Nina de Burgh and Girl Scouts of the USA CEO Anna Maria Chávez with “Juliette, Lady of Compassion”

April 2014

Sculpture honors Juliette's legacy
During a recent gathering at the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace in Savannah, GA, I was honored to witness the unveiling of a beautiful sculpture of Juliette herself, our organization’s founder. What a wonderful way to celebrate Girl Scouts’ 102nd anniversary!

Juliette’s great-great-niece, Nina de Burgh of Rancho Santa Fe, lovingly created the statue (see photos) in honor of her late father, Dick Platt. The masterpiece captures the essence of Girl Scouting’s legendary leader, right down to her affection for animals. Remarkably, this was just the second time Nina worked in this particular medium. She inherits her artistic flair from Juliette, a gifted sculptor and painter who also sketched, wrote poetry and dabbled in theater. Her hobbies also included athletics and exploring nature.

Over the years, Nina’s statue will remind the millions of visitors to Juliette’s birthplace how her passion for life lives on through Girl Scouting.

Jo Dee C. Jacob
Chief Executive Officer

Girl Scouts power science fest
Seventeen-year-old Meera of Senior Troop 8343 led water filtering experiments during Save the Planet, a workshop we hosted as part of the San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering. She and other teen Girl Scouts taught young eco-heroes-in-training how to love the Earth (view album). Sessions included composting, fossil “excavations,” water obstacle courses, aqueduct building, balloon rockets, wind experiments and pledges to “go green.” Plus, CAL FIRE crew hosted a fire science rotation, where kids examined emergency equipment, explored a fire truck and tried on (surprisingly heavy!) gear.

Older girls can be ... whatever they want!
Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors will help preserve local marshes during Imagine Yourself as a Wilderness Ecologist on Saturday, June 7, 9 a.m.-noon. The career exploration event features three sessions on field biology, marine biology and ornithology. Later this year, they can gain skills and experience in the fields of business, style and technology at You Can Be … a Personal Shopper, Imagine Yourself as a Fashion Designer, Technology Goddesses and summer camp.

Introducing the Cool Women Class of 2014
Join us for our Tuesday, May 13 luncheon saluting San Diego’s 10 Cool Women of 2014: Melissa d’Arabian (celebrity chef and author); Ann Durst, SHCJ, J.D. (Casa Cornelia Law Center founder); Zoe Ghahremani, D.D.S. (writer and artist); Madga Marquet, Ph.D. (Althea Technologies founder and co-chairman); Presiding Justice Judith McConnell, 4th District Court of Appeal; Pamela Mudd (Musicmatch co-founder and community volunteer); June Shillman (San Diego-Yantai Friendship Society president); Nancy A. Spector, Esq. (community volunteer); Chantal Sutherland (jockey); and Deborah Szekely (spa business pioneer/community activist). Carnegie Hall pianist Ursula Hardianto is this year’s Cool Girl.

Countdown to OTM Sendoff — Saturday, May 3
Meet Star 94.1’s Delana when she emcees our 13th annual Operation Thin Mint_® (OTM) Sendoff Celebration. We’ll also celebrate a decade of sendoffs aboard the USS Midway Museum (program runs from 9-10 a.m.). Delana, a Girl Scout alum, takes center stage along with military, top cookie sellers and other VIPs. They’ll join 2,000-plus attendees for an exciting morning featuring skydivers, helicopters, live music, photo opps, and family activities — including writing OTM thank you cards, touring the museum and participating in a food drive. Sponsors include Cox Communications and the Midway Museum. For event sponsorship or volunteer information, visit our website.

Sixth grade campers enjoy Girl Scout venue
In a fitting tribute to the famous naturalist himself, 32 boys and girls from John Muir K-12 Magnet School spent three days at our Balboa property relishing a memorable outdoor experience. Designed by their teachers and parents with help from Girl Scout staff, it filled a void left by the now-closed 6th grade camp at Palomar Mountain. The students (including members of Girl Scout Troops 3904 and 3421) hiked, created eco art, scaled our climbing tower, visited the zoo, stargazed, made s’mores around the campfire … and cared for our beautiful campus by spreading mulch and pulling weeds.

Daisies and Juniors spring into STEM adventures
Ashley of Daisy Troop 2062 met puppies, hens, rabbits, ponies and other farmyard friends at the Helen Woodward Animal Center (see photos) during our Animals of Spring program. She and other elementary school Girl Scouts learned about animals’ needs, compared chicken and ostrich eggs, and planted seedlings to take home. Upcoming STEM sessions for younger Girl Scouts include Technology Goddesses, Butter Up! (food science), Lab Coats (chemistry) and camp. Find details for workshops here.

Applauding our volunteers
Show an attitude of gratitude … all week long!
Volunteer Appreciation Week (April 6-12) lays the groundwork for National Girl Scout Leaders Day (Monday, April 22). Help us thank the dedicated troop leaders and other adults who mentor our 30,000 local Girl Scouts. Honor volunteers with personalized thank you cards, crafts, treats, gifts from our retail stores, SHARE donations in their names and awards (see below), or other creative ways to express your gratitude.

Salute Girl Scout champions: VCC nominations due
Remarkable individuals bring the Girl Scout mission to life. Nominate them (by Tuesday, April 30) to receive adult recognitions at the Volunteer Conference and Celebration on Saturday, Aug. 3. Find details and fillable forms online; for more information, contact Dayana Silva-James, (619) 610-0771.

Sneak peek at camp
San Diego 6’s Kimi Evans — a former Girl Scout — previewed our camps during a special “first day of spring” live broadcast at Mission Hills Nursery. Girl Scouts helped her hunt for soil-enriching slugs and roli polies, taught her a few Irish dance steps and introduced her to critters from the Living Coast Discovery Center. Kimi invited viewers to sign girls up for our 159 spring and summer camp sessions, noting that every girl in grades K-12 is welcome, whether she’s a current or future Girl Scout.

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About Girl Scouts
Founded in 1912, Girl Scouting provides the nation’s best leadership experience for girls. Through Girl Scouts, girls discover themselves, connect with others, and take action to make the world a better place.

Girl Scouts San Diego provides activities for 43,000 local girl and adult members, trains volunteers, and maintains two camps and four program and service facilities.