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.

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.

Read the full article here.

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!

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

Explore Baltimore County reports that Girl Scouts Molly and Alyssa of Troop 3122 in Catonsville were honored for their completion of the Girl Scout Gold Award last weekend at the Girl Scout Gold Award Banquet in Annapolis. Alyssa used her project to raise awareness of homelessness as well as donate supplies for homeless to Arbutus Emergency Services, the article stated. Molly’s project collected and donated First Communion dresses for families in need.

The article reports that members of  Troop 3122 has more Gold Award projects in the works–Girl Scout Laura is working to complete her project of collecting and donating toiletries to the homeless this summer.

The Columbia Flier reports that Girl Scout Christina of Troop 1072 in Columbia is also working hard to complete her Girl Scout Gold Award project. She is running an instrument drive at Wilde Lake High School this weekend to support the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s ORCHKids program, which provides music education and mentorship to city youth.

In the articles, Christina’s troop leader, Julia Dougherty, and Molly state that many Girl Scouts face busier schedules as they get older and often their interest in Girl Scouting wanes, but that the Gold Award program keeps girls involved.

“Retention for girls at the high school level is low,” Dougherty told the Columbia Flier. “There’s so many other competing factors in high school, extra-curriculars, homework, sports … but this is an opportunity they don’t have in a school setting all the time. You have a small group, everyone becomes friends and you work together to achieve goals you couldn’t otherwise.”

Molly told Explore Baltimore County that her Gold Award project helped her feel more connected Girl Scouts.

“Within the past few months, I felt a little more connected to Girl Scouts. With the Gold Award, we ended up doing a lot more than we would be doing and getting into it more,” she said in the article.

Congratulations to the girls on their Girl Scout Gold Awards. Read the Explore Baltimore County article here, and the Columbia Flier article here.

During her day with Ms. Dopkin, Mercedez toured the Classic Catering People’s facilities, watched the chefs work, helped plan a menu and sampled some of the food. Ms. Dopkin shared stories of her experiences learning to cook and traveling the world, and encouraged Mercedez to continue to be curious and find mentors that could inspire her and support her. At the end of the day, Mercedez said that was valuable advice.

“Ms. Dopkin taught me that it’s important to admit what you know and admit what you don’t know, and to always be asking questions to learn more,” Mercedez said.

Ms. Dopkin said that having someone new to the field allowed her to examine her work in a new way.

“I always love being able to view what I do through a different perspective,” Ms. Dopkin said. “Having Mercedez here shadowing me today, I got to see what I do through new eyes.”

Proceeds from the Distinguished Women’s Awards Reception and Online Auction support Girl Scout leadership programs like the Distinguished Women shadow days. Mercedez and Ms. Dopkin 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. The Distinguished Women’s Online Auction ends tonight at 10 pm–click here to visit the auction page. For more information about the Distinguished Women program or to become a sponsor, contact Maria Darby at mjohnson@gscm.org.

Sarah said Ms. Fishler told her it’s important to not only find a field she’s passionate about, but also to build her network and give back to the community.

“She told me I should focus on my passions first, and that my job and the rest of my life will follow that,” Sarah said.

Ms. Fishler said she was glad to not only share some of her own knowledge and experiences with Sarah, but that she learned about what young women are facing.

“Sarah gives me incredible hope for the young women of America. Being with her today, and her allowing me to be her mentor has given me such inspiration and education about what young women are going through today,” Ms. Fishler said.

Proceeds from the Distinguished Women’s Awards Reception and Online Auction support Girl Scout leadership programs like the Distinguished Women shadow days. Sarah and Ms. Fishler 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. The Distinguished Women’s Online Auction runs from April 4 to April 18–click here to visit the auction page. For more information about the Distinguished Women program or to become a sponsor, contact Maria Darby at mjohnson@gscm.org.