GSCSNJ Blog Space

News Day Tuesday

2013-12-17T08:48:00.000-05:00

An Investment in the Future - Time Magazine

Some people spend their days thinking about how to get ahead in life. Then there are those, like Anna Maria Chávez, who focus on helping others move forward.

The CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA recalls as a little girl being awakened late at night by conversations her parents would have at the kitchen table with neighbors. “When people received a letter from the federal government or other agency, my parents would explain to them what it meant,” Chávez says. “Growing up, there was an emphasis on working toward solutions that could benefit as many people as possible.”

Wreaths Across America - Salem County - SJ Times

To better understand the sacrifice given by those who served in the military, a personal experience is needed.

On Saturday, people needed to hear the 21-gun salute and the sound of bugles, or see the volunteers dressed in military uniforms from various time periods at the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Finn’s Point National Cemetery.

It was freezing, with snow all around and a slight fog in the air, but a personal experience is exactly what people got.

Nearly 250 people turned out to the cemetery located near Fort Mott State Park and the shores of the Delaware River. >>>Full Story

Swedesboro-Woolwich Girl Scout troop to collect donations for U.S. troops
- SJ Times

Girl Scout Troop 61590 may only have three members, but they are working to make a big impact this holiday season.

For more than a month, Haley Ford, Nicole Bittmann and Syndney Coles — along with their parents — have been constructing, painting and decorating a massive float for this Saturday’s Christmas parade in Swedesboro.

It's a project they hope will draw attention and donations to a cause close to their hearts.

>>>Full Story

West Windsor Girl Scouts Honored - Trenton Times

News Day Tuesday

2013-09-17T13:35:00.000-04:00

From the Ewing Observer

From the New Town Press

From the North Brunswick Sentinel

Happy Tuesday!

News Day Tuesday

2013-09-03T13:42:00.002-04:00

From the Gloucester County Times

From Messenger Press

From The Cranberry Press

Happy Tuesday!

News Day Tuesday

2013-07-09T09:58:00.002-04:00

From Gloucester County Times

From Ocean City Sentinel

From Gloucester County Times

Happy Tuesday!

News Day Tuesday

2013-07-02T13:00:00.000-04:00

From the Princeton Packet

From Central Record

Happy Tuesday!

News Day Tuesday

2013-06-25T10:00:00.000-04:00

From West Windsor Plainboro News

From the Gloucester County Times

From Hopewell Valley News

Happy Tuesday!

News Day Tuesday

2013-06-18T17:33:00.001-04:00

From Bogota Bulletin

From Register News

From Suburban

Happy Tuesday!

News Day Tuesday

2013-06-11T10:28:00.001-04:00

From the North Brunswick Sentinel

From Retrospect

From the News of Cumberland

Happy Tuesday!

News Day Tuesday

2013-06-04T13:09:00.001-04:00

From the Burlington County Times

From Berkeley Times

From Burlington County Times

From Elmer Times

News Day Tuesday

2013-05-28T16:20:00.001-04:00

Originally from Hopewell Valley News

Originally from Elmer Times

Originally from The Sentinel

Originally from Windsor Heights Herald

Happy Tuesday!

News Day Tuesday

2013-05-21T09:53:00.000-04:00

From the Gloucester County Times

From the East Brunswick Sentinel

From the Windsor Heights Herald

Happy Tuesday!

News Day Tuesday

2013-05-14T14:38:00.001-04:00

From Town Topics

From Register News

From the Windsor Heights Herald

Happy Tuesday!

News Day Tuesday

2013-05-07T11:59:00.000-04:00

Girl Scouts celebrate 27th annual 'Camporee' in West Deptford

Originally from the South Jersey Times
By Phil Davis

Emily Hutkin as a pirate for the Camp-O-Ween
costume parade at Soupy Island on Saturday,
May 4, 2013. (Staff Photo by Jesse Bair/ South Jersey Times)

WEST DEPTFORD TWP. — The Hessian Woods Girls Scouts brought a taste of everyone’s favorite fall holiday in the middle of spring for their 27th annual “Girl Scout Camporee” at Soupy Island on Saturday.

The event brings hundreds of girl scouts, parents and grandparents to Soupy Island each year for a three-day fun-filled weekend with games, arts and crafts and a parade all on the weekend’s to-do list. This year, the event was nicknamed "Camp-O-Ween" in celebration of the numerous Halloween themed activities that will take place throughout the weekend.

Running from Friday to Sunday, the girls, aged 5 to 18 years old, participated in activities like creating slime at the science station to creating scarecrows and eventually culminating in the costume parade to keep in line with this year’s Halloween theme.

Dawn Christman has been helping organize the event since 1998. Her two daughters, aged 20 and 23 now, grew up in the Girl Scouts themselves and she continued to be involved in the organization even after the two grew up.

"What keeps me coming back is... All it takes is one girl to smile and say thank you,” said Christman.

Christman praised the event for its sense of community togetherness, with West Deptford Boy Scouts Troop 9 along with other adult volunteers aiding the event by cooking the meals for the girl scouts in attendance.

She said she still loves the event because it gives parents an opportunity to bond with their daughters and granddaughters they might not get otherwise.

“Usually, when you go camping with your daughters, you don’t get to relax,” said Christman.

She said she enjoys the event and being involved in the organization in general because she see parents teaching scouts things that she might not be able to teach them herself like horseback riding and various craft projects.

“It’s like a family,” said Christman. “It teaches you to be leaders.”

Girl Scouts pitch in at City Wide Cleanup

Originally from Shore News Today

Girl Scouts from Troop 11300 in Egg Harbor City took part in Egg Harbor's City Wide Cleanup on Saturday, May 4. Picture front row from left are Gianna Brown, Chelsea Daily, Gabriella Brown and Hope Morciglio. In the middle row are Breanna Belber, Jody Belber, Elaina Serzanin, Aryanna Aleguin, Payge Neals, Ciara White, Patricia Smith and Destiny Morciglio. In the back row are assistant leader Jennifer Best, leader/service unit manager Janine Brown, assistant leader Colleen Serzanin, parent Michele Breidenbach, assistant leader Nancy Neals, assistant leader Sharon Auger and assistant leader Crissy White. The picture was taken at the Egg Harbor City Lake the girls enjoyed a complimentary barbecue where after the event.

Anna Maria Chávez: Confronting Cyber Violence in the Digital Age

2013-04-30T11:59:00.002-04:00

Originally from the Girl Scout Blog

Anna Maria Chávez has a column in Huffington Post titled "Confronting Cyber Violence in the Digital Age".

"Cyber bullies can hide behind a mask of anonymity online, and do not need direct physical access to their victims to do unimaginable harm," states Chávez... "This makes it possible for cyber bullies to torment their victims on a nearly constant basis -- leaving no escape from the trauma, no refuge from the bullies, and no sense of safety."

According to DoSomething.org, nearly 43% of kids have been bullied online and 1 in 4 has had it happen more than once. 90% of teens who have seen social-media bullying say they have ignored it.

"At Girl Scouts, we are committed to raising awareness about the terrible effects of cyber bullying, and to teaching girls how to recognize the signs of bullying of any sort and extricate themselves or another from a bad situation before it spirals out of control and ends in tragedy," says Chávez. "By arming girls with the skills, foresight and confidence they need to identify and confront bullying behavior, we create a world of engaged leaders who refuse to be victimized or to sit idly by while another suffers."

To that combat cyber bullying, Girl Scouts offers BFF (Be a Friend First), which works with the aMAZE! Journey and gives middle school girls valuable skills to develop healthy relationships, prevent bully behavior, and become peacemakers in their schools and communities.

"Our BFF (Be a Friend First) initiative teaches middle school girls relational and leadership skills to stop bullying behavior when it happens and prevent it from happening in the first place," according to Chávez. "BFF uses role playing, creative writing, games, quizzes and discussion exercises through which girls explore challenging issues online and off, like peer pressure, stereotyping, gossip, and cliques. As part of BFF, girls also identify their own community's needs on bullying to create and lead projects in their schools and communities to tackle region-specific issues."

News Day Tuesday

2013-04-30T11:21:00.001-04:00

Bee Impressed: Sahu Earns Gold Award

Originally from the April 12, 2013, issue of the WW-P News

Ayushi Sahu of Plainsboro has earned her Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award that Girl Scouts can achieve. She created a spelling bee and geography bee program for the Habitat for Humanity summer and afterschool program in East Trenton. A sophomore at High School North, she tutors and plays tennis outside of school.

A Girl Scout for three years, she is a member of Troop 71607, led by Louisa Ho, Padmaja Kondeti, Praveena Saksena, and Shashi Ganjoo. She finished two journeys, Sow What? and Mission Sisterhood, which allowed her to qualify for the Gold Award.

“I’ve always enjoyed working with kids,” she says. “I helped a friend as she did some activities with kids, and we both enjoyed it, so I started looking for a way to incorporate children into my Gold Award project.”

Working with advisor Ho, mentor Kiya Green, and Ganjoo, Sahu designed a project based on the subjects of geography and spelling. Ganjoo helped her identify the needs of the program and provided guidance in planning her project. Sahu designed and ran geography workshops to educate the students more about the United States. She also designed and ran spelling workshops to teach students more about sight words and other words that students their age are expected to know.

Working with a group of second and third graders, Sahu executed the workshops, providing games such as Memory and Bingo to create a fun learning environment. At the end of the workshops she held a geography bee and a spelling bee for students to test their knowledge and memory.

“The children seemed to have a blast with every game they played, but what may have gone unnoticed by the children was that their knowledge of the states was slowly but surely expanding, lesson by lesson,” says Sahu. “I hope that the overall impact of this project is here to stay, and encourages students to continue with their academics, showing that learning can be enjoyable given the right methods.”

For information about joining Girl Scouts in West Windsor or Plainsboro as a girl or an adult volunteer, E-mail girlscoutswwp@verizon.net or call Louisa Ho at 609-371-2119.

Originally from the Reminder

GIRL SCOUT TROOP 97420 recently attended a leadership summit at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. From left to right are: Victoria Lovell, Courtney Miller, Emma Pike, Halle Higgins, Amy Sharp, Courtney Skipper, and Georgeann Batten.

Originally from Cape May Star and Wave

New CEO Announcement

2013-04-25T09:35:00.001-04:00

New Chief Executive Officer named for Girl Scouts of

Central & Southern NJ

Genevieve (Ginny) B. Marino, new GSCSNJ CEO

After a national search, the Girl Scouts of Central & Southern NJ’s (GSCSNJ) Board of Directors of is pleased to announce the appointment of Genevieve (Ginny) B. Marino as Chief Executive Officer. Marino will succeed Mary E. Connell, who is retiring after 32 years with the organization. Marino will join GSCSNJ on July 8, 2013.

Marino assumes the leadership of GSCSNJ following an exceptional twelve year tenure with YWCA Delaware, Inc., and is in her tenth year as the Chief Executive Officer. In that capacity she led the YWCA, with staff and volunteers of 300 and a $3.5 million operating budget, to annually serve 18,000 persons with diversified programs in housing, domestic violence, economic advancement, leadership development, and racial justice and advocacy initiatives.

Prior to her tenure at the YWCA, Ms. Marino held senior level positions in the banking and IT industries. She successfully developed, implemented and managed marketing communications programs for Forte Systems, LLC (West Chester, PA) focusing on e-commerce and Microsoft technologies. Marino also served as Vice President of Retail Sales at Delaware First Bank, overseeing the bank’s approximately $97 million consumer banking business.

“We conducted an extensive search among many qualified candidates and Ginny emerged as the clear choice to take Girl Scouts of Central & Southern NJ into the future,” said GSCSNJ Board Chair, Ann Marie Horner. “Her unique combination of strategic and finely-honed operational skills, along with her success in fund development and commitment to community outreach fit perfectly with our strategic plan and long-term goals. We look forward to working with Ginny as we develop and execute the roadmap to achieve the next phase of growth for our Council.”

Marino earned her BA in English/Business and Technical Writing from the University of Delaware and an MBA from Wilmington University. Among her many awards, in 2011 Ms. Marino was recognized in Delaware Today Magazine as a “Woman to Watch in Business” and was honored by Wilmington Women in Business/Fresh Start Scholarship with their Inspiration Award.

Press interested in learning more should contact Natasha Southerland, Chief Communications Officer at nsoutherland@gscsnj.org or call 800-582-7692 ext 121.

News Day Tuesday

2013-04-23T11:13:00.001-04:00

Delta Regional names scholarship winners

from the South Jersey Times

Delsea Regional High School scholarship winners are, left to right, Sean Klei,
Nick Ellen, Marnesha Hall and Josh Weaver.

Marnesha Hall has been received the Albright College, Alumni Scholarship, an award of $15,000 per annum, renewable for a total of 4 years and the Albright College, National Honor Society Award, an award of $1,000 per annum, renewable for a total of 4 years.

Additionally, she has received the Hofstra University, Provost Scholarship, an award of $15,000 per annum, renewable for a total of 4 years and the University of the Sciences, President’s Scholarship, award of $12,000 per annum, renewable for a total of 4 years.

Marnesha is the daughter of Martin and Valerie Hall of Elk Township. She is a member of the National Honor Society, JROTC (Command Sergeant Major), Black Cultural League, Transitions Project Leader, Rowan Mentoring and Peer Mediation. Additionally, she has participated on the tennis team and in her local Girl Scouts organization. She also attended the Howard University Summer Enrichment Science Academy. Her future plans are to attend Howard University in pursuit of becoming an anesthesiologist.

Mansfield Girl Scout Troop 792 participates in Musconetcong River Clean-Up

from the Warren Reporter

Pictured (from left) are Victoria Stabile, Olivia Cafferty and Diane Cafferty.

Mansfield Girl Scout Troop 792 participated in the Musconetcong River Clean-Up on April 13. The girls enjoyed the great outdoors while picking up trash all along the river at Point Mountain.

From the Gloucester County Times

News Day Tuesday

2013-04-16T16:20:00.000-04:00

Girl Scouts Plan Tree Planting and Grow Self-Confidence

Originally seen in the Gloucester Township Patch by Bill Duhart

The Girl Scout Motto is that it "builds girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place."

That's just what Girl Scout Daisy Troop 30323 had in mind when it scheduled a tree planting on April at Gloucester Township Community Park as part of its "Take Action" project.

"I think it is a huge deal that such little girls will be doing something so big for their community, and I am looking to getting the word out and trying to make it a public thing," said Anna Marie Short, a troop co-leader."

The township public works department will help out and Mayor David Mayer is also scheduled to make an appearance, Short said.

from the Trenton Times

from the News of Cumberland

News Day Tuesday

2013-04-09T11:06:00.000-04:00

Scouting awards recognize faith-filled service

Originally appeared in the Trenton Monitor

By Christina Leslie

Catholic Boy and Girl Scouts from around the diocese gathered to celebrate their faith in action March 3 at the annual Scouting Court of Honor Mass and Awards Ceremony held in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton. Some 70 young men and women and their adult Scouting leaders were recognized with medals, ribbons and emblems by Msgr. John K. Dermond, judicial vicar, office of Canonical Services and Tribunal, and Father Michael A. Santangelo, diocesan Scouting chaplain and pastor of Epiphany Parish, Brick.

Instituted by the National Catholic Committee on Scouting more than 30 years ago, the religious awards program confers recognition upon the efforts of scouts ages six and up who incorporate their Catholic faith into their daily lives.

Both individuals and troops undertake projects which focus upon Church and community and result in diocesan level and national awards.

Father Santangelo, a lifelong Scout and diocesan scout chaplain since 1996, asserted that Catholicism and scouting could be integral partners in the life of a young person. “The ideals of scouting reflect what it is that we are called to as Catholics,” he told The Monitor, citing character development, respect for others, and service as a few of the goals for the youth program. “Using our gifts and talents to help others, our goal is to live as Christ calls us to live.”

The uniform-clad scouts raised their right hands as they repeated their oaths to serve God and country, then stepped forward proudly to receive awards such as the “Marian Medal” and “I Live My Faith” for girls, and the “Ad Altare Dei” and “Pope Pius XII” emblems for boys.

Adult leaders were also recognized for their contributions in faith development with the “Christ the King” or “Bronze Pelican” awards.

The Diocese of Trenton Catholic Committees on Scouting encompasses the Central New Jersey, Jersey Shore, Burlington County and Monmouth County Boy Scouts of America Councils; and the Delaware-Raritan, Monmouth, South Jersey Pines and Ocean County Girl Scout Councils.

The diocesan committees also hold an annual Boy Scout/Girl Scout retreat weekend, this year to be held beginning April 5 at the Pine Tree Scout Camp in Tabernacle. For further information on the program, visit www.dotccs.org.

For a listing of awards and recipients please click here.

Originally appeared in the Moorestown Sun

In Girl Scouting, girls of all religions are encouraged to celebrate and live by the tenets of their faith, and to incorporate those values into their Girl Scout journey, as they acquire the courage, confidence and character that help them make their world a better place.

Girl Scouts Visit Pizza Joint

Originally appeared in the Cape May County Herald

VILLAS- On March 16, Girl Scout troop #44967 visited Domino's pizza in Villas. By making their own pizzas, the girls learned about the business and production aspects of the facility.

Don't forget to check out the video series It's Your Business-Run It!

Originally appeared in the Elmer Times

News Day Tuesday

2013-04-02T14:33:00.000-04:00

As seen in the Hammonton News:

As seen in the Medford Sun:

News Day Tuesday

2013-03-26T11:09:00.003-04:00

Girl Scouts go the egg-stra mile in community event

By Mark Zimmaro

Photos by Chloe Elmer

Originally appeared in the Burlington County Times on March 24, 2013.

Children await the start of an Easter egg hunt organized by members of
Girl Scout Troop 21509 of Lumberton at the Lumberton Village Green on Saturday.

Members of Girl Scout Troop 21509 of Lumberton help Liam O'Donovan, 3, go through his findings
from the Easter egg hunt the girls organized at the Village Green on Saturday morning.

LUMBERTON — How long does it take a group of young children to clean up an entire field of plastic eggs?

If you blinked, you might have missed it.

The scramble was on as an Easter egg hunt was held at Village Green on Saturday. A few hundred children raced across the grass to gather as many eggs as their plastic buckets could hold.

The event, which was hosted for years by the Lumberton Recreation Department, was canceled two years ago because the department was disbanded due to budget constraints.

On Saturday, the Easter event was revived by a group of nine local Girl Scouts who are hoping to earn their Bronze Awards for community service.

Judging by the smiles and loaded Easter baskets, their task was completed.

“They had a lot of fun,” Lumberton resident Brandon Lewis said of his nephew and niece Carlos and Ayana Morris, who took part in the hunt. “They did pretty good. They did a lot better than I did when I was their age.”

After the air horn signaled the start of the festivities, children raced across the fields snatching up plastic eggs with goodies inside. Children were separated into three age groups to keep the event fair.

Though the actual event took just minutes for kids to gobble up more than 4,000 eggs, the planning and preparation took the brunt of the Girl Scouts’ energy.

“It was a lot of work,” said fifth-grader Mikhala Stepek, who was one of the nine scouts from Troop 21509 in Lumberton who organized the event. “But we thought it would be really fun seeing kids running around and finding eggs. It made me feel good that they were happy.”

Joining Mikhala in the project were twin sisters Faith and Shannon O’Donovan, Kim Platt, Julia Gallo, Jenna Frenzel, Alex Green, Gabriella Cline and Avery Myers.

The girls gathered donations from local businesses and helped advertise the event, gaining the attention of area school children. They also stuffed plastic eggs and help set up the hunt. They even convinced the Easter Bunny to make an appearance to pose for photos with kids.

“After the event went away, the girls decided to scoop it up and run with it,” said troop leader Colleen O’Donovan. “All the candy and gifts were purchased through money raised through sponsors. Everyone did a little something to help out.”

Their efforts became a big crowd favorite.

“They did all the work and they put in all the hours,” O’Donovan said of her troop. “But I think they were making a lot of kids happy.”

Vinny Lera, 1, of Lumberton, center right, and brother Dominic, 5, center left, check out their loot
after an Easter egg hunt organized by Girl Scout Troop 21509 at the Village Green in Lumberton on Saturday.

Lip Snacking Good

Local Brownie Troop whips up their own sweet, savory snacks

By Lorinda Jarvis

Originally appeared in the Daily Journal on March 6, 2013

It’s one thing to grab a bag of potato chips.

It’s another thing to make your own snacks. Better still, teach your children to whip up their own treats.

That’s what young girls who are members of Brownie Troop No. 61665 in Buena Vista did recently.

Mom Amber Burke-Yarbrough, mother of Alivia, age 7, likes to teach her little ones a few basic skills in the kitchen.

Yarbrough, a member of The Daily Journal’s Food Advisory Board, helped Collings Lakes troupe leaders Kristina Reed and Lurleen Bowie.

The Brownies were charged with coming up with an easy snack recipe they they could create with minimal help from an adult. The reward? The Brownie snack badge to prove they had met the goal.

Yarbrough’s daughter, Alivia, appreciates a variety of different dishes, so the snack she chose from mom’s considerable collection of cookbooks was more savory than sweet.

The up side of teaching her daughter to make her own snacks is that Yarbrough can control the food that her daughter eats. Instead of going with microwaved popcorn, she uses a stovetop popcorn maker called a “Popstir,” which resembles a smaller version of the popcorn maker found in movie theaters.

Making her own popcorn saves plenty of money — a single bag of kernals can last three months or longer. It also has very few preservatives or additives. The kernals can be air popped or made with a bit of coconut oil.

“It’s fun. The kids get such a kick out of it,” Yarbrough said.

Another bonus: Getting her little helpers to make their own snacks — and meals, for that matter — encourages them to eat what they are making.

“I have four kids and they always want to help me in the kitchen,” she said. “And if they help make it, they’re so much more apt to try it.”

From left: Troop leader Lurleen Bowie of Collings Lakes; Julie Guzman of Newtonville;
Alivia Yarbrough of Buena Vista; Cheyenne of Collings Lakes, Sondra Bowie of Collings Lakes
and Annalysse O'Donnell of Buena and troop leader Kristina Reed of Collings Lakes.

Grab one of your little chefs and help them whip up one of the kid-approved recipes below:

Sloppy Joe Pockets

• 1 roll of biscuits

• Sloppy joe mixture, prepared as directed, blending sauce with hamburger

• Shredded cheddar cheese

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stretch out 1 uncooked biscuit at a time and place on cookie sheet. Place a tablespoon of Sloppy Joe mix in center of biscuit. Top with 1 tablespoon of cheddar cheese.

Fold biscuit over to one side to create a pocket. Seal edges with fork.

Bake for 17 minutes at 350 degrees.

By Julie Guzman, 7, of Newtonville

Cheesy chili popcorn

• 8 cups popped popcorn

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

• 1 teaspoon chili power

• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Directions: Place popcorn in large bowl. In a small bowl, stir together butter, chili power and garlic. Drizzle butter mixture over popcorn. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Store in tightly sealed container for up to three days.

Submitted by Alivia Yarbrough, 7, of Buena

adapted from a recipe from Better Homes and Gardens

Frozen blueberry yogurt pop

• 8 ounce container of yogurt of choice

• Blueberries, fresh or frozen

Place 1 tablespoon of yogurt in clean ice-cube tray. Top with four to five blueberries. Place toothpicks in center of each yogurt filled ice-cube section. Freeze overnight, then pop them out and enjoy them.

Submitted by Sondra Bowie, 8, of Collings Lakes

Easy trail mix

• 1 cup peanuts

• 1 cup M&Ms

• 1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seed

• 1 cup raisins

• 1 cup granola

• 1/2 cup dried strawberries

• 1/2 cup dried blueberries

Combine all ingredients in bowl, then store and seal in a container.

Submitted by Cheyenne, 8, of Collings Lakes

News Day Tuesday

2013-03-19T13:24:00.000-04:00

Girl Scouts tout safe practices in Metuchen

Metuchen girls look to educate the public to earn award

By Kathy Chang originally appeared in the Sentinel

Metuchen Girl Scout Troop No. 81460 members Maya Soloman (l-r), Carly Newcomb, Alli Kodila,
Melanie McNeil, Francis Lee and Mackenzie Baker hold the pedestrian flags that are being piloted
at two intersections in the borough.

METUCHEN — Members of Girl Scout Junior Troop No. 81460 have taken a stand on pedestrian safety and helmet safety to earn their Bronze Awards.

The girls — Maya Soloman, 10; Carly Newcomb, 11; Melanie McNeil, 11; Alli Kodila, 11; Mackenzie Baker, 10; and Francis Lee, 10 — came together for their weekly meeting at the Community Nursery School on Woodbridge Avenue to discuss their project on Feb. 24.

The troop is led by Lynn Fitzgerald Kodila and Heidi Haiken.

Soloman explained that they are making fliers to hand out to the public that will provide safety tips on how to cross at crosswalks, and stress the importance of wearing safety helmets.

“My mom hit her head [during an accident], and she wasn’t wearing a helmet,” she said. “She is fine, but we want to make sure this never happens again. Kids and adults need to wear helmets when riding their bikes, and pedestrians need to be careful when crossing the streets so they do not get hit by cars.”

The Girl Scout Bronze Award, according to the Girl Scouts of Central & Southern New Jersey website, is the highest honor a Girl Scout Junior can achieve.

The scouts’ project comes right in time for the borough’s recently announced piloting of pedestrian flags at two borough intersections: Middlesex Avenue at Oak Avenue, and Main Street between Lincoln Avenue and High Street.

Tyreen Reuter, a member of the borough’s Traffic and Transportation Committee and a proponent of pedestrian safety in Metuchen, attended the scout’s discussion and informed them about the flags.

“We are a dense little town with county and state roads, and people coming from multiple jurisdictions off a major highway,” she said. “These people are driving from point A to point B, some at 65 miles per hour. And then they hit 25 miles per hour. There are a lot of trucks.”

Reuter said more signs could be put up to make people aware of the flags, but the most effective way is to educate the public — and that is where the Scouts come in.

The Scouts tested the flags in the parking lot of the Community Nursery School. Some said they believe it is a great tool when crossing the street, but others said they weren’t sure.

Reuter said the flags are just another tool for pedestrian safety, and if all goes well, the borough will implement flags at other intersections.

The scouts are also knitting blankets to donate to the victims of superstorm Sandy. They are following the concept from the Warm Up America! Foundation, a charity that started in 1991 when neighbors in a small town in Wisconsin started knitting and crocheting afghans for neighbors in need.

Kodila said they are asking the community to donate knitted squares, which they will then piece together into blankets.

Scouts take it slow at Tre Piani

By Pat Tanner originally posted on centraljersey.com on March 14, 2013

Members of Girl Scout Troop 80925, Flemington, work for their Gold Award at Tre Piani, Princeton.

Shoppers at the annual Winter Slow Food Farmers Market held at Tre Piani restaurant in Forrestal Village last month may have noticed an unusual sight: a group of six teenage girls in T-shirts and jeans bouncing from table to table, debating which meats, cheeses, breads, vegetables, and other comestibles to select — and then gathering up enough to feed a small army. Well, at least the 25 people they were having over for dinner that night. At the restaurant.

The girls, Hannah Barrett, Olivia Killian, Gabrielle Longchamp, Julia McDonald, Olivia Rios, and Emily Schalk, are members of Girl Scout Troop 80925 in Flemington, and their Tre Piani experience was but one leg in a group journey called Sow What? In Girl Scout lingo, a “journey” is a group of activities and accomplishments for older Scouts that, along with accumulating badges, culminates in a Gold Award — the equivalent of Eagle Scout for boys.

Cathy Schalk, one of the troop leaders and mother of Emily, explained that the Sow What? journey “encompasses sustainable farming, slow food, and the nutritional importance of food to our health.” The girls began working on the project last summer visiting area farms and meeting with agriculture specialists and leaders of the slow food movement, including Jim Weaver, chef/owner of Tre Piani, who founded and heads up the Central New Jersey chapter.

"They contacted me last summer,” recalls Mr. Weaver. “They said they were touring farms, doing the whole Jersey Fresh thing. They came to the restaurant and I did a little tasting and talk with them.”

To thank him, the girls decided they would cook a dinner for the chef, in February.

"But it occurred to me,” Weaver says, “that we could piggyback on the farmers market held here each February. I thought, why don’t we shop, cook, and sit down and eat together instead.”

That’s how the scouts — five sophomores and one freshman at Hunterdon Central Regional High, several of whom have known each other since second grade — came to be shopping at the slow food market and, afterward, donning aprons and wielding 12-inch chefs knives in the restaurant’s kitchen.

"The girls shopped pretty much by themselves and decided on the menu,” says Mr. Weaver, as he had them busily chopping onions and carrots. When these were sautéing, along with garlic, over huge blue flames in massive sauté pans, he sprinkled in dried chili flakes, telling the girls, “A little pepperoncini adds another element/dimension. It helps excite your palate a little bit.”

The menu started with salad of baby lettuces, Tre Piani’s own fresh mozzarella, local hothouse tomatoes, and croutons made with bread from Bobolink Dairy and Bakehouse, one of the day’s many vendors. The main dish was Penne Bolognese made with local grass-fed beef and sausage, mushrooms from Davidson’s, and fresh ricotta from Fulper Farms. The girls had made ahead of time and brought with them avocado chocolate mousse — a recipe of Food Network chef Giada De Laurentiis. They had found it on the Internet, they explained while expertly piping it into clear plastic cups and topping it with whipped cream.

As the scouts worked, their adult troop leaders talked about the effect the Sow What? journey has had on the girls and their families. Ms. Shalk says, “At home, I now think twice when I go to serve an ‘emergency’ dinner on paper plates.”

Michele Levasseur, Gabrielle’s mother, laughs and added, “After they read all the nutrition info about fast food, like McDonald’s, they’re now telling me what to eat!” But, she added, “because of this project, my daughter and I regularly ride bikes through the community. We see local farms and we stop and talk to the farmers.”

Some of these farmers were among the 25 friends and family members the troop had invited to share their Tre Piani dinner, among them a soil expert from Rutgers University and a Flemington school nurse who had founded a school garden.

After everyone had tasted the pasta, Mr. Weaver says, “This dish just may have to go on the menu here at Tre Piani. We’ll call it ‘Pasta 80925.’ The only thing is, customers will expect Girl Scout cookies afterwards!"

Later, many of the girls agreed that cooking had been their favorite part of the day. Gabrielle Longchamp said of the overall experience, “It went more smoothly in the kitchen than I had anticipated.” Olivia Rios admitted that she was “scared to death” of the cooking, but managed to enjoyed it. “But I also liked choosing the ingredients, too,” she added.

The recipe below includes in parentheses the vendors at the Slow Food Farmers Market who provided ingredients for the Girl Scout’s feast.

TROOP 80925 BOLOGNESE SAUCE

(Developed with Jim Weaver, Tre Piani)

2 pounds fresh wild mushroom mix (such as Davidson’s or Shibumi Farms)
4 tablespoons olive oil, separated
2 onions, peeled and chopped
5 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon chili pepper flakes
1 package (about 1 pound) pork sausage (such as Beech Tree Farm), removed from casing, if any
2 pounds ground beef (such as WoodsEdge Wool Farm)
2 cans (28 ounces each) plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
2 cups beef stock, or 1 cup stock and 1 cup red wine
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 pint fresh ricotta (such as Fulper Family Farms)
2 pounds dried pasta, such as penne

Clean the mushrooms by wiping with a damp paper towel. (Do not rinse: mushrooms soak up water like a sponge.) Chop mushrooms. Saute over high heat in small batches with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and a little salt. The liquid released from the mushrooms should have enough room in the pan to evaporate and let the mushrooms develop a golden-brown color. Set aside.

Heat the remaining oil over medium heat. Add the onion and some salt, and saute for about five minutes, until the onion is translucent. Then add carrots, garlic, chili flakes, and a little salt. Cook for another five minutes.

Add the sausage and ground beef. Cook, breaking down the lumps with a fork, until the meat is cooked through. Add tomatoes, olive oil, and stock. Add salt and pepper to taste (not too much; the sauce will reduce and intensify). Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or, better yet, an hour.

Add sauteed mushrooms and stir until heated through. Serve or refrigerate. The sauce tastes even better the next day. If you make it ahead of time reheat over low heat while the pasta is cooking. Just before serving take the sauce off the heat and mix in the ricotta.

When ready to serve, cook the pasta according to package instructions then mix with the Bolognese sauce.

Serves 8 to 12.

News Day Wednesday

2013-03-13T15:19:00.001-04:00

Local Girl Scout holds blood drive
By Amy Batista, Special Writer from the Cranbury Press originally published on March 1.

Girl Scout Jenna LeBrun, far right, stands next do a donor and a technician during her blood drive last week.
(photo: Amy Batista)

JAMESBURG — For one local Girl Scout, when it came to working on earning her Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout can be awarded, it was more personal and about saving lives than just earning her award.

Jenna LeBrun, a senior at Monroe Township High School, held a Blood Drive and set up a table to explain the ways people can become an organ donor at the Jamesburg First Aid Squad for her Girl Scout Award project this past Friday.

She is also a cadet member at the first aid squad. Her dad, Robert LeBrun, is a commissioner at Monroe Township Fire District #1.

According to Jenna, a total of 40 donors came out to support here and “help save a life.” Jenna teamed up with the New York Blood Center who provided the collection services.

According to Jenna, her inspiration came from a family friend, Ryan Miller, 17, who went to the doctor because he wasn’t feeling well and discovered an enlarged heart. ”He wasn't feeling good one day,” Jenna said. “His mom took him to the doctor and they sent him to get a chest x-ray. (The doctors) thought he had pneumonia and when he got his chest x-ray (back they discovered) that his heart had enlarged a lot. I think it was his left ventricle and so he had to go right away to the hospital.”

According to Jenna, he then saw a cardiologist and he was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

”He went to go get a defibrillator put in him because his heart just didn't work,” Jenna said. “He was put on top of the transplant list. He was on the list for a month.”

Jenna said she does not want to see others be in the same situation as she had to watch her friend go through so she is now advocating for people to become a donor as her second part of the Gold Award project.

”Since he needed an organ, this is what inspired me to focus on organ donation because he was waiting for a month and he was on the top (of the list) for the entire Tri-State area,” Jenna said. “It still took a month to find a match for him. I figure the more donors there are, the less waiting for people that need one now.”

According to Jenna, Ryan received his heart and recently celebrated his “fifth new birthday” on Jan. 2 when he turned 21 years-old.

In addition, Jenna would like to see the schools start working a new act that was passed through the New Jersey legislature called the “New Jersey’s Hero Act.”

”I want to work with the school to set up in the curriculum education on organ donation,” Jenna said. “You have to include in the High School grades 9 through 12.”

According to the state’s website, the New Jersey Hero Act was enacted on July 22, 2008. Residents have the right to register as a organ and tissue donor upon getting or renewing their driver’s licenses, and with the issuing of state identification cards, according to the act.

In addition, beginning with the 2009-2010 school year, each public institution of higher education in the state will be required to provide information to its students, either through student health services or as part of the curriculum, according to the website.

The decision to be an organ and tissue donor can make a difference in as many as 50 lives throughout New Jersey and across the nation, according to the state. Right now, tens of thousands of people are awaiting life-saving organ transplants, while thousands more are in need of tissue and corneal transplants.

The shortage of donors is so severe that every day 18 people die waiting for organs that could have saved their lives. More than 4,500 New Jerseyans are currently waiting for organs and tissue, according to the websitewww.donatelifenj.org.

According to Jenna, the three ways you can become an organ donor are; sign up at the Motor Vehicle Commission when you apply for or renew your driver’s license or ID, register online at www.njsharingnetwork.org directly or through Facebook, or through a paper registration.

Christa Bell of Helmetta stopped by to donate blood and was impressed at the awareness that someone Jenna’s age is raising on such an important issue.

”I think it is a great thing Jenna is doing with the donor program,” said Ms. Bell. “I am also an organ donor." According to Ms. Bell, she checked it off on her driver’s license from the moment the law was introduced.

”Not only does Jenna understand that this is a life saving event all around, she is doing this for her Gold Award,” Ms. Bell added. “It was so great to hear a young person showing dedication and leadership. I hope others follow her lead and walk away enriched by her efforts.”

As of now, Jenna has completed 76 hours toward her award, which requires a total of 90 hours to complete. Jenna has been in scouting since she joined in first grade and became a Brownie.

”I chose an issue that is important to me,” Jenna said. “It needs to have a lasting legacy in the community. I plan to make some sort of video, kind of like a Public Service Announcement and also a brochure type thing with information.”

According to Jenna, her goal is to complete her service time by April in time for the Gold Award Ceremony in June.

In order to do that she must complete the last 14 hours and submit her paperwork to the Girl Scouts of Central and Southern New Jersey Council with the details of her project, pictures, copies of the signs she made and everything else, to prove she meets the requirements.

Originally appeared in the Sentinel on February 28.

Girl Scouts honor five women of distinction
Originally appeared in the Gloucester County Times on February 25.

Girl Scouts Unite on World Thinking Day

2013-02-28T16:03:00.000-05:00

By Amy Batista originally posted on centraljersey.com

Girl Scouts, part of a regional service unit called Town & Country unit composed of area community troops from Bordentown to Springfield, unite at Roebling Elementary School in Florence Township on Feb. 22 in celebration of World Thinking Day. Scouts visit the Kansas station and watch a tornado demonstration.
(Photo by Amy Batista)

FLORENCE — Girl Scouts united at the Roebling Elementary School to celebrate World Thinking Day last Friday.

More than 130 girls from 16 troops participated, bringing together all levels of Girl Scouts — Daisies, Brownies, Cadettes, Juniors and Ambassadors — on Feb. 22. Girls were from a spectrum of area communities including Columbus, Bordentown, and Roebling hubs.

Each troop that participated is part of a regional Girl Scout service unit called Town & Country, composed of 30 troops.

And last Friday when the Burlington County girls recognized World Thinking Day, they did so along with millions of other Scouts around the world.

For 2013 World Thinking Day carried with it the slogan, “Together we can save children’s lives.”

"Child survival is not just an issue in the developing world,” said Kim Dembowski, event coordinator, on Feb. 24. “Children in the United States are less likely to reach their fifth birthday than in 40 other developed countries. The girls learned that poverty in the United States is at 14 percent and their individual states that they represented (in the project) ranged from 10 to 16 percent (poverty rates).”

Ms. Dembowski, a Cadette and Daisy leader of Troop 25136, lives in Florence. She coordinated the event along with Troop 25800’s Carrie Elliot and Lynn Crotty.

The Town & Country event had a state fair theme as well that each troop incorporated into the learning experience.

To begin the festivities, the girls held an opening ceremony in which they displayed various state flags prior to giving brief presentations on their specific states, including how each one’s name originated and the percentage of its people living in poverty.

Ms. Dembowski said, “It’s a memorable moment to hear all of the girls reciting the Girl Scout promise and singing together. Together, they can do anything.”

The girls also demonstrated community service prior to World Thinking Day by collecting nonperishable items as a project. If a girl contributed five or more items, she then was eligible to participate in a raffle contest.

Ms. Dembowski said the girls collected 247 nonperishable items bound for the Florence food pantry at the Methodist Church on Broad Street.

Troop leaders had selected a state randomly through a drawing last December.

Troops then studied their assigned states and presented key ideas to everyone participating. Girls used display boards, special snacks, science experiments and crafts projects to showcase interesting and creative thoughts inspired by the state.

The girls throughout the evening rotated through the stations and visited different states at the fair every 10 minutes with their passports.

Overall, many of the girls also were looking to take action on “issues affecting children’s lives around the world.”

Girls put donations in a box designated the Juliette Low (founder of Girl Scouts) World Friendship Fund.

"Globally, we chose to support our sister Girls Scouts across the world by donating to the Juliette Low World Friendship Fund,” Ms. Dembowski said. “We were able to raise $117 that will be donated in the name of the Town & Country Service Unit.”

She said donations to the fund are used to support opportunities for fostering international friendships from 145 nations.

Ms. Dembowski said, “The idea of celebrating and thinking about Girls Scouts throughout (America) was brought up at one of our monthly leaders meeting as (something) to explore.”

At Michigan’s table, girls learned the state’s name is derived from the Native American words, “Michi-gama,” meaning large lake. The girls said Michigan has 116 lighthouses and navigational lights making it the most of any state in the United States. The girls also said the poverty level is 15.7 percent.

At Georgia’s table, girls said the state was named after King George II of England. It is the country’s No.1 producer of peanuts, pecans and peaches. The people living below poverty level in Georgia is 16.5 percent.

"The girls are having so much fun,” Rebecca Szatkowski, 18, of Mansfield, who is an Ambassador of Girl Scouts. “It’s good to see younger Girl Scouts being involved and the older girls helping out the younger girls.”

During the evening, the older Girl Scouts served as “big sisters” and guided younger troops through the fair.

Two 6-year-old Daisies, Jessica Pompei, 6, and Katelyn Neshanko, 6, said they enjoyed the excitement of moving from station to station.

"I liked making the flowers,” said Katelyn of Columbus.

The creation of tissue paper flowers provided the craft activity set up at the Mississippi table. For these girls, it was a new experience and a chance to try something they have never done before.

Bordentown’s Daphne Ozkan, 10, a Junior Scout, enjoyed her time during the state fair celebrating World Thinking Day.

"I got to learn about Blackbeard (the pirate), and I got to get a treasure,” Daphne said after visiting the North Carolina table.

Daphne said she learned about animals, symbols and foods found in American states.

Featured on Good Morning America

2013-02-21T09:20:00.003-05:00

Just in case you missed it, some of our amazing girls were featured on Good Morning America. The girls represented Girl Scouts for the entire country.

Vittoria, Jordan, and Dana introduced our new Mango Cremes to Good Morning America (GMA) hosts Ginger Zee, Dan Harros, Bianna Golodryga and Ron Claiborne in January to kick-off the Girl Scout Cookie Program.

GSCSNJ Girl Scouts returned in February to GMA! Samantha and Kaeleigh teamed up with girls from the Greater New York Council to beat GMA hosts Lara Spencer and Sam Champion in a "smart cookie" game. Good Morning America host Josh Elliott tested everyone's Girl Scout cookie knowledge in celebration of National Girl Scout Cookie Day held on February 8th.

Our girls were amazing and thank you to GMA for celebrating the Girl Scout Cookie Program!

GSCSNJ Blog Space

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