Some of the 200 girls celebrating 100 years of Girl Scouting in Casper!

Girl Scouts kicked off 2012 with the second in a series of six events celebrating 100 years of Girl Scouting. Girl Scouts journeyed through the 1930s and 904s, an era marked by hardships including the Great Depression, World War II, and the opening years of a post-war world.

This time in American History saw an explosion of big screen idols, musicals, the big band sound, cartooning, and even at-home board games – not to mention the first commercially baked Girl Scout Cookies!

Duct tape picture frames were some of the many activities girls participated in at Casper's Journey Through Girl Scouting.

About 200 Girl Scouts from Montana and Wyoming met and mingled while learning about this time era.

Among the many activity booths, girls made duct tape picture frames (photographs were often the only keepsakes to hold onto as loved ones left to find work or to fight in the war), played popular board games of the time (computers had yet to be developed), gathered supplies to plant a spring garden (Victory Gardens were planted during this time to aid the war effort and provide morale boosts to gardeners), and girls even experienced what some of the first Girl Scout cookies would have tasted like.

Girls also learned about entertainment of the time, from cartoon flip books to the boogie-woogie and other jiving swing dances. Girl Scouts enjoyed simple meals reflecting on this time of want, learning how women and Girl Scouts came to the aide of their country during a time of great need.

Girls then traveled to Cody, Wyoming, to experience the 50s and 60s! Groovy!

See photos from all the Journey Through Girl Scouting events online, and order your keepsake prints today!

The next Journey Through Girl Scouting event is hosted in Missoula on July 13 – 15!

Girls form a congo line while dancing to 50s and 60s music during Cody's Journey Through Girl Scouting.

Two hundred Girl Scouts gathered together in Cody this past weekend to continue the Journey through 100 years of Girl Scouting!

Girl Scouts rocked their way through the 1950s and 1960s. Era-themed activities included microwavable 3-2-1 ice-cream cupcakes, “Money House” Game Show, Sharpie tie-dye bandanas, and a ‘Charlotte’s Web’ web making. Girls also learned how to make their own bubblegum, playdough, and root beer.

Bettie Marie Daniels (a Lifetime Member of Girl Scouting) teaches girls how to make homemade root beer!

Girl Scouts danced around the clock in their best poodle skirts at their very own sock hop. The sleepover continued with popcorn and “Herbie, the Love Bug,” a popular drive in movie of the era.

Jean Harm concluded our Cody Birthday Party the following morning by leading us all in a Girl Scouts Own – “What was your favorite thing about the Cody event?”

A special Thank You to Sandy Luthy, who was the lead on the Cody Journey Through Girl Scouting. This event could not have been done without her and all the volunteers who gave their time to building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.

On to Missoula July 13 – 15! Watch the website for details to be announced!

To celebrate this historic milestone, Girl Scouts of the USA has declared 2012 the Year of the Girl: a celebration of girls, recognition of their leadership potential and a commitment to creating a coalition of like-minded organizations and individuals in support of balanced leadership in the workplace and in communities across the country.

As part of our celebration of a century of service to girls, Girl Scouts of the USA is proud to acknowledge girls born on Girl Scouts’ centennial—March 12, 2012—as members of the 100th Anniversary Troop—and Girl Scouts of Montana and Wyoming would like to scholarship the first year in Girl Scouting for any baby girl born on this day.

100th Anniversary Troop members are eligible to join Girl Scouts of Montana and Wyoming when they enter kindergarten or turn five years old. We hope you’ll think of us when your daughter turns age 5!

Please call Girl Scouts of Montana and Wyoming at 800-736-5243 or visit gsmw.org for details on Girl Scouting, and when the time comes, let us know you’re a member of Troop 2012 and we’ll get your daughter started on her journey through Girl Scouting.

Girls attending any 100th anniversary event will receive a participation patch and matching candle. Collect all six candles for a complete set!

Events continue throughout 2012 in:

• Casper featuring activities from 1932 – 1951 (date TBD)
• Billings will celebrate a century of Girl Scouting during the 2012 Annual Meeting (March 30 – 31)
• Cody featuring activities from 1952 – 1971 (April 21 – 22)
• Missoula featuring activities from 1972 – 1991 (July 13 – 15)
• Cheyenne featuring a sing-a-long at the State Capitol and activities from 1992 – 2012 (dates TBD)

Visit gsmw.org/100th-anniversary/events for the latest event announcements.

The Participation Cake Patch and location-specific candle is available to each registered girl attendee to any of the 100 Year events. Adults have the option of purchasing the patch and candle for $2.00. Additional candles are $.75/each.

The curriculum was developed based on the aMUSE Journey, which combines storytelling with the many roles–both real and creative–that the world offers. In the Journey, girls try on different roles and learn about people and the power of real-life action and leadership.

Camps focused on stereotype-busting projects including creating collages, skits, artwork, and other hands-on projects that incorporated the girls’ artistic talents into the aMUSE Journey.

In Pablo, a puppeteer/storyteller shared her words of wisdom and a puppet show that demonstrated how to perform utilizing vocal tones, expressions, among others. The girls made their own sock puppets, as well as borrowed the storytellers hand puppets to give them a variety of voices and stories.

Girls in Browning also utilized puppetry to discuss different stereotypes and perform skits. Girls creatively inspired each other to consider different career choices, including firefighting.

In Hardin the girls focused on acting and created a play for their families. They had great enthusiasm for acting and taking on the different roles they created.

My Culture, My Story, My Pride: It’s Your Story—Tell It was made possible by Dove with the purpose to provide a fun and age-appropriate leadership experience for girls based on the aMUSE Journey—a leadership curriculum for girls developed by GSUSA and aligned with state and national curriculum standards. Girl Scouts of Montana and Wyoming was awarded the grant to facilitate day camps focused on storytelling and the importance of heritage for girls residing on three of Montana’s largest Native American reservations.

GSMW plans to host additional aMUSE Day Camps in the future. Watch GSMW’s website for more program opportunities.

A troop of Girl Scouts in Kansas are celebrating her October 31 birthday with a service project that has gone nationwide: “Birthday-In-A-Box.” Troops in more than 35 states are participating, and the Kansas Girl Scouts that started the movement hope for participation from every state.

A Birthday-in-a-Box is a self-contained gift box with everything you need to have a Happy Birthday party. Every person needs some recognition of their birthday. However certain circumstances occur that might not make that possible. A Birthday-in-a-Box can make a birthday more special.

Each Birthday-in-a-Box should be delivered to your local food bank or local charity office. The goal is to deliver no later than October 31st, 2011, Juliette Low’s birthday.

Each troop can undertake the Birthday-in-a-Box as a community service project by putting together one or more Birthday Boxes. This project is a way of showing that Girl Scouts care and Girl Scouting is an important part of your community. It is also a wonderful tribute to Juliette Low, founder of Girl Scouting.

Visit the group’s Facebook page for details and to share your participation.

Enjoy free refreshments and learn more about how the Girl Scouts builds girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. A ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at 3:30 p.m. For more information, call 800-736-5243.

Lynette Robbins, Girl Scouts of Montana and Wyoming Program Specialsit, is seen with participants of the 2011 Girls Golf program, held annually in Great Falls. After 28 years of working with youth and the Girl Scouts, Lynette is retiring from the organization in October.

Join Girl Scouts of Montana and Wyoming in celebration of the 28-year Girl Scout career of Lynette Robbins at an Open House and Retirement Party on Tuesday, September 20.

The public is invited to attend the celebration from noon – 2 p.m. at the Great Falls Service Center, 4930 Ninth Avenue South. Come meet the Great Falls staff, learn more about the new Girl Scout Leadership Experience, and discover the fun, friendship and power of Girl Scouting. Light refreshments will be served.

In her extensive time serving the Girl Scouts, Lynette has helped build countless girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. As a staff member specializing in Girl Scout program, Lynette has overseen many events and collaborations throughout the state of Montana focused on the Girl Scout leadership experience, including implementing the hugely successful Girls Golf program in the Great Falls area for which she received a $25,000 grant from the United States Golf Association.

Of the opportunity to channel her passion for volunteerism, working with youth, and the game of golf, Lynette said, “If you’re fortunate in life, you’ll have the opportunity to work at a job you love, and that will make all the difference in life.”

In addition to her work as a staff member of Girl Scouts, Lynette served as a National Board member of the Association of Girl Scout Executive Staff and has been recognized throughout her career for her dedication to the Girl Scout mission. In 2008, Lynette was presented with the Highest Award in adult Girl Scouts, the Thanks Badge and was inducted into the National Association of Girl Scout Executive Staff Hall of Fame, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, in November 2008.

Lynette has also been selected as the YWCA’s 2011 Volunteer and Community Service Honoree, and will be recognized at the 21st annual YWCA Salute to Women on Saturday, September 17 at the Great Falls Airport Convention Center. Each year, the YWCA recognizes women for the work they do in their communities, and Lynette was one of seven women chosen this year for the honor.

“My younger sister from Vancouver is flying in for the award and will be attending with my husband Rick and his son Ryan. I am so honored to be given this award,” Lynette said,

For more information on the Girl Scout Open House and Retirement Party, call 800-736-5243.

• Girl Scouts Rock the Mall event 100th Anniversary Sing-Along on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
• Alumnae/volunteer trip to Our Cabana, Mexico

Both events have registration dates nearing, so be sure to get your registration in right away if planning to attend.

The dates are as follows (starting at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted):
Montana
8/8/2011 Bozeman
8/9/2011 Butte
8/10/2011 Helena
8/11/2011 Kalispell
8/15/2011 Missoula
8/15/2011 Glendive
8/16/2011 Great Falls
8/16/2011 Glasgow
8/17/2011 Billings

Wyoming
8/8/2011 Casper
8/9/2011 Cheyenne
8/10/2011 Rock Springs
8/11/2011 Thermopolis
8/13/2011 Gillette (10 a.m.)

All attendees must register with the Council to attend. Watch for your invitation in the mail to RSVP.