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Debbie Rider, Anna Marian Chavez, Rick Brooks

Debbie Rider (left) and Rick Brooks recently met with Girl Scouts of the USA CEO Anna Maria Chávez.

January 2015

New year, new journeys

Girl Scout drum roll, please: Let’s welcome Rick Brooks, our new board of directors chair — the first man to take on this leadership role at Girl Scouts San Diego! Rick is vice president of wealth management firm Blankinship & Foster, LLC. This father of two former Girl Scouts has served as a board officer and as a member of our pension, Palomar and long-range property committees. Last October, he represented us as a delegate to the Girl Scouts of the USA convention.

Today, he took over for Debbie Rider, who joins our staff as chief development officer. This proud Girl Scout mom and troop leader definitely helped make the world a better place during her 2013-15 tenure as chair (see our Impact Report). In her new role, she’ll draw on that history, as well as experience from her previous positon as a senior executive at USD School of Law’s Office of External Relations.

Debbie and Rick look forward to working with the board, staff and volunteers to continue to keep Girl Scouting relevant, fun, life-changing … and available to all girls.

We can all make a difference in girls’ lives through the Girl Scout Cookie Program, which begins this later this month. Our biggest fundraiser makes Girl Scouting possible in our region, keeping camp and program costs affordable while supporting troop adventures. Thank you to everyone who makes our cookie dreams come true, especially the thousands of participating girls and adult volunteers.

Happy New Year!

Jo Dee C. Jacob

Jo Dee C. Jacob
Chief Executive Officer

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digital cookie

 

Byte into the 2015 cookie season
Girl Scouts will soon zip through cyber space to fuel cravings for America’s iconic confection. Through our new Digital Cookie program (U-T article), our junior entrepreneurs can reach out to friends and family online. “I’ll send cookies to my grandmas in Pennsylvania and Ohio!" said Girl Scout Cadette Cayenne Warren of Jamul Troop 6072, after reading about the option in our Family Cookie Guide. She’s also excited about the addition of two varieties ….

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New cookies for 2015

 

New cookies and returning favorites
Girl Scouts are stocking up on Do-si-dos, Trefoils, Tagalongs, Samoas, Thin Mints … and two brand new cookies: Rah-Rah Raisins and gluten-free Toffee-tastics. The $5 cost reflects our first price increase in more than 10 years. The extra dollar will help us cover the 38 percent rise in operating expenses we’ve experienced since the last price change.

Cookies remain our largest source of income; unlike the annual $15 membership dues earmarked for Girl Scouts of the USA, all cookie proceeds stay local to fund troop activities, adult trainings, camps, programs and financial assistance. Customer support also helps girls develop important business and leadership skills.

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School water fountain donated by Brownie troop

 

Grade schoolers happily hydrated
Every cookie has a mission … to help girls do great things! Case in point: Brownie Troop 4152 led a campaign to purchase a much-needed drinking fountain for its school. The Old Town Academy second- and third-graders combined their 2014 cookie proceeds with other funds to invest in the thoughtful gift. P.E. students no longer have to climb two flights of stairs to quench their thirst. The fountain is eco-friendly, providing cold, filtered water with a spout for filling re-usable sports bottles; any run-off is redirected to irrigate adjacent landscaping. The troop recently held a ribbon-cutting celebration (pictures) to inaugurate the fountain.

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Girl Scout Investigations

 

Better than a TV show: GSI (Girl Scout Investigations)
During our recent “GSI” workshop, girls in grades 4-8 went undercover as tomorrow’s special agents, forensic scientists, detectives and medical examiners (album). Participants worked hand-in-hand with FBI personnel to identify fingerprint patterns, retrieve evidence, inspect skeletons, use forensic light technology to differentiate substances, and take footprint molds. They also tested their physical agility and sleuthing skills by navigating a red-string-and-bells “laser” maze, and solving Morse and pigpen codes. To learn more about Girl Scout career exploration programs, contact Steph Dawes, (619) 610-0792.

 

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OY!

 

OY! app benefits Girl Scouts San Diego
Introducing OY! Co-founded by longtime Girl Scout supporter Neil Senturia, it’s the first iOS app that lets people vent life’s frustrations for charity. OY! is designed for commiserating in a friendly, comical way, empowering users to take action in the face of bleak news by donating to nonprofit partners ... including Girl Scouts San Diego. So get out your iPhone and get ready to make a difference. You’ll be in good company: Carl Reiner, world famous comedian, writer, producer, director and actor, serves as the first voice of the app. Visit the OY! site to get started.

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STEAM

 

Girls picking up STEAM
During last month’s STEAM Maker Fest, Girl Scouts like Cecilia Young (pictured) explored Newton’s Laws, rolling around in giant Zorb balls to discover how objects experience motion. They also dabbled with 3D printing, met a life-size robotic giraffe, and interacted with female role models in fields like mechanical engineering. Girl Scout Ambassador Meera Kota fueled girls’ career aspirations during her TED Talk-style presentation (video) about the importance of diversity in STEAM Maker programs. Designed for grades K-8, the unique annual event brings together STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) programs and the maker movement (DIY meets STEM). More than 30 Girl Scouts volunteered for the festival, while countless others participated, through a partnership opportunity spearheaded by Denise Santoro, leader of Troops 4340 and 3796.

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Girl Scout Convention

Aquatic Adventures

 

One great year deserves another! Peeking back at 2014 …
Future journalists on the scene
It was a great year for memory-making! Girl Scout “reporters” covered the GSUSA convention (Anamaria Ancheta), OTM Sendoff (Danielle Dawson), the County Waterfront Park grand opening (Maria Burritt), Doodle Bugs spring day camp (Maria with Esther Valenzuela), and the Gold Award ceremony (Cassandra Ugarte). Check out their YouTube playlist.

Girl Scouts Elena Crespo, Anamaria Ancheta and Elizabeth Hosie represented Girl Scouts San Diego at the GSUSA biennial convention in Utah.

Photo finish
Peruse our gallery for snapshots of girls traveling to Peru, India and Panama, raising their voices at Teen Summit and the national convention, taking steps to Finish Chelsea’s Run, honoring heroes during OTM, Veterans Day and 9/11 memorial events, exploring careers in fashion design and science, diving into camp, creating a special needs He & Me program, and helping Stuff the Bus to drive away hunger.

We can only imagine all that awaits girls — and adult volunteers! — in 2015! Join today.

Girl Scout photojournalist Kaela Benintende captured this image of day campers soaking up the summer at Aquatic Adventures day camp.

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Disney on Ice   Upcoming events:
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computer girls   Get involved ... stay connected with Girl Scouts
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Girl Scout profiles  

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.

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