Help Local Girl Scouts Help Others in the Community

In the summer of 2012, Sergeant Michael McConnel, stationed in Sinai, Egypt, opened the four packages he received from his aunt in Ontario, Oregon.

“As soon as everyone saw them they were drawn to them like flies to honey,” Sgt McConnel wrote in a thank you note to the Ontario Girl Scout troop who sent several boxes of Thin Mints, Samoas and Tagalongs to the Multinational Force and Observers, an independent international peacekeeping organization.

The cookies were donated through the Gift of Caring program, in which troops can donate cookies to nonprofit groups or other humanitarian causes. It’s one of many community service projects that helps build girls of courage, confident and character – the mission of Girl Scouts.

Girl Scouts of Silver Sage is able to provide such opportunities to girls in improving the well-being of our communities and country through generous contributions from individuals like you.

With the holiday season already in full swing, many of us choose this time of year to donate to local charities and organizations. A financial donation to Girl Scouts of Silver Sage ensures all our girls, regardless of financial situation, can experience all that Girl Scouting has to offer.

Top Five Ways Your Gift Will Benefit Our Girls:

1. Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE) – In this over-arching program, girls build self-esteem, confidence, independence and life-long leadership skills.

2. Camperships – Every girl deserves the opportunity to experience Girl Scout Camp. Camp sponsorships remove financial barriers so all interested girls can attend one of many camp sessions each summer.

3. Visions – This in-school program for 4th-6th grade girls centers on age-appropriate topics such as Self Identity, Family & Community, Bullying, Body Image and Healthy Relationships.

4. STEM – The STEM program encourages girls interested in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math to explore these fields.

5. Travel – Girls have opportunities to travel across the country with their troops and independently around the world through the destinations program.

Girl Scouts of Silver Sage offers many opportunities for girls to become strong, capable and independent women. To donate to these programs and learn more about them, please visit our website at girlscouts-ssc.org. Click the Donate! button at the top of the page to make your tax-deductible contribution.

Selina Carver,
Director of Development
Girl Scouts of Silver Sage

Reflections of a Troop Leader

Excerpt from November 2011 issue
Treasure Valley Family Magazine
Publisher’s Thoughts, “The ‘Out’ in Scout”

I’ve been fortunate to have the time (and at one time, the energy!) to be involved with the many activities our daughter was engaged in throughout her life: sports, music, book clubs, and dance, just to name a few. But the one activity that has left the fondest memories for me was being the leader of Brownie Troop 54. When I look through our scrapbook and photos, I reflect back on all the fun things we did in our community and the friendships that we made.

Kathryn Buckingham

We marched in the Veterans Day parade and donated our time to help local groups, the Christmas Shoebox, and Heifer International. We attended performances, participated in a national postcard exchange with other Scouts, studied careers, went rock climbing, hiked and camped. We sold Girl Scout cookies every winter to help the girls learn about money management and fund our troop’s field events, crafts, crafts, and projects. Our vests and sashes were adorned with a variety of badges, pins, and honors.

Fortunately I’m still connected to many of the girls, adult leaders, and friends that I made along the way. It warms my heart occasionally hear a girl say to me, “Remember when we…?”

Liz Buckingham and Kathryn,
celebrating her 18th birthday in
Germany, June 2012

After I was a leader, I volunteered for the Visions© program offered then through the Girl Scouts. Its focus was self-esteem, respect, breaking through barriers and clichés, and preparing for the middle school years. You never know the impact you might have as a volunteer, but I hope, for this different group of girls, that it was a positive experience and offered some help for personal development.

Liz Buckingham, Publisher
www.treasurevalleyfamily.com

Top 10 Holiday Picks from the Girl Scout Store

by Uschi De Rose, Store Manager

Now is the time to stock up for the holidays with gifts for your troop or girl scout, so stop in to shop at the Girl Scouts of Silver Sage Council Store or visit us on the website at www.girlscouts-ssc.org.

If you shop between December 3 and December 17, you will receive a free Girl Scout water bottle with any purchase totaling $40 or more (in stock items only, excludes sale merchandise).

Our Top 10 Holiday Picks are:

1. Reversible Laptop Case $32.00

2. Quilted bag $20.00

3. Pewter Heart Girl Scout Ornament $16.50

4. Webkinz Stuffed Animal $6.00

5. Holiday Snowman Pin $1.25

6. Year of the Girl Glass Ornament $20.00

7. Holiday Patches (variety) $1.00

8. I Love Girl Scouts Lanyard $4.00

9. Giraffe Design Journal $6.00

10. LED Carabiner $2.50

Best wishes for a safe and joyful holiday season, and happy shopping!


Also, be sure to check out this playful store promotion video produced by cadettes in Troop #44. These girls earned digital movie maker badges for their production, posted to the Girl Scouts of Silver Sage You Tube Channel.

The Five Best Things About Being a Camp Counselor

My summer as a camp counselor was one of the most memorable, meaningful and worthwhile summers of my life. But it was not always easy. I had bad days, I got overwhelmed, I laughed, I cried, I laughed until I cried, and sometimes things didn’t go as planned. But despite it all, being a counselor is one of the best ways to spend a summer.

Here are the five best things about being a camp counselor (in no particular order):

The Kids
Children are some of the funniest, quirkiest, and best people to be around. I think it’s safe to say that I learned just as much, if not more, from the kids as the kids learned from me. It’s incredible to see the potential and ability of each child and working with them is electrifying. Campers will challenge your creativity, keep you on your toes, crack you up, and surprise you every day.

The Camp Experience
Who wouldn’t want to spend the summer horseback riding, kayaking, performing skits, swimming, canoeing, singing, painting, weaving, crafting, and just acting silly all day every day? The beauty of being a camp counselor is that you get to go to camp too. It is thrilling to be able to spend every day outside, being active, and having fun.

The Lovely People
Camp introduced me to some seriously wonderful individuals and lifelong friends. After months of being around the same people everyday, we bonded quickly and really got to appreciate each other’s differences and quirks. It’s both beautiful and strange how close we became by the end of the summer and how close we all remain even after camp. (p.s. I miss my camp family!)

The Gratification
Camp counselors can make a huge difference in a child’s life. It is incredibly rewarding to be able to help make a child’s summer memorable. You will also see first hand how much these kids grow and learn over the week. You watch them conquer their fears, come out of their shells, explore their creativity, make friends, learn new skills and become stronger individuals. It is an amazing feeling to know that you played a part in that.

The Personal Growth
Camp is just as valuable for a counselor as it is for a camper. I’ve never worked as hard or as much as I did at camp and I've never grown so much over such a short period of time. I learned how to push my limits, communicate clearer, think on the spot, go with the flow and how to not let the little things get me down. I learned to take things as they come and everything will always work out.

Being a camp counselor is a fantastic experience. Sure, I had to clean up puke every once in a while or jump into a lake at seven in the morning and or work long, jam-packed days, but at the end of the summer, I feel like a better person for it.

-Iris, 2012 Silver Sage Girl Scouts Camp Counselor