Going for Gold

This is a blog where I will be documenting my progress on my Girl Scout Gold Award. Five years ago, my troop began a campaign in our town pushing for a plastic bag ordinance that would either ban or tax plastic bags. About a year ago (July 2017) a five cent fee was placed on plastic bags! For my Gold Award, I am planning to create a video and how-to kit for other troops and anyone interested in lobbying for a similar ordinance, or any kind of bill, in their town. The video will detail how my troop passed a plastic bag ordinance in our town, and the How-To kit will lay out a step by step strategy. ~Based in Northern New Jersey

[virginiaisforhaters]

this ones for the girls

the water warriors fighting for access to clean water for all

the teenagers imprisoned for fighting back against oppressive regimes 

those fighting for access to education for all

for the future of the planet 

for gender equality 

for safety and protection from gun violence

for governmental representation and engagement for youths 

for the rights of immigrants 

for syria and the rights of refugees 

for literacy and the representation of WOC in books

for trans and queer rights 

for protection of girls against forced marriage and child slavery

i hope that one day we live in a world where children are allowed to just be children, where they dont have to fight tooth and nail for their rights and their futures, but i could not be prouder of this generation 

(from top to bottom: Autumn Peltier, Amariyanna “Mari” Copeny, Ahed Tamimi, Malala, Greta Thunberg, Melati and Isabel Wijsen, Artemisa Xakriabá, Ridhima Pandey, Jamie Margolin, Rowan Blanchard, Jaclyn Corin and Emma Gonzalez, Shamma bint Suhail Faris Mazrui, Sophie Cruz, Bana al-Abed, Marley Dias, Jazz Jennings, Sonita Alizadeh, Payal Jangid)

[glblctzn]

World Water Day hero 🚰 Autumn Peltier started educating the public on why many Indigenous people living in Canada lack access to clean water at just 8 years old. Since then, she has been nominated for the International Children’s Peace Prize, and she hopes to continue her water rights and environmental advocacy for years to come. Read about more young women fighting for water access around the world. ⁣ (📷: Manuel Elias/UN Photo) 

[goingforgold19]

Last night I had a super productive meeting with people from a nearby town who are interested in passing a plastic bag “hybrid bill”- a ban on plastic bags and a tax on paper bags. According to a representative there from the Surfrider Organization, this is the most effective kind of ordinance. This event had members of the town council, community leaders, and even representatives from girl and boy scouts! I was invited, along with two other speakers, to talk about what my troop did in my town as well as briefly about my proposed Gold Award. I made a lot of connections I hope will be useful and generally got really motivated to continue with my project!  

[goingforgold19]

Update: this “hybrid bill” might finally be passed tonight! So excited to see the work of these amazing people finally come to fruition. :)

[goingforgold19]

It was passed!

[goingforgold19]

7. 31. 2019

Spent 5 hours scripting my documentary today. Fun fun fun.

🎧 Runaway Kids by Harbour

[goingforgold19]

7.30.2019

Interviewed Jessie and her mom, my sister scout and troop mom who made the (iconic) Plastic Bag Monster costume!

(Click for better quality)

[moby-grapes]

how cool would it be if Girl Scouts got the same level of respect and recognition as the Boy Scouts do how wild a thought

[ravenclawravings]

Ravenclaw: I was very productive on my project today!

Slytherin: It took you two months to start it.

Ravenclaw: But I finally started!

[thorns-witchy-garden]

Girl Scout rant (with no spell check because Tumblr is hell)

STOP FUCKING OVER GIRL SCOUTS!!!!!!!!

Girl Scouts is important!!!!!!

Stop ignoring them when they try to sell you cookies (especially the little ones!!!!). It’s HARD to sell cookies to strangers!!!! Have some manners and say no thank you!!!!!

Girl Scouts are important!!!!

I’m sorry your troop leader failed you and you learned no skills because she was a shitty PTA mom who wanted to do crafts. But it’s designed to empower girls!!! There’s so much you can learn and do!!!! Make your own troop or something change the system! Girl Scouts are just as important as Boy Scouts! You can learn the same stuff to a degree if you do it right!!!!

Girl Scouts are important for young girls!!! (And older).

Stop shaming people for it!!! In high school I didn’t tell a soul that I was still involved. I was ashamed because of the stigma around it. But there’s so much to learn even when your older.

Girl Scouts is a beautiful organization!!!! They support girls being girls!!! Encouraging STEM programs and busines skills!!!! Give it the respect it deserves!!!!

(Also support the summer camps too please if you can afford it!! So many in my area have been closed or sold. They’re a beautiful place and it breaks my heart.)

~Former Girl Scout of 12 years, current cookie mom for my troop and Girl Scout Camp Counslor

[anti-capitalistlesbianwitch]

Opinion | I’m 10. And I Want Girls to Raise Their Hands.

I noticed that boys in my classes always seem more confident. That’s why my Girl Scout troop created a new patch.

Last year on a fourth-grade field trip, I noticed that all the boys stood in the front and raised their hands while most of the girls politely stayed in the back and were quiet. It made me upset.

On the car ride home I told my mom about what happened. We talked about how it seemed unfair and how boys and girls should be equal. My mom talks to me a lot about women’s rights and how women are treated differently.

I told my mom that I thought girls weren’t raising their hands because they were afraid that the answer was going to be wrong and that they would be embarrassed. I also think they were being quiet because the boys already had the teacher’s attention, and they worried they might not be able to get it. My mom and I decided that we should take the experience to my Girl Scout troop.

We talked about it as a troop. All 12 girls in our troop said this was a problem they also noticed and we talked about how we could improve it. I suggested that we create a Girl Scout patch that would encourage girls to raise their hands in class and be more confident about using our voices. The other girls loved the idea, and they had other suggestions. As a troop we decided to go the local council, Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital, which represents more than 62,000 girls in the Greater Washington, D.C., region, to present our idea.

We decided to call it the Raise Your Hand patch. Its message is that girls should have confidence, step up and become leaders by raising our hands.

[knifeforsale]

VINTAGE GIRL SCOUTS POCKET KNIFE | LISTING

[goingforgold19]

Two most recent interviews: Caitlin Doran of the Hackensack Riverkeeper and Mayor Hameeduddin of Teaneck, New Jersey. One more to go and then it’s on to the rough cut!

Quote of the week: “There is no nutrisystem for government.” - Mayor Hameeduddin

[goingforgold19]

Last night I had a super productive meeting with people from a nearby town who are interested in passing a plastic bag “hybrid bill”- a ban on plastic bags and a tax on paper bags. According to a representative there from the Surfrider Organization, this is the most effective kind of ordinance. This event had members of the town council, community leaders, and even representatives from girl and boy scouts! I was invited, along with two other speakers, to talk about what my troop did in my town as well as briefly about my proposed Gold Award. I made a lot of connections I hope will be useful and generally got really motivated to continue with my project!  

[goingforgold19]

Update: this “hybrid bill” might finally be passed tonight! So excited to see the work of these amazing people finally come to fruition. :)

[goingforgold19]

My troop has a website, so if you want some basic info on how I got started, check it out!

My Gold Award is the result of a five- year campaign documented on a website created by one of my troopmates (who I will be interviewing for my video!). Here’s the link! : http://teanecktroop19.strikingly.com/  

[goingforgold19]

So yesterday I was incredibly honored to get to represent my troop at the NJ State Assembly and Senate panel presentation on plastic on August 23rd. Experts on plastic manufacturing, chemical makeup, and pollution were all present, as well as environmental activists instrumental in getting plastic ordinances passed in the state of New Jersey (this is why my troop was invited). We were given two minutes for one of us to speak, and I was chosen by my troop members to represent us. The picture above is of a few members of my troop as well as myself and my Gold Award Advisor, who was also asked to speak on another panel. It was so exciting to even be in the room with so many amazing people! Here’s a link to an article written about the event: https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/2018/08/23/nj-plastic-bag-ban-murphy-veto-plastic-grocery-bag-fee/1073851002/

Phil Murphy to veto bill imposing 5-cent fee on plastic grocery bags. Is a ban next?

The news was welcomed by some environmentalists, who hope the governor will push for an outright ban on the plastic bags.

[goingforgold19]

Wow, I have not posted here in a while.

Since my last post, I have 3/5 interviews completed and transcribed, with the last two scheduled for the next two weeks. I’ve finished my sophomore year of high school as well :) I’m 26 hours in, with 54 to go. I’m well on my way to a rough cut!

[huffpost]

These Utensils Are Totally Edible

[reverseracism]

This is incredibly smart!

[onlyblackgirl]

Look at brown people out here solving world problems.

[one-triforce-to-rule]

Honest to god i wouldn’t even buy them as utensils I would just eat them

[edwinas]

The  link is not working anymore so here are alternative links:

the official website for Bakeys + wikipedia page 

https://www.iol.co.za/business-report/watch-an-indian-company-makes-edible-cutlery-12476245

https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/impact-journalism-day-2018/MAGAZINE-next-gen-disposable-cutlery-making-edible-spoons-in-india-1.6158924

https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/edible-cutlery-protect-environment-india/ (includes a youtube video) 

[thedxxvii]

Many great ideas that could save the world are thought of everyday but some of these bigger corporations literally work to get them suppressed because they would kill their industry.

[missymalice]

“young adult dystopian novels are so unrealistic lmao like they always have some random teenage girl rising up to inspire the world to make change.”

a hero emerges 

[inkgut-deactivated20180603]

And just like in the novels, grown men and women are going out of their way to destroy her. Support our hero.

[freifraufischer]

And it’s not even like it doesn’t happen regularly.  

Teenage girls are amazing.

[queen-of-the-merry-men]

Sometimes they’re not even teenagers

[maveragical]

Reblog every time a girl is discredited/ignored

[thecaboodale]

[spacemonkeyg78]

[fuckitidkwhat-deactivated202006]

Sadly I don’t know most of these people