GWF Day 3 - Quite Possibly My Favorite Overall...

On the third day the delegates were split between 8 different locations in the Chicago area. Each group learned how to "Take Action" with the knowledge we'd acquired during the first two days at the Girls World Forum. Girl Forward, Brookfield Zoo and Iron Garden were some of the organizations that received a little Girl Scout TLC. For information on the Take Action Day at Chicago Cares, check out my friend Lindsay's Blog!

As for me, I was headed to Journey World! Now, I was SO excited about this day because it is a one of a kind experience. Journey World is made up of two floors - one relates to the It's Your World, Change It! Journey and the other is centered around the It's Your Planet, Love It! Journey. I didn't really see how this related to taking action, but I was fine with it either way.

The Transit Station

Made to look like a Subway Station

City Hall (L) and the Chicago Tribune Office (R)



Our program took place on the It's Your World, Change It! floor of Journey World. Basically you walk inside of an office building and when you get off the elevator you are in a mock town. There's City Hall, a newspaper office, production studio, police station, bank, Wellness Center, and about 10 other "businesses" that you would find in a town. Each delegate and chaperone chose a role (without knowing what it was, of course). Then they met up with the other people who would be working at the same business. I was placed as the Accountant at the Chicago Tribune Newspaper which was the second highest paid position behind the Editor of the paper!

Speaking of our Editor, there she (Julia) is on the right, and on the left is the Newspaper staff during their first staff meeting!

We were about an hour late so we didn't get the full experience, but here's what happens when a troop or group comes to Journey World: After getting a job assignment everyone goes back to their business where they find a list of what they need to do. As the Accountant I was in charge of receiving checks from other businesses, paying our bills at the newspaper, and entering all of the transactions in the accounting journal. At the paper some people we assigned to write stories, others took pictures, and one girl was in charge of selling ads for the paper. 

Inside the News Room

My desk at the Chicago Tribune

Some of the businesses (Wellness Center and International Shop to name two) had a person whose job was to makes crafts. During each of our two breaks every employee of the town received a paycheck which could be spent in the shops (including the snack shop where we could buy drinks, popcorn or candy). In order to cash our paychecks we had to fill out a deposit ticket and bring our check to the bank. We had a bank card that had our money on it and to buy things we had to write checks to the shops. Now, if you're over the age of 18 this may not sound like a big deal, but believe me learning how to fill out checks and deposit tickets was a whole new world for the girl delegates! I can only imagine how cool it must be for younger scouts and school groups who come to Journey World.



I have a secret confession - I'm one of only two people from our group who were able to see the It's Your Planet, Love It! floor :) Kim, the chaperone from GSCSNJ, works at Council and was interested in finding out about taking a bus trip there. I happened to be talking to her when the manager of Journey World came by to show her the other floor and she told me to come down with her!! The other floor has a different environment in each room - desert, jungle, ocean, prairie, etc. They also have areas to learn about global warming, climate change, and recycling. I hope that one day I can come back and experience the other program they offer.




After our exciting days around town we had a few hours to prepare for International Night. For those of you in the USA, International Night is basically a giant version of World Thinking Day, but with actual people from the countries that are being represented! The delegates from each Council and Member Organization set up tables with SWAPS, brochures on their area, local food and drink, computer slideshows, flags, and other items that represented their cultures.

Being from NJ we didn't have a particularly exciting display, but I did bring my Brownie vest, info from our communities, salt water taffy, and Girl Scout cookies (if you went to 2011 YWWF you know that's what I'm famous for : ) Of course, the real fun is in seing all of the costumes from the other coutries, trying new foods, and watching all of the wonderful dances/songs/poems that the delegates chose to share.

Anaa from Mexico. She was a 2011 delegate at Our Chalet with me!

Nothing like a room full of different cultures all doing The Chicken Dance!

My wonderful roommate/2010 YWWF delegate/fellow Jersey girl, Jen :)

My new friends from Bangladesh

Seriously, The Chicken Dance unites us all

Janelle, Me, and Jen getting ready to take a silly Facilitator picture

in front of the "national tree of Africa" (it's a long story unless you saw

 the Deforestation presentation at the Zoo!)

I stayed up as long as I possibly could and then Jen and I decided we just needed to veg out in our room. I think we may have also ordered some deepdish Chicago pizza - what a way to end a truly wonderful day :)

GWF Day 2

Day two of the GWF was focused on MDG7 (Environmental Sustainability) and we spent the day out and about at the Brookfield Zoo. The zoo is committed to manyenvironmentally friendly projects and the girls learned a lot about the Earth's resources and the jeopardy that they are in.

We started the day with introductions...and dolphins!

We didn't see any reular ol' dolphin show either. We were treated to something most zoo guests don't get to see - dolphin training! The trainers showed us the husbandry exercises they do with the animals - training them to lie still for a vet, present their fins for a blood draw, etc. For someone who has been fascinated by dolphins their whole life it was definitely a great way to start the day (especially a day that began at 6am!!).

After we finished with the dolphins, the girls and chaperones split into three different (large) groups and rotated through the 3 presentations of the day. The first session for my group was on climate change. The girls viewed a powerpoint presentation about the melting of the polar ice cars, the destruction of the ozone layer, and basically how we are ruining our planet!! The second session was on water, and how it is not an endless resource like people seem to think it is. The girls did an activity where they had to divide up a 5 gallon bucket of water until they found the amount representative of all the drinkable water available on Earth. Needless to say the girls, and some adults, were shocked to find out only a few drops from that huge bucket would equal the drinkable water...something to think about next time to leave the water running while brushing your teeth!

After some free time and lunch we were off to our third and final session where we learned about deforestation. During this session we mostly learned about the push toward using sustainable palm oil. Palm oil is an ingredient in many items we use each day, but unfortunately most companies don't want to spend the money to use sustainable means of harvesting the oil. As a result forests are being cut down and many animals are losing their homes - especially the orangutans. The Forest Stewardship Council is committed to educating people and companies about the dangers of non-sustainable palm oil. I'm proud to say that after seeing this presentation, McKenna was so moved that she decided to make this her forcus for her Take Action project! She is currently (I hope) working on contacting companies explaining to them the benefits of switching to sustainable palm oil. McKenna will also be creating a presentation which can be shown to companies or to fellow scouts so that they can be educated on the crisis.

Then the girls had some free time at the zoo with their chaperones...

Camel!

Do not touch - statue may be hot!

I always hated when my mom made me take pictures like these...

...but fortunately McKenna (L) and Michelle (R) were good sports!

We closed out our day at the zoo by planting a tree....

 And I leave you with a quote that I felt truly applied to GWF and what we were experiencing...



Breaking News!

I'm interrupting the regularly scheduled GWF Day 2 Update in order to share the crazy Girl Scout day that I had yesterday!

Yesterday I came into work and checked my email as I always do. Waiting for me was an email from WAGGGS saying that I was one of the top participants in their Online Leadership Course and I've been invited to serve as a buddy (ie mentor) for the next group who takes the course! This had pretty much been my goal since I found out that they would choose the best to come back - I mean, who doesn't like to hear that they're the best, right? The course was a great experience; it gave me an opportunity to partner with girls from all over the world. In addition to reading materials relating to leadership, the other main component was creating a presentation/brochure/poster/video that could be used to promote the course. Here is our presentation: http://prezi.com/d5u4hcegceyh/e-learning-wagggs/. I was the group leader so I didn't create the presentation - though I did come up with "E Learning: Bringing the Global Classroom to You."

Then a little while later I received a call from a strange number. I did what I always do, which is type it into Google, and I realized it was a call from Girl Scouts of Central and Southern New Jersey (GSCSNJ). They were calling me to find out if I would be interested in taking over as Service Unit Manager (SUM) for the service unit I live in. Apparently they had gotten my volunteer interest form and based on that, and my interview, they decided to offer me the volunteer position. The strange thing is that I never fancied myself a SUM. I was/am more than happy to be a Troop Leader and a Council Facilitator. I have a meeting tomorrow to discuss the opportunity and find out more before I make a decision...

The final piece of the puzzle was finally hearing back from Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey (GSHNJ). They are the Council that I represented at the GWF, but they are an hour north of me :( However, they are having an Open House/Job Fair on Saturday. I was told that they will be contacting me this week so that I can set up an interview! Even though it would be an hour commute, I'm really hoping that something comes of this. I'm very fortunate that many of my Girl Scout "mentors" have offered to serve as references. I hope it's enough to impress them so that I can finally start my Girl Scout career!

Girls World Forum 2012

Rather than making a long post detailing each of my volunteer endeavors I will just kind of recap as things happen. That being said I have a few things to catch up on so let's start with the one most people want to read about: The Girls World Forum (GWF).

Last year I attended the 2011 Young Women's World Forum (YWWF) at Our Chalet in Adelboden, Switzerland. I was one of two delegates from GSUSA. The other, Janelle (who ended up becoming my friend once we realized how much we had in common), went to Sangam in Pune, India. As a result we were both asked to help out as facilitators at the GWF in Chicago this year. Being the crazy person that I am, I also volunteered to chaperone two teenage girls from my council, Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey (GSHNJ).

Me, McKenna, and Michelle at the Brookfield Zoo

Several people have already asked what it was like being a chaperone AND a facilitator, so let's get that out of the way first. I loved both of my roles, and given the choice I don't know that I could pick one over the other. Being able to say that I helped facilitate at a world conference for 500 girls and young women is a pretty amazing acheivement (I am only 25 after all). However, watching two girls experience a forum of this magnitutde was amazing. One of my girls, McKenna (14), wasn't sure what her focus would be after the Forum. Each girl needs to work on a "Take Action" project. It wasn't until our trip to the Brookfield Zoo that McKenna was struck by the effects of using non-sustainable palm oil that everything clicked into place for her. Seeing her come up with an idea, develop a project, and knowing how driven she is to accomplish her goal was nothing short of exceptional. The one thing I will say is that to do BOTH chaperone and facilitate was not my wisest idea. Basically every time the chaperones had a break I had facilitator duties and vice versa. Even on days when I thought I would have a break, sessions would run long and I would have to just go on to the next thing. I spent a week living on very little sleep and lots of coffee. That being said - I wouldn't change it for the world (call me a glutton for punishment!).

Ok, so on to Day 1 - July 12th:

If you have never attended a large scale Girl Scout Opening Ceremony than you need to add it to your personal bucket list. Before the ceremony even started we were all dancing and singing along to the music that was being pumped through the ballroom. Most of the people in the room had only met less than 24 hours prior, but already they were bonded together.

Speaking of bonded, this is me and Lindsay (Girl Scouts of Historic Gerorgia)

 in our uniforms at the Opening Ceremony.

During the ceremony we heard from an inspiring young woman who had battled her own demons and come out on top as the founder and CEO of her own company - All before she was 19 years old. We were also fortunate to hear from GSUSA CEO Anna Maria Chavez (it's always a delight to hear her speak) and GSUSA National President Connie Lindsey.

Anna Maria Chavez, GSUSA CEO

After listening to the speakers and participating in a group sing-a-long (headed up by Melinda Carroll of course, but more on her later in the day) I felt more motivated and empowered than I ever had before. Every Opening Ceremony is so full of hope and drive and female power that I can't help to leave feeling like I'm up on Cloud Nine. The entire ballroom was buzzing and the girls and chaperones were excited to start their first sessions!

The first session of the day for the chaperones (because remember, I facilitated the chaperone program. If you're looking for info on the girl program you've reached the wrong blog) was an overview of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Each chaperone was able to learn about the 3 or 4 MDGs that they knew the least about. The second session was "Honoring the Centenary" where we discussed the 2010 and 2011 YWWFs. Then the chaperones were instructed to visit different tables for a cafe style discussion. Topics included "2010/2011 YWWF," "World Centres," etc.

After lunch we had our last session of the day. It was the only time that the representatives from GSUSA were seperated from other Member Organizations. We discussed the Global Action Theme (GAT) and the Global Action Award (GAA). More information on these can be found here http://www.wagggsworld.org/en/take_action/gat and here http://www.girlscouts.org/who_we_are/global/global_action_award/. We also discussed what Global Girl Scouting looked like at the different age levels. For example - a Daisy might learn about the four World Centres, a Junior might begin to plan a trip/save cookie money, and a Senior/Ambassador might travel to a World Centre or as a part of a destination.

That night we took a double decker bus tour of Chicago. For the first half my girls and I were on the bottom, but then some people were nice enough to let some of the girls go up top so they could get a better view. It was definitely an interesting way to see the town...

However, the coolest part of the night was when we met for our facilitator's meeting and we were surprised by Melinda Carroll! She was asked to join us because one of the girl program facilitators is a superfan. There's nothing like a close personal sing-a-long; singing songs with the woman who wrote them!

*More from GWF Days 2-5 coming soon*



What Makes A Crazy Volunteer?

I could give you the "short" answer, which would be to merely list all of the titles I currently hold (in no specific order of course):

• Girl Scout Leader
• Girl Scout Facilitator (Orientation, Program Level, Outdoor I)
• Young Women's World Forum 2011 Attendee
• Girls World Forum Chaperone (also a Facilitator)
• President of the Princeton Area Junior Women's Club
• NJ State Public Issues Chair (Junior Membership)
• JM Liaison to the GFWC Signature Project: Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention Committee (yes, that one's a mouthful)
• Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Advocate
• Global Leadership Pool Member
• Participant in a pilot WAGGGS Online Leadership Course

...and in my spare time... kidding, of course.

The longer answer is a lot more difficult. I can't really pin down exactly why I volunteer to the extent that I do. All I know is that 21 years ago my mother started my first Daisy troop and I don't think I've looked back ever since. I discovered that picking up trash, collecting canned goods (and coats, backpack supplies, clothing, etc etc), making blue bears for the rescue squad, delivering meals on wheels, or reading to kids at a low income daycare center was my source of happiness.

This is me as a Girl Scout Cadette with my sister,

Victoria, then a Junior Girl Scout

I guess that's the simplest way to explain it - I volunteer because it's what keeps me going. What I've seen reminds me that I may be having a tough day, but at least I have clean drinking water...and don't have to worry about being banned from school because I'm a girl....and I know where my next meal is coming from (even if some days I don't want to cook it : ) The reason why I volunteer is because I love to see the joy on someone's face when they know that their children will now have Christmas gifts because of a donation my club made. Or the realization on a young girl's face when it clicks and she knows how she wants to "Take Action" in her community.

Facilitating a self esteem working at the 2012 Girls World Forum

Volunteerism is my main vice. I say that because when I feel the gratitude, joy, and love radiating off of people I help it's a high. There's no other way to explain it. And that high keeps me going - through my own health problems, crazy family problems, work stress, and anything else that comes my way.

My goal here is to share my volunteer experience. Maybe it'll help you when you need a project for your Daisy meeting (that starts in an hour) or perhaps it'll give you a great idea for a service project that would help your community. Either way, it's my way of finding another avenue to "give back." And I promise, it's going to be one heck of a ride....

Long Range Planning Meeting for the NJSFWC Jersey Juniors!