Bat Boxes for the Gold

(Excerpted from the GSUSA blog 12-19-12)

"Girl Scout Sara Koran, 17, installed bat houses at Pioneer Park in Loachapoka and educated the public on their purpose as her Girl Scout Gold Award project about environmental community awareness.  (She learned from her aunt that bats were becoming endangered in Alabama.)

  

The project includes research, construction and installation of the (bat) houses, and was designed with the intent of helping the species of bats in the area that are becoming endangered. She not only intended to help keep them safer, but to move them to the park where they could do some good for the area.

“The main reason for the bat houses is to keep them out of homes and unwanted places for people,” she said. “Bats prefer to be outside where they can hunt instead of inside. So it’s kind of a pest control kind of thing … but another benefit was that [at the park] they can eat mosquitoes and unwanted bugs for people.”

“What my project was supposed to do was make these bat houses and then also educate people on them,” Koran said. “So I made a PowerPoint and presented it to schools and I’ve done presentations on Second Saturdays at Pioneer Park to educate the people that came out.”

Pioneer Park is a project of the Lee County Historical Society, a nonprofit organization established in 1968 to promote the history of the county."

Is this up to the Gold Award Take Action Project standard?  Probably.  As I've said before, the only info I have is from a newspaper write-up!  Here's what I have to hope Sara also did!

(Potential) Issue:  Bats moving into people homes.   Too many mosquitoes/bad bugs in the open spaces.

Root cause: Suburban sprawl into bat's natural habitats.  Residents not knowing how to bat-proof their buildings.

Team:  The article doesn't say, but I hope that Sara got together a team of (non-Girl Scout) peers to help educate the community, and in presenting the information, making and installing the bat boxes. Sara would be the leader, but she could assign duties to her team to help.

Non-profit Partner:  I hope it was the Lee County Historical Society or perhaps a city department that was able to provide information and services.

Funding:  Perhaps from Sara's cookie money? Funds from the city?  Historical Society?  The article didn't say how many she built, but I hope that it was enough to make a sizeable difference in the bat population!

Measurability:  What could Sara measure?  Number of batboxes built, for sure.  Maybe number of people presented to at schools and community fair days?  Perhaps number of inhabited bat boxes? Reduction of visible bats in the neighborhood?  Reduction of calls to city dept. asking for bat removal?

Sustainability:  I would hope that the Historical Society would take on this role.  Remember, it is required for all Gold Award Projects that the girl ensure sustainability.  Thinking back to a friend's Eagle project, the batboxes he made were pretty much self-sustaining over many years.  Perhaps Sara also put together a video about the bat boxes and how to secure a residence against bats?  She could link that to school and city websites to drive residents to the information.

Global:  Now, Sara doesn't need to provide batboxes to the world! But if she is truly making a sustainable change in her community, then she needs to think, and talk about, how could this work if her work went further into the greater community?  What if every park in the county had bat boxes?  Would there be a visible reduction in bad bugs, and/or diseases caused by these bugs?  Would bats go back to foraging in the parklands, instead of in urban settings?  It's a conversation to have, so that  Sara understands the global implications.     

Year-end Donations

I was going through the mail this week, and as I sorted the bills from the holiday cards from the magazines, I noticed that I had a pile of year-end donation requests.

March of Dimes, Alzheimer's, Girl's Inc., American Heart Association, Human Options and Girl Scouts, to name a few.  My knee jerk response to the GSOC request was sort of, "well, I already give time and talent to the organization, that's enough."  

But then I got to thinking, no, that isn't enough. Sure, I participate on council and other volunteer committees, interview girls for the Gold, work on series, help train. But that doesn't help the council provide service to the girls we serve.  The girls sell cookies, and a percentage of each box goes to council operations.

And here's the rub, that's not enough money to provide service to over 25,000 members in Orange County.  It's not enough to provide additional outreach to underserved communities.  It's not even enough to open the doors every day at the service centers and the headquarters.  It's true, it takes funding from corporations who give back to a community.  It takes funding from older Girl Scouts who want to give back to a program they've loved with all their hearts for 30-40-50+ years.

And it takes funding from every adult who believes in the Girl Scout program.  Every adult like me, who had the absolute BEST time growing up in Scouting. Every adult who knows that Girl Scouting saves lives.  Every adult who sees his/her daughter growing up strong, and sees that some of that strength comes from the Scouting program.

Don't we have a desire to see every girl succeed?  And doesn't she deserve an opportunity to grow up with courage, confidence and character to make the world a better place?  Don't we want each of these girls to have the HUGE benefits of the Journey Leadership Experiences, badges, Awards, travel opportunities, destinations, and the proud distinction of being a Girl Scout.  I do. And I bet there are many more of you who do too.

As you're sorting the holiday mail, please consider a donation of any amount to Girl Scouts of Orange County.  Please make a difference in a girl's life. Not only your own daughter's, but every girl's who stands up tall and proud, and says, "On my honor, I will try..."

Gold Award Interviews

We had Gold Award Interviews a couple weeks ago, and I was positively impressed by just about every girl I interviewed.  Most of them had really thought out their projects well, and their applications were really complete.  Mostly....

Please, advisors, a couple key issues:

Remind your girls that this application is important!  It is not meant to be filled in with illegible pencil.  It is meant to be word processed, using complete sentences!  Or at least bullet points.  And not to be too picky, but spell check is a valuable tool to use!!!!

The timeline, or plan of action, should be there, even if it's only in a general manner.  We interviewers should be able to read the application, and have a pretty good idea of what is to be done, who will do it, and how long it will take.  I sent one application back for just that reason.  She had done a great project board with the info and her plan of attack, but it was not reflected in her application.  It was clear from the interview that she had done the work, thought it through and spent the time, but not on the application.  She replied to me within the week with the typed up info.  I made a copy to add to her file, and she was instantly approved!

Be sure that the Project Advisor has been trained!  We have at least 6 trainings coming up in the next year, so please be sure that the girl's advisor takes it!  We need to be sure that the Project Advisor is going to hear the high standards to which s/he must hold the girl.  

Be sure the girl knows that SHE is to do the work!  I had one girl say that she was waiting for the librarian to tell her what to do.  My response was that the GIRL needed to take the lead, chat with the librarian, and then create a curriculum to present for approval.  Again, if the librarian had taken the training (I wish!) she would have known how she could have coached the girl to do the work.

The more you can coach the girl to do a good job, the more likely she'll write a good app, have a great interview and be approved.  We interviewers want the girls to succeed, and we balance that with our duty to hold the girls to the raised bar standard.  These are great girls, and we want them to have a fantastic Gold Award Take Action Project experience, to be sure!

Golden for this Girl!

Excerpted from the GSUSA blog Dec.11, 20121

Kim Crawford, a Girl Scout from Brighton, has earned Girl Scouts’ highest honor, the Gold Award, for a project she did to collect 600+ toothbrushes and toothpaste for those in need in Africa. What makes this accomplishment even more special is Kim, who is a junior in high school, is developmentally delayed (she only reads at 1st grade level), but hasn’t let her disability hold her back.

Kim spent months on her project and received a lot of support from her Brighton community. Everyone who donated to the project signed a poster, which Kim sent to Africa with the donations. And all the people who received her donations in Africa also signed the poster and returned it at the end of the project. When talking to Kim, she uses the words “happy and proud” to describe how it made her feel to help others through this project. In fact, helping others is one of the main reasons she likes being a Girl Scout.

Kim is part of the Special Olympics and other organizations in her community, but Girl Scouts by far is her favorite where she’s been able to interact with peers who are not like herself.

I love to read about how every girl can have success in Girl Scouts!  This girl did the best she could, to the best of her ability. And she had success. I congratulate her on achieving her Gold Award!

Was this an appropriate Gold Award Project for an able-body/mind girl? No, it's really just a large collection project, but for Kim, it was a stretch.  But she truly connected to the project, and made a personal touch to those she served.

This is what we want all our girls to do:  make a difference in their community.  Touch those they mean to serve. Learn about needs, and choose one to fill.  As Kim did, they will lead with courage, confidence and character to make the world a better place. '

And that's what it's all about. 

  

How a GIRL might think about her Gold....

I received an email from a troop Gold Award Advisor, asking me about one of her girls' Gold Award Project.  And I thought I'd share what the girl wrote, and then what I wrote back.  Maybe it can help others advisors about who we Gold Award Interviewers think about the Gold Award Take Action Projects!  (I have edited for space, not content.)

"I want to recognize an issue that is worldwide, cancer. Cancer not only affects the patient, but also affects the loved ones around them. For my Gold Award, I want to create something that would help out the family members and friends of cancer patients. How would I do that, you might ask? To answer that, I'm going to create a Facebook page that will let others and myself give out advice to those loved ones- presumably teenagers, who have friends or family with cancer. This would be through different writings of people (teens) that have experienced the same thing, documentaries, a Q and A section, and a FAQ.  My team that I would lead would be my friends and I who do lots of filming together, and a partnership with Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles (CHLA). CHLA would help to publicize the site by putting a link on their website. In turn I would help to also publicize different cancer events and information for them through the Facebook page. My hope for this project is to really help teens that do not really know how to deal with a loved one who has cancer. Its a scary feeling helpless in these kinds of situations, and I hope to change that through this page full of advice and life stories. 

My initial thought was, "but she's not connecting to the community she's serving."  i.e. She's not setting up a structure for the kids to getogether on a regular basis and come in and chat with each other, have speakers, get some education, share experiences, etc. 

But then I thought, but this is a new century, and kids don't always connect the way they did, 15 years ago!  They are much more internet savvy, and more likely to connect with kids all over the states about this kind of issue. 

So, her issue is cancer support for teens

Her root cause is cancer disrupts life. Not only of the one with the disease, but loved ones around her/him.

She is connecting to the need by creating a forum for teens to share.  She is also providing education and resources for these same kids.

Sustainability:  CHLA sounds like they will promote the videos on their site, but it would be great if she were able to also reach out to other non-profits and link to them as well.  (Komen, Avon Run, Revlon 10K, etc.) She should be able to come up with more ways to get the word out.

Measurable:  She might need to think how she can measure success?  number of hits? number of posts?  A good question for her.

I think that it would be great to have a piece where she actually presents this to her school?  PTA? city?  hospital?  and has a chance to create a live presentation to hook people into clicking for help and participating online.  That would be a really good leadership piece that she would need, beyond organizing the filming and writing a website with her team. Plus, she will be educating her team, too, as they all share their stories and work together.  The group she's presenting to could link their site to hers.

I think that if she can partner with someone at CHLA (or elsewhere?) to read over her info, and be sure that she is posting accurate info, and that the stories the kids contribute and tell are not full of mis-information, that would be great! 

I also think that she needs a resource for kids to go to for more help:  organizations that have kid programs, or?  That way, if the kid needs more, they can try another worthy resource. It will take some time for the girl and her team, but finding the resource and creating a paragraph about it, with a live link would be a great benefit, I'd bet.

Working Towards the Goal

"By recording your dreams and goals on paper, you set in motion the process of becoming the person you most want to be."  -Mark Victor Hansen, author Chicken Soup for the Soul

We have Gold Award Interviews the end of this month, and I'm looking forward to seeing what great Take Action Projects the girls will have chosen.  

And I'm hoping to see some great paperwork come through!  I'm hoping to see applications that show that the girl has put time and thought into her project planning,   And I'm hoping that her Advisor/troop leader/parent has worked with her, and given her good feedback, so the plan is clear and easily understood.

Truly, I'm hoping for word processed pages that make sense!  I'm also hoping for clear issue definition and an understanding of what the root cause is of the issue that is being addressed.  Yep, I'm pretty hopeful!

And in the same breath, fearful!  Fearful that the girls are rushing through the application to "get it done and submitted" and that the advisors are merely rubberstamping mediocrity!  I think Mark Victor Hansen had it right, when he said to record dreams and goals on paper.  By putting the Gold Award plan into writing, stepping back, looking at it again, and then realizing it's a great plan, it truly does set the tone for the whole project.

Committing to a project verbally is not quite as meaty as committing to it to paper.  Paper commitment requires thought processing, critical thinking, some linear thinking, and letting passion leak through.  That's what's going to make a GREAT Gold Award Project!  Having the passion, committing to change and creating a plan to make it happen.

It's the Discovery of an issue,  the Connecting to a community group to work through, the gathering of a team, and then the Taking Action that will make all the difference.  It's about working toward a goal, as a leader of a team. Making a difference in a local community.  Inspiring others to succeed.  Leaving a sustainable plan behind.

All the pieces of a great proposal and project.  Hoping that's what I find on December 1st, to be sure.

Old Gold Requirements - maybe

Girl Scout Nikki Demarchos created welcome packets for new residents at Grace Care Center of Cypress, a rehabilitation and nursing center, to earn the Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive. 

“I learned that when scheduling workshops, I need to schedule ahead and that I need to be considerate of others schedules,” said Nikki, senior this year at Langham Creek High School. “I also learned completing a project takes much leadership and responsibility that can only come from experience and that doing something for other people is rewarding.”


For her project, Nikki led a team of volunteers in creating and assembling the packets for new residents. In addition to compiling welcome materials, Nikki and held several workshops where she led volunteers in making blankets that were included in the welcome packets. from GSUSA blog

Well, this project, as written, sure doesn't add up to the Gold Award standard of a Take Action Project.  But might it fit with the old Go For It requirements?  Ummm, maybe.

What it appears to be, on the face of it, is a nice service project:  providing packets and blankets to residents at the Care Center.  She "gave a man a fish and he ate for the day."  Sure, there was some leadership, as she taught/assembled a team to make blankets.  And she had to use some organizational skills to get it done.  

But did she "teach a man to fish, so he could heat for a lifetime?"  No, it was a one shot drop off event.  As I said before, a nice service project. But how could it have been more?  

What's the issue Nikki was addressing? Was it lack of supplies to the Care Center?  How is that a Take Action Project issue?  What issue was it all about?

And what was her root cause?  Budget cuts?  Lack of funding?  Lack of family support to relatives in the Care Center?   And how did her project cause a change in the community?  That's what a Take Action Project should do.

And while she could measure how many team members helped, and how many items they distributed, was she able to measure over time the effect of her Project?  

There were certainly no clues to sustainability.  It was a one shot deal.  But how could it have been sustainable?  Could Nikki have set up a club or guild at her school? senior center? Care Center?  So that they could continue to distribute her educational literature?  continued to provide blankets and supplies?  That piece would certainly have made for a more robust Take Action Project.

As I said before, I hope this was action from the old requirements, and not the new, because if this was to satisfy the new requirements, it fell woefully short. 

Girl Scouts doesn't end.....

How many times have I expressed disappointment over news reports that say "a girl's end to Girl Scouting is the Gold Award, the highest award a girl can achieve?"  Plenty, is the answer!  Just as I know Barb Christensen tells the Junior leaders in her training classes, that Scouting isn't just for little girls!  We all need to tell the girls and their parents, that there is sooo much MORE for the girl to do, after she crosses the bridge in San Francisco!!!  

Well, today, in the GSUSA blog, there's an article featuring a girl who KNOWS that she is going to continue to have a role in Girl Scouting, after she graduates from high school.  "When Anjana Murali graduates from Shorewood in 2014, she will also graduate from the Girl Scouts - Scout activities are designed for girls 18 and under - but she won't be done with the organization she has belonged to for almost a decade. She said she will be a lifelong member, and she plans on continuing to volunteer for the organization and for the chess camp she hopes to sustain as an annual event."

Love it!  The Chess Camp is her Gold Award Project, and the article talked about how she already found a group to take over and make it an annual event, after she's done. But she also plans to continue her participation as well.   

I wish more of our girls felt that way:  that Girl Scouting goes with them after high school!  There is sooo much opportunity for girls to participate in Scouts while they're in college, or home from college in the summer, or working in the local area.  All us "old" adults love it, when we can get some young adults to come work with our girls.  Those young adults are great role models, cool, grown up and can answer questions we older adults obviously can't because, well, we're old, and we can't remember that far back.  

I applaud Anajan Murali as well as the great girls, now young adults, in our council who continue to work with our girls to help them achieve their goals. It's never over!  The Girl Scout experience can go on forever....and ever.....

Go Vote!

 

Exercise your right as a US citizen and cast your ballot, today!  Let your voice be heard!

Hurray for the democratic process!!!!

Global Impact

"We never know how far reaching something we may think, say or do today will affect the lives of millions tomorrow"  
--  B. J. Palmer, Chiropractic developer

 We talk a great deal in our Gold Award Take Action Training about what "sustainable" and "global impact" are, to the confusion of many! So when I read this quote by Dr. Palmer, it really got me to thinking about what a wonderful thing it is, this "Take Action."

We're asking our Gold Award girls to create a Take Action Project that is robust!  That makes a difference in their community now...and for the future. And we're asking them to measure their impact. And while they can do it for the short term - the length of their project - how will they/we ever know the full impact they made?

I think about Shannon and her Domestic Violence Club at school.  A huge, tough issue, to be sure! And she connected to it through Safe Teen Dating, but it's really a shame that she will probably never be able to look back in 5 or 10 years and say, "because of that club X number of kids walked away from bad relationships and found good ones."  All she can do is hope that she made a difference in one? some? many? teenagers' lives.

Or Kayla who worked with the ESL 1st and 2nd graders at a Title One school.  It was a statistic learned in middle school that set her on the track of promoting literacy.  She connected by giving kids books, reading to them, creating videos that they could follow along with a book, and hosting a reading faire at the school.  But will she ever know if she made a difference in even one of those kid's lives?  We have to hope so. 

We never know how far the reach is on the projects our girls carry out.  But we need them to talk about it, to think about the "what if" and how it could play out.  Our girls can do it!!!  We just need to give them a nudge (okay, maybe a bit of a shove) to think about the larger consequences of their Action. 

ToGetHerBoating Success!

Yes, it was a mighty gray day in Newport last Sunday!  Actually, when we arrived at 7:30 a.m. to set-up, it was raining! Oh my!  

But did that stop us?  NO!  We started setting up, had girls taking a Swim Test in the Dunes Bay, worked the boat jockeys to get all our boats down to the shoreline, registered, and..... Then we had an Opening at 10:00.  I was able to point out that there was blue sky peeking inbetween the gray clouds, and within an hour, we were seeing sunshine.  

We didn't even pause!  The girls headed to their respective skills areas, and except for a half hour lunch break, we had boats on the water the whole day!  It was sooo great to see!  And we had girls trying new skills on the water.  There were several girls who went from, "no, I don't think I'll try that...." to "...I can't believe I kayaked and didn't even fall over!"  Or a couple girls who had never been on the water in any type of water craft, but they were willing to give it a try.  And they took to it like fish in water.  Hmmm...maybe I should have said, like a bird in the wind!  I couldn't believe how quickly they were moving across the bay.

So, you're probably wondering, how is this related to this Gold Award titled blog? Well, it's not about the Gold, to be sure. However, I think it is about the quality of girls we have in Scouting!  These girls have courage, confidence and character.  They want to try new things. They want to work with and meet other girls in a safe environment.  And they want to have fun.

What a great thing that they got to do it all on Sunday.  The icing on the cake is, I bet I see them in Gold Award interviews too.  Yep, it's a good thing!

(This is what it looked like at 2pm.  You'll have to believe me that all those sails beyond the dock were our girls on the water. As were all the canoes and kayaks!)

Great Gold Award Take Action Project

"A Gold Award project requires a Girl Scout to identify an issue or community problem, investigate it thoroughly, get help by building a team, create a plan to resolve the problem, present the plan and gather feedback, execute it, and educate and inspire others through the project. Projects often take one to two years to complete.

Last April, Diana Greymountain and volunteers she enlisted arranged river rocks donated by the National Park Service to create an attractive foot trail to Hanging Garden. She also designed a trailhead sign that was built and installed by the National Park Service.

She then wrote a trail guide for people to take along with them to help them understand the plants and animals of the trail.

Her video documentary made its way to the annual Girl Scouts Convention in New York City."
as reported in the Navajo-Hopi Observer October 26, 2012, Phoenix, Arizona

WOW!  Great Gold Award Project!  The article had more details too:

How did she raise the money? She applied for, and was awarded grant money to fund the video.  Rocks came from the National Park Service.

How did she know there was a need for a designated trail?  Personal experience, and input from the Park Service.

How did she make it sustainable?  The Park Service will maintain the trail and sign.

How is it measurable?  The Park Service can track numbers of people using the trail.

I think Diana did a great thing!  She discovered a need, connected to it, got resources and then Took Action!  She used her leadership to apply for grants, talk to a Foundation Board about her vision, work with the National Park System, and asked for their help.  

This is action that goes a looong way!

Puppy Projects

"Aberdeen Fire and Rescue now has the equipment to save pets who have inhaled too much smoke thanks to the efforts of a local Girl Scout.
 Sabrina Mount, 18, who has been a member of the Girl Scouts for 12 years as part of Troop 40124, donated three oxygen mask kits to Aberdeen Fire and Rescue, as part of Mount's gold award project, the highest honor a Girl Scout can receive. The masks are designed specifically for animals...."

For those of you who have had me co-train the  Silver or Gold Award Workshops, you know that I tend to pick on the "puppy projects" in class.  Now, I don't hate puppies, but I use the term because it's a prime example of starting with a project, and not an issue. Many a little (and not so little) girl thinks of wanting to help the puppies.  Nice for a service project, but it doesn't have her start with the issue she wants to address for her Gold Take Action Project. 

And then I read in the GSUSA Blog today, about a girl who did a Gold Puppy Project.  And there are so many things wrong with it!  She raised money to buy 3 puppy inhalation masks.  And that's against the rules of the Gold.  The project can't be just about soliciting money to buy something.  

She did have an education piece to hand out, talking about how the fire department would use the masks to help dogs?  But who was her team?  And how did she reach the constituency she wanted to serve?  

I guess I'd have to say that it was sustainable!  The FDs will be able to use this equipment for years to come.  And it's measurable, as the FD can keep track of how many animals it saves with this new device. I bet she could easily have talked about the global aspect, of what if all FDs had this mask, how many more puppies would be saved.

And she used leadership to raise the money and buy the masks.  But from the article, it sounded like that's all she did. Now, I'm only reading a newspaper report, and goodness knows that they don't always get all the info in!  I think the key take-aways are that girls may not ask for donations to buy things to benefit a charity.  And that a Take Action Project needs to have the girl use her leadership by building a team, educating them, and then have them help her Take Action.

Is this really GOLD?

"Now Freedom (Girl Scout, former foster child) is working to earn the Girl Scout Gold Award by collecting backpacks for underprivileged youngsters up through high school.

"Older foster children need help, too, she says, which is something most people don’t recognize. And she’s dedicated to helping “foster cares” because most “never know where your next meal or set of clothes” will come from."

Well, darn it!  This was on the GSUSA blog, and it is soooo not representative of a Gold Award Project, on the surface.  This is a great service project that Freedom has chosen, and she is obviously passionate about it, having been a foster child herself.  But is this ACTION?

Remember, we talk about the parable in training:  "Give a man a fish and he eats for a day..." That's a service project. Well-meaning. Hearfelt.  But it only makes a difference for a day or two.   "Teach a man to fish, and he eats for a lifetime."  That's more Gold-style.  Create a solution that is measurable and makes a sustainable change in the community.  That is what TAKING ACTION is all about!

We want our girls to think critically.  And we want them to have to do some research. They need to start with the issue, and then understand the root cause of the problem.  And THEN they need to do research to find out what's already being done to address this issue? Who or what agencies have a mission-driven goal to solve the problem?  Can the girl work with one of them?  Who can she identify to partner with? 

This is the critical thinking piece that most girls will want to gloss over, because it's maybe a little difficult.  Or they're lazy thinkers. Or they don't have time. Or...whatever excuse they can come up with!  But remember, this is the time for these girls to use and develop their skills, even if it takes time.  These high schoolers are college-bound, and the Gold Award experience is one that can help them as they move forward.

So, lean on them to do the work.  We want them to be proud of the work they're doing, just as much as we are soooo proud of them.

 

Great Gold Award Project

Sometimes, it's just a wonderful thing to open my In-Box and see what's in it. Today was one of those days!  

I interviewed Elaine a while ago for her Gold Award Project.  She had a great plan, and she was able to discuss it, tell me how it was going to work, and then how it would be sustained. Yes, she had it all!

So of course, once signed=out of my mind!  Until today.  Elaine sent me a very professional looking booklet that gives kids at her High School AND at The Youth Center places to volunteer, contact information and a brief description of needs.  Wow!  All in one location.  She has printed copies as well as an online presence.  It looks like the info is held at The Youth Center, but kids can get to it from a variety of ways.

Measurable, sustainable and fills a community need.  Plus, she listed Girl Scouts as one of the agencies where kids (and adults) can volunteer.  She still has to do is get the word out about this terrific resource. And she'll be taking a leading role in The Youth Center's February Recognition event where youth volunteers are recognized for their service.

You go, girl!

When it Doesn't Go as Planned...

“Strength shows,
not only in the ability to persist,
but in the ability to start over.”
                - F. Scott Fitzgerald

This quote seems particularly apropos to me today.  One of my Gold Award girls had some very high expectations for her Gold Take Action Project.  I thought it was ambitious, but she seemed determined, and goodness knows, she has the brains and stamina to do anything!

It all started well:  the vice principal at the school bought into her plan and vowed that he and the school would not only help, but sustain the project as well.  So the program began, the kids were involved, everyone got a starting evaluation sheet that was to be kept, so that the ending one could be compared.

There was a collection piece:  hosting an electronic waste day at the campus.  All was going well, until the night before, when the electronic waste truck canceled.  And given the restrictions, there was no replacing it, so the collection was canceled. The funds that should have been raised, weren't. The recycling bins couldn't be purchased.

Nevertheless, our girl picked another site, got preliminary buy-in from the site, only to be turned down again, just before the scheduled date.  Some other girl would be crushed, but she perservered.

The VP at the school was the entity to provide the final evaluations of to the kids, and instead of papering the whole school, he only did two classes.  Oh my!  All that hoped for data, the proof that her project had made a difference wasn't available.  And she still pushed forward!  She got a promise from the school to host the electronic waste drive and to continue the program which she started...in the new school year.

Is this how she hoped her Take Action Project was going to go?  How she hoped she'd be able to show change and growth?  Nope, but she did the best she could.  It was a remarkable lesson of how agencies and people can let you down.  I felt so badly for her!  When I signed off on the paperwork, I asked what she thought?  Her first comment was, "well, maybe I tried to do too much."  Could be.  We also talked about how well she did with what she had. 

She earned her Gold.  I only wish she had had the success she envisioned from the start. I think she'll be okay.  She learned some things, and maybe learned something about herself as well.  Had she not already been a Senior, I think she might have started over, and made the plan work.  But she graduated from high school, and ran out of time.

Talking about Gold with the Girls

I'm going to a meeting to talk with girls about their Gold Award tomorrow, so I've been thinking about what to say.  I don't think that everyone in the meeting will be going for the Gold, so I don't want to bore them to death.  But I want to make sure that what we talk about is meaningful.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to hit hard on issues. What is the ISSUE the girl wants to address.  What puts the fire in her belly?  What gives her the knee-jerk reaction?  

Okay, so I don't want to open the door to too many graphics to these girls, but I think we all know that if the girl is not passionate about what she's going to be doing, it might not happen. There are any number of things she can use to procrastinate working on the Gold.  We will be talking about how to make it a top shelf item.

I think I'm going to be very clear about picking a project the girl LIKES!  She'll be stuck with it for a while, so it seems critical that she have passion to put into it.  It's that passion that's going to carry her to the completion of her project. Hopefully. 

We might also talk about support.  She'll need her parents' support to get to places.  Maybe other relatives' support for funding and resources.  Friends who aren't part of her GS troop, but maybe who can be on her Gold team to help her out. An agency with some resources to kick in.  Or a grant identified for her topic, which invites girls to apply for funding.

I bet we'll also talk about the puppies at the shelter, the kids at Orangewood and the homeless who need blankets. That's okay, as it can be a jumping off place to figure out HOW those agencies could work. Or not.  I don't want to be discouraging. I do want to be supportive.

I also don't want to come across as scary when I talk about the interview.  I made a girl cry the other night, and I just hate that!  I also had two girls give me very firm handshakes, look me in the eye, and propose stellar projects.  I think I'll tell them that story, and ask them to strive to be the latter!  I'll let you know how it all goes.....

Take Action - when it doesn't go the way you think it will....

I'm an advisor for a couple Gold Award girls, and I just had the extreme pleasure of signing the final report for two of my girls.  These girls are as different as night and day! Both did a great job, and both had a HUGE learning curve about how things might not go as well as they had planned, not due to their lack of effort, though!

Sam's project Took Action with a local elementary school. She had a plan to educate the kids about all sorts of environmental waste, create a no-waste zone, hold an e-waste drive to raise funds for recyling units at the school.  She had a great plan, support from the VP and the Science teachers.  And while she was able to reach sooo many kids, the part of her plan that the VP was going to help with, fell through.  I bet he just ran out of time.  And the part of doing the e-waste drive didn't work, due to the e-waste truck canceling the night before.  An alternate plan at a local JC fell through, when the school didn't perceive that there was enough benefit to the school to do it.

Wow!  Nothing Sam did was bad, and she sadly learned that those she was counting on, and had confirmed, didn't do their parts.  Her comment was, "well, maybe I set my expectations too high?  Maybe my goals were unrealistic?"  She was still able to complete her Project, leaving the VP and school with her curriculum to be repeated this school year, and the VP has assured her that he will!  But if everything had gone as she originally planned, she sure would have been much happier with the results.

For Lori, after she'd completed her Project, when I asked, "well, what would you do differently?" she had a rush of ideas of how much better the club could be, and what she was going to do this year! As part of her Take Action Project she started a DV Club at her HS, and she was the President.  For the coming year, she will still be the President, but she will have other officers elected to work on different jobs, leading one meeting a month, etc. so she doesn't have to do everything.  More speakers, more information about Safe Dating to give to her HS.  She learned that letting your team help is a good thing!  She learned that using her leadership in a different way could get her better results. 

They've both done some growing up!  Sam is a freshman in college, and Lori is going into 11th grade with a whole slew of AP and IB classes.  These girls are both smart and nice, and they are both committed to making the world a better place.  I'm very proud of both of them.

ToGetHerBoating Event

Does everyone know what GAM is?  Our council hosts one every May, to give Sr/A Girl Scouts the chance to get together and compete in a variety of ways...tying knots, singing songs, swimming, boating races, and more. 

And to help girls get ready, we are offering a ToGetHer Boating Practice event on October 21, 2012 at the Newport Dunes.  You can download the flyer from our website:
  
https://sites.google.com/site/togetherboating.

Anne Rizzacasa and I are co-chairing the day, with a great committee, and we are VERY excited about offering in-water boating skills for our girls:

Sabot
Rowboat
Kayak
Canoe

And also some land skills:

Knots 
Bell Time
Compass and Relative Bearing

So, come one come all!  If you have 8th grade and above girls, they are welcome to come learn some new skills and practice on the water.  We'll have certified life guards and small craft instructors to teach and supervise.  Even if you think you're not ready for GAM competition, come on down anyway, and have fun with us.

Registration is required, and yes, all participants get the patch!  Would love to see you there!

Take Actioin - get approved first!

Well, I knew I'd been busy:  plenty of changes in the last month....sold my kitchen, closed my catering business, moved office stuff and props to the house, and worked on Mom's accounts...oh, and volunteered with Girl Scouts!  Whew!  No excuse, but I think I just lost my rhythm of when to blog. Fixing that, as of today!

I've been hearing of many projects that girls are thinking about for their Gold Award Take Action Projects. Many of them are really nice service projects, but the vast majority are projects that hold to the standard of the Gold Award. These girls plan to Take Action and change the world. Or at least their small piece of it!

But I've also had odd things come up.  One was a girl who I interviewed a while ago.  She had a good start to her project, but she needed to flesh it out, get her team, and make it a more robust Take Action plan.  I didn't hear back, til out of the blue, I got her revisions, and I was surprised to learn that she had already started her project!   This is definitely not okay! Please remind your girls that they need to get the "green light" and be marked as "approved" BEFORE they may begin their Take Action.

I know that has been difficult for some, especially when their projects are so date dependent.  And this one did have a very near date for the roll-out.  We're working it out, and had she been approved at the last interviews, she would have had time to proceed in a systematic way.  But because she waited til the last minute to get her revised app back to me, which also involved me requesting more information, she was up against it.

We're working it out, but it is certainly not an ideal situation.  And if her original project had not changed, I would have been in the very awkward position of declining to approve her application, yet again, while she had already invested time and energy into it.  And that would have been really tough on both sides!

So, please, work with your girls to turn in good applications, and then work with them to get their required revisions (if any) back into the interviewer in a timely manner. It will just be so much less drama, all the way around!

ANNA-MARIA CHAVEZ

"Girl Scouts is here to serve ALL girls!" 

 "And we need to reach them at their level. In their faces!" 

"Even one year of Scouts can make a difference in a girl's life." 

"Girls are worth our investment!"
 Anna-Maria Chavez GSUSA CEO

(Posted this morning while Ms. Chavez was speaking.)

I have to say, she was pretty darn wonderful in person!  Tall and in heels, elegant and warm, friendly and caring.  What a great representative to the general public for Girl Scouting.

She "gets it" so intrinsically, and she challenged all of us to reach out, to mentor and help our girls grow and succeed.  She's thrown down the gantlet, to end gender discrimination in a generation.  Wow!  A big job to do, and if every past and present Girl Scout took up her message, I bet it will happen!  I know I'm going to make the extra effort, because our girls are worth it!!!!

I'm very proud to belong to this wonderful organization.  And very happy to be a sister to this (and every) Girl Scout, for sure!

Ana-Maria Chavez

CEO Nancy Nygren said it's ok to blog while GSUSA CEO Ana-Maria Chavez talks to us about how important Girl Scouting is to the world. She is a passionate speaker, and she is a mighty force to be sure. 

Her message really resonates with me: we need to fight for our girls. We need to fight for our girls, for them to have the opportunity to succeed. 

The Gold Award is one way we can push our girls to use their skills and succeed. But we need to start while they're young! We need ToGetHerThere! She is asking adults to stand up for girls! "My fish is not going to be the next president of the United Stated.". But one of our girls WILL be!

Brainstorming for GOLD!

"When Campbell was brainstorming ideas for her Girl Scout Gold Award project, she knew she wanted to do something to help the environment and help combat the increasing mosquito problem in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

"I have always been interested in biology and environmental science, so when I was brainstorming for my Girl Scout Gold Award, I went to talk to Jeremy Starritt, the environmental services manager for the city of Frisco, about needs that our city had," said Campbell, an alumna of Frisco High School.

After discussing different ideas with Starritt and hearing about the numerous cases of West Nile virus found in the DFW area, Campbell decided to bring bat houses to Frisco's Beavers Bend Park in hopes of reducing the number of insects that can carry diseases such as West Nile virus."

Wow, nice job!  This was in the GSUSA blog on August 15.  Campbell had a general idea about helping the environment, but didn't know how to connect it to a Gold Award Project.  Soooo....she went out to discover the need!   The need she discovered was about combating mosquitoes.  She identified the need, and then went out into the community to see what was being done.

She narrowed her research to mosquitoes and bats, found an agency with the same concerns/interest, and partnered with them to take action to address the issue.

This is the PERFECT way for our girls to start thinking about their Gold Award Projects!  Think about where their passion is/what they're interested in, and THEN go out and figure out what they can do to address the issue. How they can use their passion to gather others to help, teach them and then lead the team through a successful TAP. (Take Action Project)

What a great example of a TAP done well.