GSVSC Archives Group Meeting, March 13

Posted on March 15, 2013 by Traci Gardner

My sister Kerri and I attended another Archives Group Meeting this week, and we created some S’mores Snack Mix to share with everyone. She made the snacks, and I made the label, using Stampin’ Up’s My Digital Studio.

The S’mores Snack Mix is made up of the following:

1 box of Honey Maid Lil’ Squares, Honey Graham Flavor
1 bag of mini marshmallows
1 large bag of Hershey’s Drops

Dump everything together and stir to mix it up. If the proportions seem off, add a bit more. I think Kerri added some extra Drops. You would substitute Golden Grahams Cereal, but the little graham crackers are perfect. We found that you could create a teeny s’more by stacking things and microwaving about 20 seconds as well.

At the meeting, part of the group focused on cataloguing some Girl Scout Handbooks and related resources using index cards and a standardized system for tracking the materials. Kerri and I checked in a “Journey Through Our Girl Scout Past Suitcase” and then did some maintenance work on a couple of existing Suitcases (shifting resources into sturdier suitcases). The suitcases are described on the Virginia Skyline site.

After the working session, we talked briefly about my proposal to digitize a Camp History book that the committee wrote and distributed. The book only exists in print form, and all copies have been distributed. I’m taking on the work of scanning the book, so that it can be downloaded and printed as desired. That work will begin with cutting up my copy, and then I’ll move to a long scanning session (likely more than several days of work). I’m hoping to experiment with creating some alternate way of accessing the information as well.

Girl Scouting . . . “the cradle of careers”

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Traci Gardner

The Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace posted this comment and photo on Facebook this afternoon:

In 1924, Juliette Gordon Low gave a speech about Girl Scouting, “… the cradle of careers. It is where careers are born. For instance, a girl tries bandaging. She find she likes Red Cross work and she decides to study seriously and become a Hospital Nurse. Or, she is expert in signaling and the Morse code leads to her becoming–a Telegraph Operator. Or, she goes in for social service and gets a Government job.”

I love this statement from Juliette Low, and my experiences confirm her message.

My jobs all came about because of things I did with Girl Scouting. Babysitting came from a child care badge. My first job as a page in the local library grew out of a service project I did at the library as a volunteer. My “grown-up” work as a teacher came from all those years of working with younger girls to help them learn to do new and wonderful things. I don’t know who or where I’d be if it weren’t for Girl Scouts!

A Little Promise Poem for Today

Posted on February 17, 2013 by Traci Gardner

On my honor, I will try:
To buy cookies from any girl who asks,
Even though I already have 50 cases
out in the car for my own troop.

There was a troop in the lobby in front of Kroger on UCB. How could I tell them no? So I came home with an extra box of Peanut Butter Patties, even though there were already cases sitting in the car, and after I got home, I wrote my little poem as I thought about my purchase. Mom is happily enjoying the cookies.

GSVSC Archives Group Meeting, February 12

Posted on February 16, 2013 by Traci Gardner

Knowing my love for manuscripts and historical documents, I felt sure that I would enjoy participating in the Archives Group here in the Virginia Skyline Council. The group manages a collection (pdf) of historical uniforms, badges and other insignia, and artifacts from troops, service units, and camps.

At this first meeting, we helped assemble a display on the history of Girl Scouting for the Museum of Culpeper History. The display is to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the council, so the collection we assembled included uniforms, badges, and handbooks from 1963. We also discussed adding recruitment information to the display, so that any family that comes through the museum and needs a local contact will be able to find out how to help their girls join. We created a hands-on activity, where museum visitors work to match badge requirements to badges using intuition and the handbooks. If you need a tip, that’s the Dogs and Cats Badge pictured. Hope that we get to see some photos of the final display from the fine folks in Culpeper.

We also inventoried the boxes of Junior and Cadette badges before returning them to the storage closet and having lunch. The next meeting is scheduled for February 27.

Why We Sell Cookies!

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Traci Gardner

Here’s CNN coverage of Girl Scout cookie sales, including a video that talks about the box redesign and what girls gain from selling cookies:

Cookies Sales for the 21st Century

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Traci Gardner

Not the thing for an official website, but I figure I can get away with it on my own site :)

National Cookie Day!

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Traci Gardner

Happy National Cookie Day!! Here’s why cookie sales matter: For This Girl Scout, It’s More Than Pushing Cookies:

Selling Thin Mints and Samoas has brought Mary Ruiz self-esteem, money skills, a sense of accomplishment and some great electronic gear. Not bad for a 10-year-old.

Even if you don’t want to read the article, take a five minutes to watch the video about this amazing Girl Scout.

2013 Annual Meeting of GSVSC

Posted on January 26, 2013 by Traci Gardner

Today, I attended the Annual Meeting of the local Girl Scout Council in Vinton. It’s the first council-wide event that I’ve been to in years. The meeting included a 50th anniversary celebration for the Council and the keynote speaker, Kate Geniatis, was the CEO of the Council when I was active. It was so wonderful to see her and to get back in touch folks.

During the afternoon, special awards were given out. It’s been so long since I attended a Council function that I was very behind on my years of membership and years of volunteer service pins. I have been a Girl Scout since I was a second-grader (that was the earliest you could join when I was young). That is 44 years of being a Girl Scout! When I graduated from high school, I moved directly to being an adult volunteer. I have racked up 33 years of adult volunteer service, and the lovely pin is my reward.

Community Restructuring Meeting

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Traci Gardner

I attended my first local Girl Scout meeting in a very, very long time tonight. I used to be highly involved in local events. I know that I served in a variety of roles including leading Junior and Cadette troops, registrar for the service unit, cookie cupboard manager (I stored the cookies in my bedroom), and council trainer. That was all very long ago, when I was in college. After that I moved away to Texas and then Illinois. While I’ve been involved as a helper behind the scenes for my sister’s Daisy troop and council product sales, I haven’t had any official job in years.

Tonight’s meeting was about the council’s plan to restructure the local service units into communities (lingo provided by GSUSA). It seemed like a good blank slate, so to speak, so I thought I’d see if there was something that I could contribute in the new plans for our local communities. The idea is that 2.5 service units are going to unite in one community. It’s a challenging revision to the systems that were in place, but there was a lot of positive energy in the room.

I hope that there’s something that I can do in the new system. I know my shortcomings—I’m horrible at the organizing work, and no one sane would ask me to manage the financial positions (I hate math). My ideal task would be to work on blogging, social media, and a website that communicates with adult volunteers, girl members, and their families (as well as others in the local community who are interested). I would LOVE to do that kind of work.

The one thing we are sure of at this point is the name of our new organizational structure: Girl Scouts of Radford City and Montgomery County (GSRCAMC).

Sojourn in Savannah Swaps

Posted on May 19, 2012 by Traci Gardner

I printed this image on 8.5 by 11 paper and then folded it as a stapleless book. We added a mini string of pearls with the safety pin in the upper corner.

The book features a little limerick that I wrote:

All hail our dear Juliette Low!
She knew that Girl Scouting must grow.
She said, “It’s for the girls,”
Then sold her string of pearls.
What great foresight for Daisy to show!

Always a Girl Scout

Reflections from a Lifetime Member