As our year-long celebration of 100 years of Girl Scouting draws to a close, here are just a few ways we acknowledged this amazing milestone.

WaterFire

On Saturday, September 29, Girl Scouts of Rhode Island partnered with WaterFire Providence, one of Rhode Island's most popular tourist attractions to round out a year of celebration. WaterFire is a work of art that involves movement, participation and the element of surprise! The sparkling bonfires, the fragrant scent of aromatic wood smoke, the flickering firelight on the arched bridges, the torch-lit vessels traveling down the river, and the enchanting music from around the world engage all the sense and emotions of those who stroll the paths of Waterplace Park. It was truly an evening to remember.

Click here to see our video from the evening.

Some highlights of the night:

100 Torch Salute -- One hundred torches -- representing 100 years of Girl Scouting -- were lit by those whose lives have been affected by Girl Scouting: leaders, alumnae, volunteers and girls. Click here for photos of the 100 Torch Salute.

Steeple Street Exhibits -- Ten exhibits featured the history of and the impact that Girl Scouting has had on our local area. VIPs and donors gathered for camaraderie and fellowship in a special VIP tent while "Juliette Gordon Low" roamed the crowds. Click here for photos of the Steeple Street Exhibits.

Luminaria Procession -- More than one hundred girls and volunteers carried luminarias featuring the wishes of Girl Scouts for the future.

Bridging Ceremony -- Ceremonies have always been an important part of Girl Scouting. As we bridge from one century to the next, we marked this solemn occasion with an emotional "bridging" ceremony over the bridge near the basin. Click here for photos of the Bridging Ceremony.

Governor Henry Lippitt House Museum Exhibit: Extraordinary Women

Lifelong friends (L-R): Abby Lippitt Hunter, Juliette Gordon Low, Mary Gale Carter Clark.

Photograph courtesy of Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace.

 

 

 

 

This temporary exhibit, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Girl Scouts of the USA, told the story of Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts of the USA, her lifelong friendship with Providence resident Abby Lippitt Hunter, daughter of businessman and Governor, Henry Lippitt and the lives of several extraordinary Lippitt women. The history of the Girl Scouts of Rhode Island was also explored through historic photographs and interesting details of its impact on girls’ lives.

This exhibit was made possible through a partnership between the Girl Scouts of Rhode Island and Preserve Rhode Island, owner of the Governor Henry Lippitt House Museum.

A Year in the Life of Girl Scouting

Well, it was actually only six months, but thanks to a collaboration between GSRI and the Photographic Society of RI, 16 older girls in our council had the opportunity to work with three accomplished photographers to learn the basics of good photography and receive invaluable feedback about their own photos. Special thanks to A. Cemal Ekin, PhD, retired Professor of Marketing from Providence College and photographers Dennis Goulet and Mike DeStefano. The following talented girls from our council participated in this project: Gabby Aiello, Kelby Anderson, Lizzie Bernardini, Allyson Cardinal, Jane Carney, Bridget Champlin, Briana Charachflia, Caroline Cowart, Margaux Fontaine, Jordan Hutnak, Jennelle LeBeau, Ariana Leo, Lea Skowkowski, Talia Torkomian, Jazmin Tuscani and Haley Wohlever.

More than 700 images were reviewed by Professor Ekin, Dennis and Mike and in the end 80 photos were chosen to be displayed at WaterFire in two tents on Steeple Street. Other photos will be used in various GSRI marketing materials throughout the coming year.

Special thanks to the two sponsors of this project: Photographic Society of RI (Christina Richardson, club president) and Printmakers, Inc. (especially Anthony Rodrigues and Marc Masse).

Photo credit: Arianna Leo

In Our Communities

Thanks to some creative Girl Scout volunteers from the Bristol/Warren service unit, Girl Scouts of Rhode Island had a terrific float in Bristol, RI's world-famous Fourth of July Parade.

Click here to see the rest of the photos on our Facebook page.

The communities of North Kingstown, Jamestown and East Greenwich also offered a unique spin on 100 years of Girl Scouting: a daylong celebration at Camp Hoffman. Click here to watch a wonderful slide show with music of this impressive event!

Rock the Mall

On June 8, 2012, 150 girls and adults from GSRI left Rhode Island and southeastern MA for Washington, DC for Rock the Mall,a 100th Anniversary celebration hosted by Girl Scouts of the Nation's Capital.

The official Rock the Mall event took place on Saturday, June 9, with activities running from 9am-4pm by the Washington Monument.The day was very warm. Over 200,000 Girl Scouts attended, swarming the city and inspiring locals and tourists to learn more about Girl Scouts through information booths highlighting various GSUSA programs, a mini-museum of Girl Scout memorabilia, and a welcome booth for the top 100 cookie sellers in the nation.

LOTS of songs were sung - classic campfire songs and the new Ignite song, which was being judged for admission into the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest flash mob.There was even a video address by First Lady Michelle Obama. All in all, it was a lovely event and everyone was pleased to have shared in the celebration with so many Girl Scouts from all over the world!

Statehouse Day

On Tuesday, March 13, Governor Chafee signed a proclamation declaring 2012 The Year of the Girl. State legislators took the ToGetHerThere pledge and throughout the week, Girl Scout Week, the Statehouse dome glowed Girl Scout green! Girl Scouting's 100th Birthday in the News

Some fun mentions in the local media honoring our 100 years:

Click here for the Sunday, March 11 Providence Journal article (front page!).

Click here for Congressman Cicilline's remarks on the floor of the US House of Representatives.

Click here for Part 1 of an article in The Sun Chronicle. Click here for Part 2.

Click here for TV Channel 12's coverage of the Statehouse event on March 13.

Click here for The ProJo's photo series of our Statehouse event.

Click here for the Rhode Show's coverage of 100th anniversary events on March 19.

Click here for a Barrington Patch article.