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What Do Girl Scouts Do?
Beavercreek North Girl Scout troops are found doing a variety of activities at any given time. From crafts to science to outdoor explorations, find out why our Girl Scouts are more than cookies.
Using a pole digger to stabilize a firewood stand.
Build
Journeys are sets of requirements and Take Action Projects (TAPs) available to girls at every level. Within the scope of TAPs, girls work to identify a problem they see in their community, along with a long-term solution to help or solve the problem. When armed with these scenarios, girls can get really creative with their abilities, which includes building and constructing different structures.
One troop identified the need for a firewood collection location within a local campsite. Working with the Beavercreek Township Parks, the troop created a way for people to help each other gather and store firewood when using the campsite. Girls were responsible for all aspects of building the structure, from measuring to sawing to digging the holes needed to keep the structure stable.
Another troop saw the need for bat houses around the lake at Angel’s Pass. The goal was to help prevent mosquitoes around the area, especially since the nearby bike path is heavily traveled. Girls learned how to use different measurement tools, as well as power and manual tools. The girls also presented their idea and final project to the Beavercreek Township Parks.
Another troop decided a local playground could benefit by having wax paper available for kids to use on the slides. They obtained and refurbished a newspaper box, painting and stenciling it to showcase its new purpose. After adding large sheets of was paper, the troop installed the box at a local park.
Ready to camp!
Camp
Girl Scouts learn how to camp in a progressive way, starting out in lodges, moving to different tent structures within Girl Scout properties, and graduating to non-Girl Scout properties and primitive camping.
Troop leaders and other adult volunteers go through training before each progression camping step, allowing for everyone to feel comfortable with each level. Since troops are girl-led, each troop camps at a level they are comfortable with.
Girl Scout properties typically offer a wide range of activities, including archery, ropes courses, canoeing, hiking trails, climbing walls, fishing, letterboxing, geocaching, creek stomping, and more. Campsites are equipped with fire rings and covered shelters with refrigerators and fireplaces.
Beavercreek North Girl Scouts have done lodge camping, tent camping on Girl Scout Properties, and primitive camping at other campsites. Girls enjoy the time with each other, learning new skills, and getting a chance to unplug.
Creeking during Camporee.
Explore
Girl Scouts in Beavercreek North like to explore – whether during a camping trip or an individual destination. Girls go on hikes, learn archery, challenge themselves on ropes courses, ride horses, spelunk through caves, shoot rifles, and more.
Many Girl Scout properties offer options for exploring. But, troops also like to travel and try different locations.
There are many parks in or around Beavercreek that offer amazing opportunities that our troops like to explore. Girls also like to explore outside the border of Dayton, taking trips within Ohio or throughout the country.
Exploration can involve outdoor excursions, as well as visiting historic landmarks, touring cities, road tripping, and more. If a troop comes up with a plan and figures out ways to fund the activity, there sky is the limit for exploring.
Picking up trash.
Serve
Service to the community is a big part of Girl Scouts. Troops in Beavercreek North take this to heart, providing services to people and organizations, caring for outdoor plants and animals, and donating both time and supplies.
A big cornerstone to service is helping maintain Angel’s Pass park. Because of the connection Beavercreek North Girl Scouts have with Angel’s Pass, troops take time to clean up trash, weed and water plant beds, pick up sticks, and overall try to help maintain the area. Troops also work with the Beavercreek Township Park District to help plan events at the park, discuss maintenance needs, and help troops with projects.
Service can be done in conjunction with other aspects of scouting. For example, a troop built bat houses for Angel’s Pass – this was a Take Action Project for a Journey, but it also helps serve the outdoors by providing housing for bats, as well as serving people by eliminating mosquitoes from a populated area.
Some troops spend time with nursing home residents, including during the holidays by caroling or helping residents create crafts.
Many troops take part in window painting area businesses for Halloween. This effort helps decorate the Beavercreek community during October.
Our Sevice Unit hosts a few community events for the holidays – a Trunk or Treat event near Halloween that is also a birthday party for the founder of Girl Scouts, as well as HolidayFest close to Christmas.
Troops donate supplies to local animal shelters. Girl Scouts are not allowed to donate money, but they may use money to purchase needed items, or supplies to make needed items. One troop bought felt to make cat beds, dog blankets, and braided dog toys for a local shelter.
Troops help nature in many ways, including making peanut butter or lard bird seed feeders. Especially in the winter, these feeders help birds gain needed nutrients. Making the feeders from pine cones and yarn allows for the items to be repurposed by wildlife, too.
Another troop made no-sew blankets for a local charity that provides beds for children that do not have them. By buying felt and tying knots, the troop was able to help provide a necessity for kids their age.
Helping other kids is another part of Beavercreek North Girl Scout troops. Food and supply donations to local charities, like Daybreak Dayton or Feed the Creek, are also popular service options.
These are just some of the ways Beavercreek Girl Scouts have provided service to our community. Our Service Unit is always looking for more great opportunities to help!
Exterior and interior design.
Craft
Girl Scouts like to create and craft in many different forms. Badges exist for girls to explore painting, pottery, jewelry making, outdoor art creation, cookie or cupcake decorating, and more. Other badges have crafting elements, such as decorating Powder Puff Pinewood derby cars, creating fairy gardens for engineering badges, creating and decorating sit-upons, and more.
Girls are challenged to use different materials to craft different prototypes for engineering badges. They may utilize crafts for different service projects, such as decorating inspirational rocks or creating cards for nursing homes.
Or, girls just want to relax and spend time on coloring sheets, learning how to create rubber band jewelry, discovering new ways to paint, or creating something that makes them happy.
Working a Cookie Booth.
Cookies
Girl Scouts is more than just cookies, even when girls are selling cookies.
Cookies and Nut Product sales are great fundraisers for the Girls Scouts of Western Ohio, with profits from the sales staying within our Counsel. These profits help fund different programs and campsites that our troops can utilize.
Cookie and Nut Product sales are also amazing ways for girls to learn confidence and business skills.
Girls learn confidence when presented with sales opportunities on the phone, door-to-door, or at cookie booths. It is incredible to watch a girl start a cookie season as very shy, only to be one of the most vocal sellers at the last cookie booth of the season. These lessons in confidence transfer to other areas of life, including school presentations.
Business skills include learning about money, how to talk to customers, how to answer difficult questions, how to market your business, how to appear professional in public, and more.
Cookie Cupboard
Beavercreek North has an amazing team working at Cookie Cupboards, supporting troops through the cookie season.
Increasing Confidence
Girls learn to be confident in their abilities when selling cookies, through working booths or selling door-to-door.
Gold Award Recipients.
Earn
Girls have opportunities to earn awards at all levels of Girl Scouts. Daisies and Brownies can earn the Summit Award, the highest award available at those levels. When girls move to older troops, they can earn the highest awards in Girl Scouts – Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards.
Beavercreek North Girl Scouts have a strong history of earning their highest awards, including numerous girls who earn their Gold Awards.
Highest Awards are presented at award ceremonies, where girls are recognized for their hard work.
Highest Awards
Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards are the highest awards in Girl Scouts.
Award Ceremonies
Juniors, Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors attend a ceremony for their highest awards.