What a year.
It’s been a year of rebounding. Regrouping. As Girl Scouts continued to take care of their health and that of others, they stepped up to a year with unique challenges. They reimagined ways to support one another. They ran back into each other’s arms. They rallied!
Certainly no one has had all the answers through these complicated times. But with each step, it’s no surprise that Girl Scouts have proven to be more resilient, creative, and thoughtful than ever before. Here’s a look at some of this year’s big moments!
COOKIES!
Even with the pandemic’s interference, local Girl Scouts had a phenomenal Cookie Season! Over 960 troops–6,790 Girl Scouts– put their entrepreneur spirit into practice, selling over 1.4 million cookies! Yep, you read that right!
This year we have a NEW COOKIE, Adventurefuls, so we’re extra excited! The new Cookie Season just kicked off with pre-orders! Find a Girl Scout you know to make your order.
FALL PRODUCT
Fall Product is somewhat of a hidden gem, but this year’s Girl Scouts made big waves to change that! About 500 troops participated– over 2,200 girls! We already have an astounding 70 Stellar Sellars from Fall Product alone! Troop 389 was the top-seller; this was their first year selling together! Read more about their experience.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
As always, Girl Scouts went above and beyond when it came to serving others! Middle Tennessee Girl Scouts volunteered over 18,160 hours this year. Here are just a few examples.
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Rise Up!
The Fall Product program isn’t only about Girl Scouts’ business skills. Forty-two troops– 336 girls– earned their Rise Up! patch, with thoughtful volunteer work. Troop 2766 made hats and scarves for people experiencing homelessness; Troop 2592 put together breakfast boxes for those in-need; Troop 2927 wrote cards for a local military service member.
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Pandemic Support
The continued impact of COVID-19 has presented challenges to so many. Even as Girl Scouts felt hardships themselves, they stepped up to help others. They made face masks for hospitals, provided meals for first responders, and donated food to local community shelters, often using their own earnings from Fall Product and Cookie Seasons.
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Praying for Waverly
In August, this Humphreys County community was hit hard by devastating floods, which claimed the lives of 20 people and took out entire neighborhoods. Girl Scouts responded, like Troop 569, who donated school supplies to children in-need.
HELLO CAMP, OUR OLD FRIEND!
The most glorious return! It’s hard to describe the joy we felt running back to Camp Sycamore Hills and Holloway this year! With hundreds of campers sprinting around again, playing GAGA ball, riding horses, rushing down the Red Barn slide, earning their camp names, and diving back into camp traditions, that feeling of “home sweet camp” was restored. We already can’t wait for camp 2022. Have you seen our new camp guide, which shares the theme for each week?! You can register starting January 4!
SPECIAL PATCHES
Part of our mission to make the world a better place means cultivating a society that values the diversity of our world, hometowns, classrooms…As Girl Scouts, we work to ensure real opportunity and outcomes for all human beings. This starts with educating ourselves to better understand cultures different than our own and celebrating their history! This year over 1,270 Girl Scouts earned patches for Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Asian Pacific Heritage Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, and Native American Heritage Month. We are continuing these special patch programs and MORE next year!
HONORS DAY
A celebration to remember! We were so excited to host our annual ceremony again, after last year’s had to be canceled. The occasion had a unique flair, taking place on the field at the Nashville Sounds Stadium! We honored more than 500 Girl Scouts and volunteers, from both 2020 and 2021!
PROGRAMS OLD AND NEW
The past two years, Girl Scouts found innovative ways to learn alongside each other– even if that meant doing so while apart. As we transitioned back to in-person programs (yay!), we enjoyed gathering together for classic experiences like Journeys and festivals. We also enjoyed diving into a new staple GSMIDTN program, Council Quests. These programs focus on important, relevant topics, such as mental health and DEI education. Troops can participate in Quests hosted by council or work on them independently.
Congratulations on a phenomenal year, Girl Scouts. You keep reaching new heights, charting new paths, running further and further. We’re never not proud of you.
What’s next?