June 2017
Bridging to the future
It was a thrill to stroll across Balboa Park's Cabrillo Bridge with more than 600 Girl Scouts, troop leaders and family members in celebration of girls bridging from one level to the next. This is a tremendous milestone for each of you, and we are all so very proud of you.
The experience was fantastic. We began our centennial-year Councilwide Bridging Ceremony (photos) at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, where Troop 3535 presented the colors. All joined in to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and the Girl Scout Promise, as well as, with great enthusiasm, to sing songs. We also heard stories about favorite Girl Scout memories, and after crossing the bridge, we enjoyed a festival with games and booth activities presented by Girl Scout community partners.
Please join us for upcoming events as we continue to commemorate our 100th anniversary. Some of these gatherings include Girl Scout Day at the San Diego County Fair, State of the Girl Conference (adults welcome for sessions and lunch), Urban Campout, Volunteer Conference and Celebration (see below) and Sunset Celebrations.
Yours in Girl Scouting,
Carol M. Dedrich, MBA, CFRE
Chief Executive Officer
Registration now open for summer volunteer event
Calling all adult members: Join us for our Volunteer Conference and Celebration (VCC), Saturday, Aug. 26, at the San Diego Convention Center. Enjoy a fabulous day of networking and learning, followed by an awards dinner honoring stellar Girl Scout volunteers. Conference sessions led by talented Girl Scout volunteers, community partners and other local experts cover topics like outdoor exploration apps, health and fitness, STEAM projects and how to champion G.I.R.L.s (Go-getters, Innovators, Risk-takers, Leaders).
The keynote speaker for this year's evening program is Wendy Urushima-Conn, one of our Cool Women of 2017. This Girl Scout mom and alumna is president and CEO of the Asian Business Association, and previously worked for KGTV/10 News and Airwatch Traffic. She serves as an advocate for many community organizations and is an avid marathon runner.
The ceremony will be emceed by Poway Cadette Troop 2191 leader Wendy Hovland-Henry, a communications strategist and voice actress.
Getting into the swing of all things camp
During our Mountain Adventure Weekend at Camp Whispering Oaks, 95 girls built confidence and learned new skills in a safe, supportive environment. From team building on the high ropes course to wilderness exploration to target practice at the archery range, the 4th- and 5th-graders delighted in trying new things (photos).
Hosted by our Girl Scout Outreach staff, the annual spring getaway introduces girls from diverse communities to the outdoors. For many of the families, the idea of Girl Scouting — much less sending a girl off to camp — is unfamiliar and may seem intimidating. However, when the girls return home, bursting with stories about their positive experiences, parents are ready to sign them up for summer camp and other Girl Scout opportunities.
Twilight OTM Sendoff a big hit
As you can see from these photos and TV news spots, guests had plenty to smile about during our 17th annual Operation Thin MintSM Sendoff event. More than 1,700 revelers filled the USS Midway Museum flight deck for the Friday night fest. Top seller Christina Bailey, who sold 3,950 boxes, was one of 20 enterprising Girl Scouts who hit or exceeded the 2,017 box mark in 2017. The top sellers, who arrived and departed by helicopter, took the stage to reveal the total OTM donation: 141,570 boxes (bringing us to 2.8 million total to date)! Thank you to everyone who has supported OTM and the sendoff, including sponsors Wells Fargo, Cox Communications, SDG&E, RJS Law and Old Navy.
Legacy Circle spotlight: Kim Kleber
Meet Kim Kleber: The engineer-turned-marketing-director is an enthusiastic Girl Scout mom, alumna, volunteer and donor. Kim supports our organization because she believes Girl Scouting matters. She especially appreciates how we provide her daughter Kendra and other girls with opportunities to build confidence and leadership skills through activities like Technology Goddesses camp and the cookie program. Kim and her husband Evan (pictured) are members of our Legacy Circle, which honors friends who have included Girl Scouts in their estate planning. Read more about Kim in the spring issue of Giving Wisely — along with insights into the benefits of planned giving, photos of recent events, and information about Urban Campout and other upcoming 100th anniversary gatherings.
Lifetime membership discounts for high school grads
Eighteen-year-old Zoë Navapanich (pictured) is ready to take on the world … as a forever Girl Scout. The Girl Scout Ambassador recently became a lifetime member of our organization. Her mom/former troop leader Alyssa Navapanich purchased Zoë's membership at a discounted rate of $195, available only to graduating Girl Scouts.
A 2017 Gold Award recipient and member of our Girl Advisory Board, Zoë has been highly active in Girl Scouts for as long as she can remember (see photos).
"Girl Scouting is simply part of our family. I am, after all, a third-generation member," says Zoë with pride. "Girl Scouts has opened so many doors for me to countless opportunities — from learning basic coding through the Technology Goddesses program to international travel. My experiences over the last 13 years have significantly broadened my horizons and laid a foundation for continued leadership development, particularly teamwork skills.
"I wanted to become a lifetime member as soon as I bridged to adults because I recognize the huge role Girl Scouts has played in my life. Being a lifetime member right after my senior year will ensure that I always have ties to Girl Scouts, and a sisterhood to come back to."
Featured events
Gold and Silver Award Ceremonies — Saturday, June 17
State of the Girl Conference — Friday, July 7
Volunteer Conference and Celebration — Saturday, Aug. 26
Urban Campout: Celebrate 100 Years — Friday, Sept. 15
Camp Exec — Friday-Sunday, Sept. 22-24
100thAnniversary Sunset Celebrations — Saturday, Sept. 30
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