July 2015

Introducing our 2015 Gold Awardees

During a recent ceremony at the Irwin M. Jacobs Qualcomm Hall, we recognized 43 exceptional young women who received the Girl Scout Gold Award — our organization’s highest honor.

Joining me in congratulating them were Board Chair Rick Brooks, Chief Operating Officer Gerry Keshka, Mistress of Ceremonies Elena Eroshkin (a 2014 Gold Award recipient) and our keynote speaker, Beth Burns — associate head coach of the University of Southern California women’s basketball team and Girl Scouts San Diego board director.

Beth shared stories of breaking glass ceilings and having the courage, confidence and character to overcome obstacles, as our honorees have certainly done. Elena talked about how Girl Scouting empowered her to make the world a better place. To earn her Gold Award, she co-designed an American SignWriting app (written in SignWriting Script) to provide American Sign Language vocabulary for iPhones and iPads, expanding global communication options for the deaf community. This year’s honorees carried out breathtaking projects of their own (event program).

They are among just five percent of Girl Scouts nationwide who achieve this accolade, which serves as a stepping stone to continued extraordinary leadership. It was a joy to honor them, and to thank their families and leaders for their support and investment in Girl Scouting.

Applause to the Gold Award Class of 2015 … and to all who helped them reach this milestone!

Jo Dee C. Jacob
Chief Executive Officer

Snapshots from camp
Girl Scout summer camp is in full swing, with sessions operating weekly (see day and resident camp photos) at our Julian properties, our Balboa Campus and Escondido Program Center, and community partner-hosted sites. Camp continues through the first week of August. To send a girl to camp, register online for remaining sessions — or contact Dawn Bruckel, (619) 610-0705 to donate to our campership fund.

Sight-impaired Counselor-in-Training Danielle (camp name: Clover) leads the way during a session hosted by Living Coast Discovery Center. To Danielle's left is her buddy Makayla (camp name: Otter). These Girl Scout Seniors are members of Troop 6021.

Cookies = camp: A rewarding experience!
Amiaka (pictured) is off to Camp Winacka (Leaves, Trees and Bumblebees session) as a reward for selling 525+ boxes of Girl Scout Cookies earlier this year. She’s one of nearly 1,000 girls who achieved that goal in 2015 — and among the countless Girl Scouts over time whose cookie earnings have helped fund our camp properties and programs. Our cookie entrepreneurs have also been busy celebrating their successes at our Cookie Dance Crew hip hop workshop and performance, Dive-in Movie and Night at the Museum events.

New generation of Troop 5007 wins "Best of Show"
Troop 5007 is in the spotlight for carrying on a heartwarming tradition: an annual toy drive for youth staying at the Polinsky Children’s Center. The troop started the service project in 2002 — when current leaders Taylor Ingalls and Hayley Aguilar were second graders. As young adults, they formed a new troop with the same number. They now proudly continue the toy drive as a legacy … earning the troop Best of Show for Community Service at this year’s San Diego County Fair! See the troop’s “now-and-then” photos.

Leader Taylor Ingalls and Daisy Abby — the newest member of Troop 5007— show off their winning ribbon.

Oasis in the park: Urban Campout on the horizon
Grown-ups, get ready to soak up tropical adventures for a great cause: Girl Scouting! Mark your calendars for Friday, Sept. 11, 6-10:30 p.m., when volunteers transform our Balboa Park property into paradise found — a.k.a., Urban Campout: Island Treasures. Dig your toes in the sand as you dine, dance, play games and bid on enticing auction packages. Proceeds from our annual fun fundraiser support year-round Girl Scout leadership experiences. Find event details here — and buy tickets by Sunday, Aug. 16 to qualify for group or individual discounts.

Urban Campout sponsors to date include Qualcomm (Silver level); Wells Fargo, Holland America Line, Southwest Airlines and Nadine & Carlo Daleo (Bronze); and Trailblazer contributors SDG&E, Cox Communications, Sharp Health Plan, Sycuan Casino, Tipton Honda, Barbara & David Groce, Pattie Roscoe & Jim Tiffany and Dan & Katie Sullivan. We’re still scouring the seas for an overall event underwriter. Please contact Annie Revel at (619) 610-0807 with tips or offers before that presenting sponsorship sails!

Pictured: Urban Campout co-chairs Karen Benito (left) and Denise Scott.

VCC 2015: Meet Mary Jean Anderson
Our volunteers are counting down the weeks to our Volunteer Conference and Celebration (VCC), set for Saturday, Aug. 15 at the San Diego Convention Center. We’ll cap a day of learning and networking with an evening awards program, to include an inspiring keynote address by Mary Jean Anderson, president of Anderson Heating & Plumbing. The former Girl Scout will share how her cookie program and badge-earning experiences helped her build the business skills she uses today to succeed.  Find VCC details here and register now for the conference, evening celebration and our new #RealTalk2015 forum for girls in grades 9-12. General community welcome: Invite a friend! 

We won! Eco Ambassadors grant goes to Girl Scouts
Thanks to everyone who voted — and put the word out — for Girl Scouts San Diego! Your support paid off: SDG&E, CBS 8 (watch news segment) and the San Diego River Park Foundation recently announced we won the $25,000 Eco Ambassador grant after garnering the most votes during a month-long competition. We’ll use the funds to expand opportunities for girls to “go green,” including nature-nurturing activities such as those depicted by Troop 5912 in this video. Read on for another example of a troop taking sustainable action … and stay tuned for details about grant-funded It’s Your Planet — Love It opportunities for local Girl Scouts.

San Diego Earthworks honors Troop 6786
Caring for the environment is nothing new for Girl Scouts: We were green before it was cool! Local Girl Scouts continuing that 100-plus year mission include the Brownies and Juniors of Troop 6786. They recently received an E.A.R.T.H. (Environmental Action and Restoration that Helps) award from San Diego Earthworks. Former San Diego City Councilmember Donna Fry praised the troop’s “work to keep our environment clean and animal-friendly” during a recent ceremony. Troop projects have included adopting the Veteran’s Plaza in Ocean Beach, where they’ve collected more than 300 pounds of garbage which would have entered the ocean and harmed sea creatures. The girls have also conducted trash pick-ups in Lemon Grove, clearing away over 200 pounds of litter.

Shedding light on energy savings
Thanks to City and County grants, our Balboa Campus has a more eco-friendly lighting system! We received $30,000 from the County of San Diego Neighborhood Reinvestment Program; and $10,000 from the City of San Diego Community Project, Programs and Services Grant program to support part of our Energy Retrofit Project. Our expert property staff used the funds to replace current fluorescent and CFL lighting fixtures with more economical, energy-efficient LED bulbs in our buildings, cabins, parking lots and other exterior areas. As a result, we’re on our way to saving $5,250 over one year, and $52,500 over a decade — freeing up dollars for Girl Scout programs and activities while being kind to the Earth.

Golfing fits Girl Scouts to a tee!
A group of Girl Scouts and adult volunteers had the opportunity to learn about the game of golf while serving as volunteers during the Technology Integration Group’s recent TIG Corporate Classic Invitational (photos). TIG selected Girl Scouts San Diego as the beneficiary for its annual charity tournament, which took place at The Crosby National Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe. Participants spent a fun day on the green, while helping raise $5,000 for Girl Scouting. Talk about a hole in one!

Featured events

• Girl Scout day and resident camp — Five- to 12-day sessions, June 15-Aug. 14
• Volunteer Conference and Celebration and #RealTalk — Saturday, Aug. 15
• Urban Campout: Island Treasures — Friday, Sept. 11

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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.

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