Girl Scout hits the High Seas for National Sailing Competition

Molly, from Girl Scout Troop 141, took the Girl Scout sailing camp that Venice Youth Boating Association hosted when she was 9 years old. She took a couple weeks of their sailing camps that summer, and the following year she started the year round racing program. Molly is now a senior at Pine View, is the Captain of the Sailing Club this year, has been teaching sailing to other youth at the Sarasota Sailing Squadron this summer (she's a certified instructor), and Molly hopes to continue her competitive sailing through college as she pursues pre-med studies. Molly competes in the Laser Nationals this weekend with both boys and girls in Brant Beach, NJ.

Article Submitted by Molly

Back to School Girl Scout Style!

5th year of Project Kindness

Project Kindness celebrated it's 5th year of helping needy kids!!! School supplies were delivered to Memorial Elementary in Arcadia on August 18th and a Back to School Event was held at Jordan's Crossings (Habitat neighborhood) on August 19th. Stevie Peacock, Girl Scout Senior from Venice Troop 151 & founder of Project Kindness, with friends Jen Fryer, Adrienne Seitz, and Morgan Wallace sorted, packed, and delivered supplies for 300+ children.
This was a true community effort with support from the Sarasota office of the Florida State department of Revenue, Sarasota office of the State Health Department, Habitat Director of Volunteer Services (Janet Pederson), Habitat Director of Family Services (Fred Scheerle), dozens of Pine View School students and faculty members including Principal Steven Largo, Boca Royale Country Club members especially Mr. & Mrs. George Faist, Girl Scouts, St. Thomas More Youth group , and friends and family from across the globe.
The event at Habitat included face painting, balloons, coloring books, Health Department information, cupcakes, and school supplies for all. Each child received a pack full of notebooks, paper, a ruler, folders, composition book, and a pencil box of supplies based on school level. Elementary kids received markers, colored pencils, hand sanitizer, glue sticks, pencils, erasers, scissors and crayons while older students received markers, hand sanitizer, pens, pencils, erasers, and high lighters.
The support doesn't end at the start of the school year, Stevie will visit Memorial Elementary each quarter to read to the 7 kindergarten classes. She will also deliver Halloween treats in the Fall, Beanie Babies, new crayons & candy during the Christmas & Chanukah holidays, and Girl Scout cookies & juice in the Spring.

--Article Submitted by Mary Peacock

Caroline's Green Roof Gold Award Project

Caroline Templeton, a senior at Pine View School in Osprey, Florida, created a green roof educational display for her Girl Scout Gold Award Project. Here is her story:

"The display was designed as a traveling exhibit to educate people about green roofs and encourage the development of green roofs in Sarasota County. The display focuses on the benefits of green roofs, how they are constructed, costs, pictures, FAQ, etc. In addition, there is a living green roof module in cross section using native Florida plants. One of the main reasons I did this project is because I think its important for people to realize my generation is ready to deal with the problems we face and are already involved. My green roof project was exhibited at the 7th Annual International Conference on Greenroofs in Atlanta June 3-5 2009 and at the Laurel Park EcoFair in Sarasota June 27, 2009."

"Green roofs are living roofs, layered with plants, growing medium, geo-textile fabric, drainage, and waterproof membrane. Green roofs provide many economic and environmental benefits to both the private and public sectors. Green roofs reduce the amount of stormwater runoff from a roof by 60-70%. This helps to reduce urban flooding and drainage problems. Green roofs can also reduce heating and cooling costs by acting as insulation for either keeping cold or hot air in. Each roof is unique using different plants, depending on the climate and location."

"To learn more about my project you can go to http://mysite.verizon.net/resopt0b/greenroofs. And check out the article in Living Architecture Monitor. My article is on the last page. http://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/greenroofs/lam_2009fall/#/0 "

Destination: Juliette Low Camp for kids with Disabilities

Article by: Dianne Kaiyoorawongs

Dianne Kaiyoorawongs, a fifteen year old sophomore, currently attending Pine View School and living in Sarasota, was one of 29 girls chosen by the Girl Scouts of the USA from across the U.S. to travel to Kansas City this summer to work at the Juliette Low Camp for kids with special needs for a month. “Counselors of course received an intensive homework assignment and week of training before working directly with the campers, but nothing could possibly have prepared me for the physical and emotional demands of Juliette Low Camp,” said Kaiyoorawongs.

“After the two camp sessions and working with the girls, I realized that being a camp counselor was more work and responsibility than I have ever had before, but this is the work from which I have learned the most. These are life lessons which are impossible to learn in any classroom.”

“Juliette Low camp was a magnificent place for me because of the warm, fuzzy feelings it gave me to know the girls truly appreciated what I was doing; campers constantly said that I was their best friend and loved to play with the counselors. Playing water fairies in the pool with two girls who are legally blind and seeing their imaginations at work was enough to make me wish that I could forever be a part of their lives. Not to mention the overwhelming feeling of accomplishment I got after a long day of catering to other’s needs before my own.”

Dianne also discovered a new career path, “Before this summer, I never would have thought that working with children with special needs was a career option, but now it’s my passion. The impact of Juliette Low Camp was amazing for me because summer camp has shaped my life and will always be an important part of my childhood. Words cannot explain exactly how miraculous it was that I got to help make a real summer camp experience possible for girls who normally could not experience camp in a traditional setting.”

“Getting to know each of the campers and her personal needs taught me so much about how the treat people with different needs. While I cannot come close to describing the true impact this experience has had on me, I can say that I highly recommend that everybody works with special needs in their own communities. It does not seem like simply doing crafts, going on hikes, and singing camp songs could possibly mean so much to one person, but I can only try to explain how significant it has been to me, and how much I hope it meant to my campers this past summer. Juliette Low camp was definitely the experience of a lifetime.”

Destinations travel adventures range from two days to three weeks and are for Girl Scouts ages 11–17. Girls do not have to participate in a traditional troop to apply for a Destination, all girls are welcome to apply. To find out more about Destinations visit www.gsgcf.org.