Medford Girl Scouts was pleased to celebrate its fantastic volunteer troop leaders at our last monthly leader meeting of the year. Without all our troop leaders, assistant troop leaders, and other volunteers, there wouldn’t be troop meetings, field trips, camping trips, or cookie sales. Quite simply, Medford’s Girl Scout volunteers are helping the leaders of tomorrow to grow, learn new skills, try new things, have fun, and make friends to last a lifetime.
This year, Medford Girl Scouts honored some of its newest troop leaders and assistant troop leaders with the Green and Growing Award. This award is for volunteers 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 this year and next.
Congratulations to the following 2017 Green and Growing Awardees
- Jeanette Albee
- Kerri Babish
- Shalena Bonnett
- Amy Clark
- Lisa Cohen
- Lynde Doherty
- Eve Driscoll
- Meghan Dwyer
- Jane Hamel
- Rachael Mattull
- Melissa Maywalt
- Stacy Pattureli
- Moira Pulitzer-Kennedy
- Courtney Russo
- Seana Smith
- Selena Steinberg
- Jessica Turner-Waugh
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.
- Tracy Keene
- John Pappas
- Paul Ruseau
- James Kossuth
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.
- Lynda Panico – Cookie Queen
- Tracy Keene – Best Leader Ever
- Ann Frenning-Kossuth – Community Relations, Community Connector, and Advocate
- Jenna LaBissoniere – Events Coordinator and Troop Pathway Orientation Trainer
- Monique O’Connell – Medford Treasurer and Cookie Guru
- Lindsay Nordstrom – Troop Pathway Orientation Trainer
- Rebecca Scott – Communications and Recruitment
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:
Tufts University has a new club this year called 
Troops don’t have to work on a badge to join forces with the Tufts Girls of Code. Middle-school and high-school aged troops are welcome to connect with Dr. Strange if they would simply like the Tufts Girls of Code to lead a workshop for the troop. For example, the group already led a couple of workshops that were open to all girls in Medford. The first one taught girls to build an animated Jack-o-Lantern in JavaScript and the second one helped the girls create their own Android app video game.
The girls from Troop 72096, who just completed first grade, gathered together on Saturday, July 16, with several master gardeners at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Medford to conclude their Daisy year with a Take Action project: the release of almost 20 ladybugs. These small insects are formidable fighters and eat aphids, tiny bugs that afflict vegetable gardens. Controlling aphids is especially important because the food grown at the church is donated directly to the Community Cupboard food pantry. Fewer aphids will equal healthier plants, which will mean more food for the 7090 families that rely on the pantry each week.
The Daisy Girl Scouts spent the past few months learning about gardens. They planted and tended snow peas and beets at Grace Episcopal Church in Medford, which were all donated to the food pantry. Through this work, the girls learned about what gardens need to stay healthy.
The girls very much enjoyed working with the Master Gardeners to contribute to this local food pantry and they eagerly look forward to the projects they may take on as Brownies this coming school year!
Medford Girl Scouts 