Troop Travel: How Our Dream Became Our Reality

By: Brittany G.

What am I looking forward to the most:

Riding Icelandic Horses

Caving in Iceland

Going to London

What am I most concerned about:

Fighting with the girls

Someone getting hurt

Injuring my knee

What am I going to miss the most:

My dad and sister

Being alone

Free time

      This is what the first page of our journals looks like, but of course the answers are different because not everyone can read my mind. The second page of our journals hold the excitement and uncontrollable craziness of our last meeting of the school year, which was also our last meeting before our troop trip to Iceland and England. The meeting was full of yelling, screaming, jumping around, and, well, just being crazily excited girls (because I’m sure that everyone knows how jumpy and happy girls can get). However, this was only one beginning in our journey. The true beginning was far earlier than anyone could have expected: 2004, the year we were in 1st grade. 

     Think back to when you were very young, just starting to see the world and the wonders it holds. Did you ever have dreams of what you wanted to do? Were you ever the one who asked, “What if?” That’s how this entire adventure started, one little question. “What if we went on a grand adventure one day?”  That’s when our leader told our troop that she would take us to Europe. That’s when the seed was planted, and it grew into a magnificent thing. 

     Granted, I was skeptical of this when I first joined the troop three years later. I didn’t think it was possible for a group of young girls to accomplish anything this huge but I have never been so happy to be proven wrong. The first strike against my doubt was our trip to Seattle in the summer of 2011. We had planned this entire 10 day trip all on our own, and we traveled all the way across the country for our first adventure of a lifetime. The day we got home from Seattle is the day that started our path to reaching Europe. 

     Three agonizing years of fundraising followed. I can’t even count how many cars we washed or how many songs we taught or how many girls we interacted with at Campfire Meadow Magic and on top of all of the fundraising, there was the planning process. It took us an entire two years just to decide where we were going: “Oh, I want to go here!” 

     “No, we have to go here!” 

     “I don’t want to go there...” 

     “We can’t afford to go there.” 

     Finally, after months of research and months of failure, we finally found our breakthrough. A mom assisting our troop helped us research, and she found that the cheapest flights were to Iceland and then over to England. It took of lot of debating and extra research, but finally we set that as our game plan.  

Now came the difficult, yet fun, part: scheduling and planning. We decided to tackle this task in two separate teams: four of us made up the Iceland team while the other three made up the England team. Then came the research. We researched what we could do, where we would stay, how we would get from place to place, and every other question that comes up before a big trip. We also established sister troops in each country. Our sister troops gave us a contact that we could get to know, easier access to information and relationships that turned out to be life altering and life lasting.  

     Now that you’ve heard the true story of how we planned and fundraised for our trip hopefully you want to read about our actual trip. I could not possibly do a better job at portraying what our adventure was like than members of my troop could. There is no possible way that I can tell you all about our experiences and keep it under 20 pages long. This passage was only meant to inspire you. With a little hope and inspiration, you too can make your dreams become you’re reality.

    If you would like to read about our trip, I would encourage you to check out our blog. It has the amazing story of our trip as seen through the eyes of the girls and leaders who made it possible. I very much hope you enjoy it!! To read Troop 1640’s blog click here.

How Girl Scouts Can Impact Your Life: Interview with Terrena Sanks

By: Joyce S.

Being in Girl Scouts can change your attitude and way of life. It can inspire you to do and to try your best and it helps bring out the kinder side of people. This is Q and A session with guidance counselor Terrena Sanks gives examples of how life changing Girl Scouts can really be.

Lime Green Giraffe: How long were you a Girl Scout?

Tarrena Sanks: First started out as a Brownie when I was in the 3rd grade, age 7. In the 4th grade, I became a Girl Scout. I remained a Girl Scout until 7th grade. I wanted to continue to be a Cadette but because I was involved with school and extracurricular activities, I did not continue. There were times in junior high that I regretted that decision.

LGG: Did you enjoy it? If so, why?

TS: I loved my experiences as a Girl Scout. As a Girl Scout we did service events, went on camp outs, learned about helping one another, respecting everyone, and of course selling Girl Scout Cookies. With the selling of Girl Scout Cookies came a lesson too: I learned how to have confidence when talking with new people, I learned not to be afraid of doing new things, and I learned the importance of being polite and friendly to everyone. 

LGG: What did you learn in Girl Scouts?

TS: I learned the importance of sharing of yourself with others. I learned about leadership and what makes a good leader. My Girl Scout troop leaders were excellent ladies to look up to. They were warm, pleasant, and were like our second mothers to us. I am still in contact with them even 30 years later.

LGG: How did it impact your life?

TS: Girl Scouts taught me how to give to others in need. My entire career I have always given back. Girl Scouts teaches courage, confidence and character, I feel that this was instilled in me at such a young age so that as I grew and grow older, I chose a career path so that I can instill those same characteristics in others. I enjoy helping people, and giving my time to those in need....it makes me happy and gives me a feeling of satisfaction.

LGG: What do you currently do for a living?

TS: For the past 10 years I have been working with adults who have HIV/AIDS. It is my responsibility to make sure that they have medical care and medicine. This has been a rewarding experience and I have found that my passion is helping those who are in need, especially in a medically needy situation. I am currently working and attending school at Florida State University to obtain my Master's degree in Social Work. I want to continue my passion of helping those in need.

LGG: Did participating in Girl Scouts help make some parts of your job easier? If so, which parts?

TS: Girl Scouts and the whole essence of what it stands for, is a part of who I am. Being honest and fair, courageous and strong, using resources wisely, respecting yourself and others, and making the world a better place are all parts of who I am and thus, they have been a part of my career. It makes my working with people a much better experience. Participating in Girl Scouts taught me how to work with all types of people, how to be a strong and fair leader, how to carry myself with dignity. Those characteristics have helped to make my job easier when it comes to leading and working with my co-worker and my clients.
 Girl Scouts can help you grow as a troop, a leader, and as a person. So try to imagine your future, learning and growing in a friendly Girl Scout environment can help you in ways you may not have thought about.

Gamma Gamma Sigma: The Older Girl Scout Adventure Group

 By Nia A.

      Gamma Gamma Sigma (GGS) is an older Girl Scout group for girls ages 13-18 or Girl Scout Cadettes through Girl Scout Ambassadors who participate in addition to their Girl Scout troops or join as Juliettes. GGS is a new and unique leadership development Girl Scout program that combines Girl Scouts with a “Sorority Type” club. Sponsored by Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, there are several GGS groups in Metro Atlanta that meet at various times during the month; girls have the option to participate on a regular basis or as time permits in their schedules. I am a member of the Gwinnett Gamma group that meets once every month and we plan community service, outings, and events that appeal to the likes and interest of teen girls. The purpose of GGS is to try to keep girls in Girl Scouting until high school graduation. Activities in Gamma Gamma Sigma include fun things we like to do, such as hanging-out with friends, making plans to travel, planning fun events, completing service hours and community projects and planning activities for other teen Girl Scouts. The goal of GGS is to bring girls together through the bond of sisterhood, allowing exploration of common interests and think on a global Girl Scout level. Gamma girls are encouraged to develop their leadership skills by serving as a leadership chair or on a committee. All meetings are lead by Gamma girls with adult advisors providing guidance. Gamma girls display their ability to work well as a team, by being respectful and using their voices to vote and determine what the group will do for the year.

     As an incentive to continue in Gamma Gamma Sigma until high school graduation, Gamma Girls are eligible to walk their graduation stage with an honorary GGS Green & White graduation cord and a certificate of completion. To receive the honor cord you must have participate in GGS at least two years, serve in at least one GGS leadership position, and have at least 60 hours served as a Gamma girl.

      I, myself am a member of Gamma Gamma sigma Gwinnett, and I think that it is an awesome opportunity to socialize with other girls my age and do fun activities that appeal to my likes and my age group. So far this year, we have traveled to the Georgia State National Fair, attended the Lion King, as a team, we have hosted Girl Scout Journey overnight events. We have worked with several local non-profit agencies to complete service projects such as collecting personal hygiene items for the Gwinnett County Children’s shelter, Creative Community Services, Inc, packing boxes for veterans and a landscaping and cleaning project for a local church. Gamma Gamma Sigma has given me a sense of sisterhood and the opportunity to gain adult mentors. I have also developed many skills during my time with Gamma Gamma Sigma.

      I plan to continue participating until I graduate and hope to be elected as GGS president. As of this year (2014), Gamma Gamma Sigma Gwinnett had its first graduate, Tiffany G. She has served as the GGS Gwinnett president during the 2013-2014 term and has completed countless service hours and community service. While the GGS concept is new to Girl Scouts and is still in its early stages, the program is taking hold and becoming very popular in the Atlanta area. Girls are encouraged to join at anytime during the Girl Scout year and to participate consistently or ongoing to earn the graduation cords.
      Gamma Gamma Sigma is designed to get girls out of their comfort zone and help them become better young women. By the time Gamma Girls graduate, they will have formed many friendships, worked with countless organizations, attended many events and will have developed their leadership experience. If you think GGS would be a great fit for you as a teen Girl Scout, feel free to contact one of the local groups below.

Gamma Gamma Sigma - Gwinnett                    

Contact: Mary Hughes                                           

Phone: (770) 702-9149                                         

Email: gammagammasigma@gmail.com       

Gamma Gamma Sigma – North Gwinnett MS

Contact: Christine Solar

Phone: (678) 389-1598

Email: christinersoler@yahoo.com

Gamma Gamma Sigma - Mableton, GA            

Contact: Jymme Reed                                           

Phone: (770) 702-9121                                         

Email: ggs@gsgatl.org                                         

Gamma Gamma Sigma – Roswell, GA

Contact: Lisa Martin

Phone: (770) 702-9120

Email: lmartin@gsgatl.org

Gamma Gamma Sigma –Paulding and Douglas

Contact: Theresa Carcioppolo

Phone: (404) 862.8476

Email: tcarcioppolo@gsgatl.org

Behind the Scenes at Lime Green Giraffe

By Joyce S.


Imagine you are in the meeting place of Lime Green Giraffe. Open the door and what do you see? You’ll see a diverse group of girls. You will see brainstorming, cooperation, and a will to succeed. In October 2004, the first Lime Green Giraffe issue was printed. Within just 10 years, it has jumped from paper to screen. The LGG was created by 10 Girl Scouts ages 11-17 who had two goals they wanted accomplish. The group wanted to create a forum to address the needs, interests and concerns of girls ages 11-17 in their own words and to gain hands on experience as journalists, photographers and web publishers. In this special 10th anniversary article, I have an interview with Marnye Hall, one of the adult volunteers at Lime Green Giraffe. She has been with LGG since day one! (Melissa and JoAnne are the other two LGG volunteers.)

Lime Green Giraffe: Were you a Girl Scout when you were a kid? If so, how long were you one?

Marnye Hall: I was a Girl Scout when I was a girl. When I joined, Daisies had yet to start, so I joined Girl Scouts as a first grade Brownie. I am very proud to say that I did earn my Girl Scout Gold Award when I was 17. I have actually never stopped being a Girl Scout. I am lifetime member.

LGG: Do you think working with LGG impacted your life in anyway?

Hall: Wow. This is a great question. Volunteering with the Lime Green Giraffe is one of my favorite things to do. I have loved helping to create a safe space for girls to develop COURAGE, CONFIDENCE and CHARACTER. I also love how the girl staff members keep me up to date on what is cool in books, movies and TV shows. I just finished reading the entire Divergent series because an LGG-er recommended it to me.

LGG: How do you think LGG has impacted other people?

Hall: Many former Lime Green Giraffe staffers have gone on to college and studied writing, filmmaking and broadcast journalism. I have heard from past members that their experiences on the staff helped them to get into the college of their choice. My wish is that being a member of the Lime Green Giraffe staff has impacted staffers to discover the power in their own voices and in their ideas.

LGG: Do you think that LGG should expand or be more commercialized?

Hall: This is an interesting question. I love that through limegreengiraffe.org the LGG is available to all Girl Scouts and Girl Guides worldwide. I do think it would be cool to be able to have printed copies for a special edition, like a 10th anniversary copy. However, this would require a financial sponsorship.

LGG: Why did you decide to work with LGG?

Hall: In early 2004, former teen program specialist Gloria Todd asked me if I was interested

in mentoring some Girl Scouts in the creation of a by girls for girls magazine for the Girl Scouts of Northwest Georgia, later, the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta. Well, I love starting new things. I love volunteering with teen Girl Scouts. I love stories. So answering “yes” to Gloria’s question was very easy. I do hold a degree in radio/TV writing and production. In 2004, I was a writer for CNN. So, I not only had the passion but also the skills to get the Lime Green Giraffe off the ground. I do still work at CNN but now I am a writer/producer in the Creative Marketing division.

LGG: On average, how many stories do you use per issue?

Hall: The number of stories per issue varies. When we were not online we could only have a few stories because we did not have unlimited space. The best part about having the Lime Green Giraffe online is that we aren’t restricted to the number or length of the stories.

LGG: How do you decide which ones to use?

Hall: The Lime Green Giraffe girl staff brainstorms all of the story ideas. They then decide which stories to write. The stories that they choose to write are the ones that are published. We sometimes have discussions as a group to determine if the story is suitable for our audience. Sometimes the girls agree with me and sometimes they don’t.

LGG: How do you feel when you choose the new LGG staff?

Hall: I enjoy picking a new Lime Green Giraffe staff. I love reading everyone’s application and essay. I am so excited to meet everyone when they come to the first meeting.

LGG: Are you happy because you have a fresh start or sad because you have to turn down applicants?

Hall: Of course, a new Lime Green Giraffe year is exciting. I also love seeing the returning members too. I think I especially enjoy watching girls “grow up” with the Lime Green Giraffe. It is so fun to meet a girl when she is in the 6th grade and watch how she changes and becomes more empowered during her time on the staff.

LGG: What advice do you have for girls who want to be a part of LGG or did not make the staff?

Hall: Be Creative. Read. Write. Practice writing. It sounds weird but you will get better with practice. Write as much as you can and as often as you can. You have important things to say!


I hope you enjoyed Marnye’s behind the scenes insight. Meeting with LGG is always interesting. There is always laughter and a fun energy filling up the room. There is also family; a family of creative, smart, and spunky writers collaborating about stories and ideas. But don’t forget the most important thing… YOU! The Lime Green Giraffe was made especially for our readers. You, our loyal readers, are the reason Lime Green Giraffe is able to have a 10th anniversary edition!

On behalf of Lime Green Giraffe, THANK YOU for making the last 10 years possible.

An Interview with Girl Scout Staff Member Maggie Walls (My Mom!)

By Edie W.

I sat down with my mom, who has been a Girl Scout staff member since last year. I had her answer several questions about her job.

Lime Green Giraffe: What is your job title?

Maggie Walls: I am a Membership Specialist in the East Region – I work in North Fulton County with volunteers in Roswell, Alpharetta, and Johns Creek.

LGG: What exactly does a Membership Specialist do?

MW: Basically, our job is to be sort of a Council link to our members – both girls and adults. Sometimes my job is offering customer service, sometimes I help with organizing troops, and sometimes I plan and run events. It varies quite a bit, which I really like.

LGG: How did you become interested in being a Membership Specialist?

MW: I was a troop leader for several years, and was serving as a Service Unit Director when I applied for the job. I fell in love with the organization as a volunteer, and hoped that I could have an even greater impact on girl leadership as a staff member. Being a Membership Specialist is a great role for me, because I still get to work with girls and volunteers, which is where my heart is.

LGG: Were you a Girl Scout as a child?

MW: Yes. My older sister joined Girl Scouts when I was 3, and my mother was her leader. At that time, they called pre-school girls “Pixies,” and I got to participate with her troop until I was old enough to be in my own troop. My mom was my Girl Scout leader until we moved to a new city in 5th grade, at which point I decided not to join a new troop. Now that I see all of the cool stuff older girls get to do in Girl Scouting, I regret not continuing!

LGG: Where do you work?

MW: I’m based out of the Cumming office, but usually I do my office work in my home office. I often work “in the field,” too, which means I’m at Service Unit meetings with volunteers or helping with programs in North Fulton.

LGG: What’s the hardest part of your job?

MW: I wish I could be in more than one place at a time! I really like to be a part of my volunteers’ events, but I often have to miss things because of other events or personal conflicts.

LGG: What is your favorite part of your job?

MW: I loved being a troop leader, so I get excited when I have opportunities to work with girls. As part of my efforts to increase middle school programming in my area, I started a Gamma Gamma Sigma group for girls in 6th-12th grade. I love doing programming with them and learning from them.

LGG: Aside from working with Gamma Gamma Sigma and attending events, how does a Membership Specialist help girls in Girl Scouting?

MW: Well, a large part of my job is helping girls become Girl Scouts, and working with their new leaders to make their troop successful. Outside of that, though, I am a good resource for questions about Council, so girls are always welcome to email or call me if they have questions about events, awards, or ideas for their troops.

LGG: If a girl were to someday want to fill your shoes, what would she have to do?

MW: It helps to be organized and have strong computer and reporting skills, and to have a positive and flexible personality in this job. More than anything, though, I think anyone interested in this position needs to have a strong commitment to the amazing work that Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta is doing, and a commitment to sharing that work with the community.

How Girl Scouting Affects the World

LGG Staffer Kara S. gave this speech on Girl Scouts as part of an oratorical contest.

By Kara S.

On my honor, I will try to serve God and my country, to help people at all times, and to live by the Girl Scout Law.

The Girl Scout Promise is something that I live by. And why do I do it? I do it because I am passionate about it and everything that has to do with Girl Scouts. Girl Scouts helps me positively impact my community each day.

Since Girl Scouts was founded 102 years ago, it has been building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Part of this has been accomplished by community service, and consequently, has helped the world. The Girl Scout Promise and Law outline specific things every girl should know, and all of the concepts positively impact the community. There are also many famous women in America who are Girl Scout alumnae, and they greatly inspire today’s girls.

Courage, confidence, and character are the three aspects of the Girl Scout Mission. Girl Scouts fulfills its mission by being girl-led. Public speaking, hosting events, and team-building activities are some of the ways almost girls worldwide are gaining courage, confidence, and character. Therefore, girls with the alacrity, they gained are more likely to follow through with community service projects and make the world a better place.

Community service is a huge aspect of the Girl Scout movement. Most of the awards that can be earned by a Girl Scout require community service. Some examples of community service include volunteering at senior citizen centers, planting trees and flowers, and doing park and lake cleanups. These examples go to prove that impacting the world through community service can be exciting and easy.

The Girl Scout Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards are the three highest awards a girl can earn in her Girl Scouting career. Each award requires a certain amount of community service hours. These awards are desired by a plethora of girls, but are only achieved by those who put their minds to it. For my Girl Scout Bronze Award, my troop and I designed and made stuffed animals and pillows for the children at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. I am currently working on my Girl Scout Silver Award. I am recording books to donate to a women and children shelter. One of my friends earned her Girl Scout Gold Award by hosting a music workshop so she could earn money to build an outdoor pavilion at her high school for the marching band. This goes to show what kind impact you have to make on the world in order to earn the three highest awards in Girl Scouting.

The Girl Scout Promise and Law are what every Girl Scout lives by. Both enforce moral qualities and specifically mention impacting the community we live in for the better. In addition to what the Girl Scout Promise says, the Girl Scout Law states every girl should do her best to “make the world a better place.” This is the most important line in the Girl Scout Law because of the emphasis on helping the world and community of people. Making the world a better place can be done in so many different ways, and it does not have to be boring. Girl Scouts is obviously all about impacting the community and the people in it.

There are many famous women who are Girl Scout alumnae and let their past Girl Scouting years shine through so that the next generation of Girl Scouts can look up to them and follow in their footsteps. Some of the familiar names that were once Girl Scouts include First Lady Laura Bush, TV personality Katie Couric, and US Senator and former First Lady Hilary Clinton. All First Ladies, including Laura Bush and Hilary Clinton, select a specific cause to promote. Hilary Clinton worked with her husband, President Bill Clinton, to reform the healthcare system in the United States, and Laura Bush supported women’s rights groups and encouraged childhood literacy. Katie Couric visits multiple U.S. cities to spotlight different organizations and also hosts canned food and clothing drives. These women are major role models in this country, all because of their background and memories of Girl Scouts.

Natalie Merchant, a musician, is also a Girl Scout alumna. She once said, “I think the most enduring lesson I was taught through my experiences of being a Girl Scout was that I was a member of a larger community. I out-grew my uniforms and badges years ago, but the memories of visiting nursing homes or organizing Earth Day tree plantings will stay with me always.” I completely agree with her.

Undersea Entrepreneurs

By Liz W.

Most parents hire a clown or a magician for their kid’s birthday party. Thanks to Atlanta Girl Scouts Hannah P., Olivia P., and Claire R., a new party entertainment trend is emerging for parents who want to go above and beyond: mermaids. That’s right. Mermaids.

These three Atlanta area Girl Scouts Ambassadors turned the mythical creature into a successful business venture that revamps an average party into an undersea dream. What gave them this idea? How do they do it? I got the chance to learn about the ins, outs, ups and downs of “mermaiding.”

Lime Green Giraffe: Describe your mermaid business.

Hannah: The Mermaid Experience is basically a party business, but with an added twist! There are mermaids! Basically, we are hired for around 2-3 hours to swim around the pool as mermaids with the kids from a birthday party, who are usually around ages 5-8. We swim and play games (Mermaid Says, Swim through the Hoop, Find the Jewels on the Ground etc.) for about an hour. Then, usually the mermaids “transform” back into humans (hopefully with no kids seeing us) and help the party moms pass out food and cake. Then, we normally do face paint and temporary tattoos for the kids, and that’s it.

LGG: How long have you been running your mermaid business?

Olivia: Five years.

LGG: How did you come up with this business idea?

Olivia: When I was in 5th grade I was in love with mermaids, and I stumbled across a youtube video that describes how to make your own mermaid tail. I convinced my mom to let me buy fabric and make one, and when it worked, I made one for my sister and my friend, too. We knew we wanted to start some sort of business venture, but we weren't quite sure how to do that. We toyed with the idea of selling or renting mermaid tails, but quickly realized we wanted something more memorable and personable. It wasn't long before we sat down to have a discussion about the possibilities of a mermaid business, and the idea of the mermaid experience was born when the three of us started talking about the different themes children's birthday parties had. We all instantly loved the idea and the possibility that we would get to bring to children the joy we'd always had concerning mermaids.

LGG: How did you get it started?

Claire: Once the idea was in place, the three of us had to learn how to run a business. With the help of our fabulous mermaid mother (my mom), we learned and grew through plenty of trial and error, eventually creating a website and shooting a fun promo video. Eventually we were able to set up a trial party with the child of a family friend, and it took off from there.

LGG: Has it always been just the three of you?

Claire: For the most part, yes. We made the tails, came up with the ideas, and put it all into action. However, a friend of ours, also a mermaid fan with her own tail, would occasionally help us at parties where only one or two could attend.

LGG: Do you envision this business expanding in the future?

Olivia: I would very much like to see the Mermaid Experience continue to grow and expand in the future. However, with college looming ahead, it's easy to see how we might not have enough time to invest in the business in coming years, or that all three of us might not be in the same side of the U.S. once we leave for college. That being said, the connections we have made in community only leave room for more growth, and so I hope that we will be able to continue in the future to support the Mermaid Experience and find ways in which it can grow.

LGG: What are your future plans for the mermaid business?

Olivia: In the future, we would like to not only increase our venues, but also to look into possibly doing other sorts of parties besides birthday parties, as well as diversifying our costuming. For example, for a party last year we went as fairies instead of mermaids to tailor to the customer. As well, we are thinking of hiring another mermaid to help out when our schedules get busy, and we are currently in the process of creating mermaid T-Shirts (and possibly other merchandise) which will be for sale on our website later this year. With the money made from the business, we are also interested in creating higher performance and more realistic tails for the parties, to help enrich the experience for all the children.

LGG: What obstacles have you overcome in conducting your mermaid business?

Hannah: Working as a mermaid is pretty simple, with few obstacles, but like every business, we do encounter some. The biggest obstacle I would say is learning to be flexible. When we first started out, we had a set schedule for exactly when we were going to do each activity and how long it was going to take etc. What we have all learned is that, particularly when working with kids, you have to be flexible schedule-wise. Unexpected things will happen at a party, so not everything will go according to plan, and since we’re working with kids, they tend to get distracted pretty easily, so some things might have to move quicker, and that’s ok. Being flexible is one of the most important things to remember when being a mermaid at these parties. 

Claire: In the beginning it was hard to just get it started. But once we had some parties lined up, it was a lot easier. One of the biggest parts of running the business was learning to take responsibility for everything. Emails, Phone calls, Advertisements, Publicity, Thank you notes, crafts. It was intimidating, but now that we've been working on it for almost five years, it's gotten a lot easier.

LGG: What makes it fun?

Claire: For me, everything. The gasps of "MOM! That's a MERMAID!" When the kids get into the pool, letting them sit in your lap and brush their hands against your fins with awe. Playing games, and laughing with the girls, as well as spending time with my mermaid friends. The money is nice, but it's not the reason I ever started doing this. I love swimming and being in the water, and being a mermaid has been a dream of mine forever. It’s the combination of all of it that makes it such an incredible job for me.

LGG: What is your most memorable mermaid experience?

Hannah: MY most memorable mermaid experience would have to be when we all had a float in the Dunwoody 4th of July parade. It was an amazing, exhilarating experience with everyone staring at us, and in awe of us. All of the kids and even some of the parents were amazed by our mermaid tails, and when we looked at them, it seemed that they had never seen anything so magical. During the parade, we even passed a little red headed baby who was bawling his eyes out, but when we passed him, the baby stopped crying and just stared at us with amazement. It was the best feeling in the world.

Claire: Probably the best thing that's ever happened in my opinion was going to a rather large indoor party. There were a lot of girls there, and many of them were older, but they all believed 100% that we were real mermaids. After the party was over, one of the older girls ran over to her mom and begged her to let the mermaids come to her party. Her mom said, "Well, the Mermaids live here in Dunwoody. That would be a long way to go." And she looked at her mom like she had just said the most ridiculous thing ever, then scoffed, "No Mom. The mermaids live in the ocean. Duh."

LGG: What Girl Scout norm does your entrepreneurship exemplify?

Hannah: It exemplifies responsibility, as when we are doing these parties and being mermaids, we are responsible for making sure that the kids at the party have fun, and that the party goes well, in addition to trying to make sure that none of the kids hurt themselves. Running this business requires a lot of responsibility.

LGG: What skills have you learned while “mermaiding?”

Olivia: What skills have you learned while “mermaiding?” Mermaiding of course requires learning how to swim with a monofin, but more than that, it has taught me a lot about communicating with people (parents and children) and the importance of attitude when working. It has also helped build my work ethic, as, since it's a business which I helped found, it's very important to me for it to continue to grow and do well, and that's just not possible if you don't invest yourself in it 110%.

Hannah: The main skill I’ve learned while mermaiding is communication. In order to run our business, we have to be able to interact with the parents to figure out party details, the kids who we are playing with, the party planners, and our advertising outlets, like the Aha Connection, and magazines like yours.


Check out The Mermaid Experience online at http://themermaidexperience.webs.com/.

RoboChicks: Robotics Team Champions

By Kara S.

Picture this: you and your robotics team are standing at the judges’ table. You have just won a big competition! The crowd is applauding like crazy, and you and your team are so proud of each other and all of the hard work each of you have put in to make this competition a successful one.

That is what has been happening for the RoboChicks, one of Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta’s own robotics teams. The RoboChicks team consists of Brittany C., Destiny A., Leah S., Madison K., Natalie N., Mackenzie P., and Ashley O. These girls have been working together for months now preparing for the three most recent competitions they participated in.

But before they can compete, there is so much the RoboChicks put in to preparing. They meet every chance they can right before competitions. They repeatedly run through table runs with the robots and work on their presentation for the judges. Because they do so many run-throughs, they won’t have as many nerves on competition day.


At competitions, they mainly present to three categories of judges, including innovative solution project, core values (how well they work with others), and robot design and program judging. After they face those three judges, they move on to the table rounds. They are there to mainly show off their robotic skills, but they also have a lot of fun!

The first competition this season was the Qualifier at BEST Academy in December. They won the first place Champions Award. They then moved on to the Super Regionals at Columbus State University in January, where they won the Innovative Solution Award. After that, they finished their season at Georgia Tech State Competition in January. There, they won all medals!!! They are already working on the Moonbots Challenge, which challenges teams to design, create, and program robots to simulate lunar missions.

In addition to robotic skills, the girls of RoboChicks work on “coopertition”, which is doing your best while helping are sharing with others. This means that the teams they compete against are they friends, not just their competitors. Madison K. is one of the dedicated RoboChicks. She says, “I love getting together with my RoboChick sisters and coming up with wacky ideas that might just change the world.”

Summer Camp

By Noell G.

Hello, today I am going to talk to you about the meaning of summer camp.

I think the meaning of girls’ summer camp is to get creative, meet new girls, and to create great leaders in girls. Going to summer camp will give you a lot of character. Now don't get me wrong, it is not all about talking about the world (which I think is important), but you also have to meet new people. If you're scared to meet new people, trust me summer camp is amazing for you to go. Not only will you meet new people, but you will also get to use your knowledge and skills to do a lot of things. Thank you for reading my information about summer camps.