Girl Scouts Host Third Annual Awards Banquet
On Friday, April 21, Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline Council hosted its third annual Girl Scout Awards & Recognitions Banquet in Salem. The banquet honored the council’s Gold Award recipients and recognized volunteers who have served Girl Scouting in an exceptional capacity. The evening’s special guests included keynote speaker Kathy Cloninger, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA, and master of ceremonies Nicky Bowyer, radio announcer for Clear Channel Communications.
Some 43 girls in the council’s 36-county service area achieved the Gold Award during the 2007-2008 year. The Gold Award is the highest award a Girl Scout can achieve. The seven steps required for girls to earn the Gold Award require years of effort. Girls must earn several awards along with logging 30 hours of leadership hours and 40 hours of career exploration. All this must be completed before even beginning the Gold Award project, which requires at least 65 additional hours of planning, work, and evaluation. The Girl Scout Gold Award project must benefit the community in which the girl lives, as well as prove to be sustainable or make a lasting impact for years to come. Eleven of the awardees were able to attend the awards banquet this year.
Laura Bowman, a member of Girl Scout Troop 461 of Orange Service Unit in Rapidan, conducted a project called Global Poverty Awareness. Her project focused on educating her community and peers about the extent and causes of poverty world-wide, informing them on how they can help, and motivating them to take action in the fight against poverty. Laura has been a Girl Scout for 12 years. She is the daughter of Rose Bowman, who also served as her advisor for this project.
Jessica Conley, a member of Girl Scout Troop 935 of Northern Rockingham Service Unit in New Market, created a bocce team in Shenandoah County for Special Olympics Virginia Area 4. Working with a fellow Girl Scout, Jessica helped the Special Olympics athletes learn and compete in a sport that was not offered in this area. They took four athletes to a regional tournament, earned second place and moved on to the state tournament with two of the athletes, who won first place there. Jessica has been a Girl Scout for 13 years. She is the daughter of Annette and James Conley. Her mother was her advisor.
Emily Hays, a member of Girl Scout Troop 262 of South River Service Unit in Stuarts Draft, built a playground at her church, Waynesboro Mennonite. The church had been attempting to put up a playground for nearly 20 years. Through fundraisers and the support of her church, the playground was constructed. Emily has been a Girl Scout for 12 years. She is the daughter of Virginia and Herb Hays. Her advisor was Debbie Koiner.
Erin Hudgins, a member of Girl Scout Troop 276 of Two Rivers Service Unit in Altavista, created a map and database of the gardens at the Avoca Museum Arboretum. In an effort to honor past and present citizens of the community, the gardens needed to be identified, labeled, and mapped so that any donated additions to the garden could be easily added and recognized. As part of her project, she incorporated leadership into her project by conducted a meeting with local junior Girl Scouts that helped them earn the earth connections badge. Erin has been a Girl Scout for 10 years. She is the daughter of Jane and Michael Hudgins. Her mother was her advisor.
Whitney McCormick, a member of Girl Scout Troop 567 of South River Service Unit in Waynesboro, conducted a blood drive in her community. The goal of Whitney’s project was to increase awareness of a blood shortage and to collect blood for the local blood bank. The project recruited 31 donors; 25 pints of blood were collected, which could potentially save 75 lives. Whitney has been a Girl Scout for 12 years. She is the daughter of Celia and Daniel McCormick. Her advisor was Barbara Powell.
Nicole Munson, a member of Girl Scout Troop 3047 of Golden Link Service Unit in Vinton, conducted a project she titled” The Fresh Start Drive.” Her project focused on collecting men’s socks and underwear for the Roanoke Rescue Mission. She also created a PowerPoint presentation to increase community awareness about the Roanoke Rescue Mission, and held an event called the Fresh Start Olympics that helped youth in the community learn about the rescue mission while having a good time. Nicole has been a Girl Scout for 12 years. She is the daughter of Barbara Hoer. Her advisor was Lori Dearing.
Jessica Patton, a member of Girl Scout Troop 2369 of Trefoil Service Unit in Roanoke, conducted a project for OMNI Mission Warehouse. She and two other Girl Scouts revamped the charity’s warehouse, inventory and distribution system and then educated others about the organization. She created a PowerPoint presentation and a brochure about the OMNI Mission Warehouse and how to volunteer. Jessica has been a Girl Scout for nine years. She is the daughter of Donna and Larry Patton. Her advisors were Leslie Williams and Jennifer Romeiser.
Kimberly Huckstep, of Crozet, and Michelle Fortune, of Afton, members of Girl Scout Troop 547 in Western Albemarle Service Unit, conducted a project titled “Fit for the Future” that encompassed a series of sessions with children to teach them about staying healthy. The children learned about weight and height, brushing their teeth, washing their hands, hearing their heartbeat, taking their vital signs, and other activities. Kimberly has been a Girl Scout for 10 years and is the daughter of Paula and James Huckstep. Michelle has been a Girl Scout for 12 years and is the daughter of Joyce and Allan Fortune. Their advisor was Linda Reaser.
Nina Pike, a member of Girl Scout Troop 333 of Spotswood Service Unit in Harrisonburg, conducted a project titled, “Trailblazers: Clear and Maintain Trails in Our Woodland Environment.” With the assistance of recruited help, she cleared trees, sticks, and obstacles on the trail, and collected trash at the Todd Lake Recreation Area in the George Washington National Forest. In addition, Nina created a DVD on trail etiquette to teach the community about respecting the environment. It was shown on the Internet on “Teacher Tube” and “You Tube,” where teachers and students can view educational and musical videos. Nina has been a Girl Scout for seven years.
Masha Pike, also a member of Girl Scout Troop 333 of Spotswood Service Unit in Harrisonburg, conducted a project titled “The Fun Has Begun at Sunnyside; Sharing Art Talents with Memory Impaired Sunnyside Retirement Community Residents.” Masha used art to bring joy and fun to the retirement-community residents and allow them to experience something new. The project provided a variety of classes from plate decorating to abstract painting. To celebrate all the activities in the project, the residents participated in an art show and enjoyed watching a video that Masha made showing all the fun they had had together during the project. Masha has been a Girl Scout for seven years.
Nina and Masha are the daughters of Lynne and Tom Pike. Their advisor was Ann Dunkin.
Courtney Thompson, a member of Girl Scout Troop 3061 of Rockbridge Service Unit in Glasgow, conducted a beautification project for the Rockbridge SPCA. With help from fellow Girl Scouts, the project included cleaning up flowerbeds, pulling weeds, trimming overgrown hedges, and adding new mulch. The girls also put in a retaining wall, planted various plants, and painted furniture. Courtney has been a Girl Scout for 11 years. She is the daughter of Robin Thompson, who also served as her advisor.
The evening also honored some very special volunteers for their spirit and dedication to Girl Scouting. Samuel Lionberger, of Penhook, was awarded the Thanks Badge for continuous distinguished service benefiting the entire council area. This is the most prestigious volunteer award in Girl Scouting.
Joyce Young, leader of Junior Girl Scout Troop 93 and Cadette/Senior Troop 65 of Juliette Low service unit in Roanoke, was awarded the Honor Pin for outstanding service above the expectations for a volunteer position, and within and beyond her own community.
Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline Council is extremely grateful to the businesses that made this event possible through their support and sponsorship. Corporate sponsors were Dominion Images, Fink’s Jewelers, Kroger, and Wells Fargo Insurance Services, and supporters were Lee Hartman & Sons, Stritesky’s Flower Shop, Oakey’s Funeral Service and Crematory, and First Community Bank, all of Roanoke.
Girl Scouts Name Yellow Mountain Road Program Center
And the winner is: Icimani Adventure Center!
On Saturday, April 12, 2008, Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline Council revealed the new name of the program center on Yellow Mountain Road. The council purchased the 63 acres at 5488 Yellow Mountain Road in Roanoke in September 2007. Girl Scouts throughout the council’s 36-county area were challenged to submit names for the center, which will provide space for overnight camping, hiking, sports, meetings, projects, day camps and more.
After receiving more than 230 entries, a council committee selected four finalists. The girls were invited to the March 8 meeting of the board of directors to present the names they submitted and share with the board the reasons they believed their names should be chosen. The board made the ultimate selection, and the name of the center was kept secret until the council’s annual meeting of the membership.
“Icimani Adventure Center” is actually a compilation of two submissions.
“Icimani” (pronounced eesh-ee-mah-nee) was entered by Ashlyn Coley, 7, a member of Brownie Troop 537 of Culpeper service unit in Culpeper. On her entry form, Ashlyn wrote, “Girl Scouts is a journey. Icimani is Native American for journey, and honors our Native American heritage.” A first-grader at Pearl Sample Elementary School, Ashlyn is the daughter of Kinsey and James Coley. Her mother is her troop leader.
Amber Rusnak, 9, a member of Junior Troop 757 of Beverly Manor service unit in Staunton, proposed Skyline Adventure Center. She wrote, “I believe that camping and exploring the outdoors in the best part of my Girl Scouting experience.” A fourth-grader at Beverley Manor Elementary School, Amber is the daughter of Deborah Scheuren Jeffears. Her mother is also her troop leader.
The board liked both names so much, that they combined the two. In addition, since the planning and renovation of the property has been girl-driven, the board decided that all four entries were worthy of distinction and that the other two finalists should also be honored.
“Whispering Pines,” the name suggested by Sofia Porras, 8, will be used for the camping area at the program center. Sofia is a member of Brownie Girl Scout Troop 909 of Salem Skyline service unit in Roanoke. Sofia thought of that name “because of the sound of the trees.” A third-grader at Salem Elementary, Sofia is the daughter of Lisa Nielson and Pedro Porras. Her troop leader is Tracey Brookshier.
“Friendship Trails,” entered by Morgan Donelson, 11, will be used for the miles of hiking trails at the center. Morgan is a member of Junior Girl Scout Troop 86 of Juliette Low service unit in Roanoke. She wrote, “Friendship lasts forever, and trails can be long. A trail is set before you to travel on, so I consider it a trail of friendship. Isn’t that what Girl Scouts are all about? Think of all the friends everyone will make.” A sixth-grader at Northside Middle School, Morgan is the daughter of Candace and Ron Donelson. Her mother is also her troop leader.
Each of the girls will be honored once again when signage for the new property is unveiled at the grand opening. Their names will be forever displayed on the signs for the names they submitted.
Girl Scouts Launch Pilot Program to Slow Global Warming
February 28, 2008
Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline Council will be part of a national pilot program to educate the public about global warming and climate change, thanks to a $100,000 grant from State Farm Insurance.
The council, which represents 11,500 Girl Scouts in a 36-county area, will coordinate efforts with schools in Seattle, Washington, in an innovative plan to protect the health of the earth by training teenagers to teach younger children about the deadly effects of toxic emissions and energy waste.
The program is the brainchild of Andrew Varyu, president of ITSCOOL – Innovative Tactics for Sea Level and Climate Change Outreach and Opportunity Leaders. Varyu, a masters student at Harvard Divinity School, has been passionate about protecting the environment since high school, when he chaired a student group that implemented and funded a schoolwide can-recycling program.
Then at Harvard, he enrolled in a Social Entrepreneurship class at the Kennedy School of Government. “I was interested in learning how to create change by stimulating natural public action around a topic,” Varyu explains. “Social Entrepreneurship offered a perfect approach, because it explores how market mechanisms can be used to entice public buy-in to a social cause.”
Varyu developed a plan “that could stimulate public participation through factors citizens are already sensitized to, including saving money and helping their kids.”
Varyu's idea was reinforced by a local pilot involving students in Cambridge, Massachusetts schools and Boy Scout troops, who sold energy-saving Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs) through a partnership with local energy company NSTAR. The children raised $32,773 as they simultaneously created marketing materials and devised an educational program for ninth graders to use to teach younger children about climate change. Buoyed by the success of the test market, Varyu founded ITSCOOL to expand the program nationwide. He subsequently moved to Seattle and began exploring ways to continue his ideas there.
In September 2007, he attended the 60th Annual United Nations conference, “Climate Change: How It Impacts Us All.” He met Jessica Fagan, a lifetime Girl Scout and Compton Fellow working on a year’s grant to establish a Girl Scout program to address climate change. Fagan and Varyu worked together to form a partnership with the Girl Scouts.
Varyu submitted an exhaustive request to the State Farm Insurance Youth Advisory Board for funding to support a pilot program using Girl Scout troops in Virginia and two high schools in Seattle. On March 4, State Farm will publicly announce the grant in a press conference and check presentation at GSVSC headquarters in Roanoke.
Under the program, Girl Scouts and older Seattle high school students will sell the energy-efficient CFLs to raise money for their troops and schools. They will also be trained to teach younger children about global warming and the dangers of climate change.
“If we are going to reach the emissions reductions necessary by 2020 to avoid a climatic ‘tipping point,’ we need to make use of energy-saving technologies as soon as they are market-ready, rather than waiting until it is convenient,” says Varyu. “Nothing tried in the U.S. has brought the sale of CFLs above six percent of bulbs sold in the 14 years they’ve been on the market. It will take the voice of our children to move beyond that.”
Through this effort, teenagers “will learn the facts about global warming and what we can do about it,” he continues. “Parents will learn that their children are the go-to people for this important societal change and understand that the key to solving global warming starts with the changes we make at home.”
“We are so excited to be part of this pilot program,” says Wendy Mellenthin, GSVSC’s chief executive officer. “One of our goals in Girl Scouting is to make the world a better place. We do that in part by giving our girls the knowledge they need to make informed decisions. Through this wonderful project, our older girls will actually be passing along information to their younger counterparts. It’s an excellent opportunity for all concerned.”
If the project goes as expected in GSVSC, the light bulb sales may be expanded throughout Girl Scouts of the USA.
“Our children have the energy, the hope and the creativity it will take to solve global warming,” notes Varyu. “It’s time we started letting them use it.”
Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline Council is a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring girls to build courage, confidence, and character through programs that develop life skills in business, entrepreneurship, science, and technology; provide adventures and challenges in sports, the environment, and the great outdoors; and encourage girls to give back to their communities through service projects conducted locally, across the United States, and internationally.
Contacts:
Jen Ward, Director of Marketing & Communications, Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline Council, 540.777.5113
Sarah Marion, Chief Development Officer, Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline Council, 540.777.5124
Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline Hosted “Fall for Girl Scouting” At New Program Center
November 12, 2007
On November 11, 2007, Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline Council hosted a community event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at their new program center they purchased in September located at 5488 Yellow Mountain Road in Roanoke. The event was an afternoon festival to commemorate Veterans Day, invite the community to become involved in a community service project for our active military and their families, and introduce the community to the new 63-acre Girl Scouts Program Center.
Throughout the day, those in attendance enjoyed demonstrations and activities that included:
- Live Traditional Music from the Roots of Virginia by Judy, Henry, & Jack
- Commonwealth Search & Rescue Dogs and Horses
- TheraPets Therapy Dogs
- “Creek Critters” Aquatic Insect ID at the creek with Virginia Western
- Virginia Bass Association Casting Competition
- Outdoor Cooking Demonstrations
- Tent, Backpacking, and Outdoor Camping City
- Tie-a-Knot
- Building Tours & A Hike along the Creek
- Games of Fun
- Playing with the big earth ball; floating the big parachute; or playing on the big ‘ole hopscotch board!
- Craft Corner
- Making cards to send to the soldiers in Iraq; Creating a Pride Pin; or making Cascade of Stars mobiles.
- Roanoke County Police Bicycle Squad on site
- Face Painting Booth
- Balloons for the Kids
- Door Prize winners every half hour!
- Lunch and refreshments
At 2:00 pm, Girl Scouts held their first official flag raising ceremony on the new property. The ceremony was conducted by Girl Scout Troop 168 of the Nelson Service Unit from Afton, Virginia, Troop 03, of the Golden Link Service Unit from Roanoke, Virginia, Troop 3125 of the Two Rivers Service Unit, from Concord, Virginia, Troop 802, of the Golden Link Service Unit from Roanoke, Virginia, and Troop 434 of the Golden Link Service Unit from Roanoke, Virginia. The American flag was donated by Troop 168 of Afton in honor of Captain Jen Martin, mother of Brownie Girl Scout Mikaela Georgiou, who is currently serving in Iraq. Morgan Griffiths presented the Virginia State flag at the ceremony which was followed by a moment of silence to honor our veterans and our military men and women serving in Iraq. At the closing of the ceremony, Troops 168, 03, 802, 3125, and 434 immortalized the momentous occasion of the first official flag ceremony at the new program center by placing their hands and initials in cement. This will be incorporated into the beautiful mosaic that will fill this area around the flags when development of the property begins to take place.
Girl Scouts collected numerous items at the event from the community for a community-wide service project and Troops throughout the Skyline Council’s 36-county area are still inviting the community to participate through November 30. Girl Scouts are collecting items to ship to Virginians serving in Iraq and distribute to their families in the Council’s local area in time for the holidays. A complete list of needed items is posted on the Council’s website at www.gsvsc.org. Items can be given to any Girl Scout or Girl Scout Troop or be dropped off at the Council’s headquarters office in Roanoke at 3663 Peters Creek Road.
For more information, call 540-777-5113.
A special thanks from Girl Scouts to all of our volunteers, program contributors, and the event sponsors of Fall for Girl Scouting that included Bank of Botetourt, Kroger, Reddy Ice, David Hungate of Dominion Images, Food Lion, General Sales, and Lee Hartman & Sons.   
Girl Scouts to Honor Gold Award Recipients and Volunteers at Second Annual Awards Banquet
Friday, April 20, 2007
On Friday, April 20, 2007, at approximately 6 pm, Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline Council will host the second annual Girl Scout Awards & Recognitions Banquet honoring the council’s Gold Award recipients and volunteers receiving council awards and recognition. The banquet will be held at the Salem Civic Center at 1001 Boulevard in Salem, Virginia.
The ceremony will begin after dinner and will recognize the council’s Gold Award recipients from the past year. Over 80 girls in the council’s 36 counties of southwestern, western, central, and southside Virginia achieved the Gold Award during the 2006-2007 year. The Gold Award is the highest award a Girl Scout can achieve and requires that each girl prove her leadership abilities by designing and carrying out a plan of activities that includes 65 hours of volunteer community service as well as career exploration and a series of specialized interest projects.
In addition, the evening will also honor some very special volunteers for their spirit and dedication to Girl Scouting as they are awarded the Thanks Badge and the Honor Pin. These council awards are given to volunteers who have given truly outstanding service above and beyond the call of duty.
The evening’s special guests will include keynote speaker, Delegate Anne B. Crockett-Stark, and our host of the evening, Angela Hatcher, reporter for Channel 10 News. The council’s board of directors, recognitions committee, and Gold Award committee will also be among the special guests.
Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline Council is extremely thankful for the support and sponsorship of this event by the following businesses: ABC Bakery of Richmond, Virginia; Dominion Images of Roanoke, Virginia; Fink’s Jewelers of Roanoke, Virginia; Kroger of Roanoke, Virginia; and Wells Fargo Insurance Services of Roanoke, Virginia. |
Awards Ceremony
Program Center Naming Winners
ITSCOOL Check Presentation
|
