Dear Girl Scout Family:
Welcome to the start of a new Girl Scout year. Today, with close to 90,000 girl and adult members, we are the largest Girl Scout council in the nation. Our challenge for the coming year is to continue delivering the best Girl Scout experience to our girls.
We know this would never be possible without our dedicated adult volunteers. Last year, we introduced We Are Family as our theme. We were excited to see how this helped to energize our families to get more involved and support Girl Scouts.
At our annual August Kickoff, we introduced several exciting new initiatives. In continuing to encourage girls' interest in STEM fields, we are proud to offer a new Made with Code program to inspire girls to explore careers in computer science. We will also hold our first Girl Scout Maker Fair at our Annual Meeting, April 25, to showcase our talented Girl Scout inventors and creators. Additionally, we have developed downloadable Journey Planners to help troops complete a Journey, while still participating in traditional Girl Scout activities and earning badges. These Planners will be available to troop leaders at no expense in our Girl Scout shops and on our website.
We are eager to provide even more opportunities this year for girls to learn new skills, make new friends and become leaders. With your help, I know we will achieve that goal.
Sincerely,
Lidia Soto-Harmon
CEO, Girl Scouts Nation's Capital
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Girl Scouts of the USA wants your feedback on outdoor learning and camping. This topic will be discussed at the National Convention. You don't have to attend to give feedback; just take this survey.
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 Introducing...Toffee-tastics!
Troop Deadline to Order September 26
We are testing a new gluten- free cookie option during our direct and booth sales in 2015. Because we know that many of our customers and Girl Scouts have been asking for a gluten-free Girl Scout Cookie, Little Brownie Bakers is introducing Toffee-tastic.! Toffee-tastic Girl Scout Cookies are rich buttery cookies packed with golden toffee bits bursting with flavor. Troops interested in participating in this exciting pilot project need to order by September 26 by filling out the survey here. For more information about the cookies, visit our website. |
Help Your Girl Become a Girl Scout Maker
At Girl Scouts, we know that girls thrive when given the opportunity to work together, explore their ideas and focus on a common goal. That's why we're holding the first Nation's Capital Maker Fair on April 25, 2015 at our Annual Meeting. Girls will have the chance to create whatever it is that excites them-whether it's a craft, a piece of furniture, a robot, or a computer program. Interested in helping a girl become a Maker? Fill out the interest survey here or visit our website for more information.
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Google Supports Coding Education for Local GirlsGoogle has provided generous funding to support their Made with Code program, a hands-on initiative to inspire girls to code. The Made with Code program is free and available through our website for girls 13+. Check out the fun coding games, or make a bracelet that will be sent to you in the mail! The Made with Code program will also be highlighted at Council events for teens throughout the year. We are grateful to Google for their support of our efforts to close the gender gap in STEM! |
 New Germantown, MD Office and Manager
We are proud to announce the recent promotion of Tonia Lafond to Area Membership Manager, serving the Girl Scout membership in Montgomery and Frederick Counties, MD. Previously, Tonia was Senior Membership Specialist where she was successful in growing and retaining our Girl Scout membership and increasing visibility for Girl Scouts in the upper Montgomery area. Tonia is a strong leader and passionate about Girl Scouting. Her team will be located in our new Germantown Girl Scout Office, located at 20201 Century Blvd., Suite 100, Germantown, Maryland 20874.The new office also includes a new Girl Scout Shop!
Shop hours will be:
Tuesday: 3 pm to 7 pm Wednesday: 10 am to 3 pm Thursday: 10 am to 7 pm Friday: 10 am to 3 pm Saturday: 10 am to 1 pm
You are Invited:
All are welcome to attend an Open House at the new Germantown Girl Scout office, held Monday, October 6 from 4:00 to 7:00 pm. RSVP using our Evite.
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 Women of Distinction of the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia
On October 1, Girl Scouts Nation's Capital will host the 10th annual Women of Distinction luncheon to honor Cindy Hovermale from Berkeley Springs, Tina Combs from Bunker Hill, and Tina Burns from Kearneysville. The women were selected by their peers for outstanding work in the community, contribution to their professions, and serving as outstanding role models for young women. Proceeds from the 2014 Women of Distinction event support Girl Scout programs throughout the Eastern Panhandle and include outreach programs for girls in underserved communities, outreach troops for at-risk girls, and financial assistance to girls and their families so that all girls can participate in Girl Scouts. |
Somos Familia-Girl Scout Expo
As a closing event for the celebration of the Hispanic Heritage Month, join us for the first Somos Familia- Girl Scout Expo. It will take place at Marymount University on October 11 from 10am-2pm. This is a Council event and families are invited from all areas. Girls (K-5) will be assigned into a unit and will earn the Chicas Patch. Girls in middle school and high school will have exposure to the different GS awards and the many leadership opportunities available to them. Adults are invited to participate in a Girl Scout 101 informational session as well as an amazing programs and vendor expo. Lunch is included and transportation will be available from different areas across Council. To register, please visit this survey. For questions, please contact Veronica Rosales-Beck, [email protected].
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Girl Scouts Honor WWII Veterans 
In August, Girl Scouts attended a ceremony for WWII Veterans at the Arlington National Cemetery Amphitheatre. The ceremony marked the 70th anniversary of the second big D-Day landing called Operation Dragoon, which was initiated on August 15, 1944. Girl Scouts thanks the project "Commander" Monika Stoy as well as board member Margie Auer for allowing Girl Scouts to be a part of this event. View more photos from the day here.
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 40 Years of Congressional Aide This summer, 72 Girl Scouts shadowed 39 different Congressional offices as a part of the Girl Scouts Congressional Aide program. For the past four decades, this program has offered teen girls an inside look at our government. Girls spend a week in a Congressional office, getting a taste of what a career in public policy is like. We're so proud of the way our girls have represented the Girl Scout name this summer. Here's to 40 more years of Congressional Aide! To read about girls' experiences this summer, visit the GSCNC blog. |
Camp CEO: Camping with a Twist
This summer marked another successful year of Girl Scout Camp CEO, a unique mentorship program that matches teen girls with powerful women executives from all around the Greater Washington Region. All campers participate in traditional camp activities-cooking over camp fires, kayaking and swimming, archery-while the women share their life's experiences, education, careers and leadership advice with the girls.
Thank you to all our Camp CEOs for their time and commitment to Girl Scouts. To view photos from the camp, visit our website.
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Juniors "Take Action"
In July, the Juniors of Multilevel Troop 6202 completed Phase I of their Bronze Award Project which included making landscaping improvements to the playground area of Jenifer Elementary School. The second and final phase of their project will be a "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle" Workshop. Congratulations on a job well done!
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 Global Girl Scouts During World Thinking Day, Girl Scouts from Junior/Cadette Troop 2064 discovered that children in Benin love to play soccer but often don't have access to soccer balls. Their solution? Use a portion of their proceeds from cookie sales to purchase balls for the Benin Education Fund, which will deliver the donation this month. Way to go, girls! |
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Thank you for supporting Girl Scouts in the Greater Washington Region!
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Booz Allen Hamilton for the Make the Connection program
The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation supports camp programs for at-risk girls in the District of Columbia and Prince George's County in Maryland
Calvert Investments for low income outreach
Capital One for the Capital One Financial Fitness Challenge
Charles Delmar Foundation for general operations
Dimick Foundation for low income outreach
Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation for general operations
Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation for the Healthy Habits programming
Inter-American Development Bank for Latina outreach
The James M. Johnston Trust for Charitable and Educational Purposes for camp programs for at-risk girls
GSUSA and Dell for the Journey and Connect through Technology programming
GSUSA and Google for the Made with Code programming
GSUSA and Leventhal Kline Management for STEM day camps
The Mars Foundation for general operations
The Meyer Foundation for general operations
The Newton B. Shingleton Trust for general operations
The Purple Promise Foundation to End Melanoma for Sun Safety Day Camp program
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October 26: Cookie Kickoff
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 This October, we will welcome several new board officers including Faye Fields, CEO of Integrated Resource Technologies, who begins her three-year term as the new President of the Board. Our volunteer Board of Directors is the governing body for Girl Scouts Nation's Capital, and is responsible for advising management on financial and policy issues that shape the Council's strategic plan. Read more about the new board officers here.
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Donate your Car, Boat or SUV
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Donating a car to Girl Scouts is easy, even if the vehicle is not running. Your vehicle will be picked up at no cost to you and towed away. Proceeds from the auction or sale of scrap materials are all donated to our SHARE campaign.
To date, 20 vehicles have been donated to Girl Scouts Nation's Capital resulting in over $11,650 in contributions to SHARE. Tell your neighborhoods, friends and family to donate their unwanted car to Girl Scouts Nation's Capital. To learn more click here.
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Hersheypark
Discount Tickets End
September 28
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Looking for one last thrill this summer? There's still time to purchase Hersheypark discount tickets, which support the Girl Scouts' SHARE annual giving campaign. Use this exclusive Girl Scouts friends and family Herseypark link and enter promo code 86547. Discount tickets can be used between now and September 28.
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The Challenge is On!
Helping girls become financially savvy
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Thanks to renewed funding from Capital One, Girl Scouts in grades K through 12 have another opportunity to take part in the Capital One Financial Fitness Challenge for a third year!
To participate, each girl must earn a Girl Scout financial literacy badge then complete a short online survey. After completing the survey, each girl will receive a Capital One Financial Fitness Challenge patch. The service unit with the highest percentage of girls earning a financial literacy badge and completing the survey will be deemed the Challenge winners and receive a special rocker patch.
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Booz Allen Hamilton Connects Girls with Corporate Mentors
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Booz Allen Hamilton is continuing their long-standing support for Girl Scout leadership development activities by supporting the ninth annual Make the Connection (MTC) corporate mentorship program.
MTC is a series of life skills and career-preparation workshops where dynamic and talented Booz Allen Hamilton executives lead girls through a variety of experiential activities. Just like last year, we will have a STEM track for Girl Scout Juniors.
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Employment Opportunities with Girl Scout's Nation's Capital
Love Girl Scouts? What about working for our Council. View job descriptions on our website, and help us build a stronger Girl Scout Council.
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