1) Our first annual statewide Gold Award ceremony
Taking a cue from our Girl Scouts in Washington and recognized the Girl Scouts in Oregon and Southwest Washington who achieved their Gold Awards with a ceremony in Salem, featuring former governor Barbara Roberts as the keynote speaker. Put on by a team of volunteers, the event was held in the State Capitol building and honored our 47 Gold Award recipients for 2011.
2) The 100th Anniversary Convention in Houston, Texas
Talk about inspiring! Girls, employees and volunteers from across the country came together to talk about how we can make 2012 our best year yet! We also came away with information about how to make our own annual meetings better.
3) The building remodel at the Portland Service Center
If you haven’t seen the Portland Service Center in a few months, you are in for a surprise! We’ve remodeled the entire building to be more volunteer- and girl-friendly. We’ve repainted the walls the bright colors that represent the different levels of Girl Scouting, moved the staff into remodeled space on the third floor and opened up the entire second floor for event and troop space. We’re looking forward to hosting many activities in the coming years.
4) Visiting the girls at Resident Camp and Day Camp
This summer I had the pleasure of going out to several of our camps and getting to hear from our Girl Scouts directly! What a treat to enjoy our beautiful states with them and hear their perspective.
5) Our Council-wide Property Assessment
During the course of this very thorough assessment, I learned an incredible amount about what we own, how it is used and what the girls and volunteers want for the future of these properties. We continue to develop our Long-Range Property Plan and the opportunities for input and participation can be seen on our web site here.
Volunteers, Girl Scouts, and community, I hope that you have a wonderful new year. We’re excited for what 2012 holds, and ready to make it our best year ever.
- Karen Hill
Chief Executive Officer
Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington
