Mad Hatters (left to right): Karen Benito, Barbara Kramer, Denise Scott, Nadine Daleo, Paul Nestor, co-chairs Patti Roscoe and Jim Tiffany, Sandy Brue, Patsy Worley, Marlene Williams, and Tom and Tange Gavin are among Urban Campout committee members who will transform our Balboa Campus into a whimsical wonderland on Sept. 12

July 2014

Raising our tea cups to Girl Scouting

The White Rabbit’s pocket watch is ticking away as Urban Campout: Adventures in Wonderland approaches. Set for Friday, Sept. 12, our annual fun fundraiser for grownups keeps Girl Scouting available and affordable for 30,000 girls. Come out to dine, play, dance … and raise your paddles for a great cause!

As any STEM-loving Girl Scout knows, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Case in point: For every Urban Campout ticket or auction item purchased, there’s a Girl Scout who will benefit from life-changing experiences.

In addition to science and technology programs, donor support funds other enriching opportunities, from camp and wilderness hiking to journeying across the globe. Teen Girl Scouts Maddy and Rebecca, for instance, just returned from helping protect endangered sea turtles in Panama. Cristina traveled to the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts Sangam World Centre in India, where she rode an elephant and learned about local foods, fabrics and customs. (See photos.)

Help us continue to do great things for our young leaders. Buy your Urban Campout tickets by Friday, Aug. 8 to get the early bird discount.

See you there!

Jo Dee C. Jacob
Chief Executive Officer

Free estate planning workshops
Join us for a free educational series, Estate Planning 101, which we are co-sponsoring with other community organizations. The four-day classes are designed to help individuals create estate plans and work effectively with health and legal professionals. Other topics include powers of attorney, conservatorships, advance health care directives, charitable giving and serving as a trustee. The next sessions take place on Aug. 19, 21, 26 and 28, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m., at California State University San Marcos. Register at EstatePlanning101.org; for details, contact Merle Brodie, (619) 610-0804.

Hats off to Lori Walton
Congratulations to Lori M. Walton! A Girl Scouts San Diego board member and 2011 Cool Woman, Lori was recently announced as Outstanding Development/Fundraising Volunteer by the local chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP-San Diego). This prestigious award recognizes Lori’s lasting contributions to Girl Scouts San Diego and the many other organizations she serves. The Girl Scout community will salute Lori and other honorees on Tuesday, Oct. 28, at AFP-San Diego’s National Philanthropy Day luncheon. 

Summer: So little time, so much to do!
Day camp moments
In July, our day campers played electric guitars, painted real ponies, toasted s’mores in foil-and-cardboard solar ovens, hit the bullseye with archery champ Fran Styles, and learned firsthand how sight-impaired people grocery shop. The list goes on! Thespians-in-training wowed the audience with their Lion King performance, Sophia inflated a balloon using a classic chemical reaction, Arabela sculpted a snail garden, and identical twins Rachel and Haley celebrated their 11th birthday with campmates. View our albums.

Meanwhile, up at resident camp …  
Cue music: The hills near Julian were alive with the sounds of happy campers — from the clip-clop of horse hooves and splashing of sun-soaked swimmers to the echo of voices raised in song. New pals giggled all week long. Adventurous overnight campers high-fived after conquering the high ropes course. And camp staff reported hearing lots of late-night whispering by girls recounting their adventures. Check out the pictures!

Future scientists at play
From fossils to robots, oceanography to solar energy, girls had plenty to keep their minds and hands occupied at our Outreach Discovery STEM camp. Part of our Girl Scout Outreach program — presented with help from community partners such as UCSD School of Medicine — the week-long event serves students from elementary schools located in City Heights and surrounding areas. Participants like Julissa (pictured) peered at onion skin through microscopes … explored the Natural History Museum … learned about physics from Mad Scientists … and, with SPAWAR women volunteers, launched rockets and built bridges and towers engineered to withstand earthquakes. See photo album.

Julissa’s reaction to using a microscope? “You see a whole new world that I never knew about, full of germs and things!”

More STEM fun: Can you say pa'le·o·cli'ma·tol'o·gist?
During a recent Girl Scout workshop, Los Coches Creek Middle School teacher Peggy McNeal led experiments and activities about paleoclimatology (see album). On Sunday, Aug. 10, the girls (and the public) can reconnect via Skype (time TBA) with Peggy, now in Norway researching how glaciers affect the planet. Other upcoming STEM opportunities include Design Time, where Juniors and Cadettes will become toy designers; marketing specialists; and packaging, mechanical and chemical engineers. Volunteers can also develop their own Design Time and Engineers to the Rescue activities with our online planners and “program in a box” materials. For details, contact Steph Dawes, (619) 610-0792.

Makena and Emily test “blubber gloves” in ice water.

Girl Scouts meet the Freedom Dogs
Nearly 200 Girl Scouts interacted with service dogs and their trainers and learned about animal care at a recent bring-a-buddy workshop at our Balboa Campus. The hosts, Troops 6059 and 6057, donated $500 of their Girl Scout cookie proceeds to Freedom Dogs, a local nonprofit that assists wounded warriors. Doing hands-on rotations led by community partners and volunteers, Daisies, Brownies, Juniors and Cadettes earned badges while learning how labrador retrievers help veterans cope. Participants also collected and created supplies for Freedom Dogs. (See pictures and News8 segment.) To learn how you can help put on a Girl Scout recruitment event, contact our membership staff.

Volunteer Conference and Celebration
Back by popular demand, Voices of Women founder Jenni Prisk emcees our Volunteer Celebration on Saturday, Aug. 16. She’ll team up with our keynote speaker, Cindy Marten, at the podium to help us spotlight the standout individuals and organizations that make Girl Scouting possible! Cindy — a Gold Awardee and 2013 Cool Woman — will discuss how Girl Scouting built the leadership skills she uses daily as San Diego Unified School District’s superintendent. Register by Sunday, Aug. 10 for the 5 p.m. celebration and/or day-long conference that precedes it. Don’t miss out!

Back to Girl Scouting season!
Calling all volunteers! As girls get ready to head back to school, we’re seeking adults to make Girl Scouting experiences happen. Please help us get the word out to your friends, colleagues and family members that they can change girls’ lives! Leading a troop is just one way to serve. Architect dads or aerospace engineer moms could produce one-day career workshops, while recent college grads might lead anti-bullying or sustainable gardening programs at schools, and retirees can share their financial literacy know-how. Flexible scheduling available; opportunities abound. For questions, contact Diana Alva, (619) 610-0702.

Everyone welcome at the GSUSA convention
Journey to spectacular Salt Lake City on Oct. 16-19 for Girl Scouts of the USA’s 53rd annual convention. You don’t have to be an official delegate to attend the triennial gathering; everyone’s welcome. This could be your year to reunite with Girl Scout friends, deepen and share your knowledge of our organization, and help invigorate a global movement of girls, women and men around the theme “Discover, Connect, Take Action: Girls Change the World.” Find details and register here.

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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.