Mrs. Claus is coming to town!

Mrs. Claus has been visiting Girl Scouts Heart of Central California (GSHCC) for several years, and this year she will be at the GSHCC Sacramento Regional Program Center's GS Shop on December 21, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.! This free event will include a photo opportunity with Mrs. Claus, games, crafts, and special shop sales. Plus, if you bring a donation of school supplies for GSHCC’s World Thinking Day education event, you will receive a 25%-off coupon to use at The Girl Scout Shop. 

The Modesto Regional GS Shop will also celebrate from 11 a.m.–3 p.m. on December 21 with raffles, games and a fun wintery photo backdrop. 

While you’re at the shop—check out the perfect holiday gifts! GS Shops have everything from stocking stuffers, dolls and Speed Stack cups, to warm knitted scarves, caps and gloves. 

Happy Holidays!

Please note GSHCC's holiday hours: The GSHCC offices and shops will be closed December 25–January 1 for the holiday break, but our eShop will be open 24/7 with FREE shipping!

Invite a Friend!

As a volunteer, you introduce girls to new experiences that show them they’re capable of more than they ever imagined. You’re their cheerleader, guide, and mentor, helping them develop skills and confidence that will last a lifetime.

Pull your friends together and talk about the fun you’ve had with Girl Scouts! Over coffee, dessert, or even a girls’ night out, invite a friend to be a role model for girls by volunteering with Girl Scouts. And check out this last chance offer: If you’re one of the first 500 current Girl Scout volunteers to invite a friend to join Girl Scouts as a new troop leader or assistant troop leader for Girl Scout Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors (kindergarteners through fifth graders), you’ll receive a Girl Scout prize pack of your choice:

Small and Mighty Pack 

Trefoil Earbuds, Accessory Case, Trefoil Pens, Girl Scout Shorthand Charm (silver tone), and Girl Scout Profile Stickers

Tech Savvy Pack 

Trefoil Headphones, Tablet Sleeve, Mouse Pad

Invite as many friends as you can to be a Girl Scout troop leader by sharing your story. Once you’ve invited your friend, ask your friend to complete a membership form or volunteer application, then notify us by filling out this short form, and if you’re one of the first 500 volunteers to invite-a-friend, you'll receive a prize pack! Your friend will be contacted by Girl Scout staff to help get started! Offer ends 11/20/2013.

Have a question or need supporting recruitment materials? Check out the FAQ section on our website!

Exciting week for Girl Scouts!

This week is Girl Scouts’ “I can’t wait to” National Recruitment Week—September 30–October 7. Girl Scout councils nationwide are promoting the “I can’t wait to” campaign, signing girls up to be Girl Scouts, and spreading the message that we need more adult volunteers so that even more girls can become Girl Scouts. And to kick off the week, GSUSA released a video featuring our Honorary National President, First Lady Michelle Obama—check it out: www.girlscouts.org/join. In this video, she highlights the fun of Girl Scouting and the important role of Girl Scout volunteers… exciting, right?!

We want everyone to hear about the fun and importance of Girl Scouts!

Here’s how you can help spread the word:

• Please share with your networks online and offline about Girl Scouts’ “I can’t wait to” National Recruitment Week.
• Specifically share the link to the video with your networks as well: www.girlscouts.org/join.
• Interact with GSHCC’s posts on our social networks (Facebook and Twitter).

To celebrate recruitment week, please leave a comment sharing with us what you love most about Girl Scouting!

Day Camp Spotlight: Air Aware

Air Aware day camp wrapped up its fourth year hosting Girl Scout Cadettes! Thirty-one girls participated this year, completing the requirements to earn the Aware and Alert awards from the Breathe! Journey. The girls had guest presenters from BREATHE Sacramento; Spare The Air and Yoga Seed. These presentations lent a hand in projects the girls were working on, to become more aware of the impact we have on the air and the environment. 

They also got to tour Sacramento State University, spend a night at the Sacramento Hostel and were even treated to a movie at Esquire IMAX! At the end of the week they presented their newfound knowledge about air to parents, staff, troop leaders, and volunteers. It was a fantastic week of fun, learning, adventure and memories, with a great group of girls. Another successful year for Air Aware!

 

 

Troop 4223 Recycles to Help Girls Become Girl Scouts

Girl Scout Daisy Troop 4223 collected and redeemed recyclables throughout the school year, then donated the $150 earned to Girl Scout’s Family Partnership Campaign. Their efforts and funding paid for 10 girls' membership fees through their troop donation to the Family Partnership Campaign. In addition to providing an opportunity to discuss using resources wisely and helping the planet by recycling, this effort tied-in nicely with their first grade lessons about the value of money.

Troop 4223 will continue this recycling project annually. To expand the program, the troop plans to collect recyclables at large school functions. The girls will post signs at special collection bins throughout each venue. They will also encourage the community to give their recycling to the troop, so they can recycle those goods and earn more money for the end of year donation.

Troop Leader Lisa Pryor said, “I am proud of the girls and all they've been able to accomplish. The recycling project has been packed with valuable lessons, and the troop is thrilled knowing their efforts are helping other girls become Girl Scouts.”

Financial assistance through the Family Partnership Campaign guarantees that no girl is ever denied the Girl Scout Leadership Experience because of the inability to pay. By offering financial assistance, more girls become Girl Scouts which gives them the opportunity to develop leadership skills, discover personal interests, and make life-long friendships.

For more information or to make a donation, please visit the GSHCC website. 

Congratulations to our Buy 5 Drawing Winners!

Two years ago, Girl Scouts Heart of Central California started a “Buy 5 Drawing” during cookie season. How does the drawing work? For every five packages purchased, customers can enter to win Girl Scout Cookies for a year – that’s 12 cases of cookies, totaling 144 packages of their favorite varieties. Awesome, right!?

Last year, there was only one council winner. This year we chose two winners – a winner from the council’s northern region and one from the southern region. Check out the deliveries to the winners…

Buy 5 Winner Matt S. of Antelope receiving his cookies from
Girl Scout Brownies in Troop 16 and Troop Leader Stephanie Emerson.

Buy 5 Winner John S. of Lodi receiving his cookies from
Kyra in Troop 1133.

Congratulations to this year’s winners, and thank you to everyone who entered into the drawing. Stay tuned for the upcoming cookie season… you could be the next Buy 5 Drawing winner!

Troop’s Mission to Spread Anti-Bullying Message

Sister Girl Scout, Ariel, struggled with the effects of bullying. As a result, she and her troop stood up. They stood strong. It’s now their mission to spread an anti-bullying message as they also work to earn their Girl Scout Silver Award.

Troop 170 spent the last year planning a free event called "We R 1" in Patterson that involved community organizations, information about bullying, as well as some fun and games. The event proved to be a huge success with more than 100 people in attendance. It didn’t stop there. The troop was invited to present their anti-bullying campaign at more events as well as address the local City Council. Ariel gave a speech about her experience at both the community event and for City Council. Attendees were moved, and many even brought to tears.

Troop Leader Angela Kraft said, “The girls have done a tremendous job. I am proud of all of their efforts and look forward to seeing their campaign continue.”

Congratulations to Troop 170 for making a positive impact in the community!

Girl Scout Junior Troop 845 “Caches in, Trashes Out”

Hey troop leader's for Girl Scout Junior troops: Have the girls earned their Geocacher badge yet? Here’s how one troop combined a Take Action project with their favorite pastime—geocaching!

Cache In Trash Out  (CITO) is an ongoing environmental initiative supported by the worldwide geocaching community. Since 2002, geocachers around the world have been dedicated to improving parks and other cache-friendly places.

Geocaching is an activity that involves the out-of-doors and technology. “Caches” or containers with  tracker logs are hidden at GPS coordinates and others try to find them for sport. At each cache, trackers can log that they found the cache and sometimes they trade swag—little trinkets left behind.
Girl Scout Junior Troop 845 has been geocaching for a few years and has attended other CITO events. When they noticed trash along a local bike path and creek, they decided to plan one in their own town.
Guided by their troop leader, Roger, who has organized CITO events in the past, the girls did all the planning and talked with the park and recreation department to organize the event, which they called “Girl Scouts Giving Back.” With their leader’s help, they were able to post the event on the geocaching website to invite the public. On March 3, more than 100 geocachers and Girl Scouts attended the event—one person even drove in from San Jose, another Girl Scout troop came from Novato. Great job, girls!

Want to be adventurers too? The Geocacher badge is in the The Junior Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting. Geocaching tools are available for purchase at The GS Shop in Sacramento and Salida. 

GOT MILK? ®-Girl Scouts Photo Contest Finalists

The finalists of the statewide GOT MILK? ®-Girl Scouts Photo Contest have been chosen!

Girls from GSHCC submitted their photos with captions answering the prompt: How have Girl Scouts and milk helped me become strong, healthy and confident?

Here are the three finalists from GSHCC. Each received a $350 camp scholarship, funded by the California Milk Processor Board.

Elyssa G: “How have Girl Scouts and milk helped me become strong, healthy and confident? By providing me strength to achieve new heights!”

 

Julianna L: “Girl Scouts are confident and milk is healthy!”

 

Anna R: "Milk feeds my body, Girl Scouts feeds my soul."

 

Everyone who knows me knows that I love change. I think sometimes it is a curse but life is always interesting and, hey—changing. I should have started this blog when I started at Girl Scouts but it seems fitting to start it at the end and work backwards.

I leave an organization I love – one that helped me as a girl and that still inspires me today. I have been able to accomplish so much with the help and support of a lot of people. We have a new Program Center, new office in Modesto, and best of all an almost new Camp Menzies. If you believe things can happen – they do. All of these steps, supported by generous donors, have resulted in a refreshed look and feel for GSHCC. While we have consistently remained committed to one mission—to build girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place—we have made it a priority to remain innovative and relevant. And this is reflected in our new Program Center. Our digs are very industrial and cool; we just look like a place where amazing girls would want to go.

One of the nice things about retiring is the kind words from many of the volunteer. I guess I was a breath of fresh air when I arrived and I of course didn’t know that until now. I remember driving around in a golf cart at camp and just yelling to the heavens, “I love my job!” Who wouldn’t after leaving a 25-year career in the insurance industry?

-Pam Saltenberger