Thousands of Girl Scouts Gather at 53rd Convention in Salt Lake City to Discover, Connect, and Take Action to Change the World

NEW YORK, Oct. 14, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) is excited to gather over 5,000 of our members and supporters from across the nation and the globe in Salt Lake City, Utah, October 16–19, 2014, for our

"It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as national president for the past six years as we positioned our Movement for the future," said Connie L. Lindsey, national president of Girl Scouts of the USA. "I look forward to welcoming everyone to our national convention. Girl Scouts remains dedicated to giving girls the opportunities to discover their talents, connect their energy, passion, and intellect to their highest aspirations, and take action to make the world a better place!"

"Three years ago in Houston, the Girl Scouts family welcomed me as its new national CEO," said Anna Maria Chavez, GSUSA's chief executive officer. "Now I am thrilled to have the opportunity to welcome Girl Scouts of all ages and from all over the world to Salt Lake City. Together over the next several days, we will reinvigorate our shared commitment to Girl Scouts, welcome many of our alumnae 'home', and work to shape our shared vision for our Movement's future."

At the heart of every convention is the National Council Session, Girl Scouts' Democratic process in action. The National Council is the membership body charged with giving broad policy direction to the future of the Movement, convening every three years to take action on proposals to strengthen Girl Scouts, give guidance to the National Board on topics of great importance to the direction of the Movement (which, during this session, includes a discussion of the importance of the outdoors to Girl Scouts), and elect the officers and other members of the National Board of Directors and National Board Development Committee. The members of the National Council include delegates—a mix of teen and adult members numbering approximately 1,200—elected to represent Girl Scout councils across the country and selected to represent USA Girl Scouts Overseas. The National Council also includes the National Board members, National Board Development Committee members, and past presidents of Girl Scouts of the USA. As Girl Scouts is a membership organization, this meeting gives every member a chance for their voice to be heard.

The National Council will vote on the following slate of nominees for the National Board for 2014–2017:

• Kathy Hopinkah Hannan, President
• Sharon H. Matthews, First Vice-President
• Wonya Lucas, Second Vice-President
• Charles D. McLane, Jr., Treasurer
• Sylvia Acevedo, Secretary

The Girl Scout members who form the National Council are joined by thousands of other attendees—including Girl Scouts, alumnae, volunteers, parents, advocates, and anyone else who is a big believer in all of the great things Girl Scouts do—for convention events and activities that inspire, teach, and reward, all while focusing on the girls we serve. Convention highlights this year will include an array of stimulating and fun activities ranging from thought-provoking learning sessions to theme dinners and parties to the interactive, buzzing Hall of Experiences, which the public is invited to attend.

Some of the noteworthy speakers will be Robin McGraw, national celebrity spokesperson for GSUSA; Michelle Norris, NPR host and special correspondent, and head of the "Race Card Project"; Ann Romney, former First Lady of Massachusetts and an advocate for raising awareness and funds for multiple sclerosis; Elizabeth Smart, founder of the Elizabeth Smart Foundation; and Bonnie St. John, Paralympic athlete, author, and Fortune 500 leadership consultant.

The 2014 convention will feature a wide range of girl-centered events, including the Conversations of Consequence, which are four large-format, talk show-style sessions that will focus on issues of importance to girls and our society. Also, during the Girl Scout Leadership Institute, 800 Girl Scouts ages 14 and older will participate in sessions designed to empower them, enrich their leadership journeys, and give them the tools they need to start a "Take Action" project to bring back to their councils. And on Sunday, we will honor the 2014 National Young Women of Distinction. Each of the 10 young women earned her Girl Scout Gold Award—the highest award in Girl Scouts—and was selected for national honors for demonstrating extraordinary leadership in the completion of her Take Action project.

Girl Scouts of the USA is extremely grateful to its premier sponsors—AT&T and Toyota Financial Services—for their support of the 2014 National Council Session/53rd Convention. These companies, which are also part of ToGetHerThere, the largest fundraising campaign for girls in history, have generously invested in Girl Scouts because they believe in the enduring impact of the Girl Scout mission. Their generosity empowers girls to reach their fullest potential—they know that when girls succeed, so does society.

For the first time ever, Girl Scouts of Utah will be hosting convention. Founded by Bertha Eccles 94 years ago in Ogden, the organization has recently had four years of growth in membership and now supports 8,500 girl members and 3,400 adult volunteers. Last year, the council's members recorded more than 500,000 hours of service to their communities, touching every part of the state. And Utah Girl Scouts sold over 1,500,000 cookies last year; that's 325 boxes of cookies per girl, the highest average in the nation!

We're Girl Scouts of the USA
We're the preeminent leadership development organization for girls. It began over 100 years ago, in 1912, with one woman, Girl Scouts' founder Juliette Gordon "Daisy" Low, who believed in the power of every girl. Today, we continue her vision of building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Juliette organized the first Girl Scout troop on March 12, 1912, in Savannah, Georgia, and today, we continue her vision of helping girls discover their strengths, passions, and talents. And with programs for American girls from coast to coast and across the globe, Girl Scouts offers every girl a chance to do something amazing. To volunteer, reconnect, donate, or join, visit www.girlscouts.org.

SOURCE Girl Scouts of the USA

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