From the Baltimore Sun
Towson Girl Scouts joined their classmates in celebrating Memorial Day and learning the reason for the holiday during their school’s annual Memorial Day celebration, the Baltimore Sun reports.
Girl Scouts celebrate Memorial Day
May 29, 2012
With the Patriots and Defenders program the students work to gain a better understanding of American history by studying and memorizing parts of American history, the article states. Among other accomplishments, students recited portions of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I have a Dream” speech, learned to identify key figures in American history, as well as identify all 50 states on a map.
“When you know what Memorial Day stands for, it makes you feel more appreciative that you live in America,” student Colleen Mader told the Baltimore Sun.
When contemplating concepts for Girl Scouts of Central Maryland’s 2011 Annual Report, we wanted find a special way to mark, not only the milestone of our 100th anniversary, but the stories of our members, volunteers, and supporters who make Girl Scouting in our community possible. We present to you 100 years, 100 stories.
Each button on the front side of our 2011 Annual Report poster represents a story. Click here to download an interactive version of the annual report to learn all about these 100 stories from 2011. They are stories of courage, confidence and character—characteristics our members and volunteers demonstrate every day in so many ways.
We’ve highlighted 100 stories from the year, but we could easily identify 100 more. Swap your Girl Scout story with us on Facebook or Twitter (#100stories). Also listed on the poster are the many people, organizations and friends who help make these stories possible. Thank you to everyone who made a gift to Girl Scouts of Central Maryland this year!
This week, Girl Scouts of Central Maryland was honored at the 29th annual Governor’s Service Awards for 50 years of service to girls in the central Maryland region, and 100 years of service nationwide. The Governor’s Service Awards recognize significant contributions of Maryland citizens to the life and health of the State and its people.
In addition to GSCM, Girl Scout alumna and volunteer, Sarah Bryner was honored for her work on her Girl Scout Gold Award project, which focused on wildlife preservation, educating the community about the environment and establishing an educational habitat in Southern Maryland.
GSCM honored 138 central Maryland Girl Scouts for outstanding community service on April 15th at our annual Gold Award banquet and pinning ceremony. In addition, hundreds of Girl Scout troops and individual Girl Scouts earned their Bronze and Silver awards by completing service projects that also improved their communities and the lives of others. Together these girls, with guidance and support from their troop leaders, award advisers and families reflect the spirit of Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low-whose vision and mission we celebrate this year.
Recipients of the Governor’s Service Awards demonstrate sustained commitment to meeting Maryland’s most pressing human and environmental community needs through volunteerism, as well as engage in meaningful volunteer service that makes a measurable difference in the community. Honorees represent extraordinary acts of generosity and kindness and have an impact on the greater community.
Also honored was Hadassah of Greater Baltimore for 100 years of service to the Baltimore community. In March, we joined Hadassah in celebration of 100 years of women and girl leadership in Maryland at GSCM’s Women’s Leadership Forum. Congratulations to Sarah Bryner, Hadassah of Greater Baltimore, and all of the outstanding Governor’s Service Awards Recipients. We especially send heartfelt congratulations and gratitude to Girl Scouts of Central Maryland’s members and volunteers who, together, ensure that we achieve the mission of Girl Scouting in our community; with courage, confidence and character we do make the world a better place.
Over the weekend, Girl Scouts helped clean up their Baltimore neighborhood during the Comprehensive Housing Assistance Program’s Good Neighbor Day community clean up program, WJZ- CBS Baltimore reports.
During the community clean up, the Girl Scout troop 1726 helped pick up trash and plant flowers.
“Part of our Girl Scout is the Girl Scout Law and Girl Scout Motto and we have to be resourceful and use resources widely so our hands are today’s resources,” troop 1726′s Girl Scout Leader Atara Lazar told WJZ.
Watch the full report here.
Girl Scout Shadows Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings Blake
April 25, 2012
Girl Scout Brianna had the unique opportunity earlier this month to shadow Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake as part of the Distinguished Women Shadow Program.
Brianna got an inside look at the Mayor’s day attending meetings, public hearings, and more.
“I was so impressed with Mayor Rawlings-Blake’s professional and straightforward approach in everything she does,” Brianna later wrote. “I admire her so much from the day I spent with her and hope that I can have this same type of dedication in my future career. It was an experience I will never forget!”
The Girl Scouts of Central Maryland Distinguished Women Shadow Program connects girls with Maryland women leaders who often become life-long mentors. The Girl Scouts of Central Maryland Distinguished Women Awards Reception and silent auction supports this and other Girl Scout leadership programs.
Mayor Rawlings-Blake will be honored with five other Distinguished Women tomorrow, Thursday, April 26, at the Awards Reception at the Baltimore Country Club. Click here to learn more. To attend or to learn more about how you can support Girl Scout leadership programs, contact Maria Darby at mjohnson@gscm.org.
Get Girl Scouts NOW!
April 23, 2012
We’re excited to announce a new initiative to welcome more girls into the world of Girl Scouting–Girl Scouts NOW! Thinking about joining Girl Scouts? We invite you to join us fun, affordable events where you can participate in a few hours of Girl Scout programming and learn more about how to get involved. Already a Girl Scout? Bring a non-Girl Scout friend!
We have a bunch of exciting events already lined up.
Love American Girl? Come to one of our All American Girl events. Want to star in a fashion show? Walk the runway (and save the show!) at Fashion Show Rescue. How does setting off rockets, watching explosive chemical reactions and performing your own experiments sound? We’ve got that too–come to Snap Bubble Pop!
At these events new girls are registered as Girl Scouts, and materials are available to their parents about all Girl Scouting has to offer. Look for the Girl Scouts NOW! icon on the events calendar and in our newsletters to find out when events will take place. Here are a few Girl Scouts NOW! events coming up:
April 23, 6 – 8 pm – Fashion Show Rescue, Sollers Point Multi-Purpose Center, Dundalk
April 30, 6 – 8 pm – Fashion Show Rescue, Carroll County Public Library, Mount Airy Branch
May 8, 5:30 – 7:30 pm – All American Girl, Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore City
May 15, 6 – 8 pm, Snap Bubble Pop, Camp Woodlands, Annapolis
May 17, 6 – 8 pm, Snap Bubble Pop, Sollers Point Multi-Purpose Center, Dundalk
May 19, 10 am – 12 pm, All American Girl, Lord of Life Lutheran Church, Edgewood
May 22, 6 – 8 pm, Snap Bubble Pop, Carroll County Public Library, Mount Airy Branch
Spread the word and come see just how cool Girl Scouting can be! Visit our events calendar for more information. Register for all Girl Scouts NOW! events here.
It’s not every day that a teenaged aspiring lawyer has a mentoring opportunity with a lawyer of 25 years experience. Through the Distinguished Women Shadow program, Girl Scout Chloe was able to spend a day with Ava Lias-Booker, Esq., Managing Partner of the McGuire Woods Baltimore Office.
Chloe was able to go to court with Ms. Lias-Booker and get a glimpse of what really happens during a major case. Chloe said her experience gave her a glimpse of what court is really like outside of what is portrayed on TV shows.
“My day with Ms. Lias-Booker gave me a sense of what it’s really like to argue a court case and how all of the lawyers and the judge interact,” Chloe said. “It gave me a good vision of what it would be like for me if I decide to become a lawyer.”
Ms. Lias-Booker said she was glad to have the opportunity to mentor Chloe because of how little exposure she had to what being a lawyer was like when she was growing up.
“I think I decided to become a lawyer when I was right around Chloe’s age and I was in this really small school in Georgia…and we a mock trial exercise and I was one of the lawyers. That was the sole exposure I had to the process growing up,” she said.
Ms. Lias-Booker added that it’s important for girls to find mentors in their fields of interest.
“I think it’s absolutely critical that girls and young women to find mentors. The more role models you have to latch on to, the more real they are to you and the more you can talk to them, spend time, ask them questions, the more confidence you’ll have to go forward and do what you really want to do,” she said.
Proceeds from the Distinguished Women’s Awards Reception support Girl Scout leadership programs like the Distinguished Women shadow days. Chloe and Ms. Lias-Booker will speak at the Distinguished Women’s Awards Reception on Thursday, April 26, at 5:30 pm at the Baltimore Country Club in Roland Park–click here to learn more or to buy tickets. For more information about the Distinguished Women program or to become a sponsor, contact Maria Darby at mjohnson@gscm.org.
