Lifetime Girl Scout Enjoys Impressive Travel Experience Rock What You Got! A Special Event Featuring Katherine Schwarzenegger Would you say you’re satisfied with your body image? Did you know that 53% ofthirteen-year-old American girls are unhappy with their bodies and that by the time these girls are seventeen, that number will reach 78%!? So if you’re like most girls, this is an area you may not be completely comfortable with. Come hear from someone who’s “been there and back.” Writer, blogger, and global activist Katherine Schwarzenegger (daughter of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver) is making a special appearance to talk to Girl Scouts and the community about her new book, Rock What You’ve Got. She along with a panel of experts will address body image, how the media portrays girls, and how Girl Scouts is making a difference. When: 2 to 4:30 p.m., Saturday, April 16 Where: National Center for Aviation Training (at WATC) 4004 N. Webb Road, Wichita Register: Attendance is free, but pre-registration is required. Go to kansasgirlscouts.org to sign up! Future Travel Opportunities Do you have an interest in travel? Whether you have little travel experience or a lot, a new adventure is waiting for you. Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland offers a progressive travel progr a.m. ranging from Girl Scout Juniors traveling regionally to Girl Scout Seniors and a.m.bassadors traveling internationally. Are you into extreme adventures? Then we have what you are looking for with white water rafting, snow skiing and spelunking. Looking to go a little farther? These girl-decided, girl-led trips offer you the opportunity to venture out to see the United States. In 2012 we will head to Savannah, Georgia to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts. In 2013, you can help us decide to travel to Dallas or Chicago. In 2014 we will head to either New York City or California. Maybe you enjoy c a.m.ping and spending time in the great outdoors. If so, you will not want to miss adventure to either the Appalachian Mountains or a return to Yellowstone National Park. For more information on travel opportunities, contact Virginia Jacobs at (885) 811-8832. Many of our Girl Scout Alumnae have fantastic stories about what Girl Scouting did for them. Below is a story about just that: Laura Herron is a 2005 graduate of Hesston HighSchool in Hesston, Ks, and of Kansas State University with a Masters of Architecture in 2010. She is a proud Lifetime Girl Scout Member and has had the opportunity to participate in the Girl Scout Leadership Experience on many levels. Laura graduated as the last girl in her troop since many of her fellow members dropped out of the program before high school. She now runs a successful shop for her artwork on Etsy, www.blueherron.etsy.com . You don’t have to spend much time with Laura to see that she is very passionate about family, food, gardening and learning about other cultures. Girl Scouting allowed her to combine these interests. “I really sold cookies as a means to a goal! I wanted to travel. The more I see, the more I want to see. Girl Scouts was a part of that.” Each year Laura would choose a travel location and work toward it with cookie sales. Laura said “I buy a piece of jewelry every place I travel. It is fun to know my rings are from Mexico and Costa Rica, and my earrings are from Finland.” Laura’s Travels (All trips were funded in part by Cookie Sale profits.) 2002 - Our Cabaña, Mexico. 2003 - Sacramento, CA. and Yosemite National Park. 2004 - International Scout Jamboree in Finland. 2004 - Cozumel, Mexico. Joined friends in a nearby troop from Halstead, KS for a Senior Trip to Cozumel. Leaving from New Orleans allowed them to see this historic city before the damage of Hurricane Katrina. 2005 - Costa Rica Outward Bound School. On this trip Laura joined other Girl Scouts from the US in backpacking in the rainforest for five days, white-water rafting, surfing, and waterfall rappelling. After Costa Rica, Laura returned to be a camp counselor before starting at Kansas State University that fall. In 2005, Laura also received national recognition as she was nominated as a Young Woman of Distinction by GSUSA for her Gold Award Project at the Hesston Resource Center. She and her parents traveled to the national convention in Georgia for the ceremony. She received a special Gold Award pin with an emerald, a $1,000 scholarship, and a trip to Savannah for her and her parents to see more Girl Scout history including Juliette Gordon Low’s birthplace. Traveling was only one piece of what Girl Scouting did for Laura. Do you have a story to share? Email Traci at [email protected]. Laura in Savannah, GA. Laura rappelling in Costa Rica For more information on travel opportunities, contact Virginia Jacobs at (885) 811-8832. Live By The Girl Scout Law When said in unison with other Girl Scouts, the words and promises to always “help people at all times” and “make the world a better place” may come out quickly or without thought. However, in the last year, Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland have, even more so than before, taken these statements to heart and shown what it means to “live by the Girl Scout Law”. Troop 258 of the Wichita Region, headed up by Miss Jennifer Cotton, has done many wonderful things for our community. Their troop often finds itself pitching in on several projects through out the year. The latest community service project brought these young women to the Kansas African American Museum to package meals to send overseas to Haiti. These Girl Scouts found a partnership in Numana to “make the world a better place”. They saw a need and so do many others. As everyone may know by now, at 5:14 p.m. on Jan. 12, 2009 - a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck southern Haiti. The quake affected roughly one in three Haitians - about 3 million people. It was so strong that it was felt in Cuba, more than 200 miles away. Devastated, Haiti is in dire need of global assistance. In true Girl Scout form, there are reports of Troops pitching in time and energy to the relief efforts across the nation. Numana featured Troop 40258 on their Facebook page and the girls had a cameo of the Channel 10 News. These girls are a fine example of what it means to be a Girl Scout in Kansas. They serve as an inspiration to others and continue to look for ways to contribute. Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the Girl Scout Movement Troop 258! Check online for more photos of Girl Scouts in action. Have a story to share? Email Traci, [email protected] . Wichita Office: 360 Lexington Road, Wichita, Kan. 67218 | (316) 684-6531 | (888) 472-3683 | Fax: (316) 684-4141 To submit stories, contact: Traci Taylor at [email protected] or (316) 684-6531, ext. 526 Wichita and Hutchinson Regions