Get into the Game

 “Everything is created twice –
first mentally, then physically.”
                    - Greg Anderson

(I don't know who Greg Anderson is:  the Google search gave me a whole list of guys with the same name, but I think this quote is from the author who wrote about beating and living with cancer.)  It resonated with me about our Gold Award girls.

These are high schoolers, and they can be the most creative and enthusiastic of girls, but they can also be the most easily sidetracked and derailed!  In order to go for the Gold, we are asking them to make the commitment, and then we're asking them to really get their head into it to do the work.

It's tough work, identifying a need in the community and then discovering a root cause. NOT starting with the project first!  And we need to support the girl's efforts to do the brain work ahead of time.  We need them to be able to visualize the work that needs to be done, and to work it through first in their minds, then on paper, so that they can see how it might all play out.

And once they've done the initial thinking process, they need to re-create it in the form of an application to council.  So in a sense, they're completing two processes. The physical work doesn't come until after the interview and approval by the committee.  (That's where the fun begins! Action and seeing positive change looks and feels great!)

I wonder how many girls get stymied by the start up work?  How many just aren't willing to make the effort?  or don't have good tools to use?  

How many need additional encouragement and support?  Probably many!  And where are they going to get that?  From parents, troop advisors, friends and project advisors, for sure!  We adults need to let the girl do the mental work, while being sure that we support their efforts and offer connections that she might want to use.

Massachusetts Ice Rink

"Massachusetts Girl Scout Brings Winter via Gold Award Project
Posted: 09 Feb 2012 04:54 AM PST


In Massachusetts, the Daily Leicester reports that although many are disappointed over the mild 2012 winter, thanks to Girl Scout Abigail Bernier, local families may still have a chance to safely take to the ice during February Vacation week.


Over Super Bowl weekend, Bernier, Leicester Parks and Recreation and other residents were tirelessly working to build a community ice skating rink at Leicester Middle School — and now all they need is a good freeze to help get the fun started.


A longtime Girl Scout and senior at Leicester High School, Bernier had been looking to do a project for her Girl Scout Gold Award.


"The idea came about because of people falling through the ice in town, so I was thinking why not make a rink that we can use year to year, that's safe for kids to use, and make it kind of like a tradition in the town," said Bernier.


Knowing she had only a limited amount of time before Spring made the project impossible, Bernier got the ball rolling quickly, and brought her proposal to Leicester Parks and Recreation.


Parks and Rec approved of the effort, and with their support, Bernier then mobilized the troops to help make the idea come to fruition. In order to maintain the ice, Parks and Rec will be building a "hand-zoni," a makeshift device that will help them keep the ice smooth and glassy throughout the season.


In the meantime, Brooks is collecting ice skates for residents to be able to use at the rink."

Nice!  Abigail identified a need in her community, addressed the root cause and partnered with an agency to Take Action.  She led a team, and her project benefited the entire community, it sounds like!  Is it sustainable, sure sounds like the Parks and Rec Dept. will take over servicing the rink year after year.  

What's the global impact?  Now that's a bit trickier....is there one?  This project could be duplicated in other cities and towns, though not in Irvine.  How would you talk with her about the global impact? Could make for a great discussion for the girl.  And you, too!

Get Carried Away!

The way you overcome shyness is to become so wrapped up in something that you forget to be afraid."
--Lady Bird Johnson,
former U.S. first lady

This continues to speak to the passion that we are asking our Gold Award girls to have for their issue.  

We want the girls to get all wrapped up in their Take Action Project!

We want the girl to reach high, lose her fear, and make the world a better place!

We want to support the girl, give her attagirls and some resources, but let her do the work!

We want to let her take some safe chances!

We want her passion to be contagious as she gathers her team!

And we want her to succeed! Think how much easier it is to succeed when the girl is passionate about her issue and project. And how painful it is when she is not.  We want her excitement to carry her forward, even during the tough parts.

We don't want much, now do we??!!!

Growth is good!

Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow."

- Ronald E. Osborn, teacher and author

I like this one for a sunny Friday afternoon!  I think that this quote applies to both our Silver and Gold Award girls. For both awards, we want the girls to come up with an issue and project that stretches their abilities.  We want them to work hard and learn from the whole process. As you hear us say in training, this should be the hardest thing they've done in their Girl Scout career!

The opportunity to grow doesn't fully present itself without effort.  We want the girls to use the great skills that they have developed over their GS life. And we want them to put these skills into good use!  Leading a team.  Taking responsibility for the success of the project. Creating some contagious energy around the issue and project so that others want to join in, learn and help educate others.

It's scary!  Trying new things, using new tools, reaching beyond the comfort zone, but that's what we're asking them to do.  And while it might be painful and slow, the reached goal makes it worth it. We see how proud the girls are to have achieved their goal.  They have a time to reflect on the whole process, and to learn from the good and the bad.

I asked one girl who had just completed her Gold Award Take Action Project, how she felt?  Her first answer was, "relieved!"   But her second answer was, "really good!"  We chatted a bit, and she said that her project had pretty much gone the way she thought it would, but if she had to do it over, she'd be stricter!  She is a nice girl, and it could be that getting tough with the team members was difficult for her.  Perhaps she wasn't using all her skills in the beginning to set the tone, and some teammembers ran her over?  Don't know, but truly appreciated that she did get a grip on it all, and completed her project.

We all want our girls to grow up with courage, confidence and character to make the world a better place.  Being awarded the Gold and Silver Awards is a great recognition of growth, and a job well done.

“Most people look up and admire the stars.

A champion climbs a mountain and grabs one.”

unknown attribute

We had the drop-in session for the girls working on their Gold Award Projects this past Sunday.  There were 5 of us from the Older Girl Committee/Gold Award Interviewers, and we all agreed, we spoke with some great girls!

But I'd have to say, not very many champions.  Most of the projects were under-whelming and not very hard to accomplish. Most of the girls had a good idea as to what they wanted to do, but it didn't seem very challenging to them.  Only a few were ready to "climb the mountain and grab the star!"

So what did we interviewers do?  We tried to pump them up! Get them to look outside their comfort zone into what their Gold Award Project could look like. We emphasized the importance of identifying their issue and root cause. We challenged the girl to find a project that would address this cause and make a difference in her community.  We asked many questions, knowing we wouldn't get most of the answers right away. 

And for some, we completely dumped cold water on them!  When one girl started her project description with, "I plan to start a Day Camp for..."  I had to just say no, that's not a Gold Award Project. I had to totally take her out of her comfort zone and think about issues she might be interested, who her team of support could be, who her team of workers could be, and what they wanted to accomplish. 

But my favorite quote came from the Mom who, after listening to me ask some easy questions and not getting the answers back, smiled at her daughter and said, "you're going to have to commit to doing the work for this!"  That Mom had nailed it:  the girl needs to do the work! And she needs to use her passion and drive to make it happen.  It's not going to look like a Girltopia Take Action Project, nor is it a group project, as her Silver was.  This girl is going to have to commit and do it.  Or not.  It's her decision. I'm hoping she chooses to climb the mountain....