summer-fall 2014

The Connection

Quarterly Newsletter of Girl Scouts of Eastern SC (800) 868-9911

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Once a Girl Scout Always a Girl Scout:

Troop 191

The girls of Summerville Troop 191 started out as little Girl Scout Brownies (they say) many moons

ago. Girl Scouts bonded them in sisterhood all those years ago, and they have kept in touch and

still meet on occasion.

Some remained local; others moved away and came back from as far away as California for

Troop 191’s recent meeting. (Continued page 3)

on page 3

IN THIS ISSUE

The “Medicare

Troop”

Blue Choice

Medicaid

Summer Camp

Advocacy and

State of The Girl

Leadership In

Action

September 25, 2014

Volume 1, Issue 2-1

Summer/Fall 2014

Girl Scouts of Eastern SC Building Girls of Courage, Confidence and Character who make the world a better place.

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Girl Scouts of Eastern SC New Partnership

Inve$ting in Girls

Donna Williams of SC BlueChoice Medicaid (pictured on left) with CEO Loretta

Graham (pictured on right) looking to reach all the girls yet to be reached.

“This BlueChoice

partnership will

help us reach our

dream of making

the Girl Scout

experience

available to every

girl in SC who

wants to be a Girl

Scout. We are

elated that we are

able to reach so

many more girls

with this combined

effort.”

~Loretta Graham,

CEO of GSESC

No one wants to think of a little girl who longs to become a Girl

Scout only to be told that the money isn’t there. It’s just as painful to

think of the mom or dad who wishes their girl could become a Girl Scout

but knows they just don’t have the money to cover the expense. Who

would want to look into that little girl’s hopeful, dream-filled eyes when

she wants to join Girl Scouts and jumps up and down excitedly

begging, “Mommy, Mommy, please!???” and have to be the mom

who tells her little girl, “I’m sorry, honey…. We just can’t.” You can just

Hear the sobs of the little girl in tears as her little heart breaks.

Now in a partnership with BlueChoice SC Medicaid every girl in

SC between the ages of K5 and 5th grade who is on BC Medicaid in SC

can have her membership fee (and some of her uniform and start-up

items) covered.

In an investment in girls, their physical and emotional wellness

and the chance to build their future health, wealth and happiness

GSESC and BlueChoice Medicaid are turning those tears into giggles

and their disappointments into sweet, happy dreams. Now, THAT is a

dream-come-true.

The Connection……. Quarterly Newsletter of Girl Scouts of Eastern SC…….www.girlscoutsesc.org …….. 800-868-9911

The Connection www.girlscoutsesc.org

3 Oh, Sweet Summer Days at Camp

Troop 191

376 people attended Sandy Ridge in summer 2014 (includes regular resident camp, weekend camps, and Troop Adventure Camps) This is compared to 259 people in summer 2013 For a 45% increase! 399 people registered for a camp experience at Sandy Ridge in summer 2014 (includes regular resident camp, weekend camps, and Troop Adventure Camps) this is compared to 265 people in summer 2013. This is a 55.5% increase! 83 girls who attended Sandy Ridge in 2013 returned in 2014. 52 girls who attended Sandy Ridge in 2012 returned in 2013. This is a 59.6% increase!

Camp Director Chuck Iler has exciting programs planned

all through the “off season”.

Continued from page 1

The girls of Troop 191 jokingly refer to themselves as “the Medicare Troop” as they are all over the age of 65. Loretta

Graham spent an afternoon with them in Ridgeville for their latest troop meeting. Many of them still have their

sashes and badges and books.

Loretta presented the ladies with a Certificate of Appreciation honoring them for their commitment to the mission of

Girl Scouts.

After an afternoon of hilarity and sharing of memories and old times and laughter with these girls, it was clear that 65

is the new 25. This is such an incredible, unique collection of women, girls with one common bond: Girl Scouts. That

bond has been down memory lane and survived tough roads and detours along diverging paths their lives took as

they grew into women of courage, confidence and character. The one common path leads them back to that amazing

place of love, acceptance and everything that is good and possible…It’s that undeniable, undying bond: They call it

Girl Scouts. They call themselves Troop 191. Others may call them the most fantastic group of women to have ever

assembled and stayed together … and the most phenomenal Girl Scout troop that has ever been, lived and loved.

Can’t wait for the next meeting.


4 TYPE TITLE HERE Advocacy and the State of the Girl

Above: Senator Tim Scott with Brownies from GSESC at

his veteran’s tribute in Columbia.

Below: Loretta with Representative Sanford talking over

the Child Protection Improvements Act and asking for his

support.

Be A Friend First

Below Jen Sandie and Loretta Graham on Carolina

Perspective with Sheree Bernardi talking on 5 of the Cumulus

Charleston radio stations about the BFF anti-bully program.

Jen has successfully placed the BFF program in more than

13 middle schools (and counting) in the council’s areas

In a few words, a headline should accurately represent the

contents of the story and draw readers into the story.

Develop the headline before you write the story. This way,

the headline will help you keep the story focused.

The summer brought us “Advocacy Days “. This was a

chance for council staff and board members to make

appointments with representatives of Congress while they

were on a summer recess break Loretta spent some quality

visiting time with James Clyburne (pictured below), Tim Scott,

and Mark Sanford.



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Below, LIA participants listen intently to

career advice and wisdom passed on

during the professional speaker’s

presentation at GSESC in North

Charleston.

Leadership in Action …In ACTION!

Above: Ashley Ridge High School student and aspiring veterinarian Reagan Hill

speaks with Dr. Jan Crowe, veterinarian/business owner about careers in veterinary

medicine. Reagan was one of the attendees in the Leadership In Action program

and Dr. Crowe one of the presenters. Dr. Crowe is a lifelong Girl Scout and 2014 Mary

Dean Brewer Woman of Distinction awardee. She is known for her mentoring of future

veterinarians and internship programs for vet students.

Above: Nicole Nick of GSESC

receives a mini-grant in the

amount of $650 from

representatives of The North

Charleston Community

Leadership Institute on

September 20th 2014 for

Leadership In Action.

Nicole Nick, Coordinator of The College Campus Life initiative

started the program for college bound girls grade 10-12 with a small

group of ten girls. By the second meeting the attendance had

doubled to twenty girls. By the third meeting which was a career

advisement day featuring successful women speakers who are tops

in their fields. Among the speakers, the careers that were

represented were: Science based careers and working with the

environment, legal careers, HR/Admin careers, social work, security,

law enforcement and criminal justice and dentistry, The girls also

enjoyed presentations on fashion: what to wear/what not to wear.

This covered what is appropriate dress in the workplace and what is

not appropriate. The girls were also given tips on how to dress for an

interview.

In breakout sessions, the girls were given a chance to practice

interview skills in mock interviews. They had time to speak to the

presenter’s one on one for more in-depth experience and to

arrange for shadow or volunteer/internship opportunities.


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Death by Chocolate: Sweet Success

About Our Organization

We are headquartered in North Charleston and will be returning in the very near future to our

building on Cross County Rd. in Charleston.

We have Service Centers in Florence, Myrtle Beach and Beaufort. Our council is comprised of

21 counties and we serve over 8,000 girls and over 2,000 adult members and volunteers.

Invest in girls for today and tomorrow: Girl Scouts build girls of courage, confidence and

character who make the world a better place. Thank you for your support.

What an enchanting evening was had at the 6th

annual Death by Chocolate: A Chocolate and

Champagne Affair. GSESC was sponsored by Hilton Head Audi and New River Auto Mall.

They pulled out all the stops to be a great sponsor. It was August 16th

at the Westin Hilton

Head Island Resort and Spa this year.

The evening featured chefs and vendors from the Beaufort County area, each creating a

chocolate entrée, drink or dessert. It was the most successful to date and more tickets were

sold this year than last.

Girl Scouts of Eastern SC

7951 Dorchester Rd

North Charleston, SC 29418

Phone

(800) 868-9911

E-mail

[email protected]

Building girls of Courage,

Confidence and Character.

NON PROFIT

ORGANIZATION

US POSTAGE PAID

Permit #54

Charleston, SC 29418

We’re on the Web!

See us at:

www.girlscoutsesc.org

summer-fall 2014

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