Look What the Ice Storm Gave Us by Lisa Leonard

The first time I remember talking about the concept of a bird-viewing blind with the Audubon Society, I was a Girl Scout troop leader for two troops and I was a site team volunteer for Pennyroyal Girl Scout Camp. There was a long time when the subject of building a bird blind fell by the wayside but I just kept thinking, “This just has to happen.”

I think I was newly hired as Site Manager for Camp Pennyroyal Girl Scout Camp in 2000 when word came to me that a girl was planning to work with the Audubon Society in building a bird viewing blind in order to win her Gold Award. I was here at the camp from day one when the flooring went down, and when the project was taken over by the Audubon Society in August, I worked side-by-side with volunteers layering adobe on the walls. The week before the dedication of the blind in late October of 2001, I recruited a family member to install the one-way glass windows and the large double doors. The blind that is named for Bert and Millie Powell has been close to my heart even before construction began up until this day.

Now let’s jump forward to January of  2009 when I sat in my house here at camp with my daughter and her young son as we listened to trees falling all around outside. We knew we needed to move our cars before they were crushed but we found the locks frozen and had to listen helplessly as we heard the crunching of metal and the thunder of falling limbs and trees.

The next morning by light of day, I had to use a chain saw to get out of my house. I learned in the coming days how lucky we were that the structural damage to the house was minimal. When I saw all the limbs down around the blind, I knew I could count on the Audubon Society to help. It was not long before I heard that the Audubon Society was planning a work day. I never worried whether they would keep their word about taking care of the area, but I wondered how we would deal with the broken limbs dangling above the paths and too close to the blind for comfort.

On a work day this fall, I remember Rose Ann Radzelovedge coming with a wrinkled brow and wide eyes to let me know that extreme measures were underway in dealing with an oak tree that was threatening the approach to the blind. She feared that I would be upset, but I was delighted to have this task lifted from my shoulders. The first time I looked at the stump left by Tony Eaden’s chain saw, I was impressed by his skill in dropping the very tall tree exactly where he planned, but I saw the stump as an eyesore.

David Stratton, a graphic arts professor at Brescia University, has picked up his chain saw where Tony Eaden left off and carved what he describes as “a man-eating frog” that is now waiting for spring when it will get its coat of preservative oil. David deliberately left bark on some areas of the frog for its warty appearance. You see me here on my knees planting the first kiss on our frog sculpture. The girls are going to love this.

The fable of a princess kissing a frog has already come true according to Brenda Little, President of the Audubon Society. She says that David Stratton is a real-life prince who came to our rescue in a charming and imaginative way.

David Stratton, Brenda Little and Lisa Leonard are proud to introduce you to the newest addition to the Powell Bird Blind. Photo by Bill Little.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum invites interested students to apply for participation in the Frank and Peggy Steele Internship Program for Youth Leadership Development. Steele Interns receive meaningful, hands-on training in numerous professional careers including research, photo archives, technical services, exhibit design, membership, education, archives, and collections management, recorded media, development, special events, programs and events, multi-media, publications, and public relations. In addition, interns learn and work in the the company of baseball’s best-known personalities during the annual Hall of Fame Weekend and Induction Ceremony, held in Cooperstown, NYeach summer.
To be considered for the Frank and Peggy Steele Internship Program for Youth Leadership Development, students must have completed at least their sophomore year and be enrolled in a bachelor’s or master’s degree program at a college or university during the internship, or have just graduated in May. All Steele interns receive a bi-weekly stipend during the ten weeks of the program and access to affordable student housing. If fulfilling an academic requirement, college credit may also be awarded.

Applications for the Steele Internship Program must be completed on-line at:www.baseballhall.org/intern

In order to complete an application, the candidate must attach a cover letter and resume to the online application. Only complete applications will be reviewed for acceptance into the program.

All applications must be received electronically by January 31^st.

For more information, please e-mail education@baseballhalloffame.org Or, send an email to Betsy Gladish atbgladish@kyanags.orgto find out more about the internship program.

MURRAY, KY (wkms) – Next week the 15th United Nations Climate Change Conference begins in Copenhagen, Denmark. Among the thousands of event participants, one Murray State Student will be there. Junior Sarah Kelty is part of a youth delegation that will craft policies to be discussed during the main conference. Chad Lampe speaks with Kelty about her trip and her environmental agenda.

Sarah Kelty begins her work in Copenhagen Friday, December 11. She hopes to post a video blog, which we will link to soon. © Copyright 2009, wkms

Click the link below to listen to Sarah’s  interview on WKMS!

WKMS: MSU Student Youth Delegate at U.N. Conference (2009-12-03).

Nominate a Young Female Social Entrepreneur for the
Gladys Marinelli Coccia Awards
Deadline: January 15, 2010
Youth Service America is currently accepting nominations for the first Gladys Marinelli Coccia Awards to recognize two young female social entrepreneurs, ages 14 to 17, whose initiatives serve the common good. The awards are created in memory of Gladys Coccia, who began her entrepreneurial career when she was a young girl in West Virginia and later became a very successful businesswoman in Washington, DC. Nominations from across the country are welcome; special consideration will be given to nominees from West Virginia and metropolitan Washington, DC. Self-nominations are accepted. The deadline to submit an online nomination is January 15, 2010.

Eligibility
Social entrepreneurs apply business practices to achieve positive social change and measure their success through their social impact. They find innovative and sustainable ways to address pressing issues. Ambitious and persistent, they grapple with important causes and offer new alternatives that enhance the community. Social entrepreneurs change the system, spread solutions, and persuade others to change their actions. With a sound application of business principles, social entrepreneurs have a sustainable impact on their community: their influence contributes to a healthy, productive, meaningful life for others, both present and future.

Girls who meet the following criteria are eligible for the award:

• Between the ages of 14 and 17 on January 1, 2010.
• Located in the United States. (Special consideration will be given to nominees located in West Virginia and Metro Washington DC.)
• Have started her own social enterprise or organization.
• Be supported by contributions of at least $1000 (cash and/or in-kind).Have a business plan, including an itemized budget.

The Award includes:

• $2000 for the social enterprise
• Travel, lodging, and and registration to National Service-Learning Conference in San Jose, CA – March 24-27, 2010.
• Serve as a spokesperson for YSA’s initiatives
• Invitation to serve on the executive board of Girls Helping Girls
• Access to YSA’s resources to support and expand social enterprise

Learn more and access the application at:
http://ysa.org/grants/announcements/coccia-award

Brownie Troop 177 from Galena Elementary has sent their first care package to Afghanistan. The troop ”adopted” a group of soldiers that are serving in Afghanistan, and will be sending a package every month. This month, the girls have made Christmas cards for the soldiers, and sent the cards with a package that included HOT CAJUN CRUNCH from the Girl Scouts Fall Product Program, as well as crackers and cookies requested by the unit.

The next shipment will go out in mid-December, with thank you cards that have a SNOW theme for January delivery. If any Girl Scout troops want to send letters of thanks/encouragement or other items to the soldiers, please contact Cindy Coddington at 812-923-4900, or email justcece@yahoo.com. Every month a new package/packages will be sent.

Items requested from the soldiers are: Gold fish crackers, gummies, fruit roll ups, trail mixes, dry drink mixes that go into water bottles, gum, hard candy, etc.

Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana thanks Brownie Troop 177 for their wonderful service project. Keep up the good work!

Does your family volunteer together? FamilyFun wants to hear about what it is you do — and why!
If you are one of four Grand Prize winners in the new contest, Disney will donate $5,000 to the 501(c)3 charity or public school of your choice. If you are one of five First Place winners, Disney will donate $500 to the 501(c)3 charity or public school of your choice. All families participating in the contest will receive a FamilyFun Volunteers’ certificate. The contest ends November 30, 2009.

As part of the entry process, you’ll be asked to answer the following questions:

Short Questions

• What was the volunteering project? Please be specific when naming the organization(s) helped, if applicable.
• Which members of your family volunteered together? Please give names, ages, and family relationships (i.e. John, 36, father and James, 6, son) and be specific about which members of the family did what work on the project. (Your family must consist of at least two persons, at least one of whom is less than 15 and one 18 or older.) < month?)? every of Saturday first the on hours ?three or August? and July in month a ?twice (i.e. volunteer you did when often How>
• Approximately how many hours per person in 2009 were spent volunteering on this particular project? Please list each person and their total volunteer hours.

Essay Questions

• What was special about the way you volunteered together as a family?
• How did your volunteer work benefit and/or improve the environment?
• How did your volunteer work together strengthen your family?

So enter the FamilyFun Volunteers Contest! All you need to do is download the entry form, fill it out, and email it to us at contest.familyfun@disney.com.

We encourage families who entered last year’s contest to enter again if they volunteered for a project in 2009. Please enter only if your family has not already won any awards for this project. There is only one entry per family, and all questions must be answered.

 

http://familyfun.go.com/magazine/2010-familyfun-volunteers-contest-797298/

Girl Scouts Join President In Oval Office As He Signs Bill Into Law.

On Thursday, October 29, 2009 President Barack Obama signed the Girl Scouts of the USA Commemorative Coin Act authorizing the minting of 350,000 silver dollar coins in honor of Girl Scouts and the achievements of the 50 million women across the nation whose lives have been influenced by Girl Scouting.

This legislation enjoyed strong bipartisan support, with more than 300 cosponsors in the House, and more than 70 cosponsors in the Senate.  The measure passed unanimously in both the House and Senate earlier this month.

The Girl Scouts Centennial Commemorative Coin will be minted in 2013, marking the end of the celebration of our first 100 years and the beginning of our second century of leadership. Ten dollars from the sale of each coin will go to GSUSA to help fund much-needed renovations at the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace in Savannah, Georgia. The bill also calls for the Secretary of the Treasury, in collaboration with the GSUSA and the Commission of Fine Arts, to design the coin in a manner “emblematic of the centennial of Girl Scouts.”

This victory would not have happened without your support.  Through your efforts, more than 40,000 messages were sent to Members of Congress asking for their support. Thanks to each of you, we are poised to have a Girl Scouts commemorative coin to celebrate 100 years of Girl Scouting!

Please continue to ask Girl Scout supporters to join the Girl Scouts Advocacy Network at GirlScouts4girls.org to become part of a collective voice in Congress on issues that impact girls and Girl Scouting. 

On Thursday, October 29, 2009 President Barack Obama signed the Girl Scouts of the USA Commemorative Coin Act authorizing the minting of 350,000 silver dollar coins in honor of Girl Scouts and the achievements of the 50 million women across the nation whose lives have been influenced by Girl Scouting.

 

This legislation enjoyed strong bipartisan support, with more than 300 cosponsors in the House, and more than 70 cosponsors in the Senate.  The measure passed unanimously in both the House and Senate earlier this month.

 

The Girl Scouts Centennial Commemorative Coin will be minted in 2013, marking the end of the celebration of our first 100 years and the beginning of our second century of leadership. Ten dollars from the sale of each coin will go to GSUSA to help fund much-needed renovations at the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace in Savannah, Georgia. The bill also calls for the Secretary of the Treasury, in collaboration with the GSUSA and the Commission of Fine Arts, to design the coin in a manner “emblematic of the centennial of Girl Scouts.”

 

This victory would not have happened without your support.  Through your efforts, more than 40,000 messages were sent to Members of Congress asking for their support. Thanks to each of you, we are poised to have a Girl Scouts commemorative coin to celebrate 100 years of Girl Scouting!

 

Please continue to ask Girl Scout supporters to join the Girl Scouts Advocacy Network at GirlScouts4girls.org to become part of a collective voice in Congress on issues that impact girls and Girl Scouting.

Vote for your favorite pumpkin made by GSK staff! Deadline is tomorrow, October 28 at noon! Leave a comment on our facebook page with the pumpkin you’re voting for!

 

Each year Republic Bank chooses a non-profit that serves  the needs and benefits the people living within Republic Bank’s service area.This year Republic Bank has chosen the Girl Scouts, and will be accepting donations for ice-scrapers and hand sanitizer in all banking centers for $1.00 or more each.  All proceeds will go directly to the Girl Scouts. Please stop by a Republic Bank and pick up an ice scraper or sanitizer to help get you through the upcoming winter. What could be easier?

For a list of local area Republic Banks, go to www.republicbank.com.

The World Affairs Council of Kentucky/Southern Indiana brought a group of Serbian teenagers to Louisville at the end of September this year. The teens are part of a leadership program called World Learning, which provides young people with interactions with their American counterparts in order to experience our country and its institutions firsthand. The overarching goal of the program is to share the unique character of American democracy, to foster mutual understanding, and to strengthen international bonds through on-going personal interaction.

The Serbian teenagers visited a number of places in Louisville, including Central High School, Operation Brightside, PEACC, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Interfaith Paths to Peace, and others. Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana hosted the group on Friday, September 25 at the Girl Scouts Louisville PLC, along with members of Louisville Girls Leadership Summit (LGLS).

Members of the GSK Girl Press Corps were also in attendance to meet with the Serbian teen delegation and tell them about Girl Scouting, particularly the leadership and public service aspects.

The Serbian teens also told about their leadership projects that they are working on as teams. Their projects include providing after-school programs for children to keep them off the streets, combating human trafficking in their communities and spearheading a special concert event geared to educate citizens about different cultures, and encourage cooperation between different cultural groups.

Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana CEO Terry Blackwell encouraged the teens to create an action plan, and submit their plans back to Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana in order to inform Kentuckiana Girl Scouts about the projects that teens are working on around the world. GSK provided the teens with Girl Scout Leadership Experience books to help them develop their action plans.

The teens will communicate with Kentuckiana Girl Scouts throughout the process of developing their plans using social media contacts through Facebook and email correspondence. To hear updates on their progress, visit Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana at www.kyanags.org and click on the Facebook link.

Members of the Serbian Teen Leadership Group, World Learning, pictured with GSK CEO Terry Blackwell