Megan “Taz” Hardy is GSCM’s new Outdoor Program Specialist and Camp Director this summer. The new camp season begins in a few months on June 17. To find out more about the summer camp programs coming up this year, download Great Adventures, the Summer Camp Guide. Register for summer camp online.

Were you a Girl Scout:

Yes! I have been involved in Girl Scouts for 21years, and I am currently a registered as a lifetime member of Girl Scouts of the USA.

Any special certifications?

Wow what a question… I have experience in a lot of different areas. I have outdoor training with GSUSA, and I am an outdoor facilitator. I am also about to renew my certifications in archery, low ropes and high ropes and work toward my kayak instructor certification.

Where the nickname Taz came from?

I earned the camp name Taz when I was in fifth grade. I have a tendency to act like the Tasmanian devil cartoon character. I am little, with brownish red hair and I rush around quickly accomplishing all on my task. I believed I earned the name, because I would rush from task to task with camping and never take a break in between except to ask what was next.

What do you enjoy most about camping?

I love the outdoors and unplugging from the world. When I was a kid growing up in Kentucky I remember playing outside for hours with no TV, no game boys, no electronics… and I wouldn’t come home until sun down. When I am camping, I have that same experience. To be unplugged and free from all of the devices that connect us today, I have the opportunity to stop, and listen to the sounds of nature.

Have you ever been a camp counselor?

I was a camp counselor right here at Camp Conowingo. I was a Unit Leader in 2007, the Travel Camp Manger in 2008 and the Camp Business Manager in 2009.  My favorite year was when I was with travel camp—I took a group of girls to Shenandoah National Park for a G.A.R.C. Adventure. We went to three different campground over three different days. We hiked, saw waterfalls, braved the deer—which walked directly into our unit begging for food—and spend a full hour starting a fire for dinner in the rain. We had a blast!!

There are so many memorable experiences—during my first week as a camp counselor, there was a thunderstorm (there are always thunderstorms). I spent a good amount of time singing songs to the small group of girls under my care. It became a tradition. Each summer after that, I sang those songs whenever we were together. They are counselors now and I hope they will continue the tradition with their campers.

What things are you looking forward to about camp this summer?

I am always excited when camp season starts. I look forward to seeing familiar faces of girls from past summer and new faces of girls who are trying camp for the first time. I look forward to watching the girl grow during their week at camp. They learn so many things about themselves, and other while they are there and they try new things everyday they never consider they would try before. I love to watch them challenging themselves and succeed even with baby steps. The glow in their eyes as they light up with excitement having made a new accomplishment,. That is what I look forward to most.

What should girls know about Girl Scouts of Central Maryland Summer Camp?

Camp is for everyone! Whether you’re a first-time camper or a veteran seeking new adventures, you’ll find fun, friendship and memories to last a lifetime at Girl Scouts of Central Maryland summer camp.

What should parents know about Girl Scouts of Central Maryland Summer Camp?

Girls of Central Maryland summer camp features unique leadership opportunities where girls build valuable life skills that help them become leaders of tomorrow. They learn to be more independent and self-reliant, how to work with a team, and how to take action to protect the planet’s natural resources. Camp is a great place for a girl to unlock her potential and discover the world and the great outdoor adventures that await her! This unique environment helps her develop positive self-esteem, leadership skills and social skills all while having the time of her life. The summer camp experience is truly a building block in the development of girls into successful and resourceful young women. In this outdoor setting, girls develop a strong sense of self, gain practical life skills, become resourceful problem solvers, and cultivate healthy relationships by living and working together.

October 27, 2012—Girl Scout Beyond Bars troops 7140 and 7856 unveiled their banner exhibit called “Our Hopes and Dreams for the Future” at the Baltimore Circuit County Court. The project—a series of banners—was created by the troop’s members under the direction of Hannah Brancato, a community artist.

During the dedication, girls were invited to speak about their banners and the dream represented in the artwork. Then all were invited to join in a traditional Girl Scout Friendship Circle while the girls were presented with their Girl Scout pins.

Girl Scouts Beyond Bars is a program in partnership with the Maryland Department of Corrections and the National Institute of Justice that brings Girl Scouting to the daughters of incarcerated mothers. This nationally acclaimed program was piloted by Girl Scouts of Central Maryland in 1992.

“The program gave us a safe space to bond,” said one mother, who had recently been released.

“It was kind of amazing how they invited me into a very close-knit, emotional space,” said Hannah Brancato, the community artist who helped the girls create their banners. “It’s the only time they get to physically be together.” Mothers and daughters created the banners together. Their artwork reflect the themes of advice for girls and what the mother/daughter pair hoped for themselves once the mother is released.

The Honorable Marcella A. Holland pins a troop member during the ceremony.

The dedication was attended by The Honorable Marcella A. Holland, The Honorable Yvette M. Bryant, GSCM CEO Traci Barnett, volunteers, friends, family and others.

The girls worked on a variety of projects to earn their awards, including a performance at College Manor in Lutherville on St. Patrick’s Day and a father-daughter dance for local Girl Scouts and their fathers and grandfathers, the Sun reports.

Click here to read the full report. Congratulations, girls!

From the Capital Gazette

Girl Scout Ambassador Jacqueline Velasquez of Troop 61 in Annapolis was named the Capital Gazette’s Teen of the Week.

Jacqueline, who has been a Girl Scout since the seventh grade, said she enjoys earning badges, camping with her troop and has been busy lately selling Girl Scout Cookies in her neighborhood, the article reports.

In addition to Girl Scouts, Jacqueline has taken on several leadership roles at her school, serving as a student ambassador for incoming freshmen and is involved with student government, as well as playing on her high school soccer team, the Gazette reports.  Jacqueline told the Gazette she is looking forward to college and is thinking of majoring in engineering or medicine.

Read the full report in the Gazette here. Congratulations to Jacqueline!

The Cookie Locator app, created for Little Brownie Bakers by EachScape, Inc., allows users to find fun cookie facts, delicious recipes and inspiring videos about what girls learn through the cookie program and how they use their cookie money to do a world of good, in addition to finding, saving and sharing cookie booth sale locations.

Download the Cookie Locator app for iPhone or Android here or look up cookie booth sales near you here. Girl Scout Cookie booth sales kick off in central Maryland on Friday, October 19.

Read the full report here. Way to go girls!

The Girl Scouts served as color guard, led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance and met several servicewomen members, including a woman pilot. The girls told the group about their activities in Girl Scouting and their work to support the Cookies from the Heart program, which donates boxes of Girl Scout Cookies to military personnel, military families, veterans and other public servants as a gesture of thanks.

Andrea said she didn’t really have a secret to selling, just getting the word out is the key. “The cookies sell themselves. People really want Girl Scout cookies, you just have to let them know you have them available,” she said. “I just had to work on reaching more people.”

With the profits from the Cookie sale, Andrea’s troop took a trip to Hershey Park. “We had a blast!” she said.

For this year’s cookie sale, Andrea has doubled her goal to 2,000 boxes and said she can’t wait to be in the 1,000 Plus Club again. Will you join her?

Last year, Grice’s troop, troop 841 from Arbutus sold more than 8,000 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies! With their proceeds the troop took several excursions including a day of fun at Terrapin Adventures, a sleep over with the dolphins at the National Aquarium and even a trip to Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Two of the girls in the troop were among the top five sellers in the Council last year. This year, the troop is aiming for each girl to sell at least 500 boxes of cookies and the girls have pledged to help each other  achieve their goal.

Here’s some of the advice Grice share with us that helped her troop have a successful Cookie sale.

Let girls choose their goals and show them how they can accomplish them:
“The cookie sale being tied to goals gets buy in from all the girls. The goal should be based on what they want to do and they should determine how many cookies they need to sell to do it.”

“Make a chart that shows how your troop will use the money they raise to reach their goal and show it to the girls and parents. This motivate girls and gets parents involved and allows them to participate with the troop.”

Build an adult support team:
“It’s important that there is a good adult team supporting the troop leader, SUCM and the girls. Ask parents to lend a hand. Don’t stop at the first ‘no,’ keep asking for their help.”

Explore every opportunity to help boost your troop’s sales:
“See if your company will allow girls to sell cookies at your office or if your company will buy cookies to use as client gifts or customer appreciation items.”

“Consider using smart phone credit card reader for your booth sale. I encourage es all troops to use it. Our troop added 200 more boxes to the final total because of the card reader.”

Use the cookie sale as an opportunity for professional development:
“Being involved with the cookie sale has strengthened my communication skills and I’ve become more of a people person because of this volunteer position.”

What advice would you give to first time cookie volunteers?