Introducing the Cool Women Class of 2016

During our recent Cool Women celebration, guests met luminaries who shine in the realms of science, business, fashion, film production, nature, energy, education, politics and community leadership.

The ceremony ended with my surprise induction into the Cool Woman Class of 2016!

And that, my Girl Scout friends, is why I am pictured above with the Cool Women honorees (back row, from left): Martha Dennis, Darcy C. Bingham, Ashley Nell Tipton, Cool Girl Elizabeth Hosie, M.A. Beyster, Lelya Sampson, Betty Beyster; and (front row), Anne S. Fege, VADM Nora Tyson, USN, Debra L. Reed, Susan Shirk and Erica Ollmann Saphire. Not pictured: Debra Turner. (See Facebook album and Cool Women webpage.)

Congratulations to these very cool ladies in whose company I was so privileged to be included. They are extraordinary role models for the 27,000 Girl Scouts we serve.

Jo Dee C. Jacob Chief Executive Officer

Quality STEM time with Cool Women
High school Girl Scouts got the inside scoop on science careers during a recent tour of The Scripps Research Institute. They met scientists working to understand autoimmune diseases, wound healing, diabetes, HIV, the flu and other viruses. Presenters included a 2016 Cool Woman, Dr. Erica Ollmann Saphire, the institute’s acclaimed Ebola researcher. Participants also discovered how subjects like art, writing and math are astronomically important in scientific fields. To learn more about STEM Girl Scout programs and opportunities, contact Michaela Butler, (619) 610-0813.

Lodge unveiling and Jo Dee farewell
Join us for a historic Girl Scout event on Saturday, April 16, 2-4 p.m. at our Balboa Campus to celebrate the debut of our brand new lodge … and bid adieu to our retiring CEO, Jo Dee Jacob. The free, fun-packed afternoon includes opportunities to explore the Adventure Zone, play games, make crafts, meet our camp staff and win great prizes. We’ll pause for ribbon-cutting fanfare at 2:15 p.m. on Level 3 — then head up to the Leadership Center at 3 p.m. for Jo Dee’s retirement ceremony. Find details here, including information about sponsoring a Girl Scout pillar or brick to help fund the completion of the lodge.

Note date change (due to a City of San Diego water maintenance project impacting our campus). If you had previously registered, no need to do so again.

Sweetest moments
Imagine this: Two little sisters, Melodee and Caraleena, are getting ready to attend a Valentine’s Day-themed father-daughter school dance … without their military daddy, Mike Hodosky, who is away on deployment. Or so they think! Shortly after arriving, the girls and their mom, Cassie, are amazed when Dad walks in. After hugs and tears, he presents his three dates with corsages before hitting the dance floor. This storybook scene was brought to us by fairy godmother Lori Burchell, a.k.a. troop leader extraordinaire. Lori joined forces with families of both her daughters’ troops and other Girl Scouts, along with board member Dr. Chris Carstens and the USO.

OTM Sendoff: Boogie Woogie under the stars
Our 15th annual Operation Thin Mint_® Sendoff Celebration is now a rousing, family-friendly night-time fest! Everyone’s welcome aboard the USS Midway Museum on Friday, May 6, 6-8 p.m., to celebrate sending 2016 Operation Thin Mint_® cookies to deployed U.S. military troops and veterans. Bring a brown bag dinner to enjoy on the flight deck while groovin’ to the tunes of The Suffragettes, an all-woman band that performs at Disneyland. Plus: Cheer on top cookie sellers as they arrive and depart by helicopter … and meet military personnel and their families. Find details here and register now. Girl Scouts can also participate in our OTM Sleepover that night.

Chief Shelley chats with Brownies
Brownies Isabella, Kylei, Kaylei and Chloe (pictured above, from left) of Troop 6167 had front-row seats to view leadership in action when visiting last month with Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman, a Girl Scout alum and member of our board. The girls met her while volunteering at the MLK breakfast sponsored by the United African American Ministerial Action Council in January. Following a tour of the SDPD, Shelley shared stories of being a Brownie in Ohio and how she embarked on a career in law enforcement. The girls happily helped her stock up on her favorite Girl Scout Cookie, Savannah Smiles!

Your cookie dollars at work … and play!
Local Girl Scouts are very grateful to cookie customers for their continued support this cookie season, which ends on Sunday, March 6. Every penny of proceeds stays in our region to fund Girl Scout activities and programs. Daisy Troop 1214, for instance, invested earnings from last year’s sales to expand a healthy vegetable Friendship Garden started by Junior Troop 1852 at Aviara Oaks Elementary. The Daisies recently cleared weeds, prepped soil for additional beds and painted a decorative gate. Their Take Action project attracted the attention of another troop, which plans to install a solar-powered fountain.

Girl Scouts also love to spend cookie dollars on unforgettable adventures! Senior Troop 8430 used a portion of proceeds for a canoe trip to the Colorado River. They had a spectacular time camping riverside and exploring Black Canyon area rivers and hot springs.

Featured events:
Finish Chelsea’s Run in partnership with Girl Scouts San Diego — Saturday, March 5
Lodge unveiling/Jo Dee Jacob farewell — Saturday, April 16
Operation Thin Mint_® Sendoff and Sleepover — Friday, May 6
Girl Scout Gold and Silver Award ceremonies — Saturday, June 4