Beauty Redefined: Watch LIVE! Plus Key Findings from New Survey

February 4th, 2010

BEAUTY REDEFINED: Girls, Body Image & Fashion

This month Girl Scouts of the USA is releasing the results of a recent poll on girls, body image, fashion and media. The survey, conducted in November 2009,  unearthed several interesting findings on the conflicted relationship between girls and fashion, and how they feel about the images portrayed to them. The findings can be found in the press release here and key findings attached.

With ongoing public discussions on the fashion industry’s use of ultra skinny models, GSUSA has decided to host a panel discussion to address the role of fashion and media in building positive self-esteem for girls. This is not an attack on the fashion industry but rather an effort to amplify the voice of girls-that girls, indeed, want to see more real and natural images presented in media and fashion.

The VIP event will also be an opportunity to highlight our long-standing partnership with the Dove Self-Esteem Fund and our ongoing work in this area, including the forthcoming Journey 3 series ‘It’s Your Story- Tell It!’ (releasing December 2010). This survey was timed to support our role as the leading organization in creating positive self-esteem among girls.

The event, held on the eve of Fashion Week in New York City’s Bryant Park, will include the following guest panelists:

·         Crystal Renn, ‘Plus-Size’ Supermodel & Author

·         Jess Weiner, Author & Global Ambassador for the Dove Self-Esteem Fund

·         Jill Herzig, Executive Editor, Glamour Magazine

·         Kimberlee Salmond, Girl Scout Research Institute

From diets to celebrities, diversity to fashion, the event will be an open platform for the much-needed discussion on self-esteem and girls, with a focus on what role we can all play to help them define real beauty.

YOU CAN WATCH LIVE!
We understand this topic is very important and central to Leadership Experience for girls and therefore we would like to invite ALL Girl Scout staff and volunteers to join us live! Watch the panel discussion stream on the Web and even ask questions to the panel.  Please note: this is not for girls and Ustream is a public site. GSUSA does not control advertising on this Webpage. We request your patience as we test this new technology.

Please log onto www.ustream.tv/channel/beauty-redefined at 6p.m. EST on Wednesday, February 10, 2010 to join us! We encourage you to invite your staff, volunteers, friends and peers to participate.

If you have any questions please email Ashlene Nand, Brand Manager, GSUSA at anand@girlscouts.org.

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Questions for Jess Contest

January 26th, 2010

At the Believe in Girls Expo on Saturday, January 30, 2010 I will be doing a Q&A session with Jess Weiner and Ben Barry. You can read more about them here.

Do you or your girls have questions that you would like me to ask Jess and Ben?

Submit your question by replying to this blog post, and your troop (or family) will be entered into a drawing to win a free private lunch for a small group of girls and adults with Jess Weiner and me at the BIG Expo from 12:30 to 1:30 pm.  Make sure to include the troop leader name and troop number (or parent name) in your reply.

Deadline for entering questions is Thursday, January 28 at 11:59 p.m. We’ll do the drawing on Friday morning and notify the winner immediately.

Good luck!

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Girl Scouts Can Raise Funds for Haiti Relief

January 22nd, 2010

From Kathy Cloninger, CEO, Girl Scouts of the USA

The outpouring of support for the people of Haiti in the wake of the devastating earthquake last week has been remarkable, and Girl Scouts across the country have pitched in to help in many different ways. We know, however, that after natural disasters like these, sending funds is often the best way to help.

Given the catastrophic events in Haiti, the Executive Committee unanimously adopted, and the National Board this morning ratified, the following:

THAT the Executive Committee of Girl Scouts of the USA’s National Board of Directors, on the National Board’s behalf, adopts a special rule of order to allow girl members to engage in activities, which may include the direct solicitation of money, from January 14 through September 8, 2010, to support emergency relief for the January 12 earthquake disaster in Haiti.  Monies raised shall be contributed only to organizations on the approved list of agencies (listed below); additions to the list shall be approved by the National President and CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA.

This now makes it possible for our girls to raise much needed funds for relief efforts in Haiti. Please take note that the money our girls raise can be contributed only to those agencies on the list below. Much of Haiti is in ruins and a second major earthquake struck the country on Wednesday. The loss of life and suffering has been heartbreaking. I hope that this action by the National Board will serve as yet another opportunity for all of us as a Movement to do what we can to help the people of Haiti in their time of need.

LIST OF AGENCIES

The American Red Cross - www.redcross.org
The American Red Cross is accepting donations through its International Response Fund.

Pan American Development Foundation The foundation is encouraging people to donate through its Web site at www.PanAmericanRelief.org.

UNICEF
UNICEF requests donations for relief for children in Haiti via their Haiti Earthquake Fund. You can also call 1-800-4UNICEF.

Oxfam
You can donate to online at Oxfam America at www.oxfamamerica.org.

Save The Children
Save the Children has launched an emergency relief effort for Haiti.

Mercy Corps - Donate online, call 1-888-256-1900 or send checks to: Mercy Corps Haiti Earthquake Fund
Dept NR PO Box 2669 Portland, OR 97208

Doctors Without Borders - Doctors Without Borders has set up clinics to treat people in Haiti. Donate to Doctors Without Borders.

The UN World Food Programme
The UN World Food Programme is gathering all available resources to deliver food to the recently homeless and impoverished in Haiti. Donations can be  made through www.wfp.org/donate/haiti

CARE
CARE is deploying emergency team members to Port-au-Prince to assist in recovery efforts. It’s focusing its efforts on rescuing children who may still be trapped in schools that collapsed.

The International Rescue Committee - The International Rescue Committee is deploying an emergency response team to Haiti.

World Vision
World Vision has more 370 staff members in the Haiti.

United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF)
This fund is used for emergencies like the earthquake in Haiti.

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Girl Scout Response to Earthquake in Haiti

January 15th, 2010

From Kathy Cloninger, CEO, Girl Scouts of the USA:

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Haitians, their friends and families, as they begin the process of managing the aftermath of the catastrophic earthquake of January 12. We have received numerous calls from Girl Scouts around the country asking how to help.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the National Board suspended the policy that prohibits Girl Scouts from raising money for other organizations. We are working with the Executive Committee of the board to suspend this policy once again. We will keep you informed of any action. In the meantime, all Girl Scouts councils should work though their local community groups to assist in relief efforts.

The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) has issued a list of organizations that are accepting donations for relief efforts. I have included the list below. WAGGGS is also reminding all Girl Scouts that the theme of World Thinking Day this year is “ending extreme poverty and hunger.” The tragic events in Haiti can clearly serve as a way to educate our girls about the issues of extreme poverty and hunger throughout the world.

It is at times like these that Girl Scouts throughout the world come together in sisterhood and to take action to help those in need. We have seen our Movement rally in support of the victims of Hurricane Katrina and other natural disasters over the years, and I know that all of us in Girl Scouting will do everything we can to help Haiti and its people in the weeks and months ahead.

  • Pan American Development Foundation
    The foundation is encouraging people to donate through its Web site at www.PanAmericanRelief.org.
  • Mercy Corps
    Donate online, call 1-888-256-1900 or send checks to:
    Mercy Corps Haiti Earthquake Fund
    Dept NR
    PO Box 2669
    Portland, OR 97208
  • Doctors Without Borders
    Doctors Without Borders has set up clinics to treat people in Haiti. Donate to Doctors Without Borders.
  • The UN World Food Programme
    The UN World Food Programme is gathering all available resources to deliver food to the recently homeless and impoverished in Haiti. Donations can be made through https://www.wfp.org/donate/haiti
  • CARE
    CARE is deploying emergency team members to Port-au-Prince to assist in recovery efforts. It’s focusing its efforts on rescuing children who may still be trapped in schools that collapsed. Donate to CARE
  • The International Rescue Committee
    The International Rescue Committee is deploying an emergency response team to Haiti. Donate to the IRC Haiti Crisis Fund.
  • United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) This fund is used for emergencies like the earthquake in Haiti. Donate online.

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What to Do With All Those Christmas Cards

December 22nd, 2009

In order to help save a few trees, Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio Council decided to send e-holiday cards this year. We know that there are still lots of holiday cards out there though and one of our own Girl Scout troops came up with a great idea for recycling cards that I thought I’d share with you.

From Meghan Almeida, Leader, Troop 1054:

“We cut off the fronts (discarded the part with writing on it) and used them like postcards to leave on neighbors’ doors to announce our caroling event and collection of children’s clothes for a service project.  The girls had fun making them.  We used a pre-printed message and pasted it on the back. If there was room, they drew a picture too!  They worked like a charm.  We had a good number of folks home to sing to and a great mountain of clothes donated!”

Thanks Meghan for the great idea!

Happy Holidays everyone!

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Rockin’ the Blogosphere

September 23rd, 2009

I’m in love with the Internet and with technology in general. I get excited whenever I hear the words “blog” or “social media” in a conversation, and a great comment on one of my posts can totally make my day. I have a wonderful marketing crew who also enjoy online networking, and we’re always looking for ways to improve. Our biggest challenges are juggling time, developing new content, expanding our audience and maintaining a consistent posting schedule.

You can imagine how I psyched I was to read about Mike Stelzner’s Copywriting Success Summit coming up in October. It’s the largest online event dedicated to helping people successfully market their writing business. Some of the biggest names in the Blogosphere will be sharing their expertise on a whole range of topics. There are two free seats being offered for the best blog post explaining why you should win. Mike Stelzner (Writing White Papers author) and Chris Garrett (Problogger co-author) will decide the winner.

So here it goes. Mike and Chris—we want to be your rock stars. We’re ready to absorb it all, to take your tips and turn them into real success stories. Here are 9 good reasons why you should choose the Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio Council as the winner of your Copywriting Success Summit:

  1. We’re motivated. We’ve got the best mission ever—to encourage leadership in girls by helping them to develop courage, character and confidence. These brilliant young women have big dreams, a lot of heart and the determination to make a difference. We want to do everything in our power to help them succeed in making the world a better place.
  2. We’re innovative. Did you know we’re the first nonprofit organization in the nation to have a Results Only Work Environment (R.O.W.E.)? And not just because a lot of us are night owls—although we are. It’s just that it makes more sense as a business model. In our organization people aren’t evaluated on how often they sit at their desks. They are judged solely on the results they achieve. Smart, huh? R.O.W.E. also helped us discover and embrace our true organizational personality. We laugh a lot, have offices painted in crazy colors, have a collective addiction to Laffy Taffy, and relish not being a typical company.
  3. We’re social media enthusiasts. Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, blogs—we do it all. In fact, a few of us consider the Internet to be our second home. Unlike many corporations that prefer their employees to maintain a faceless company façade, we encourage our staff to be social media butterflies. When they shine, we shine.
  4. We’re blossoming multi-media mavens. Whether we need to snap photos, shoot a video, or record an interview, our media kits are always fully stocked and ready to go. Our staff people are total hams in front of the camera. We’ve created some great office training videos that spoof popular shows like “What Not To Wear” and “Real Housewives of Atlanta.” We love bad reality T.V.
  5. We’re evolving. As the youngest Girl Scout CEO in the country, I’m in the unique position of bringing a modern perspective to a centuries old brand. Do Girl Scout values hold true today the way they did when Juliette Lowe founded the organization back in 1912? Absolutely. Would Juliette Lowe have taken advantage of new technologies and taught girls to be Internet and social media savvy? You bet she would.
  6. We sparkle. We are big fans of Zappos, and Tony offered us a lot of inspiration during our restructuring. We’ve not only adopted some of the Zappos core values, but we’ve also added one of our own: “Put Sparkle into everything you do.” Translation? Always look for ways to be extraordinary—even in the tiniest of details. Those details are what make you unforgettable. Sort of like pink ribbon laces on a pair of zebra striped sneakers.
  7. We aren’t afraid to try new things. Let’s face it. Status quo is boring and never gets you anywhere. We like rocking the boat a little. Curiosity, fresh ideas and experimentation are all encouraged. Being a little weird doesn’t hurt either. In fact, when I interview people, I much prefer those who stand out as individuals rather than the ones giving the same tired robotic answers. When people think outside the box, great things can happen.
  8. We share ideas. We’re big on the whole networking thing. Whether it’s swapping information with other councils, giving a social media presentation for PRSA, or turning a co-worker on to a favorite RSS feed, we believe knowledge is meant to be shared. As long as you don’t over-share. For instance we do NOT encourage people to take sketchy quizzes about their love lives on Facebook. Especially if their grandma is on their friend’s list.
  9. We’ll invite you to our next party. We throw the best office parties ever. There was the vampire themed Twilight party with gourmet red and black munchies and pointy teeth for all. Then there was the fictional character party—sort of a Charlie’s Angels meets Pulp Fiction extravaganza. We also do a staff/pet Halloween masquerade. Of course some pets don’t restrict the dress up thing to October. Fred is actually making quite a name for himself around town.

Seriously guys, it would be an amazing opportunity for us to be a part of this summit. We want to produce interesting original articles for our sites, incorporate more multimedia, and expand our social network. We’re eager to learn and apply new skills to help us grow and provide better services for the girls we serve. I guarantee you that we will be well worth your investment.

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Regional Volunteer Meetings

August 3rd, 2009

All of Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio Council’s adult volunteers are invited to attend one of the important regional meetings being held throughout the council this August:

August 15 - High Desert - High Desert Church - Victorville - 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

August 15 - Central/Central West - California Baptist University (tentative) - Riverside - 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

August 22 - Southwest - Revival Christian Fellowship (tentative) - Menifee - 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

August 22 - Low Desert - Annenberg Theater - Palm Springs - 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Please RSVP using this link: Volunteer Meeting RSVP

What’s on the agenda?

Lots of great information about:

  • Changes to the Service Area Structure
    • How Will Events Work? – Great New Opportunities
    • New Paperwork Processes Explained
    • Learn More About Regional Committees
  • Great New Fall Products
    • Sparkle! Training (will be online after the meeting for those who can’t make it)
    • Sign Your Product Sale Contracts
  • The New Journey – It’s Your Planet, Love It!
  • New Bronze, Silver, Gold Requirements

This event is for adult members only. Unfortunately, we are not able to provide childcare at this event and in consideration of our limited time and space, we ask that you come without any little ones.

Can’t come to the meeting in your region? Feel free to attend a meeting in another region so that you don’t miss out on any information.

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Our Promise to Girls: Changing and Improving Our Volunteer Model

July 11th, 2009

“Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.”
- Arnold Bennett, British Novelist and Playwright

Over the past few weeks, I’ve traveled around our council, visiting with Service Area Managers and Service Area Cabinets, talking about the challenges currently facing the Girl Scout Movement - from nationally declining Girl Scout membership, to a volunteer model that does not attract and retain enough volunteers to support girls. These challenges are big. And the general consensus across the country is that meeting and overcoming these challenges is not just something that has to be done some day - it is something that has to be done now.

I know that change has created many sore spots in Girl Scout history. Perhaps the Gold Award would have a higher level of public recognition had its name never been changed. Perhaps Studio 2B was a misstep. Perhaps more people would understand what we do if we didn’t keep changing what it is we do.

But step back and think about how our Movement was founded. Juliette Gordon Low founded an organization for girls that brought them outdoors and taught them to be self-reliant and resourceful at a time when women did not yet even have the right to vote.  She also pushed the boundaries of the time, believing that girls should learn more than just homemaking skills - that they should learn skills for potential future careers in arts, sciences and business. Juliette is often referred to as a “reformer” and listed with other women who improved the course of life for women and girls in this country. She did not accomplish that without change.

To address the challenges facing the Girl Scout Movement, we are taking action and leading through change.

Our council is putting in place an improved volunteer model that is built on removing some of the aspects of volunteering that our volunteers have told us that they don’t like (like excessive paperwork, conflict resolution, and hours of administrative work) and increasing the aspects of volunteering our volunteers have said they love (like working with girls, planning events, and mentoring other volunteers).

This new model was truly built by you - our volunteers. It was your feedback, insights, challenges, and suggestions over the past 16 months of us truly listening to you that have guided this change.

So that you can see exactly what was presented to the Service Area Managers and Cabinets, I added audio narration to my PowerPoint.The presentation is almost an hour long (there’s a lot to say!)… but please try to hang in through the whole thing because there’s lots of important information.

Girl Scouts Volunteer Model Changes

I know that you’ll have questions when you’re done watching the presentation. You are welcome to e-mail me at jlawrence@gssgc.org with your questions and feedback.

I’ve also set up several conference calls for you to call in with your questions.  Conference calls will be hosted on the following days/times:
Monday, July 13 at 7 p.m.
Thursday, July 16 at 7 p.m.
Sunday, July 19 at 4 p.m.
Tuesday, July 21 at 7 p.m.
Tuesday, July 28 at 12 p.m.
Wednesday, July 29 at 7 p.m.
Thursday, July 30 at 12 p.m.

If you wish to participate, please RSVP for the conference calls HERE.

We have a promise to keep to girls. That promise is to be here for them. Ensuring that we are here for girls for years to come requires you…and hundreds of new volunteers just like you. But volunteers want options…and support…and lots of time to work with girls. And that requires us to change and improve.

Thank you for your commitment to girls. Read the rest of this entry »

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Girls Need Better Role Models

June 10th, 2009

NOTE: I wrote this Op Ed piece a few weeks ago, but couldn’t post it on this blog until we knew whether the local newspaper was going pick it up. They didn’t (booooo!!!). But now you all get to read it here! And although Ms. Prejean was fired by the Miss California pageant today, it doesn’t erase everything that already happened or the concerns that I express below.

In a time when we are being bombarded more than ever with overly sexualized images of girls and women, Donald Trump’s recent announcement that Carrie Prejean, Miss California USA, would be able to keep her crown (despite the fact that she apparently violated the terms of her contract and posed for racy photos while she was a teenager) was not surprising.

It was how Mr. Trump described the photos that was, in fact, worse than the announcement itself: “We’ve made a determination that the pictures taken were acceptable, they’re fine…” Should society really accept calling racy, topless photos of barely adult young women “acceptable” and “fine”? What kind of message does this send to young girls who are increasingly unsure about where the boundary is between what is appropriate and inappropriate? Prejean herself, in an interview on the Early Show on CBS, both defended the photos and at the same time stated that she “definitely would not make those decisions [to take the photos] today”. So which is it? Are they “fine” or unacceptable? No wonder girls are confused.

All of a sudden, if posing topless while you’re a teenager is “fine” and “acceptable” then it seems to girls that lots of other things fall into that “acceptable” category as well. A 14-year old sending nude photos of herself to guy she likes? Acceptable. A 16-year old putting racy photos of herself on her MySpace page? Fine.

These confusing messages about what is and isn’t acceptable are leading to frightening trends in girls’ behavior. According to a nationwide survey conducted by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, approximately 22% of teen girls report participating in “sexting” (sending nude or partially-nude pictures via text message). Cases of “sexting” have recently resulted in instances of child porn charges being filed against both the teen senders and teen recipients of these racy messages.

Why has “sexting” become popular among teen girls? Most likely because girls see sexual images of women on a daily basis and “sexting” doesn’t seem much different than Paris Hilton’s appearances in racy Carl’s Jr. ads or other celebrities posing semi-nude on billboards and in magazines. The sexualized image of women has become the new “normal” for girls.

The growing presence of sexualized stereotypes of girls and women is destructive for girls. When Radar, a pop culture magazine, asked 100 teen concert-goers who had done more to empower women: The Pussycat Dolls or Condoleezza Rice, what was the outcome? The Dolls won with 66 percent of the votes. We are not heading in the right direction if girls are looking to The Pussycat Dolls as their role models.

As community leaders, parents, and volunteers, we can help girls seek out and focus on role models who teach girls that being strong, empowered women doesn’t mean emulating the over-sexualized celebrities they see every day on television, in magazines, and on the internet.

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What in the World Are Girl Scout Pathways?

May 4th, 2009

Girl Scout Pathways offer a very cool new way of participating in Girl Scouts. Curious? Check out my very first homemade video (featuring my priceless artwork - hehe):

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Posted in Program, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

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