Wednesday, December 19, 2012

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

Monday, December 17, 2012

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