A New Way to Meet Seniors' Needs

Today's featured Gold Girl Scout is Ella Fischer who created a program to rent medical equipment to senior citizens. Congratulations, Ella, on earning your Gold Award!

My name is Ella Fischer. I am from Troop 1473 out of the Pecan Trail Service Unit. For my Gold Award project, I worked with Drive a Senior to create Ollie’s Closet. Ollie's Closet loans medical equipment to senior citizens who do not have access to medical equipment due to various financial situations. In the process I helped write a grant to pay for the building and purchase software for an inventory and asset control program.  

First, I moved, cleaned, inventoried, barcoded, and entered all of the equipment into a barcoding system. Next, I added a loft and braces to hang walkers and crutches and started moving all of the equipment inside. Lastly, I trained personnel at the Drive a Senior office on how the system works.  This all will allow the organization to better serve their 500 clients and to help them keep track of what is needed in their loan closet for the future.

 My journey towards earning my Gold Award is one that I will never forget. Through Girl Scouts, many new doors have opened for me and even more now that I have earned my Gold Award. The adventures and experiences that I have been able to be a part of, as well as all the things I've learned, all became possible by being in Girl Scouts and striving for Gold. I have also met many inspiring and interesting individuals along the way. There are always challenges involved in accomplishing great things, but the feeling I have now that I've earned my Gold Award is very rewarding. My encouragement towards others to pursue earning their Gold Award is tremendous based on the amazing experience I had and the feeling of happiness I gained from helping others. 

Gold Girl Scout Spotlight: Priya Ramamoorthy

Today's featured Gold Girl Scout is Priya Ramamoorthy, who created a documentary on Title IX, a part of the Educational Amendments of 1972 and integrated her documentary into the No Place For Hate program at a local middle school. Congratulations on becoming a Gold Girl Scout, Priya!

For my Gold Award project, I created a documentary on Title IX and collaborated with the No Place for Hate Chapter at Grisham Middle School to implement a sustainable activity consisting of the documentary and discussion questions. To create my documentary, I gathered historical information about the federal law, created a script for the documentary, and sought feedback from experts.  I went through multiple rounds of editing for my documentary and had to establish new connections at Grisham, as there was a leadership change for the No Place for Hate chapter. The students that I trained will present my documentary to the entire student body (around 700 students) every year. These students will be in charge of training the next set of students and sustaining the project. 

Since creating my documentary, I along with friends, have been able to expand upon the work done in my Gold Award through appearing on a Nickelodeon News segment on Title IX and through a presentation at the Women’s Empowerment Conference in Austin.

By watching the documentary and reflecting about Title IX, I hope students are empowered to speak up if they encounter gender discrimination in their school. 

#TroopTuesday - Pirates Day and Corpus Christi

Wildflower Trail Service Unit participated in Pirate Day. According to the girls, it "was AWESOME!!"  The girls all had a blast. They were featured in the paper.

There's a very good chance the girls will do this event again in the future. ARRRRGGHH, Matey!

Thirteen fifth grade Juniors in Troop 211 went to a carefully planned weekend at and near Corpus.  What did they do?  They learned how to make sand castles from a professional sand sculptor, rode horses on the beach, watched 81 baby sea turtles be released into the wild, took a dolphin boat and learned a ton about the animals native to the Gulf Coast, we learned to surf (all 13 girls were riding the waves!), and visited the Texas State Aquarium.

All 13 girls tried something they had never done and conquered some fears in the process!  What a weekend, the Girl Scout Way!

Glad you had such a great time, girls!!

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Backpack Buddies is Gearing Up for Annual Drive

This happens to all troop leaders at some point: you're without a service project and you're fresh out of idea. Jen Neve was trying to find a service project for her then Girl Scouts to do during the holiday season. She had the idea to contact a foster care program for children to see if there was anything her girls could do for the children. The program told her the children often arrive with their few belongings in a trash bag and nothing more. They only asked for donations of backpacks.Jen was so overcome by their need she started to organize other troops to participate in the donation. Jen did not know at the time, but she was creating something much bigger than a one time service project: Backpack Buddies.

12 years later Backpack Buddies has continued to grow and is now serving homeless children and families in the Austin and Round Rock area. Jen gets names, ages and gender of the children from the Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) in order to guarantee every child gets a new backpack. Jen asks that individuals/troops fill backpacks with age appropriate goodies for the children and that they do not spend more than $50 on the backpack.

Toward the end of October  Jen will start to match up the troops with the children and will send out the child’s “About Me” information. The backpacks will need to be returned to her before December 8 so you have a whole month to get cracking! If you are interested in participating or want more information on how you can help contact Jen Neve at Jen_Neve@sbcglobal.net .

Troop 891 Travels to St. Louis!

Troop 891 recently hit the road to St. Louis, MO to take in the sights and sounds as well as to educate themselves on the world around them. The girls recently took an interest in wind and weather while working on the It’s Your Planet – Love it! Breathe Journey and decided to visit Joplin, MO along the way to witness the devastation the tornados left on the community. Moved by what they saw, the girls have decided to make a video on tornado awareness for their Take Action project. On the way back home, they also visited a Texas rest stop equipped with a storm shelter and educational displays on Texas tornados.

During the trip, the troop visited a variety of places. They started with the Louis and Clark History Museum and took a segway tour along the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers to view the spot Lois and Clark began their famous expedition. The girls also encountered some scary weather but it cleared up in time for them to enjoy the Gateway Arch and take a few photos as well.

In their last few days in St. Louis, the Girl Scouts headed over to the Third Degree Glass Factory to watch demonstrations of glass blowing and even took a class on working with hot glass! After the lesson on glass art and a safety lesson too, everyone had a chance to work with molten glass in and out of the furnace. They spent their last day at the City Museum. The museum was made entirely of recycled materials and had a tunnel system the girls could climb in and around. They finished off their day by making custom troop shoelaces and rode a Ferris wheel on the roof top!

Sounds like a fun and educational trip, girls! We can’t wait to view your video.

Fresh Food = Fresh Outlook

Have you ever considered the impact food has on your life? That food you consume on a daily basis can have a direct influence on the way you perceive yourself and your surroundings? Today’s Girl Scouts took a closer look at the advantages of healthy living through visits to local farmer markets (like Boggy Creek Farm and Springdale Farm), micro-biotic cooking lessons and fitness classes.

The girls participated in the activities through the Sow What? Day Camp this past week. We had the pleasure of speaking with two attendees, Girl Scout Ambassador Jackie M. and Girl Scout Senior Kate N. Both girls shared with us their past experiences with food and what they took away from the camp.

Kate grew up on healthy, well-balanced meals and discovered the importance of adapting this particular lifestyle early on in life. She likes to stick to fresh, simple foods and stay away from processed items due to its low nutritional value. Kate realizes that eating healthy is more than just about the physical benefits; it helps you gain emotional and mental wellness in everyday activities.

Jackie was raised on fast food because it was a quick, low-cost option. She never knew the benefits of healthy living because she knew no other way. This camp opened to her eyes to a new way of living. Her outlook on life transformed into a positive one and she is eager to share her new knowledge with her family and friends. Jackie also credits this camp to allowing her to open up more and make new friends.

Jackie and Kate did not know each other before this camp but the topic of food brought them together. Their friendship evolved from their shared interest of healthy living. They hope their story inspires other girls to develop a healthy outlook on life.

For more information on this camp and other programs, please contact Girl Scouts of Central Texas.

Girl Scouts Take on Tough Terrain



This June, I traveled with ten other Girl Scouts and four wonderful adult volunteers to Virginia and North Carolina for an amazing outdoor adventure! We drove for two long days, finally reaching Grayson Highlands in Virginia, where we began backpacking on the Appalachian Trail. We hiked more than 35 miles over the course of four days, across difficult but beautiful terrain. Each day, we were witness to the amazing natural beauty of the Appalachian Trail – one day we hiked alongside fields of wild ponies! I can’t count the times we hauled our packs to the top of a treacherous mountain peak to be greeted by an exquisite view of the miles surrounding us, including the long trek we’d just completed! These views justified all of the hard, sometimes painful, hiking we did over those four days.

We finished our backpacking in Damascus, Virginia and headed into North Carolina for a couple of days of canoeing in the New River. We packed all of our camping gear into dry bags and hit the river, canoeing more than ten miles a day, and camping at the end of each day. The river was serene, and it was so relaxing to float lazily down the river to our next campsite… except when it was raining! The first day we were canoeing, we paddled into a huge thunderstorm.

Every day after that, it rained a little bit but we were lucky to have a few hours of beautiful sunshine to go rock climbing on the famous Looking Glass rock wall in North Carolina. When we were driven off the wall by a crazy hail storm, all of our gear was soaked, but thankfully our sister Girl Scouts in Ashville, North Carolina invited us to stay in their Girl Scout house for two days while we packed up – and dried out! – our gear.

The two week adventure definitely had its difficulties, but with a great group of girls and helpful adults, everything was worthwhile. The girls ranged in age from 12 to 18. I was one of the few older girls, but this gave me an opportunity to be a leader and role model when the younger girls were having difficulties on the trail. That’s not to say it was an easy trip for me, though! Backpacking for several days is physically taxing, and it took determination to keep going every day. I am so grateful to have had a motivating team alongside me!

Again, Girl Scouts has provided me an amazing opportunity to experience something new, with a group of smart, fun girls and volunteers! I encourage all of my readers to get involved in trips like this one, either as a participant or an adult volunteer. It was truly an amazing trip I’ll never forget!

For comments or questions regarding travel opportunities, please visit Girl Scouts of Central Texas Travel Pathway.




- Annie L.

GSUSA Board Member & Central Texas Girl Scouts Star in Magazine Photoshoot

Yesterday, Siempre Mujer Magazine took photos of several Central Texas Girl Scouts with GSUSA National Board Member Sylvia Acevedo. The photos will be featured in an article about Sylvia's philanthropy work with Girl Scouts and other causes. A Girl Scout in her youth, Sylvia recounts on her experiences with the organization:

"At my very first Girl Scout meeting, I saw that the Brownies were pledging allegiance to America, preparing for a day camp (fun!) and were practicing safety skills. After that first meeting, I raced home to share with my mother that Brownies do fun things, they help you plan, be good citizens and they take care of you… Even though she spoke little English, my mother, encouraged by my troop leaders, began to volunteer. As I was earning badges, my mother’s new friends, the troop leaders, helped her learn English and to pass the citizenship test to become a US citizen. Through Girl Scouts, my mother and I gained an entire new world of opportunities that added to our Latina heritage and strengthened our entire family."

-Sylvia Acevedo

To view more pictures of the photoshoot, please visit the GSCTX Flickr account.

Do More Today with Girl Scouts

September marks the beginning of many Girl Scouting recruitment rallies. At these events, girls and adults learn how to become involved with the organization. All girls, kindergarten through 12th grade, are encouraged to attend with their families. Recruitment rallies are organized by public school districts, but private school and home-school girls are welcome to participate.

Girl Scouts offers many experiences like field trips, community service projects, sports skill-building clinics, and cultural exchanges. Since 1912, Girl Scouts has helped girls build character, self-esteem, and exceptional leadership skills. Bridging important development keys such as friendship, sportsmanship, and team building, Girl Scouts is the premier leadership program for girls of all ages.

As someone who was heavily involved in Scouting in my youth, I appreciate the value of organizations like Girl Scouts. Scouting provided many opportunities for me during my time as a Scout and my time after Scouting. The leadership skills I acquired during my time as a Scout will stay with me in my future endeavors.

-Bradley Rheinboldt, Marketing Intern

Bradley is currently a sophmore at UT Austin majoring in Business.

Volunteerism Opens Doors for Girl Scout

This past Saturday marked the 20th anniversary of the Girl Scout event Race on the River and the 5th anniversary of participating in the race for Girl Scout Chynna. What brings her back each year to help out and compete in this annual race? According to her, Girl Scout events such as this one allow her to gain courage, confidence and character in her life endeavors. Through Scouting, Chynna has taken an active role in her community by volunteering with local troops, programs and events. The satisfaction of lending a helping hand is not the only benefit she receives from her involvement. Her role in Scouts has brought many scholarship opportunities her way and a chance to attend school in Australia in 2012. Chynna also adds that when it comes to meeting new people, Girl Scouts is a great way to make long-lasting friends. GSCTX is thrilled at Chynna’s accomplishments and how her time in Girl Scouting allowed her to flourish into a successful individual.

For more information on Race on the River and to view 2010 photos, please visit gsctx.org and flickr.com/GSCTX.