Girl Scouts of the USA - Advocacy News

Kathy Cloninger and DHS Secretary Napolitano Celebrate National Preparedness Month

Sept. 2009 - Kathy Cloninger and girls from the Girl Scouts Council of the Nation's Capital (GSCNC) recently had the unique opportunity to meet with the first female Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, at an event formalizing the new partnership between Girl Scouts of the USA and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Citizen Corps. Secretary Napolitano, who is a proud Girl Scout alumnae and lifetime member, credited Girl Scouts as providing her first lessons on preparedness and leadership.

Girl Scouts, Citizen Corps members, and the Secretary came together at the beginning of National Preparedness Month and on the eve of the anniversary of September 11th to celebrate this new partnership and announce a new Preparedness Patch created by GSCNC and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This new partnership will focus on motivating young women to become community leaders in emergency management and response fields and raises public awareness about personal preparedness, training and community service opportunities. The event was held at a local Maryland school and was followed by Citizen Corps preparedness fair. Learn more about the Preparedness Patch.

National Board Chair Connie Lindsey at US Senate Roundtable

Sept. 2009 - The Senate Democratic Outreach and Steering Committee invited Girl Scouts and other nonprofit leaders to a Roundtable on Social Innovation and National Service on Capitol Hill. Connie promoted the work of the Girl Scouts including a historic focus on community service. The assembled group also discussed challenges faced by nonprofits. Following the Roundtable, Connie met with a few Representatives to discuss opportunities for collaboration, including Congressman Dan Lipinski (IL-3), Congressman Bobby Rush (IL-1), Congressman Earl Pomeroy (ND – At Large) and noted Civil Rights leader and organizer, Congressman John Lewis (D-GA).

Left to right: Lynn Cothryn, GSUSA Office of the Chair and CEO, Sharon Pearce and Laurie Westley, GSUSA Washington Office, Congressman Lewis, Board Chair Connie Lindsey.

Girl Scouts Convenes Youth Serving Organizations to Discuss Emotional and Social Wellbeing

Sept. 2009 - The GSUSA Washington Office convened a varied group of youth serving organizations for an Emotional and Social Wellbeing Roundtable to discuss reframing health, safety, and education policies to include emotional and social wellness. Kimberly Salmond and Andrea Bastiani Archibald from the Girl Scouts Research Institute started off the conversation with findings from the New Normal: What Girls Say About Health Living followed by a brief summary from Sharon Pearce, GSUSA's Director of Public Policy, on how those findings inform the work of developing national youth policy.

Representatives at the table included some of the key organizations engaged in gender and youth advocacy, research and service including among others, the National Association of School Psychologists, National Association of School Nurses, the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, the National School Boards Association, the National Organization for Women, YMCA of the USA, and Girls Incorporated.

Girl Scouts Invited to First-Ever Congressional Women's Softball Game

July 2009 - Troop 2551 from Virginia had a wonderful opportunity to perform the flag ceremony at the first ever Congressional Women's Softball game in Washington D.C. The girls were also thrilled to meet the first female Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, who made an appearance to lend her support to her colleagues.

A bipartisan group of women Members of Congress was cheered by onlookers as they played against a bipartisan group of political committee staff in a rousing game that was both competitive and fun. Proceeds from the benefit event went to the Young Survival Coalition, an organization dedicated to critical issues unique to young women and breast cancer.

Three of the event co-sponsors, Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Jo Ann Emerson, and Senator Susan Collins, serve or have served as co-chairs of the honorary Congressional Girl Scout troop, Troop Capitol Hill. The game's fourth co-sponsor, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, is working with Girl Scouts on the IMPACT Act (healthy living legislation introduced in Congress this year).

US Reps Titus and Dahlkemper Join Troop Capitol Hill

The GSUSA Washington Office had the pleasure of swearing in two new Members of Congress, Dina Titus (NV) and Kathy Dahlkemper (PA), into the Honorary Congressional Girl Scout Troop at pinning ceremonies in May. Each member recited the Promise and Law and received a pin that signifies her as a Troop member and girl-advocate on Capitol Hill.

Honorary Congress-ional GS Troop pin

Troop Capitol Hill is an honorary troop established by GSUSA's Public Policy and Advocacy Office in Washington, D.C. to join with a bipartisan delegation of women Members of Congress to further joint efforts to address issues affecting girls and young women.

Rep. Titus is looking forward to sponsoring the Girl Scouts of the USA Commemorative Coin Act, establishing a Girls Advisory Group and connecting with her local council during weekends at home. Rep. Dahlkemper declared that having been both a Girl Scout and a Girl Scout troop leader, she learned the importance of making the world a better place, and uses that mission in her political life.

Girls and Leadership: Washington Office Hold Members-Only Congressional Dialogue

	L-R: Reps Barbara Lee, Rosa DeLauro, and Betty McCollum, Gold Award recipients Elizabeth and Aria, Reps Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Lois Capps

Apr. 2009 - Members of GSUSA National Board, Girl Scout Research Institute staff, and Nation's Capital Council board chair, staff and two Gold Award recipients, joined the Washington Office on Capitol Hill Tuesday, April 28, 2009 for a members-only Congressional Dialogue on the GSUSA research report Change it Up! What Girls Say About Redefining Leadership.

Hosted by Rep. Rosa DeLauro, women members heard the latest findings on how girls view leadership from the Research Institute's Judy Schoenberg, then listened as Gold Award recipients Elizabeth and Aria gave brief comments about their leadership experience as Girl Scouts. Members of Congress shared their thoughts on girls and leadership and the event ended with suggestions of ways that Members could get the word out about the research findings and engage Girl Scouts in their districts.

Following the briefing, a GSUSA contingent headed over to the Capitol Hill Visitor's Center for a ceremony to unveil a bust of Sojourner Truth. Speakers at the event included First Lady Michelle Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Congresswoman Shelia Jackson Lee.

Past Highlights

Learn more about Girl Scouts of the USA's advocacy efforts in these stories:

• Girl Scouts Interview Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (September 12, 2008)
  
  
• Girl Scouts Perform Color Guard Ceremony at the White House 'Tee Ball of the South Lawn' Game (July 30, 2007)
  
  
• Girl Scouts Congressional Advocacy Day 2007 (June 13, 2007)
  
  
• Girl Scouts of the USA joins the U.S. Department of Education in First National Summit on the Advancement of Girls in Math and Science (May 15, 2006)
  
  
• Policy Luncheon Focuses on The New Normal: What Girls Say About Healthy Living (March 23, 2006)