Monday, November 24, 2014

Volunteer Spotlight: Roxanne Flores "By empowering [girls], I empowered myself"

Roxanne Flores - Killeen Sister Cities Service Unit


I was a girl scout from first grade to sixth grade. I actually earned my Bronze award and loved the process. My family moved from Germany to Louisiana which put an end of my Girl Scouting years. There was not an active Service Unit in my small town in Louisiana, so my Girl Scouting came to an end at that point. I picked it back up when my daughter was in the first grade. I was not a leader then, just a parent volunteer and I loved it. My daughter's troop disbanded during that year and my daughter was placed on the waiting list. I was told the list was over a year long and the only way my daughter would get in a troop immediately would be for me to become a Troop Leader. I honestly was scared at the time because I didn't think I could fit it in my schedule. Thankfully, I was wrong and this was the beginning of a new chapter in my life.

 As a troop leader my goal was for the girls to try new things and make new friends. The first rule we set for our troop was that our girls be from different schools. We wanted them to make new friends and step out of their comfort zone. In hindsight, I am happy I made this rule; I think of the friendships that I now have because of Girl Scouts. Melissa and Tobi are some of my closest friends and we would have never known each other if not for Girl Scouting.

Girl Scouts has affected my life completely—personally and professionally. On a professional level, I work as Volunteer Services Youth Coordinator. I was able to use my experience as a Troop leader when I applied for this job. I had the administrative experience but being a Girl Scout leader prepared me for events as well as working with volunteers. During my time with the service team, I was an event coordinator and that taught me event planning. Now I plan many events over a year. When I first started my job I relied heavily on the experience and trainings I had with the Service Unit.

On a personal level, my life has changed drastically since I became a Troop Leader. The first part was leaving an abusive marriage. It is funny to me that I was so wrapped up in the situation, that I did not see how bad it was till I started stepping away and educating myself through activities built the girls’ self-esteem. By empowering them, I empowered myself. I asked myself one time , " How can I be a great role model and show them a strong woman when I am in this bad situation?" I left the marriage and have never looked back. I completed my education and received my degree.   To this day, the girls don't know how much they helped me! I am in awe when we go somewhere and the girls immediately pick up or clean an area because they learned a Girl Scout always leaves a place better than it was before. I see the confidence these girls have when they speak in public and how they try different things because change is good. I see the girls following the Girl Scout law on a daily basis. Girl Scouting is not an activity they do once a week but instead a standard of how the live their lives.


I am the mother of three children; Devon is 18 years old, Olivia is 13 years old, and Shiloh is 1. My son has had cancer twice in his lifetime and I admire his zest for life. I never hear him complain and whenever I feel like complaining, I think of everything he has faced or is facing on a daily basis. I am engaged to be married this month and look forward to the day. I received my Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Texas Women's University. I am actively involved with the Special Olympics as a volunteer and am also a proud parent of an athlete. I am a board member of Killeen Sister Cities Osan Korea, Killeen Chamber of Commerce Public Education Committee, and Friends of the Killeen Library, Keep Killeen Beautiful, and Relay for Life. I have been a Girl Scout Troop Leader for 7 years, and this is my fifth year on the Service Team. I have held several positions with the service team: Event Coordinator, Area Delegate, Secretary, FOGS Chairperson, and Media Communications Chair. I work full time with the City of Killeen and I will hit the twenty year mark in October. I enjoy my job tremendously and love coming to work and love the spirit of Team Killeen.

Sensory Mural Station: Helping Children with Severe Disabilities

Gold Scouts

The following entry was written by Elizabeth Geisinger, and covers her Gold Award Project "Sensory Mural Station." Learn all about why she chose this project, the challenges she faces and the satisfaction she gained from it! Amazing work, Elizabeth!
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A thousand words could not describe the Gold Award and the journey it takes to get to it. I recently received my Gold Award for a Sensory Mural Station I created for Rosedale School, which helps students with severe disabilities.  I began my journey towards the Gold a little over 2 years ago. When I first came up with my idea, to paint murals on the portables at Rosedale, I was elated.  I got my proposal approved and immediately began planning and researching what to do. By the end of year though, I had to change my project because it was expected the portables would be removed so I decided to build a mobile sensory station. I was still excited and researched Adaptive Learning and eventually built the station.  However the school year came and I began procrastinating my project. I lost motivation to finish my project and couldn't convince myself to do it. However this past year, with the encouragement of leaders in my Service Unit, I pushed myself to complete my project. I painted the various mural scenes and attached the sensory objects. I finished it and turned my paperwork in by the end of September. While the journey will have bumps in the road, it is all worth it to finish your project and feel an overwhelming amount of joy when the letter comes and says “congratulations”.




Meet the Team: SISTERS Program Specialist, Candice Stump

Hello wonderful Girl Scouts!  My name is Candice Stump and I’m a Program Specialist and my main focus is our "Stay in School to Enjoy Real Success" (SISTERS) at  Girl Scouts of Central Texas. I’ve been working with the Girl Scouts since March of 2014.  Before that, I worked as an Adoption Specialist and Child Welfare Case Manager for 8 years.  Prior to my time in child welfare, I was a Disaster Crisis Counselor for hurricane Katrina evacuees.  I hold a BA in Psychology from the University of Central Florida.  I have a lot of experience working with children from many different backgrounds and I truly love it!

I grew up in Florida where I loved spending time at the beach, swimming, snorkeling, and SCUBA diving.  I moved to Texas in January of 2014 when my husband, Greg, was stationed at Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo. I have been married to my amazing husband for over 5 years.  We have 4 children and two Yorkshire terriers that keep us very busy.  I love to travel the world, SCUBA dive, sail, camp, backpack, and hike.  

One thing that most people notice about me is that I almost always have a smile on my face. Most people don’t know that there are two reasons that I’m always smiling.  One is because when I was in the 2nd grade I came home from school one day and told my mom that my school bus driver was grumpy.  My mom suggested that the next time I see my bus driver to try smiling at her.  Well it worked! Every morning and afternoon my bus driver and I shared great big smiles with one another.  I know it always brightened my day and I like to think it brightened hers a little too. The second reason is because of my ballet teacher.  She taught us to keep smile during performances no matter what.  Even if you don’t know all the moves or fall flat on your face just get right back up, keep smiling, and chances are no one will notice. So when you see me with a smile on my face I hope it brightens your day and, on tough days, I hope it gives you the courage to get up and try again.  

I am so excited to be working for the Girl Scouts of Central Texas. I love seeing the exciting things the girls are experiencing and achieving through the Girls Scouts.  I am constantly amazed at what the girls are up to.  I am also honored to bring Girl Scout experiences to girls that might not otherwise have this opportunity through the SISTERS program.  

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

"Girl Scouting is a Part of Me" by Lisa Deweese

Throughout the month of November, we've been urging everyone who volunteers with GSCTX to Invite a Friend and get them involved with Girl Scouts. There are so many reasons and  girls waiting to embark on the adventure of a lifetime, but they need YOU to guide them. Here is the story of Lisa Deweese, who has seen the benefits of Girl Scouting and volunteering many times over. 

Read about how it has influenced her life positively.Then Invite a Friend to start a troop and embark on the most exciting ride of your lives together!



"Girl Scouting is a part of me.  I have been involved for 45+ years, including 11 as a girl.  My blood may be a bit green.  

Girl Scouting has given me opportunities I probably would have never been offered. It allowed me to take on leadership roles that stretched my comfort zones, both as a girl, as a leader, and also a trainer.  The confidence I developed in Girl Scouting carried over into my professional life, allowing me to tackle bigger projects and positions.

Volunteering as an adult allowed me to make many contacts in the community which I normally would not have made.  It allowed me to get involved in the various communities I lived in as I moved throughout my career.   I started out to "help pay back" the time given to me by the leaders I had growing up.  Once I got involved as an adult, it kept me excited about the future.  Since I didn't have children, it allowed a path for me to still be involved with girls and their schools as well.

Early in my career, volunteering with Girl Scouts was considered good community involvement.  It probably played a role in promotions throughout my career, and put me in position to assume other roles, such as being the local Campaign Coordinator for my agencies involvement in the United Way  and service with the Ladies Auxiliary of the VFW.  I always said that Girl Scouting showed me how to be "flexible and adaptable" and that there was always more than one way to complete a project or tackle a challenge." 

- Lisa Deweese

Central Bell Service Unit

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Top Nine Reasons to Invite a Friend to Volunteer With You

If there's something we know at GSCTX, it's that friends make everything better! That's why we're encouraging you to Invite a Friend on the most exciting journey you've been on: being a troop leader.

We know you understand, dear troop leader. But in case you're surrounded by horses—AKA 'naysayers'—then point them toward this post and convince them otherwise:

Here are the top nine reasons to invite a friend to volunteer with Girl Scouts TODAY…

9.  There are LESS THAN 613 hours left to take advantage of the Volunteer Invite a Friend
offer. Hey—time flies.


8.  We’re trying to set a new record for onboarding volunteers in a single month! Help us recruit over 50 volunteers this month! Within our council, that's a little over one volunteer per county. PIECE. OF.CAKE.


7.  Did we mention all the Girl Scout gear you can buy? During the Volunteer Invite-a-Friend offer, when you invite a friend to volunteer with us, you’ll get a $50 coupon code to use at Girl Scouts’ Official Online Store.


6.  The more the merrier! Imagine having one more Girl Scout sister to share that box of Thin Mints with—no more eating cookies all by yourself! (It's ok, we do it, too.)


5.  There are 17,652 Girl Scouts at GSCTX… and another 30,000 girls nationwide who are sitting around waiting for you and your friend to step up and start troops for them.


4.  The best memories are the ones that make you laugh out loud! Make a "Happy Bank" deposit by helping girls from your area make memories and friends they'll keep forever.


3.  “Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other’s gold…” Need we say more?


2.  It's been scientifically proven that laughing keeps you young! Forget expensive creams—girl giggles, silly stories, new experiences, and breaking out of your comfort zone are the real Fountain of Youth.


1.   Before you came along, your girls were waiting for someone to be their role model. There are girls still waiting for that role model to come along. Invite a friend to make a difference in these girls’ lives today!


Once you've invited a friend to start a new troop, let us know RIGHT HERE!Have a question? Contact membership@gsctx.org.

Girls Are Waiting For You, So What Are You Waiting For?

After the New York Time's article about the change in focus at Girl Scouts, another by NPR and a blog post by GSUSA, it's evident that the Girl Scout movement is facing adverse times. 

The problem we have right now isn't creating interest from girls, or the decline in Girl Scout membership. Girls are ready to make new friends, go on adventures, learn new skills, sing songs and to feel empowered time and time again. They need capable leaders who can take them on these new experiences, hold their hand when they need it and let go when they're ready. They need adult role models that will provide the support they need to develop the self-reliance and confidence they need to face the ever-changing landscape and challenges we're still faced as women. 

Being a troop leader is NOT an easy task. It takes time, energy and lots of effort. But anyone that's ever seen a girl smile after completing her first High Ropes course or witnessed the surge of confidence a whole troop gets after returning from their first back-packing trip can tell you it's worth every bit of work. Because while you help these girls grow, you're growing, too. The satisfaction you gain from knowing that you're making a real difference in girls' lives is far too big to describe, but anyone that does it can tell you it's true. And that's worth more than all the Thin Mints in the world. 

To become the role model your local Girl Scouts will never forget, click here. To Invite a Friend to become a troop leader, click here.