Girl Scout summer camp!

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APRIL 2012

Inside:Travel Opportunities ..........................2Girl Scout Voices Survey ...................2Girl Scout Spotlight ............................ 3B.I.G. (Believe in Girls) ....................... 4Juliettes ................................................. 5It’s Your Business Run It ................... 6Poetry Month ....................................... 6

connectt o y o u r w o r l dconnectconnectGRADUATING SENIORSAll graduates will be recognized in the

next issue of the Connect newsletter. Please submit the following information, as well as a picture* to connect@gsiowa.org! Information must be received by April 30, 2013. This is what we’d like to know:• Name• Address, City, State & Zip• Phone Number, Email, way to

contact you• High School• Years in Girl Scouting and Troop #• Most Memorable Experience in

Girl Scouting• Plans for the future ( job, college,

major...)• Did you earn a Bronze, Silver or

Gold Award? If so, what was/were your project(s)?

Answer these questions and email your information and picture* to connect@gsiowa.org or mail your information with picture* to:

Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa ATTN: Connect Newsletter1515 Zenith DriveSioux City, IA 51103

*All pictures become the property of the Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa. Digital pictures preferred.

next issue of the Connect newsletter.

It’sTime For Summer Camp!

Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa welcomes all girls to experience a fantastic adventure at camp this summer! Whether you’re a camp veteran or new to our programs, we’re so excited to have you join us for Girl Scout Camp! We know you will have a great time meeting new friends, trying out new activities and making memories that will last a lifetime.

Family Fun FestivalVisit one (or all) of our festivals and experience the fun you can have at Girl Scout Camp. We have lots of activities planned, including crafts, games, archery, and face painting. You might even get to climb, canoe, or meet one of the horses! There is no cost to attend. Snacks and beverages will be available for purchase.

• Camp Tanglefoot – Saturday, June 8, 2013, 1 - 4 p.m.• Camp Joy Hollow – Sunday, May 12, 2013, 1 - 4 p.m.• Camp Sacajawea – Saturday, May 25, 2013, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.

To register for the event that you would like to attend, please contact the appropriate Camp Director.

2013

Camp TanglefootCamp Joy HollowCamp Sacajawea

2013 Summer Programs and Registration Information

Accreditation Statement Camp Sacajawea, Camp Tanglefoot, and Camp Joy Hollow are accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA) and meet their high standards for program design and activities, site and food service, transportation, health and wellness, operational management and human resources, along with screening and training of all personnel. Our camps have voluntarily submitted to this independent appraisal conducted by camp professionals and have earned this mark of distinction for many years. In addition, all of our camps operate under all guidelines recommended by Girl Scouts of the USA listed in our Safety Activity Checkpoints. For more information about ACA, visit them on the web at www.acacamps.org.

For more information, visit our website at

www.girlscoutsiowa.org.

Summer Camp Registration is open!Register today at girlscoutsiowa.org

wimming and Sailingnder the Sunaking Friendsy Favorite Activitiesvery Summeriding Horses

ampfi res and S’moresmazing Art Adventuresagical Memorieslenty of Sisters

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MPACREMMU

Digital pictures preferred.

Don’t miss the Annual Meeting taking place at the West Des

Moines Marriott on April 20! All seniors and Gold Awardees will be recognized! Learn more at

girlscoutsiowa.org. Dream Big. Live Loud.

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C O N N E C TMake your adventure non-stop.

Travel with us. We’re going places! Note registration close dates!

Look online (girlscoutsiowa.org > program > local programs > travel) for descriptions of the events! Dinomite Dinosaur Adventure, June 11, Grades 2-8 Cost to Attend: $40/girl*; $40 adult*, Registration Close Date: 5/10/13

Blastin’ Black Hills Adventure, June 17-21, Grades 6-12 Cost to Attend: $400/girl*; $400 adult*, Registration Close Date: 5/3/13

Denver Weekend Adventure, June 21-24, Grades 6-12 Cost to Attend: $400/girl*; $400 adult*, Registration Close Date: TBA

Old as Dirt or RocksCost to Attend: $100/girl*; $100 adult*, Registration Close Date: TBA

Junior Heritage Trip: July 15-19, 2012, Grades 4-5 Cost to Attend: $500/girl; $500 adult , Registration Close Date: 5/3/13

Pickin’ Down the Mississippi, July 2013, Grades 6-12 Cost to Attend: $250/girl; $250 adult , Registration Close Date: TBA

Old Chicago, August 2013, Grades 6-12 Cost to Attend: $300/girl; $300 adult , Registration Close Date: TBA

Savannah Bound: Summer 2014, grades 6-12 Cost to Attend: $950/girl*; $950 adult* , Registration Close Date: 5/31/13

Yellowstone National Park Adventure, July 2015, Grades 7-12 Cost to Attend: $600/girl; $600/adult, Registration Close Date: TBA

WAGGGS World Centre: Our Chalet, July-August 2015, Grades 8-12 Cost to Attend: $3,000* girl/adult. Registration Close Date: 8/2/13*Final price dependant on girls’ planning.$50 deposit is due at the time of registration.

I want to go, how do I pay for my trip? Girls have lots of ways to fund their travel experiences - we hope that you can participate in as many adventures as you desire! The council provides some fantastic opportunities to start the money earning/saving process:

• Participate in the Fall and Cookie Product Programs. Participate in the Fall and Cookie Product Programs. You may use the full amount of your earned cookie dough and cookie dough bonus each year until it expires on September 15 of that year. You must be offi cially registered for the trip before September 15.

• Apply for a grant through our Trip Financial Assistance form

• Additional Money-Earning Opportunities (specifi c for each council-led trip)

• Troop Money-Earning Opportunities (specifi c for troop travel opportunities)

No one should expect to pay for an entire trip solely with money-earning opportunities or Product Program money earned. Even with those programs, some out-of-pocket expenses will be necessary. Through these programs, we hope to allow you the chance to begin the process of taking the trip(s) of a lifetime!

USE YOUR VOICE TO MAKE GIRL SCOUTS EVEN BETTER! We are involved in a study to see how Girl Scouting benefits girls and how we can make Girl Scouts even better! In order to do that - we need to hear from all girls!There are two easy steps to participate:1. Register for the Girl Scout Voices Panel at:

www.girlscoutvoices.org.

• PARTICIPATE AND WIN! Girls completing this step will receive a “Girl Scout Voices” patch and the chance to be one of 60 winners of a $25 Visa gift card from Girl Scouts of the USA and be one of eight winners of $50 gift card from Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa.

2. In May, girls complete a brief "Help Make Girl Scouts Even Better" survey about their experiences.

• PARTICIPATE AND WIN! Girls completing step 2 will receive an “I Was Heard!” patch and the chance to be one of 60 winners of a $25 Visa gift card from Girl Scouts of the USA.

Note: Responses are confidential. Surveys are solely for research purposes related to Girl Scouts of the USA. Girls will not be marketed to, solicited or exposed to any form of advertisement as a result of participating in the series of surveys. Girls under the age of 13 will need parental/guardian permission which is included as part of the registration.

Win a $25 Visa Card & a $50 GSGI Gift Card

Win a $25 Visa Card

WIN!

WIN!

Our 2013 Cookie Program is over for this year! Your recognitions and cookie dough should be arriv-ing to you shortly! We’ve heard so many great selling stories and ways that girls have grown through the cookie sale. We’d love to hear yours

too! Just email us at marketing@gsiowa.org.

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Girl Scouts: Making the World a Better Place

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2013 NATIONAL YOUNG WOMEN OF DISTINCTION

Katie Jacobson of St. Charles, IA was recognized for the award at the National Girl Scout CEO Meeting on March 20. She also has been featured in the most recent edition of Justine Magazine! Her project recognized a need in her community and she worked to raise

awareness of bats and their usefulness in the environment. Congratulations, Katie! You view Katie and other Young Women of Distinction on Justine's website here: http://www.justinemagazine.com/content/teens-move-meet-young-women-distinction.

Katie's Photo from Justine Magazine!

OTTUMWA GIRLS ROBOTICS SQUAD (excerpt taken from Ottumwa Carrier) The girls at Ottumwa High School have their own robotics team and are in the spotlight because they’re the only all-girl team in the state. They’re sponsored by Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa and they received a Scale-Up Grant from the Governor’s STEM initiative. Recently, the girls’ Team 4144 Engineer Imagineer

won the Motivate Award and finished in 14th place in a recent

statewide competition. The team designed the robot, built it and did the programming. “It’s a male-dominated event and we all accepted the challenge,” said team member Kelsey G. Read the entire article here: http://ottumwacourier.com/local/x2045491302/OHS-all-female-robotics-squad-proves-they-can-compete-with-the-boys

Three members of the team, from left, Kassidi H., Kelsey G. and Nicole P.

ELAINE KUSHKOWSKI, A JUNIOR AT AMES HIGH SCHOOL, has been involved in Girl Scouts for ten years. She served as a Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa delegate to the Girls’ World Forum in Chicago last summer (which we highlighted in our October 2012 Connect Issue) and is currently serving as the Vice President of the council’s Girl Advisory Committee. She recently spoke at The Governor’s Luncheon for Scouting, serving as the Co-Master of Ceremonies, which she refl ects on below. Thanks for everything you do, Elaine!

On January 9th, 2013, I went to the Prairie Meadows Event Center as the Master of Ceremonies for the Governor’s Luncheon for Scouting. The Luncheon is an annual fundraiser for Girl Scouts and Boy Scout in Iowa. This year the event attracted more than 550 people and raised much needed funds for Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa.

I thought it was great to see so many people come together to support Scouting in their communities. The fact that more than 550 people came to the event really shows that people know the importance of Scouting - for their children, their communities, their country, and the world.

On a more personal level, it was an honor to be able to speak in front of so many people and share my love of Scouting with them. I shared this refl ection with the audience:

“It’s hard for me to put into words the impact that Girl Scouting has had on my life. When I look at the activities I’m involved in, the beliefs I’ve developed, and the passions I’ve discovered, it becomes clear that every aspect of my life has been touched by my involvement in Girl Scouting.

Through Scouting, I have had countless opportunities to meet, learn from, and serve others. I have become a leader, among my peers, at my Girl Scout camp, and in my community.

I learned, as a sixth grader setting out to earn my bronze award, that even young people can make a difference - And I do, every Wednesday morning when I volunteer with fi rst graders and help them learn to read.

I’ve learned that I’m more than just a part of Troop 601 - I am part of a worldwide organization composed of 10 million inspiring young women.

I have met Girl Scouts and Girl Guides from around the world, and have come to understand that through sharing our ideas and working together, a world of possibilities lies ahead. And those possibilities lie in the hearts and minds of Scouts, who strive, each day, to make the world a better place.”

Speaking at the Governor’s Luncheon is but one example of how Girl Scouting has inspired me to be a courageous individual who is willing to take on new challenges. I’m glad I was able to represent the Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa, introduce Lieutenant Governor Reynolds, and share a little bit of what Girl Scouts is really all about.

My name is Elaine Kushkowski and I am proud to be a Girl Scout.

Elaine on the lift with Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds and a Boy Scout representative.

do youBELIEVE in GIRLS? BIG Event! BIG Opportunity! BIG Fun!

Join hundreds of girls from across Iowa for our biggest event of the year! Our annual Believe in Girls (B.I.G.) event features fun and informative stations on science, technology, and engineering! We’ll also be hosting many activity booths where girls can take part in craft projects, SWAPS, have fun with nature, and other general Girl Scout activities! Breakout sessions will cover exciting topics for all grade levels. Stage events will include dance, fashion, Miss Iowa, and live music. Come to our B.I.G. event, meet and connect with other Girl Scouts from across the state, and explore how to reach your goals with confi dence and determination.

GIRLS?GIRLS?GIRLSwe do!

WHEN: Saturday, 9/7/13 10 am - 3 pm

WHERE: Hy-Vee Hall 730 3rd St Des Moines, IA 50309

COST: Girls & Adults: $10 (lunch included), Transportation available for $10 per person. DEADLINE: 8/16/13*

Volunteers Needed!Please contact us by phone at 800-342-8389 or emailprogram@gsiowa.org.

*Registration deadline is 8/16/13. No registrations will be accepted after this date. You can register using our paper forms, online at girlscoutsiowa.org, or by calling 800-342-8389!

Not interested in joining a troop, but still want to enjoy the Girl Scout

Leadership Experience?

No problem! You can be a Juliette!

Girl ScoutingGirl ScoutingGirl ScoutingGirl Scoutingcustom made for you!

Juliettes are busy, independent, self confident girls who want to be a part of something larger – Girl Scouts! Make your Girl Scouting experience custom fit your interests!

• TheJulietteprogramisagreatwayforgirlswhodon’thavetimefortroopspecificactivitiestoparticipateinothercouncilprograms.

• It’sagreatwaytocontinueyourfutureinGirlScoutswhenyourtroopnolongermeets,orifthereisn’tatroopthatisrightforyouinyourtown.

• SomeofourJuliettesbelongedtoGirlScoutsasyoungergirlsandarenowlookingforanewwaytostayconnectedwhilenotmakingayearlongcommitmenttoagroup.

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10715 Hickman Rd.Des Moines, IA 50322

Leadership Center Locations: Council Bluffs, IA Des Moines, IA Fort Dodge, IA Mason City, IA Sioux City, IA

www.girlscoutsiowa.org

Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confi dence and character who make the world a better place.Girl Scouts advance diversity and pluralism in our Movement and in the communities in which we live.

Connect is a publication for Girl Scouts in grades 6-12. It is published four times annually as a service to the girls of Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa.

Chair: Martha KroneCEO: Jamie Boersma

www.girlscoutsiowa.org

1860 Madison Ave, Ste 3Council Bluffs, IA 51503

712-328-2338800-422-2093

10715 Hickman RoadDes Moines, IA 50322

515-278-2881800-342-8389

112 S 3rd StreetFort Dodge, IA 50501

515-573-814180-798-8141

601 S Illinois Ave.Mason City, IA 50401

641-423-3044800-657-5853

1515 Zenith DriveSioux City, IA 51103

712-255-0187800-746-8947

Girl Scout Mission: Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.

girlscoutsiowa.org

There was a time when people thought that girls couldn’t surf. So Izzy and Coco Tihanyi decided to challenge that soggy idea. They combined forces—and fi erceness!—to co-found the fi rst all-girl surf school. Sixteen years later, their Surf Diva Surf School in La Jolla, California, is the No. 1 surf school in the world! These surf divas have a motto: “The best surfer in the water is the one having the most fun.” That’s why their classes are loud and wild, and all the students cheer for one another. For the Tihanyi twins, having fun hanging 10 also means hanging together. “Working with my twin is awesome,” Coco says, “because we both knew long ago that we love the surf industry.” The sisters add that even though they have very different personalities, they have learned to complement each other to create a business that is both fl uid and strong. Izzy is the “Surf,” so she’s in charge of the hard goods, like surfboards, and runs the school. As the “Diva,” Coco oversees the boutique and fashion aspects of their company. Breaking waves help girls make a wave, and Izzy and Coco strongly believe in encouraging that power. Says Izzy, “I think we have the best jobs on the planet.” Are you inspired yet? Whatever your passion is... go for it!

http://forgirls.girlscouts.org/its-your-business-run-it/

April is National Poetry Month, when we celebrate the world of poems and poets, including our very own Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low. Besides being a skilled painter and sculptor, Daisy also wrote poems, like this one from her 1911 diary:

The road which led from you to meIs choked with thorns and overgrown We walked together yesterday But now—I walk aloneI count the footsteps one by one Where love once guided us—for though We never saw how love had comeAlas—we saw him goThe magic of the road is deadThe millstones marking memories Are moss grown and our feet must treadOnward the separate waysFor Life hath roads that lead to power So high they cannot walk abreast You chose the high road—I the lowerGod knows which road is best

How will you celebrate National Poetry Month? Here are fi ve fun things to do with your Girl Scout sisters or on your own:

1. Read about Anne Bradstreet, the fi rst woman to publish a book of poetry on our Inspiring Women Timeline.

2. Practice your It’s Your Story, Tell It Journey storytelling skills by organizing a poetry reading

at a local library, coffee shop, or community center.

3. Take part in Poem in Your Pocket Day! It’s simple: On Thursday, April 18, select a poem you love, carry it with you, then share it with your family and friends whenever the mood strikes.

4. Take it outdoors and write a poem in chalk on your sidewalk.

5. Create a group poem. On a sheet of paper, one person writes a word, folds it over to conceal it, then passes it to the next girl for her contribution. Make sure to agree on a sentence structure beforehand—for example: adjective, noun, verb, adjective, noun. Articles and verb tenses may be added after the poem is written.

For some fi nal inspiration, Birdsall Otis Edey served as Girl Scouts National President from 1930–1935, and was also a talented poet with several published collections to her name. Here’s something she wrote for Golden Eaglet Award recipients (now known as the Gold Award):

Lines to a Golden EagletI would wish you the range of the eaglet’s eye,The strength of his wings that your spirit may fl yOver all of life’s turmoil—your purpose held high.I would wish you the courage to walk unafraidWearing proudly the symbol of your accolade.

Izzy and Coco Tihanyi / surfdiva.com

Plan for Poetry Month (excerpt from girlscouts.org)