Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas

Congratulations on the terrific 2013 Annual Report! The pamphlet is a wonderful summary of another successful year for Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas. I am delighted that the 100th year anniversary of Girl Scouts was so much fun for the volunteers and the girls. it is exciting to see that the opening of the West Side Girl Scout Leadership Center promises to expand the Girl Scout Leadership experience to a new neighborhood of girls. The financial report is excellent and it is very good news that the Trefoil luncheon was the most successful ever.

I smile every time I see the beautiful Girl Scout Mobil Leadership Center out on the road. Let's have another record breaking year!
Mary Henrich

I have seen first-hand the impact the GSSWT program has made in the life of my daughter and in the lives of many girls in this area as a volunteer for 10 years and now a board member. Girls have the opportunity to experience many different things they may not otherwise have the chance to experience through the Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas. Just a few examples I've attended include a culinary class at a local university, repelling down a tower, scuba diving, and meeting with a female pilot at the airport. These experiences open their eyes to all of the possibilities in their future. They also learn many new ways to volunteer in their community and they develop skills to better prepare them for whatever path they may choose in the future. The the number of potential paths they consider and feel confident to pursue is greatly increased after participating in the GSSWT programs.

GSSWT is a great organization that has positively impacted its members. It is definitely a life changing experience for all Girls who join.

My most memorable experience of the year for Girl Scouts was participating in the largest ever investiture ceremony where 600 high school and middle school girls joined Girls Scouts. While many girls nationally leave Girl Scouting during middle and high school, it was impressive to see San Antonio's innovative Gamma Sigma Girls and Pearls program successfully re-engage those girls.

I am a new board member and chose to dedicate my time ot the Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas because of the large impact they are having to the girls and their families in Southwest Texas. The leadership opportunities that the girls are experiencing are invaluable to their confidence for the future.

Since the arrival of CEO Anna Maria Chavez, the organization has taken major leaps forward. She began with a staff realignment, recruitment of new (higher caliber) board members and invigorating the volunteers and community support. Anna put a new strategic plan in place and has followed through. She personally touched every corner of the new 21 county council and has elicited the support of elected and community leaders. The result over the last two years has been an giant increase in girl members, including a new "Gamma Sigma" component which the national office has made into a pilot project. The publicity that this revised Council has made the community sit up and take notice. The Girl Scouts are on a roll!

This is a very exciting and dynamic time in the GSSWT organization, with the tremendous increase in number of girl members in this Council, the enormous success of the inaugural year of the new Gamma Sigma Girls program in ten high schools in San Antonio Independent School District, the upcoming 100th Anniversary Year of the Girl Scouts, the upcoming Annual Meeting in Houston the fall of 2011, among others. All aspects of the organization (the girls, the volunteeers, the staff and the Board) are bubbling with energy, enthusiasm, success, growth and an increasing public profile. This organization does good things for many, and is wholly deserving of support.