It is my pleasure to pass along to those of you who haven’t heard, news of a great honor being bestowed on one of our board members. On October 29, Marion Alexander will be receiving a 2010 Jefferson Award at a dinner being held at the Sheraton Harrisburg-Hershey Hotel. WGAL 8, PSECU and several area United Ways join together each year to honor local volunteers with The Jefferson Awards. The Jefferson Awards recognize the highest ideals and achievements in the field of public service in the Susquehanna Valley. Founded in 1973, they were named after Thomas Jefferson because of his insight into the value of public service and his belief in the importance of giving of ones self to help others in need. This special award highlights the countless private individuals who are performing extraordinary public services in their local communities. Some are paid; others are volunteers; most are unrecognized. The Jefferson Award is a 2 1/2 inch proof medallion, gold on silver, featuring a replica of the Seal of the United States on the front and “In Recognition of Outstanding Public Service” on the reverse. The Jefferson Awards are donated as a public service by the Franklin Mint. We all know how hard Marion works on behalf of GSHPA, most notably as co-chair of our Fund Development Committee. Marion has also served on the boards of a number of other community organizations including the United Way of the Capital Region, Whitaker Center, Allied Arts, Susquehanna Art Museum, Goodwill, Family and Children’s Services, YWCA, and Dauphin County Library System. Marion has received a number of recognitions for her work in the community including the Community Supporter of the Arts Award in 2003, Central Pennsylvania Fund Raising Council Outstanding Volunteer Award in 2002, Alexis de Tocqueville Humanitarian Award in 1997, John Baum Humanitarian Award in 1996, and the Community Child Advocate Award in 1995. Please join me in congratulating Marion on this much deserved honor. Kate

Click for» Farewell to a Lifelong Girl Scout:

A look back at the life of Ginny Denn, who was a Girl Scout for more than 70 years!

Ginny, as she was known to friends and family, joined Girl Scouts when she was 10 years old and made a career in Girl Scouting, serving professionally since 1953.
Denn served as an administrative director for Girl Scouts of America her entire working career.

Here’s a note from Kate Crowley, Chair Elect:

Dear Girls CAN! member:

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself.  Presently I serve as Board Secretary for the Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania, a position I have held since the council was created in May 2007.  Prior to that, I served on the board of one of the legacy councils.  I am truly honored to now be nominated to be the next GSHPA board chair.  There is no doubt that we still have challenges ahead but with your help and ongoing passion for our organization and indeed, for all the girls we serve, we can meet those challenges head on.

The membership will consider the entire slate of nominations at the upcoming GSHPA Annual Meeting on Saturday, May 2, 2009.  The event will be held at the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds from 10:30 am until 3:00 pm.  In addition to our business meeting, we are planning a reunion picnic lunch, a special adult volunteer recognition program, a bridging ceremony for graduating senior Girl Scouts, and of course lots of fun with friends and other loyal Girl Scout supporters like yourself.    

So, won’t you consider joining us on May 2nd.  Everyone on the board would be delighted to have you attend.  A link to the registration form can be found at http://www.gshpa.org/home/delegate_info.html.

If you are unable to attend, we will certainly miss you but we promise to keep you apprised of all the exciting things going on with Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania!

Sincerely,
Kate Crowley
Chair-Elect

[The following is from Anne M. Reitzes, our Chief Operating Officer.  If anyone is interested, please contact Anne directly.]

Hi Rod,

We have a few spots available for CAN volunteers that would like to join the GSHPA Scholarship Committee. 
Those that are interested would be asked to help review the girl applications and select the scholarship recipients. 
The scholarship committee will meet the evening of May 20th in Pine Grove to select the recipients. 
Prior to that meeting the committee members will review the applications on their own so that the face to face committee meeting is focused on selecting the final recipients.

Would you mind forwarding this information to the CAN distribution list? 
Any CAN volunteer that is interested in serving on this committee this year should contact me.

Thank you, Rod!

Anne

Anne M. Reitzes, M.Ed.
Chief Operating Officer
Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania
Harrisburg Service Center | 350 Hale Avenue | Harrisburg, PA 17104
Toll Free: 800.692.7816 x1003 | Fax: 717.234.5097

From:           Kathy Cloninger, National CEO

Subject:        White House Council on Women and Girls

Date:           March 12, 2009

Yesterday, President Obama signed an Executive Order to create the White House Council on Women and Girls to establish a coordinated federal response to issues that particularly impact the lives of women and girls. The Council will ensure that federal programs and policies address the distinctive concerns of women and girls, and reach out to nonprofit organizations and other agencies and officials that can assist with the Council’s development..

At the signing, President Obama said: “So now it’s up to us … to ensure that our daughters and granddaughters have no limits on their dreams, no obstacles to their achievements — and that they have opportunities their mothers and grandmothers and great grandmothers never dreamed of.  That’s the purpose of this Council.”  

Girl Scouts is very excited about the Council and was pleased to be present at the President’s announcement yesterday; in fact, we are a founding mother. While the proposal to the White House for a council on women came from a group of 40 women’s organizations, Girl Scouts of the USA proposed a commission on girls. The Council is a combination of both ideas. It is our expectation to work closely with key players in the Council and the White House. In that spirit, tomorrow we are having a conference call with Valerie Jarrett, Chair of the Council, and the Council’s Executive Director. 

I have attached the Executive Order the President signed as well as the remarks he made, which are pasted below. If you have any thoughts about this Council, please contact Laurie A. Westley, Senior Vice President, Public Policy, Advocacy and the Research Institute at LWestley@girlscouts.org.

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release                                                          March 11, 2009

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT

AT SIGNING OF EXECUTIVE ORDER

CREATING THE WHITE HOUSE COUNCIL ON WOMEN AND GIRLS

East Room

1:31 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you so much.  Well, today, as we continue our celebration of International Women’s History Month, I’m proud to sign this executive order establishing the women’s — the White House Council on Women and Girls.  It’s a Council with a mission that dates back to our founding:  to fulfill the promise of our democracy for all our people. 

I sign this order not just as a President, but as a son, a grandson, a husband, and a father, because growing up, I saw my mother put herself through school and follow her passion for helping others.  But I also saw how she struggled to raise me and my sister on her own, worrying about how she’d pay the bills and educate herself and provide for us.

I saw my grandmother work her way up to become one of the first women bank vice presidents in the state of Hawaii, but I also saw how she hit a glass ceiling — how men no more qualified than she was kept moving up the corporate ladder ahead of her.

I’ve seen Michelle, the rock of the Obama family — (laughter) — juggling work and parenting with more skill and grace than anybody that I know.  But I also saw how it tore at her at times, how sometimes when she was with the girls she was worrying about work, and when she was at work she was worrying about the girls.  It’s a feeling that I share every day.

In so many ways, the stories of the women in my life reflect the broader story of women in this country — a story of both unyielding progress and also untapped potential.

Today, women make up a growing share of our workforce and the majority of students in our colleges and our law schools.  Women are breaking barriers in every field, from science and business to athletics and the Armed Forces.  Women are serving at the highest levels of my administration.  And we have Madam Speaker presiding over our House of Representatives.  (Applause.)  I had the privilege of participating in a historic campaign with a historic candidate, who we now have the privilege of calling Madam Secretary. 

But at the same time, when women still earn just 78 cents for every dollar men make; when one in four women still experiences domestic violence in their lifetimes; when women are more than half of our population, but just 17 percent of our Congress; when women are 49 percent of the workforce, but only 3 percent of our Fortune 500 CEOs — when these inequalities stubbornly persist in this country, in this century, then I think we need to ask ourselves some hard questions.  I think we need to take a hard look at where we’re falling short, and who we’re leaving out, and what that means for the prosperity and the vitality of our nation.

And I want to be very clear:  These issues are not just women’s issues.  When women make less than men for the same work, it hurts families who find themselves with less income, and have to work harder just to get by.  When a job doesn’t offer family leave, that also hurts men who want to help care for a new baby or an ailing parent.  When there’s no affordable child care, that hurts children who wind up in second-rate care, or spending afternoons alone in front of the television set.

And when any of our citizens cannot fulfill their potential because of factors that have nothing to do with their talent, their character, their work ethic, that says something about the state of our democracy.  It says something about whether we’re honoring those words put on paper more than two centuries ago — whether we’re doing our part, like generations before us, to breathe new life into them in our time. 

That, above all, is the true purpose of our government.  Not to guarantee our success, but to ensure that in America, all things are still possible for all people.  Not to solve all our problems, but to ensure that we all have the chance to pursue our own version of happiness.  To give our daughters the chance to achieve as greatly as the women who join us today.  That’s the impact our government can have.

It’s the impact of a Health and Human Services Department that funds research by women like Dr. Nina Fedoroff, a biotechnology and life science pioneer — (applause) — who won the National Medal of Science in 2006.  It’s the impact of a Defense Department that works to recruit and promote women — women, so that women like Sergeant Major Michele Jones, who was the Army’s highest ranking enlisted woman before she retired, can strengthen our military with their leadership.  (Applause.) 

It’s the impact of a Department of Education that enforces Title IX, so athletes like — (applause) — so athletes like Olympic gold medalist Dominique Dawes and Lisa Leslie — (applause) — have a level playing field to compete and to win.  It’s the impact of a White House and a Congress that fight for legislation like the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act, so that all women can get paid what they deserve.  (Applause.)  I’m very proud this was the very first bill that I signed into law. 

And that’s why I’m establishing this Council — not just to continue efforts like these, but to enhance them.  The Council will be composed of the heads of every Cabinet and Cabinet-level agency, and will meet on a regular basis.  We have many of those Cabinet members here.  Some of the men showed up — we put them in the second row.  (Laughter.)  But they’re going to be fighting — (applause) — they’re going to be part of this Council, and it’s going to meet on a regular basis. 

Its purpose is very simple:  to ensure that each of the agencies in which they’re charged takes into account the needs of women and girls in the policies they draft, the programs they create, the legislation they support.  It’s not enough to only have individual women’s offices at individual agencies, or only have one office in the White House.  Rather, as former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright once said, in our government, “¼responsibility for the advancement of women is not the job of any one agency, it’s the job of all of them.”  (Applause.)  And she should know — she helped lead an interagency women’s initiative during the Clinton administration. 

At the same time, given the critical importance of its work, this Council must have strong leadership from the White House, and direct accountability to me.  And that’s why I’m appointing Valerie Jarrett, one of my closest advisors and most senior members of my administration, to lead it.  Tina Tchen, another senior member of my White House staff, will serve as the Council’s Executive Director.

In the end, while many of the challenges women and girls face are new, the work of this Council is not — it’s been with us for generations.  Frances Perkins, who was President Franklin Roosevelt’s Secretary of Labor, and the first woman to serve in the Cabinet — a great hero of the New Deal — described it well when she said, “¼I had a kind of duty to other women to walk in and sit down on the chair that was offered, and so establish the rights of others long hence and far distant in geography to sit in the high seats.”  To sit in the high seats.

That is why I’m standing here today, because of what my mother and grandmother did for me, because of their hard work and sacrifice and unflagging love.  That’s what Michelle is doing right now, thinking every day about making sure that Malia and Sasha have the same opportunities as anybody’s sons do.  That’s why so many of us are here today, because of the women who came before us, who were determined to see us sit in the high seats:  women who reached for the ballot, and raised families, and traveled long, lonely roads to be the first in the boardroom or in the courtroom or on the battlefield and in the factory floor; women who cracked and shattered those glass ceilings, so that my daughters — and all of our sons and daughters — could dream a little bigger and reach a little higher.

So now it’s up to us to carry that work forward, to ensure that our daughters and granddaughters have no limits on their dreams, no obstacles to their achievements — and that they have opportunities their mothers and grandmothers and great grandmothers never dreamed of.  That’s the purpose of this Council.  Those are the priorities of my presidency.   And I look forward to working with all of you to fulfill them in the months and years to come.

All right, so I’m going to go sign this thing.  Thank you very much..

eowomenandgirls

Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania chooses new CEO

Harrisburg, PA, March 5, 2009

—Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania has appointed a new President and Chief Executive Officer, according to board chair E. Lee Beard. “After a national search that resulted in an exceptional slate of qualified candidates, the board today ratified the unanimous recommendation of the search committee and appointed Jane Ransom as CEO for the council.”

Jane Ransom is currently executive director of the International Women’s Media Foundation, based in Washington, DC. IWMF’s mission is to strengthen the role of women in the news media worldwide as a means to further freedom of the press.

A long-time advocate for women and girls, Jane Ransom served from 1992-1998 as Executive Director for Central Pennsylvania Legal Services headquartered in Harrisburg and then as president and CEO of the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota – a community foundation that champions economic, political and social equality for women and girls – which she led through a period of major renewal and growth.

 ”Jane Ransom is the right executive at the right time for our organization,” noted Mindy Inners (York, Pa), co-chair of the board’s search committee. Added Laura Muia (Scranton, Pa), also co-chair of the search committee, “We are indeed fortunate to have found a leader of Jane’s quality and experience to be the champion for girls and young women in the Heart of Pennsylvania at such an important time in our Girl Scout Council’s evolution.”

The board was assisted in its efforts by BoardWalk Consulting, an Atlanta-based firm specializing in executive search, board governance and strategic facilitation for nonprofits. Other members of the search committee included Mary Malone (Hazleton, Pa), Karen Shustack (Harrisburg, Pa), Flora Poulos (Leola, Pa), Merry-Grace Majors (Harrisburg, Pa), Tonya Hartman (Orwigsburg, Pa).

In accepting the board’s appointment, Ransom said, “The need for comprehensive leadership development of girls and young women has never been clearer. I feel privileged to have been asked to serve such a wonderful cause and such committed volunteers.”

Ransom will begin her service as CEO on May 1, 2009, based at GSHPA’s Harrisburg headquarters. She and her husband, John Ransom, an associate professor of political science at Dickinson College, will continue to reside in Carlisle.

Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania (“GSHPA”) was formed in May 2007 from the merger of four councils (Penn’s Woods, Scranton-Pocono, Penn Laurel and Hemlock) serving 30 counties in Central and Northeast Pennsylvania . GSHPA presently serves nearly 38,000 Girl Scouts and 14,000 adult volunteers in nearly 3,500 troops.

Said board chair Lee Beard, “Our organization was launched with a renewed commitment to leadership development—helping girls and women discover their full potential, connect with others from diverse backgrounds and experiences, and take action on the important issues affecting their lives and their communities. We are excited that Jane Ransom will apply her record of success in all three areas to the collective benefit of the communities we embrace.”

Jane has served as communications chair for the United Way of York County, Pennsylvania, among other community involvements as a resident of the Commonwealth.

Ransom holds a master’s degree in public administration from the Bernard M. Baruch College of City University of New York and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history from Kent State University.

Since July 2008, GSHPA has been capably led by GSUSA Interim CEO Shirley Valentine-Attoh. “We are deeply indebted to Shirley for her stable hand during our transition to permanent leadership,” noted the board in a resolution.For more information contact Chad Smith,

Communications Manager for Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pa 350 Hale Ave, Harrisburg, Pa. 17104

phone 717-233-1656 x 1026

or

csmith@gshpa.org

####

Following is a note from network member Jessica Hopkins on behalf of Education.com; it regards our mission. Enjoy!
 

Hey Rod,

As active supporters of the Girl Scouts, you already know why it’s such a great organization for women and girls. Education.com, an online resource for parents and educators agrees. I wanted to share some more of the excellent benefits that participating in Girl Scouts offers: Click here for: Why the Girl Scouts Matter

Characterized by generations of women pioneering social causes like non-violence and health & fitness, Education.com knows that the Girl Scouts offer so much more to girls than irresistible cookies.

Feel free to share with your troop (and we would love it if you posted on Girls CAN!), and please let me know what you think. Look forward to hearing back!

Best,
Jessica

Jessica Hopkins
360i on behalf of Education.com

[We celebrate a job well done by our dear friend Cindy!  Please note below!]

Rod,

Perhaps you want to notify the GIRLS CAN group about the Blue Ribbon Foundation Wellness grant GSHPA received.   It’s listed on the cover page of this newsletter.

Cindy Garren

Girl Scouts in the Heart of PA

Director of Community Development – Northeast Region

242 Airport Road

Hazleton, PA  18201

570.501.2604 ext 1403  NEW EXTENSION

570.501.2325  fax

1-800-692-7816

“In Girl Scouts, leadership isn’t just about building future leaders–it’s about building girl leaders for today.” 

Kathy Cloninger, CEO, Girl Scouts of the United States

Sent: Thursday, January 08, 2009 4:00 PM
Subject: The Blue Ribbon Foundation of Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania – January 2009 E-newsletter

Health and Wellness Grants

Foundation Grants Just Approved

Health and Wellness Mini-Grants: Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania Shape Up Stars – Healthy Living Program Monroe, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and  Wyoming Counties $10,000 The “Shape Up Stars” Healthy Living Program is designed to positively influence lifestyle choices in girls ages 5 to 17. Small group sessions are used to raise girls’ awareness and teach them techniques for substance free living, healthy eating, active living, personal safety and emotional well-being. The Foundation’s grant will be used to deliver the program to 250 female students in five school districts across five counties. Sullivan County Victim Services will partner with all schools in the Sullivan County School District to offer age-appropriate education on topics such as bullying, anger management, domestic violence, Internet safety and sexual assault to 700 students, grades K through 12.

CLICK HERE TO TAKE SURVEY

Please take just a few minutes to complete this GSHPA survey; it is most important that the Girls CAN! group take part in this task.

This invitation comes from our good friend Jonathan.

CLICK HERE TO TAKE SURVEY

[this post sent in by Stephanie]

November 7, 2008

Dear Volunteers,

Today, Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania  announced to staff that we will be reducing the staff team by about 30 staff members.    We are saddened by the change but it is necessary to control costs and manage the budget.  We are committed to not spending more money than we bring in; a balanced budget is necessary for our Girl Scout Council.

In order to enhance service to our volunteers, girls and the communities we serve, we will be moving to a regionalized structure.  This structure was determined by our membership numbers, girls 5-17 years of age population, and opportunity for increased local funding opportunities.

The regions are defined as follows:

*         West Region:  5 Counties – Clinton, Centre, Mifflin, Huntingdon, Juniata; 1 office located in Centre County (19,000 total available girls)

*         Central Region:  8 Counties – Lycoming, Sullivan, Columbia, Montour, Schuylkill, Northumberland, Union, Snyder; 1 office located in Lycoming County (39,000 total available girls)

*         North Region:  8 Counties – Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike, Lackawanna, Wyoming, Luzerne, Carbon, Monroe; 2 offices – 1 in Lackawanna, 1 in Luzerne (73,000 total available girls)

*         South Central Region: 6 Counties – Lebanon, Dauphin, Perry, Cumberland, Fulton, Franklin; 1 office in Dauphin County (68,000 total available girls)

*         South Region: 3 Counties – Adams, York, Lancaster; 3 offices – 1 in each county (82,000 available girls.)

Any volunteer or family may utilize any Service Center that is convenient to them.

As we move forward, we anticipate many changes.   We will be reaching out to you and our volunteer teams and committees to solicit your feedback and assistance in developing a structure that will meet your needs.  We look forward to your ideas about moving the council forward.

From now through January 5, the management teams will be working to staff our new regional structure.   Once the new structure is in place, there will be additional change as we adjust our way of work.  With such a large reduction of staff,  some of the core functions will be reduced or eliminated and we will look to our volunteers teams to assist us in many of the decisions.

While we have not finalized all the details of what is to come, we continue to be committed to you, the girls and members of GSHPA.  More information will follow as it is available.

Thank you for ALL you do for Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania and our girls.