Join Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana (GSGCNWI) at our adult premier fall fundraising event, Smart Cookies Badge Bash, this September 22, 2022, at Cafe Brauer in Lincoln Park. Hosted by our Associate Board, this event will give our supporters and community the chance to experience the fun and meaning of Girl Scouting firsthand, by meeting and learning from our Girl Scouts themselves.
At this signature Girl Scout event, we are showcasing a few of the unique experiences Girl Scouting provides at booths headed by girls in our council. Attendees will participate in hands-on activities and learn more about what Girl Scouting is all about.
We are excited to feature the Newton Busters, the FIRST LEGO League World Championships competitors, who will be present at the Smart Cookies Badge Bash with their own booth! This is an incredible team of robot-designing Girl Scouts in 7th to 12th grade who utilize several programs to showcase their technical design and team performance at local, state, and national competitions. They aim to raise awareness that women represent 25 percent of the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) workforce, and to increase the participation of girls in STEM activities through community outreach programs. Don’t miss out on a chance to see how these robots are made and get an opportunity to drive one!
Don’t miss out!
Bring your “troop” of friends and test your skills in earning badges and patches, led by today’s Girl Scouts, while enjoying bites, beverages, music, and much more.
Who are the Historians you might ask? The Historian Team at GSGCNWI is made up of 26 volunteers who are interested in the history of Girl Scouts and actively work to preserve and present the story to our community.
History of the movement
Begun by Juliette Gordon Low on March 12,1912, Girl Scouts quickly spread throughout the country. Girl Scouts offered young women the opportunity to learn important life skills, as well as to live by the values of the Promise and Law – unselfishness, patriotism, loyalty and truth. Our current Council was formed in 2008 from seven councils in the Chicago media market following the guidance of Girl Scouts of USA (GSUSA). Those seven councils were the result of over 40 smaller councils that had been established, functioned and eventually combined over the years.
In the early days of the movement, individual towns were set up as councils that governed and guided their girl and adult members. Logistics, better governance and the opportunity to bring a better program to the girls brought these smaller councils together. What it also created was story after story about the local Girl Scout program.
Enter the Council Historian Team.
Historical Treasures
Some members of the team have been actively involved in preserving our memorabilia and stories since the 1980’s. GSUSA encouraged historians to step forward and provided professional level training in the preservation of all aspects of the history of Girl Scouts. Many of our team members have traveled to the Macy Program Center in New York, as well as multi-day programs held before National Council Sessions to learn the proper techniques to accession and store all the bits and pieces of history donated to us by our local community. Members of our team hosted “Learn to Preserve” in 2014 and were privileged to have experts from GSUSA and volunteer historians from throughout the Midwest attend our training.
When the words Girl Scout history come up, most people think of the uniform they wore and the handbook they used. We have all that and so much more. Each item that is donated to us is recorded and then passed along to the team member responsible for accessioning that category of material. We use simple excel spreadsheets to record our work and have over 70 categories of physical items in the council collection. Yes, we have magazines, dolls, camp canteens, mugs, postcards, volunteer gifts, tins, cameras, pens and pencils, membership cards…and the list goes on.
The collection is currently housed in the annex at the Joliet and Vernon Hills Gathering Place (GP). Team members meet on Mondays and Tuesdays each week at one of the GPs to process the literally thousands of pieces of historic memorabilia that have been donated to us over the years.
Over those same years, we have opened the gray archival boxes and shared the collection with our local communities. Sometimes it’s smaller displays at libraries, community meetings and events. We have produced fashion shows of uniforms for Alumnae and Service Unit events, as well as large scale shows at local malls. To celebrate our special anniversaries, we have held programs at Navy Pier (90-year anniversary) and at some of Chicago’s premier museums in 2012 to commemorate the 100 years of Girl Scouting. Currently there are displays in the Gathering Places in Chicago, Joliet and Woodridge. The displays are changed regularly to showcase just some of the treasures from the collection.
The team has offered Victorian themed tea parties throughout the council, taken books and uniforms to troop and Service Unit meetings, and participated in other council events, such as Trunk or Treat. We have put together kits that can be checked out by troops for use at their meetings – ranging from tea parties to history themed book and uniform bins from the 1960s and 1980s.
Take Home a Piece of History
This upcoming September 29 (10am – 4pm), 30 (10am – 6pm) and October 1 (10am – 2pm) will be our first sale of excess historical items from our inventory. We are always grateful for any donations, but we have limited storage space and must be selective about which items we accession. We invite you to the Joliet Gathering Place to shop for books, uniforms, badges and patches, and many of those extras that might be new to you.
Most of us are Lifetime Members of Girl Scouts and have served in many volunteer positions over the years. Our love of Girl Scouts and her history keeps us active in the movement and having fun. If you are interested in learning more about the team or donating some Girl Scout treasures, please contact our Archivist, Rosemarie Courtney at rdcourtney1940@gmail.com.
Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana is partnering with Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures to encourage Girl Scouts to learn about oral health and wellness. Since 1991, the Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures®initiative has touched the lives of more than a billion children in over 80 countries. Their mission is to connect underserved communities to oral health education, free dental screenings and treatment referrals.
Working with members of the community, Colgate strives to promote lifelong learning opportunities and create a world of bright smiles and even brighter futures by ensuring that prevention and good oral hygiene remains a top global health priority. Colgate believes every child and their family has a right to a lifetime of healthy smiles, and to help promote its initiative, they created the Colgate Bright Smiles Patch Program where families can complete fun science experiments and build healthy oral habits.
Learn powerful habits like brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, how to build healthy oral habits, making snacks that are good for your teeth, and discover something new about your dentists.
Check out Girl Scout Daisy Troop #35683 having fun completing some of the Bright Smiles, Bright Futures activities below!
During their troop meeting, girls collectively completed the apple experiment. Rather than allowing the “tooth” (apple) to decay in the brown bag, they expedited the process by adding food coloring in the “cavity” (pencil hole):
After drawing a tooth on a Styrofoam cup, troop leaders added paste (flour + water). Decorating with sprinkles were the best part because the girls thought they tasted so GOOD. But what a messy “tooth decay” watching the Styrofoam cup dissolve in the acetone:
Next it was time to get those bright smiles checked out by a dentist!
At the end, girls created dental posters to help remind them to take care of their teeth. The troop completed their smile posters on different color paper to collectively show a rainbow!
Get Involved
Help Colgate in their efforts to reach two billion children by 2025 by completing the Bright Smiles, Bright Futures program with Girl Scouts! Download this workbook to help get you started on this patch program as a troop or with your family! You can pick up additional copies of the workbook at our Girl Scout GCNWI shop (while supplies last). Learn more at www.ColgateBSBF.com.
Nothing is more empowering than having someone believe in you!
Camp CEO is dedicated to creating a safe space for Girl Scouts to network and interact with women from a variety of industries and backgrounds who believe in girls and all that they can accomplish.
The environment is fun, camp-based, and full of unique opportunities to hear about the twists and turns of the women mentor’s career paths and ask questions about how they got to where they are today. Their stories give Girl Scouts in grades 9-12 a “peek behind the curtain” and reinforce how tenacity, persistence, being curious, and taking risks without fear of failure can be the catalyst for interesting careers.
Read below as Girl Scout Program Specialist, Jauzlyn, shares highlights of the three-day event held at the Chicago office, culminating with an overnight stay at Camp Greene Wood.
Day 1
On the first day, 10 girls arrived to the Chicago Gathering Place with a look of uneasiness. Sure, there were a few who allowed a sliver of a smile to show on their faces, but underneath there was surely anxiety. Most of the girls were very quiet and hesitant to actively participate, while a couple of them were able to break out of their shells more as the day went on. The girls were able to make their first connections with the mentors during an activity where they created vision boards, in which many of the mentors and girls were engaged in thoughtful conversations.
The biggest highlight of the day was when we played “Cross the Line”. This is a game where the facilitator makes various statements and participants take a step forward if the statement applies to them. During this game, there were a variety of serious statements, with some goofy ones in between. When we discussed how the game made them feel, many of the girls shared that it allowed them to feel closer to other people in the room, it helped them trust us as mentors and other girls, it allowed them to learn new things about each other, and it made them feel better about speaking up.
As time went on, the girls began to come out of their shells and expressed how doing this game made them feel more open and excited for the next two days.
Day 2
The girls worked through a coding badge, thanks to our partner Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, at HCSC. The girls were tasked with taking data and creating a visual representation of the data to present to everyone. The girls were nervous at first, but once they began to work on the projects and had the guidance and coaching of HCSC volunteers, a whole new feeling of confidence was able to emerge. When asked who wanted to go first, there were a couple of girls who raised their hands quickly. In fact, a few of the quietest girls were first to raise their hands. The girls all did so well in presenting their projects. Some of the girls even helped their shyer peers speak up when it was time to present. Many of the girls stepped into the role of a leader during this time.
Once back at the Chicago Gathering Place, the girls participated in an activity called “Life Mapping”. During this activity, the girls were given the opportunity to identify different areas in their life that help them understand who they are and who they want to be as they develop and progress in life. Many girls shared that this activity helped them be more open and understand themselves a little better. They also enjoyed being able to learn more about each other and their mentors.
Later in the evening, we went to Camp Greene Wood. When we arrived at camp, it was safe to say that the girls trusted the facilitators and each other a lot more. By this time, the girls were looking as if they all came into this program knowing each other. During an activity called “Fear in a box,” we had the girls write down a fear and put it into a box, then, we sat around the campfire and I read each person’s fear. During this activity, the girls were given the choice to claim their fear, speak about it, and give advice and feedback to each other or not.
Each girl claimed and elaborated on their fear, and openly received advice and feedback from each other and the facilitators. The girls were then given the chance to burn them in the campfire. After discussing the activity, girls expressed that they felt comfortable because of the vibe of the group and because they felt like they could trust us and each other. Many of them said that they can see themselves being friends with all of the other girls after the program was over.
It later came to our knowledge that after lights out, the girls used the flashlights on their phones as light so that they can sit together and make friendship bracelets. They did that until they all fell asleep.
Day 3
On the final day, the girls were split into smaller groups with mentors and participated in a variety of leadership activities. Each girl was expected to take turns leading the group in an activity and work on their communication and leadership skills. The mentors guided them and gave feedback about their performances. Mentors shared that many of the girls were excellent in how they led activities and how creative they were.
During lunch, the mentors had an insightful discussion about networking and using social media as a way to promote themselves. In return, many of the girls downloaded LinkedIn and created accounts the same day. They spent the rest of the day getting each other’s LinkedIn information and the information of facilitators and mentors.
The end of the day concluded with a business pitch competition. During the competition, the girls had twenty minutes to come up with a business and pitch it to an audience. Many of the girls became more animated and livelier when presenting. They used this opportunity to show off their personalities and their creativity, which resulted in some amazing business pitches. It was clear that by the end of the program, many of the girls had a newfound confidence in themselves.
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According to Girl Scout Alonda, her biggest takeaway from Camp CEO was that, “passion drives everyone to success. Having drive and passion will always keep you focused on your career path and understanding your purpose.”
“I really felt honored to be part of the conversations,” Girl Scout Program Specialist JT said in regards to an activity centered around being your authentic self and finding commonalities between the girls. “I think a lot of the girls were skeptical about how the day would turn out, but our mentors’ genuine interest in learning more about them and especially the vulnerability as they told their stories really resonated with the girls.”
Girls shared that their opinions of the program changed as their day progressed. They expressed being glad to be there and felt more connected to each other.
“I was really nervous to come here but after meeting everyone and getting to talk, I enjoyed myself!” exclaimed a Girl Scout.
Here are some more highlights from the event:
We want to thank all of the incredible women involved in making Camp CEO a success, from our sponsors and community partners, to the mentors, to the staff, to the Girl Scouts themselves!
What do we mean when we say we’re bringing all the FUN, without the filter? It means we are relieving ourselves from the pressures of being perfect and being unafraid to laugh and be silly. Girls have fun learning new skills, earning badges, and testing their abilities—but most importantly, they have fun while doing it.
Check out these cool Girl Scout activities you can do at home with family or friends! Be sure to renew your membershipbefore the new Girl Scout year begins October 1.
Creating “calm kits” will help us to focus and process our feelings. Whether we are feeling happy, sad, frustrated, or mad, having something to turn to during a time of need is always helpful. Take time to make calm kits with your family and then discuss what everyone put in theirs. You’ll each build a go-to source of comfort and learn a little about one another in the process.
Directions
Once you’ve gathered everything, decorate the box and fill it with the things that could help you feel better when life gets hard.
Use the sheet of paper to write a list of simple activities that make you feel good— whether you love running and making art or playing with your pet and baking, write them all down.
Once you’re done, fold the paper and pop it in the box to remind yourself of healthy ways to deal with stress.
Consider writing a pep-talk letter to yourself to remind you of your strength and resilience in tough times.
You might want to include a small toy, book, photo of someone who inspires you, or other trinket that makes you happy.
Keep your calm kit in a safe spot and know that it’s there for you whenever you need a pick-me-up!
God’s Eye or Ojo de Dios is a craft that can be traced back to the Huichol people of the mountains of Central Mexico. The Huichol people crafted these as shields, with God’s eye in the center to watch over and protect them. The center is historically woven with black yarn or a mirrored disk to see the gods better. Children would make these crafts so that the gods might learn who they were so they could be protected.
Directions
Cross the sticks in the middle to make an ‘X’ formation.
Using one of the pieces of yarn, tie the sticks together in the middle of the ‘X’ (or glue them together with glue, keep in mind this might take a while to dry).
Take the yarn and wrap it over the top and then under the first stick. The yarn should be wrapped completely around the stick. (See photos below)
Rotate the ‘X’ to the left and repeat step 3. Continue until you run out of yarn or want to change colors. (See photos below)
To add another color of yarn, tie the end of the first string of yarn to the end of the next color of yarn string. Continue to repeat step 3.
When you are ready to finish, use the last 2-3 inches of yarn to tie a knot around the last string.
Use a 6-inch piece of yard to make a loop and tie it to one end of one the sticks to hang your God’s Eye. (optional)
Creative Ideas
Add different colored beads to your yarn to add pop of color.
Swap the yarn for plain or patterned ribbon.
Directions:
Set up your workspace by placing down newspaper or setting up a bin for you to work in. This activity can get messy!
Measure out 1 cup of flour and use the funnel to pour it into the empty plastic water bottle. Use a pencil to help push the flour through the funnel into the water bottle. Keep the lid off.
Blow up your balloon and pinch the opening, keeping it inflated. Do not tie the end off.
While still pinching the balloon shut, take the opening of your balloon and stretch it over the opening of the water bottle. If you have done this correctly, you will have a water bottle filled with flour with an inflated balloon over the opening. You might need someone to help with this step, as it might be easier with two people.
If you have done this correctly, you will have a water bottle filled with flour with an inflated balloon over the opening. You might need someone to help with this step, as it might be easier with two people.
Slowly release the extra air in your balloon. Be careful and take your time! Sometimes the flour will escape with the air, so make sure that you do this step over your newspaper or bucket.
Tie off your balloon to secure the flour inside.
Add yarn and use a permanent marker to draw a fun face!
Directions:
Squeeze and strain juice from a lemon into the glass.
Add 1 teaspoon baking soda to the glass and stir. Do you see what is happening?
Add water (roughly an equal amount as the lemon juice) and sugar to taste. Try your lemonade—how does it feel on your tongue?
This works because the baking soda, a base, has a chemical reaction with the lemon juice, an acid.
When you mix them together, they react to create carbon dioxide, the same bubbly gas you find in soda. You just made lemonade soda!
Girl Scouts of USA recently released a funding opportunity for up to six councils to each receive a $10,000 grant to support multicultural family camp events. Research showed that less than 10% of people engaging in outdoor experiences at recreational parks and camps included people of color. These events aimed to increase racial, ethnic, and social-economic diversity among our resident and day camps.
Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana invited specific girls to participate in the grant-funded program as part of an effort to include girls who would not typically engage with summer camp programs. A part of this program included early registration for summer camp programs in order to ensure these girls, who we do not typically see at camp programs, had access to attend during the summer camp season this year. The goal was to transition 30 girls to day camp and 10 girls to resident camp by start of camp season. This work is part of GSGCNWI’s continued work to improve inclusion and access across our council offerings.
Read along to see how it all came together and how Girl Scouts GCNWI was able to transition 38 campers for day and resident camp, 12 of whom were first time campers.
To ensure the campaign’s success, the council aligned itself with partners who could assist with promoting its mission. Members of the GCNWI Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access (DEIA) committee met with Earl Hunter Jr., Founder and President of Black Folks Camp Too, an organization dedicated to outdoor lifestyle education and works to remove the fears and inhibition’s affiliated with the camp lifestyle. Black Folks Camp Too presented at a GCNWI staff meeting and provided insight to help the council recognize the generational and historical ties the idea of outdoor experiences may have on these communities. The council wanted to provide a platform for those trailblazers willing to flex their resiliency, break free from molds, and create some of the best memories of their lives!
Girl Scouts sought out to help shatter myths, break stereotypes, even make some introductions regarding outdoor experiences and the involvement of Black and Brown communities. From that stemmed the “Life Outdoors is LIT” event series, designed to create a safe space for families of color to grow more comfortable with outdoor exploration and expose our members to a lifestyle that may differ from their everyday experiences.
Girl Scouts we’re invited to participate in a series of exclusive, complimentary experiences where they could engage in fun outdoor activities, make new friends and earn badges. Each progressive activity led up to a culminating, overnight-optional event at Camp Butternut Springs.
Check out the highlights from each event below!
Virtual Family Camp In
The first event in the Life Outdoors is Lit event included a virtual family camp-in. What better way to get introduced to the great outdoors than to create your own camping grounds right in the comfort of your own home? Families learned how to set up a campsite in a room in their home, how to prepare for a winter hike, and participated in badge activities and a cool science experiment by making fizzy lemonade!
Girl Scout Bonfire
Next, it was time to get outdoors! Families braved the cold at Big Marsh Park and got ready for the next phase in their outdoor exploration. GCNWI camp staff walked families through how to build a fire, how to create a camp setup with tents, and bonded together while making s’mores over the fire.
Overnight at Camp Butternut Springs
Families were encouraged to take all of the knowledge they had gained so far and put it to the test at the Life Outdoors is Lit culminating event at Camp Butternut Springs in Indiana. Families had a chance to enjoy such activities as as archery, boating, letterboxing and geocaching, fun tie-dye crafts, and even got a chance to have a cookout, make a meal over the campfire, sing songs, and of course, make s’mores!
“Thank you for the fantastic program you provided the Girl Scouts and families at the ‘Life Outdoors is LIT’ finale event this weekend! The tireless dedication of your staff surely comes from a place of love & community, and did not go unnoticed,” exclaimed one Girl Scout Mom in attendance.
“My girl loved every minute of being at camp. I cannot wait until the next event!” exclaimed another.
Check out more pictures from Camp Butternut Springs below!
