by Monique Johns
I recently had the opportunity to attend the Tri-County United Fund’s Nonprofit Appreciation Open House at the Elks Lodge in Ontario. The Tri-County United Fund can best be described as a mini-United Way. They raise money to benefit nonprofits in Malheur, Washington, and Payette counties. We left Boise at 6 a.m., which meant I was up at 4:30 a.m. staring at a pile of clean clothes crunched together in a cramped laundry basket wondering, “Will anyone notice if I don’t iron my clothes?” That was one of those 4:30 a.m. thoughts…because quite frankly, I think people would be surprised if I actually ironed my clothes. We arrived in Ontario at about 7:30 a.m., set up our booth, and then waited for the throngs of people to pass by, eagerly hoping to learn more about our organization. We stood by waiting to pounce on potential volunteers (okay, okay – not really pounce, but definitely waiting to deliver our spiel). As it turned out, we had very few “off the street” visitors. But that didn’t squelch our plans to get the word out about Girl Scouts. We networked with other nonprofits who were in attendance, including the Boys and Girls Club of West Treasure Valley (is Ontario in the Treasure Valley?) and the Veterans Advocates of Ore-Ida. We talked about our need for volunteers and they talked about their need for resources. We talked through some collaboration scenarios (i.e., “The Girl Scouts do Gift of Caring already during the Cookie drive and the Veterans Advocates want Girl Scout cookies to send to soldiers…). We shook hands, munched on some sugary morning treats, and after a few hours, quietly packed up for the ride back home to Boise.
It’s easy for me, when I’m not out in the field recruiting folks into our programs, to think of the negative: how few people really know and understand Girl Scouts. It is a constant struggle, which many nonprofits share, to get the word out about our leadership and youth development services for girls. I don’t usually get to accompany our membership staff on recruitment events like this so it was really refreshing to see them “in action.” These types of events remind me how much people appreciate the Girl Scouts in the community. My week (including today) has been filled with constant deadlines, but this trip, like a few others I’ve taken into the community, remind me of our mission. The work I do benefits girls. The work that our volunteers do (and all the countless hours they contribute) benefits girls. Donors, other nonprofits, and leaders in our community all help the Girl Scouts to reach their mission – empowering one girl at a time on her journey of discovery.
On a final note, thanks to the Tri-County United Fund for allowing the Girl Scouts to be involved in their nonprofit appreciation event. We appreciate foundations like theirs, whose purpose is to better our community.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
National Immunization Awareness Month!
Did you know it is National Immunization Awareness Month? It is! Make sure your girls are up to date on their immunizations.
Check out this link to learn more. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/events/niam/
Check out this link to learn more. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/events/niam/
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Monique Visits Girl Scout Camp
The Girl Scouts of Silver Sage Council staff went on retreat for three days for training and some (much needed) R&R. We started with a training-intense filled day at Friendship Square (off Reserve Street in Boise) on Monday and then headed up to Camp Alice Pittenger in McCall on Tuesday and stayed overnight.
The camp experience really brought me back to the 9-year-old Monique who went away to Girl Scout camp in the California foothills many years ago. We sang songs, went swimming, ate s’mores, had incredibly outgoing and fun-loving camp staff, and connected with my peers for giggle-fits and scary trips to the biffy at night. We saw deer, ate huckleberries off the vine, and got bit by blood-thirsty mosquitoes. All-in-all, it was a great retreat. I could go on and on, but I do have to get some grant reports off to foundations who have provided us the opportunity to give low-income girls around the state much needed financial aid. We are grateful to the Whittenberger Foundation, Harry W. Morrison Foundation, CHC Foundation, Idaho Women’s Health and Fitness Education Celebration, and IdaCorps. I’m especially grateful that I have a few more hours to get all the grant documentation out to these generous funders.
I’ll be off for a week of (again, much needed) vacation next week, so no blog on Thursday. I’ll see you all later in August.
The camp experience really brought me back to the 9-year-old Monique who went away to Girl Scout camp in the California foothills many years ago. We sang songs, went swimming, ate s’mores, had incredibly outgoing and fun-loving camp staff, and connected with my peers for giggle-fits and scary trips to the biffy at night. We saw deer, ate huckleberries off the vine, and got bit by blood-thirsty mosquitoes. All-in-all, it was a great retreat. I could go on and on, but I do have to get some grant reports off to foundations who have provided us the opportunity to give low-income girls around the state much needed financial aid. We are grateful to the Whittenberger Foundation, Harry W. Morrison Foundation, CHC Foundation, Idaho Women’s Health and Fitness Education Celebration, and IdaCorps. I’m especially grateful that I have a few more hours to get all the grant documentation out to these generous funders.
I’ll be off for a week of (again, much needed) vacation next week, so no blog on Thursday. I’ll see you all later in August.
Destination Chaco Canyon: A Girl Scout Shares Her Journey
by Katie
Hushed voices speak
Spirits walk within the walls
Echoing footsteps
This is what I wrote after my first day at Chaco Canyon. When I walked up to Pueblo Bonito, I could almost hear the bustle and rush of the Chacoans some 1,000 years ago. Walking inside the rooms, I got an unearthly feeling of being watched, but I somehow knew that whoever was watching respected us in some way. In every poem, in every drawing, I tried to convey how beautiful and mysterious Chaco Canyon and its people are. The entire time at Chaco I felt as if I was in a dream, an adventure that you might see in a movie. The experiences were ones that you think might only happen to other people. But this dream was real, and the experiences happened to me. I connected with the girls there because we were all selected with several criteria in mind: a love for photography, history, archeology, and learning. It was not just the buildings and the people that I was inspired by and loved. The history was touching and the geography was beautiful. I almost lived the history in that week I was at Chaco. I could see the people, I could smell the food, and, most of all, I could imagine them as a society, a group of people that worked together, became a solidified community and then, started to collapse. When Dr. David Stuart of University of New Mexico came to talk, he discussed how the Chacoans’ issues were so like our issues of today. I thought that this was very interesting. When we got up early to go see the solstice at Casa Rincanada, the lighting was beautiful at Fajada Butte. Worn away by the elements, the walls of Chaco Canyon were rugged in some spots and slippery smooth in others. Ancient petroglyphs, carved into the smooth stone, told a story that no one knows how to read. And, together, we all captured our impressions in photographs that we shared on the website we all put together.
Because this was a Girl Scout Destination, I got to experience all this with other girls from all over the United States. It was amazing how quickly we all seemed to get to know each other. We laughed and sang silly songs together as we rode in the car and hiked through the canyon. We played cards together and exchanged SWAPS at camp. We talked about our families and friends and knew, all the while, that we were making new friends that would last a lifetime.
The places I went, the things I did, and people I met, I will never forget.
From the places I went, I take memories
From the things I did, I take experience
From the people I met, I take friendship
From the trip, I take courage character and confidence.
From Girl Scouts, I take all of these things
Click here to learn more about Destinations!
Hushed voices speak
Spirits walk within the walls
Echoing footsteps
This is what I wrote after my first day at Chaco Canyon. When I walked up to Pueblo Bonito, I could almost hear the bustle and rush of the Chacoans some 1,000 years ago. Walking inside the rooms, I got an unearthly feeling of being watched, but I somehow knew that whoever was watching respected us in some way. In every poem, in every drawing, I tried to convey how beautiful and mysterious Chaco Canyon and its people are. The entire time at Chaco I felt as if I was in a dream, an adventure that you might see in a movie. The experiences were ones that you think might only happen to other people. But this dream was real, and the experiences happened to me. I connected with the girls there because we were all selected with several criteria in mind: a love for photography, history, archeology, and learning. It was not just the buildings and the people that I was inspired by and loved. The history was touching and the geography was beautiful. I almost lived the history in that week I was at Chaco. I could see the people, I could smell the food, and, most of all, I could imagine them as a society, a group of people that worked together, became a solidified community and then, started to collapse. When Dr. David Stuart of University of New Mexico came to talk, he discussed how the Chacoans’ issues were so like our issues of today. I thought that this was very interesting. When we got up early to go see the solstice at Casa Rincanada, the lighting was beautiful at Fajada Butte. Worn away by the elements, the walls of Chaco Canyon were rugged in some spots and slippery smooth in others. Ancient petroglyphs, carved into the smooth stone, told a story that no one knows how to read. And, together, we all captured our impressions in photographs that we shared on the website we all put together.
Because this was a Girl Scout Destination, I got to experience all this with other girls from all over the United States. It was amazing how quickly we all seemed to get to know each other. We laughed and sang silly songs together as we rode in the car and hiked through the canyon. We played cards together and exchanged SWAPS at camp. We talked about our families and friends and knew, all the while, that we were making new friends that would last a lifetime.
The places I went, the things I did, and people I met, I will never forget.
From the places I went, I take memories
From the things I did, I take experience
From the people I met, I take friendship
From the trip, I take courage character and confidence.
From Girl Scouts, I take all of these things
Click here to learn more about Destinations!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
“off the Rez…” – Girl Scouts from Duck Valley Indian Reservation attend nationwide conference
by Monique Johns
A little more than a week ago, I had the good fortune to accompany a group of girls and adult leaders from the Duck Valley Indian Reservation to the 52nd Annual American Indian Scouting Association Conference in Pocatello, Idaho. This is a nationwide conference for Girl and Boy Scouts, and it was only the second time in their long history that the conference was held in Idaho.
I was fortunate to meet and get to know the leaders and girls who attended the five day conference. I was surprised (and slightly relieved) to find that the girls from Duck Valley were not unlike other girls I had worked with in the Treasure Valley. They laughed, talked about boys, told silly jokes, and hoped that their summer would never end. They drank “Monster” energy drinks and dressed in jeans, t-shirts and tennis shoes. They played basketball, wore make-up, and sometimes teased each other.
Adrianna, age 11, was one of the younger girls that attended the conference. Her playful demeanor, smile, and laugh made it very obvious that she is at that very precious time in her life when the world seems filled with butterflies and rainbows. But when she donned her “Miss Shoshone Paiute Princess 2009” pageant sash for the Conference powwow and began her fancy shawl dance, a routine steeped in American Indian tradition, Adrianna looked forward, smiled slightly, and remained focused on each movement. I was in awe of both her carefree nature and the homage she paid to her heritage through dance. She represented her tribe and the Girl Scouts beautifully.
I watched Adrianna affectionately hug her mom, the co-leader of the troop, chase after other girls at the conference during a friendly game of “tag,” and obediently follow after some of the older girls who appreciated having a dutiful follower. Like any other girl her age, Adrianna has many sides to her personality. And like any other girl her age, the world is her oyster.
Throughout the duration of the conference, I kept asking myself, “what impact can the Girl Scouts really, truly have on girls who live in such a remote location?” The answer, which I’ve known all along, is this: The only way we can make a difference is to make ourselves available to these girls and to provide support to the adult volunteers who lead them. Girls like Adrianna are the reason the Girl Scouts exist. We provide opportunities for girls to discover themselves and connect with other girls their age. This conference will remain with the girls for many years to come.
The regular membership year will begin in October, which is when the traditional troop program will begin for these participants. Although I was only able to interact with them for less than a week, I feel a very strong bond – the kind that is felt when you meet someone unforgettable. These girls and the adult leaders have slowly grown to trust us more over the last month. We are fortunate to have this trust, and we are going to do everything in our power to assure that we do not lose it.
Final Note
The Girl Scouts of Silver Sage Council is appreciative to the Whittenberger Foundation, the Idaho Community Foundation, the Harry W. Morrison Foundation, and the Brown Family Foundation for their contributions to help bring Girl Scout programs to the Duck Valley Indian Reservation.
A little more than a week ago, I had the good fortune to accompany a group of girls and adult leaders from the Duck Valley Indian Reservation to the 52nd Annual American Indian Scouting Association Conference in Pocatello, Idaho. This is a nationwide conference for Girl and Boy Scouts, and it was only the second time in their long history that the conference was held in Idaho.
I was fortunate to meet and get to know the leaders and girls who attended the five day conference. I was surprised (and slightly relieved) to find that the girls from Duck Valley were not unlike other girls I had worked with in the Treasure Valley. They laughed, talked about boys, told silly jokes, and hoped that their summer would never end. They drank “Monster” energy drinks and dressed in jeans, t-shirts and tennis shoes. They played basketball, wore make-up, and sometimes teased each other.
Adrianna, age 11, was one of the younger girls that attended the conference. Her playful demeanor, smile, and laugh made it very obvious that she is at that very precious time in her life when the world seems filled with butterflies and rainbows. But when she donned her “Miss Shoshone Paiute Princess 2009” pageant sash for the Conference powwow and began her fancy shawl dance, a routine steeped in American Indian tradition, Adrianna looked forward, smiled slightly, and remained focused on each movement. I was in awe of both her carefree nature and the homage she paid to her heritage through dance. She represented her tribe and the Girl Scouts beautifully.
I watched Adrianna affectionately hug her mom, the co-leader of the troop, chase after other girls at the conference during a friendly game of “tag,” and obediently follow after some of the older girls who appreciated having a dutiful follower. Like any other girl her age, Adrianna has many sides to her personality. And like any other girl her age, the world is her oyster.
Throughout the duration of the conference, I kept asking myself, “what impact can the Girl Scouts really, truly have on girls who live in such a remote location?” The answer, which I’ve known all along, is this: The only way we can make a difference is to make ourselves available to these girls and to provide support to the adult volunteers who lead them. Girls like Adrianna are the reason the Girl Scouts exist. We provide opportunities for girls to discover themselves and connect with other girls their age. This conference will remain with the girls for many years to come.
The regular membership year will begin in October, which is when the traditional troop program will begin for these participants. Although I was only able to interact with them for less than a week, I feel a very strong bond – the kind that is felt when you meet someone unforgettable. These girls and the adult leaders have slowly grown to trust us more over the last month. We are fortunate to have this trust, and we are going to do everything in our power to assure that we do not lose it.
Final Note
The Girl Scouts of Silver Sage Council is appreciative to the Whittenberger Foundation, the Idaho Community Foundation, the Harry W. Morrison Foundation, and the Brown Family Foundation for their contributions to help bring Girl Scout programs to the Duck Valley Indian Reservation.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Girl Scouts Participating in National Public Lands Day Encouraged to Monitor Water
First 100 to Register for NPLD and World Water Monitoring Day will Receive Free Test Kit
Hopefully we are all familiar with the saying, “Water is life.” While true, this phrase could be improved—“Clean water is life.” In the United States and throughout the developed world, people tend to take the availability of clean water for granted. We turn on a faucet and have water to drink, we dive into a lake and don’t get ill—for the most part. How is this possible?
Throughout the U.S., groups of volunteers dedicate their time to monitoring the quality of the nation’s waterways. If something doesn’t look quite right, they investigate and may eventually seek action from environmental agencies to identify and solve the problem. What are these water quality monitors looking for?
While conducting a river clean-up, or working in a park near a body of water for National Public Lands Day (NPLD), why not seize the opportunity to learn a little bit about water quality? It’s easy—simply register for World Water Monitoring Day as well, and order an easy-to-use water quality test kit. Monitor your waterway (along with tens of thousands of others around the globe) and then report your data. Information for how to do this can be found at www.WorldWaterMonitoringDay.org.
In order to encourage more NPLD groups to also take part in World Water Monitoring Day, the program is offering a FREE water test kit to the first 100 groups that register on the WWMD website and identify themselves as being associated with National Public Lands Day.
For more information about WWMD or the free test kit offer, please contact Lorien Walsh at lwalsh@wef.org.
Hopefully we are all familiar with the saying, “Water is life.” While true, this phrase could be improved—“Clean water is life.” In the United States and throughout the developed world, people tend to take the availability of clean water for granted. We turn on a faucet and have water to drink, we dive into a lake and don’t get ill—for the most part. How is this possible?
Throughout the U.S., groups of volunteers dedicate their time to monitoring the quality of the nation’s waterways. If something doesn’t look quite right, they investigate and may eventually seek action from environmental agencies to identify and solve the problem. What are these water quality monitors looking for?
While conducting a river clean-up, or working in a park near a body of water for National Public Lands Day (NPLD), why not seize the opportunity to learn a little bit about water quality? It’s easy—simply register for World Water Monitoring Day as well, and order an easy-to-use water quality test kit. Monitor your waterway (along with tens of thousands of others around the globe) and then report your data. Information for how to do this can be found at www.WorldWaterMonitoringDay.org.
In order to encourage more NPLD groups to also take part in World Water Monitoring Day, the program is offering a FREE water test kit to the first 100 groups that register on the WWMD website and identify themselves as being associated with National Public Lands Day.
For more information about WWMD or the free test kit offer, please contact Lorien Walsh at lwalsh@wef.org.
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