2021 Annual Report
Letter from the President and CEO
As Girl Scouts, we know that every day brings new adventures and exciting experiences. 2021 continued to present opportunities that encouraged us to show our perseverance and resilience as well as our strength and innovation.
The mission of Girl Scouts remained our compass and guide through the year’s adventures and uncertainties. As we continued through a hybrid world of virtual and in-person activities, we leveraged our strengths and talents to deliver our core pillar programs of Entrepreneurship, Outdoors, STEM, and Life Skills across our 67 counties. Girl Scouts welcomed the adventure – they raised their hands, stepped up to challenges, and displayed true commitment to making the world a better place.
A Girl Scout challenges by choice – and opportunities grow from each adventure. Girl Scouts provides a safe space where girls can map their mindset and set their path forward. Now, more than ever, girls need all the adventures of Girl Scouts.
Camp was a well-earned retreat – we safely welcomed girls back, and we were reminded how much we need outdoor experiences. Girl Scout adventures expanded beyond our camps - girls dedicated their time and talent toward Highest Awards, stretched their minds with STEM programs, and strategized as troops to set ambitious Cookie goals.
We are incredibly proud of where Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road is today – relevant, resilient, and ready to provide a map of positive experiences for our girls. It is up to them to choose their own adventure, to determine their path, to discover their true north.
We are confident that Girl Scouts will give them the adventures of a lifetime and a lifetime of adventure.
Yours in Girl Scouting,
Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road serves communities in 66 counties in northern, central, and eastern Kentucky and 1 county in Ohio. We are fully dedicated to sharing the Girl Scout leadership experience with all girls – regardless of background, geography, or financial situation – so they may reach their fullest potential.
We believe that girls built with Girl Scouts’ guiding principles of courage, confidence, and character make the world a better place.
Launched in 2021, the Teen Advisory Committee brings together older girls to discuss ideas and advise the CEO and GSKWR staff about new opportunities for teens and girls. TAC meetings focus on public speaking, communication strategy, and board service and governance. TAC members work as volunteers for special projects and events and act as ambassadors for GSKWR in their communities and throughout the council. Interested? Apply today!
GSKWR’s newest location at Ashland Town Center creates a destination center with innovative and accessible programs and a retail shop experience. Girls, volunteers, Board members, staff, and supporters joined the two-day opening celebration. From patch programs to cookie kiosks, Girl Scouts’ Ashland Town Center location is a one-stop shop!
Our Town Hall with the CEO series shared highlights and encouraged conversation during 2021’s changing landscape. Topics for these virtual Town Halls included Service Delivery (November 21, 2020), Diversity-Equity-Inclusion (January 23, 2021), and the Volunteer Experience (May 15, 2021). GSKWR’s Annual Business Meeting (March 16, 2021) and Delegate Business Meeting (September 16, 2021) rounded out our governance meetings.
Volunteers
Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road’s 1,583 volunteers dedicate themselves to sharing experiences, creating adventures, and seeing girls succeed. Each volunteer is the Who that makes the Why happen. As a Troop Leader, Cookie Manager, or Camp kitchen helper – long-time or short-term – legacy or new arrival, each and every volunteer plays a crucial role in GSKWR’s success. Thank you!
Training
Volunteers met the moment and attended online and in-person training opportunities – including 43 in-person sessions, OWL (Our Weekend of Learning) Training at Camp Judy Layne, 71 live Zoom training sessions, and 35 on-demand gsLearn training courses. Nearly 1,300 volunteer modules were completed through gsLearn.
GSKWR held its second annual council-wide, virtual Service Unit Team Training for volunteers. More than 54 participants attended sessions focused on APD programming, recruitment, best banking practices, leadership, and more.
GSKWR launched a 6-part Zoom series – Volunteer to Lead: Leading as a New Volunteer – to provide training, support, and connections for new leaders. Series’ topics include Girl Scout traditions, gsLearn, camp, and the Volunteer Tool Kit.
Celebrating
On April 24, Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road gathered virtually to celebrate its volunteers and community partners and to say a heartfelt thank you for their support and dedication during a challenging year.
141 Participants - 19 Volunteer Awards - 4 Community Partner Awards
Governor and First Lady Beshear
Girl Scouts of Kentucky's Wilderness Road volunteers received a special thank you message from Kentucky’s Governor and First Lady during the virtual Volunteer Awards Ceremony.
Once a Girl Scout, Always a Girl Scout 
Many of us know that Girl Scouts promotes progression – Daisy to Ambassador, day camps to backpacking overnights, girl member to alum. Each experience encourages girls to try, to learn from mistakes, to celebrate challenges. Girl Scouts’ mission of building girls of courage, confidence, and character connects each girl, through every moment and memory, to a sisterhood of Girl Scouts 110 years strong!
Even – or especially – during a pandemic, Girl Scout sisterhood is even more valuable. This past year, Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road created connections for Girl Scout alums to connect as sisters – on a Zoom cooking demonstration, a special day to hike the hills at a favorite camp, or a reunion weekend with camp staff alums, complete with campfire and singdown, of course!
New this year, GSKWR graduating seniors were invited to attend an Alum Welcome day during OWL Weekend at Camp Judy Layne. The girls gathered with GSKWR alum, Ericka Harney, and shared insights and experiences about their Girl Scout journeys as well as their goals for the future. Following a group lunch, the seniors were welcomed into the sisterhood of Girl Scout Alums by GSKWR volunteers attending OWL Weekend with a special Bridging to Adults Ceremony. Alums stood to read the words of the Girl Scout Law and sang On My Honor to welcome their newest alum sisters.
GSKWR looks forward to building its alum opportunities with new Girl Scout alum groups and activities – any and all are welcome. As generations of Girl Scout alums know – once a Girl Scout, always a Girl Scout!
Every box of Girl Scout Cookies supports both girl initiative and our local communities – and helps the next generation of female leaders develop skills in goal setting, money management, and business ethics. Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road is incredibly proud of the dedication, hard work, and savvy skills of all the girls that participated in the 2021 Girl Scout Cookie Program.
In a Cookie season with many challenges, these girls were resourceful and fully committed to the entrepreneurial spirit of the Girl Scout Cookie Program. Thank you to everyone who supported the next generation of female leaders and the opportunities that Cookie earnings make possible.
- $3,059,186 total gross Cookie Program proceeds
- 609,648 boxes of cookies sold with $484,187 total troop proceeds
- 253 boxes sold per girl – a 12% increase!
- $25,000 of cookies donated through Operation Sweet Treat and donated to National Reserves and Troop Island
Congratulations to the Cookie Entrepreneurs who sold more than 1,000 boxes!
109 girls sold more than 1,000 boxes!
Celebrate the good times of a great Cookie season with this video -
Troop 1984's Disney Cookie Goals: Making Lemonade out of Covid Lemons
In October 2017, Troop 1984 sent six girls to the Girl Scout National Convention in Columbus, Ohio. For the girls and moms in attendance, it was a transformative experience. So many positive female role models inspired and encouraged the girls to dream big. At the closing ceremonies, the announcement was made for the 2020 convention location – Orlando, Florida. All of Troop 1984 agreed, “We are going!”
Bringing the exciting news back to their Girl Scout sisters, the troop decided to dedicate their Cookie Program proceeds over the next three years to the Disney Convention budget. Motivated, the girls doubled their per girl average to 469 cookie boxes in 2018. The next year, it increased even more to 650 packages per girl. In 2019, total sales for Troop 1984 exceeded 10,000 boxes. In 2020, Troop 1984’s total sales ended at 13,859, and nine girls sold more than 1,000 boxes each. Their Disney Convention Cookie goal was in reach!
In the summer of 2020, Girl Scout National Convention in Orlando was cancelled – and Troop 1984 was crushed. Resourceful and creative, troop leader Shannon Natale researched group pricing and determined that, with a successful 2021 Cookie Season, both girls and moms could still make the trip to Disney. Troop 1984 attacked their 2021 Cookie goals – with masks, hand sanitizer, and new contactless display strategies, the girls focused on cookie booths, online sales, and even a drive-thru sale – and sold 13,410 boxes during a pandemic!
October 10, 2021, 14 Girl Scouts from Troop 1984 arrived at Disney World with their Girl Scout sisters and parents and had the trip of a lifetime. Over four years, they crushed their Cookie goals and covered plane travel, park tickets, and accommodations. Their goal: an adventure-filled trip of a lifetime with their Girl Scout sisters. The best part: the opportunity to work hard, play hard, and feel the pride of what they accomplished together.
Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road was so excited to welcome girls (and adults!) back to camp. Both Camp Judy Layne and Camp Shawano were filled with curious campers for 100 days of outdoor adventures.
Camp Judy Layne safely welcomed resident campers who hiked, swam, canoed, rappelled, and spelunked. Camp Shawano hosted two weeks of day campers, plus special Saturday sessions throughout the summer. Every day at camp was filled with adventure – creating confidence and capability for every camper.
268 campers experienced five week-long and three 3-day resident camp sessions and two troop-family sessions at Camp Judy Layne.
116 adventurers attended climbing days at both Camp Shawano and Camp Judy Layne.
143 campers enjoyed Camp Shawano’s Day Camps and Saturday programs, such as Brownie Home Scientist and Junior Animal Habitats.
The Friends of Camp Shawano and Sherry Crose of The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels gathered at Camp Shawano to dedicate three cabins at the Red Bud unit. The Sisters Cabin, the Friends Cabin, and the Colonels Cabin will welcome campers, encourage independence, and inspire adventure for generations of campers.
Girl Scouts Love State Parks
In its second year as a national Girl Scouts of the USA initiative, Girl Scouts Love State Parks encouraged girls to explore more and connect with nature to earn the Girl Scouts Love State Parks patch. September 10th – 12th, Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road welcomed 112 Girl Scouts for outdoor experiences and adventures at Breaks Interstate Park, Carter Caves State Resort Park, and Cumberland Falls Resort State Park. Activities included hikes, rappelling, nature activities, scavenger hunts, geocaching, stargazing, caving, and lots of outdoor fun!
We hope you will join us for Girl Scouts Love State Parks 2022 - September 10th & 11th!
For more than a century, Girl Scouts’ pillar programs have provided educational and exciting experiences for girls to explore, discover, create, experiment, and wonder - and have fun!
Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road responded to girls’ continued interests and utilized the assets of its camps and open spaces to provide outdoor as well as virtual programs, creating accessible spaces to bring Girl Scout programming to girls. GSKWR’s program team continued its patch-earning opportunities and badge workshops to offer 79 council-led programs and 18 partner-led programs.
Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road’s 16th annual GEMS (Girls in Engineering, Math, and Science) was also its first virtual GEMS and featured recorded and live sessions for 88 participants. Stephanie Johnson, NASA Engineer at Johnson Space Center, shared her experiences and insights as a woman in STEM. 30 volunteers from 11 organizations offered nine 30-minute workshops including Make Your Own Lava Lamp, Natural Fabric Dying, I’m Not Sick … My Pancreas is Just Lazy, The Pollinator Project, and The Pythagorean Cup. Four GEMS volunteers hosted a 30-minute chat takeover for girls to engage directly with STEAM experts and discover more about STEAM opportunities.
More than 1,200 online participants viewed the third annual Stand Beside Her panel, featuring local women leaders who shared their stories and discussed the national movement inspiring women and girls to create an inclusive culture of support and compassion. Hosted by Old School Coffee, moderator Christi McGuire guided the lively conversation with panelists Dr. Mia Farrell, entrepreneur and author Janet Holloway, Councilmember Lisa Higgins-Hord, and Gold Award Girl Scout Mary Lara Hardesty.
GSKWR partnered with the Boyd County Service Unit to host a virtual World Thinking Day event and welcomed 164 girl and adult participants from across the country. World Thinking Day 2021 celebrated what it means to be a peacebuilder and invited Girl Scouts to explore the globe and learn about cultural differences. A diverse panel of women – Elvia Lopez Bautista (Mexico), Nkechi Eze (Nigeria), Kate Sears (New Zealand), and Jennifer Young (Canada) – shared their international experiences and the cultures of their home countries. Participants wrote their own peace pledge to help foster global peace through Girl Scouting.
GSKWR provided enriching STEM learning experiences to 273 girls in Boyd, Carter, Elliott, Greenup, Floyd, Johnson, Lawrence, Magoffin, and Pike counties.
84 girls completed STEM activities at home with the Think Outside the STEM Box Program, which included an activity guide and supplies.
138 girls participated in eight in-person STEM events including Science Action, Prisms and Rainbows, the Art of Illusion, and Think Like A Citizen Scientist at Armco Park in Ashland.
GSKWR provided fun and engaging STEM learning experiences for 163 girls at Rise STEM Academy for Girls, Northern Elementary, and Garrett Morgan Elementary as part of Fayette County Public Schools’ Summer Ignite program.
Girl Scouts are Unstoppable!
The Girl Scout Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards are awarded to Junior, Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador girls who display leadership while engaging in projects that benefit their communities. Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road is confident that these remarkable young women will continue to lead among their peers and throughout their lives with true courage, confidence, and character.
Fourteen remarkable Girl Scouts were recognized in June 2021 for their Gold Award projects. They created vocabulary flashcards and mini puzzles for blind students, built bee houses with a video about bee ecology, and sewed 1,500 face masks for nursing home staff and residents. They crafted beds for shelter animals, created epilepsy care packages, and reclaimed needed outdoor space with a new school courtyard. They prepared and delivered meals for those in need and established a self-defense program with prevention awareness and hands-on defensive training. And close to our hearts, they improved GSKWR’s camps with Camp Caches, complete with skill builder kits for campers, and Camp Shawano’s amphitheater, for campers to express themselves freely and artistically.
Silver Award Girl Scouts
Bronze Award Girl Scouts
Lillie Daniel: National Gold Award Girl Scout
Thank you to our generous contributors who made an investment in girls in fiscal year 2021 by supporting Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road. We celebrate our partnership and thank you for giving girls the adventure opportunities and leadership experiences of Girl Scouts.
The gifts below were made between October 1, 2020 and September 30, 2021.
Gift Key: Board Member^ | Staff Member* | Deceased+
$10,000+
$5,000-$9,999
$2500-$4,999
$1,000-$2,499
$500-$999
$250-$499
$100-$249
Up to $100
Juliette Gordon Low Society
Tribute Gifts
Gifts in Kind
Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road gratefully acknowledges all donors who have invested in girls with their generous donations in our 2021 fiscal year. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information. Please contact the Fund Development Department at 859.293.2621 to bring any inaccuracies or omissions to our attention.
2020-2021 Financials
The condensed statements of financial position and activities have been summarized from the audited financial statements.
The audited financial statements are available for inspection upon request.
