Dispatches from the GSOSW Annual Meeting

Girl Scouts OSW CEO Karen Hill provided the following recap from our Annual Meeting, held April 21, 2012 at Portland State University.

A highlight of our 2012 Annual Meeting was our Conversation of Consequence, featuring women leaders from the Oregon and SW Washington communities. Lisa Sedlar. President and Chief Executive Officer of New Seasons Market; Jeanne Enders, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs in the School of Business at Portland State University; Leann Johnson,  Diversity Development Manager for the Oregon Health Authority and Cari Bacon Flick, Second Vice President, Talent Management at The Standard answered questions in a panel discussion about the roles and challenges of women in leadership positions.

Girl Scouts OSW would also like to congratulate the following Adult Award recipients. Thank you for your dedication to Girl Scouting!

Thanks Badge II

                Mark Allen 

Thanks Badge

                Jinny Haines

                Renee Martin

Honor Pin

                Patricia Joslin

                Sharon McCarthy

                Michelle Payne

Appreciation Pin

                April Browder

                Yvonne Byrne

                Jeanie Campbell

                Jennifer Day

                Karen Duggan

                Vicky Genge

                Cheryl Glenn

                Eve Hendrick

                Lori Jensen

                Amy Jo Krommes

                Betsy Neuman

                Andrea Orrell

                Lori Pugh

                Kathi Stotts

                Tracy Wilson-Scott

Outstanding Community Partner

                Bend Elks Lodge No. 1371

Volunteer of Excellence

                Jenny Allen

                Elaine Autry

                Kristina Bradley

                Jean Carter

                Sue Christensen

                Susan Coxon

                Kathy Horres

                Leslie Houston

                Alma Jean King

                Karri Mealy

                Stephanie Prentiss

                Jill Rankin

                Niki Swearingin

                Christine Vanderhoof

                Karen Zeller

Years of Service

                60 Years               Pattie Luse

                50 Years               Margaret Thomas

                30 Years               Alma Jean King, Laurie Lloyd

                25 Years               Valerie Kemper

                20 Years               Jenny Allen, Colleen McComb, Jackie Sanderson, Jill Sibbald

Years of Membership

                80 Years               Winnie Maynard

                50 Years               Debra Hansen, Stephanie Smetana, Margaret Thomas, Marie Vallareal-Thomas

                45 Years               Laurie Lloyd

                40 Years               Misty Cassidy, Betty Hart, Mike Hart, Alma Jean King

                25 Years               Yvonne Byrne, Kimberly Cox, Valerie Kemper, Bonnie Maddux

                20 Years               Adriane Graepel, Jill Rankin

Progressive Volunteer Award

Hendy Appleton – Development Pin

Linda Brown – Development Pin, White Key, Black Key, Gold Key, Silver Key and Copper Key

Evelyn Brush – Development Pin

Lisa Cadungug – Development Pin

Mary Carey – Development Pin

Amanda Cottam – Development Pin

Jennifer Fillis – Development Pin

Bethany Fussell – Development Pin

Chrystal Goff – Development Pin

Jill Groves – Development Pin

Debby Haring – Development Pin

Becky Hatch – Development Pin

Vicki Helmig – Development Pin

Shirley Holden – Development Pin

Tammy Kay – Development Pin

Helen Kelley – Development Pin

Alma Jean King – Development Pin, White Key, Gold Key, Silver Key

Sarah Lennox – Development Pin

Elizabeth Love – Development Pin

Rachel Merritt – Development Pin

Marlene Meyer – Development Pin

Tabatha McCord – Development Pin, White Key

Hillery Paris – White Key

Donna Plekan – Development Pin, White Key

Jill Rankin – Development Pin, White Key, Gold Key

Mary Sabatka – Development Pin

Bobbie Schrag – Development Pin

Colette Smith – Development Pin

Jamie Smith – Development Pin

Eileen Steva – Development Pin

Leah Sundquist – Development Pin

Kathleen Vasconcellos – Development Pin

Susan Wilkinson – Development Pin

Special Thanks

Kristine Emberline

Carolyn Eubanks

Kathy Farmer

Betty Freeman

Karen Gozart

Debbie Hollingsworth

Gold Award Recipient Nellie Johnson makes a difference working for those diagnosed with breast cancer

Thanks to Girl Scout Gold Award recipient Nellie Johnson for this blog post about her Gold Award project. 

For my Gold Award project I chose to make pillows for recovering breast cancer patients. These pillows are for after they get out of surgery, and have to drive and protect their chest from the seat belt, or for when they cough.   

This project was an easy decision for me because several woman I know have had breast cancer. One in particular had really touched my heart, as she was a mother in my Girl Scout troop. I witnessed in full the toll it took on her. She is one of the strongest woman I know, and the cancer had made her incredibly weak. It made me realize how hard it has to be for every woman who has ever been affected by breast cancer. 

When deciding on my project, I wanted to make sure I chose something that would impact numerous amounts of people that have been affected by cancer. The pillows that I had made the patients made a huge difference to them. 

With my project, I had so many amazing opportunities. I was able to have a booth at the Susan G. Komen Health Fair, which is where I met ladies that have been thought chemo at least 3 times, and woman that are just experiencing the long and uncomfortable process. Being at the fair, I don't think I met one person who didn't have faith and hope for a speedy and healthy recovery. All of them told me this was a key factor in going through cancer. These woman were and are so incredibly strong. It made me realize that the project I had chosen was a well-deserved one, and was impacting the community. 

I got an amazing opportunity while working on the project to work with a organization called Breast Friends. It's a group in the community that have all been affected by breast cancer and know what it feels like and how hard it is to go through. They set up events and fundraisers to get their name out there. They also set up little gift bags for newly diagnosed breast cancer patients up at Providence  and St.Vincent's. I donated over 400 pillows alone to breast friends to put in the bags.

It's organizations like Breast Friends that made my project completely worth it. I was able to not only learn more about cancer, but I was also able to donate pillows to them for the patients.

Cleanup Day at Camp Arrowhead

The semi-annual Cleanup Day at Camp Arrowhead was March 26, and more than fifty volunteers (adults AND girls) showed up to take care of the camp and get it ready for summer fun

Volunteers helped to set up tents, move mattresses into units, sweep cabins, and clear trails of debris from bad weather. The camp rangers led the cleanup efforts.

Thank you so all who came to help with the Camp Arrowhead cleanup! Your help is integral to preparing for camp season.

The next camp cleanup will be in the fall, after the season ends.

Linn County Girl Scouts Celebrate Centennial with Tree-Planting

Special thanks to Linda Brown of Albany, OR for sending in this blog post and the accompanying photos.

Turning 100 is always something to celebrate and that is just what the Girl Scouts in Linn County, Service Unit 26, did the week of March 18.. 

Girl Scouts in Lebanon gathered in River Park and planted a Coast Redwood that had been donated by Sherm Sallee of Linn County Small Woodlands. The event was hosted by Meegan Forster and Jill Rankin was the guest speaker. The girls sang songs and enjoyed Girl Scout cookies. 

At the same time Albany Girl Scouts gathered in Lexington Park to plant a tree that had been donated by Craig Carnagey of Albany Parks and Recreation. Again the girls sang songs and eat cookies, this time hosted by Linda Brown. It was a cold and windy day, but the girls were enthusiastic about planting  trees that can be shared with others for years to come.

Congratulations to the 2012 Shaver Scholarship winner, Cassie Hansen

Girl Scouts OSW is pleased to announce the winner of our 2012 Luella and George Shaver Scholarship winner: Cassie Hansen of Girl Scout Troop 250. Cassie is part of Service Unit 9 in Lake Oswego. She has been a Girl Scout for 13 years and currently attends Lake Oswego High School. 

In her application, Cassie wrote:

“Girl Scouts has made me the strong woman that I am today. I know that I’m going to do great things despite my odds and circumstances that I am a good person. I know that I am a beautiful person inside and out because I was taught that by all the wonderful women who are Girl Scouts, and my mentors. At the end of this year I will be getting my lifetime membership, and I hope that someday I’ll get to make an impact on girls’ lives through Girl Scouts.”

Only Gold Award recipients are eligible for the scholarship. For her Gold Award project, completed September 2011, Cassie planted a sensory garden at Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp.

"Many campers have ASD or Autism Spectrum Disorder," Cassie wrote. "This makes eating in the large, crowded and loud dining room a challenge. The sensory garden provided a quiet place just outisde the dining hall for campers with ASD to calm down. It also provided a quiet place to relax in the middle of the busy camp."

Congratulations, Cassie! Girl Scouts OSW wishes you best of luck in the future.

The Luella and George Shaver Family Scholarship is given to an outstanding Girl Scout who best demonstrates the same qualities that Luella Shaver, a longtime, dedicated volunteer showed in her life as a Girl Scout. The scholarship began in 1982 and is awarded each year to an exceptional graduating Girl Scout Ambassador who earned her Girl Scout Gold Award. It is awarded for educational pursuits, such as college, vocational training and/or apprenticeship programs at an accredited school. The scholarship recipient is determined by a special committee and panel of judges, including Luella’s daughters Mary and Zizi Shaver.

About Luella Shaver
Luella Shaver started with one Girl Scout troop but soon was leading three troops! Her deep dedication to Girl Scouting was apparent in the remembrance shared by her daughter, Mary, that quitting piano lessons could be tolerated but quitting Girl Scouts – never! Luella also served in several leadership roles and was well known and loved as she exemplified true Girl Scout values and vision. The family has established an endowment to ensure that the Luella and George Shaver Family Scholarship Fund will be available forever.

Vancouver Girl Scouts Travel to Olympia for State Proclamation

Thanks so much to Debi Woods, a troop leader from Vancouver, WA's Girl Scout Troop 43024, for this blog post.

Olympia, Washington. What a day. It was snowing in Vancouver when we left, but we didn’t cancel. One Brownie was up at 3 a.m. according to her mother - she was so excited to be part of making history. We were going to the capitol to watch the state legislature adopt a proclamation to declare 2012 the Year of the Girl. We had five girls - four Girl Scout Brownies and 1 Junior, and three leaders from two troops.

It was amazing. It was so inspiring to hear the legislators talk about when they were Girl Scouts and what it did for them in their life. I cried - it was so touching and inspiring the way we have been touching girl’s lives. Then they voted and not one person was against adopting the Proclamation of 2012 being the Year of the Girl.

We were invited, and escorted down the secret marble staircase that took us to the legislative floor below. There we got our picture taken by the official photographer which will be attached to the proclamation. We were then invited to the caucus room to meet many of the legislators. Each girl was asked to introduce herself , and say where she was from.


It was an honor and privilege to represent the Girl Scouts at this historic event. However, what I was most amazed at were two things: first, the way the girls at such an early age were so comfortable talking to law makers. The second almost makes me cry just thinking about it. As we toured the building, there were an amazing number of women that came up to us and said that they were Girl Scouts as a girl, I would always respond with, “Once a Girl Scout, Always a Girl Scout” and we would share a friendship smile.

What I realized was that in a place like this, with legislators and law makers at the state capitol, there was such a high concentration of women who had been touched by Girl Scouts. That what we do as Girl Scouts, as Girl Scout Leaders, and Girl Scout Alumnae - we are giving girls what they need to be successful women, we are teaching them leadership, and encouraging girls become women of courage, confidence and character.

Girl Scout Taylor Lenzen Testifies at Portland City Council

Girl Scout Ambassador Taylor Lenzen was on hand this morning at the Portland City Council meeting to testify that the Council should declare March 12, 2012 Girl Scout Day in honor of our 100th Anniversary. Watch Taylor's speech in this video and see the text version below.



Every year I help my mom plan West of the Willamette Girl Scout Day Camp.  In 2000, a family friend started this camp and about 20 people attended. Twelve years later, we now serve around 400 campers and adults from the Portland area. My mom took over the position of Director in 2008 and I knew that I wanted to help in some way. I had grown up at this camp and I felt that the best way to give back to the camp that helped mold who I am today was to step-up and get involved in the planning.

My position started out small, attending core staff meetings and occasionally giving input, but with confidence, would increase in the following years. I started entering the registrations in the database and would place the campers into their units that they would be in for the camp week.

This year, I have the official title of “Program Aide coordinator,” where I will be mentoring the 8th grade to 12th grade leaders throughout the week of camp.

I cannot say how much this camp and Girl Scouts has changed the person who I am. I used to be the shy girl who would never leave her mother’s side and now I am a senior at St. Mary’s Academy, getting ready to take on her next stage in life. Currently, I hold a high position on my school’s newspaper staff and am the editor of the school yearbook. All of these are feats that I never envisioned I would achieve and I do not believe that I would be here without the support of my camp and Girl Scouts.