THE FACTS

Background

Founded in 1926, Girl Scouts - Great Plains Council has more than 11,500 Girl Scout members, ages 5 through 17, in more than 750 active troops in Douglas, Sarpy and northern Cass Counties in Nebraska and Carter Lake, Iowa. Through our tremendous range of programs and activities, the council typically touches more than 50,000 girls and adults every year.

National

We are part of Girl Scouts of the USA, the world’s pre-eminent organization dedicated solely to girls-- all girls-- where, in an accepting and nurturing environment, girls build character and skills for success in the real world. Girl Scouts of the USA, with 3.7 million members, is part of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, a worldwide family of 8.5 million girls and adults in 144 countries.

Leadership

The council is guided by a volunteer board of directors, made up of dedicated community leaders, overseeing a staff of professionals at a headquarters office in Omaha.

Funding

Financial support for the council’s programs comes from sales of cookies and calendars, the sale of merchandise from the council store, contributions by donors and businesses, the United Way of the Midlands, grants and fees for program services.

Camping

The council operates Camp Maha, a day camp in Sarpy County. Activities include environmental education, archery, hiking, fishing, swimming and high and low element adventure courses.

Final Fact

Girl Scouts works. All around us, in Omaha and beyond, are strong, accomplished, happy women who benefited from the positive influences of Girl Scouting. More than 50 million American women have benefited from Girl Scouts.

OUR GOALS

Our mission is to inspire girls with the highest ideals of character, conduct, patriotism, and service so they may become happy and resourceful citizens. We’re a values-based program with a focus on self-reliance, community service, friendship and goal achievement.

Times have changed, and so has the Girl Scouts - Great Plains Council. We don’t merely keep up! We stay ahead of the times and anticipate the needs of girls, as well as the skills they’ll need as women.

Yes, we honor our past. We celebrate achievement with the Gold Award (the highest honor a Girl Scout can achieve), Silver Award, Bronze Award and merit badges. We build on the timeless pattern of Girl Scouting—girls and adults partnered together in activities for fun, skill building, service and enrichment. The cookie program and camping remain strong and popular.

But Girl Scouts is so much more.

We’re inclusive, offering programs to all girls regardless of background, ethnicity, religion or ability to pay. We’ve designed outreach programs to give every girl the opportunity to participate in arts and cultural events, outdoor and environmental activities, sports, academic, religious and other programs. We even have programs for girls who have no troop in their neighborhood.

We’re far-reaching, offering programs that take girls around the world, up in planes, through cyberspace, across national borders and into museums, gymnasiums, concert halls, houses of worship, corporate boardrooms, and community recreation centers.

We’re involved in the Omaha area, through programs of community service and through the community’s participation in our programs.

• Girl Scouts - Great Plains Council
• 2121 S. 44 St.
• Omaha, NE 68105
• 402.558.8189
• council@gpgirlscouts.org
• www.gpgirlscouts.org