Our Girl Scouts, friends, and family participated in a tour through the historic Pullman District. This was just one of the many activities scheduled for our Social Inclusion Week.

Tour Guide and Chicago Historian Dilla of Mahogany Tours explained that Pullman was one of the first industrialized communities in the United States, featuring a campus that included a manufacturing plant for Pullman train cars and housing for its workers.  

Before the rise of the aircraft industry, rail was the preferred and primary mode of cross-country transportation.  Pullman Cars, also known as sleeping cars, offered far more comfort than sitting in a regular seat, much like today’s airplane sleep pods. Manufacturing of Pullman Cars ceased in 1982.

Although the Girl Scouts explored the area by bus, there are several exhibits visitors can access in a 5-block radius, including the Administration Clock Tower building and the Pullman Exhibit Hall. The National A. Phillip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum is currently closed and under construction. Walking throughout the community, one can also notice the architectural differences between the homes of the “bosses” and the general workers (who, by the way, all came to work dressed in suits).

Two interesting moments stood out on the tour. One of the Girl Scouts asked how individuals with walking disabilities would have navigated the streets and multi-level family homes in the past. Dilla explained, gently but honestly, that unless a family member was willing or able to carry them up and down the stairs, those individuals were often confined to one floor or sent away to live in places that were not very pleasant. Today, many homeowners have installed elevators (typically at the back of the building) and, thanks to the Americans with Disabilities Act, the streets are more accessible.

Dilla also shared the story of A. Phillip Randolph, who in 1925 organized the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (later known as Pullman Porters), the first successful African American-led labor union. The Porters also played a key role in the Great Migration by distributing the Chicago Defender and other black-owned newspapers along their routes. It was also commonly known that if someone needed to leave town quickly, and they knew a porter, they could sometimes be smuggled onto the train and safely dropped off at a stop along the way. 

Kathy, the daughter of a Pullman Porter, shared a special memory. While traveling back to Southern Illinois University (Carbondale) and boarding The Illini at the Homewood station (yes, trains back then had names), her father saw a fellow porter on the train. Because this train’s final destination was New Orleans, it came equipped with a dining car and several sleeping cars.  As part of the Loyal Order of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, he told his colleague, “That’s my youngest daughter on her way back to school, so you watch out for her.” Needless to say, she didn’t sit in coach that day. The porter escorted her to the front of the train, where she sat in a comfortable roomette for the duration of the trip. An unforgettable experience, and one still on her bucket list to relive.

The tradition of tipping in the service industry also has roots in the history of the Pullman Porters. Because they weren’t paid much, porters relied heavily on tips for shining shoes, turning down beds, and providing exceptional service. Many celebrities traveled by rail at the time, and stories were often shared among porters. Her father used to say that while some big names in particular were very generous tippers, others were not.

It was an inspiring and educational day, and we’re proud to offer experiences like this that connect our Girl Scouts and their families to the powerful stories woven into Chicago’s history.

Special thanks to Kathy C. for sharing this story and her reflections with us.

Did you catch us on FOX cooking up Campfire French Toast?! Camp Greene Wood’s Summer Camp Director, Sprout, crushed it showing how Girl Scouts build confidence and resilience through outdoor cooking at camp!

We’re so close to reaching our goal of giving 3,000 campers an unforgettable, screen-free summer! If you’ve been thinking about signing up, now’s the perfect time.

✨ Use promo code CAMPGOODDAY at checkout to get $50 off a council-led summer camp session. ✨

Dreamers. Go-getters. Believers. Here at Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana (GCNWI), girls bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better, and brighter, world. They discover areas of interest, pursue their passions, and create lifelong friendships within and outside of their troop. Girl Scouts prepares girls to think about their futures and provides them with opportunities and tools to turn their dreams into reality.

Last summer, GCNWI launched a new internship program where five college students participated in and experienced what happens behind the scenes at our council. From learning how we develop and cultivate relationships with outside organizations to assisting with creating content for our social media platforms, our interns worked with each department and gained a better understanding of our organization. They assisted on projects that directly impacted the work we do to support our girls while exploring potential career paths available post college.

For interns Evelyn and Faith, this internship was a full circle moment as both women were now interning for an organization they once participated in as girls and young adults. While both women had different Girl Scout journeys and experiences, they shared common benefits of their Girl Scout experience that helped shape their lives and potential career paths.  

When Evelyn moved into Chicago’s South Loop neighborhood in the early 2000s, both Evelyn and her mother noticed there wasn’t a sense of community within their residential area. Evelyn’s mother decided to start a Girl Scout troop not only as a way to bring the neighborhood girls together, but to also encourage Evelyn to make friends outside of her school classroom. Starting her Girl Scout journey as a Daisy, Evelyn gained more confidence and stepped outside of her comfort zone year after year until her final year as a Cadette. She even credits Girl Scout for her love of nature as it provided her with opportunities to go horseback riding and hiking!

Like many younger siblings, Faith’s Girl Scout journey began as she would often tag along and join her older sister’s extracurricular activities. While attending her sister’s Girl Scout events, Faith noticed how refreshing it was to see a female led group of girls explore the world. Over time, Faith decided to join Girl Scouts and flourished year after year until she graduated high school as a Girl Scout Ambassador. Being surrounded by a group of supportive women encouraged Faith to come out of her shell and be her most authentic self. During her time as a Girl Scout, Faith built relationships with girls in and outside of her troop (including meeting her best friend), explored the world through nature and travel opportunities, and earned her Gold Award, the highest Girl Scout award available to Seniors and Ambassadors. Similar to Evelyn, Faith credits Girl Scouts for turning her into a ‘nature girly’.

While Evelyn and Faith’s Girl Scout journeys were different, they share similarities as Girl Scouts provided both women with the resources and space to discover some of their life passions, which have influenced both of their potential career paths.

Girl Scouts provided Evelyn with ample programs to explore her creative side while also developing her theatre skills. As an aspiring actor, Evelyn shared if it wasn’t for Girl Scouts, she doesn’t know if she would have had the confidence to audition for different theatre programs over the last few years. Because Girl Scouts provided Evelyn with the space to try new things, even if it meant failing at times, she gained confidence in herself and her acting abilities that she taps into today while chasing her dreams. Girl Scouts empowered Evelyn to not worry about what others think and to always believe in herself, life lessons she continues to carry with her today.

Surrounded by family members with careers in medical and STEM professions, Faith dreamed of pursuing a different career trajectory that would encourage her to tap into her creative side. A troop volunteer outing to PAWS Chicago gave Faith a glimpse of what goes into news reporting and story writing, which inspired her to pursue a career in journalism. Girl Scouts not only provided Faith with a space to develop her self-confidence, but also showed her she can achieve anything she puts her mind to. As Faith puts it, Girl Scouts provided her with a supportive environment where she was able to break out of her shell and allowed her to develop skills that will help her be the girl boss she knows she is.

Summer intern Faith volunteering at PAWS Chicago.

The beautiful and unique part of Girl Scouts is that no girl’s journey or experience is the same. Each girl is provided with a safe space where they can try new activities, regardless of the outcome, and discover what their passions are. If you’d like to continue the Girl Scout journey you and or your daughter have embarked on, renew your membership today and join us for more adventure, fun, and growth! Or to learn more about the ways you and your girl can participate in Girl Scouts, visit us at www.girlscoutsgcwni.org/join.

Check out these videos to hear more from Evelyn and Faith!

by Karen Schillings, Council Historian  

This year marks the 50^th anniversary of National Volunteer Week, held during the third week of April, to recognize the contributions of volunteers from across the country. We are very fortunate to have so many outstanding Girl Scout volunteers among us whose history has been important to the movement. As an example of such a volunteer, our spotlight for 2024 shines on Robin Moss, who has been involved with Girl Scouts since the early 1970s. When living in Moline, Illinois, Robin started her long association with Girl Scouts as a Brownie with her mom as her leader. Robin’s relationship with Girl Scouts would grow from being a girl member to a volunteer, to being a staff member, and back to volunteering. So, let’s take a look at some of the highlights of Robin’s herstory as a Girl Scout.   

Robin has some fond memories of her girl years, including her first time at resident camp, even though this initial experience started off a little rocky. You see, the girls were sleeping in platform tents, crawling with spiders. Robin was terrified of being in her tent. However, she had a very understanding camp counselor whose camp name Robin remembers to this day – “No One,” and this counselor knew how to calm Robin’s fears. No One brought Robin to her tent, and they sat together counting the spiders. This simple activity allowed Robin to confront her fears and find the courage to sleep in a tent alongside the spiders. It seems that “No One” should have been renamed “Some One”.  

When Robin was a Senior Girl Scout living in Fenton, Illinois, her cookie goal was to be the girl who sold the most cookies for Legacy Green Hills Council (now part of Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois). Fenton is a very small town of less than 600 residents, so she knew that she had to expand her territory if she was going to be the top seller. Robin convinced her mother to take her to other nearby towns to sell door-to-door. In the end, the 1981 top cookie seller for Green Hills Council was none other than Robin Moss. She had gained the confidence to do what she had set her sights on. Once she achieved this goal, she was asked to serve on the council’s cookie board.  

This led to her being encouraged to apply to be a national delegate to the 1981 National Council Session being held in Houston. She was selected for this position and attended the Girl Scout Convention that fall. Robin continued to aim high, resulting in her earning the highest Girl Scout award at the time, the First Class, now known as the Gold Award.   

Robin’s experience as a national council delegate led her to become a political science major at Western Illinois University (WIU). Her Girl Scout delegate experience also helped Robin to be chosen by the university to participate in the National Model United Nations. Isn’t it amazing that all the wheels were set into motion by a Girl Scout whose goal was to be the top cookie seller?    

Robin started transitioning from being a girl member to volunteering when she was a Senior Girl Scout. She began by assisting with a younger troop and by earning the Leader in Training. Afterward, when she was at Western Illinois University, she again demonstrated her leadership skills. Since there were no Campus Girl Scouts at WIU, Robin set out to change that and was able to get a chapter started. WIU continues to have Campus Girl Scouts to this day.  

In the summer of 1986, Robin moved to Chicago. It was during this year that the Chicago Council began planning for the 75^th anniversary year. Robin became a Junior leader for the Girl Scouts of Chicago (GSC) and then joined the 75^th anniversary planning committee. Eventually, she took a staff position as a field executive for Legacy GSC, but she also continued to be a troop leader. As a staff member, Robin was an innovator for the council and came up with a very novel idea. She realized that girls who were living in homeless shelters did not usually have the opportunity to be a Girl Scout. To change that situation, she decided to start a new program called Shelter Troops. Her creative thinking made it possible for numerous girls to be a part of our organization who would have never had the opportunity before. This program was so groundbreaking that it was featured on national news outlets and then duplicated in other councils. That’s called having a nationwide impact AND showing strength of character!  

Robin married Dan in 1988 and the following year, their son Robert was born. When the family welcomed their daughter, Robin looked forward to being Megan’s troop leader. She started a Daisy troop when the family was living in legacy Lone Tree Council. Then, when the family moved to Oak Lawn in 1998, Robin began volunteering as a leader for Legacy South Cook County Council (SCC) and had many adventures with Megan and the troop, including trips to the 95^th and 100^th anniversary Sing-Alongs in Washington, DC, and numerous camping trips. Besides being a fantastic troop leader, Robin was also known for her expert leadership as Association Chair (now known as service unit manager (SUM)) for Black Oaks, a position she took on in 2005. Robin’s association was always one of the most vibrant in the council, reaching its goals consistently.   

Another position Robin undertook was serving as a member of the Girl Scouts SCC Adult Recognitions Committee, a position she continues to hold with Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana (GCNWI). She is fervent about making sure her sister volunteers are recognized for their service. She is always ready to do any assignment for the task group, whether it’s reviewing applications or being a presenter at one of the events. Robin is someone the task group can depend upon for anything that’s asked of her.  

Given her political science background and her participation in a National Council Session (NCS) as a girl member, it should be no wonder that Robin also has a passion for the democratic process. She has been Chair of District 4 since 2008. On an even broader level, Robin became the volunteer coordinator of the national delegates to the Houston Convention in 2011 and has maintained that position to the present. The tasks that Robin performs include training new delegates for the National Council Session, along with making all the arrangements for travel and housing for the entire GCNWI delegation attending NCS. This was an enormous amount of work for one person, but Robin seemed to be able to get everything done proficiently, making sure all went smoothly at the convention. 

It should likewise be mentioned that training volunteers is apparently in Robin’s green blood. She is not only an enthusiastic volunteer for LEAP, but she is also extremely devoted to training volunteers wherever and whenever she can. It’s not unusual for Robin to arrange training for just a handful of leaders. Her expertise is always greatly appreciated.  

Since Robin constantly thinks BIG, it’s not surprising how she approached the Girl Scout 100^th anniversary. When the committee was planning the celebration for the 100th, Robin wanted to do something special on the actual anniversary, March 12, 2012. Many festivities were planned throughout the year, but Robin’s idea was to make that day special for Girl Scouts. To that end, she came up with the plan to have Promise Circles throughout the council’s jurisdiction. She and her committee developed a plan that could be used at any place girls could gather at 19:12 p.m. Her excellent leadership made it possible for 177 Promise Circles to be held. The Promise Circles were such memorable experiences, and Robin was in large part responsible for creating the format for them.  

During her Girl Scout journey, Robin has received many accolades, including the Thanks Badge II, Women of the Century, and being inducted into the Girl Scout GCNWI Hall of Fame.   

Robin’s dedication to the movement has been exceptional. When there is a job to be done, Robin has no problem rolling up her sleeves and taking on the task. There are many other ways she has volunteered and continues to volunteer today, I hope these few described here will give you a sense of the treasure we have in Robin Moss, a Girl Scout of courage, confidence, and character whose herstory needs to be told.  

April 29, 2023, is International Dance Day, and we’d like to celebrate by reliving all the fun we had at our first annual Sneaker Ball! 

Sneaker Ball took place on March 11 at The Center for Visual and Performing Arts in Munster, Indiana. 

It was the perfect way to kick off Girl Scout birthday week, which started on March 12. 

Girl Scouts and their families dressed up to the nines while showing off their favorite sneakers.   

As Girl Scouts entered the venue, they walked the “pink” carpet and took pictures, just like celebrities arriving at an award show.  From there, Girl Scouts participated in different activities, like designing custom sneakers that represented a decade, learned from our council historians through fun interactive activities, and enjoyed shopping at our retail pop up shop. Of course, let’s not forget the fabulous DJ 3Snapz who kept the girls dancing all night long!  The girl’s song requests just kept on coming.

The pink carpet set the stage for our one-of-a-kind Sneaker Ball fashion show. Girl Scouts rocked the runway with confidence, courage, and character as they showed off their fancy outfits paired with their favorite sneakers. 

It was a night full of smiles, laughter, and sweet dance moves. The 2023 Sneaker Ball allowed girls to connect with old friends and meet new ones from around the council ­and was a perfectly fitting way to celebrate 111 years of Girl Scouts. 

Photos were provided by our fabulous photographer, Esther Gallarday.