100th Anniversary - Guest Blog: Frotscher

This week, we are featuring Sally Frotscher, someone who has known the importance of Girl Scouting her entire life.  Sally is the Regional Director at our Des Moines location, and Greater Iowa is proud to have her on staff.  We thank her for her reflections and thoughts on the Scouting experience.

As a reminder, our offices will be closed next week for the Holidays.  If you would like to be our next guest blogger, please email us and tell us your story!  Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

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Sally Frotscher
Regional Director
Girl Scouts of
Greater Iowa

     As we approach our 100th anniversary I have been reflecting on the changes that I have seen and things that have stayed the same about Girl Scouts since I joined in 1965.  As I like to tell people about the "dark ages"…. the 60’s ... the only thing for me to be involved in was Girl Scouts or 4H.  Our school district, North Scott, though consolidated in 1957, did not have girl’s athletics.  We signed petitions and finally got intramurals like bowling and archery; but by then I was in high school and Girl Scouts and a part time job filled up my extra time.
     I joined Girl Scouts in 3rd grade – Daisy Girl Scouts were not available for the younger grades and Brownies were second and third grade.  I remember asking/begging to join and finally by third grade I was able to join my friends.  Back then, North Scott was a hodge podge of older small elementary schools, and one room buildings in the area.  I went to second grade in a one room building.  In third grade, I went to the small elementary in Eldridge which meant I could walk to the Lutheran Church every Tuesday with my friends to Brownie meetings.  Back then, Brownies did not work on badges, instead, we did a lot of service projects and had a lot of fun.  In fourth grade, I was back in a one room building and continued with Girl Scouts as the buses took us to Eldridge for our meetings still on Tuesdays after school.  We continued meeting on Tuesdays all through high school. 
     I was a fortunate girl as two of our leaders stayed with us all the way – they were two very strong, and different, women. Mrs. Arp was a farm wife who helped run their dairy/grain farm.  They always seemed to have a baby calf in the kitchen that needed just a bit of extra care and warmth to survive.  She showed us that women could do anything as my own mother, also a farm wife, modeled.  Our other leader was Mrs. Swanson, a wife to the manager of the grain elevator.  She had a fun spirit and her hair style reminded us of a duck tail - she never minded the teasing of that!  We did lots of crafts, camping, and selling of cookies.
     The culmination of Girl Scouts came after our Junior year of high school.  Our troop saved money for several years, and Mrs. Arp and a woman from the GS council in Davenport – River Bend, chaperoned a group of us to Europe.  We most enjoyed the nights at Our Chalet and hikes up the mountain to watch the cheese maker blow his horn to let the community know that the cheese was ready.  We also met Girl Guides from England and Norway who were staying there with us. 
     When I graduated high school, though I stayed in touch with my Girl Scout friends, I thought my Girl Scout days (10 years) were over.  Fast forward to 1991 when my daughter comes home at the end of kindergarten with an "I’m Interested in Daisy Girl Scouts" flyer - somehow, I magically became a Girl Scout adult volunteer!  I checked the box that said I would help the leader, and so did my neighbor.  We became co-leaders and good friends, due to our daughter’s interests in Girl Scouts.  We continued to be their leaders for nine years as they got older and interests varied they had so many more choices of things to give their free time to than I had as a child. 
     While Girl Scouts has been changing with the times and working hard to keep up to the speed of girl… some things do not change.  One is our continued goal to provide girls with leadership experiences.  When I think back to being patrol leader of my Junior Girl Scout group, I realized I gained valuable leadership experience.  I gained confidence by speaking in front of my peers in those patrol meetings.  I was shy as a child and my parents raised the six of us to be “seen and not heard” as that was how they wanted their children to behave.  But the good thing with Girl Scouts is it allowed me to have a voice.
     I was reminiscing with one of my sisters at Thanksgiving about our fond memories of a week at Girl Scout camp, Camp Conestoga.  We are a year and a half apart in age and had different interests.  For me, it a week away from the family.  I had an entire week at camp all to myself – no siblings at all in the same group - it was my vacation time. 
     I know that some day when my they are a mother to a girl who brings home that "I’m Interested" form, that the girls from my daughter’s troop have the courage to volunteer to help their daughters and her friends make our world a better place.

-Sally Frotscher

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100th Anniversary - Guest Blog: Carroll

This week we are honored to feature Norah Carroll, a digital strategist at Lava Row, as our guest blogger. We want to thank Norah for her unique perspective on the lessons she took away from the Girl Scout experience.   Enjoy!

If you are interested in becoming our next guest blogger, email us and tell us your story!

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Norah Carroll
Digital Strategist
Lava Row

When I was growing up, I participated in just about every activity I could find. I took ice skating lessons, piano lessons, swimming lessons, and Irish dance lessons. I was in the art club, the chess club, student council, and the school band. It might have had something to do with my mom being a teacher – “learning opportunities!” – but I was eager to seize every opportunity that came my way, and when I learned that a few of my 4th grade classmates were in a Girl Scout troop, I knew I had to join.
 


I don’t remember much from the two years I was in Girl Scouts, though the Girl Scout Promise has managed to stick with me (does anyone ever really forget that?) To be honest, my time in Girl Scouts wasn’t particularly life changing. I was in a troop with girls I never got to know very well, and though I was ambitious about earning badges, Girl Scouts was never a priority among all the other activities in which I participated. 

But there was one aspect of my Girl Scouts experience that changed me forever: how it ended.
 
By the end of my second year in Troop 870, my fellow Girl Scouts and I were in the midst of preparing for the start of middle school – saying goodbye to things like recess and playing outside after school and swapping out our flavored Lip Smackers for (gasp!) colored lip gloss. Elementary school was ending, and with that, we faced the unknowns of a new school with new expectations and social pressures. Girl Scouts took the hit.
 
It all started when my troop voted down a camping trip because hairdryers weren’t permitted on the packing list. I remember complaining to my mom about it when she picked me up after our troop meeting, “But I don’t even use a hairdryer!” From there, everything went downhill. The rest of the girls became convinced that Girl Scouts wasn’t cool, and our troop disbanded before we started 6th grade.
 


No one ever describes middle school as the best years of their lives. For many young women, these “in between” years are our most vulnerable (and most painful), filled with uncertainty and hurt and questions and the seemingly insurmountable feeling of being alone. My Girl Scout troop disbanded on the brink of all of that, and though I knew I wasn’t ready for my Girl Scouts experience to end, I didn’t have the courage to voice the unpopular opinion. What 11-year-old does?
 


Girl Scouts, if we let it, can be the bridge that carries our young women through these most confusing years. It can be the sisterhood cheering them on as they take risks; as they strive to learn and grow and to pursue their dreams; as they find their own ways, big and small, to begin changing the world. A movement that builds girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place? I may not have had the courage to stand up for it at 11, but I do now.

- Norah Carroll

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100th Anniversary - Guest Blog: Lidgett

This week we bring you a guest blog entry from Liz Lidgett, co-founder of 100+ Chicks for Charity. We want to thank Liz for contributing to our guest blog and for all of the work she does in the community.

If you are interested in being our next guest blogger, email us and tell us your story!

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Liz Lidgett
co-founder
100+ Chicks for Charity

My 4th grade year, one of my best friends asked me to join her Girl Scout Junior troop. When I decided to become a Girl Scout I thought that it was going to be just a fun way for girls to get together and braid each other’s hair. Nothing important would come from it but it would be fun...

What really happened is that I had a fantastic year where I met great girl friends but also learned the importance of girls working together to create an impact.

Years later that same lesson is what stayed with me when a group of women decided to create the 100+ Women Who Care and the 100+ Chicks for Charity. Our members come from all walks of life and different financial backgrounds. As individuals we feel that it can be difficult to make a very large impact, but as a group we have the ability to contribute to the growth of our community in ways that we never thought possible.

During my year as a Girl Scout, I did end up learning how to french braid... but I also learned so many more valuable lessons that have stayed with me to this day.

-Liz Lidgett 

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100th Anniversary - Guest Blog: Kennedy

We welcome Mary Anne Kennedy, a prominent business owner in our community, to our guest blog. Thank you, Mary Anne, for your thoughtful words and for being a proud supporter of Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa!

If you are interested in being our next guest blogger, email us and let us know! 

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Mary Anne Kennedy
Owner
Primary Source, Inc.

Girl Scouting made me the business & community leader than I am today!

Among the crafts, songs, games, badges and camp, there were other things going on….  Seeds were planted that I could succeed at anything I put my mind to.  Leaders encouraged me to be brave to show a project in front of a group.  Fellow Girl Scouts challenged me to see what I could accomplish in a game or a mission.

Looking back, that was the start of what would eventually help me fill a role as a business owner.  I didn’t hesitate when I had the opportunity – I knew I could lead a company and employees to be successful, profitable, and still have fun at work!

I also saw how we, as Girl Scouts, were a respected and relied upon part of the community.
I think that feeling stayed with me.  When I was sought to be president of a local chamber of commerce, I accepted the responsibility and challenge to lead that group and improve the business climate as much as possible.

I also felt very comfortable to run as president of an area chapter of the American Business Women’s Association.  This was yet another opportunity to encourage other business women to be leaders in their companies and communities, as we focused on education and professional development in addition to raising scholarship money for young women.

The love of Girl Scouting and their purpose is in my heart.  I grew up to be a Girl Scout troop leader!  I hope I showed the girls to be leaders themselves, to not be afraid to try new things or to meet new people.  I trust my positive encouragement helped my Girl Scouts think BIG about what they could achieve in school & in life.  I know it laid the groundwork for fantastic possibilities, just as my young experience with Girl Scouts did!

- Mary Anne Kennedy

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I'm a Rock Star: A Rockin' Good Time

“I’m a Rock Star” events have been taking place all through the month of November throughout our jurisdiction!

Girls had a blast in Yale, Iowa getting "glammed up".  25 new girls registered to be Girl Scouts that night (brought to the event by their 16 friends!)  Girls learned what true teamwork means as they decorated a banner that read, “I’m a Rock Star!”

I'm a Rock Star!

Volunteers helped the girls get pizza and decorate paper bags for them to take home. Together, everyone recited the Girl Scout Promise before breaking off into five groups to begin their glamorous transformation!

At various stations, girls decorated microphones, had their faces painted, and received Girl Scout tattoos that read, “GIRLS ROCK!”  Girls made gorgeous jewelry out of duct tape and rhinestones, made lip gloss and glitter lotion, and polished off their look with dress-up items!  They transformed themselves into Rock Stars, full of glitter,  sequins, and even some cowgirl hats!  (NOTE: Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa staff members say they already knew the girls were Rock Stars—they just helped glam them up a little!)

Finally, in all of their Rock Star glory, girls got their pictures taken in front of the banner they had decorated!

Of course, girls were able to take their microphones, handmade custom jewelry, lip gloss, and glitter lotion home with them!  It was a great night and the girls had a ROCKIN’ time!

Check out our Rock Star photostream! 

December's themed events are just around the corner!  It'll be ArtRageous!   

100th Anniversary - Guest Blog: Tuttle

We welcome our own Girl Scout Retail Shop Manager, Julie Tuttle, to our guest blog this week.   We thank her for her positive attitude and continued passion for Girl Scouts – it serves as an inspiration to us all!

Let us know if you would like to be our next guest blogger by emailing us your story.

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Julie Tuttle
Retail Shops Manager
Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa

Girl Scouts has been a big part of my life since I was a Daisy (we won’t mention how long ago that was).  I remember spending time with my friends, marching in parades, selling cookies, collecting pop tabs to take to the Ronald McDonald house, and probably causing our Leaders a little more trouble than they anticipated.  (We paid the price for it later because our Troop Leaders were my Mom and my best friend’s Mom)! 

Making time for Girl Scouts was also a priority for me growing up.  Once I got to middle school and then high school all these other activities started to present themselves.  But, between softball practice, golf and volleyball practice, youth choir, basketball games, football games, having fun with my friends, and eventually working, Girl Scouts was always there for me!  Somehow I managed to find time to earn both my Silver and Gold Awards (there wasn’t a Bronze Award yet), and I can remember getting ready for the Awards Ceremony with the rest of the girls in our troop.  We all tried to do each other’s hair and pick outfits out for everyone (ha ha - somewhere there is a scrapbook with all of that chaos in it)!

By having Girl Scouts as a constant in my life, it has helped me to gain the confidence and courage that I have today to run all five of our council shops and our online shop.  To now be working for the Girl Scouts adds a little more character every day, and I’m thankful I learned how to respect both the people and things around me, as well as organization, time management, and appreciation for the little things that make a big difference!

I am located in Des Moines, so, if you are in the area, feel free to stop in to our shop and chat with us sometime!

-Julie Tuttle

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I00th Anniversary - Guest Blog: Hernandez

We are happy to feature the executive director of Chrysalis, Terry Hernandez, in our guest blog series.  Thank you, Terry, for everything you do for women and girls in our community and for writing up such a thought-provoking message! 

Let us know if you would like to be our next guest blogger by emailing us your story.

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Terry Hernandez
Executive Director
Chrysalis

(a public
foundation
supporting girls
and women)

This is the world we live in.  Scouting is one of the ways girls learn to navigate through it.

In the 4+ decades since my days as a [Girl Scout] Brownie, the world has changed dramatically.  What we learn and the way we learn it – especially for young girls – may not always be through the preferred teachers.

For example, in today’s world:

American teenagers spend more than 10 hours a day consuming media, most of it filled with content that objectifies women and distorts their bodies.

• 53% of 12 year old girls feel unhappy with their bodies, 78% of 17 year old girls feel unhappy with their bodies, and 65% of women and girls have an eating disorder.
• Rates of depression among girls and women have doubled between 2000 and 2010.
• Girls are learning to see themselves as objects.  The American Psychological Association calls self-objectification a national epidemic: Women and girls who self-objectify are more likely to be depressed, have lower confidence, lower ambition, and lower GPAs. 
• Women respond to advertisers' messages of never being good enough:  American women spend more money on the pursuit of beauty than on their own education.

Is it any wonder?

For me, and for girls today, the most important place to be outside of the family is with other girls and supportive adults.  Research proves it and I concur.  Girl Scouts provides just that.

As I remember the excitement of wearing my uniform to school (beanie and all!), I recall the knowing look I shared with other Girl Scouts as we proudly walked the hallways.  We felt we were part of something larger – part of a trusted group of friends that was doing good.  We were excited about what our adult leaders had planned for our troop meetings (especially the overnight and summer trips to Camp Sacajewea) and about being with a group of girls with whom we shared a strong bond.

Girl Scouting today shares a strong position in enriching girls’ lives in the out-of-school hours, the time when we’re often alone, online, or possibly influenced by other kids and risky behaviors.

Much like the work we do at Chrysalis today, Girl Scouts provides a safe place for girls to be.  Scouting builds strength and resilience that girls need to mitigate the effects of media, peers, gangs, and a society that often presents the wrong image of what a girl or woman should be.  Thank goodness for scouting.
 
 - Terry Hernandez

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100th Anniversary - Guest Blog: Lucci

We are excited to celebrate our 100th anniversary and how 100 years of Girl Scouting has affected and impacted the lives girls lead. If you are looking to be inspired by life lessons, heartwarming stories, the history of Girl Scouts, and/or thoughts on what Girl Scouting has meant to so many in Iowa, and across the nation, then this guest blog series is just right for you.

We'll feature stories/quotes by Girl Scout alumnae, prominent leaders in the community, troop leaders, and some who have soared to stardom!

Our first guest blogger, and former Girl Scout, is from the star of “All My Children,” Susan Lucci.  Thank you, Susan, for your positive contribution! 

Please let us know if you would like to be our next guest blogger by emailing us and sharing your story. We would love to hear from you!

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Susan Lucci
Actress
"All My Children"

I just loved being a Girl Scout! I have always loved learning things and having new experiences - then and now. Girl Scouts gave me the opportunity to set goals - achieving merit badges on my sash by learning skills in such a wide variety of areas - from life saving to bird watching to baking! 

Clearly, "Erica Kane" was never a Girl Scout, but I'm really glad I was! 

Love, Susan Lucci

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Masquerade Madness: Celebrating the ‘Inner Ghoul’ of the Girl!

Masquerade Madness (our October 2011 theme) was a huge success! Thanks so much to everyone who attended one of our events or helped out at one! We’ve had a great time hearing stories and seeing photos of the ‘ghouls,’ which is why we want to share some of our most memorable Masquerade Madness moments with you all!  Ghouls from all over Iowa took part in these awesome events! 

Awesome Mask!

In Guthrie County, about 25 girls were dressed to impress.  They were sporting witch hats, princess crowns, and true masquerade masks at their Masquerade Madness event! There was also a vampire in attendance, a bumble bee, and even Punky Brewster! (What a great T.V. show that was!)

Before the event started, girls made their own name tags, picked out super-cool bat rings, and showed off a few of their dance moves before the party started!  After bustin’ a move, the girls recited the Girl Scout Promise.  Girls were soon painting pumpkins, taking part in a new and improved version of Bobbing for Apples, drinking Ghoul-Aid, and dancing to monster music!

The Halloween Olympics followed. What a treat that was! Girls batted bats, rolled eyeballs, and raced plastic spiders to the finish line. The girls were having a blast cheering their teammates to victory.

Girls then used their creative juices to make special Girl Scout banners for their home towns… they turned out great!  The Skeleton Scavenger Hunt topped off the event! Girls had to gather several scattered skeleton bones and piece them together to create… you guessed it, a skeleton!!!

As the event wrapped up, the witches, pirates, and princesses gathered in a circle.  They chatted and passed treat bags around, giving each and every ghoul the chance to meet tons of other new ghouls! It served as an awesome opportunity to make new friends and have fun with old ones!

Thanks again to everyone who attended the event! We hope you all had as much fun as we did!

Click here to view our Flickr photostream for Masquerade Madness events!

You go ghouls!

Arrivederci Europe!

7/25/11:  We had a fabulous time touring the 7 countries of Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France and England.  We got to experience so many different things, from learning how to make cheese in the Netherlands, climbing to the top of the Mt. Pilatus and seeing the Neuschwanstein Castle, taking pictures on the cobblestone in front of Notre Dame, to watching Harry Potter in London.  The stories are endless and we would like to thank EF Tours for putting on such a wonderful tour.  We couldn’t be more excited to share our pictures and experiences with friends, family and fellow Girl Scouts!  So until we meet again Europe!

Bonjour from Paris!

7/16/11: We've spent the past two days in Paris and have been roaming the streets of Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower.  This morning we got a tour of the city from a Paris tour guide, however it was interrupted by a rain shower, but don't worry we still learned a lot and got to enjoy the sights from the dry bus.  In the tour we saw the different government buildings, the tunnel where Princess Diana died and of course the Eiffel Tower and amazing shopping!  After our tour, we had the option of visiting the Lourve, which is the museum that the Mona Lisa is in. Believe it or not, but the Mona Lisa is actually very small.  The Lourve houses many famous pictures and sculptures and is one of the world's most visited museums!  After museums comes shopping and eating!  Paris had many fantastics shops for all the Girl Scouts to experience as well as some amazing food.  Who doesn't love crepes?!  We had a great time in Paris, but we're off to bed as we leave for London very early tomorrow morning!  As they say in Paris - Au revior! (Good-bye in French)

Posting by Mikaela

Backtrack Post (by Mikaela): 7/10/11

Today was an early, long day. We got up at 5:30 am and got ready to leave by 6:45 am. We were heading to Shloss (castle) Neuschwanstein . It was about a 3 hour ride in the bus. It gets pretty boring in the bus, so I listen to my  i-pod and read my Seventeen magazines. We stop about every two hours for a restroom break. You have to pay to use public restrooms here! It’s pretty rare to find one where you don’t have to pay. That stinks. Anyway, the castle was stunning. We had to walk a long, tiring way uphill, but it was good exercise. The castle was home to King Ludvig II, for only about 172 days before he died mysteriously. (Most likely murder.) The outside of the castle was beautiful, but the inside was absolutely, amazingly, gorgeous. I want to live there! It’s probably the most beautiful castle in the world. I’m so glad I got to see it. After Neuschwanstein, we traveled a few hours to Innsbruck, Austria, where we stopped for a little bit. They had tons of cute little tourist souvenir shops there. I got a little animal keychain. We also got a piece of chocolate cake to try at the hotel. It was really soft and yummy. Then, it was a long drive to Italy. We are currently in Lido, Italy. There’s no air conditioning in the hotel, but it cools down at night. We went to the beach at around 11:30 pm and the moonlight on the water was beautiful! I really like Italy so far. We’ve got a long hot day in Venice tomorrow!

Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland

7/12/11:  What a crazy last few days!  We've been to three different countries and the trip keeps getting better.  On Saturday, we experienced the culture of Munich while taking in the sights from a tour guide.  On Sunday, we traveled to Italy, making a few stops in Innsburk, Austria and at the castle that was the inspiration of Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty, Neuschwanstein. Neuschwanstein was the castle that Ludwig II lived in for a mere 176 days before he mysteriously drown in a lake near the castle.  We were able to walk throughout the castle and see rooms like the King's chamber and kitchen.  It was amazing to think we walked in the same halls of Ludwig!!

After the castle we finally arrived in Venice.  The city was full of history and was so beautiful to walk through.  Some of the girls experienced a gondola ride through the canals.  It was a wonderful, but very HOT experience.  After a long day of touring St. Martin's Square, museums and shops it was time for a nice evening on the Mediterranean Sea Beach."

Can't wait to see what the next few days are going to bring us!!!

Girl Scouts in Europe

7/7/11: After a flight delay and day-long layover in Chicago, the Girl Scout crew finally made it to Europe! We landed in Amsterdam this morning and went right into touring the beautiful city. After arriving at the airport, we met up with the rest of our group in the heart of the city. The group consists of students from Canada, California and a tour guide based out of Germany. We began this morning with a brief bus tour of the city, followed by a cheese farm demonstration where we ate cheese that had aged for more than 5 years - It was delicious! After our cheese demonstration, we went on a boat tour of all the canals throughout the city, followed by our own free time to enjoy the sights. The city is very busy, buzzing with people of all cultures! I can’t wait to see what the next few days have in store for us! Tomorrow we leave for Germany bright and early, so we are off to bed. Goede nacht (good night in Dutch)!