Thank You to Our Girl Scout Families & Supporters!
As Thanksgiving approaches, we are filled with gratitude!
We admire Girl Scouts' founder Juliette Gordon Low, whose vision has changed history. We are in awe of our amazing volunteers, whose mentorship changes girls' lives. We are thankful for girls' families for cheering them on every step of the way. We appreciate our friends and supporters, whose generosity helps keep Girl Scouting going strong. And of course, we are inspired by the Girl Scouts we serve, whose courage, confidence, and character make the world a better place.
As we look back on all of the memories we have made during the past year, here are some highlights that warm our hearts:
During our Council-Wide Community Service project, 700 Girl Scouts created "Birthday Bag" kits with cake, decorations, and other treats to help families in need throw a birthday party. Girl Scouts love giving back to their communities.
This summer, Girl Scouts were able to grow and explore the great outdoors at new Camp Torqua resident camp sessions.
We raised more than $153,000 at our United We Lead Gala to support Girl Scouting.
Longtime supporters Rick and Diane Siemer from Teutopolis were recognized with the Distinguished Community Leader Award for their continued commitment to Girl Scouts.
Gold Award Girl Scout Lindsey Lankford from Glen Carbon was awarded a $10,000 scholarship from Girl Scouts of the USA.
The Class of 2023 included 74 girls who graduated as Girl Scouts.
Thanks to funding from Illinois American Water, we hosted a six-week STEAM program through our Outreach Program. Girl Scouts in East St. Louis, Cahokia, and Belleville learned more about water management, watersheds, hydroelectric power and more.
Thirteen Gold Award Girl Scouts from Southern Illinois were honored for earning the Movement's highest award. All 13 girls had also earned the Girl Scout Silver Award and Girl Scout Bronze Award.
In addition, 83 Girl Scout Cadettes were recognized for earning the Girl Scout Silver Award.
The President's Award was presented to 7 of our volunteer Service Unit Teams for surpassing their team goals: SU 30 - Jefferson County; SU 85 - Wayne/Hamilton/White; SU 207 - Belleville/Swansea; SU 211 - Waterloo; SU 521 - Western Coles/Cumberland County; SU 522 - Eastern Coles County; SU 531 - Edgar Clark County.
Adriyanna Gutierezz from Lenzberg was awarded Girl Scouts' Medal of Honor for her lifesaving actions during a house fire.
With funding from The Bayer Fund, Girl Scout teams are able to compete in three age-levels of robotics leagues hosted by FIRST. These leagues help girls explore their interest in STEM thorugh collaborative competition. In 2023, GSofSI team Gear Girls were a Champions Finalist at the FLL Challenge State Tournament, while Minecraft Bees won the Team Spirit Award. In addition, P3 won three awards during regional competition in the FIRST Tech Challenge league.
These are just a few of the year's remarkable memories! Countless Girl Scouts from across our council also hiked and camped in the great outdoors, traveled near and far, gave back to their communities, and just plain had fun! From a teen Girl Scout traveling overseas on a life-changing Destination trip, to the youngest Daisy proudly earning her first petal, to adult volunteers celebrating their first decade of friendship - each moment is possible because of continued commitment and support. To everyone who has helped make Southern Illinois such a great place for Girl Scouting, we say THANK YOU!
