Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana (GSGCNWI) is excited to add a new gathering place in Burbank, IL.
A ribbon-cutting grand opening event was held on June 10, 2023, to celebrate the gathering place. Over 150 people attended and enjoyed a scavenger hunt, received take-home program kits, enjoyed outdoor games in our parking lot, and had tasty treats from a snow cone truck.
Attendees shopped, made new friends, and the community welcomed us with open arms. The energy truly is indescribable.
The new gathering place offers a shop with shelves filled with merchandise, supplies, uniforms, and more. There is also great office space for volunteers and troop leaders to use for holding service unit meetings, planning recruitment events, and attending programs with their troop.
Special thanks to Burbank Mayor Dan M. Foy, 1st Ward Alderman Barb Gagle, Chamber of Commerce President Barbara Langnes, Chamber of Commerce Vice President Meghan Giera, Lieutenant Guy Ott, and many more who joined us on this special day for GSGCNWI.
The Burbank Gathering Place is located at 4850 West 87th Street, Burbank, IL 60459, and is open for in-person shopping and order pickup on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Questions and how to schedule space?
Email customercare@girlscoutsgcnwi.org or call 855-456-8347
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.
Our 2022 Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana Annual Report is now live. Our annual report is normally found on our blogsite, but this year you can find a refreshed version on our website. Click here to see all the great things that happened in 2022!
Starting in 1915 in Washington, D.C., the democratic process has been continually promoted by our organization through the National Council Session (NCS), a.k.a. the National Convention.
Orlando, Florida, will host the 56th National Council Session from July 18-20, 2023, followed immediately with Phenom by Girl Scouts from July 20-22, 2023. This triennial meeting, comprised of delegates from each council, is charged with giving clear direction to the future of the Girl Scout Movement. It is the central link between Girl Scout councils and GSUSA. Each local council is allotted delegates on an adjustable formula to keep the National Council close to the optimal size of 1,500 delegates. Once elected by their local councils, the delegates serve a three-year term.
So, what do these National Council delegates do once they are elected to their positions? During NCS, National Delegates represent their local councils as voting members. They gather input, debate, and vote on proposals that impact the future of the Girl Scout Movement, including changes to the Constitution and the Blue Book of Basic Documents. In addition, National Delegates elect the National Board of Directors and the Board Development Committee. However, during the interim three years between each NCS, the National Delegates can also develop and submit proposals to the National Board for consideration as agenda items. In Girl Scouting, a proposal is a leading motion to bring a recommendation before the National Council for a vote. The National Board of Directors decides whether each submitted proposal is worthy of being on the agenda.
However, if any proposal developed by a local council receives support from 15 percent or more of the Girl Scout councils, then the National Board of Directors is obliged to have that proposal on the agenda so the National Council can act upon it.
This may sound boring and mundane, but the National Council Sessions are vital to keeping the movement forward-thinking. There has been a wide range of proposals since that first Girl Scout convention in 1915, and it’s quite interesting to look back on what has transpired at NCS.
My first encounter with the National Council Session occurred in 1990 in Miami Beach. At that convention, I was the chaperone for the two girls from legacy South Cook County Council who were sent as visitors. Since I had no previous association with NCS, I didn’t realize how many councils would actually send girls as delegates. I then began to lobby for a change to any subsequent South Cook County delegations to include at least two girl delegates.
Senior Girl Scouts Rachel Janssen, Patty Healy, and chaperone Karen Schillings at the 1990 Miami Beach National Council Session.
After Miami Beach, I attended all but one NCS either as a delegate, a girl chaperone, or often both! However, Miami Beach was an experience I will never forget. The keynote speaker was the author and poet Maya Angelou who captivated and inspired the attendees. The Spring 1991 Leader Magazine described her address in this manner: “. . . she held everyone spellbound. In song, in prose, in poetry, she captivated one and all with her wisdom, her insight, and her humor.”
The Miami Beach Convention Center during the 1990 NCS.
An additional highlight of the Miami Beach convention was the launching of GSUSA’s national service project on literacy with the help of an unexpected visit from our Honorary President at that time, First Lady Barbara Bush. Leader Magazine depicted it this way: “The excitement of the First Lady’s visit began with the arrival of the Secret Service people who checked the arena thoroughly. A surprise for those stern-visaged gentlemen must have been the immediate silence resulting from our Girl Scout quiet sign!”
First Lady Barbara Bush at the 1990 NCS.
The 1990 NCS is memorable for another reason, too. At this triennial meeting, the National Council passed a proposal to establish the designation Girl Scout “Gold Award” as the highest award to be earned by a girl member. After having the name of the highest award change several times in our Girl Scout history, this proposal dictated that the name “Gold Award” could not be altered.
You probably already know that the Girl Scout Promise and Law have been changed several times. However, you may not realize that some changes were voted upon during a National Council Session. The first-time changes were made at NCS took place in 1972 in Dallas. The delegation voted to approve this wording of the Promise and Law:
The Promise
On my honor, I will try:
To serve God,
My country and mankind,
And to live by the Girl Scout Law.
The Law
I will do my best:
—to be honest
—to be fair
—to help where I am needed
—to be cheerful
—to be friendly and considerate
—to be a sister to every Girl Scout
—to respect authority
—to use resources wisely
—to protect and improve the world around me
—to show respect for myself and others through my words and action
The Promise was again revised by the NCS delegation in Detroit in 1984 to its current form:
On my honor, I will try:
To serve God and my country,
To help people at all times,
And to live by the Girl Scout Law.
However, The Law did not undergo additional changes until the Fort Worth NCS in 1996, which is the version we use today:
I will do my best to be
honest and fair,
friendly and helpful,
considerate and caring,
courageous and strong, and
responsible for what I say and do,
and to
respect myself and others,
respect authority,
use resources wisely,
make the world a better place, and
be a sister to every Girl Scout.
Perhaps the most misunderstood proposal concerning the Girl Scout Promise was passed by the National Delegates in 1993 at the Minneapolis convention. The proposal was titled “Flexibility in Wording for Spiritual Beliefs in the Girl Scout Promise.” It stated:
THAT, since the Girl Scout organization makes no attempt to interpret or define the word “God” but encourages members to establish for themselves the nature of their spiritual beliefs, it be the policy of Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. that individuals when making the Girl Scout Promise may substitute wording appropriate to their own spiritual beliefs for the word “God.”
Having attended the 1993 National Council Session, I still remember the headlines of that time declaring that the Girl Scouts had taken “God” out of their Promise. The intent of the proposal was to promote inclusivity for girls of various faiths whose religious beliefs might have a different terminology for “God,” such as Allah or Yahweh. Many media outlets totally misrepresented what had transpired, so GSUSA had to do damage control and make numerous explanations on what the proposal intended to do.
Members of the South Cook County Council delegation wearing their convention casual attire during the 1993 Minneapolis NCS.
At other National Councils Sessions, the delegates have reviewed the request to increase dues. The Constitution was amended in 1975 during that year’s Washington NCS, giving this authority to the delegates. It stated: Decision on annual membership dues shall be by ballot and shall require a majority of votes cast. However, the wording in the GS Constitution concerning membership dues was somewhat altered at the 2008 NCS in Indianapolis. Within its rationale for the changes, the National Board included the statement that after the 2008 NCS, it would be the one to set dues amounts going forward and included a lengthy explanation as to why it felt it had the authority. At their January 20, 2012, meeting, the National Board raised annual membership dues from $12 to $15, effective with the 2014 membership year. This was the first time since the 1975 amended Constitution that the National Board raised annual membership dues without the National Council’s approval. Then in 2016, the National Board raised the dues again, going from $15 to $25. A lawsuit initiated by the Farthest North Council against GSUSA claimed that the dues increase violated the Constitution. The lawsuit went all the way to the Alaska Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of the Farthest North Council.
This controversy on who has the authority to raise the membership dues caused the delegates of Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana (GSGCNWI) to write a proposal for the 2020 NCS that would create a compromise between the National Board and the National Council. The proposal inserted into the Constitution has this wording:
The National Board of Directors must seek approval from the National Council whenever planned dues increase will increase by more than 25% in any triennium. This amendment to the Constitution passed, making it one of the two proposals submitted by GSGCNWI in 2020 to be approved.
Delegate Marty Poch (right) served as a resource person for the GCNWI dues restriction proposal at the 2020 virtual NCS
Another proposal associated with membership dues was passed at the Houston NCS in 1981. However, it was at this time the Lifetime Membership category was established. Then in 1999, at the Kansas City NCS, a vote was taken to have a special Lifetime Membership dues be offered to any girl who was a registered Senior Girl Scout at the time of her high school graduation or equivalent. In 2017 in Columbus, the delegates approved the elimination of the multiplier formerly used to establish the cost of a Girl Scout Lifetime Membership and voted for a flat rate of $400 or, for alums under age 30 and currently registered volunteers with ten or more years of service, a $200 cost. This change was supported by the GSGCNWI delegation.
GCNWI Delegation at the 2017 Columbus NCS.
There have been other significant proposals passed during NCS, such as those concerning the National Board. For instance, the Denver National Council session in 1978 reduced the number of National Board Members from 65 to 51. This number of National Board members was again reduced in 1996 in Fort Worth to 35. During the Atlanta NCS in 2005, the number of members of the National Board of Directors was amended to 25, which is the number that is in place today. Also, in 2005, the number of consecutive terms for the National President was reduced from three to two.
As I mentioned before, GSGCNWI had two proposals pass during the virtual NCS of 2020. Besides the proposal to restrict any dues increase to not exceed 25% in a triennium unless voted upon by the National Council, the GSGCNWI delegates also developed a proposal for the movement to establish a feasibility task group to research the formation of a National Gold Award Scholarship Foundation. When both proposals received positive outcomes, the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana made NCS history. We were the first local council to have two proposals pass during a single NCS. As one of the authors of the National Gold Award Scholarship Foundation proposal, I was asked to sit on the feasibility task group. Our findings will be shared at the NCS in Orlando this coming July. Stay tuned!
Karen Schillings at the virtual 2020 NCS presenting the proposal to initiate a task group to research the feasibility of a National Gold Award Scholarship foundation.
The GSGCNWI delegation is really looking forward to attending the Orlando NCS this July. After having the 2020 NCS held virtually due to the pandemic, it will be so satisfying to be in a convention hall once again with Girl Scouts from across the country. Being a National Delegate is a huge commitment with the numerous meetings before and even after the National Council Session. However, it’s extremely gratifying to know that this work is tremendously important to the vitality of the Girl Scout Movement.
Screenshot of the GSGCNWI delegates at the 2020 NCS.With the long hours spent at the computer during the 2020 NCS, some of the GSGCNWI delegates tried to find humor in the ordeal.With the long hours spent at the computer during the 2020 NCS, some of the GSGCNWI delegates tried to find humor in the ordeal.
Finally, I want to share a uniquely GSGCNWI tradition that was started for NCS in 2011. As a National Delegate who is also a Council Historian, I have had the capability to acquire vintage uniforms for our girl members who attend NCS as either delegates or visitors. The girls always feel special when delegates from other councils can identify the era of the uniforms they are wearing. Because 2020 was virtual, this tradition was suspended during that NCS, but it will definitely be brought back for 2023!
GSGCNWI Girl Delegates and chaperone Karen Schillings wearing vintage uniforms in 2011 at the Houston NCS.Girl Delegates and participants in the Girl Scout Leadership Institute in Salt Lake City during the 2014 NCS. The CEO of GSUSA, Sylvia Acevedo (center), is pictured with the girls handing out her patch.Girl Delegates Madelynn Zeller and MiCayla Jones at the Columbus NCS in 2017.
Have you ever had the wider opportunity to sleep under the Milky Way in a Girl Scout platform tent in the Big Horn Mountains in Tensleep, Wyoming? Welcome to Girl Scout National Center West (NCW).
In 1968 Girl Scouts bought 15,400 acres of rugged wilderness in the Big Horn National Forest, making it the most significant purchase Girl Scouts made at that time. The center was a national destination for many. NCW’s primary emphasis was on the Girl Scout Program in The Great Out-of-Doors for Girl Scouts and Girl Guides, ages 14 to 18.
The camp was a place to explore Native American pictographs or for future geologists to sleep under a rock shelter called The Pow-Wow. Hiking The Peak was a 19-day pack trip up to Mesa and the backcountry. For novice backpackers, you could Tote n Trek 9 days out in the eastern foothills of the Big Horn Mountains. If you had a LOVE for horses, NCW was the Girl Scout Camp you sold a lot of cookies and fundraised for. Camp had three corrals on the property, and the programs included Ride Rap and Wrangle, Cadettes on Horseback, Buckskins, and Calico or Saddle Straddle. Each year a few new programs were added. Imagine your view of this country’s rugged wilderness from atop a horse, a priceless Girl Scout opportunity at its BEST!!
If you loved western arts, the camp offered Stage in the Sage, Paint the West, Windows n Wildlife, Furs Feathers, and Fun for the eye behind the camera. NCW also offered Focus I & II, where you learned the art of developing your black and white, some color shots, and slides in the darkroom—capturing such beauty and friendships of the country and wildlife around them! Wyoming Trek offered a program for Girl Scout troops and families traveling to other destinations out west.
National Center West ran programs from five base camps with pit latrines, running water, platform tents, a kitchen fly, a unit house with a staff office, showers, a food commissary, and a meeting room with a fireplace. We need to remember that NCW was a journey set back in time. For most participants, it was the first time they flew in an airplane. Just the red gravel Rome Hill Road up to camp had to freak the daylights out of you. But these strong Girl Scouts were prepared for this wider opportunity at National Center West. They each worked hard to be a participant in these programs and have the T-shirt, patches, and diddys to show from the famous Trading Post Log Cabin.
Camp had full-time staff throughout the year and hundreds of summer staff members that came back year after year bonding with their Girl Scout sisters and brothers. Girl Scout sisters mostly ran the camp and were the hardest workers I had ever been around in the summers of 1983 and 1984.
Sadly, in 1989, NCW saw the last campers. Due to high maintenance costs, the property was sold in 1991 to the State of Wyoming and Clay Ranch. 9,851 acres are preserved with the State of Wyoming Nature Conservatory, now called the Tensleep Preserve, and are open to the public. Clay Ranch picked up 4,749 acres.
On July 5, 2018, after 35 years, I returned to the site of NCW, now Ten Sleep Preserve, for a bucket list trip and reunion on the property. More than 100 staffers/campers reunited like Girl Scout sisters do by picking up where we left off. On the day of the reunion, we hugged, hiked to The Pow-Wow, gathered for a pack-in lunch, sang and sang some more, toured the property on
the cool school bus, and had the best Chuckwagon Dinner to end our day!! Time to get off the mountain and head into town to enjoy some live music.
I can’t thank my mother enough, the Best GS Leader ever, for helping me make my dreams as a young adult to reach for those stars, even in the longest days. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer during my stay and passed away in May of 1984. I returned to the place National Center West that summer, where I knew I needed to be with my Girl Scout sisters and brothers.
To this day, I (we) treasure these Girl Scout memories. When I hear the word “camp,” I know that these memories and moments truly last a lifetime! Thank you, Girl Scout National Center West!
Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana is thrilled to bring the Cookie Rally back as an in-person event at the Allstate Arena on January 7, 2023. GSGCNWI’s Cookie Rally is for Girl Scouts of all ages and their families to have some fun while preparing to #GoBrightAhead into everyone’s favorite program, the cookie program!
Doors will open only for Girl Scout Cookie Rally attendees at 3 p.m. There will be many family-friendly activities and photo ops, including:
Dunk your favorite Girl Scout Staff Member with our Dunk Tank
Family-friendly carnival games
Meet the Cookie CEOs
Get a sneak peek of new Programs in STEM, Arts, and Outdoors
Get your photo taken at the Action Photo Booth
Have a pair of ice skates? Open skate will be from 3-5 p.m. Attendees must bring their own skates if they want to go onto the ice. Skate rental will not be available.
At 5 p.m., the Cookie Rally will take the ice to discuss all things cookie-related and tips on how to finish out phase 1 of the cookie program with a bang, and get ready to reach their goals in phase 2.
At 7 p.m., GSGCNWI will drop the puck and host the color guard presentation to kick off the hockey game and cheer on the Chicago Wolves!
Purchasing a ticket to our 2023 Cookie Rally includes entrance to the cookie rally, a commemorative T-shirt, a Chicago Wolves game ticket, and a Rally Patch for the Girl Scout. Tickets are $22 until December 4. Starting December 5, ticket prices will increase to $24.
Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana is incredibly proud to be a charity partner of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. The Chicago Marathon is one of six Abbott World Marathon Majors and an experience of a lifetime. Each year, runners from 50 states and more than 100 countries run through 27 Chicago neighborhoods on a flat and fast course that starts and finishes in Grant Park.
Girl Scouts GCNWI is honored to compile a team each year to complete 26.2 miles around the city. The best part is — our runners work hard to raise funds that help to empower more than 25,000 girls in our council.
A special shout-out to our 2022 Chicago Marathon runners; you fought through the muscle aches and fatigue and proved just how strong and resilient you can be.
Take a look at what some of our Girl Scout Go-Getters said was the best part about running the Chicago Marathon.
Experiencing 26.2 miles in a brand-new city — and supporting an incredible organization.
– Aliza Anderson
Finishing it! Honestly, the Chicago Endurance Sports community, the training, and the GSGCNWI support. It was incredible to feel the energy and cheerleading going into the race that morning – and on the course!
– Jessica Wetmore
The community. The city of Chicago turns out for the marathon, and you feel the love and support along the entire course. I was so moved by the support from people I knew and strangers who gave their everything to cheer everyone on! Also, the community I built through the summer in my training program. I made some great friends who kept me going week after week!
