Your Promise. Her Future.

Keeping the Promise
Happy fall! As we enter a new membership year at Girl Scouts of Western Ohio, I want to share the impactful Girl Scout experience you make possible.

In this newsletter, you’ll meet Brownie Troop 4951 from the Oyler School. They had an incredible first year as a troop: they hit their cookie goal, earned 11 badges, and attended Troop Adventure Camp (TAC) this past summer!

Not only did Troop 4951 experience so much of what Girl Scouts has to offer, but they have been supported, helped, and cared for throughout their Girl Scout experience. These experiences helped them build healthy relationships with their troop sisters and leaders, giving them an important sense of belonging.

Your support makes these types of experiences possible and ensures that every girl feels she belongs in Girl Scouts. That’s super important in today’s world, where so many girls are facing increasing mental health challenges. Thank you for making a difference for our Girl Scouts!

Yours in Girl Scouting,

In August, our CEO, Aimée Sproles, presented Girl Scout Junior Abigail with a rare Medal of Honor — one of only four presented in our council in the last 15 years.

At a swim party last summer, 10-year-old Abigail noticed a boy struggling in the water. She didn’t wait for help; she simply dove in and brought the boy to safety. Her quick thinking and decisive action made a life-saving difference!

In Abigail's words: "Girl Scouts taught me if you need to spring into action, do it!"

Girl Scouts have been honored since 1913 for meritorious deeds that help save lives. Two National Lifesaving Awards are reserved for Girl Scouts who have performed acts of heroism beyond the degree of maturity and training expected for their age. Girl Scouts of the United States of America’s National Lifesaving Review Committee deemed Abigail’s actions worthy of the Medal of Honor.

To help Girl Scouts determine their adventures and goals for the year, Girl Scouts of Western Ohio teams up with program partners to showcase skill-building opportunities and encourage girls to explore new possibilities.

The Believe In Girls (B.I.G.) Expo, hosted each year in Toledo and Cincinnati, lets girls and their families participate in a wide range of hands-on activities such as programming robots, creating art, wiring electricity, archery, changing a tire, and much more. A partent attendee at the B.I.G Expo said: "Seeing so many young girls empowered and excited about their future was amazing.”

These free, public events not only help Girl Scouts decide what activities they want to do for the year, but are an open invitation for community members to experience the many and varied opportunities for Girl Scouts of all ages.

This year, more than 2,500 people attended a B.I.G. Expo, and 75 program partners participated. See highlights at gswo.org/bigexpo.

Save the dates for 2025:

• Cincinnati: June 7
• Toledo: September 27