To the Editor:

In the spirit of the holiday, I would like to share my gratitude to more than 15,000 adult members who volunteered their time, resources, and giving hearts and touched the lives of over 32,000 Girl Scouts across Connecticut. Because of their tireless dedication and commitment, we continued to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world and their communities better places.

It is evident now more than ever that there are still so many challenges ahead when it comes to girls and women making progress on a local, national, and global level. Girls want to lead, but often don't feel they have the opportunity or support. We can change this by agreeing to stand with and provide helpful guidance and mentoring to our girls as they discover and tap into their talents and strengths.

At Girl Scouts, we are all about practicing everyday leadership, preparing girls to empower themselves, and promoting GIRL (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader) experiences. Girl Scouts doesn't empower girls; we prepare girls with the skills and experiences they need to empower themselves for life - and we couldn't do it without you.

We also can't forget the legacy of our Girl Scout Alumnae. Over the course of the last century, millions of our alumnae have positively affected their communities and the world with their creative, impactful, and sustainable Take Action projects. This year, we celebrated 100 Years of Changing the World - the Gold Award Centennial, where we honored 86 girls (a record number) in Connecticut who earned the Gold Award, the highest award in Girl Scouting. With the help of our dedicated mentors and volunteers, our girls are able to do incredible things.

Join us in 2017. To join or learn more about volunteering, visit gsofct.org/join. Happy Holidays!

Warmly,

Mary Barneby

Girl Scouts of Connecticut, CEO

340 Washington Street, Hartford         December 20, 2016