100th Anniversary - Guest Blog: Sanchez

We welcome Brianne Sanchez to our guest blog role this week. Brianne is a writer based in Des Moines and has some great comments regarding Girl Scouts! 

If you'd like to be our next guest blogger, please email us and let us know!

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Brianne and troop earning Silver Award
(with rented uniforms)

Girl Scouting was a fundamental shaper in the person I’ve become, so I’m compelled to share a few memories — and hilarious photos.

As a kid, camp was a trial run at independence. A few short days spent in the woods close to home, holding a flashlight in one hand and my nose in the other in the spider-filled latrines. Then a week or two in the northern woods of Wisconsin, where we’d sing over the calls of loons in the night. My mom used to send me with candy to help me make friends with girls on the bus during the eight hour ride up. (Because everyone wants to sit with the girl packing treats, right?)

I’d always come back changed in some way, and come back with new ideas (sometimes about nose rings and eating baby food as a snack, like my counselors). It was a chance to be a little bit wild, to live as a girl outside of time and city.

Most girls only stayed in through Brownies, or a year or two of Juniors. Girl Scouting stopped being cool when sports and boys and those sorts of things entered the picture. I was never very cool. And my mom was the leader, so I was in for life. I remember selling cookies in the freezing cold outside of the video store in high school, and being mildly mortified when people I knew (OK, people I had a crush on) would see me. It taught me hard work. We collected cans and turned them in for spare change so we could take trips to places like Mackinac Island and … Cleveland. We were Troop Beverly Hills, with braces.

Brianne on an Outward Bound trip during high school.

In high school, I had an after school job in the council shop, selling badges and whatnot. Sometimes I’d even dress in historic uniforms and give presentations from the persona of Juliette Low, Girl Scouts’ founder. And then things started to get truly fantastic. Through the Wider Ops program, I spent a week backpacking in the Sierra Nevada mountains with instructors from Outward Bound.

I flew to Germany by myself the month after graduating high school for a three week tour of Europe that involved hiking in the Alps (an experience I re-created with Joe for our honeymoon!) and crewing a sailboat with other Scouts from all over the world. Thanks to Girl Scouts, I have a stamp from Liechtenstein in my passport and the courage to push myself to experience adventures.

The summer after my freshman year of college, I worked as a counselor at a camp in Colorado. I went by the camp name “Ripple.” I lost a llama. My walk to work every day passed a field of horses. I got helicoptered out of the wilderness. A rodent ate my sleeping bag while I was climbing Pike’s Peak. I had close encounters with bears while carrying pizza supplies. It was the most random, story-filled summer of my life. And I owe it to Girl Scouts.

Because of Girl Scouts: I’m more creative, more outdoorsy, more open, more hardworking, more loyal, more generous. Thanks to my mom for encouraging me to stay in it and for showing me what it means to be a leader. Happy Birthday to all of the Girl Scouts out there!

This entry is being used with permission directly from her own blog.  Click here to read more and view her Girl Scout pictures!

- Brianne Sanchez

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100th Anniversary - Guest Blog: Sauka

This week, we are thrilled to feature Danielle Sauka as a guest blogger! Danielle is a TV producer at KCCI Channel 8 in Des Moines and has been involved in Girl Scouts ever since she was in first grade! We want to thank Danielle for this wonderful entry.

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

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Danielle Sauka
TV Producer
KCCI Channel 8
Des Moines

My experience in Girl Scouts has been anything but ordinary. The organization and the people I have met through it, have changed my life.  To start, it was average, my mom was the leader of our troop… we sold cookies, planted flowers, and made crafts. But a few years in, most of the girls lost interest and our troop called it quits. (Sorry, Mom) However my friend Jenny and I weren’t quite ready to give up on Girl Scouts… and we were scooped up by another troop leader, Valerie McLagan. 

Val welcomed us to her troop with open arms and a big smile.  Val was unlike anyone I had ever met before, she was genuinely unique. Val became so much more than a troop leader… she was our second mom, our role model, and our good friend. She treated us like equals instead of kids. She encouraged our troop to run with our ideas and goals, no matter how impossible they seemed. One of our biggest ideas?  A troop trip to Florida for spring break! She supported us, but didn’t do it for us... helping with fund raising ideas and showing us how to book a flight. With Val’s support (and parental permission) we spent a week on the beach in Sarasota. Probably not your typical Girl Scout troop activity, but that trip was so eye-opening, my first true test of independence. To board the plane, knowing we made it happen was a feeling unlike any other. It wasn’t just a vacation, that trip helped build my courage, my confidence, and my character.

The trip also taught me to take advantage of opportunities… you see, our flight on the way home was overbooked, and Delta was looking for volunteers to give up their seats. We took the gamble, (with parental permission) and ended up in first class seats on our way to New York City for the night. Delta put us up in a hotel, with a flight back to the Twin Cities in the morning. We skipped sleep to tour the Big Apple…. visiting Times Square, the Statue of Liberty, and Ground Zero. But Val didn’t navigate the city for us, she put me in charge of figuring out how to get around on the subway system. Another lesson in independence.

Val’s other lasting life-lesson… live in the moment, slow down, take one thing at a time. I can remember driving home from camp, all us girls in the van. She didn’t speed down the highway, anxious for life’s next task after a week in the woods. She went the speed limit, enjoyed the ride and waved at the car passing us in the left lane.

I was asked to give an eulogy at her funeral in December of 2010… The final words read “A Girl Scout golden rule is to always leave a place better than you found it. I know Val left this world and our lives, much better than she found it.” 

- Danielle Sauka

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100th Anniversary - Guest Blog: Bishop

Thanks to Julie Bishop for contributing to our guest blog this week.  She is a Girl Scout Leader of a multi-grade level troop.  Read on to hear her inspiring story.

Would you like to be our next guest blogger?  Email us and let us know!

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Julie Bishop
Troop Leader
Troop #262

My name is Julie Bishop, and I am a Girl Scout! Looking back, I realize that I was always one, even if I didn't know it at the time.  You see, the reason for this is due to what the Girl Scouts stand for and what the organization hopes to teach young girls.  To me, it's very basic. Independence, self awareness, respect for myself, and for those around me.

I don't have a lot of background in Girl Scouts. I was only in a troop for a few months before my family moved away. But then, I had children. Three boys to be exact. Oh my! The joy of thinking that I can drop my boys off at a meeting for an hour, and have some alone time. Alas. I saw what an amazing program the Boy Scouts was, and I was off and running as assistant Den mother, Den leader, secretary, and so many other positions that don't have names but should because of the work involved!  

My boys grew up as they tend to do. As my oldest is graduating, my daughter is starting kindergarten. As I went for registration, I looked for the "sign up for Girl Scouts" sign that you can usually find. Well, it wasn't there. The closest troop was quite a distance away from our small town. There really was no choice as far as I was concerned. Thinking back on all my years as a Boy Scout, I really wanted my daughter the opportunity to become the best that she could be. 

Oh, don't get me wrong. I ran into so many obstacles right away. Finances. How do you start a troop on nothing? Location. Leaders. No real knowledge of what I was supposed to be teaching these girls. What exactly does "girl-led" mean?  As a parent, I only knew how to "lead". Then there was the time constraints. We started almost 2 months later than everyone else.  I couldn't believe how much the community from our small group of towns rallied around us! Donations were given. Crafts were given. I felt so very humbled.  

Our Troop just finished our first year! 15 girls from Daisy, Brownie, and Juniors.  The parents drive in from as far as 20 miles away for meetings. A very large percentage of my group is on  scholarships. That first year, I was all those jobs mentioned before, and so, so much more! I had wonderful parents and amazing girls, but I have to admit, it wasn't until now that I could say to myself. "YOU DID IT!"  "THEY DID IT!"  

You see. I am not an artsy person. I am not one for games, or songs. I can't remember names to save my life. I am marketing, numbers, and all the things that are boring to little girls. My worst fear was that I was not going to make it fun for the girls. I was so nervous those first few meetings. 

What I didn't stop to take into consideration is this. Children are usually easy to please. As long as they are learning something new, about the world, or themselves, then let them eat, and run while playing with each other, they are happy.  You see. My biggest fear turned into my greatest life lesson. The girls taught me that as long as you are in a safe environment, it's ok to "let your hair down", talk, play, learn, and in general, don't worry so much. The girls showed and told me what they wanted to learn, if I would quit being a parent, and would allow myself to be "led around" a little.  

I can honestly say that my greatest achievement so far in life is starting Troop 262! These 15 girls have showed me more of the world than I have ever seen. I only hope that I can return the favor!

- Julie Bishop

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The Future is Yours - Event & Overnight

High School Girls... Have you ever considered what's next in your life? 

Join us for an amazing opportunity for both high school girls and volunteers! We are hosting a unique overnight conference to help guide girls through a successful high school career and life beyond. You'll learn about career options, volunteer opportunities, and many other things to help you plan for your future!  Blogging for us is one of our fabulous breakout speakers for this year's event - read on!

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Alisa Link - RAGBRAI

My name is Alisa and I’m a Multimedia Producer at WHO-TV Channel 13 in Des Moines.  My title sounds really professional, but I have a lot of fun at my job. 

I’m so excited to be speaking at a breakout session for this year’s The Future is Yours Event. At this fantastic event, girls will have tons of opportunities to learn about how to prepare for the future! Our hope is that girls who attend will walk away feeling READY TO TAKE ON THE WORLD!

My session is called The Secrets of Social Media and Blogging Basics. In this day and age, social media is SO important. It can serve as a very useful tool when it comes to applying for college, applying for jobs, networking, and of course, is a great way to share your hobbies and experiences with friends and family!

During my break out session, I’m going to talk about its importance as well as how much fun social media and blogging can be! I’m also going to talk about Internet safety and a few warning signs to look out for when you’re cruising the Internet.  It’s important to remember that not everyone is who they say they are on the Internet. 

I’m also going to talk a little bit about my job at Channel 13! I write the stories for the website, www.whotv.com. Sometimes the stories are the same stories you hear on the news, but other times they’re stories about events and causes I am interested in, or I think "Des Moinesians" might be interested in.

Another part of my job is social media.  I run WHO’s Facebook page and I run the WHO Facebook and Twitter pages for our sports show, SoundOFF.  I also have a hand in helping our reporters with their blogs.  

RVTV

Social Media has brought me on so many adventures.  I blogged my way through RAGBRAI (see picture above)

I tagged along during RVTV (see picture at left)… 

And recently, I’ve invited my readers to read along as I eat locally grown food for 100 days. 

It’s always fun to write about my experiences and share them with the world!  I can’t wait to chat with you all during my break out session at The Future is Yours, which is right around the corner! You won’t want to miss out on this amazing event!  Can’t wait to see you all in July!

Click here to register for "The Future is Yours" today!

Sincerely,

Alisa Link

WHO-HD Multimedia Producer

 

100th Anniversary - Guest Blog: Meredith

We welcome Katie Meredith as our guest blogger.  She will soon be in 4th Grade at Clay Elementary in Altoona and is now a Girl Scout Junior! She became a Girl Scout Daisy in Kindergarten and has loved all of her fun experiences (as you will see in her letter) throughout her four years she's been with Troop #35.  She is excited to go to CSI week at Camp Sacajawea this summer and looks forward to making new friends and having more fun adventures.  Read more about why she loves Girl Scouts in her letter below.  

If you'd like to be our next guest blogger, email us and let us know!

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100th Anniversary - Guest Blog: Shook

Our thanks go to Emily Shook for this week's blog entry.  Emily is a Girl Scout Brownie and Cadette Troop Leader, as well as the co-Service Unit Manager for Urbandale.

Interested in being our next guest blogger?  Email us!

Do you have someone that you'd like to nominate at a Girl Scout Great?  Click here to learn more!

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Emily Shook

Girl Scout Brownie & Cadette
Troop Leader
Co-Service Unit Manager
Urbandale, IA

When I was asked to write a story for this blog, I thought about what part of Girl Scouts is most important to me. So I looked to the Girl Scout law, you can ask any of my girls and they will tell you what my favorite part of the law is.... "to be a sister to every Girl Scout". I've never had a sister and most of my life I've been outnumbered by boys, so the idea of being a sister is special to me. Girl Scouts all around the world are bound together in this unique sisterhood. I now have 10 million sisters!

Since I will probably never meet all 10 million of my sister Girl Scouts, I will focus on the ones that I have met! I am a sister to both my Brownie and a Cadette troops, and I have expanded beyond my girls to serve as the co-Service Unit Manager for Urbandale. I love all the friendships that have developed in all these areas.

My Cadette troop has been together since Kindergarten, and I've been their leader since they were first graders. It has been such an honor to watch them grown into young women. They are almost all as tall as me! They have become busy as their social lives expand and have become more involved in sports, music, church and other activities. Our troop meeting frequency and times are changing this year, all so they can remain together as they move into this next chapter of their lives. My hope is that the sisterhood of Girl Scouts ties these 16 girls together for life. The memories of horseback riding, playing football, decorating cakes, giving to others, and the countless other adventures we've had will make their friendships even sweeter. We are a diverse group of girls from every elementary school in the Urbandale area. Next year as the all go to same middle school, the sisterhood of Girl Scouts will connect them and be even more important. Watching our relationship change, from me being a leader to more of an advisor and friend has been great.

It is also fun to watch with anticipation as my Brownie girls move forward and mature. I am definetly a more experienced leader than I was the first time around with this age. In their two years together, they've already matured and come out of their shells. The shy little group of girls I had, has blossomed into an outgoing friendly group. I know that as they move forward together, they will find their friendship and the bond of sisterhood growing even stronger between them.

Girl Scouts has broaden my connections in my community as well as brought about friendship with other families that we may never of had. I am thankful for all the opportunities I've had...and if my math calculations are correct, I have at least another 15 years of fun!

- Emily Shook

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100th Anniversary - Guest Blog: Matthes

Monica Matthes brings her inspiring words to us this week as our guest blogger.  Read on to hear her fond reflections of Camp Lakota and her adventures in Girl Scouts - both as a girl and as a leader for her daughter's troop!

If you would like to be our next guest blogger, please email us!

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Monica Matthes and children
Girl Scout Troop Leader

It seems like so long ago, but the more I think about it the more the memories come streaming back. It was a dark night on my first night sleeping in a tent with girls I did not know in a place I was not yet comfortable in. The tears started and shortly after I heard sniffing from the other three girls who were experiencing the same thing as I was and that was home sickness. Of course after a week of fun, singing, cooking over the campfire, swimming every day, and horse back riding came the last night camp fire and the dread of telling all my friends and counselors good-bye.  Yes, I even remember the names of the counselors, Willy and Doc, and the tears started all over again - for different reasons.  Camp Lakota was a big part of my memories as a Girl Scout.  I still sing the songs and still know the Girl Scout Promise and even though the camp is no longer in operation I will always carry the memories with me forever. 

Twenty years later, my daughter was born.  I had the habit of telling stories and singing and one day I was singing a song I learned from the nights in front of the campfire at Camp Lakota. She loved it and I began to teach it to her.  Five years later, the prospect of becoming a Girl Scout Daisy was on the horizon. I did not have to talk her into it because she was more than ready to embark on the adventures that I often talked about.

Since then, five years have gone by and she is a Girl Scout Junior.  As for me, I am still active in the quality and quantity of life lessons that Girl Scouting gives to girls. My daughter Kiera is an outgoing young lady who is a leader, takes charge of situations and rights the wrongs especially when it comes to friends who are in trouble. She may be only 10, but with the guidance of Girl Scouts, she is outspoken, courteous, mild manner, and loves to be around people. We work together when it comes to Girl Scouts because even as a 40 year old I learn from Girl Scouts also. We sell cookies together, sell nuts together, put out flags for Memorial Day together, and do the lock-ins together. Last year we even did the Frontier Parade in Fort Dodge together to celebrate 100 wonderful years of Girl Scouts. I was a co-leader for three years of her Girl Scout career and will probably continue that this fall when I take on the fourth grade juniors as they continue to grow and learn about the all the possibilities Girl Scouts can give them.

I can not begin to explain how much Girl Scouts has meant to me and how many memories my daughter and I will carry with us for a long time.  Hopefully some day she will be singing songs or talking about memories of girl scouts to her daughter and another generation of Girl Scouts will be started. Girl Scouts are a wonderful group of young ladies learning from each other and from different generations. It gives girls a chance to learn how to become leaders, how to work as a team, and how to appreciate all the world can give them. I know in my heart that my daughter will find her little nitch in this world because of the courage, and knowledge she has learned from being a Girl Scout.

All I can say is thank you for leading this little girl to camp Lakota and teaching her how to engage in fun, creativity, and leadership and being able to pass that on to her daugther - together we are Girl Scouts.

-Monica Matthes

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