Girls Go Centric at Convention

By Jennifer Gioia
Senior Writer/Editor in Program Development
Mission to Market Group

	Meeting in session!

"My favorite part about the National Convention was meeting new people from all over the world, telling all the girls about the Girl HQ booth, meeting guest speakers, and seeing all the animals from Sea World. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I will never forget!"
—Emilee (age 13), Atlanta

The presence of 900 girls at the 2005 Girl Scout National Council Session 50th Convention marked a new chapter for the Girl Scout Movement. Recommitting itself to girl-centricity, Girl Scouts of the USA infused girl leadership into all aspects of the meeting. The overwhelmingly positive presence of girls—whether attending forums on issues that matter to them, celebrating what it means to be a girl today at the Pink Party, or hanging out at Girl Headquarters (Girl HQ)—became a favorite highlight of visitors and delegates. In addition, twenty-five outstanding Girl Scouts were honored as Young Women of Distinction.

	Debating a proposal at the Girl Congress.
	Chairing a proposal session.

Our Voices, Our Issues, Our Futures

The 2005 National Girl Congress—"Our Voices, Our Issues, Our Futures"—took place concurrently with the National Convention on October 6–7, in Atlanta, and was sponsored by Girl Scouts Hornets' Nest Council and The North Carolina Association of Girl Scout Councils in partnership with GSUSA. The Congress acquainted girls with the democratic process, promoted leadership and team-building skills, and provided a forum to discuss girl-driven topics.

Attendees also participated in workshops on stress management and relaxation, communicating with adults, safety in public and on the Web, and keeping a positive state of mind. Girls submitted issues beforehand through the STUDIO 2B website. The focus of the two-day Congress centered on the top three girl-submitted topics: self-esteem and the relationship between physical and mental health; branding and marketing Girl Scouts; and connecting new girls to Girl Scouts.

Following the Congress, several girls presented "what girls said" to the delegation of the National Council Session. Chelsea, one of the girls who help plan the National Girl Congress introduced three of her peers who presented their report. Here are highlights from their remarks:

Amanda, from Girl Scouts, Tarheel Triad Council: "We know Girl Scouting is dealing with change. Well, change is something we know about. It seems that some part of our lives change every day! And we want adults not only to hear about those changes but respond to them. . .Many girls said that if it weren't for Girl Scouting, they wouldn't be able to speak up. We know you're listening. But sometimes girls don't see their ideas in the results."

Akeylah, from Girl Scouts, Colonial Coast Council: "We know there's a connection between our physical health and our mental state. What we need are more outlets for discussion. That can help us build more positive points of view. And isn't Girl Scouts the perfect place to do it?"

Lisa, from Girl Scouts, Hornets' Nest Council: "The only way to stop people from thinking about cookies when they think about Girl Scouting is to give them something else to focus on . . .like Girl Scouts who are doers and leaders in their communities."

Girl HQ: The Hot Spot in the Exhibit Hall

Sponsored by MetLife Foundation, Girl HQ was an area surrounded by a large hot-pink curtain welcoming girls 18 and under—no adults allowed! A booth staff of nearly 70 girls from the Girl Scout Council of Northwest Georgia made sure everyone got VIG (Very Important Girl) treatment!

The exhibit was a first of its kind for GSUSA: a space where girls could relax, knit a scarf, make new friends, listen to music, read magazines; check e-mail, and browse the Web to view the new Interest Projects. Girls could participate in one of 34 scheduled FUNshops (workshops), meet a wild animal, make a unique DIY souvenir, hone their financial skills, or get valuable tips and $100 grants (courtesy of Angel Soft) for Girl Scout Gold Award projects.

Jessica, 17, from Minnesota, who served as Girl HQ staff, said, "As soon as you entered Girl HQ you became a sister to everyone inside. It didn't matter if you were in first grade or a senior in high school, there was fun for everyone."

"This booth was just for girls!" explains Emilee, age 13, another Girl HQ staff member from Atlanta. "The activities were cool, and just the fact that you were able to relax and choose to do what you liked to do was awesome!"

The Pink Party: Redefining What it Means to Be a Girl

At the Pink Party, hosted by GSUSA and Dove for girls ages 14-17, party-goers donned pink outfits and got temporarily tattooed, hung out with a real flamingo, received personalized photo souvenirs, learned new dance steps, and feasted on strawberries dipped in pink-colored chocolate.

	Grand entrance.
	Donning boas for the Pink Party.
	Kicking things off at the Teen Jam.

The party's theme, "Redefining What It Means to be a Girl," resonated with the partygoers. Corilia, from New Mexico, said, "Girls took the stage in karaoke, danced the floor like no tomorrow, and took photographs like celebs. The color pink is maybe stereotyped as a girlie girl's color, but at our party we put our edge to what the color represents: courage, femininity and adventure."

Honoring Girl Leadership

Twenty-five extraordinary young women, the 2005 Girl Scout Gold Award Young Women of Distinction were honored as truly exemplifying the Girl Scout Mission: Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. Chosen for their exceptional community service projects, which first earned them the Gold Award locally the highest award in Girl Scouting, these amazing girls represent the top Gold Award recipients in the country. Their stories, and those of the other recipients, unfolded throughout convention. At the start of each part of the National Council Session, five to six Young Women of Distinction shared the inspiration, drive, and personal anecdotes of their Girl Scout Gold Award Projects. Each was honored in a celebration hosted by Cynthia Thompson and Kathy Cloninger. Lipica, 18, of New Jersey said, "Meeting all the VIPs was so exciting. I mean, these are the people I read about in the Girl Scout letters, the women who run this powerful organization, and THEY were congratulating ME!"

Wearing green sashes lettered "Young Women of Distinction," the ladies engaged visitors in the exhibit hall, taking the opportunity to promote community action, and spent time at the Girl HQ coaching their peers and younger Girl Scouts on earning the Girl Scout Gold Award. These 25 young women join a network of tens of thousands of powerful and accomplished women who have earned this highest honor in Girl Scouting. Some colleges and universities offer scholarships to girls who have earned their Girl Scout Gold Award.

Adapted from LEADER, Spring 2006. © Girl Scouts of the United States of America.