FALL 2011 - Girl Scouts of Rhode Island

A warm welcome to
Jean-Ann McGrane,
GSRI's new CEO
See inside for her story!
FALL 2011
Girl Scouts of Rhode Island , Inc.
Including Attleboro, Bellingham, Blackstone, Fall River, Millville,
North Attleborough, Plainville, Rehoboth, Seekonk, Somerset,
Swansea, Westport, and Wrentham, MA and Pawcatuck, CT

Multi-generational campers...
TROOP #359's
Journey Story
Submitted by Troop Leader Maribeth Maher
Foster Junior Troop #359
completed their first Journey,
Agents of Change, this spring by
partnering with Adoption RI.
The girls brainstormed about
their individual interests and
how they could be helpful in the
community. They discovered their
common interest to help children
without families of their own.
The troop contacted Adoption RI
and formed an action plan. Troop
members collected stuffed
animals for children in the
adoption program, and learned
about the adoption process and
the needs of children in our area.
During the troop's visit to Adoption
RI, each girl made a "Life Book," a
personal journal in which adoptees
record events in their lives. It is a
special keepsake that a child takes
with them wherever they go. After
visiting Adoption RI, Troop #359
decided to purchase scrapbooking
supplies to donate to the program
for the creation of Life Books. The
agency was designated as the
beneficiary of our 2011 Cookie
Share project.
It was a great experience for all.
We thank those involved who
were kind enough to share their
time with us!
Camp Hoffman
Celebrates 90 Years
Past met present on Saturday, July 9, 2011 when 200 campers,
counselors and directors from Camp Hoffman’s past visited
Camp Hoffman to help celebrate its 90th anniversary.
Attendees came from all over New England and as far away
as Alaska and the United Kingdom! F. “Harriet” Dever of
Providence, a leader who took her troop to Camp Hoffman in the early to mid-
Harriet tD Dever (L),
1945, Camp Hoffman,
New Old House.
1940’s, was also in attendance. Said Harriet, “I’ve been a Girl Scout for 75 years. I
bet nobody here can beat that record!”
The morning started with a procession of
current campers – at Camp Hoffman for a
Great Escape weekend -- who marched in
from the four corners of the camp singing
g
the Camp Hoffman song. Five directors of
Camp Hoffman – past and present -- were
introduced. While the
day
was
steamy,
attendees ees took
ok it easy
and
enjoyed
ed
renewing old friendships, taking a stroll down
memory lane, and exploring some
of the camp’s latest additions, including ing the incredible ible
new
challenge course.
For those who needed ed a little help getting ting
around, Dan
Webster e and
Ken
Buteau
u
were happy to offer tractor-led hayride tours!
Old memories were relived, but
new
memories were
also created. Just
ask
Sheila
(Loughnane) Acciardo from Cranston. For
years she’d been trying to track down
a copy of a GSRI summer camp
catalog alog
from the 1950’s that t featured ed
her
photo
on the cover so that t she could show her grandchildren. ren.
With the
help of Joan
Breen,
museum committee te
e member, mber
she found it at the
museum’s um
special exhibit it at Camp
Hoffman. fman
According
to Sheila, “After two minutes of leafing through folders,
tears came pouring out
of my
eyes. In my hands was
the brochure re I had
remembered embe
red so clearly ly but
had
been
looking for for so many years. I was
beside myself and
gave
Joan a big
hug!”
The 1955 GSRI summer camp catalog, featuring a photo
of Sheila (Loughnane) Acciardo as a girl.

Girl Scouts of Rhode Island Welcomes New CEO
On August 22, 2011, GSRI welcomes Jean-Ann
McGrane as our new CEO. Building on the
foundation laid by Jan Feyler, she will focus on
bringing us into the next 100 years.
She comes to us after 10 years as President
of J. A. McGrane & Associates, a consulting
organization in Gardiner, New York, specializing in
solutions to complex conservation and economic
development issues. Before that, she was
City Manager of Newburgh, New York; Regional
Director of the New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation; and Assistant
Vice President of the New York City Health and
Hospitals Corporation.
McGrane is originally a Rhode Islander, and
is excited about the opportunity to lead the
organization that did so much to shape the person
she has become. “My passion for preserving and
protecting the environment and my commitment
to initiatives that support strong communities
stem directly from my years at Camp Hoffman,
where I was a camper starting at 7 years old,”
she says. “I’m thrilled to help enable the next
generation of girls to become leaders who will
ensure the long-term health of our planet.”
“My first priority is getting to know the Girl Scout
team – the staff, board, volunteers and girls,”
says McGrane. “You are the heart and soul of
the organization – the reason it exists and keeps
going.” She will focus on membership growth
and the organization’s fiscal stability. “Girl
Scouts can enhance what other organizations
are doing, and vice versa,” she says. “There’s a
tremendous opportunity for synergy in projects
like go-green and women’s leadership.”
McGrane is an avid hiker, cyclist and swimmer,
a choral singer and artist who looks forward to
creating landscapes of Rhode Island.
New Robotics
Program
GSRI’s new Robotics
Program will begin this
fall, with the first meeting
scheduled for September 22, 2011.
Girls in 4th-8th grades will compete
with other teams around the state, and
possibly the nation! Stacey Pride and
Roberta Dowding, team leaders, get
excited when they hear the girls talking
about building the robot they will need to
complete the challenge.
The team will meet throughout the
fall and winter to prepare for the
competition in 2012, which includes
fundraising for the equipment and
entrance fees. If you are interested
in joining the team, helping out (no
experience necessary), or helping the
team reach their financial goal please
contact Amber Fearn at afearn@gsri.org.
The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting!
NEW BADGES! NEW HANDBOOKS!
GSUSA is in the process of introducing new and revised
program resources. The Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting,
the new badge and handbook series, will be available
for purchase beginning fall 2011. The Girl’s Guide to Girl
Scouting—one developed for each grade level—will include
a variety of badge offerings, handbook sections covering
traditions and history, Cookie badges, an awards log, and much more.
All other Girl Scout books and resources will gradually be retired. GSUSA will retire
some current Try-It's, Junior badges, and interest project patches, and will update
others. We highly recommend purchasing your awards early to ensure availability.
Badges are here to stay. Remember, badges give girls topic- specific skill-building
activities. Journey awards give girls opportunities to explore the three keys to
leadership! A line of new badges will be introduced and a selection of out-dated
badges will be retired. The new badges will combine contemporary topics of
interest to girls and long-time favorite activities.
Workshops on the new materials will be held at Service Unit meetings in the fall.
Once the GSRI shops are fully stocked, we will begin to hold hands-on workshops
throughout the council. Check with your SUM or PC to see when one is scheduled
in your service area.

Girl Scouts Rock the Mall:
100th Anniversary Sing-Along on the
National Mall in Washington, DC
It’s official. Bring your troop, your
daughters and friends and join
your Girl Scout sisters from around
the world on the National Mall on
Saturday, June 9, 2012. The Girl
Scout Council of the Nation's Capital (GSCNC) and its co-host, the Girl
Scouts of the USA, plan to celebrate our 100th Anniversary in true Girl
Scout fashion: with songs.
Since the Girl Scout movement was founded in 1912 by Juliette Gordon
Low, we have used songs to celebrate friendship and express our
commitment to girls' leadership. The Girl Scouts have a long tradition
of holding a Sing-Along on the National Mall. We gathered for the 85th,
90th and 95th anniversary.
Online registration, which includes a commemorative
T-shirt and patch, will begin in January 2012. We invite you
to visit www.gsri.org for updates to this fun event and other
local events celebrating 100 years of Girl Scouting, including
the requirements for our own 100th Anniversary Patch.
Bobbi Lee Chamberlin
& Crystal Godin
are awarded
Appreciation Pins
Urban Outreach Leaders, Crystal Godin and Bobbi Lee Chamberlin
were awarded Girl Scout Appreciation Pins for their exemplary service
to girls in urban neighborhoods.
Crystal has been a troop leader in Central Falls for 8 years and is always
looking for ways for more girls to participate. She is also an outstanding
Urban Outreach leader in Providence, Pawtucket, and Central Falls
-- serving 100+ girls each year. This spring, her Central Falls troop
planned a father/daughter dance and invited all the Pawtucket troops
to attend. Crystal’s determination that all girls feel included and valued
as Girl Scouts is much appreciated by the girls and their families.
Bobbi shared her wisdom, compassion and enthusiasm for life with
260 girls in 2011 alone! While Bobbi loves to have fun, she is not afraid
to take on the tough issues. In 2010, she piloted a No Bully Zone
program with her after-school troops, and then compiled a leader
guide and trained the Urban Outreach staff to run the program. Last
spring, her girls wrote essays on “What It Means to be a Girl Scout”.
Jamila wrote “…..I know I will achieve and succeed from being in the Girl
Scouts. Also I would always look up to my inspiration Mrs. Bobbi.”
2010/11 Adult Recognitions
THANKS BADGE II
Janet A. Feyler
Cranston
HONOR PIN
Lois Dexter
North Kingstown*
Kerrie Foley
North Kingstown*
Judy Lonardo
East Greenwich*
Colleen McBride
Rehoboth*
Christine Roy
Harrisville*
APPRECIATION PIN
Bobbi Chamberlin East Providence
Linda Fallin
Woonsocket
Kevin Gareau
Foster*
Crystal Godin
Central Falls
Donna Lewis
Attleboro*
Ruth Maille
Bristol
OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEER
Karie Hebert
Harrisville
Carla Pereira
Wrentham, MA
Loren (Trish) Ybarrondo Middletown
OUTSTANDING LEADER
Susan Jalette
West Kingston
KIT HAMMETT
Candis Boucher
Chepachet
Christina Craig
Wakefield
Linda Finn
Middletown
Danielle Engel
Woonsocket
Dawn Prewitt
Chepachet
GREEN ANGEL
Martine Descoteaux Bellingham
John Hughes
East Greenwich
MILESTONES OF MEMBERSHIP
Dorothy Crum Wichita, KS 60 years
Freda Lehrer Cranston 55 years*
Ruth Sleicher North Kingstown 55 years*
Winifred Weeden Chariho 55 years
Carol Forgette Ocala, Fl 45 years
Kathryn L. Gann North Providence 45 years
Susan E. Anderson Tiverton 40 years
Maureen Van Herpe Chepachet 40 years
Patti Hall East Providence 35 years
Gert Shea Warwick 35 years
Madalyn “Pat” Smith Pawtucket 30 years
Diane Pelrine Wrentham, MA 30 years
Cynthia Anderson Wakefield 25 years
Karen Benvenuto Middletown 25 years
Louise Moore Slatersville 25 years
Kate Pickle New York 20 years
Jennifer Gervais West Greenwich 10 years
VOLUNTEER YEARS OF SERVICE
Margaret Richmond Providence 40 years*
Jeanine Gawthrope Wrentham, MA 25 years
Colleen McBride Rehoboth, MA 15 years*
Lynn Wainwright Bristol 10 years
Laura Pelrine Wrentham, MA 5 years
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PIN
Carolyn Cava
East Greenwich
June Fischer
East Greenwich
*Presented at the Annual Meeting

Girl Scouts turns boring days into days
you'll remeber all your life.
Do you know of a girl that is interested in
becoming a Girl Scout? Now is the time to join!
Girl Scouts of Rhode Island will be holding registration events throughout
our jurisdiction on Saturday, September 10, 2011. Now more than ever
girls have a chance to choose their Pathway into Girl Scouts by joining a
troop, signing up for a one time event, attending a series of events that
are of special interest, going camping, traveling – or all of the above! The
possibilities are endless! Please visit our website at www.gsri.org to get
specific information on registration events in your area!
Do you have a special talent that you want to share?
There are more ways than ever to volunteer. Think it's a
full-year commitment? Think again.
Today’s Girl Scouts offers all kinds of flexible ways to participate. It’s not just
about being a troop leader any more – spend a day coaching a sports clinic
or an afternoon running a career mentoring workshop. The opportunities
are endless and the time commitment is totally up to you. Please visit
www.gsri.org today!
Investing in Today
The Girl Scouts of Rhode Island will once again offer two fall product sale
programs: the QSP Be a Reader magazine sale and the Ashdon Farms
candy and nut sale. Girls from Daisies to Ambassadors, in all Pathways,
can earn incentives and participate in activities throughout the sale that
can help them to make decisions, exercise their
people skills, and manage money so that they can
reach their goals. Troops can earn proceeds for
troop activities and at the same time build selfconfidence,
learn strong values and how to work
as a team when they participate in these
programs. The sale of these products to
family and friends also benefits the many
services, programs, and events that are
offered by the council each year. For more
information about the fall sale, visit www.gsri.org.
Success for Tomorrow!
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
September 12-October 28 Girls take
orders for magazine subscriptions/renewals
and candy/nuts
October 30 Orders are due to the troop
leader or Product Sales Coordinator
November 16-18 Candy and nuts are
delivered to participating service units. Girls
then begin to deliver the product

Nonprofit
Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Providence, RI
Permit No. 220
Shop News
Just in time for a new troop year! You can now shop online at
www.gsri.org for Girl Scout uniforms, equipment, badges, books,
gift items, and 100 Years of Girl Scouting memorabilia – all from the
comfort of your home. Leaders, families and friends are all
welcome. We regularly stock the merchandise found in the Girl
Scout catalog in addition to extras and exclusive merchandise with
our council name. We accept VISA, MasterCard and American
Express. Our shipping rates are very reasonable and most orders
will arrive in just a day or two. If there are items you’d like to see
offered by the online store, just email us at shop@gsri.org and
we’d be happy to consider your suggestion! And, remember, the
proceeds from our Girl Scout shops and our online shop benefit
the girls right here in our own council. A special thanks to Allison
Rich, Shop Manager at Girl Scouts of Central & Western MA for so
patiently answering our many questions!
In response to GSUSA’s plan to retire some Try-Its, Badges and
Interest Project Awards, the GSRI Shops will not be able to offer
exchanges/returns of these items after September 30, 2011. We
encourage you to check on the availability of any of these items
before planning events. Please shop early for awards to make sure
you are able to get sufficient quantities.
SHOP OUR 100 YEARS OF
GIRL SCOUTING MEMORABILIA!
Pencil
Set
Bumper
Sticker
Pen Set
Silvertone
Earrings
Goldtone
Earrings
125 Charles Street
Providence, RI 02904-2274
www.gsri.org
FALL 2011
CANAL HOUSE SHOP
125 Charles Street, Providence, RI
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8am-5:30pm
Saturday, 10am-2pm
Major credit cards accepted. Free parking at both locations.
(401) 331-4500 or (800) 331-0149 ext. 1201
We would like to thank our sponsors:
EW Burman
FRIENDSHIP SHOP
Camp Hoffman, W. Kingston, RI
Hours: Wednesday & Saturday,
10am-2pm
Centreville Bank, Citizens Bank
Hinckley, Allen & Synder LLP
New England Pest Control
Roofing Concepts, Inc.
Falcone Communications & Design