GSSA Leader Blog: The Virtual Volunteer

Each year at this time, we decide upon a Girl Scout alumna in the northern part of the council to honor in conjunction with our holiday open house.   The potential recipients are always fascinating and extraordinary women.   I want to share some of the story of the special woman we are honoring from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, December 12 at the Montgomery service center. Please stop by if you can.

This year's "Juliette's Pearl" is Mrs. Grace Leonard, a lifetime Girl Scout.  Mrs. Leonard has been involved as a Girl Scout for 45 years and started her involvement in Hawaii in 1968.   Like most of you, she started as a helper for her oldest daughter's troop.   The following year she became a Brownie troop leader.

Mrs. Leonard's family moved to Virginia, where she served as the leader for two troops.   While she was there, the leader for two other troops resigned, and the girls needed a troop leader, so like many of you, rather than disappoint the girls, she took up the challenge.   This made her the troop leader for FOUR Girl Scout troops there.   She said it was hard, but she did it for the girls.   The same reason many of you continue your involvement -- for the girls.

When they moved to Alabama, she led three troops.   She had a Junior troop, a Cadette troop, and a Senior Troop and continues to foster relationships with the girls from her troops.

Through her years of involvement with Girl Scouts, she has witnessed first hand how much the Girl Scout program taught the girls, how they enjoyed the experience, and wanted to remain involved.   Through Girl Scouts, her daughters and others had the opportunity to travel and go places, such as Savannah.   One of her daughters started caving and backpacking, which is a lifetime activity she still participates in today.   Her daughter continues to serve as a troop leader in Hope Hull, and although Mrs. Leonard isn't a troop leader, she continues to give her time to her daughter's troop.

We want to thank Mrs. Grace Leonard, a lifetime member of Girl Scouts, for her contribution to the many girls she has served over her 45 years as a Girl Scout leader.   Thank you, Mrs. Leonard, for making the world a better place through your service to others.

If you are unable to come to the reception in person and have good wishes you would like to extend to Mrs. Leonard, please send them to mstallworth@girlscoutssa.org.  We will read them to Mrs. Leonard at the reception.

This is the time of year when we are transfixed by the beauty of the harvest moon.   The cotton is thick on the plants, ready for someone to harvest it to create warmth and cover for someone.   As I drive up and down I-65, the trees are burnt oranges, reds, and yellows, noting the change in the temperature and the onset of winter.   Harkening back to the pilgrims, this is the time of year we give thanks; thanks for the bounty we have been given.

Those of us who work at GSSA give thanks for those of you who volunteer your time, talents and share your gifts with girls to create a confident, courageous generation of girls who will change the world.   Through volunteering, you change the world, one girl at a time, and one event at a time.   We have the privilege of seeing that in action every time we attend a meeting, participate in an event, or experience a program.

We are grateful for the girls, who would rather spend their time honing their skills than sitting in front of the television or their electronic devices on Saturday morning.   These are girls of action who take risks, move out of their comfort zone, and try all sorts of new things.   These are also girls who learn to relate to one another.   They learn the art of talking and listening to their peers.   They learn to negotiate decisions with others participating.   They learn how to get along with others.   These girls will become exceptional adults.

We are grateful for the opportunities to explore nature and the outdoors with the camps and properties we have access to.   We have the opportunity to enjoy beautiful lakes, trails, tents, buildings, and kitchens in the woods all over our council jurisdiction.   We are grateful to have access to opportunities that arise from these properties that others do not enjoy.

We are grateful to have the opportunity to serve our community and improve it -- whether that is through picking up trash where we meet to providing a library for our school that didn't have one.   Girl Scouts serve their community and perpetuate respect for flag and country.   We are grateful to live in a country where we are free to do that.

Happy Thanksgiving! 

We've been working hard to make using your Girl Scout's Program Credits more convenient.  We are creating "Program Credits cards" for all Girl Scouts who have a current balance of Program Credits.  We will be mailing these cards to the individual girls.

Each girl's card will be loaded with her remaining Program Credits, to be used just like a gift card or a Starbucks card.  The Program Credit card can be used to pay for anything she would have used her program credits on it. Of course, this card can only be used for Girl Scout activities and purchases.

Because we will be switching out how we keep track of credits, there will be a short period when Program Credits aren't available for use. This will begin Friday, November 22, at 4 p.m.  We will mail out the new cards on Wednesday, November 27.  When you receive your Girl Scout's Program Credits card, you are welcome to start using it!  We will send a receipt with each card so you know how many Program Credits your Girl Scout has available.

Using the Program Credits Card for Registering for Events

Until we start using e-council, we will have space on the registration form so that each girl's Program Credits can be used as payment.  The number will need to be entered on the form. 

Using the Program Credits Card for Purchases

In the store, just bring in the card or the card number for each girl.  If you are using our online shop, you will be able to enter the card number and the girl's name in the ordering instructions. 

Similar to gift cards, the Program Credits Cards are like cash and should be carefully secured.  We will be keeping you up to date as we continue implementing this process.  Thank you for your patience as we work to become more efficient!

Why be a Girl Scout?   There are many great answers to this question that we ask folks this time of year, but here are some of my top responses.

1.    Girl Scouts provides a learning opportunity that shapes values around loyalty, patriotism, and a reverence for those who have sacrificed to give us freedom.   While the kids around you are daydreaming through the Pledge of Allegiance or a flag ceremony, you know what it means.   You know these symbols signify something larger than you.

2.    Girl Scouts learn to develop friendships and frequently lifelong relationships with others, both peers and adults.   Every time I'm out I have someone talk to me about an adult that influenced them that might have been their Girl Scout leader or someone in their troop they are still friends with, years later.   Girl Scouts learn to interact with others in a setting other than school where you can make decisions about the fun things you want to do.   They also shape healthy relationships.

3.    Girl Scouts participate in activities, programs and events that you might not otherwise have access to.   Girls in Southern Alabama sleep on a battleship, dig in the mud at Dauphin Island Sea Lab, ride zip lines at Kamp Kiwanis and Camp Scoutshire Woods, and go behind the scenes at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, among many other things.   Girls have fun with their friends while learning and doing in a safe environment.

4.    Girl Scouts master DISCOVER, CONNECT, and TAKE ACTION as keys to learning and how they view the world.   They can take these easy to use keys and apply them to everything throughout their lives.   They learn to give voice to their concerns and take action to make their community better.

5.    Girl Scouts become members of the largest female alumnae association in the world.   They are a part of a sisterhood of women who care about their community and have become women of confidence, courage and character.

Why did you become a Girl Scout?   Share your stories of how Girl Scouts has contributed to your development.   Let us hear from you!

It's time for the fun ... we are pleased and delighted to have so many new troop leaders, parents, and especially girls this fall.   That is always a positive for all of us.   In the past week or so, I have been in numerous conversations about what Girl Scouts does for girls.   The good part of my work is that I often get to see that up close.

I was at an event this weekend and talked to a troop leader about the work her troop is doing for abused children.   She has older girls, and each week they do programming for children who have been abused.   Teenagers are often a challenge, but she reports that when they see what happens to other children, they are so grateful for what they have and their own parents and family situation.   What a great learning experience!

I had another leader talk about her experience with Brownies.  At the first few meetings, it sounded like controlled chaos, but she said now you can see the troop taking shape with the girls relating to one another.   They are making friends with other girls in their troop they didn't know.   What a joy to watch, she reported, as they are learning to make new friends.

The third conversation I had was someone reporting the family had enrolled their daughter in Girl Scouts to "change her attitude."   So far, it has actually "changed her attitude."   What an interesting experience to use the fun of Girl Scouts to change girls and eventually change the world.

We had a board meeting last week during which the discussion focused around fund development and the belief that our strongest case to make to a potential funder is that we change the world through girls.   Given the rest of my weekend, all of that conversation was reinforced.   We do change the world by making girls aware of what goes on around them.   Girls learn to discover their world, once discovered they connect how they can change and improve their world, from there Girl Scouts take action.   The three keys to Girl Scouting are so simple, yet so profound.

We hope your Girl Scout is having fun while learning to change the world.

I'm from the Midwest, so a pressure washer is a foreign object to me.   In the Midwest, you worry about snow, falling leaves, and grass seed.   There is little need for a pressure washer.   One of my friend's husbands invested in one a number of years ago, being the only one in his neighborhood to have one he thought he would be helpful, since there isn't a lot to use one on.   He offered to wash their windows with his newly acquired pressure washer.   After he blew out the second window on a neighbor's house, he gave up being a good neighbor, and I'm sure the rest of the neighborhood was grateful.   With that as a backdrop, I recently purchased a pressure washer with some trepidation.

The first issue is getting the pressure washer to work.   After enlisting others to assist me in getting the object together, the first one was returned.   On the second pressure washer, it was another problem. The first difficulty I overcame, but the second was that the spray gun would not go together.   Happily, the college student next door had the good sense to recognize there were more parts available than what I was using.   Managing a pressure washer takes some patience, and it doesn't move along the timeline one desires.   In the end, what I found was that a pressure washer was analogous to working with children.

I was excited to take charge of the pressure washer and get the job done.   What I soon discovered was the pressure washer had a mind of its own.   I suspect this isn't too different than your child.   The other early thing that I learned is that this is dirty work; it is best to be prepared because you will get dirty.   Again, this is something analogous to raising children; it isn't always smiles and roses.

During the four-hour adventure I had with the pressure washer, I had plenty of time to muse (this must be why Southern males so enjoy their pressure washers).   I could hear two others in my neighborhood while I had mine working.   There was time to ponder how pressure washers are like working with kids.   When I got too close and decided to blast away, most of the time the dirt came right back in my face, and I didn't accomplish what I had intended.   However, when I was back with an angle that gave me some perspective, it was easier to see what was going on, and I did get done what I wanted to accomplish.   I worked with college students for 30 years.   This conclusion is the same as I would have with them, too -- close didn't achieve the desired results, backing off and gaining perspective achieved results.

Even hours into the job, it was clear I wasn't going to get everything done I had hoped.   I could only do part of what I needed to do, because it was too much.   I was trying to eliminate years of growth.   I had to focus on the part that I could accomplish that day, returning later to work on more of it.   This is true of children too; sometimes it is to make one point, give that time to soak in and then return to continue to shape the outcome you hope.

For years, I worked with parents who had college students that were a challenge.   Sometimes I met the parents and thought, "nut didn't fall far from tree."   Other times, I met the parents who could not understand how the student managed to get into so much trouble. They were often lovely people, and the student bore no resemblance to them.   In both cases, the pressure washer was at work.   When there was too much pressure, the situation blew up and didn't produce what was desired.   But the gentle, focused, systematic pressure that you pay attention to does often reap desired results.

In my current work, I often have occasions to see parents at work.   There's one in particular that stands out.   With the focus on bullying, this girl reports she is bullied frequently.   Interestingly, I've never seen this girl bullied, but the mother is aggressive about anyone speaking to the girl in a manner that she perceives as bullying.   I always wonder how well this girl will adjust, since everyone has pressure in life.   How you deal with the pressure plays into how happy and content you will be.   I question the wisdom of always responding, rather than encouraging healthy responses to the pressures of life.

My deck isn't finished, despite a lot of work this weekend.   Because of the nature of growth in the South, it will never really be finished.   I will work on it again and focus on a different facet of the project.   But I have learned that blasting away too close doesn't produce the desired results.   Staying back, remaining focused, and applying steady pressure from a distance does create the desired results.

October 18, 2013

Now that you're a Girl Scout, let's have some fun and learn while doing it!   Not only are the girls in this council successful cookie sellers, they have the benefit of some tremendous resources for programs.   We are fortunate to have an excellent program team that puts together great programs and leverages many of the resources of the council footprint.   I thought I would run through a few programs for girls to have some real fun with. It is important to register early since some of these opportunities will fill up!

Mobile - Scouting for Food - November 9 - we are partnering with the Mobile Area Council Boy Scouts of America to help feed the needy.   This is one of the largest one-day food drives to help supply area food banks as winter approaches.   Food is collected in bags and taken to area Greer's Markets.   This is a great way to contribute to the community and earn community service hours.

Auburn - Thin Mint Sprint/Glow Run - November 2 - we have had successful Thin Mint Sprints around the council.   This year the run/walk takes a new twist.   It is a glow run, which is the new trend in the running world.   It takes place in the dark, and runners/walkers will have the opportunity to participate in all sorts of glow fun!   There's glowing fingernail polish, a glow tunnel, glow face paint, a tot trot and glow games.   It's a great family fun opportunity to get some exercise and show off your inner glow!

Mobile - Kappa Delta Badge Day - November 2 - the KDs at the University of South Alabama are great role models for girls and host a badge day for girls of all ages to earn badge that reinforce becoming a girl of courage, confidence, and character.   There are badge opportunities at every age level.   The KDs spend a great deal of time on this opportunity and everyone I've talked to about this event says it has had the girls spellbound.

Troy - High Adventure at Camp Butter & Egg - November 9 - we are proud of our zip lines, but Camp Butter & Egg has climbing walls, climbing nets, double zip lines and a number of high-adventure elements to challenge even the most adept Girl Scout.   Using this camp provides a tremendous opportunity for girls to put their skills to the test in a safe and friendly environment.

Montgomery - Zumba - November 16 - do you love to dance?   Do you enjoy getting some exercise while making some great moves on the dance floor?   Come to Zumba at the Montgomery Volunteer Center.   Dance to the music with your Girl Scout sisters, have some fun and get that body moving!

Montgomery - Handmade Holidays - November 23 - the holidays are right around the corner.   Do you prefer to give gifts that express your inner artist?   Handmade Holidays is the girl event for you.   Make cards, crafts and a canvas while listening to holiday music.   This is a great way to get a jump on holiday shopping.

This is just a sampling of the many fun events and activities to get your Girl Scouts out and having some fun while learning skills.   Others with deadlines and pertinent information can be found on www.girlscoutssa.org under the events and programs tab or subscribe to the weekly GSSA e-newsletter.

First, I hope most of you are getting used to E-Council. We have received feedback from many volunteers who seem to love it.   It is much easier to use and saves lots of time from your end and ours.   We have discovered that many of you do not yet have council debit cards.   One of the things we have discussed on that is you can pay for it personally (using your own debit or credit card) and get reimbursed by your troop until you have a troop debit card in place.   We have heard that sometimes it takes the bank 10 business days to get you a troop debit card.   We won't be suspicious on troop audits if this fall girl memberships were paid to individuals so you can get registered.

The reason this is important is that the program module is going live very soon, and you cannot register for any programs unless you are registered in the membership module.   Thus, if you want to attend a council program, you will have to be registered in E-Council.   We have some great programs planned for girls, and we don't want them to miss out.

September 30 was the end of the council's fiscal year.   As we get close to the end of the year, if we have money left, then I try hard to address deferred maintenance issues at each of the camp properties.  One of the things we have been working on is the slipping sand at Camp Scoutshire Woods.   We were able to get more dirt, rock, and have some bulldozer work done to improve the perimeter road there.   Happily, we had a generous gift from our bulldozer contractor, which helped to make that happen.    At Camp Sid Edmonds, we replaced a culvert where the road washed significantly.   We were able to lay down rock on about half of the road there.   We did more rock on the road at Humming Hills, and Kamp Kiwanis got a new tractor, since the one there had not been replaced in years.

There is a large black bear that is in residence not far from Camp Scoutshire Woods, and we have seen photos of him.   He's a large guy, but the ranger has not seen him, and it is unlikely you will see him.   However, we are interested in safety, so please be on the lookout for bears on the property.   This summer, we also had an interloper who came on to the property at Camp Sid while there was a day camp going.   Because we are safety conscious and cell coverage is spotty at all our properties, we have purchased walkie-talkies for leaders when you are on camp properties.   When you arrive at the units, they will be checked out to you.   The base station is at the ranger's house.   Should you need any assistance or have an emergency, you can call via a cell phone or now use a walkie-talkie.

Hopefully, these improvements will make your stay at the camp properties safer and more enjoyable.   If you have not already registered for the 2013-2014-membership year, please register now.

Last week, I had the opportunity to participate in the Alabama Coastal Bird Fest.   If you live near the coast or simply love birds, this is well worth your time and travel.   It started 10 years ago when Dr. John Borom convinced a number of organizations to band together to offer an opportunity for bird enthusiasts to enjoy the wealth of opportunities the coast offers together.   In sharing their respective resources, there was a lot of opportunity to learn, share ideas, and locations for great coastal birding.

The Bird Fest is a three-day event with a wide variety of programs, trips, and opportunities to choose from.   The culminating event is a bird expo, which is a great family-oriented day of programming in Fairhope.   They had a raptor presentation by the Mobile School District Environmental Center with their osprey, barred owl and screech owl available to view up close.   All of those birds were injured and are cared for by the environmental center staff and used for teaching.   The Boy Scouts were giving away woodpecker houses.   The event was free, open to the public and had photography, other conservation organizations, sharing their opportunities.

The birding during the Bird Fest was fantastic!   I consider myself a neophyte in birding.   One of the trips I took had some serious bird watchers, who were generous in sharing their expertise and knowledge to a novice.  One of the days, we saw 47 species of birds.   Both days we had birders from Canada, England and all over the United States, so this Bird Fest has grown larger than just a local program.

During the event, I had an opportunity to meet the directors of the Wehle Center part of Forever Wild lands in Bullock County, the Weeks Bay Foundation, the Alabama Coastal Foundation, Five Rivers, and the Audubon Society members.   All these organizations have fabulous materials to make working with your girls easier and maximize the area's natural resources.   I was pleased to hear we had many troops participating in the Alabama Coastal Clean Up a few weeks ago.  We will be following up with those organizations for more specifics.   We will also be discussing how we can partner with these organizations.   In the meantime, here are their websites.

Wehle Center - Forever Wild - Bullock County - www.outdooralabama.com/public-lands/stateLands/WNC

Five Rivers Delta Resource Center - Spanish Fort - www.alabama5rivers.com

Mobile School District Environmental Studies Center - 6101 Girby Road, Mobile - open to the public, check hours

Weeks Bay Foundation - Fairhope - www.weeksbay.org

Alabama Coastal Foundation - Mobile - www.joinacf.org

Mobile Bay Audubon Society - www.mobilebayaudubon.org

"I can't wait to" ... this is the tag line for this year's Girl Scout recruitment activities.  Last Sunday, First Lady Michelle Obama was featured in a public service announcement for Girl Scouts on the importance of volunteering.   Please find this video on our website at www.girlscoutssa.org or at www.girlscouts.org.

Those of us who work for Girl Scouts know our volunteers are wonderful.   There isn't a day that goes by that I don't have some amazing moment or insight brought to me by a GSSA volunteer.   But our problem is always the same - finding adults who are willing to take the time from their busy calendars to become a volunteer.   This year, we are running behind where we were last year in recruitment, and not because we don't have interested girls.   We have lists of girls in every area who want to participate, but we haven't identified adults who will share their time.   If you know someone who might be interested, please have her check out the First Lady's video and the opportunities to volunteer on our website.

GSUSA is conducting a contest for councils, and the council with the most people who visit www.girlscouts.org and express an interest in volunteering will win $5,000 for their council.   There are lots of things we can provide the girls with for $5,000.   That would make possible some exciting programs that are currently beyond our budget.  Or we could purchase another zip line installation or three stand-up paddle boards for camp.   

Please help us make the world a better place by encouraging adults you know, who have an interest in girls, by encouraging them to volunteer by going to www.girlscoutsorg and clicking on volunteer.  It will take them to the volunteer page on our website where there is information on how to join us in growing girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place!.

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