Meet the Cookie Troop 100 Winners!

California's Central Coast, Troop 50203

We are excited to introduce you to the 2017 Cookie Troop 100 winners!

In celebration of 100 years of Girl Scouts selling cookies, close to 5,000 troops participated in the Cookie Troop 100 Challenge. Way to go, girls!
Our go-getting troops set their goals and told us how they planned to put their cookie money to good use. They earned their Cookie Business badge and asked 100 new customers to buy cookies. And to make things extra fun, troops blinged their booths and shared photos of their creativity!
Now that the entry period has closed, we have randomly selected one troop from each participating council to receive $100 toward its awesome Take Action or service project. And one VERY lucky troop will win $3,000 to superpower its project!
You can read more about Troop 100 winners here.

 

Congrats to Troop 50203!

Memorial Day Weekend

GSCCC Offices will be closed Monday, May 29, 2017 in observance of Memorial Day.
If you need to reach Council, please call our after hours number: 800 340-7179. 

Our website (including the online store) will also remain available: http://www.girlscoutsccc.org 

(From GSUSA)  . . . 

(photo credit: Heartwarming Authors)

Memorial Day has come to be recognized as the official kickoff to another great summer. It’s the day we all get to break out the shorts, swimsuits, and sandals and fire up our grills, cannonball into pools, and celebrate the sunny days that lie ahead.

But more importantly, this national holiday is a day of reflection, when we remember the men and women who died while serving our country in the U.S. military. Just as you abide by the Girl Scout Promise—“On my honor, I will try: To serve God and my country, to help people at all times, and to live by the Girl Scout Law”—U.S. servicemen and servicewomen do the same on a broader scale, swearing an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

Girl Scouts has a longstanding tradition of honoring these heroes. So if you don’t have plans already and need some good ideas for how to commemorate Memorial Day, we’ve got you covered.

Why not start out the day by participating in your community’s Memorial Day Parade? You can wave your flags high and march forward with honor wearing your Girl Scout uniform. 

And if your town has a monument honoring those who have served, have your troop make wreathes and hold a ceremony to place those wreathes at the monument.

Another idea is to get your troop together and work on a cooking badge, such as the Junior Simple Meal badge or the Ambassador Dinner Party badge, by planning a BBQ for the girls in your troop and their family members.

Or you can keep things simple and spend the day with your family and friends enjoying the outdoors and reflecting on the patriotic commitment of our brave men and women in uniform. Whether you fly the flag or dress up in red, white, and blue, make this Memorial Day meaningful in the Girl Scout way. This weekend, let’s honor all of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for all Americans.

Where Does Your Bridge Lead?

Blog post from GSUSA

As spring moves toward summer, another longtime “change tradition” takes place—Girl Scout bridging ceremonies!
Bridging is an important transition in a Girl Scout’s life. It’s the moment when a girl celebrates her incredible achievements from the past year and accepts the exciting new challenges that await her.
Bridging ceremonies can take place at the beginning or end of the Girl Scout year—and at the heart of the celebration should be fun, memorable, and, of course, girl-led experiences. And don’t forget about bridging awards!
Earlier this month we asked you to share your bridging traditions with us. We picked some of our faves to inspire fellow Girl Scouts:

• “Troop 3272 is taking a trip to Savannah, Georgia, and will bridge to Cadettes at the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace! The girls have been planning and saving cookie money towards this trip for two years.” —Christina P.
• “We make it a family affair and send our girls across to their parents who help them into their new vests! This year is first-year Brownies bridging to Juniors! Can't wait!” —Kim S.
• “We have a beautiful bridging tradition. Everyone in the audience who was or is a Girl Scout is invited to a big Friendship Circle, and we all sing "Make New Friends.” It is really moving for the girls to see those who came before them. [The tradition] has sparked a lot of great conversations at the receptions.” —Wendy M.
• “We saved up cookie money and flew to San Francisco to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge with thousands of other fifth-grade Juniors. Thanks for hosting a wonderful event, Girl Scouts of Northern California!” —Kathy C.
• “My Brownies are bridging to Juniors in a Candy Land–themed ceremony. The girls chose the theme and have been working for months making decorations, choosing colors, learning songs, making a video about their time as Brownies, and more!” —Samantha P.
• “We are going to stay overnight at the USS Lexington. We will have the ceremony on the flight deck.” —Celina M.
• “Our girls chose to have a beach bonfire and hold their ceremony by the water in Huntington Beach, California.” —Yevette G.

Do you have a fantastic bridging story? Share with us!

Office Closure Wednesday, May 24!

GSCCC Offices will be closed tomorrow, Wednesday, May 24, 2017 for a Quarterly All Staff Meeting. If you need to reach Council, please call our after hours number: 800 340-7179. Our website (including the online store) will also remain available: http://www.girlscoutsccc.org

Way to go Brownilympics in Simi Valley!

 Brownies and Daisies attended the Simi Valley Brownilympics on Saturday, May 20.

We reached over 90 degrees in Simi Valley on Saturday, but the girls had fun participating in a variety of races and obstacle courses . . . 

 

 

  . . . such as the inner tube race.

 

 Every girl leaves a winner at Brownilympics!

 The ceremonies ended with a circle of friendship.

Until next year!

GSCCC Names Jody Skenderian as new CEO

Jody Skenderian CEO Girl Scouts of California's Central Coast

The Board of Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast (GSCCC) today announced Jody Skenderian as the council’s permanent CEO. Skenderian previously held the position of Chief Development Officer for GSCCC prior to becoming the council’s interim CEO in October 2016.

Skenderian, a Girl Scout alumnae and mother of a Girl Scout Cadette, has led business development teams for over two decades including as Director of Community Relations for the University of Phoenix Southern California Campus where she led strategy and implementation of recruitment, in addition to, alumni, community and faculty engagement.

She has also held adjunct teaching positions both online and on-campus for local colleges and universities including Santa Barbara City College and Ventura College. She has served on two Ventura County non-profit boards, and served a two-year term for the Ventura County Board of Supervisors Women's Economic Roundtable as the inaugural Chair. Additional business development roles include tenure at ValueClick (now Conversant), Addison Wesley Longman (now Pearson), Winthrop Resources (now TCF Equipment Finance), and most recently at Ventura start-up FreshRealm.

Skenderian holds an M.A. in Political Science from San Francisco State University and a B.A. from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California. She is also a member of the American Association of University Women and is a recent graduate of the Ventura County Leadership Academy.

WOW - The Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary!

"Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul" --

Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1866)

The Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary is a non-profit, home to many beautiful parrots of all colors, shapes and sizes! Girl Scouts of California's Central Coast hosts one of our programs there for girls to learn more about these beautiful winged creatures.

Daisies attending the World of Wings (W.O.W) Parrot Program at the Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary had a wonderful time with their new feathered friends!

We are continuing this great STEM program! Please visit our Activities page for more dates and to register. Upcoming dates include: Saturdays, June 3, July 8 & August 5!

If you're a Brownie, Daisy, Junior, Cadette, Senior or Ambassador, you can attend W.O.W. and earn the primary Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary patch and the World of Wings feather rocker! ( C.A.R.E. & P.A.L.S. Coming soon!)

Meet the Bird Sanctuary’s Avian Ambassadors, a vast array of birds in glorious shapes, colors, and sizes! We will explore their unique natural habitats, species behavior traits, and the personality quirks of birds. Girls will discover different parrot species and explore their appearance, behavior, and adaptations to their environment.

You will also learn how to create a foraging enrichment item for parrots. Please bring the following items (if possible!):

• Cardboard paper towel rolls (No TP!) 
• Round Coffee Filters 
• Tissue/Napkins 
• Paper Muffin Cups
• Paper towels
• Raffia
• Almonds (in shell or hulled)
• Wood chopsticks or skewers
• Plastic bottle caps

 Click here for the W.O.W. Program Flyer!

Brownilympics -- Let the Games Begin!

Both second and third grade Brownies . . . and some Daisy troops, braved the drizzly cold of a gray Saturday morning, May 6, to participate in the Annual Brownilympics in Thousand Oaks.

A tradition since 1984, when the Olympics came to Los Angeles, Brownilympics has been a volunteer-driven event that has been going strong ever since. 

Troops lined up at 8 a.m. to pitch their canopies and get ready for a fun-filled day of athletic events.

The morning began with a parade of troops, followed by individual events, including soccer dribble, sack race and obstacle course races.

Girls held banners, dads participated and fun was had by all.

After a brief afternoon lunch break, the team races (by troop) were held.

This was followed by the award portion of the day, where winning teams received medals. But second-year Daisies who attended as part of their bridging requirements to become Brownies, also  received medals--as everyone's a winner at Brownilympics!

A second Brownilympics will be held in Simi Valley on Saturday, May 20 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is a troop event and you can register here.

Registration CLOSES on May 8!

A huge thank you to all the parents and volunteers who helped make this event such a tremendous success! Read The Acorn write-up here.

See you at the next Brownilympics!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

GSCCC wishes you a Happy Cinco de Mayo!

But what is the May 5th holiday--Cinco de Mayo? Well, it's when the Mexican Army defeated French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. Mexican Independence Day, which is often confused as being May 5, is actually on September 16.

In the United States the date has become associated with the celebration of Mexican-American culture. What a great day to explore Mexico's rich cultural heritage! 

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Shop til You Drop - At the GSCCC Online Shop!

The GSCCC Online Shop has some great deals coming up!

Starting April 30th - Free Gift with $50 purchase, (while supplies last)!

May 10 - 15- Buy any grade level scarf and get 25% off the scarf slide

May 24 - 29: 25% off bags and totes

June 4 - 6: $10 Flat Rate Shipping. Three days Only!

Benefits to Shopping GSCCC Online:

Your Online Purchase Supports GSCCC! When members shop online, councils receive revenue-share from GSUSA for purchases based on their ZIP Code.
 

24/7 Shopping Access – Ready when you are without the drive.
 

A Complete Virtual Catalog of Merchandise – More items and sizes available.

Direct Delivery – Free shipping promotions held several times a year.

Additional Promotions and Special Offers!

Shop GSCCC's online store here!