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Girl Scouts Louisiana East and Girl Scouts of the USA have announced 24 new badges designed to help girls practice ambitious leadership in the crucial areas of automotive engineering, STEM career exploration, entrepreneurship, and civics, many of which remain male-dominated.
“In a year of unprecedented global change, our country’s need for strong, broad-minded, and decisive leadership has never been greater,” the Girl Scouts Louisiana East news release stated. “Through new and existing programming, Girl Scouts equips the next generation of female change-makers with the breadth of knowledge, skills, and experiences they need to take charge and do good for the world, both now and in the future.”
Some of the new Girl Scout badges include:
—Entrepreneurship (grades K–12): Girls develop an entrepreneurial mindset as they engage in age-appropriate exercises that help them create and pitch a product or service that solves a problem. They build their own business plan and think about topics like production, cost, profit, marketing, and competition.
Three in four of today’s girls are interested in becoming an entrepreneur, but more than half also say they need more support in this area; these badges are designed to fill the gap. Funded by Susan Bulkeley Butler and designed in collaboration with VentureLab.
—STEM Career Exploration (grades 2–8): Girls explore career interests and connect them to STEM fields —particularly computer science, nature/environmental science, engineering, design, health, and agriculture — that can help them address the pressing issues of our time and change the world.
The IF/THEN Collection, a free, downloadable digital asset library of real-life women in STEM, is an integral component of the badges. The dearth of women in STEM fields is well documented, but data shows that girls are more interested in a STEM career when they learn how they can use it to help people, demonstrating the value of Girl Scouts’ unique approach. Funded by IF/THEN, an initiative of Lyda Hill Philanthropies.
—Automotive Engineering (grades K–5): Girls learn about designing, engineering, and manufacturing vehicles, as well as the future of mobility. They design their own vehicles, test prototypes, learn about design thinking, create their own assembly line manufacturing process, and more.
Only 13% of engineers are women, underscoring the need for these badges which will introduce more girls to the field. Funded by General Motors.
—Civics (grades K–12): Girls gain an in-depth understanding of how local, state and federal government works, preparing them to be voters, activists and political leaders. They research laws and how they’re created, voting, and the electoral college, the representation of women in government, and more. They also research their own government officials and are encouraged to meet them.
Just 24% of eighth- graders are proficient in civics, and only two in five American adults can name the three branches of U.S. government, highlighting the need for these badges. Funded by the Citi Foundation.
Steady leadership is essential during a crisis such as COVID-19, from fostering trust and showing compassion, to managing challenges with agility, to evaluating outcomes of decisions.
The Girl Scout program is proven to develop strong and effective leaders — among many positive outcomes, Girl Scouts are much likelier than non-Girl Scouts to take an active role in decision making (80% vs. 51%), which is a critical aspect of leadership, the news release noted.
“As soon as Girl Scouts in southeastern Louisiana heard the news of the pandemic, they took action collecting food for food banks, donating cookies to healthcare workers, and sewing masks for first responders,” said Rebecca Pennington, CEO of Girl Scouts Louisiana East. “Girl Scouts equips girls with the leadership skills, entrepreneurial minds, and self-confidence to tackle any challenge they are faced with, including a national pandemic.”
“Now more than ever, it’s critical that we have strong leaders who can make informed decisions that make the world a better, safer place,” said GSUSA CEO Sylvia Acevedo. “During our current health crisis, the world leaders who have been among the most decisive and effective in addressing the pandemic have been women. With these new badge experiences in STEM, entrepreneurship, and the critically important subject of civics, Girl Scouts is continuing to build the transformational female leaders of today and the future and showing girls the power they have to truly change the world.”
Girl Scouts has made free self-guided activities from select new and existing programming available digitally to the public through “Girl Scouts at Home,” keeping families engaged and connected to their communities. Girls can further engage with the badges and topics through online videos, activities, or special live virtual events.
Members can access a suite of Girl Scouts’ programming digitally through the Volunteer Toolkit, including troop meeting plans and other resources to help girls earn badges and awards.
In addition, all councils will also have the opportunity to host their own Girl Scout Cyber Challenge sponsored by Raytheon Technologies, enabling middle and high school girls to learn crucial cybersecurity skills as they compete in challenges such as running traceroutes and identifying phishing schemes. The Cyber Challenge prepares girls to pursue careers in computer science and cybersecurity.
To join or volunteer, visit www.girlscouts.org/join.
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Girl Scouts Louisiana East is an organization for leadership development of girls, grades K to 12, in 23 parishes (including St. Mary and St. Martin) of southeast Louisiana. Chartered by Girl Scouts of the USA, GSLE serves more than 10,200 girls, with 3,400 adult members. Girl Scouts offers every girl a chance to practice a lifetime of leadership, adventure, and success.

The Louisiana Office of Public Health reported 64 new COVID-19 positives among St. Mary, St. Martin and Assumption people for the 24 hours ending at midday Monday.

No new deaths were reported in the local parishes.

In St. Mary, 25 new cases raise the total since the pandemic began to 1,312.

In St. Martin, 30 new cases make the total 1,429.

Nine new Assumption cases raise the total there to 493.

The death toll remains at 42 for St. Mary, 36 for St. Martin and 18 for Assumption.

Statewide:

--2,343 new positives raise the pandemic total to 109,917.

--23 deaths raise the toll to 3,674.

--The number of people in hospitals rose by 43 to 1,600.

--Ventilator usage was up by 24 to 208.

October 2, 1944 — July 22, 2020
Gail Ann Landry Hinkle passed away at the age of 75 in the early morning hours of Wednesday, July 22, 2020, at Terrebonne General Medical Center in Houma.
Gail was born in Jeanerette on October 2, 1944 and was the younger of two children born to Elwood and Dorothy Landry. A loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, she was a former longtime resident of Morgan City and Bayou L’Ourse and has resided in Franklin for the past four years. Gail was a woman with a strong faith in the Lord and has been a member of Healing Stream Ministries Church in Bayou Vista for over 40 years. Although she will be deeply missed, her family takes great comfort in knowing that she put her faith in Jesus Christ and is now healed of the infirmities she suffered from in this earthly life.
Her memory will forever live on in the hearts of her three children, Chris Ann Daigle and her fiancé Guy Ponville, Kurt Matthew Daigle and his wife Janelle, and Elwood Benoit “Woody” Daigle; eight grandchildren, A.J. Mayon and his wife Paige, Kayla LaRive and her husband Christopher, Jessicca Miller and her husband Josh, Brent Daigle and his wife Bree, Haily Sons and her husband Lynwood, Harley Joe Daigle, Mallory Harmon, and Nicholas Harmon; six great-grandchildren, Kathryn, Ashton, Carson, Leighton, Allie and Laila; her brother, Billy Landry and his wife Roxie; her daughter-in-law, April Daigle Larpenter; as well as four nieces and two nephews.
She was preceded in death by her son, Blake Andrew Daigle; her parents, Elwood Landry and Dorothy Rivette Landry; and her former husbands, LeRoy Benoit Daigle and Allen Joseph “Joe” Hinkle.
The family would like to express their deepest gratitude to her caregiver, Latrail Tillman, for taking such great care of their mother over the past year and a half.
A gathering of family and friends will be held Thursday, July 30, 2020, at Ibert’s Mortuary in Franklin beginning at 9 a.m. with memorial services at noon led by the Rev. Bert Carter. Inurnment will follow in the Franklin Cemetery Mausoleum.
Due to the current restrictions concerning limited sized gatherings, current state guidelines will only allow for up to 100 family members and friends to be in attendance during the visitation and memorial service at Ibert’s Mortuary. Visitors are also asked to practice social distancing and to wear face masks.
Family and friends may view the obituary online and are encouraged to share their condolences, cherished memories, love, and support for the family by visiting www.iberts.com.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Ibert’s Mortuary, Inc., 1007 Main Street, Franklin, LA 70538, (337) 828-5426.

Stephen Michael Schaub, 29, was called home to his Lord and Savior on Thursday, July 23rd, 2020. Stephen was born at Lakewood Hospital in Morgan City on February 8, 1991. He was a graduate of Patterson High School and Nicholls State University and resided in Berwick.
Stephen touched many lives as an English teacher and Football Coach at Assembly Christian, Patterson, and Westgate High schools. He was an active member of Bethel Pentecostal Fellowship where he sang in the choir. Stephen had a passion for football, baseball, reading, literature and helping others.
Stephen will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by his parents, Paul and Carol Schaub; his brother, Joshua Schaub; his grandparents, Carroll and Evelina Bertaut; aunts and uncles, Betty and Michael Schaub, Michael and Marla Bertaut, Donna and Patrick Bordelon, Ronald and Kathryn Bertaut, Chris Bertaut, Janice Schaub, Sharon Schaub and Mark Schaub; and numerous cousins.
A celebration of Stephen’s life will be held Tuesday, July 28th at Bethel Pentecostal Fellowship, 101 Tiffany Street, Patterson, Louisiana with visitation from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and service beginning at 1 p.m.
Due to health concerns and restrictions, masks will be required upon entering the church and appropriate social distancing is requested. The service will also be live-streamed on Bethel Pentecostal Fellowship’s Facebook page.