Zoe B. 

Girl Reporter

As​ ​many​ ​of​ ​you​ ​may​ ​know,​ ​the​ ​Girl​ ​Scouts​ ​of​ ​America​ ​has​ ​recently​ ​launched the new G.I.R.L.​ ​agenda – non-partisan initiative to inspire, prepare, and mobilize girls and those who care about them to lead positive change through civic action.​ ​G.I.R.L.​ ​is​ ​an​ ​acronym​ ​for​ ​Go-getter,​ ​Innovator,​ ​Risk-taker,​ ​and​ ​Leader.​ ​This initiative has inspire​d ​troops​ ​to​ ​be ​all​ ​of​ ​these​ ​things​ ​and​ ​more! ​Recently, Cadette​ ​7, Troop​ ​1663,​ ​Sub​ ​Troop​ ​to​ ​Super​ Troop​ ​1661-1663,​ ​gave ​their Cadettes​ ​a​ ​chance​ ​to​ ​run​ ​their​ ​own​ ​activities.​ ​They gave the ​girls​ ​the​ ​power​ ​to​ ​decide​ ​together​ ​all​ ​of​ ​their​ ​own​ ​activities.  ​Each​ ​girl​ ​worked​ ​with​ ​a​ ​partner​ ​on​ ​two​ ​specific badges.​ ​We​ ​also​ ​plan​ned ​different​ ​service​ ​projects​ ​such​ ​as​ ​helping at​ ​an​ ​animal​ ​hospital,​ ​making​ ​our​ ​own​ ​booth​ ​for ​Trunk​ ​or​ ​Treat​ ​at council,​ ​or​ ​even​ ​working​ ​on​ ​different​ ​floats​ ​for​ ​the​ ​Annual​ ​Rose Parade.​ ​Each girl also​ ​gave​ ​different​ ​ideas​ ​for​ ​service​ ​projects and​ ​the​ ​Silver​ ​Award.

When​ ​the​ ​girls​ ​choose​ ​a​ ​badge​ ​they are​ ​assigned​ ​to​ ​work​ ​on​ ​that​ ​specific​ ​badge​ ​activity with​ ​a​ ​partner.​ ​On​ ​the​ ​days​ ​when​ ​the​ ​troop​ ​decides​ ​to​ ​work​ ​on​ ​the​ ​badges​, ​these​ ​main​ ​girls explain​ ​how​ ​to​ ​complete​ ​this​ ​badge.​ ​They go​ ​through​ ​each​ ​badge​ ​requirement​ ​step​ ​by step​ ​until​ ​everyone​ ​earns​ ​the​ ​badge.​ ​This makes​ ​sure​ ​that​ ​each​ ​Girl​ ​Scout​ ​in​ ​the troop​ ​has​ ​a​ ​chance​ ​to​ ​work​ ​on​ ​the​ ​type​ ​of badge​ ​they​ ​want​ ​to​ ​work​ ​on​ ​and​ ​also,​ ​work with​ ​someone​ ​they​ ​cooperate​ ​best​ ​with. This​ ​is​ ​an​ ​example​ ​of​ ​not​ ​only​ ​leadership, but​ ​also​ ​responsibility​ ​and​ ​being innovators.​ ​They​ ​have​ ​new​ ​ideas​ ​on​ ​how​ ​to complete​ ​the​ ​badges​ ​and​ ​are​ ​responsible for​ ​getting​ ​their​ ​own​ ​badge​ ​and​ ​are​ ​not relying​ ​on​ ​others​ ​to​ ​do​ ​all​ ​the​ ​work​ ​for them.

Recently,​ ​Cadette​ ​7​ ​had​ ​an​ ​opportunity​ ​to​ ​participate in​ ​their​ ​first​ ​Girl-Planned​ ​Service​ ​Project.​ ​​ ​The​ ​girls volunteered​ ​at​ ​a​ ​local​ ​animal​ ​hospital’s​ ​2nd​ ​Anniversary Community​ ​Celebration.​ ​​ ​When​ ​the​ ​girls​ ​worked​ ​at​ ​the animal​ ​hospital,​ ​they​ ​were​ ​each​ ​assigned​ ​a​ ​different​ ​job​ ​so they​ ​could​ ​help​ ​out​ ​as​ ​much​ ​as​ ​possible.​ ​The​ ​girls​ ​helped with​ ​tours,​ ​raffles,​ ​different​ ​booths,​ ​and​ ​much​ ​more.​ ​They also​ ​helped​ ​portioning​ ​samples​ ​so​ ​they​ ​would​ ​give​ ​each​ ​person​ ​equal​ ​amounts.​ ​​ ​Troop​ ​members worked​ ​in​ ​groups​ ​of​ ​2​ ​or​ ​more​ ​per​ ​booth​ ​and​ ​gave​ ​everyone​ ​a​ ​chance​ ​to​ ​see​ ​what​ ​they​ ​had.​ ​The hospital​ ​gave​ ​out​ ​1​ ​treat​ ​and​ ​1​ ​freebie​ ​to​ ​each​ ​adult​ ​that​ ​walked​ ​in​ ​and​ ​1 cupcake​ ​to​ ​each​ ​human​ ​being​ ​that​ ​walked​ ​in.​ ​They​ ​gave​ ​tours​ ​around​ ​the hospital​ ​and​ ​described​ ​what​ ​the​ ​different​ ​rooms​ ​were​ ​for.​ ​Each​ ​guide explained​ ​the​ ​use​ ​of​ ​each​ ​device​ ​and​ ​gave​ ​people​ ​raffle​ ​tickets​ ​at​ ​the​ ​end.  There​ ​were​ ​boarding​ ​rooms,​ ​a​ ​room​ ​for​ ​surgery,​ ​and​ ​different​ ​sized​ ​cages for​ ​all​ ​animal​ ​sizes.​ ​A​ ​veterinarian​ ​and​ ​veterinary​ ​assistants​ ​treat​ ​the different​ ​diseases​ ​and​ ​wounds​ ​the​ ​animals​ ​have.​ ​One​ ​side​ ​of​ ​the​ ​hospital​ ​is for​ ​cats​ ​and​ ​the​ ​other​ ​for​ ​dogs.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​had​ ​one​ ​of​ ​each​ ​animal,​ ​the​ ​cat would​ ​go​ ​in​ ​the​ ​dog​ ​side​ ​with​ ​the​ ​dog​ ​it​ ​came​ ​with​ ​because​ ​it​ ​would​ ​be used​-to​ ​and​ ​familiar​ ​with​ ​dogs.​ ​​ ​This​ ​was​ ​a​ ​special​ ​event​ ​for​ ​the​ ​girls​ ​and helped​ ​them​ ​to​ ​work​ ​on​ ​their​ ​community​ ​interaction​ ​and​ ​public​ ​speaking​ ​skills.

Inspired​ ​by​ ​their​ ​successful​ ​first​ ​experience,​ ​each​ ​girl​ ​in​ ​Troop​ ​1663,​ ​Cadette​ ​7​ ​will​ ​come to upcoming​ ​meetings​ ​with​ ​their​ ​own​ ​ideas​ ​such​ ​as​, ​what​ ​types​ ​of badges​ ​they​ ​want​ ​to​ ​work​ ​on.​ ​At​ ​the​ ​first​ ​meeting​, ​the​ ​ladies​ ​had​ ​a chance​ ​to​ ​describe​ ​the​ ​Cadette​ ​different​ ​badges.​ ​​ ​By​ ​majority​ ​vote, they​ ​were​ ​put​ ​into​ ​three​ ​different​ ​categories,​ ​“would​ ​love​ ​to​ ​do​ ​it,”​ ​”would like to do it,” and​ ​“maybe​ ​another​ ​time”.​ ​​ ​All​ ​badges​ ​placed into​ ​the​ ​“would​ ​love​ ​to​ ​do​ ​it”​ ​category​ ​would​ ​be​ ​their​ ​first​ ​priority.  Those​ ​badges​ ​were​ ​new​ ​cuisines,​ ​animal​ ​helpers,​ ​babysitting, digital​ ​movie​ ​makers,​ ​science​ ​of​ ​happiness,​ ​special​ ​agent,​ ​trail blazing,​ ​and​ ​woodworker.​ ​All​ ​the​ ​badges​ ​in​ ​either​ ​“would​ ​like​ ​to do​ ​it”​ ​or​ ​“maybe​ ​another​ ​time,”​ ​would be​ ​worked​ ​on​ ​if​ ​they​ ​had​ ​time​ ​or​ ​would​ ​be​ ​worked​ ​on​ ​the​ ​next​ ​year.  Even​ ​though​ ​they​ ​may​ ​be​ ​addressed​ ​later,​ ​all​ ​the​ ​badges​ ​will​ ​be​ ​completed​ ​eventually.

The​ ​girls​ ​also​ ​come​ ​to​ ​each​ ​meeting​ ​with​ ​a​ ​fun​ ​idea​ ​for​ ​a​ ​different​ ​activity​ ​they​ ​would like​ ​to​ ​do.​ ​For​ ​the​ ​last​ ​meeting,​ ​the​ ​troop​ ​decided​ ​that​ ​they​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​decorate​ ​a​ ​trunk​ ​for​ ​the Annual​ ​San​ ​Gorgonio​ ​Council​ ​Trunk​ ​or​ ​Treat.​ ​Their​ ​trunk​ ​or​ ​treat​ ​theme​ ​would​ ​be​ ​The Nightmare​ ​Before​ ​Christmas.​ ​They​ ​made​ ​different​ ​props​ ​that​ ​would​ ​correspond​ ​with​ ​their​ ​theme. Together, the​ ​troop​ ​decided​ ​what​ ​they​ ​wanted to​ ​make​ ​and​ ​where​ ​they​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​put everything​ ​inside​ ​of​ ​the​ ​trunk.​ ​They​ ​made​ ​an evil​ ​wreath,​ ​Jack​ ​Skellington’s​ ​head,​ ​etc.​ ​This shows​ ​responsibility​ ​and​ ​innovation.​ ​Its​ ​shows innovation​ ​because​ ​they​ ​were​ ​very​ ​creative​ ​on what​ ​they​ ​thought​ ​they​ ​should​ ​do​ ​for​ ​the​ ​trunk or​ ​treat​ ​activity.​ ​This​ ​shows​ ​responsibility​ ​through​ ​making​ ​sure​ ​we​ ​finished​ ​what​ ​we​ ​needed​ ​to do​ ​and​ ​completing​ ​all​ ​the​ ​extra​ ​little​ ​details​ ​that​ ​count.