August 2009

In this Issue

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Girls Who Do Great Things!

Girl Scouts Honored as Outstanding Young Citizens
Girl Scouts, Amy Federoff and Kaitlyn Davis, were both honored as Trib Total Media's 2009 Outstanding Young Citizens. The girls were two of ten students chosen to receive the award from 211 nominees representing 23 different schools. The Outstanding Young Citizens Award gold medals recognize excellence in school, a commitment to community service and in extracurricular activities.

Amy Federoff, a student at Yough Senior High School, joined the organization as a Girl Scout Daisy and has stayed involved because of the great friends she’s made and all of the exciting projects she and her troop have been involved with. Amy’s most rewarding experience was leading her own project towards earning her Gold Award. Through her commitment to the project, organizing a toy donation to benefit Toys for Tots, she learned, “people are rewarded for working hard to do good.” It was her Gold Award efforts which inspired her high school guidance counselor to nominate her for the Trib Total Media's 2009 Outstanding Young Citizens award. Her leader, also her mother, Sue, encouraged her to start her project and to set her goals high.

Amy says her involvement in Girl Scouts, “has taught me to not be afraid of taking risks and voicing my opinion. Because of Girl Scouts, I now know how to be independent and motivated. I will be able to stand up for myself and take some initiative.”

Kaitlyn Davis, a student at Greensburg Central Catholic High School, also joined Girl Scouts as a Daisy. She sites the friends she’s made and the opportunities presented to her as her reasons for her continued membership. Kaitlyn’s troop has gone white water rafting, visited New York City and honed their archery and canoeing skills at camp. This summer she’s lifeguarding at a council camp and attributes learning the skill thorough Girl Scouting. Kaitlyn is currently working on her Gold Award project, which she considers, “A culmination of all my years in Girl Scouting and an opportunity to take initiative and achieve my goals.” Her strong leadership skills and community involvement are what prompted a teacher to nominate her for the Trib Total Media's 2009 Outstanding Young Citizens award.

Girl Scouts has taught Kaitlyn to be a strong leader, to make the right decisions and to see things through. Through her involvement, she has found much to be passionate about and encourages girls to take advantage of all the opportunities the program provides. Kaityln says, “I am so grateful, that through Girl Scouts, I have been able to make a positive difference.”

Amy and Kaitlyn are shining examples of accomplished young women, taking action to make the world a better place.

PittsburghGives – It’s Twice as Nice

Have you ever wished that your philanthropic gift could be larger? Well, here’s your chance!

On Wednesday, October 28, 2009 beginning at 10 a.m., The Pittsburgh Foundation will match money $.50 for every $1.00 you donate to Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania.

• The Pittsburgh Foundation will put up $200,000 in matching funds. The Match Day will end when those funds are exhausted.
• Donations must be via credit card through the PittsburghGives site http://pittsburghgives.org, a link to PittsburghGives will also be posted on the GSWPA Web site’s contributor section. Donations will not be accepted via fax, phone or other means.
• Organizations will not be capped on the amount they can receive.
• Minimum donation is $50.
• Individuals will be capped at $2,500. This means that the match money per individual will be $1,250. For example, if an individual contributes $2,500 on that day, $1,250 will be provided in match money. If an individual contributes $10,000 on that day, $1,250 will be provided in match money.

Awards of Distinction

Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania’s Erie Awards of Distinction Luncheon will be held on Friday, September 18, 2009 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Bayfront Convention Center.

Rosanne Cheeseman, CEO and President of Times Publishing Company, publisher of the Erie Times News, will serve as the honorary chair of the event. Cheeseman is an avid supporter of Girl Scouts and actively involved in community and media relations.

Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper will be honored as the 2009 Woman of Distinction. Dahlkemper, a civic leader and member of the Capital Hill Girl Scouts of the USA committee, serves as Pennsylvania’s 3rd Congressional District Representative. She actively supports Girl Scouting through her involvement with troops and on a council level.

Erie Insurance will be honored as the 2009 Corporation of Distinction. Erie Insurance, the largest auto insurer in Pennsylvania, sites support of community initiatives as one of their key values. The company’s support was integral to capital improvements at Camp Hawthorne Ridge in Fairview Township. “Erie Insurance has a long history of supporting youth development and education,” said Ann Scott, Vice President of Director, Diversity and Community Outreach. “Girl Scouting is a valuable component of healthy development for girls and Erie Insurance is honored to have been selected as this year’s Corporation of Distinction.”

Tickets to the luncheon are $40 and sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, visit www.gswpa.org, or contact Tina Pelesky at 1-800-248-3355 x 1215 or tpelesky@gswpa.org.

S’MORE Magazine Fall/Winter Issue

Hot off the presses!!! S’MORE magazine will be distributed as follows:

• One copy was mailed (as of July 15, 2009) to every registered Girl Scout household.   If you do not receive a copy in the mail by August 15, please contact your membership manager.
• One copy will be included in every new leader packet.
• Membership managers will have copies available to new girls registered in troops or groups during the fall and winter months.
• S’MORE will also be posted in an interactive format on the council Web site in the Publications section in August.

Registrations for Family Camping on September 4-6 and Explore Until Your Hearts Content on September 12 will be accepted beginning August 15, 2009.  Registration is open September 1 for all other events listed in S'more Fun.

We’re already planning for the next issue, and looking for girl submissions on ways to SAVE money, Valentine’s Day theme activities to do with friends, letters and photos from summer camp, or just comments and feedback. Please send these to us at editor@gswpa.org.

You’re also invited to become a friend of Gswpa S’MORE on Facebook.

NEW Fall Packet—Another Great Read

This year’s volunteer packets are being prepared for delivery. The first batch will be presented to those service area team members who attend kick-offs in August. Packets, complete with a new volunteer manual, updated forms, and even new troop committee brochures to help recruit some help this year—will also be distributed to our current volunteers at meetings or designated sites in August and September. Please contact your membership or volunteer development manager for details.

September is...

…Self Improvement Month, Better Breakfast Month, International Square Dance Month, Cable TV Month, National Bed Check Month, National Chicken Month, National Courtesy Month, National Honey Month, National Mind Mapping Month, National Piano Month, National Rice Month, National Papaya Month, Classical Music Month, Baby Safety Month, Women's Achievement Month, Sickle Cell Month, Healthy Aging Month, Food Education Safety Month, Eye Health & Safety Month, Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Children's Good Manners Month, National Sewing Month, Potato Month, Library Card Sign-up Month, Biscuit Month, Backpack Safety Awareness Month, ADHD Month, National Preparedness Month, Skin Care Awareness Month, Hispanic Heritage Month.

September 11 has also been designated as the National Day of Service. This year, Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania will be challenging our staff and volunteers in service areas to tally the number of new volunteers who are welcomed into our organization from August 1 to September 11, 2009. GSWPA will promote each service area’s successes on our Web site. If you have a great adult recruitment idea, please share it with us at editor@gswpa.org or on our Ning Social Network site.

Three Fun Ways to Start the New Year in Girl Scouting

Girl Scout Promise Washing Line Relay
Cut out 100 sock shapes from a tough paper - old wallpaper sample books work well. Print out the Promise, one word on each sock shape, in really big lettering. This makes a complete set of Promise words for four teams. Measure out enough string or wool to fit the shapes; this becomes a washing line. You will also need 100 clothes pegs (if you use string and more light-weight paper, paperclips can be substituted). Review the Promise with everyone prior to starting the game. Then on the word 'go', all teams have a race to see who can place the Promise words on their washing line in the right order. The winning team can win a small prize.

Begin and End Your Year with a Dream
"From the smallest personal beginnings to the largest human triumphs, why are we here if not to dream? Dreams and goals fill our lives and motivate us to learn and grow. Looking back gives young people a chance to reflect on the past Girl Scout year and what we’ve accomplished. Looking forward helps us begin to explore who we are and what our upcoming goals should be. The Legacy Project's "Begin and End With a Dream" online activity set includes two dozen positive and meaningful activities.

Learn More About the New Journeys
Life is a journey, particularly for girls. On every journey, you start somewhere, perhaps with an invitation, a picture that inspires you, or words in a book. You make a decision to go somewhere new. And on the way, you might try foreign foods, visit new places, hear new ideas that spark your imagination, forge new friendships, and take home beautiful memories and perhaps a few keepsakes. Most importantly, you come home a little wiser…and your world is a little bigger.

Those same elements are part of each Girl Scout Journey. The journey books take girls and their adult volunteers on new adventures, where you will discover, connect, and take action to make a difference in the world. Journey books are designed to take girls to new places, all under the umbrella of a particular theme, but it is your expertise, experience, and imagination that bring the books to life and make the journey unique for each girl.
Plan for your own Girl Scout Journeys by considering the following questions:

• How many meetings will you have each month? When do you plan to break for holidays or other events?
• How many weeks should be set aside for camp or travel?
• How many weeks do you need to allocate for the Girl Scout Cookie Program?
• At the beginning of the year, how will you introduce the journeys and related books to the girls and their parents? Is there a kickoff event that can help bring the journey theme to life for the girls—what's a good day for this?
• Are there guest speakers you can invite to bring new information or opportunities to enhance your journey?
• What are your preferences in Girl Scouting? Badge work? Field trips? Special events? Can these also be tied to the journey theme? Make sure to include these activities in your calendar as a starting point. Girls can fill in the details as they guide their own journey.

Learning about the Journeys and the New Girl Scout Leadership Experience can be fun! Try this Journey Scavenger Hunt.

Shop News

It's Your Planet, Love it!
Now Available! Girl Scouts' newest Journeys take leadership to a new level with a new earth-friendly theme; It's your Planet -Love It!

Save 20% Sale
August 1st-Oct 15th, all GSWPA Council Shops will offer a special in-store only sale. Buy any two or more regular priced casual apparel items for girls and teens, featured in the 2009 Girl Scout catalog, and receive 20% off. Contact your local council shop for more details, some restrictions do apply.

Summer Fun Still Awaits

Don’t put away that sunscreen just yet! There’s still plenty of sun and fun to go around in August.

Bring your friends, family or tent-mates to Kennywood Park for the annual Girl Scout Day on Tuesday, August 11, 2009. In between visits to the Jack Rabbit and Potato Patch, meet us at the Pavillion to trade SWAPs or join in a special Girl Scout sing-a-long. Cost is $20.50 and tickets are available online at www.kennywood.com using Promotional Code: 2009135.

Girl Scout Alum (18 years and older) can contact alumnae@gswpa.org to sign up for the August 15 second annual camping retreat where afternoon or overnight activities are being planned. You’ll also learn ways to become involved in some of our 100th Anniversary activities.

Meet Money-Earning Molly

Coming in September, check out Money-Earning Molly on the Volunteer page at www.gswpa.org. Molly will respond to questions from volunteers throughout the year regarding money-earning. Look for the display at the fall kickoffs to submit a question.

Web Updates

All updates are easily accessbible through our Web Updates link at the top of every page.  Below is a sample of updates that have occured since June.

New Flyer Templates - Includes grade level flyer templates, a general recruitment flyer template and a make new friends invitation template.

Publications - New GSWPA Fact Sheet

Office Locations & Camps - New GSWPA Council Map

Global Travel Toolkit - The Global Travel Toolkit consists of four new, exciting resources that prepare girls and adults for responsible international travel.

Certificates of Insurance - Updated list of GSWPA Approved Facilities and Bus/Transportation Companies Offering “Higher Risk” Activities.

Member Information Form and Volunteer Information Form - Want more information about being a member or volunteer?  Your form will be forwarded to the Membership Manager assigned to your area.

New Girl Scout Leadership Journey - It's Your Planet -- Love It!

Volunteer Manuals - New Volunteer Essentials Manual.

Volunteer Forms -  Most forms are now Adobe fill-in forms.

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Presents Girl Scout Night with the Rockettes

The world-famous Rockettes return to Pittsburgh this holiday season in the 2009 edition of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular! Fill your heart with the holiday spirit as a cast and crew of over 100 members bring America’s favorite yuletide tradition to the Benedum Center.

Girl Scout Night with the Rockettes will be held on Sunday, November 15 at 7 p.m. The special rate of $40 per ticket includes a Radio City patch. Girl Scouts are invited to a group chat with the Radio City Rockettes following the performance!

For more information please call 412-471-6930, email groupsales@pgharts.org or visit pgharts.org/groupsales and fill out a reservation request.

The Radio City Christmas Spectacular is the perfect holiday gift for the whole family!