Troop 6757 paused for a moment of triumph while bridging from Juniors to Cadettes. Next year, they plan to lead encampments and a World Thinking Day event, and complete a kindness-focused Silver Award project.

June 2015

Bridging to the next stage of Girl Scouting

What a joy to parade across Balboa Park’s Cabrillo Bridge with 600 Girl Scouts and their troop leaders, family members and friends during our Councilwide Bridging Ceremony. Together, we celebrated the girls’ transition to their next Girl Scout program level. Board Chair Rick Brooks and I enjoyed visiting with attendees, whose contagious excitement is evident in these Facebook photos.

The bridging began with Troop 3851’s color guard presentation and music at the Organ Pavilion … including a full-pipe prelude and a sing-along of favorite Girl Scout tunes.

We wrapped up the morning with a family festival with learning activities, games and service projects at booths hosted by 29 community partners.

High fives to all the bridgers as they open new chapters in their Girl Scout adventures!                                                                                                                                  

Jo Dee C. Jacob
Chief Executive Officer

 

Help us land a $25,000 Eco Ambassadors grant
Cast your vote for Girl Scouts! CBS 8, SDG&E and the San Diego River Park Foundation have named Girl Scouts San Diego one of eight finalists for a $25,000 Eco Ambassadors grant. We need your vote to help us win! It just takes a minute: Go to cbs8.com/ecoambassadors, watch a brief video about Girl Scouts San Diego, then select us as your favorite candidate. Repeat daily from each of your computers and mobile devices through Tuesday, June 23. It’s easy to make it part of your daily routine: Get up, brush your teeth, vote from your tablet. Eat breakfast, check your text messages, vote from your phone … and so on.

We’d use the grant to empower more Girl Scouts to “go green” through our It’s Your Planet — Love It! leadership experience. So vote early and often: Rally for Girl Scouts by reaching out to all your contacts, and spreading the word on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other sites. For more details, contact Alison Bushan, (619) 610-0784.

Girl Scout Ambassador Andrea Quintanar is ready to vote.

 

Camp starts this month: All girls welcome
There’s still time for the K-12 girls in your life to sign up for Girl Scout summer camp. Overnight sessions at our Julian area properties include Leaves, Trees and Bumblebees (featuring a safari and star gazing) and, for future rocket scientists, Pop! Boom! Wow!

Day camp openings include Pirates and Princesses (with treasure hunts, collaborative storybook making and a day at LEGOLAND), and Extreme Camp (mixing teambuilding sports with trips to The Wave and Knott's Berry Farm). Find camp descriptions and register here. To donate camperships for girls in need, contact Dawn Bruckel, (619) 610-0705.

 

Quality time with Girl Scout daughters

Twilight fun
Girls and volunteers picked up outdoor skills and nature knowledge during the Twilight Discovery at our Balboa Campus. Participants got to know nocturnal animals, learned about stars and constellations, practiced tying knots, geocached for treasures, cooked with box ovens and played ecology games. To learn about upcoming sessions for adults and girls, see the events page of our website (search keywords: leader, daughter).

She & Me snapshots
Eight-year-old Brownie Sophia recently went on assignment as a Girl Scout reporter, covering our She & Me camp weekend and making memories of a lifetime with her mom, volunteer Karen Benito. Check out our Facebook album with Sophia's captions to get a better picture of our popular annual session. “We went on nature walks, played games, helped out at the camp, hung out by the fire, and made picture frames and new friends. I had lots of fun,” writes Sophia.

Urban Campout Co-chair Karen Benito and Sophia enjoyed their “She & Me” adventures.

 

 

Get out your leis for Urban Campout
Friends of Girl Scouts San Diego: Co-chairs Karen Benito and Denise Scott invite you to join them on Friday, Sept. 11 for Urban Campout: Island Treasures. During our 18th annual fun fundraiser for grown-ups, you’ll sip fruity concoctions under the stars, sway to the beat of Caribbean steel drums, play beach games and bid on auction packages. Don’t miss the boat: Deck yourselves out in themed or TGIF attire for an evening of tiki torches, white sands and tropical fun! To learn more, contact Annie Revel (619) 610-0807 (event information) or Debbie Rider, (619) 610-0735 (sponsorship opportunities).  

 

Girl power ignites triathlon
Girl Scout Brownies-Ambassadors from Rancho Peñasquitos and surrounding areas participated in the second annual Mountain Shadow Service Unit Triathlon in May (Facebook photos). The young athletes learned about good sportsmanship and healthy living by competing in a 70-meter swim, two-mile bike ride and one-mile run. Everyone who crossed the finish line received a patch. Troop 8768 hosted the event with help from community partners HERevolution and Tri-Trainer.

 

STEM programs funded by Farrell Family Foundation
Girls are mapping their own career destinies, with help from a $10,000 local grant from the Farrell Family Foundation. The funding will support our STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programs, serving current and future Girl Scouts. During Girl Scout workshops, camps, after-school programs and other leadership experiences, participants explore their futures as astronauts, marine biologists, seismologists, nurses or computer coders. If they can dream it, they can do it!

 

On the American Wife scene
Girl Scouts served as greeters during two recent book signing receptions for Taya Kyle, author of the American Wife: A Memoir of Love, War, Faith and Renewal. Taya — widow of U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, the subject of the memoir and Academy Award nominated film American Sniper — is making the world a better place for military families (article).

Several of our community partners hosted the events. The San Diego Union-Tribune sponsored  a gathering at its Mission Valley offices, and presented a $500 check to Girl Scouts San Diego. The USO, along with SDG&E Chairman Jessie J. Knight and his wife Joye Blount (Girl Scouts’ Cool Women Class of 2013) also hosted a celebration at the USS Midway Museum.

 

#RealTalk for older girls added to volunteers’ gathering
Explore all things Girl Scouting at our Volunteer Conference and Celebration on Saturday, Aug. 15 at the San Diego Convention Center. Enjoy a fun day of networking and learning, followed by an evening awards program honoring extraordinary volunteers. You are welcome to attend either or both events. Adult sessions include cooperative troop leadership, travel and backpacking, fencing, yoga and the power of laughter. New this year: #RealTalk, a girl-led forum just for high school girls, exploring topics like college, real-world skills and self-care. Register now.


 

 

Hailing the OTM chief
Two local organizations recently honored Girl Scouts San Diego Chief Executive Officer Jo Dee Jacob for her exemplary leadership. The San Diego Chapter of the Military Order of the World Wars (MOWW) presented Jo Dee with its Silver Patrick Henry Medallion at a recent recognition luncheon, citing her support of the military through Girl Scouts’ Operation Thin Mint® (OTM) program and other endeavors. LEAD San Diego named her “Graduate of the Year” during its 13th annual Visionary Awards celebration (video, Daily Transcript article). The award recognized Jo Dee’s contributions to Girl Scouting and for her service to San Diego Rotary.

Above: National delegates Elizabeth Hosie and Elena Crespo take a selfie with Jo Dee at the MOWW event. Below: Jo Dee accepts the LEAD San Diego award.

 

Featured events

 

Get involved ... stay connected with Girl Scouts

 

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.


Please do not reply to this email; contact info@sdgirlscouts.org with questions about the newsletter.