come together
at the Arkansas Regional. Our drive
team consisted of all girls from our
original FLL team including the drive
coach. The drive team is the sub
team that includes the robot’s driver, manipulator, coach (typically a
seasoned mentor), and human player.
Students that significantly contribute
to the team in terms of management,
design, building, programming and
such will be given preference for
being on the drive team. We flew my
daughter in to be the drive coach for
the Arkansas Regional. It was really
great to see the girls come together
and work as a team.
Read more on our blog: bit.ly/joerizo
TREFOIL TRIBUNE | ISSUE 3
11
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would think. I asked my mom if I
could sell cookies to the nurses. She
laughed and said as long as all my
homework was done. So there in the
hospital, waiting to go into surgery,
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sold cookies to the nurses, staff,
and some visitors. That year I sold
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empowered to go even higher.
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in high school. However, one thing
that will never change is the reason
we do it: to teach girls how to run
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TREFOIL TRIBUNE, ISSUE 3
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The Cookie
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turns 100!
We’ve come a long way from that
first batch of shortbread cookies
baked in 1917! Who could have
imagined that what started as a
simple fundraiser would blossom
into the first entrepreneurial
experience for millions of Girl
Scouts across the country and
the largest girl-led business in
the world? Through the Girl Scout
Cookie program, girls learn five
life-changing skills that help
prepare them no matter what
path they choose, like goal setting,
decision making, and people skills.
Join us in making 2017 the best
Girl Scout cookie season ever!
They’re back!
ABC Bakers has been chosen for the 2017 cookie season.
THIN MINTS
LEMONADES
CARAMEL
DELITES
SHORTBREADS
THANKSA-LOTS
TRIOS
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TREFOIL TRIBUNE | ISSUE 3
13
ILLUSTRATION BY JASON STOUT / THINKSTOCK
FROM BAKED GOOD TO ICON
The serious business of Girl Scout cookies
BY MELANIE HAUPT
Originally appeared in the Austin
Chronicle, 22 January 2016.
Reprinted with permission.
A friend of mine recently landed a job
with a Girl Scouts regional council.
When she announced this happy news
on social media, she was flooded with
congratulatory comments to the tune
of “Woooooooo! Girl Scout cookies!!!!”
as though the walls of her cubicle or
the office building itself were made
from Trefoil shortbread bricks.
Girl Scout cookies are arguably the
most misunderstood foodstuff in
American culture. Not only are they
really the only thing that people
associate with Girl Scouts, as
evidenced on my friend’s Facebook
wall last summer. They are also
icons, and icons often become
scapegoats, both in the culture at
large and in the perception of the
work they’re meant to do in a girl’s
life. And that’s a damn shame.
In their near-century of existence,
Girl Scout cookies have encapsulated
American identity, from patriotism
to gender roles. Cookie sales began
in 1917, when a troop in Oklahoma
baked cookies and sold them as part
of a service project. A few years later,
a troop leader in Chicago came up
with a sugar cookie recipe that was
14
TREFOIL TRIBUNE, ISSUE 3
distributed to troops nationwide;
from there, thousands of troops used
this recipe in organized fundraising
bake sales well into the Thirties. In
1936, the National Council made the
move to standardized, commercially
produced cookies, gradually adding
new varieties over the decades, the
most recent additions being last
year’s gluten-free Toffee-tastics.
attempting to sell cookies on behalf
of a scout whom he’d accidentally
injured. In fact, these wee treats
are so ingrained in our cultural
consciousness that when Laura
Sawicki added “Girl Scout cookies”
to the lunchtime dessert menu
at Launderette, the pastry chef’s
(incredibly delicious) riff on Samoas
was instantly recognizable.
In her master’s thesis, “The Baking
of a Cultural Icon,” journalist Jennifer
Graue of the San Jose Mercury
News examines Girl Scout cookies as
part of the fabric of American cultural
identity. “They’ve become a non-food
because they’re so symbolic,” she
says. Marxist scholars call the
process by which a product stands
in for an idea reification, and it’s part
of how capitalism turns people and
social relationships into things.
As a reified symbol of American-ness
—one that generates hundreds of
millions of dollars in sales every
year—Girl Scout cookies are often, as
Graue says, “used as symbolic chess
pieces in games of personal politics.”
Among the most immediate criticisms
of Girl Scout cookies is that they
are junk food and undermine the
progressive nature of Girl Scouting;
many troops opt not to participate
in cookie sales because they run
counter to the Girl Scouts’ emphasis
on healthy living.
Think of how you can buy a box
of cookies and have them sent to
American troops stationed overseas.
The uniquely American connotation
of Girl Scout cookies serves to turn
that box of snacks into a gesture of
patriotic symbolism.
What’s more, “whether we physically
consume [Girl Scout cookies], most
Americans are familiar with them
via consumption of mass media,”
says Graue, citing an episode
of Friends that centered on Ross
But the “junk food” accusation is
a red herring. We all have free will,
no one is forcing anyone to eat the
cookies, and, as Lynelle McKay, CEO
of Girl Scouts of Central Texas, says,
“If someone prefers not to indulge,
they can still support our girls by
purchasing a box to be donated to
our Helping Heroes: first responders
and our servicemen and women.”
Ultimately, Girl Scout cookie sales
serve to advance the mission of the
organization—launching confident,
community-minded young women
into adulthood—while also providing
a major source of funding to help
achieve that mission.
This longstanding tradition of selling
cookies serves to underwrite the
operations of regional Girl Scout
councils (so, in Austin, that is the
Girl Scouts of Central Texas, which
serves troops from San Angelo
to College Station and Waco to
Lockhart). Programming money goes
toward maintaining and operating
summer camps, including the Girl
Scout cabin at Zilker Park, and
Camps Kachina and Texlake in Belton
and Spicewood; STEM (science,
technology, engineering, and math)
education, including access to
3-D printers and robotics classes;
and serving girls who aren’t easily
reached via elementary schools and
the like. For example, the GSCTX
recently facilitated the formation of
a troop of girls in long-term care at
Dell Children’s Hospital. Because Girl
Scouts is self-funded, cookie sales
are essential to the infrastructure
of the organization. Each scout
selling cookies sets a goal for how
many boxes she wants to sell; each
troop does the same. The troop also
decides together how they want to
use the funds that they raise through
product sales; individual troops use
their 40 cents per box sold to pay
for campouts, badges, supplies, and
service projects, as well as choosing
a charitable organization to donate a
percentage of their sales to.
While individual girls can’t earn money
from cookie sales, they can earn
“Cookie Dough,” which they can then
apply to everything from special
patches (minimum of 25–50 boxes
sold, depending on the patch) to
summer camp tuition (1,000+ boxes)
to a trip to Disney World (3,500+ boxes).
Fundraising goals aside, there are five
important skills girls should develop
through cookie sales: people skills,
money management, business
ethics, decision making, and goal
setting. “It’s important to sell the
parents on cookie sales—parents
don’t understand that it’s about
more than just paying for the troop
activities,” says Carolyn Beck, a
troop leader in the Walnut Creek/
Delco-Simond service unit, which
comprises troops from East and
Northeast Austin. “The purpose of
Girl Scouts is to develop these girls
into young women who can go out
into the workplace and be successful,
and do that through good, positive
experiences and launch them
into their communities.”
Mariah Ramon, a longtime troop
leader, mom of two Girl Scouts, and
one of my scouting mentors, says,
“I have seen how cookie selling, and
Girl Scouts overall, has benefited my
have organized musical instrument
donation drives for music classes
in public schools, created cyber
cafes in retirement homes so that
residents could stay connected to
their families, and offered a series of
food allergy awareness workshops
in schools and summer camps. The
Gold Award can help women earn
college scholarships and even enter
the military one rank higher.
And that’s where some valid issues
with selling Girl Scout cookies arise:
It takes a lot of time and effort to sell
hundreds or thousands of boxes of
cookies, and younger scouts need
support from their parents. And not
every scout’s parents work in offices
where selling cookies is welcome,
or have leisure time on the weekend
to work booths, or have cars to
get them there. And, according to
Beck, it’s the girls who can’t afford
Girl Scout cookies are arguably the most misunderstood
foodstuff in American culture. Not only are they really the
only thing that people associate with Girl Scouts ... they
are also icons, and icons often become scapegoats.
daughter specifically in helping to
build her confidence. It [has] helped
her to blossom into a confident
salesperson who loves to work at
cookie booths and enjoys engaging
with each potential customer.”
summer camp who have the hardest
time selling enough boxes to earn a
free week at camp. “It takes a lot of
support, and if they don’t get it from
home, hopefully the troop leaders
can provide it.”
The work that a girl—and it’s a
lot of work both for the girl and
her parents, from canvassing in
neighborhoods to spending hours
shivering outside, flogging cookies at
booths outside of grocery stores and
taco joints—does via cookie sales
lays the foundation and provides the
scaffolding for future projects like the
Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl
Scout can achieve. She uses those
goal-setting, planning, and people
skills to identify an issue or problem in
her community, research it, assemble
a team, create a plan, and execute it
on her own. Gold Award recipients
Community support is also imperative.
I’m already seeing people looking for
cookies on Facebook, eager to start
stocking up on Thin Mints.
This year will be my daughter’s first
year selling cookies with her Daisy
troop. I’m excited about ushering my
girl into the world of selling cookies,
and not only because it means that
for six weeks I’ll have unfettered
access to my beloved Samoas.
Now I realize how powerful Girl Scout
cookies can be in my daughter’s
personal growth.
If only all girls were so lucky.
TREFOIL TRIBUNE | ISSUE 3
15
A GIRL OF CHARACTER
Ambassador’s generosity sends
2 Girl Scout sisters to summer camp
For nearly a century, the iconic, annual Girl Scout cookie sale has helped satisfy the
cravings of enthusiastic supporters, allowed girls to develop lifelong skills—and, of
course, encouraged girls to spend their “cookie dough” earnings to fund new adventures.
The business of selling a product
is hard work, especially when it’s a
competitive business that only lasts
about two months. For Kylie D., a high
school senior, Gold Girl, and Ambassador Girl Scout from Southern
Oaks Service Unit, selling cookies
was a familiar experience that was
about to end. She gracefully put on
a smile, her fully covered vest, and
sold alongside her fellow younger Girl
Scouts, who for the most part outsell
older girls.
You could say Kylie kept up with the
competition as she ended up selling
more than 1000 boxes of Girl Scout
cookies in 2016! Her accomplishment
earned her a free week of camp.
While she was delighted to have
achieved this goal, Kylie was well
aware of both how unusual her
accomplishment was—the average
Girl Scout sold 192 boxes of cookies
last year—and of the large number
of girls who can’t afford to attend
camp at all.
Being an older girl during the
cookie sale can be tough; you have
to intrigue your audience by building
a marketing strategy. Being an older
cookie entrepreneur also requires
having to prioritize a busy high
school schedule. A lot of challenges
and obstacles appear as a Girl Scout
matures, but there are also many
benefits that come from moving
up the ranks, including the wealth
of years of experience an older girl
carries on her vest. Being a top seller
four years in a row is not to be taken
lightly. These girls have had time to
develop and polish their sales tactics
and skills, they are able to tap into a
large customer base that has been
continually growing for the past
decade or more.
Since Kylie had already been to camp
numerous times, she decided to
donate her free week of camp to a
deserving Girl Scout in her service
unit, someone who has never been
able to go to summer camp before.
16
TREFOIL TRIBUNE, ISSUE 3
“For me, camp was one of the
greatest experiences that I got to
have through Girl Scouts. For many
summers, I spent weeks away from
my family, getting to try new things
and meet new people” says Kylie.
“As I get ready to graduate at the
end of this semester, I can’t help but
appreciate how camp prepared me
for moving on to college. I know I can
survive as an independent person
in this world and Girl Scouts and
camping have absolutely helped
me to reach that place.”
Not only did Kylie donate her week
of camp, but she also went on to
donate all of her cookie dough,
hoping to cover another girl’s camp
fees. By infusing two strong values,
entrepreneurship and community
service, Kylie unintentionally lit a
fuse, one that would spread through
her service unit with force. A parent in
the service unit decided to contribute,
and the entire service unit promised to match the combined amount.
Thanks to Kylie’s generous gift, two
of her Girl Scout sisters will be
attending camp this summer for the
first time. As Kylie moves forward
in her life she goes knowing she’s
made the world a better place, all
thanks to cookies.
“I’m looking forward to helping
another girl go to camp to foster
the love of this organization that I
have,” she says.
Kylie’s urge to pay it forward also
drove her Gold Award project, which
she successfully completed this year.
Tapping into a national conversation
about lack of funding for education,
Kylie created a network of retiring
teachers to encourage them to
share supplies with the incoming
generation of educators.
CAMP PAGE
LIFTING EACH OTHER UP
The Girl Scout Way
Nichol Lee is not someone who cries
in public, but by the end of her March
service unit meeting she could feel the
tears welling up in her eyes.
She was overcome with emotion as her fellow Girl
Scout volunteers agreed to donate time and money
to ensure a group of Girl Scouts from another service
unit could attend camp for the first time in more
than three years.
“My SUD, Janessa Glenn, sent me an email about
a service unit needing some help to get camping
started,” said Nichol, a troop leader in the Oak Hill
Service Unit. “After several emails with their SUD, I
learned they have not camped in more than three
years.” Like a true Girl Scout, Nichol sprang into
action and began reaching out to her service unit with
the idea of inviting the other service unit to their
campout. “When I explained the situation to my SUDs,
that it meant we would have to sponsor some of the
girls in this other Service Unit, they immediately said
yes,” said Nichol.
Nichol then reached out to council staff to learn how
to secure financial aid, and together the Oak Hill
Service Unit decided to cover the difference of any
remaining costs. What followed was a life-changing
camping experience for more than 340 adults and
girls! They spent the weekend performing skits, going
on scavenger hunts, and creating an unforgettable
memory. “Camping to me is a great experience for
the troop to bond and work together as a troop,” said
Nichol. “I know it can be hard for parents to send their
girls away for the first time, but with a little faith, their
daughter will be able to spread her own wings!”
Nichol is now working with GSCTX camp staff to make
camp even more accessible and affordable to more
girls. To read more about her efforts, the weekend
campout, and our complete Q&A with Nichol, head
to our blog: bit.ly/troopleader
Gamma Sigma Girls
go camping!
Gamma Sigma Girls (GSG) is a unique leadership
opportunity offered at underserved high schools. Each
Gamma Sigma chapter operates as a school-sponsored club that engages the girls in advocacy,
leadership strategies, community service projects,
career and college readiness, and other practical skills
necessary to succeed in adulthood.
This spring, the Gamma Sigma Girls held their first
leadership retreat, and it was a blast! Nearly two dozen
girls from San Marcos High School, Success High
School, Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders, Waco High, and Caldwell spent a March weekend
bonding, making memories, and building leadership
skills at serene Camp Texlake. The girls jammed out to
some classic ’80s tunes at a dance party, discussed
the future of GSG in a roundtable discussion, cooked
their own meals, and sharpened their archery skills.
The ideas discussed at this year’s retreat will be
incorporated into program planning and development
for the next Girl Scout year!
Learn more about Gamma Sigma Girls at
bit.ly/gsctx-gamma
TREFOIL TRIBUNE | ISSUE 3
17
SAN ANGELO (2016): Teddye Read, Judge Marilyn Aboussie, Carolyn
Kirby, Lenora Pool, Karen Clark, Alcohol & Drug Abuse Council for the
Concho Valley
PAVING THE WAY
2016 Women of Distinction
honorees provide shining
examples to Girl Scouts
Each year, GSCTX honors women leaders who are making a
significant impact on their communities. They are entrepreneurs,
educators, philanthropists, athletes, businesswomen, wives,
daughters, mothers, and, most importantly, living examples of
what we hope our girls aspire to become. Congratulations to
this year’s Womenof Distinction honorees (shown at right—
visit bit.ly/gsctx-flickr to view more photos)!
The 2016 Bryan/College Station event will take place on
September 1 and will honor Sheree Boergner, Margaret Bryant,
Linda Gilbert, Jeannie McGuire, and Neutral Posture (Distinguished Workplace for Women). Event details and tickets can
be found at gsctx.ejoinme.org/BCS
Know a woman making a meaningful impact in her community? Nominate her to be honored as a 2017 Woman of
Distinction! Email Marianne DeLeon for more information:
marianned@gsctx.org
KILLEEN/TEMPLE/WACO (2016): Mary Kennedy Thompson, Hilary
Shine, Cultural Activities Center, Stephanie O’Banion, Mari Meyer,
Susan Kamas
STEPHENVILLE (2016): Dr. Joanna Shaw; Gold Girl Avery Misenhimer;
Julie Crouch; Boucher, Morgan & Young; Lisa Pack, Gold Girl Shelby
Sult, Sena Leese, Gold Girl Brittney Culhane, Alisa Terrell Starbird
DON’T FORGET!
Enter our
video contest
Tell us your GS Journey story on YouTube and you could
win big! Create a video explaining:
⇨
⇨
⇨
⇨
AUSTIN (2016): Christine Plonsky, Jan Ryan, Jane Sibley, Patti Smith,
Emily Moreland
why you chose the particular Journey
how you planned your Journey
what activities you did during your Journey
what you learned and how much fun you had
If your video is selected as a winning submission, you’ll
win a $100 gift certificate from the shop!
Upload your video and send a link to austinshop@gsctx.org!
Deadline is November 15.
18
TREFOIL TRIBUNE, ISSUE 3
BRYAN/COLLEGE STATION (2016): Sheree Boegner, Jeannie McGuire,
Margaret Bryant, Rebecca Boenigk, Jaye Congleton, Rachel Boenigk,
Linda Gilbert
DONOR IMPACT
Juliette’s Circle member ensures this generation
enjoys Brownies as much as she did
Having enjoyed her own childhood days in Girl Scouts, Lisa Ivie Miller now
supports the dreams of today’s girls.
Lisa Ivie Miller fondly remembers
learning to start a fire during a field
trip with her Brownie troop. Now,
as a member of Juliette’s Circle—
GSCTX’s flagship group of sustaining
supporters—Lisa works to keep
those pivotal experiences coming for
today’s Girl Scouts.
Lisa serves as Director of Government
Relations and Education at South
Texas Money Management (STMM)
and is a partner in the firm. A
native of Amarillo, she received her
bachelor’s degree from West Texas
A&M University and her master’s
degree from Sam Houston State
University. In 2004, Gov. Rick Perry
appointed her to serve as the state’s
7th Firefighters’ Pension Commissioner,
a position she held until joining
STMM in late 2010.
Before all this great success, Lisa
was a rough and tough Brownie Girl
Scout. As a child, she was interested
in motorcycles, skateboarding, and
outdoor adventures. Although her Girl
Scout experience was short-lived,
she fondly remembers learning how
to start that first fire on a field trip to
Palo Duro Canyon—and she still holds
her Brownie friends close.
In 2011, the Austin Business Journal
named Lisa one of the city’s “Women
of Influence.” She is a founding
board member of the Williams-Pyro
Firefighters’ Foundation, and currently
serves on the board for the First Tee
of Greater Austin.
Lisa’s dad was a strong role model
and told her she could be anything
she wanted to be. But, he would also
say, “That smile may get you in the
door, but you better know your stuff
once you get in!” This advice has
resonated with Lisa ever since.
Adopting this practicality from her
father, Lisa now notes that “Juliette’s
Circle is a smart way to raise money
because anyone at any income
level can have the opportunity to
participate. This type of giving also
allows for planning for the chapter
since they know the dollars that are
coming in from the Juliette’s Circle
members.”
This group was founded by two of our
incredible Women of Distinction who
wanted to create a community to
support Girl Scouts of Central Texas.
Juliette’s Circle members believe
in the power of girls to change the
world. Together, Juliette’s Circle members create a sustainable funding
stream for Girl Scout programming,
while having fun in the process.
Learn more about Juliette’s
Circle, including how to join, at
bit.ly/gsctx-juliette
Lisa Miller and GSCTX CEO Lynelle McKay (both at far right) meeting with Juliette’s
Circle members and Girl Scouts in June.
TREFOIL TRIBUNE | ISSUE 3
19
2016 Gold Girl Scouts
On June 11, fifty-two Girl Scouts from across Central Texas, all of
whom bettered their communities through their Gold Award
projects, earned the highest honor in Girl Scouting. We are so
proud of these stellar new additions to the
ranks of Gold Girl Scouts.
Photos from the ceremony at the Headliners Club in
Austin are shown below. For more photos, visit our
Flickr page: bit.ly/gsctx-ga16
GO FOR THE GOLD
Gold Girl Scouts are the very best of the
Girl Scout best! They’re in a league of
their own, and you can join them. Imagine
how great that will look on a college
or job application. You’re a Girl Scout,
so you’ve already got what it takes to
investigate issues in the world around
you and find real, sustainable solutions.
The courage, confidence, and character
of Gold Girl Scouts stands the test of time.
This year, we’re celebrating an astounding
100 years of the Gold Award Program!
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TREFOIL TRIBUNE, ISSUE 3
WAY TO GO, GIRL SCOUT!
After earning the GSCTX Constitution Patch, Campbell
C. was so inspired that she wrote and submitted a sonnet
about the founding of our nation and the Constitution in
the National Constituting America Contest and won!
A Constitutional Sonnet
BY CAMPBELL C. (JUNIOR)
The Founding Fathers of our country made
A strong foundation for the new joined states
And made quite sure their laws would be obeyed
By having long, intense, and firm debates.
The branches of our government protect
The people’s rights by spreading power out.
Each branch does have its powers checked.
Not one becomes too strong, no doubt.
When President, the Congress, or the Court
Takes over too much power here, so then
Those efforts each will do their best to thwart,
So said those early signing Founding Men.
Our Founders checked and balanced to make sure
That all our basic rights will long endure.
Plan ahead for
back-to-troop time!
Swing by the shop this summer and
pick up your Girl Scout Starter Kit! It’s got
everything you need to kick off another
year of Girl Scout adventures including:
⇨
⇨
⇨
⇨
⇨
a uniform piece (sash, vest, or tunic);
an American Flag patch;
an official Girl Scout membership pin;
a WAGGGS official pin;
and an insignia tab
PLUS if you purchase all the above items,
you get to snag a FREE Girl Scout canvas
drawstring bag, a $14 value—choose from
a variety of colors.
There’s so much
more to explore
at GSCTX!
Whether you want to explore the Great Outdoors or uncover what makes you the oneof-a-kind rock star you are, GSCTX has all
kinds of fun, unique patches you can earn.
Outdoor
Progression Patch
Free Being Me
There’s no one in the world like you,
and that’s what makes you shine!
Explore your passions, build your
confidence, and become the very
best version of yourself in this patch
program grant-funded by Dove.
Go from a Level 1 Fire Starter to
a Level 7 Master of the Outdoors
while learning how to predict the
weather, taking a hike underneath
the Texas night sky, learn to make
dinner outdoors, and become a
Mother Nature Expert.
Wells Fargo
Financial Literacy Patch
GSCTX and Wells Fargo have teamed
up to give you the skills you need to
be a money maven and manage your
moolah! Go behind-the-scenes at a
Wells Fargo branch and learn how
banks work, how to build a budget
that will help finance all your dreams,
and so much more!
TREFOIL TRIBUNE | ISSUE 3
21
FROM DAISIES TO AMBASSADORS
These troops’ roots run deep
This is a story of transformation. The journey started when a group of girls with different
interests formed a troop and grew from children to adults—from Daisies to Ambassadors.
The girls of Troop 2198—Sarah,
Samantha, Katelyn, Natalie, and
Emily—each joined Girl Scouts
at about five years old. For the
then-kindergarteners, the prospect of
running around in circles, learning new
dance moves, and creating magical
masterpieces out of cotton balls and
glitter made Girl Scouts an easy “yes!”
These high-energy Daisies slowly
learned that Girl Scouts was much
more than they had originally
envisioned. They began to see the
importance of being friendly and
helpful toward one another. Little
did they know, they were planting
seeds that would flourish into deep
roots—roots that with time would
keep them grounded to Girl Scouts,
and to one another.
Like most troops, they took part in
Girl Scouts’ time-honored traditions,
such as camp and cookie sales. They
began to look up to older girls in awe.
And as they bridged up through the
Girl Scout levels, their experiences
and vests changed.
“We had always been the younger
scouts looking up to that one
Ambassador who had her vest decorated. We were all, like, wow you’re
really cool, I want to be like you,” said
Katelyn. “So now that we’ve switched
roles it’s, like, whoa! You have to take
a step back and take it all in.”
With all these changes came
difficulties. High school shook their
roots. Samantha joined the swim
team, while Sarah aspired to be a
culinary chef. As the girls’ priorities
shifted, their interest in Girl Scouts
wavered. “Older girls drop out of Girl
Scouts because it starts to take a
back burner to their school lives,”
said Tina, troop advisor.
But friendship had created a bond
amongst Troop 2198 that wasn’t
easily loosened. “The close bonds
that we formed in our troop helped
a lot. If we are struggling in anything
we can turn to the girls in our troop
to help us.” says Samantha.
Still, says Julie, one of their troop
advisors, it was a challenge to keep
the girls’ interest in Girl Scouts alive.
“These girls don’t all have the same
interests but they’ve learned how
to ... work as a group to accomplish
something, and they’ve been doing
this year after year,” she says.
Maintaining connections to younger
Girl Scouts helped the girls remember
their roots. They organized events
such as Frozen-themed parties, in
which they’d dress up like princesses,
and encouraged younger girls to join
them for fun activities. “We as leaders
want to give girls opportunities to
see the world, to challenge them, and
to help them grow.” says Natalie.
The girls of Troop 2198 understood
that being a Girl Scout was more
than camp, more than cookies; it
was about the special bond they had
formed with one another and with
the organization. These recent high
school graduates are thankful for the
opportunities Girl Scouts has given
them—and for the chance to encourage younger girls to stick around.
View more photos of Troop 2198 on
our Flickr page: bit.ly/troop2198
below left: The girls as Daisies at Camp Texlake (l to r):
Katy S., Allison U., Alexis A., Samantha J., Sarah F.
below right (l to r): Sarah F., Katelyn S.,
Emily H., Samantha J., Natalie B.
not pictured: Lauren H.,
Lizzy L., Parker S.
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TREFOIL TRIBUNE, ISSUE 3
HELP MAKE GIRL SCOUTS MORE ACCESSIBLE
Girl Scouts For All
officially launching in autumn
Girl Scouts For All (GSFA) is a
committee dedicated to providing
support, resources, and advocacy
for girls with differing abilities,
their troop leaders, and families. No
matter what challenges a girl may
face, she is welcome to join the Girl
Scout Sisterhood. GSFA provides
both specialized troops for girls
with differing abilities and resources
for leaders so they can properly
welcome these girls into their troops.
STEPHENVILLE GOLD
TROOP 4136
Troop 4136 was originally formed in 2003
under Girl Scout Heart of Texas as a Daisy
troop. All five girls have earned Bronze
and Silver Awards; three (Avery, Shelby,
and Brittney) have earned Gold Awards,
and Kelsey is working toward her Gold.
Shelby and Avery are two of the founding
members who continued with the troop
all the way through their senior year in
high school. In addition to Girl Scouting,
the girls are dancers, singers, musicians,
actors, and rodeo queens!
top photo (l to r): Avery M., Shelby S.
Kelsey S., Brittney C., Elizabeth A.
bottom photo: Kelsey, Avery, Shelby, and
Brittney at the Gold Award Ceremony in
June. (Kelsey earned a scholarship.)
We’re hard at work planning awesome
events and activities for the fall. Take
a look below at just a few of things
we have in store!
LAUNCH PARTY
October 1, Kodosky Center, 3–5 pm.
Come roast s’mores and learn all
about the exciting possibilities of
GSFA!
GIRL SCOUTS FOR ALL
APPRECIATION PATCH SERIES
Available starting September 2016.
KINESTHETIC JOURNEY
REWRITES
Coming Fall 2016: Journeys rewrites
for girls who may have learning
disabilities or who struggle working
through the current Journeys format.
Troop 1573
with Volunteer
Support Services
Manager Jaclyn
Sharp and selling
cookies at Austin
Community College
SPECIALIZED TROOPS
(*indicates Troop is being formed)
⇨
⇨
⇨
Troop 1573, Texas School for
the Blind and Visually Impaired
(pictured below)
Troop 97, Texas School for the
Deaf*
Troop 972, Dell Children’s Medical
Center*
RALLYHOOD WEB PAGE
The GSFA page on Rallyhood
includes online resources and
a forum where you can connect
with other volunteers and families
experiencing similar challenges.
GIRL SCOUT GAME CHANGERS—
WE NEED YOU!
We have a lot of exciting goals and
could use your help getting there!
Do you have a girl who would like to
make a video or written resource
on helping or welcoming those with
differing abilities into Girl Scouting?
Do you have a troop who would like
to do a community service project by
making kits of badge work, arts and
crafts projects, or other fun activities
for our specialized troops? Join us!
Email gsfa@gsctx.org for more
information on the different ways
you can contribute.
MARINERS
Girl Scouts set sail on an aquatic
adventure with the Mariners at Camp
Kachina! With the sun on their face and
the wind in their hair, Girl Scouts learned
to sail their own boats, navigate the
waters of Lake Belton, all while practicing
teamwork and building friendships!
MARIE Y. SILVER AWARD
Cadette Girl Scout Marie Y. earned her
Silver Award by creating a Junior Ranger
Program for Waco Mammoth National
Monument, which is now being picked
up by other national parks across the
country. Because of her remarkable
effort, she earned the chance to fly
to Washington D.C. to meet the U.S.
Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell
and was pinned by the Director of the
National Park Service, Jonathan Jarvis!
Congrats, Marie!
CAST IRON COOK OFF
Victory has never been so sweet!
Twenty-eight girls and six teams went
head-to-head at Camp Happy Hollow in
Brenham in this year’s Cast Iron Cook
Off. The challenge: create a main dish
and dessert using two secret ingredients,
marshmallows for the entrée and lemons
for the dessert. Troop 1347 from the Oak
Hill Service Unit wowed judges with their
marshmallow-stuffed crust pizza while
Troop 1746 (also from Oak Hill) were
impressive at second place with their
beef stew and apple/lemon cobbler!
24
TREFOIL TRIBUNE, ISSUE 3
ter?
Love the wind and the wa
Mariners is for you!
Contact Karen Stewart at
o.com
asailingwewillgo@yaho
ilable
GSCTX patch and pin ava
ct
nta
Co
p.
at the Austin sho
org
tx.
gsc
austinshop@
BRIDGING CEREMONY
Talk about a step in the right direction!
Congratulations to Ambassador Troop
9553! They (literally) bridged to Adult Girl
Scouts at Newman’s Castle in Belville, TX.
We can’t wait to see what amazing things
they accomplish with all their Girl Scout
experience and knowledge!
STEMFEST
HACKATHON
More than 150 girls unpacked their
sleeping bags and their imaginations at
GSCTX’s first annual Hackathon! Held at
Austin Community College’s state-of-theart ACCelerator lab, girls had the chance
to work with STEM professionals to code
their own online worlds, design apps,
de-bug online programs, and so much
more!
Geology, gardening, water quality
research, culinary arts, computer design,
you name it, this year’s Waco STEMfest
had it! Nearly 80 girls and close to 100
rockstar volunteers came out to Texas
State Technical College to experience all
the magic and wonder of STEM! Girls had
the chance to learn, complete mini-experiments, participate in workshops,
and hang out with college students who
taught them more about all the career
possibilities STEM offers.
TREFOIL TRIBUNE | ISSUE 3
25
EVENT CALENDAR
SEPTEMBER
4
American Red Cross
Babysitting Training
American Red Cross Facility, Austin
Ready to launch your own Babysitting
business? Learn the important
safety techniques of caring for
toddlers and infants and how to
think quickly in an emergency while
earning your American Red Cross
and Cadette Babysitting Badge!
17
Textile Artist Badge Workshop
Turn your creativity into a quilt! Earn
your Textile Artist Badge at the Austin
Area Quilt Guild! Get your very own kit,
batting, needle, thread, and a set of
instructions—and get to work crafting
two 9-patch blocks! Keep one and
donate the other to the charity of
your choice!
OCTOBER
Aggie Women’s Sports Day (TBD)
Grab your goggles, hold your nose
and dive in! Check out where the
award-winning water Aggies practice,
meet the team and stick around to
cheer on your new friends as they
hit the pool and compete in a fierce
swim meet!
22
Superhero or Supervillain
Throw on a cape and save the day or
have fun making mischief; the choice
is yours! Head to Camp Howdy to be a
superhero or supervillain for the day!
29
Franklin Safari (TBD)
Girl Scout Olympics
Join us on an animal adventure at the
Franklin Drive-Thru Safari! Learn to
feed and take care of the animals
all while earning your animal badge!
Want to hang the whole day? Be sure
to pack a lunch (and make sure the
lemurs don’t get it!).
Show off your GS knowledge in the
Girl Scout History category, find your
spark in the fire-building challenge,
leave your competitors all tied up in
the knot-tying competition! Join a
team or go for it solo during a day of
Olympic-sized fun!
26
TREFOIL TRIBUNE, ISSUE 3
NOVEMBER
5
Brunch with Barbie
For Daisies and Brownies
Killeen Service Center
Doctor, ballerina, photographer,
scientist—the possibilities are limitless!
Grab your Barbie and join us for
brunch where girls learn about all the
different careers and ways they
can change the world when they
grow up through Barbie’s I Can Be
Anything program!
6
Girl Power Bullying Prevention
and Everyday Safety
Sun Dragon Martial Arts
and Self-Defense, Austin
Play hard, have fun, and be safe!
Learn how to deal with bullies, get
help from safe adults, and get out of
dangerous situations from women
instructors who specialize in teaching
girls! Plus, earn a fun patch!
DECEMBER
4
Food Adventures!
Foodie Kids Culinary Center, Austin
Learn to whip up tasty meals that are
tasty and good for your health! Pick
up new recipes to share with your
friends and family and earn your
Eating For Beauty Badge!
SEE AN EVENT YOU
CAN’T WAIT TO ATTEND?
Want to check out all the
great events coming up?
Visit the GSCTX website,
www.gsctx.org, and click on eBiz!
Fall 2016
Baylor Women’s Sports Day (TBD)
Girls will have the chance to shake
hands with some of the best college
athletes in the country, boost
Baylor Bear pride in a spirit tunnel and
the nationally ranked Lady Bears
Basketball team step onto the court.
More details coming soon, so keep an
eye on our event calendar!
PROGRAMS ON DEMAND
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Let the
STEM fun
come to you!
Samsung
STEM Challenge
Did you know you can have fun,
interactive STEM programming
delivered to you? It’s true! It’s all
part of our Programs on Demand
initiative. Whether you’re looking
for a new way to shake up your
troop meetings, can’t make it to a
STEM event, or want to earn some
awesome badges, STEM Programs
on Demand are a fantastic way to
participate in programming that is
customized for your specific needs.
Schedule a program at a nearby
service center or even at your own
troop meeting location. We’re so
excited to share our STEM programs
with you, we’ll even throw in a free pizza for your troop to enjoy while they’re
learning about coding, science,
engineering, LEGO robotics, or any
one of the programs YOU choose.
Kick-off: October 1, 2016
Finale: October 29, 2016
REAL PROBLEMS.
REAL SOLUTIONS!
This is your chance to help the STEM
professionals at Samsung Austin
Semiconductor find an actual solution
to a real-life issue! You can form a
team with your troop, create a team
with other Girl Scouts, or tackle the
challenge on your own.
This year, we’re adding a new level of
excitement to the challenge as you’ll
only have four weeks instead of six to
master the challenge! Think you can
handle it? We know you can!
Join us for the finale to show off all
of your hard work, creative solutions
and innovative thinking. Plus, there’ll
be some pretty sweet gifts up for
grabs for the challenge winners! Stay
tuned for more details!
To schedule a program or ask questions, email programs@gsctx.org
TREFOIL TRIBUNE | ISSUE 3
27
NON PROFIT ORG
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 404
AUSTIN, TX
Girl Scouts of Central Texas
12012 Park Thirty-Five Circle
Austin, TX 78753
facebook.com/gsctx
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youtube.com/gsctx
Service Center Locations
Kodosky Headquarters (Austin)
12012 Park Thirty-Five Circle
Austin, TX 78753
Killeen Service Center
2909 Lake Road
Killeen, TX 76543
Bryan/College Station
909 Southwest Parkway East
College Station, TX 77840
San Angelo Service Center
304 West Ave A
San Angelo, TX 76903
Brownwood Service Center
901 Avenue B
Brownwood, TX 76801
Temple Service Center
2721 Exchange Place
Temple, TX 76504
Stephenville Service Center
401 Mistletoe Drive
Stephenville, TX 76401
Waco Service Center
3700 West Waco Drive
Waco, TX 76710
Service Center Hours
Monday–Thursday 8:30 am–6 pm
Friday 8:30 am–3 pm
Stephenville Service Center is only open
Thursdays 10 am–2 pm.
Check our website for shop hours.
The Austin shop is closed on Mondays in July.
In case of inclement weather, service centers follow the
school closings for the area in which they are located.
Dressing up as Juliette Gordon Low
Mylee (above), Katie (bottom left),
Joanna, Sarah, & Marie (bottom right).