As Girl Scout troop activities wind down for the summer, it’s a good opportunity to look back and celebrate. Medford Girl Scouts had a great year building girls of courage, confidence and character and here are some stats that back up that claim.
- Medford had 30 troops this year ranging in age from Kindergarten Daisies to 10th Grade Seniors.
- We had a total of 329 Girl Scouts and 175 adult volunteers.
- We sold 35,490 packages of cookies, which was a significant increase over the past three years.
- Four new kindergarten Daisy troops got up-and-running.
- Three patrols from Junior Troop 68137 worked on their Bronze Awards (one of which was about protecting city trees and another which encourages people to take care of their Medford Public Library books) and Cadette Troop 75198 worked on their silver award restoring a meadow in the Fells.
- Girls took field trips around town and other troops went farther afield to New York City, Rocking Horse Ranch, and Senior Troop 65007 is about to leave for a trip to Europe with EF Tours.
Moving on Up
The following troops bridged to the next level
Daisies to Brownies
- Troop 62732 – Leaders: Rachael, Courtney, and Ellen
- Troop 62969 – Leaders: Melissa and Shalena
- Troop 62970 – Leaders: Meghan and Kerri
- Troop 62971 – Leaders: Eve and Lynde
- Troop 62974 – Leaders: Lisa and Jacque
Brownies to Juniors
- Troop 72096 – Leaders: Jane and Lisa
- Troop 69024 – Leaders: Amy and Jeannette
- Troop 69039 (3rd grade girls) – Leaders: Jenna, Lynda & Tara
Juniors to Cadettes
- Troop 69166 – Leaders: Selena and other Tufts students
- Troop 68137 – Leaders: Rebecca, Gretchen and Moira
- Troop 68140 – Leaders: Carolyn and Julie
Cadettes to Seniors
- Troop 75198 – Leaders: Gretchen, Kim, and Lindsay
Seniors to Ambassadors
- Troop 65007 – Leader: Monique
Celebrating our Volunteers
The following new leaders received the Green and Growing Award. This award is for leaders and assistant troop leaders who have lead a troop for less than two years, who have completed their required trainings, participated in at least one Medford Girl Scout or GSEMA event or program, participated in the cookie sale, welcomed new members to the troop.
- Jacque Aureli
- Ashley Bennett
- Michele Candeias
- Dena Dalelio
- Rose Polenzani Drozek
- Christin Keegan
- Leah Leach
- Jessica Rivieccio
- Yamaris Vazquez
In addition, the following Medford leaders were awarded the Volunteer of Excellence pin for going above and beyond their troop roles to help organize city-wide events or support Medford Girl Scouts and GSEMA in other ways.
- Jane Hamel – for organizing caroling in the retirement community
- Jenn Iacopucci – for organizing the Brownie Computer Expert badge workshops with the Tufts Girls of Code
- Tracy Keene – for being a GSEMA Regional Delegate
- Sharon McCarthy- for organizing participation in the Medford/Malden Lantern Parade)
- Lynda Panico – for organizing the city-wide bridging with Jenna LaBissioniere
- Paul Ruseau – for supporting other men who want to be leaders in GSEMA
This year, the girl who sold the most cookies in all of Eastern Massachusetts is from Medford! Marianne O’Connell sold 4,408 packages, which is more than most troops sell in total. Marianne and her Senior Troop 65007 are saving up for a Girl Scout trip to Europe and selling cookies is the cornerstone of their fundraising strategy. They were Medford’s top selling troop with a total of 6,608 packages. Congratulations to Marianne and the rest of the girls in Troop 65007!
In total there were 244 Medford girls selling cookies this year for a grand total of 35,490 packages sold, which is more than Medford sold in the past three years.
All girls in Eastern Massachusetts who sell at least 500 packages are in the 500 Club. This year, girls in the 500 Club will receive a free ticket to Canobie Lake Park for a special 500 Club event on May 20, 2018.
Congratulations to the following 2017 Green and Growing Awardees
Not all men are Man Enough to be a Girl Scout and Medford Girl Scouts gave a special shout out to the men who volunteer as troop leaders.
Medford Girl Scout Leaders also took the opportunity to nominate their fellow volunteers and, through that process, the following leaders were honored with a Treasured Volunteer Award.
This patch will bring girls and troops out to an orchard to go apple picking. In addition, girls can also pick activities like baking with apples, learning about the importance of bees to orchards, bring apples to a food pantry, and/or learn about different varieties of apples and where they come from.
The sap runs when the nights are still cold but the daytime temperatures get above freezing and maple syrup seasons is usually a sign that winter is coming to an end. Girl Scouts of all ages can earn this patch by learning about how maple syrup is made (including the two types of maple trees that produce maple syrup sap), the difference between artificial and real maple syrup, and the important role maple syrup plays in the economies of New Hampshire and Vermont.
This patches program gives girls and troops a chance to learn more about the life of the founder of Girl Scouts, Juliet Gordon Low. Girls start with the center patch and then build out around the circle with a new activity and piece of the patch each month. Activities may change over time but currently include learning how to be inclusive of girls with disabilities in September, learning about World Thinking Day in February, and learning about how to be a friend to animals in March.
The Girl Scout membership year officially runs from October 1 to September 30 but Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts is offering special incentives for girls, troops and for Medford when girls and adult volunteers re-register early.
Girls who renew before April 25 will receive:
Renew 75% of your girls in your troop (and two adult volunteers) by June 13 and receive:
Last year, we re-registered more than 50% of our girls and we received $300 that we used to buy a set of Girl Scout flags which we can use for city-wide events and which troops can use for their own flag ceremonies. 
The Cookie Cupboards are closed, the Recognition Orders have been placed, and the Cookies-for-a-Cause have been delivered, all of which adds up to the end of another successful Girl Scout cookie season. We are proud to report that this year’s cookie sale far surpassed last year’s totals. This year, 23 Medford troops sold 33,852 packages of cookies, a 27% increase over last year’s total of 26,515 packages. Way to go girls, volunteers, and our supportive Girl Scout families! We look forward to seeing how the troops decide to spend their earnings to pay for dynamic troop activities and to help make the world a better place.
Medford Girl Scouts is proud to announce that we have recently purchased our own set of Girl Scout flags, which are available for troop and city-wide events. The money to purchase the flags came from the $300 bonus Medford Girl Scouts received from Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts when more than 50% of our girls re-registered before June 30 last year during the early bird Spring Renewal membership drive. Thanks to all the troop leaders and volunteers for helping their members re-register early.
We have three flags: a Medford Girl Scout flag, a World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts flag, and a flag of the United States of America. In addition, we also have flag stands and flag holders that the girls can wear while walking with the flags.
If your troop would like to learn how to do a flag ceremony, please check out the links below:
Medford Girl Scouts 