Girl Scouts was founded by Juliette Gordon Low on March 12, 1912. Low assembled 18 girls from Savannah, Georgia, for a local Girl Scout meeting. She believed that all girls should be given the opportunity to develop physically, mentally, and spiritually. With the goal of bringing girls out of isolated home environments and into community service and the open air, the country’s first Girl Scouts hiked, played basketball, went on camping trips, learned how to tell time by the stars, and studied first aid.

Girl Scouting in the state of Missouri began in 1918, when the St. Louis City and County Council of Girl Scouts (now Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri) was established. In 1923, the Kansas City area council was formed; and in 1954, additional councils formed in the central and southern areas of the state, including those that are now Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland. Today, more than 88,000 girls, supported by 25,500 volunteers in the state of Missouri join a membership of more than 3.4 million Girl Scouts across the United States. On March 12, 2012, Girl Scouts will celebrate its 100th anniversary.

Girl Scouts builds girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. Girls in grades K -12 join for fun and friendship, but they also benefit from clear developmental outcomes that will serve them for the rest of their lives. In partnership with committed adult volunteers, girls discover a stronger sense of self, connect through healthy relationships with others in an increasingly diverse world, and take action in their local and global communities – these are just a few of the many ways that Girl Scouts empowers girls to become leaders. All Girl Scout experiences are intentionally designed to tie to one or more of the 15 national leadership outcomes, or benefits.

For more information about Girl Scouts, please visit www.girlscoutsmoheartland.org, or call 877-312-4764.

The drop-off locations in Springfield include all Dillon’s grocery stores and the Girl Scout Administrative Service Center at 210 S. Ingram Mill Road. Area businesses may also call Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland toll-free at 1-877-312-4764 x1137 or email smcall@girlscoutsmoheartland.org to have a Girl Scout troop assigned to pick up old phonebooks.

About the Girl Scout Leadership Experience

Girl Scouting is about building strong leaders. Founded in 1912, Girl Scouting is the premier leadership development organization for girls ages 5-17 in America. With 3.7 million members worldwide, Girl Scouts has a strong history of encouraging girls to become strong, confident young women. The Girl Scout Leadership Development Experience encourages girls to engage not just in traditional activities and service projects, but also in the process of leadership. Through hands-on opportunities, girls learn-by-doing in cooperative group settings and empowering individual explorations. Girl Scouting helps girls discover a strong sense of self, connect with others in a changing world, and take action to help make the world a better place.

About Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland

Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland serves 20,000 girls in 68 counties, who are developing crucial life skills that help them grow courageous and strong so they can make wise choices in today’s world and beyond. To volunteer your time, make a donation, or join Girl Scouts, call 877-312-4764 or visit us on the web at www.girlscoutsmoheartland.org.

Unfortunately, even the good can have an unfortunate side.

If you use Facebook (or if you’re considering doing so), you should take a look at these two articles:

“Facebook’s High Pressure Tactics: Opt-in or Else” : http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/facebooks_high_pressure_tactics_opt-in_or_else.php

“How to Delete Facebook Applications (and Why You Should)” : http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/how_to_delete_facebook_applications_and_why_you_should.php

Facebook has slowly been loosening their standards on how user information gets shared. A year ago they made the default new profile info from private to public, they then made it so that not only is your profile information open to any of the Facebook applications (like the quizzes and games) but also the information of your friends, and then recently they turned on by default an “Instant Personalization” feature which shares your profile to external Web sites. (See: “How to Opt Out of Facebook’s Instant Personalization”  http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/04/how-opt-out-facebook-s-instant-personalization)

Now, as the first two articles describe, Facebook has made it so that all your profile info is connected to other FB pages and groups or else you can’t have references to those subjects in your profile, and they’ve expanded the amount of information third-party applications can have on you and how long they can have it.

What’s the bottom line in this cautionary tale of creeping personal information leakage? Should we abandon the social media ship? Well, the pros and cons have to be weighed on an individual basis. But what it comes down to, what it always has and always will come down to, is educate yourself on how your personal information is being used and consider carefully what information you put out on the ‘net. As one of the articles states: “In fact, it may be best if you just assume that everything on Facebook will be public from now on and act accordingly.” That’s good advice not just for Facebook, but any and all Internet use.

And we need to be good models for the youth. We need to show them, in practice as much as telling them in cautionary instruction, that personal information is a commodity: there are people who want it; will buy, sell and trade it; and exploit it if it profits them. Personal information is to be given out sparingly, carefully, and in an informed manner.

Unfortunately, our youth are getting very mixed messages about the value of their personal information. On the one hand we tell them (rightfully so) to be careful and miserly about their information, but on the other hand we’re living in an increasingly surveilled culture where we, and our kids, are watched by cameras, monitored online, scanned by detection devices, and asked left-and-right to give over more of our information at retail and even grocery stores.

One component of the solution must be that we model for our kids the proper way to value our personal information online. Be careful and judicious with your own information. Teach through your own online interactions that what you put online is about yourself is valuable enough to be protected, and what you do put online should never be presumed to be private.

I love the Internet, I love social media and all the positive potential it has. As the council’s E-Media Specialist, I love being able to use the skills and knowledge I have and continue to develop helping our girls and adults alike to use social media. Social media is a tool. It can be used for good, as we use it every day to promote and enhance the Girl Scout experience — and it can be used for ill. The proper response isn’t fear and avoidance, in my opinion, any more than one should fear and avoid a hammer, knowing it could build a house or smash a thumb. The proper response should be education and information.

Embracing social media isn’t for everyone, and you may never ever use Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, or any of their cousins or descendants; but online social media is becoming increasingly an integrated part of modern life. It may not directly affect you, but I would bet you directly affect someone who does embrace it! Help pass the proper education along.

Thank you for reading.

Liam Watts

E-Media Specialist

Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland

Geerlings was applauded by her peers for her for her generous spirit, dedicated work ethic and contagious enthusiasm. Hobbs, who currently volunteers as the Girl Scout troop organizer and orientation trainer in Barry County, was recognized for her consistent and enthusiastic efforts to support Girl Scouting. Lane, the volunteer service team manager for Ozark, Howell and Oregon Counties, was nominated for her helpfulness to other volunteers and her commitment to carrying out the principles of the Girl Scout Promise and Law. Powderly was recognized for her positive mentorship of girls and her efforts to increase the visibility of Girl Scouting. Wilde awarded the Girl Scout Appreciation Pin for her efforts coordinating events for Vernon County Girl Scouts, teaching girls about nature, and ensuring that Girl Scouting is accessible to all girls. Wipke-Tevis was recognized for her efforts coordinating special events for girls in the area and the countless hours that she gives to help train other volunteers.

The Girl Scout Honor Pin was awarded to Timpe for her positive attitude and her extensive efforts in coordinating events for Girl Scouts in Cape Girardeau and to Wingert for her efforts in community service, planning Vernon County Girl Scout events and ensuring that girls do their best.

Mason and Rorrer received the Girl Scout Thanks Badge for their contributions to the counties in which they volunteer. Mason has been a Girl Scout volunteer for ten years, and currently serves as the volunteer Girl Scout service team manager for Vernon County. She gives extensive time and support to the Girl Scout cookie program, her fellow volunteers, and girls throughout Vernon County. Rorrer, a long-time Girl Scout volunteer, currently serves as the co-service team manager for southeast Springfield. She was honored for her efforts in the Girl Scout community, which include offering her expertise as a trainer and mentor for new volunteers and helping to plan events for Girl Scouts in Greene County.

“We are very grateful for the continued support and contributions of volunteers like these women,” says Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland CEO Jennifer M. Orban, “Girl Scouts could not exist without the time, energy and heart that they give to the girls.” Awardees who were in attendance at the event were presented with framed certificate and pins. Geerlings, Powderly and Timpe could not attend, but will receive their awards at upcoming volunteer meetings.

About the Girl Scout Leadership Experience

Girl Scouting is about building strong leaders. Founded in 1912, Girl Scouting is the premier leadership development organization for girls ages 5-17 in America. With 3.7 million members worldwide, Girl Scouts has a strong history of encouraging girls to become strong, confident young women. The Girl Scout Leadership Development Experience encourages girls to engage not just in traditional activities and service projects, but also in the process of leadership. Through hands-on opportunities, girls learn-by-doing in cooperative group settings and empowering individual explorations. Girl Scouting helps girls discover a strong sense of self, connect with others in a changing world, and take action to help make the world a better place.

About Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland

Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland serves 20,000 girls in 68 counties, who are developing crucial life skills that help them grow courageous and strong so they can make wise choices in today’s world and beyond. To volunteer your time, make a donation, or join Girl Scouts, call 877-312-4764 or visit us on the web at www.girlscoutsmoheartland.org.