What's New at GSCI

Meet Issac and Sam

Our names are Isaac and Sam and we are Belgian draft horses that will be turning 10 and 9 years old soon. We’ve been living at Camp Tapawingo since October but shortly after our arrival one of us managed to get a serious foot injury and had to be on stall rest for an entire month. Now that the injury is all healed and we’ve had time to settle in and find our place in the herd, we are ready to meet you all.

Just a little bit about us…
We are originally from Canada! How cool is that?! The two of us spent the first half of our lives with Julie Marks, former GSCI Equestrian Director, as she raised us from weanlings and was a huge part in all of our training. We used to do trail rides and pull a beautiful wagon for our guests.

So that means we are trained to both ride and drive which makes us pretty special. If anyone has any draft tack that they would be willing to sell or donate please let the staff know as we would love to soon be ready to give Girl Scouts brand new experiences at camp.

We can’t wait to meet and show you what’s so special about gentle giants like us!

Love,
Isaac & Sam

Leader Appreciation Day - April 22, 2023

Girl Scout Leader Appreciation Day is celebrated annually on April 22. The day honors all Girl Scout volunteers working as leaders and mentors of these girls who at such ages need good guidance. Girl Scout leaders are adult volunteers in Girl Scouting and serve as guides and mentors. These selfless people help girls develop confidence, learn important skills, and introduce them to new experiences that set Girl Scouts on their way to achieving their potential. They make exceptional contributions to the development of the Girl Scout movement, serving as role models. Although their efforts are always appreciated, Girl Scout Leader Appreciation Day has been set aside to publicly acknowledge the important roles they play. Click here for ideas on how to thank your troop volunteers!

Girl Scout Leaders play a critical role in the development and growth of young girls by:

Guiding and mentoring: Girl Scout Leaders provide guidance, support, and mentorship to girls as they explore new interests, develop skills, and build relationships.
Planning and leading activities: Girl Scout Leaders plan and lead activities that encourage girls to try new things, challenge themselves, and have fun while building confidence and self-esteem.
Building community: Girl Scout Leaders foster a sense of community and belonging by creating a safe and inclusive space where girls can build relationships and support one another.
Encouraging personal growth: Girl Scout Leaders encourage girls to develop their own unique interests and skills, helping them discover their passions and pursue their goals.
Providing role models: Girl Scout Leaders serve as positive role models, demonstrating leadership, compassion, and a commitment to serving others.
Collaborating with parents and other volunteers: Girl Scout Leaders work closely with parents and other volunteers to ensure that girls have a supportive and enriching experience in the program.

Girl Scout Day at the Capitol - May 5, 2023

Girl Scout Day at the Capitol is an opportunity for Girl Scouts to learn more about governing, meet their legislator/senator, amplify their voices, and take a step forward in being a leader.. Additionally, Girl Scouts will develop a basic understanding of advocacy, gain confidence in their advocacy skills, and see how they can make the world a better place.

You don't want to miss this incredible event and the famous march to the capitol!

Get all the details for GSD@C. Participate in the Girl Scout Day at the Capitol Banner Contest.

STEM-tasic Badges and Activities to Inspire Girls of All Ages

In today’s world, STEM is all around us and girls, no matter their age, can take part. Whether she's interested in coding, helping the environment, fashion design, becoming a vet, or even baking, take your Girl Scout on a journey of discovery with the newest Girl Scout STEM Career Exploration badges!

With the STEM Career Exploration badges, Girl Scouts in every zip code can use STEM to make the world a better place. Girl Scouts of all ages explore a wide range of jobs in STEM, connect new or existing hobbies with STEM, and learn from mentors, experts, and community leaders. They have the chance to imagine a future where they're making new discoveries and are part of science-based solutions to real life problems. With engaging badge activities, your Girl Scout will explore STEM fields, have fun, and foster her interests. Learn more about these new badges. Explore all badges.

Calling for Submissions for Troop Spotlight

Girl Scouts around our council are always active – camping, traveling, doing serviceprojects, and making the world a better place. Girl Scouts of tCentral Illinois invitesall Girl Scouts in our council to share photos of their adventures, achievements,projects, and more.

Share your story by completing a short form and uploading your pictures. Be sureto complete all the questions with details so we can highlight your troop and theiradventures. We'd love to feature it on our GSCI social media platforms and our website

Troop Leader Planner Printable Pages

Take the stress out of organizing your Girl Scout troop with the first edition of the GSCI Troop Leader Planner. This planner contains pages for meeting planning, member contact, cookie planning, badge activity planning, finance tracking and so much more!! Just print these pages as needed – or print all of the pages and bind them in a way that best suits your own organization.

Need an even easier button? You can also find this ultimate must-have planner printed and bound at your local Girl Scout Trefoil Boutique.

Please Note: This document is 92 pages. However, it contains lots of duplicated pages as your resource. Please view prior to printing and choose to print the entire document or just the pages that are helpful to you.