Community service is an integral part of being a Girl Scout which provides girls with the opportunity to develop critical thinking skills (Discover) and practice teamwork (Connect) as well as empowering girls to make changes in the community (Take Action).
Available projects:
- NEW! “Restore a Girl Scout Experience” Relief Fund
Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee (GSMT) has been receiving inquiries from all over asking how to help the Girl Scouts affected by the recent flood in middle Tennessee. GSMT has set up a “Restore a Girl Scout Experience” relief fund. Help a Girl Scout restore her Girl Scout experience by donating to this fund. With this fund, GSMT will replace a girl’s uniform, insignia or even assist with paying for a program registration fee a girl may be registered for but fears may not be able to attend due to financial reasons based on the flood. Visit http://www.gsmidtn.org and click on the banner for more information about this relief fund and to donate securely online.
For GSEM troops participating in any "Restore a Girl Scout Experience" relief efforts for GSMT and the recent historical flooding should report their service through the Seasons of Giving Troop Report (SOG-1) on the GSEM Web site. Service given to the "Restore a Girl Scout Experience" relief efforts should be included in Group 3. Please include "Restore a Girl Scout Experience" efforts in description and amount of cash donation given. Your report is important because it helps GSEM tell the community the impact of service Girl Scouts provide. Questions? Contact Lucretia Penn, 314.592.2337, lpenn@girlscoutsem.org.
History
Council wide service began in 1922 when Girl Scout Troop 10 was asked by the Children’s Aid Society of St. Louis to provide dolls as Christmas gifts for the children under its care. Initially, Festival of Giving was celebrated at Christmas time with a huge gathering at various sites. The Festival grew to such proportions that it was eventually decentralized and held at the District and Neighborhood levels as a year-round service to the Girl Scout community.
In 1996, Festival of Giving was renamed Seasons of Giving to reflect the twelve month commitment of Girl Scouts serving over 200 agencies and thousands of individuals. Girl Scouts have the opportunity to meet many community needs by participating in GSEM council-wide personal care item drive, April Showers held annually in April, giving tangible gifts lovingly made or purchased with troop funds; it is also a time given in visiting, entertaining and writing to the young and old.
How to participate
GSEM encourages all Girl Scouts to participate in service activities. Each year, Seasons of Giving packets are distributed to Troops. Girl Scout Troop/Groups have the opportunity to provide service to:
- Council-wide agencies (Group 1)
- District-wide agencies (Group 2)
- Agencies of their choose (Group 3)
The packet also contains information on how to report their troop/group service beginning Oct. 1 through May 31.
Troop packets: