Girls Make a Difference in the Fight Against Girl Bullying

Meet Lily, Juliana, Janelle, and Catherine!

They represented Girl Scouts of the USA and Southern Nevada by participating in a panel in front of more than 700 people at the National Girl Bullying and Relational Aggression Conference in June.

Teacher, counselors, and school administrators from all over the country gathered to discuss the issue of girl bullying and relational aggression in hopes of learning tools to recognize and stop it from happening in their schools.

Lily, Juliana, Janelle, and Catherine offered their opinions and personal experiences in the hopes that they might help change the life of girls all over the country. Here are a few of their ideas on how to combat girl bullying and relational aggression:

Take the bully out of the equation. When helping a friend deal with a bully, speak to the bully in private about the situation. A bully might not even realize the harm they are causing. By taking the bully out of the situation, they don't have to worry about what peers will think of them.

Find your (true) friends. If you've been bullied with rumors or gossip, to help ease feelings of hurt and isolation, find one or two true friends and confide how the gossip has hurt your feelings. Set the record straight by telling your friends quietly and confidently what's true and not true about you. Hearing a friend say, "I know the rumor's not true. I didn't pay attention to it," can help you realize that most of the time people see gossip for what it is — petty, rude, and immature.

Practice confidence. Practice ways to respond to a bully verbally or through your behavior. Practice feeling good about yourself, even if you have to fake it at first.

Most importantly is talk about it. It may help to talk to a guidance counselor, teacher, or friend — anyone who can give you the support you need. Talking can be a good outlet for the fears and frustrations that can build when you're being bullied.

Doodle 4 Google!

Girl Scouts of the USA has partnered with Google for the fourth annual Doodle 4 Google contest. Open to K-12 students in the U.S., Doodle 4 Google is an opportunity of a lifetime: design the Google.com homepage doodle for millions to see, and take home a $15,000 scholarship and a $25,000 technology grant for your school. In the spirit of thinking big, the theme this year is "What I'd like to do someday..." - giving all of the talented young dreamers an opportunity to flex their creative muscles.

Get started today! Whether you're a parent of a leader, register your girl(s) by March 2, 2011. Then get out the crayons, paints and marketers and throw your own doodle party!

Please note that all entries must be postmarked by March 16, 2011. Check out contest rules and download the google template here.

Last year, eight-year-old Girl Scout, Indira was a finalist in the Doodle 4 Google contest - view her entry here. Will your Girl Scout be next?

New Year's Resolution - Healthier Girls

Did you make a New Year's Resolution? I made a few - many of the same ones I made last year, and the year before; spend more time with the family, save more money, and of course eat healthier, exercise more, and lose a few of the extra pounds I've been carrying around!

A few days into the new routine, my daughter picked up on the changes I was making and immediately made reference to her eating habits and body type in relation to mine. Our conversation reminded me of a study issued by the Girl Scout Research Institute called The New Normal - What Girls Say About Healthy Living.

We hear so much about childhood obesity and everybody has an opinion on the causes - lack of exercise/too many video games, changes in our food, portions of food, etc. But what is unique about the study issued by the Girl Scout Research Institute is that they asked girls and boys what they thought about healthy living. Here are a few of the major findings of what girls had to say about healthy living:

1. Aspiring to be "Normal Healthy" - 65% of girls said their lifestyle was "healthy enough for my age." For most girls, being healthy has more to do with appearing "normal" and feeling accepted than maintaining good diet and exercise habits.


2. Emotional Health Is Central - One in four girls (26%) has some dissatisfaction with her weight compared with 19% of boys. Most girls view emotional health and physical health as equally important.


3. Tension Between Health Awareness and Behaviors - 60% of teenage girls skip breakfast at least once a week and nearly 20% skip it every day. Although girls demonstrate basic knowledge about healthy foods and eating behaviors, they often do not put this knowledge into practice, and it is "normal" for many girls to make poor choices with respect to diet and exercise.


4. The Influential Role of Mothers - Eighty-nine percent of girls report that their mothers make positive comments about how they look. Mothers were the most frequently cited source of information on healthy living and they clearly function as role models for their daughters.

So what does this all mean? "Do as I say, not as I do" just doesn't cut it when it comes to healthy living. Our girls are watching and for as much as they are influenced by their peers, this is one area where we can make a meaningful difference in their lives. Make your New Year's Resolution to help your girl gain the knowledge and life skills to lead a healthy life.

Need help? Girl Scouts offers more than 60 age-level awards combing physical fitness with good nutrition and a healthy body image to help girls attain an overall healthy lifestyle. Interested in reading more about what girls are saying - visit the Girl Scout Research Institute.

Emily Smith

Chief Marketing & Development Officer

Dessert Before Dinner

In a 1962 Time magazine article, a dental surgeon from Albuquerque, New Mexico advocated for eating dessert before dinner. His reasoning was twofold:

1) Later courses are more likely to wipe away sugar left in the mouth by the dessert, which is eaten first.

2) Individuals will most likely eat less by having a small dessert first.

While his points, may be debateable, Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada found a few more reasons why Dessert Before Dinner is undeniably the best!

1) It's our annual gala fundraiser, raising money to support Girl Scout leadership programs in Southern Nevada.

2) The desserts are yummy, the entertainment incredible, and the guests delightful!

Last Saturday, more than 250 people attended Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada's 5th annual Dessert Before Dinner gala. Guests were treated to desserts prepared by eight incredibly talented pastry chefs - each one using Girl Scouts Peanut Butter Patties cookie in their recipe. Local Girl Scouts performed Whitney Houston's, The Greatest Love of All in sign language for the guests and comedian Kevin Burke stopped by to shower the crowd with a few laughs before making his way to the Fitzgerald for his late night comedy show.

Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada presented Assemblywoman Marilyn Kirkpatrick with the Juliette Low Pearl Award, recognizing her longtime advocacy and support of Girl Scouts. Chef Jaret Blinn from Red Rock Resorts claimed the title "Master Cookie Chef" for the second time in a row and was rewarded with a $1,000 gift certificate from the evening's presenting sponsor, SuperPawn. And most importantly, more than $65,000 was raised to support Girl Scout leadership programs for girls in Southern Nevada!

Many thanks to all of the Girl Scouts, Volunteers, and Supporters who attended Dessert Before Dinner!

Emily Smith

Chief Marketing & Development Officer

Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada

Girl Scout Swaps

Last night I received SWAPS while visiting the Henderson Service Unit. (That's him to the left there, a clothespin wrapped in yarn - I named him Manny the Mummy) It's been awhile since I was a leader, so it's not often that I receive SWAPS anymore - but it reminded me of how much fun my daughter and I had making and trading SWAPS.

MakingFriends.com offers a great history of the origin of SWAPS, otherwise known as "Special Whatchamacallits Affectionately Pinned Somewhere" or "Share With A Pal." But I wanted to share with you a few observations about the benefits of SWAPS.

1) SWAPS create a great ice breaker for girls who have never met before. It takes courage and confidence to walk into a room and talk to a complete stranger! SWAPS are a great conversation starter!

2) SWAPS are a creative expression of the girl who made them - they don't have to be expensive or intricate. What matters most is that each girl have an opportunity to express herself creatively by making a gift to share with someone else. Girls gain a sense of pride and accomplishment when they see their SWAPS pinned to the hat or vest of another girl!

3) SWAPS are enduring! I know many leaders who still have SWAPS from when they were girls. SWAPS help bring back fond memories of where you were and what you were doing when you received your SWAPS. I still remember my daughter making SWAPS for her troop's father/daughter bowling event. They were matching bowling ball SWAPS that said "I'm with him" & "I'm with her."

So what are you waiting for? Don't know how to make SWAPS? Check out this wikiHow and help your girls create special memories of their own!






Emily Smith
Chief Marketing & Development Officer
Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada