Shed the old: How Emilee Remodeled her Band's Storage Area

Gold Award Girls

The following entry was written by Emilee Ward, who took on the task of remodeling the band for the Lake Travis Cavaliers. She wanted to improve her high school campus and help the band and that she did! Read about her Gold Award project below:

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I choose this project because I love being a member of the Lake Travis Cavalier band – it is like a family to me.  The shed was definitely a project that someone needed to tackle because it was an eye sore for our campus and it was a complete mess.  I knew that with help from my fellow troop member, Ashley, we could turn the shed into great project that would give us pride, help the band, and improve our school.

At first, we wanted to replace the building with a new one, but after researching the cost to take down the old building, prepare the land, deal with the electrical and plumbing and the cost of a new building, it was out of our budget.  So we decided to remodel the building instead.  When we decided this, it was like having to start planning a whole new project.

We also faced a challenge when our band our director stepped down and left working for Lake Travis. This put a pause in our plans, because we had to wait for a new director and start all over with getting approval from him and the school district.

Another obstacle we had to overcome was the bases of our awnings. We initially thought that we could dig holes and sink the wood supports in the hole and fill it in with concrete. But when we called the city, using the 311 system, we found there here were electric and water lines underground – so we had to revise our plan.  It is important when digging to make sure there are no plumbing or electrical lines in the path of the hole!

Our budget given to us from the LT Band Parents, Inc. was budgeted at $500. Because we had decided to remodel, we needed more financial help.  Our parents visited several businesses around the community (Lowe’s, Muller, All Seasons Landscaping, The Home Depot, Sherwin Williams and The Brown Paint Company).  We were given materials such as wood, hardware, sheet metal, paint, copper tubing (for the faucets), concrete blocks and many other items.  We were lucky to have such generous businesses in our area.

I believe I have learned a lot from this project!

Working together:  being able to work with Ashley really taught me to keep up my end of the project and the importance of working together as a team to get things done.

Responsibility:  this was really important because I kept up with everything I was responsible for, like keeping track of the budget and the time log. 

Meeting Deadlines:   this year we really had to be done with the shed and done with building and painting by band camp that way it was fully functioning to benefit the band. 

Communication:  I really learned how important communication through setting up meetings and emailing the Principal and other band parents who used the shed for storage of food, water and other supplies.  

Select a project that is important to you, and that you know you will be proud to be a part of, because it makes the project so much more fun and keeps you motivated.  Definitely keep a time log of your work while you work, because you will forget what and when did it!  Finally, take lots of pictures because the before and after is so fun to look and helps show how much you project really contributes.                                                                                                                         

Need Marketing Advice? Ask a Girl Scout.

If you needed to know anything about marketing, you'd ask someone in the field, right? Someone who is seasoned, knows and understands the way products sell and what motivates people to buy.

Would you consider asking a young girl? Maybe if that girl was a Girl Scout. As we've said before, our girls are the youngest and savviest entrepreneurs on the block--YOUR block!

In fact, others are catching on--like Anne Hebert, a marketing consultant and blogger, who reached out to the Girl Scout population and asked them to write her a sales pitch.

The winner was 11 year-old Kate Schulle fro Cedar Park. Head over to Anne's blog to read all about Kate's pitch and what a real marketing expert learned from a Girl Scout.

Girl Feature: Allison Rich and the Lady Cans

Girl Scout Alumnae Allison Rich was recently honored by the Crockrell School of Engineering Women in Engineering Program (WEP) at the University of Texas (UT).  The UT mechanical engineering student has had a strong connection to STEM related studies ever since she was in GSCTX’s first Lady Cans robotics team, which was only one of the two teams in the nation. This pioneering Girl Scout started lady cans in the pursuit of more engineering programs for Girl Scouts. She began with little knowledge about engineering, but soon learned everything from using a hand drill to labVIEW. Allison’s first Lady Cans completion robot won the Rookie Inspiration Award at the Lone Star Regional. 

Allison has gone on and furthered her education at UT’s Crockrell School of Engineering. Allison’s receiving of the WEP Mechanical Engineering is an incredible honor and we are very proud of her. With GSCTX’s STEM program we know that our Girl Scouts can and will change the world of tech. 

Girl Power: Troop 4136

We are always overjoyed to hear about the girls that make up our council. They are what keeps us going! Today, we feature Girl Scout Troop 4136--girls who have known each other for years and will be lifelong friends, one of the many treasures that come with being a Girl Scout.

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"A troop that starts together stays together," is a motto that troop 4136 can actually say they have lived and breathed. The Stephenville troop started in Kindergarten with members Avery M. and Shelby S. Brittney C., Kelsey S., and Elizabeth A. would join the troop in the following years. All of the Girls have earned their Bronze and Silver Awards and are in hot pursuit of their Gold Award.

            

    Each Girl in the troop is also extremely involved in high school and other activities outside of school. Avery is a member of the Stephenville High School Stingerettes Drill Team, as well as being a member of the varsity choir. Shelby, also a member of the Stingerettes Drill Team, competes competitively with the Stephenville Stingray swim team.  Brittney, a member of the Stingerettes Drill Team as well,  is the reigning Cowboy Capital of the World Teen Pro Rodeo Queen. Elizabeth, the final member of the troop involved with the Stingerettes Drill Team, is currently ranked #1 in her sophomore class at Stephenville High School. Kelsey plays trumpet in the Stephenville High School Yellowjacket Marching Band and has performed in the halftime show at the Sugar Bowl.

This amazing troop is living proof of how accomplished and driven our girls are. They really can do anything and still take care of Girl Scout business! We can't wait to see where these girls will go in the future

Camp and Outdoor series: "We are prepared and adaptable. We are Girl Scouts!"

So you think Girl Scouts just sell cookies and ride horses at camp? Think again. Our Outdoor Specialist, Jessica Noelke, taught a Backpacking Basics course at the beginning of February and the things these girls learn are not for the faint of heart! Read about their adventure and what a regular backpacking course looks like. These girls do not survive in the wilderness by chance, but by preparedness and this is something they learn everyday through Girl Scouting. 

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On February 7^th – 9^th, 2014 my volunteer, Ruthy Mounce and I put together a Backpacking Basics course that would challenge and prepare girls and their leaders for future backpacking adventures. This was the first event that I would do with Girl Scouts. I have been the Outdoor Program Specialist for one month, and so far so good.

   

And they're off!

  The weather was cold and wet on the way down, but I refused to cancel knowing that Saturday would be perfect for the activities we had planned (Isn’t that how it always goes?).  Not only the weather, but the size of the camp we were using and the location were also a concern I, along with others, had. This was my first event to host with Girl Scouts, and it was going to be a good one despite the circumstances!

     Everyone showed up around 9 PM to make s’mores over the fire we had going in the lodge at Happy Hollow, and find their campsites that would now be a little damp from the drizzle we had experienced all day. But we are Girl Scouts! We are prepared and we are adaptable! Ruthy and I headed out to set up our own camp as well, and to get ready for a good night’s sleep to be ready for the next morning.

     Now I have been a Girl Scout and I have camped in primitive sights, not showered for days, seen all types of wildlife not limited to bears and cougars, and witnessed some of the most amazing sunrises you have ever seen above treeline. One night camping five miles away from 290 in Texas was one of the hardest things I have done. You might be thinking, “This is our outdoor Program Specialist?” but ‘bear’ with me.

     I don’t think I slept a wink that night. It was below freezing and between the coyotes mocking girls screaming and laughing, and birds that sounded like bands of monkeys flying through the canopy, I was awakened multiple times throughout the night wondering “what country am I in this time?” The cars from the road weren’t soothing either, and I believe at some point in the night there was a train. I also woke up to my friend ‘whisper-yelling’ at me to stop pushing her into the other side of the tent. “I can’t help it! It’s freezing and you’re warm!” Not only that, I had started to get a scratchy throat and was drowning in my own drool, along with not being able to breathe at all, I started to second-guess whether or not camping was really for me.

     We got started around 9am that next morning, starting with the Ten Essentials of Hiking, performing some Leave No Trace skits, and going over how to filter water with a Katadyn Filter. We also hiked around (a total of 6 miles according to someone’s FitBit) and went over some basic ways to avoid getting lost, avoid lightning strikes, and also how to not get eaten by mountain lions (a serious problem in the backwoods of East Texas). 

After lunch, I would surprise the girls with a quiche that was made from all powdered ingredients; powdered eggs, powdered milk, and powdered soup mix with a crust that only required water to be added to it. We were all amazed about how good it was and how this was something the girls could make on their camp stoves in the backcountry. That afternoon, Ruthy had created a fun game that would present the girls with various challenges that they may face when backpacking in the wilderness, as well as test the skills that they had learned that morning. One of these challenges involved the girls getting stranded on a day hike and needing to build an emergency shelter to get them through the night or during a rainstorm. The girls were divided into teams and each given two trash bags, some rope, and what they had in their packs to build a shelter in ten minutes. The girls really put their heads together for this one, and each team built a shelter that was well thought out, and functional in varying situations. I was really proud of the girls and by the end of the day we were pretty tired.

     Ruthy and I were invited to our neighbor’s that night for dinner and enjoyed some stew with Fritos, and black cherry red velvet cake with coffee, and shared stories around the fire with some of the Girl Scouts and their moms. Ruthy and I have been friends for ten years, and have been on many adventures together in the Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. She is an amazing outdoorswoman, and none of this would have happened without her expertise and inspiring stories to get the girls intrigued about going on their own wild adventures in the back country.

     That night sleeping was easier with some cold medicine and an extra sleeping bag over my original one. Ruthy and I both, doubling up with some of the spare bags I brought for people to use, got into the sleeping bags and both sighed with relief knowing we would be warm the whole night. Being prepared is the secret to having a good time and having the right gear is important when camping. Overall, the Backpacking Basics weekend was a success and we all had a great time learning together!

Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together.-James Cash Penney

Proud to be a Girl Scout,

Jessica Noelke, Outdoor Program Specialist

Trail of Thought: Positivity Rocks

A nationwide movement is afoot and it's all thanks to  members of Troop 219. These amazing girls wanted to create a way to spread positive ideas and energy for their Silver Award, so they did.  They came up with the Trail of Thought, a way for girls to spread good-will and happiness, making the world a better place. The troop wrote inspirational quotes and phrases on rocks and then distributed them to members of their community. They describe the project to being similar to geocaching, but with the Girl Scout twist. 

                The troop now holds regular “Thought Parties” to start up their project and made party instructions available on their website.   Once there, visitors can view those who have participated in the Trail of Thought movement, which has taken over the East Coast. The troop is excited for the movement to spread even further, so check out their website and Facebook page and join in on the fun!

Breaking Bad Eating Habits- One girl teaches youths about healthy lifestyle choices

Gold Award Girls

The following entry was written by Elizabeth Twichell, who was the mastermind behind the nutrition program "Breaking Bad Eating Habits!" Her project was designed to increase awareness of the impact of good dietary choices within a healthy lifestyle. Keep reading to find out about her motivation, challenges and how she overcame them.

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The summer before my senior year of high school, I completed my Girl Scout Gold Award project with Breakthrough Austin, an organization that helps middle school students from low-income backgrounds be the first in their families to graduate from college. I selected this project because I was familiar with Breakthrough through its partnership with my high school and had volunteered as a mentor during my sophomore year. Consequently, I knew how the organization worked, what its strengths were, and what I felt was missing. Breakthrough already had a longstanding fitness program called "Breakthrough Gets Fit,” but, although exercise is crucial to a healthy lifestyle, nutrition must complement it in order to be truly healthy. So, over the course of 112 hours, I implemented a nutrition program into the summer session of Breakthrough Austin. My project, entitled “Break-ing Bad Eating Habits!” was designed to increase awareness of good nutritional practices, addressing topics like the importance of home cooking and reading nutrition labels. I presented my project through a series of 10 lessons at the University of Texas at Austin’s University Teaching Center and arranged to have the Healthy Lifestyles Chair of the Texas PTA come to relate healthy eating habits to academic performance. My nutrition program will be a key component of Breakthrough Austin’s summer program for years to come.

My goals in my project were to inspire youths from low-income families to improve their quality of life by eating healthier foods on a regular basis. Despite my careful planning, however, I encountered scheduling conflicts and technical issues throughout the course of the summer. A few days, I even arrived at the UTC and was told that I would be unable to present my lesson due to complications beyond my control. Since the nutrition program was new to Breakthrough this summer, the Breakthrough staff had to balance the original Breakthrough summer program with the schedule for my project. Consequently, plans sometimes changed and I had to be flexible. To ensure I was still able to cover enough material, I pushed back lessons a day or two, and prioritized which lessons I felt were the most important to present to the Breakthrough students.

Throughout my Gold Award project, I learned much about interacting with professionals, teaching students, creating lesson plans, public speaking, and efficient organization. My contact with Breakthrough staff and with the guest speaker I arranged taught me the proper etiquette used when working with professionals. While planning my lessons, I carefully designed outlines before making PowerPoint slides to maximize effective teaching in a short period of time. Sometimes I even rehearsed my lessons before presenting them so I wouldn’t falter while teaching the students. I developed an organized system for presenting each lesson, which included an introduction, a demonstration or interesting hook to attract the students’ attention, a series of key points, and a review assessment. Clearly, even though the students were supposed to be learning from me, I learned many invaluable lessons about myself that I will remember in the future.

For other Girl Scouts thinking about pursuing their Gold Award: Start early! More than half of the hours that went into my project were spent planning and organizing the resources needed, so it is always a good idea to start thinking about your project several months before you plan to put it into action. Choose a project you feel confident about doing with an organization you are familiar with. Lastly, don’t be intimidated of working with professionals, be patient and flexible with scheduling conflicts as they arise, and don’t forget to thank those who have helped you along the way!