Anticipation and excitement are building up for Girl Scouts in Southern Arizona! Not only because summer camps will be starting soon, but the new Angel’s Place for Girls building and renovations to the Girl Scout Leadership Campus will be complete soon.
Once completed, the campus will have three buildings. Recently I was given a tour of the new building by Marsha (MacGyver) Tank, the Chief Property and Logistics Officer for Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona. Tank explains that the new two-story, 12,000-square-foot facility will be a place that Girl Scout sisters can use to work on projects, have fun and be in a safe environment where they can lead and build confidence. “There are STEM and art labs, a wellness center, bouldering wall, kitchen, media room and three meeting rooms for troops to use,” Tank says.
Tank adds that when the retail shop moves into the new building, there will be memorabilia display cases in the lobby, and the staircase leading to the second floor has a dual purpose. After climbing the stairs to a landing, that landing could also be a stage for presentations. There are electrical outlets behind the landing so that a microphone and speakers can be plugged in. The staircase from the bottom to the top can be used as bleacher seating for girls to watch performances or ceremonies below.
Tank says there will be a block party/open house in the fall when the new building opens. This will be in conjunction with back to school schedules. You can find out information and still help donate towards the new building by calling 327-2288 or visiting www.girlscoutssoaz.org.
The familiar mural on the Girl Scout single story building will soon be painted over. Do not worry—this mural will be transformed into a tile mural that will be displayed on the south wall of the resource center.
Tucson artist Cynthia Guare created the mural in 2006. Guare says it took over a year to complete the mural due to weather conditions.
“I wanted to work in the badge earning aspect. I designed the wall so that girls of all ages could come participate in the painting. I drew on the badges and let the participants decide which one they wanted to paint. I had girls from 4 to 18 painting alongside me,” Guare recalls.
