By Joyce S.
Imagine you are in the meeting place of Lime Green Giraffe. Open the door and what do you see? You’ll see a diverse group of girls. You will see brainstorming, cooperation, and a will to succeed. In October 2004, the first Lime Green Giraffe issue was printed. Within just 10 years, it has jumped from paper to screen. The LGG was created by 10 Girl Scouts ages 11-17 who had two goals they wanted accomplish. The group wanted to create a forum to address the needs, interests and concerns of girls ages 11-17 in their own words and to gain hands on experience as journalists, photographers and web publishers. In this special 10th anniversary article, I have an interview with Marnye Hall, one of the adult volunteers at Lime Green Giraffe. She has been with LGG since day one! (Melissa and JoAnne are the other two LGG volunteers.)
Lime Green Giraffe: Were you a Girl Scout when you were a kid? If so, how long were you one?
LGG: Do you think working with LGG impacted your life in anyway?
Hall: Wow. This is a great question. Volunteering with the Lime Green Giraffe is one of my favorite things to do. I have loved helping to create a safe space for girls to develop COURAGE, CONFIDENCE and CHARACTER. I also love how the girl staff members keep me up to date on what is cool in books, movies and TV shows. I just finished reading the entire Divergent series because an LGG-er recommended it to me.
LGG: How do you think LGG has impacted other people?
Hall: Many former Lime Green Giraffe staffers have gone on to college and studied writing, filmmaking and broadcast journalism. I have heard from past members that their experiences on the staff helped them to get into the college of their choice. My wish is that being a member of the Lime Green Giraffe staff has impacted staffers to discover the power in their own voices and in their ideas.
LGG: Do you think that LGG should expand or be more commercialized?
Hall: This is an interesting question. I love that through limegreengiraffe.org the LGG is available to all Girl Scouts and Girl Guides worldwide. I do think it would be cool to be able to have printed copies for a special edition, like a 10th anniversary copy. However, this would require a financial sponsorship.
LGG: Why did you decide to work with LGG?
Hall: In early 2004, former teen program specialist Gloria Todd asked me if I was interested
LGG: On average, how many stories do you use per issue?
Hall: The number of stories per issue varies. When we were not online we could only have a few stories because we did not have unlimited space. The best part about having the Lime Green Giraffe online is that we aren’t restricted to the number or length of the stories.
LGG: How do you decide which ones to use?
Hall: The Lime Green Giraffe girl staff brainstorms all of the story ideas. They then decide which stories to write. The stories that they choose to write are the ones that are published. We sometimes have discussions as a group to determine if the story is suitable for our audience. Sometimes the girls agree with me and sometimes they don’t.
Hall: I enjoy picking a new Lime Green Giraffe staff. I love reading everyone’s application and essay. I am so excited to meet everyone when they come to the first meeting.
LGG: Are you happy because you have a fresh start or sad because you have to turn down applicants?
Hall: Of course, a new Lime Green Giraffe year is exciting. I also love seeing the returning members too. I think I especially enjoy watching girls “grow up” with the Lime Green Giraffe. It is so fun to meet a girl when she is in the 6th grade and watch how she changes and becomes more empowered during her time on the staff.
LGG: What advice do you have for girls who want to be a part of LGG or did not make the staff?
Hall: Be Creative. Read. Write. Practice writing. It sounds weird but you will get better with practice. Write as much as you can and as often as you can. You have important things to say!
I hope you enjoyed Marnye’s behind the scenes insight. Meeting with LGG is always interesting. There is always laughter and a fun energy filling up the room. There is also family; a family of creative, smart, and spunky writers collaborating about stories and ideas. But don’t forget the most important thing… YOU! The Lime Green Giraffe was made especially for our readers. You, our loyal readers, are the reason Lime Green Giraffe is able to have a 10th anniversary edition!
On behalf of Lime Green Giraffe, THANK YOU for making the last 10 years possible.
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