During River Valleys’ 100th year celebration in 2012,100 local women were honored for their dedication to serving girls and supporting Girl Scouts. Of those honorees, 15 African American women were honored. Learn more about each honoree.

Community Champion Honorees

• Willetha ‘Toni’ Carter
• Roxanne Marie Givens
• Pearl Mitchell-Jackson
• Wenda Weekes Moore
• Rena Moran

Forever Green Honorees

• Dorothea J. Burns
• Carolyn Sandberg, J.D.

Guide Honorees

• Gloria Lewis
• Deborah L. Montgomery
• Kimberly Foster Price, J.D.
• Kimberly Vappie, J.D.

Trailblazer Honorees

• Honorable Pamela G. Alexander
• Sharon Sayles Belton
• Robyne Robinson

Women of Promise Honoree

• Jasmine Brett Stringer

Some of her most memorable moments in Girl Scouts were attending the National Convention in Texas and representing the Peacepipe Council twice at Macy’s Training Center in New York for NASA trainings. She was also selected to attend a training at Goddard Space Center in Maryland that helped her start up space activities for the council.

As a leader in Girl Scouts, Gerri has learned a great deal over the years. She is currently taking education assistant classes at Ridgewater College, where she regularly applies skills and experiences from Girl Scouts. She looks forward to working in a school system, which will allow her to continue to work with children.

Participating in Girl Scouts as an adult has been incredibly satisfying for Gerri. She has enjoyed watching girls mature and grow up and share special experiences with them. She hopes to continue as a leader for many years to come, because she feels just as young as the girls when she’s working with them.

It is Gerri’s hope that the girls she works with will take their Girl Scout memories with them, particularly the outdoor activities, and share them with the next generation as she has.

Rebecca photographs many Girl Scouts River Valleys events, capturing the Girl Scout spirit while at the same time, enjoying a personal nostalgia.

Rebecca was a Girl Scout in Troop 425 in White Bear Lake, MN and enjoyed art and theater projects, canoe trips, attending camp and earning awards and badges. One of her proudest awards was the First Class Patch, the highest award in Cadette Scouting at the time.

Rebecca recently went back to Camp Lakamaga to capture pictures of Girl Scouts at camp and was flooded with memories. “The names on the signs were familiar, and I remembered learning how to build a fire and manage a canoe along with many songs that still echo in my mind,” says Rebecca. “It’s so fun to hear that girls are still singing them today!”

Rebecca attributes a lot of her abilities and successes in adulthood to what she learned as a Girl Scout. From a young age, Rebecca has dealt with a neurological disability that has affected her speech. For someone with a minor disability, Girl Scouts really gave her confidence to help her become who she is today.

Today, Rebecca is a successful photographer and has her own studio in downtown Minneapolis, MN. She’s proud of her ability to easily troubleshoot by herself and with a group, a life skill she learned as a Girl Scout. Cookie activities were also a great teaching tool for self-employment.

When Rebecca isn’t capturing images of Girl Scouts, she is busy working on client projects as well as her own projects. She was recently awarded a Midwest Regional Arts Council Grant for pre-press work for a book on Japanese gardens.

Rebecca would love to connect with other women business owners who have been Girl Scouts. Visit her website for contact information and to see some of her recent work.

• When: Saturday, March 16, 9–11 am
• Where: Great Room, Mall of America
• Cost: $25 (please also consider a small donation)
• Register here

For a paper registration or any questions, please contact Stephanie Klenk by email or phone at 800-845-0787.

Please RSVP to Stephanie Klenk by email or phone at 800-845-0787, ext. 1266, so appropriate materials can be arranged.

• When: Sunday, February 10, 2–4 pm
• Where: Anokii Room, St. Paul service center

The troop’s final camping trip was in 1959. Seven of the Girl Scouts spent almost three months camping with two leaders at 36 different sites across Europe, including visits at Our Ark in London, the Girl Guide Hostel in France and Our Chalet in Switzerland. For this grand tour, they packed a Volkswagen bus with a tent, cooking supplies and gear. Taking this type of trip was unusual at the time, and this ambitious endeavor provided a very enriching experience.

The girls began planning their European tour in fifth grade when they were working on an International Friendship Badge. While preparing for performances at the State Fair and the Festival of Nations, the girls wondered if they could visit the countries they were learning about and representing. The answer they received was yes! They could do it if they worked for it.

Over the following years, the girls eagerly fundraised by babysitting and selling nuts, cookies, fresh eggs and holding quarterly paper sales. They balanced this work with additional part-time jobs, high school activities like the Honor Society, and badge-earning activities with Girl Scouts.

Their hard work paid off, and the girls were able to fully fund their 1959 trip. Through this process, they gained independence and developed team building, organizational and leadership skills.

With the support of their families and their talented leader, Charlotte Rotzel, the girls graduated as Girl Scout Mariners in 1960, achieving the highest level for Girl Scouts at the time. The women from Troop 430 remain loyal friends today, and although many have moved from Minneapolis, they continue to meet and celebrate the legacy of their troop (photo from October 2012).

A special thanks to Nancy Moe, member of Troop 430, for providing the details for this story.

Has your group stayed connected over the years? We’d love to hear! Submit your story and photos. 

What is your favorite memory from Girl Scouts?

I have many favorite memories of Girl Scouts. I joined Girl Scouts in 1974 as a first grader at Harry Spence Elementary School in Lacrosse, WI. I attended the weeklong camping opportunities and went swimming and hiking. I also enjoyed participating in day activities at Goose Island Camp. I eventually became a counselor, and at the same time a leader in my high school.

I also earned my Silver Award and Gold Award by taking on global food security and hunger issues. Our troop mobilized in the community to work on a number of projects relating to these topics. I think it’s interesting that my Gold Award Project was on global hunger and now I work on food security issues in my job. It has been a theme that has followed me throughout my career.

What is your biggest accomplishment?

One of my biggest professional accomplishments was leading the design and construction of the Paul and Sheila Wellstone Center for Community Building when I was working at Neighborhood House. It was a 93,000-square-foot community center with a $27.5 million project budget that was constructed to serve the multi-cultural community on the west side of St Paul. For this project, I had to bring together leaders from all over the community. It really enabled me to find a way to reach out from my comfort zone as a leader and be able to engage people in new ways.

What does it take to be a leader?

Being a leader means listening to others and taking the time to hear what is important to them. It means looking at what the opportunities are and mobilizing people around a central vision. That is not always simple to do.

For a girl who thinks she can change the world, what is your advice?

I would tell her that she should go for it. Absolutely she can change the world. There is nothing holding any girl back from being able to do whatever she wants to do and make whatever difference she wants to make. She just has to put her mind to it, and she has to be able to encourage others around her to help follow that vision.

Why do you think Girl Scouts should reconnect with one another?

Lifelong friendships are important. Everyone in my troop is different. We are not the exact same person. We have different career paths and have different family lives. There is a shared experience that we all had with one another in our troop though, and we can draw on that. We can continually be there for each other. We’ve been there for each other through celebrations of weddings and of new children, and we’ve been there for each other for losses of family members and divorces. It’s wonderful to have people in your life who knew you when you were young—they appreciated you for who you were and they are glad to have you as you are today as a part of their life.

Join alumnae for an afternoon focused on your wellness goals, and kick off 2013 with a plan that bridges the gap between your current health and where you want to be. In this experiential workshop, you will explore healthy diet and nutrition, stress mastery and moving the body. Dare to imagine feeling healthier and more resilient as you move into the New Year with intentionality and resolve.

The workshop will be presented by Balance and Thrive Health and Wellness Consortium and facilitated by Tammy Gifft, health and wellness coach. It is open to Girl Scout alumnae of all ages.

Please RSVP to Stephanie Klenk by email or phone at 800-845-0787, ext. 1226 by January 3. A minimum of 10 alumnae is needed to hold the event. A donation of $5 to cover costs is requested.

When: January 5, 2013,1–4 pm

Where: Camp Lockeslea, 6900 E River Road, Fridley, MN.

Mission: RECONNECT Update

The effort to find 100,000 Girl Scout alumnae continues! In February and March, current Girl Scouts will compete to find new alumnae. Troops that help register the most alumnae during cookie booth sales will be eligible for a fabulous troop prize.

Alumnae in the Know—Training Update

In the 2013 membership year, River Valleys adjusted required training for new leaders. The training sequence includes Girl Scouting 101, an online or self-study training that introduces new leaders to GSUSA resources.

After completing Girl Scouting 101, new leaders complete River Valleys Orientation, which informs new leaders about policies and resources.

Leaders then complete a Fast Start training, which is held with a coach in their service unit. At this one-on-one meeting, new leaders receive a welcome kit from River Valleys with local information.

For more information about River Valleys’ training, please email us.

Host an Alumnae Gathering

If you’re interested in hosting a Party to Go for alumnae in your service unit this January, please contact Stephanie Klenk. We’ll send you activities and prizes to help with the event.

Alumnae Association Committees

Serve on an Alumnae Association committee and coordinate:

• Travel planning
• Young Alumnae retreat for recent high school/college grads
• Communications

Help with an Alumnae Association event:

• Forever Green Breakfast, March 2013
• Networking event, spring 2013
• Regional events for adult recognition, May 2013
• Summer Camp Days for alumnae and families, summer 2013

If you are interested in any of the these options, please contact Stephanie Klenk at 800-845-0787, ext. 1266.

Volunteer with a Troop

We’re looking for volunteers to assist with after school Girl Scout Daisy and Brownie troops at Hazel Park Elementary in St. Paul every Thursday from 4:15–6 p.m. Please email Diane White if interested.