Update, 2: The Joplin Satellite Office is officially open! Girls,
volunteers and community members were excited
to attend the open house on Saturday, December 10.
They enjoyed shopping, discounts, refreshments,
and a tour of the facility.
Update: The Joplin Chamber of Commerce and the Carthage Chamber of Commerce will co-host a ribbon cutting ceremony which will take place at 10:00 am that morning.
We are very excited to announce that the Joplin Satellite Office will be open for business starting Friday, December 9! The Joplin Chamber of Commerce will host a ribbon cutting ceremony which will take place at 10:00 am that morning. Additionally, on Saturday, December 10 from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm, we will be conducting an open house for volunteers, girls and community members to come see the building, take advantage of shop specials, and enjoy refreshments. Everyone is invited to attend both events. Hope to see you there!
Girl Scouts of the USA is proud to be an outreach partner with the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and E-Line Media to introduce the second annual National STEM Video Game Challenge open to Girl Scouts! This challenge invites game makers to show their passion for playing and making video games and aims to motivate children’s interests in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). Up for grabs is almost $200,000 in cash and prizes, with multiple ways to win! The entry period is open through March 12th, 2012. Finalists will be selected by a distinguished panel of judges and winners will be announced in the spring of 2012 at a major public event.
For more information on how Girl Scouts can enter the Youth Prize competition (middle school & high school) look here!
Challenges like this support Girl Scouts’ already strong commitment to STEM activities that are relevant to everyday life. Whether they’re discovering how a car’s engine runs, becoming math whizzes, or learning about careers in STEM fields, girls are moving forward into the future. Please look here for more information on all of our science offerings.
This challenge also compliments the Entertainment Technology Badge, where girls can dig into video game development! If you have girls earning this badge, encourage them to enter the STEM Video Challenge as well!
Girl Scouts of the USA celebrated 100 years of history and welcomed its new chief executive officer, Anna Maria Chávez, at its National Council Session/52nd Convention in Houston from November 10-13.
The historic convention, titled Renewing the Promise: Girl Scouts in a New Century, drew some 15,000 girl and adult members, as well as noted celebrities, such as ABC News journalist Katie Couric; Soledad O’Brien, host of CNN’s In America; Robin Roberts, co-anchor of Good Morning America; three-time Grammy-nominated recording artist Sarah Bareilles; Houston Mayor Annise D. Parker; actress and philanthropist Marlee Martin; gospel singer Yolanda Adams; and actress Monique Coleman, who starred in the High School Musical films.
Below is the speech delivered by Anna Maria Chávez. Enjoy!
The GSMH Property Committee met on October 15 to continue their work of developing a long range property plan for the council. This plan will include recommendations for both the council service centers and program properties. They approved a project plan and timeline for their work (see timeline below). The plan will result in a property recommendation being submitted to the council Board of Directors in September 2012. The Property Committee will be using three sub-groups to conduct research and make recommendations to the committee for the overall long range property plan. The three sub-groups are made up of volunteers and staff members and are: program, marketing and property. The sub-group chairs are recruiting a limited number of volunteers for their groups.
As reality TV has become staple entertainment for young people and adults alike, tween and teen girls who regularly view reality TV accept and expect a higher level of drama, aggression, and bullying in their own lives, and measure their worth primarily by their physical appearance, according to Real to Me: Girls and Reality TV, a national survey released today by the Girl Scout Research Institute.
The study found that the vast majority of girls think reality shows “often pit girls against each other to make the shows more exciting” (86 percent). When comparing the propensity for relational aggression between viewers and non-viewers of reality TV, 78 percent vs. 54 percent state that “gossiping is a normal part of a relationship between girls.”
Regarding romantic relationships, reality TV viewers are more likely than non-viewers to say “girls often have to compete for a guy’s attention” (74 percent vs. 63 percent), and are happier when they are dating someone or have a boyfriend/significant other (49 percent vs. 28 percent).
“Girls today are bombarded with media – reality TV and otherwise – that more frequently portrays girls and women in competition with one another rather than in support or collaboration. This perpetuates a ‘mean-girl’ stereotype and normalizes this behavior among girls,” states Andrea Bastiani Archibald, Ph.D. Developmental Psychologist, Girl Scouts of the USA. “We don’t want girls to avoid reality TV, but want them, along with their parents, to know what they are getting into when they watch it. Our national leadership program equips girls with the skills to decipher media fact from fiction and make healthy decisions for their own lives-separate from their sources of entertainment.”
Girls who view reality TV regularly are also more focused on the value of physical appearance. 72 percent say they spend a lot of time on their appearance vs. 42 percent of non-viewers, while more than a third (38 percent) think that a girl’s value is based on how she looks.
At the same time, girls surveyed who regularly view reality TV are more self-assured than non-viewers when it comes to an overwhelming majority of personal characteristics, with the majority considering themselves mature, a good influence, smart, funny, and outgoing. They are more likely than non-viewers to both aspire to leadership (46 percent vs. 27 percent) and to think they are currently seen as a leader (75 percent vs. 63 percent). In addition, they are more likely to see themselves as role models for other girls (75 percent vs. 61 percent).
The study revealed that reality TV has many upsides as well. 68 percent of girls agree that reality shows “make me think I can achieve anything in life” and 48 percent that they “help me realize there are people out there like me.” Seventy-five percent of girls say that reality TV depicts people with different backgrounds and beliefs.
“We also want to emphasize the many positive benefits to reality TV, including its role as a learning and motivational tool,” states Kimberlee Salmond, Senior Researcher, Girl Scout Research Institute. “For example, we know that many girls receive inspiration and comfort from reality TV and that 62 percent of girls say that these types of shows have raised their awareness of social issues and causes.”
Since its founding in 2000, the Girl Scout Research Institute has become an internationally recognized center for research and public policy information on the development and well-being of girls. Not just Girl Scouts, but all girls.
During the Girl Scout Congressional Aide program, Kate, a Girl Scout, had the opportunity to meet Nobel Peace Prize winner Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
The New York Times reports that The Nobel Peace Prize for 2011 was awarded on Friday to three campaigning women from Africa and the Arab world in acknowledgment of their nonviolent role in promoting peace, democracy and gender equality. The winners were Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf — Africa’s first elected female president — her compatriot, peace activist Leymah Gbowee and Tawakul Karman of Yemen, a pro-democracy campaigner.
They were the first women to win the prize since Kenya’s Wangari Maathai, who died last month, was named as the laureate in 2004.
Most of the recipients in the award’s 110-year history have been men and Friday’s decision seemed designed to give impetus to the cause for women’s rights around the world.
“We cannot achieve democracy and lasting peace in the world unless women obtain the same opportunities as men to influence developments at all levels of society,” said the citation read by Thorbjorn Jagland, a former Norwegian prime minister who heads the Oslo-based Nobel committee that chooses the winner of the $1.5 million prize.
As we get ready to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Girl Scouting, Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland wants your help in designing its 100th Anniversary patch. Get creative as you demonstrate the accomplishments of Girl Scouting or what Girl Scouts means to you. The 100th Anniversary Patch Contest judges panel will select 1 overall winner and 5 runners-up. The winning entry will be made into a 100th Anniversary patch that will be debuted at the Council Celebration on March 31, 2012. There are several details, so go to www.girlscoutsmoheartland.org/100th to get the entry form and complete contest rules. Hurry – entries should be postmarked by January 5, 2012.
Does your troop want to be part of a memorable quilt for the 100th Anniversary? If so, gather your Girl Scout friends and talk with your troop leader about making a quilt square that you can send to the council office. It will become one of many used to create a large quilt that will be displayed throughout the 100th Anniversary year! All you have to do is get one quilt block for the entire troop (individual Girl Scouts may submit one separately) and together decide how you would like to represent yourselves on the square. Think about what Girl Scouting means to you and your troop, or maybe represent something special your troop has done or even a goal your troop has within the next few years. Whatever you choose…have fun!
Details include: 9 ½” X 9 ½” quilt block, ¼” border on all sides for seams, high quality cotton fabric, and do not to wash it prior to sending.
Submission information: To help control the cost of quilting, we respectfully request a limit of one block per troop (or individual girl member), as we anticipate many submissions. Quilt blocks will be accepted until January 5, 2012. Mail to: Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland, Attn: Quilt Project, 210 S. Ingram Mill Road, Springfield, MO 65802. If you have additional questions, please contact Brigitte Scott at bscott@girlscoutsmoheartland.org or 877-312-4764 x1113. Submission form located at www.girlscoutsmoheartland.org/100th.
The National Program Evaluation System (NPES) registration process is well underway. We encourage all members – girls and adults – to be a part of this survey system. It has been developed to assess girls’ progress toward the benefits and outcomes that the Girl Scout Leadership Experience promises to all Girl Scouts.
The first step to participating in the NPES is to complete a registration survey. Once you have completed the registration survey, you will become a part of the GSMH panel of participants, who may later be surveyed about their Girl Scout Leadership Experience. To begin this process and make sure your voice is heard, go to www.GirlScoutVoices.org. For a paper version of the registration process, please contact the Senior Manager Leadership Program at 877-312-4764 x1327.
Progress is moving forward with the new Joplin office at 1202 S. Range Line Road. The contractor is working to complete the remodeling project as soon as possible. We understand that many people are eager for the new office to open and so is Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland. We are projecting that the new office will open in late Fall 2011. We will keep everyone posted as we move closer to this much anticipated opening.
Update, 2:
Girl Scouts of the USA is proud to be an outreach partner with the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and E-Line Media to introduce the second annual National STEM Video Game Challenge open to Girl Scouts! This challenge invites game makers to show their passion for playing and making video games and aims to motivate children’s interests in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). Up for grabs is almost $200,000 in cash and prizes, with multiple ways to win! The entry period is open through March 12th, 2012. Finalists will be selected by a distinguished panel of judges and winners will be announced in the spring of 2012 at a major public event.
As we get ready to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Girl Scouting, Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland wants your help in designing its 100th Anniversary patch. Get creative as you demonstrate the accomplishments of Girl Scouting or what Girl Scouts means to you. The 100th Anniversary Patch Contest judges panel will select 1 overall winner and 5 runners-up. The winning entry will be made into a 100th Anniversary patch that will be debuted at the Council Celebration on March 31, 2012. There are several details, so go to 
