Girl Scouts Celebrate Women’s Leadership at Capitol Hill Event With U.S. Treasurer, Congressional Members and Other Leaders

Reuters reports that Girl Scouts of the USA CEO Anna Maria Chávez and Seventeen of Girl Scouts Gold Award recipients from around the country will join Treasurer of the United States Rosie Rios, Congressman Jack Kingston, Girl Scout Troop Capitol Hill Co-chair Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz and more than 100 other leaders on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 28 to celebrate women’s leadership and the second century of Girl Scouting.

The leadership breakfast will bring together outstanding women and men from the public and private sectors  and will include members of Girl Scouts Honorary Troop Capitol Hill, made up of all the female Members of Congress. A key feature of the event will be recognizing Girl Scout Gold Award recipients and five of the 2013 Young Women of Distinction – girls that have earned the Gold Award and were selected by an external committee with representatives from leading nonprofit organizations, Girl Scout partners and funders. Both recognitions require significant planning and project management within their communities, and are awarded at the Girl Scout Senior and Girl Scout Ambassador levels.

“Girl Scouting is all about creating girls of courage and confidence who will make our world a better place.  For one day, we will bridge the gap between generations, bringing together the leaders of tomorrow – the amazing young women who have earned the Girl Scout’s highest honor, the Gold Award,– with the leaders of today,” said Anna Maria Chávez, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA. “The energy in the room will be palpable, as these incredible young women interface directly with some of the most successful and influential women from both the private and public sectors.  It will be a true meeting of the minds, one that will speak to the power of Girl Scouting to change lives and, in the process, shape our future.”

Girl Scouts of the USA completes its centennial year on March 12, 2013, and the breakfast also will serve as a launch celebration of the 2013 Girl Scouts of the USA Centennial Silver Dollar. Beginning on February 28 at noon ET, the coin will be available through the United States Mint and in select Girl Scout council shops nationwide. For information on the coin, visit www.fchiase.com/coin or www.usmint.gov, or dial 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).

Girl Scouts Coast to Coast - February 26, 2013

Today's Coast to Coast has Lucille Ball, scientists, mango salsa and much more. Check it out!

"What do Lucille Ball, Katie Couric, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Sally Ride and Condoleezza Rice have in common?", asks Michigan's Grand Rapids Business Journal. "They were all Girl Scouts." The article includes an interview with Kathy Crosby, executive director of Goodwill Industries, who credits Girl Scouts for her introduction to business and networking.

In Delaware, The News Journal reports that DuPont scientists Carol Van Zoeren and Susan Smiley introduced girls to science and engineering and women who are actively engaged in STEM at DuPont's 23rd Annual Engineering Your Tomorrow event for two Girl Scout Councils. Video Below.

California's Redlands Daily Facts reports that a group of high school girls spent a recent Saturday finding out about issues affecting their communities and how they can change things for the better. The San Gorgonio Council of Girl Scouts hosted its Discover Challenges Workshop where girls were exposed to such topics as human trafficking, homelessness and sustainability.

Reuters reports that The  Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania (GSEP) highlights its mission of building girls of courage, confidence and character when Scouts "Take the Lead" to honor some of the area's most distinguished women, whose leadership and achievements have made the world a better place. GSEP provides Scouts the opportunity to run the annual Take the Lead  program from start to finish, showcasing their poise and maturity as emerging leaders.

The Daily Reporter in Indiana reports that the Hancock County 4-H Exhibit Hall was transformed into a multicultural hot spot with tasty treats from around the world. A visitor could start with mango salsa from the U.S. Virgin Islands, then sample some cucumber soup from Belgium. Finish with sweet potato cookies from Zimbabwe, and wash it all down with some Earl Grey tea from England. The festivities were a part of World Thinking Day.

"Girls are Doing a World of Good, One Cookie at a Time," according to Town Square Delaware."Girl Scout cookie season is in full swing, and many of us are stocking up on all those cookies we have been craving all year long. After all, it only happens one time a year and helps a great organization that focuses on helping girls grow into leaders and do great things."

Happy World Thinking Day 2013!

Each year on February 22, World Thinking Day, girls honor their sister Girl Guides and Girl Scouts by taking time to give thanks for their international friendships and remember that Girl Scouts of the USA is part of a global community—one of nearly 150 countries that are members of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.

2013 Girls Scouts of the USA Centennial Silver Dollar On Sale to the Public Starting February 28

Exciting News—The 2013 Girl Scouts of the USA Centennial Silver Dollar will go on sale to the public on February 28 at noon!   

The coin will be available at $55.95 for uncirculated and $59.95 for proof quality. Orders placed prior to 5 p.m. March 29 will receive a special introductory pricing of $50.95 for uncirculated and $54.95 for proof quality. 

2013 Girl Scouts Centennial Silver Dollar will be available through the United States Mint at 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468) or online at www.usmint.gov (click on Shop, then Commemoratives). 

The commemorative coin honoring 100 years of Girl Scouting was designed and produced by the United States Mint as one of two commemorative programs this year. It will feature three Girl Scouts on the obverse (heads) side and the iconic organization’s trefoil logo on the reverse (tails) side.  

“What an incredible moment it will be in the history of the Girl Scout Movement when the Girl Scouts of the USA Centennial Silver Dollar goes on sale for all to purchase,” said Girl Scouts of the USA CEO Anna Maria Chávez. “It is a beautiful coin, and a fitting tribute to our 100-year legacy of instilling the values of leadership, confidence and character in girls across America.   The 59 million alumnae who have worn the Girl Scout uniform proudly are a testament to what Girl Scouting can do; becoming leaders who have helped make our nation and our world a better place. We enter our second century of service to girls poised for even greater things, and I can’t imagine a better way to launch our next 100 years than with the minting of our commemorative coin.”

The coin arrives as GSUSA marks the close of its 100th anniversary on March 12 and begins its next 100 years of serving girls. The anniversary year has been marked by Girl Scout centennial celebrations across the country, from Savannah, Georgia, where the organization was founded in 1912, to Washington, D.C., and beyond. 

The bills authorizing the United States Mint to mint and issue up to 350,000 of the silver dollar coins passed in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate in October 2009. President Obama signed the legislation on October 29, 2009.

The obverse, or heads, side of the coin includes portraits of three girls of different ages and backgrounds meant to represent the diversity of Girl Scouts. It was designed by the United States Mint’s Artistic Infusion Progam (AIP) Master Designer Barbara Fox. The inscription includes the words COURAGE, CONFIDENCE, CHARACTER, which reflect the Girl Scouts’ mission to “build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.” The design also includes the Girl Scouts’ 100th-anniversary logo. 

The reverse side of the coin was designed by the United States Mint’s AIP Associate Designer Chris Costello. It features the Girl Scouts’ trefoil logo, and the inscriptions on the reverse are UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, GIRL SCOUTS, E PLURIBUS UNUM, and $1.

A surcharge from the sale of each coin is authorized to be paid to Girl Scouts of the USA for national program development and delivery.

Girl Scouts Coast to Coast - February 19, 2013

Today's Coast to Coast turns the spotlight on World Thinking Day, engineering, derby cars and much more. Check it out!

In Illinois, the Post-Tribune reports that on Presidents Day, about 100 girls in second through sixth grades spent part of Monday tackling an assignment that tested their engineering and math skills, as well as their creativity. Members of the Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana Girl Scouts participated in a first-time event to Introduce a Girl to Engineering, hosted by Northern Indiana Public Service Co. and organized by the Developing and Advancing Women at NiSource (DAWN).

The Middletown Press, CT, reports that World Thinking Day on Feb. 22 is a chance for Girl Scouts and Girl Guides around the world to celebrate international friendships while participating in events and activities with global themes to honor sister Girl Scouts around the world. The theme of this year’s World Thinking Day is girls worldwide say “together we can save children’s lives.”

In Georgia, Girl Scouts have found a new way to support our deployed troops. WTVM 9 reports that the service members will enjoy cookies this spring from a program called Operation Cookies from Home. Until March 10, you can buy cookies and donate them to the girls to ship to the troops.

According to The Saline Reporter in Michigan, Girl Scout Carolanne of Ambassador Troop 457, a junior at Saline High School, and a former Mackinac Island Honor Scout, and Sarah of Cadette Troop 442, an eighth-grader at Saline Middle School and also a former Mackinac Island Honor Scout, recently visited the African home and gravesites of scouting movement founders Lord and Lady Baden-Powell in Nyeri, Kenya. The girls also visited the Girl Guide Council of Kenya in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, during a family safari vacation to Kenya over Christmas break 2012.

Nevada's Reno Gazette-Journal reports that Girls Scouts can race pinewood derby cars with the best of them, and Reno Troop 150 just held its annual Derby Day complete with 42 race cars and a food drive to boot. The girls spent six months training and building cars for their event, which was held on Feb. 9 at Brown Elementary School. Cars of all types took to the track. One looked like a Hershey bar on wheels. Troop 150 has been working on its bronze award, and the girls combined their race day with a food drive to benefit the Food Bank of Northern Nevada. Members of the troop volunteered at the Food Bank to learn more about how hunger affects their community.

In Wisconsin, The Chippewa Herald reports that Counselor Luke Fedie spoke with a section of audience members Saturday in one of the classrooms of the Stanley-Boyd Middle School. He gave a presentation on cyberbullying as part of the Girl Scouts workshop against bullying.

National Girl Scout Cookie Day a Great Success for Girl Scout Movement

A Message from Anna Maria Chávez, Chief Executive Officer

National Girl Scout Cookie Day was a blast! All over the nation, girls, volunteers, and staff told the story of the Girl Scout Cookie Program and all it does to build those five essential skills in our girls. The news coverage was incredible, with stories at the national level and in local communities in every region of the country, making February 8 a great day to be a Girl Scout.

Indeed, we were featured in some of the most prominent news publications and programs. On the morning of National Girl Scout Cookie Day alone, Girl Scouts appeared on CNN, Fox & Friends, Good Morning America Live, Today with Kathie Lee & Hoda, and ABC’s The Chew. In addition, a story about the cookie program fronted the New York Times business section, and Yahoo! Finance featured our organization. We’ve never had a morning quite like that in Girl Scouting. Even Teen Vogue got in on the fun, running a Q&A with supermodel Karlie Kloss about her love of Girl Scout Cookies and her experience as a Girl Scout. These are just some of the highlights and we even got to ring the closing Bell at NASDAQ in honor of National Girl Scout Cookie Day.

And as I mentioned, it wasn’t just national coverage. I loved the story on KULR-8 News about girls from Girl Scouts of Montana and Wyoming donating cookies to cancer patients in Billings on National Girl Scout Cookie Day. WDEF News 12 did a wonderful story about girls from the Girl Scout Council of the Southern Appalachians teaming up with the Meals on Wheels program in Chattanooga to deliver Girl Scout Cookies to the elderly. What stunning examples of our girls making the world—and their communities—a better place. Meanwhile, two remarkable girls from Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways went on NewsChannel 9’s midday show in Syracuse and did a fantastic job. In the Centennial State, Girl Scouts of Colorado turned National Girl Scout Cookie Day into a major social media event and told our story across the state, including in the form of this segment on KMGH 7News. And in Florida, two girls from the Girl Scout Council of the Florida Panhandle taped an interview with Tallahassee Democrat Managing Editor Rebeccah Lutz about their Girl Scout experiences.

I could cite dozens more examples. In fact, we lit up the Internet with more than 67 million impressions from all of the social media activity and buzz generated by councils and Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA); that’s 17 times the number of impressions we received a year ago on the day. What a testament to Girl Scouting and our councils, to the time-honored tradition that is the Girl Scout Cookie Program, and, most of all, to the power of girls to turn what began as a cookie bake sale in Oklahoma in 1917 into the largest youth entrepreneurial program in the world.

National Girl Scout Cookie Day was more than a celebration, however—it was an opportunity to let the nation know that our cookie program isn’t about cookies alone. As you know, it’s also about teaching girls five business skills—goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics—essential to leadership, to success, and to life. The message that buying Girl Scout Cookies is an investment in the future came through loud and clear; because of the teamwork of our 112 councils and GSUSA, millions of Americans now have a much clearer understanding of the role the Girl Scout Cookie Program plays in developing girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.

I couldn’t be prouder of our girls, of our councils, and of our cookie program. I hope you had a wonderful National Girl Scout Cookie Day, and I thank you for all you do to support the Girl Scout Cookie Program and Girl Scouting. It is your support that enables us to deliver what is truly the best leadership experience for girls anywhere in the world.

Girl Scouts Coast to Coast - National Girl Scout Cookie Day Edition

Multiple sources around the country are reporting that February 8, 2013, is National Girl Scout Cookie Day.  Stay tuned for exciting details. We will be updating this post weekly. Check it out!

Check out our National Girl Scout Cookie Day Reporters Regan and Abigail! They will be out and about in NYC all day, reporting on the day's events. See them all here!

Teen Vogue has an awesome interview with twenty-year-old supermodel Karlie Kloss, who will be walking in countless runway shows at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week and also celebrating the first-ever National Girl Scout Cookie Day!

An excerpt of the interview:

What did you learn from being a Girl Scout?
"I learned life lessons that I still use today. There's a project that I started—Karlies Kookies—and it's a perfect example of lessons that I learned then. Goal setting, managing money, all of that comes into running a business. When you're selling cookies as a seven-year-old girl, you learn that in a fun way. I think the same can be said for my sisters, I think that's why we're all hard-working girls."
You're quite the cookie entrepreneur. Did your history as a Girl Scout have anything to do with that?
"Absolutely. Everybody enjoys a cookie. Everybody is very happy to support Girl Scouts in America. The cookies are delicious, and it's just a great way to support young girls. For me, the influence that the cookies have had on my own small business is that selling cookies are a great way to give back. I'm using the same concept with FEED. It's a way for me to continue the lessons that I started in Girl Scouts. I've turned it into a real business."

Time Out New York Kids shares the excitement of National Girl Scout Cookie Day, and the Girl Scout Cookie Day truck where New Yorkers can go for a free sampling and the opportunity to stock up on their favorite varieties there, or via the cookie finder online.


Girl Scouts of the USA, the preeminent leadership development organization for girls, visited the NASDAQ MarketSite in Times Square yesterday to promote the upcoming National Girl Scout Cookie Day. Girl Scouts of the USA has declared February 8, 2013 National Girl Scout Cookie Day to celebrate the world's largest girl-run business and the real purpose of the $790 million cookie program: to teach girls five essential skills, including goal setting, decision making, money management, business ethics, and people skills. In honor of the occasion, Anna Maria Chávez, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA, rang the Closing Bell.

Colorado's CBS4 reports that the Girl Scouts will be celebrating the sweetest time of year as National Girl Scout Cookie Day is almost here. Amanda Kalina and Girl Scout Ashley stopped by CBS4 studios to talk about National Girl Scout Cookie Day, which isn’t just about sellingcookies — it’s also supposed to teach something as well.

Alabama's Shelby County Reporter carries the message that on National Girl Scout Cookie Day, girls will ask cookie fans everywhere to buy more boxes in honor of the real purpose of the $790-million cookie program, which is to teach girls five essential life skills: goal setting, decision making, money management, business ethics and people skills.

“When it comes to skill building, statistics show the Girl Scout Cookie Program works,” said Trish Coghlan, chief executive officer of the Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama, which includes Shelby County. “According to the Girl Scout Research Institute, 85 percent of Girl Scout ‘cookie entrepreneurs’ learn money management by developing budgets, taking cookie orders and handling customers’ money. Eighty-three percent build business ethics; 80 percent learn goal setting; 77 percent improve decision making; and 75 percent develop people skills.”


Olivia Ottenfeld, a Girl Scout from Chicago, Illinois, has a column in HUFFPOST TEEN titled, The Impact of Selling Girl Scout Cookies. "You could say that Girl Scouts is grooming me for my future," says Ottenfeld. "I've been a Girl Scout for 10 years, and during this time I have met several older former Girl Scouts who all say their success was greatly due to their Girl Scout background and experiences."

"By selling cookies, I have been able to work on my decision-making skills, which definitely were not the best (and are still a work in progress),"continues Ottenfeld. "Plus, my people skills have gotten a lot better. Nowadays, I feel as though I can approach anyone and ask if they are interested in buying cookies. That's the thing: the Girl Scout Cookie Program is not really about the cookies, but about all of the life skills girls learn as part of the program. Many people don't really understand that. That's why we're launching National Girl Scout Cookie Day on February 8." Read the whole piece here!

Also, check out this awesome video for National Girl Scout Cookie Day.

In Illinois, Naperville Community TV Channel 17 has a fantastic ramp-up to National Girl Scout Cookie Day. Cookie sales are the number one fundraiser for Girl Scouts, but for troop members Amanda Brennan and Katie Reed, it’s also a chance to get a taste at what it’s like to run a business. Girl Scouts are giving their cookie boxes an overhaul to highlight the real purpose of the $790-million cookie program, which is to teach girls five essential skills: goal setting, decision making, money management, business ethics, and people skills.

Downtown Magazine NYC reports that National Girl Scout Cookie Day arrives on Friday, February 8, and people in New York City will be able to get their hands on some scrumptious sweets from sweetery trucks which will be placed in strategic locations all around the city.

Denver Post reports that Girl Scouts of Colorado will be giving away Girl Scout Cookies on their Facebook (www.facebook.com/girlscoutsofcolorado) and Twitter ( www.twitter/GSColo, #gscocookies) that day on National Girl Scout Cookie Day.

Colleen Walker, CEO of Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas, and Girl Scout Gabby Gafford stopped by Good Morning Texas to discuss the five skills learned from the Girl Scout Cookie Program and National Girl Scout Cookie Day. Check out the video here.

The Times and Democrat in South Carolina reports that on National Girl Scout Cookie Day, Girl Scout councils will be working to remind the public what a cookie can do through PSAs, social media and video campaigns. Purchases of Girl Scout cookies go to benefit girls in your community. A box of cookies can go toward funding camp for inner-city children, cheering up soldiers overseas and helping girls learn the importance of managing money.

According to the Girl Scouts of Colorado, the nation's going to be buzzing about Girl Scout Cookies on Friday, Feb. 8. In Colorado Girl Scouts are planning to hold Cookie Social Media Day on Feb. 8. There will be lots of fun taking place online, including your chance to win Girl Scout Cookies.

In Tennessee, the Bulletin Times reports that the new Girl Scout Cookie Box designs will be a focal point of the celebrations on National Girl Scout Cookie Day. Another highlight is a Girl Scout Cookies App available to help you locate your favorite cookie since all troops may not have all varieties available for purchase in your area.

Girl Scouts of Hawai'i reports that on this day we will celebrate Girl Scout Cookie time, teaching the community about the lifelong skills learned through selling cookies as well as spreading the word on how to purchase cookies. Girl Scouts of the USA is also planning a social media campaign.

According to the Jackson County Daily, troops in Girl Scouts of Ohio’s Heartland Council will begin selling eight varieties of delicious Girl Scout cookies beginning Sunday, Jan. 13. Then on February 8, Girl Scouts everywhere will revel in National Girl Scout Cookie Day — a day designed to celebrate the Girl Scout Cookie Program — the largest girl-led business in the world — and the five life skills the program helps girls develop. Customers will have the power to find nearby cookie booths with help from the Official Girl Scouts of USA Cookie Locator app again this year. The free app helps iPhone and Android users locate cookie booths throughout the council’s 30 counties.

Hey New York - Check out The National Girl Scout Cookie Day Truck on Friday!

By now you may have heard that February 8, 2013, is National Girl Scout Cookie Day! Girl Scouts’ social media team is making the most of National Girl Scout Cookie Day on February 8. Highlights will include a #onemorebox contest with winners announced the day of, and live coverage of the day’s events. @GirlScouts will even be tweeting the location of The National Girl Scout Cookie Day Truck as it makes its way through New York City, staffed with Girl Scouts selling cookies.

Girl Scouts Coast to Coast - February 1, 2013

Today's Coast to Coast is skewed to the East, a trend we will reverse next week! Check it out.

University of Delaware Daily reports that as a Girl Scout, Jazmine Tooles participated in activities like self-defense classes and mock space shuttle missions, so it’s not surprising that she chose the organization as a way to teach young girls about the field of physical therapy. Now a student in the University of Delaware’s doctor of physical therapy (DPT) program, Tooles and her colleagues in the class of 2013 recently hosted a workshop called “Explore the Magic of Motion” for Girl Scouts ranging from 6th to 12th grade. The workshop used four stations — “Technology that Treats,” “Muscles and Machines,” “Follow Your Heart,” and “Stress Strategies” — to teach the participants many of the principles incorporated into the badges.

Connecticut's Oxford Patch reports that Oxford Girl Scouts raised $750 for Sandy Hook Campership Fund. The Girl Scout Campership Fund has been established in honor of Girl Scouts who died at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

In Dunkirk, NY, The Observer reports that Forestville Junior Girl Scouts are holding a pop can/bottle drive to help out fellow Girl Scouts affected by Hurricane Sandy. Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson was affected with extensive tree damage at many of the camp's properties. Community members are asked to help the Girl Scouts with their goal of assisting their fellow troops in need.

In Massachussetts, The Westbourough Daily Voice reports that the Girl Scouts of Westborough take time every year to recognize those who put in the time to help their causes - most recently recognizing four community members for contributions. The Girl Scouts of Central and Western Mass. recognition program is still open, and nominations can be entered until Sunday, Feb. 10.

Also in MA, The Wayland Town Crier reports that the Wayland junior varsity and varsity girls basketball teams hosted the Wayland Girl Scouts at their recent game versus Concord-Carlisle. The players invited the Girl Scouts on the floor at halftime for drills and a shooting contest. After the game, the girls shared snacks and gave the players their posters.