Frequently Asked Questions

1. What kind of person should I nominate?
2. If I’m a girl member, whom may I nominate?
3. If I’m a volunteer or staff member, who may I nominate?
4. May volunteers or staff members who are men be nominated?
5. May national volunteers be nominated?
6. May staff members who work at GSUSA headquarters be nominated? How about staff members who work with a Girl Scout Council?
7. May people outside of Girl Scouts submit nominations?
8. How many people can I nominate?
9. May I have my nomination entry returned to me?
10. How will nominations be evaluated?
11. When do I vote on the winners?
12. What prizes will be awarded, and do I receive anything for sending a nomination?
13. If I have technical questions about submitting my entry on the Real Girls Real Women website, whom should I contact?

1. What kind of person should I nominate?

Look for Girl Scouts who work well with others, explore their talents and interests and improve themselves by taking a positive attitude. For example:

• If you’re nominating a girl member, tell us about a girl who stands up for friends, takes on leadership roles, shares compliments openly, smiles even when it’s hard and shares new ideas that make Girl Scouting more fun or makes people around her more excited about Girl Scouts.
• If you’re nominating an alumna, think about a former Girl Scout who positively influences the world around her by using her knowledge, skills, and willingness to take well-reasoned risks in business or in life.
• If you’re nominating volunteers or employees (female or male), you may want to look for people you know within the organization who make Girl Scouting a positive experience by focusing on the girls, being innovative and action-oriented and working positively with others.

2. If I’m a girl member, whom may I nominate?

You may nominate any Girl Scout Alumna, which is an adult woman who was a Girl Scout at anytime during her child or teenage years, so long as she is not a current Girl Scout volunteer or staff member.

3. If I’m a volunteer or staff member, who may I nominate?
You may nominate:

• Any currently registered girl member of Girl Scouts,
• Any Girl Scout Alumna, which is an adult woman who was a Girl Scout at anytime during her child or teenage years, so long as she is not a current Girl Scout volunteer or staff member,
• Any currently registered adult volunteer of Girl Scouts, and
• Any currently registered adult staff member of Girl Scouts.

4. May volunteers or staff members who are men be nominated?

Yes, all volunteers and staff members are important and may be nominated.

5. May national volunteers be nominated?

Yes. Both national and local adult volunteers may be nominated if they are registered with Girl Scouts.

6. May staff members who work at GSUSA headquarters be nominated? How about staff members who work with a Girl Scout Council?

Yes and yes.

7. May people outside of Girl Scouts submit nominations?

Unfortunately, no, the contest is open only to entries submitted by members of Girl Scouts.

8. How many people can I nominate?

A lot! You can nominate as many different people as you can find, but you can only send one submission for each nominee.

9. May I have my nomination entry returned to me?

Unfortunately, we are not able to return submissions after they are entered.

10. How will nominations be evaluated?

After all of the nominations have been submitted, five finalists will be selected in each of the four categories: (1) Girl Scouts in grades K-12, (2) Girl Scout Alumnae, (3) Girl Scout Volunteers, and (4) Girl Scout Employees. Judges will evaluate the entries on the basis and percentage values of:

• Creativity of the entrant (30%)
• Success in conveying the nominee’s Courage, Character, and Confidence (40%)
• Originality in the digital picture of the nominee (30%)

11. When do I vote on the winners?

A winner in each of the categories of “Girl Scouts in grades K-12” and “Girl Scout Alumnae” will be determined by online voting beginning in August and September 2005 on www.RealGirlsRealWomen.org. A winner in each of the categories of “Girl Scout Volunteers” and “Girl Scout Employees” will be selected by a distinguished panel of judges…we think that you’ll like them!

12. What prizes will be awarded, and do I receive anything for sending a nomination?

Real Girls, Real Women will showcase the winners’ stories in a documentary film that emphasizes the value of Girl Scouting. This film will premiere at the Girl Scouts’ 50th National Conference in October 2005. In addition to fun and exciting prizes awarded to the winners profiled in the film, prizes will also go to certain councils and individuals who submit nominations. For example, prizes may be given for:

• Submitting the winning entries
• Submitting the most entries
• Finding and submitting the most Girl Scout Alumnae
• Submitting the most creative entry
• ...and many more!

13. If I have technical questions about submitting my entry on the Real Girls Real Women website, whom should I contact?

Girl Scouts of the USA
420 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10018
Phone: (800) GSUSA 4 U
E-mail: emailus@girlscouts.org