I signed up to be a Girl Scout leader a few months ago. Family and friends were like, "huh...where did this come from?" I'm a mom to all boys and I've never mentioned anything about Girl Scouts. Plus, I'm not a big fan of the cookies. Tag-a-longs (peanut butter and chocolate ones) are my favorite though. So where did all this come from?Let me explain.
A few years ago, I volunteered with Big Brother/Big Sisters. I was so excited! Having all boys, I looked forward to mentoring a young girl. In my mind I saw us doing all the girly things I couldn't do with my boys. Plus, I wanted to expose my "little sister" to adventures she may not otherwise get a chance to do. To make a long story short, the girl I was matched with was a tomboy. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but she wanted to do all the same things I can do with my boys. Anything I suggested was a no go. Our relationship lasted a few months, but we both decided it was best if she found another Big sister. One who would love doing all the things she liked.
Fast forward to now. I still had the desire to volunteer with young girls, but wasn't sure what or how. Then I came across something about Girl Scouts. Hmmmm.....Girl Scouts. I started to look into all things Girl Scouts and decided I would LOVE to be a leader. Girl Scouting is not just about the cookies. It's so much more! It's empowering girls to get out in this great big world of ours. To experience new adventures and hopefully make lifelong friendships along the way. It's mentoring and making memories. There's camping, crafts, community involvement and so much more! Did I mention camping! I love to camp. Fonzy and my boys - not so much. Actually not at all. I've mentioned getting a tent and camping in the backyard and they all looked at me like I was crazy. I camped growing up and went to a summer camp and I have so many great memories. Singing around campfires, horseback riding, sleeping in cabins with a bunch of girls. So much fun! I would love to bring that experience to other girls. And now I can!
It's been a few months and I didn't have girls signed up in my new troop. Driving to a Girl Scout Open House tonight I wasn't sure what to expect. I thought maybe I could help out with another troop until girls signed up in my area, but I ended up leaving with girls in my troop - a Junior troop with girls in the 4th and 5th grade! As of right now I have 3 girls, with more on the way. My first meeting will be later this month, so I'm gathering all my information, reading tons, and getting ideas for our troop. I will admit I'm kind of nervous. As a kid, I was a Brownie for one year, so I'm going into this without being a Girl Scout for long myself. But I'm so excited! It's a new experience for me, not just the girls in my troop. We will learn and grow together!
Oh wow! I'm so excited for you! I was neither a Brownie or a Girl Scout, and didn't think much of either until recently. I absolutely LOVE what I discovered about the Girl Scouts. I cannot wait to hear more about your troop and adventures.
ReplyDelete