NEW  POGO Recognitions Ceremony

Local Girl Scouts Celebrate By Marta J. Constable, ALS

The Prince William and Fauquier County Older Girl Organization (POGO) held their 7th Annual "Something to Remember" Recognitions Ceremony celebrating the accomplishments of Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts who earned their Silver Trefoil, Silver or Gold Award, as well as honoring their Graduating HS Seniors. In 1998 POGO was formed to offer an opportunity for Girl Scouts with varied interests to have an independent avenue to pursue those interests outside of the troop environment, and remain in Girl Scouting. After the posting of the colors by Woodbridge SHS' Army ROTC Color Guard, made up of C/SSgt Julia Ganoe (Girl Scout Coordinator), C/PFC Ashley Sayles, C/CPT Megan Straubinger, and C/SFC Juozas Naujokaitis, Michelle Clark sang the National Anthem and led the audience in the GS Promise.

Several honored guests attended, including Jeffrey M. Frederick (VA House of Delegates/ 52nd District), John Jenkins (PWBOCS / Neabsco), and Runia Brokamp (GSCNC Field Director). The Mistress of Ceremony this year was Jan Rayl, a nurse and local 3rd generation GS. The Guest Speaker was Leslie Oakes, a minister at Manassas St Thomas Methodist Church, who wore her full 1950's uniform including her beanie, and who still has her GS handbook. Presenters this year for the different recognitions were Joy Peters, Cleta Schmitt, Fran Phoenix, and Edele Gilkey.

Silver Trefoil is the highest award given by the local Council, the Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital (GSCNC), to Senior Girl Scouts. It is exclusive only to GSCNC and recognizes service to categories unique to the Washington, DC area. These ladies have provided at least 100 hours of service to the international community; state, local and federal governments, and to GSCNC. Senior Girl Scouts who achieved this honor were Kelly Callahan, Kristin Frost, Alexandra Lathrop, Stephanie Sisk, Heather Snider, Amanda Thompson, and Ciara Vega.

Silver Award is the highest award available to a Cadette Girl Scout, and recognizes service given to the Girl Scout community. These ladies have done a variety of projects along with meeting some strenuous requirements. The Cadette Challenge pin, which takes almost a year to complete, is just one of the requirements. The Cadettes who have achieved this honor were Jacqueline Angel-Martinez, Emily Arnold, Kristen Bacus, Alexandra Bartholomew, Jessica Beardsley, Amanda Bond, Rachelle Cook, Sarah DeSoto, Meaghan Eicher, Chelsea Fulton, Natalie Giles, Katrina Hagen, Shannon Hakh, Kaitlyn Hammack, Kristine Hatton, Rebecca Johnson, Stacy Marzec, Gabriella Muñoz, Meghan Oliver, Marymagdaline Onyango, Shelby Richey, Tiffany Roop, Elizabeth Saccoccia, Morgan Sadler, Sandra Sanchez, Kristine SanLuis, Rachael Schortemeyer, Tekiya Shabazz, Ashley Shands, Kathleen Sielaff, Elizabeth Storey, Jenny Udicious, and Rebecca Wescott.

Before 1980 the Senior GS Gold Award had many names such as Golden Eaglet, Curved Bar and First Class. To receive the Gold Award, ladies are encouraged to look within their community at large and identify a need. They then work to solve this need, using leadership, organization and other skills and interests they have developed along the way to the Gold. Each Senior Girl Scout, and only she herself, must complete 50 hours of total work on the way to completing her Gold Project. We were very proud to recognize the following recipients of the Gold Award: Kristina Lese and Maren Paslick.

The teen Girl Scouts are busy young ladies. They manage outside interests, school, social life, part time jobs, team sports, as well as family responsibilities. The fact that she has stayed with Girl Scouting through HS graduation is a great accomplishment and deserves recognition. Those honored were Virginia Holman, Kristina Lese, Maren Paslick, Lyndsi Porto, Katherine Purdy, Cindy Tolson, Rebecca Tyrrell and Ciara Vega.

The POGO Ceremony relies exclusively on volunteers to help make this a memorable event for everyone. Marta Constable, the ceremony producer, wants to publicly acknowledge and thank the following people who assisted in the different phases of the program. Charlene Wagner-Whalen for the VIP letters, coordination and name tags; Amanda and Kristin Humphreys for the girls' invitations and RSVP cards; Joy Peters for coordination of the Council banners and the PA system; Troop 3838 (leaders Denise Chase and Tara Anderson) comprised of Diamond Anderson, Tanesha Boulden, Chelsey Chase, Sara DeSilva, Jocelyn Edwards, Madeline Evans, Kristin Hooven, Leah Tomlin, and Marta Woldu for being our hostesses, and handling the registration tables; Connie Sielaff for the girls' corsages and parents' pennies; Susan and Jeff Holman for the calligraphy in, and assembly of the Memory Books; Jessica Donofrio for providing the decorations, and food for the reception with the assistance of Charlotte Randall, Vera Meadors, and LeAnne Beardsley. It truly takes many hands, and we appreciate everyone's help.

Without the invaluable help our volunteers provide, the POGO ceremony wouldn't be such a remarkable event, and "Something to Remember" for each honoree. For more fotos and further information about POGO, visit our website http://www.su80-11.org/pogo/home.htm and come join us! Girls and adults, alike!

For additional fotos of the 2007 POGO ceremony, Click Here

 NEW  MCOGL Car Sense IP workshop

MCOGL Car Sense IP workshop June 15

I am forwarding the following opportunity. Please contact them directly if you are interested. MCOGL is sponsoring a Car Sense IP workshop on June 15 in Rockville. We recommend that scouts be age 15 or older, as this workshop will be less meaningful for younger scouts.

We currently have 50 girls registered. If any one else is interested please let me know ASAP we can registered up to 80.

Thanks,
Marie

POGO Walkabout 2007

POGO Walkabout 2007

Please mark these dates on your calendar: The next POGO Walkabout will be September 7-9, 2007. This will be a new location for us and we will have to make some changes in the program. If you would be interested in helping plan the event, have any comments or suggestions, or know of any fabulous vendors in the camp area, please contact Cleta.

Flyer (PDF 98 KB) Application (PDF 17 KB)

Thanks,
Cleta

Newsletter

Newsletter Contact E-Mail Change

Please submit all information to be included in the newsletter by the Thursday before each monthly meeting. Tammy e-mail address is dueley@verizon.net.

POGO Backpackers

Request for Assistance

Seven girls and four adults from the POGO Backpackers are trying to raise money to go to Glacier National Park in 2007 and Scotland in 2008. They are recycling printer cartridges and cell phones to help raise money. If you have any to recycle, you may give them to someone you know in the Backpackers or contact Sarah or Debbie.