Troop Tuesday: Troop Leader Appreciation

Girl Scouts thrives on the dedicated work of volunteers. These volunteers spend countless hours developing as leaders themselves, and helping the girls in their troops become stronger leaders, too. As is often the case with kids, volunteers don't always hear thank you for the time that they give. This letter was sent to us by a volunteer, and we agree- it warmed our hearts! 

"We had a badge requirement that asked the girls to find a Girl Scout volunteer in their community who exemplifies the Girl Scout law and deserves recognition and praise. 

I asked one of the girls to present this to the others and I stayed out of the area while they worked on it.They wrote these notes on a banner that they made for me.  You can see this in the picture.It warmed my heart." -Max Burns, Troop 7003, Greater Waco Service Unit

 Here's what the girls said:

Miss Max, I am so glad that you are my Girl Scout leader. The past 5 years in scouts we have made sooo many memories. I would like to thank you for not just being my Leader but my friend. You have taught, not just me but so many others how to be better a life. You are the reason for bringing the troop so close together, I don't just have Live Long Friends but also sisters for life. I am glad to get to call you my leader. Thank you for those nights  when you stayed up with us and for us. Thank  you for giving up your weekend to throw sleepovers and to  go to Kachina. Thank you for spending money on us. Thank you for no getting made at us when we get angry. I wanted to say Thank You, because we don't say it a lot, thank you for all you do.

Annslee

I am very grateful that out of all the Girl Scout Leaders there are, I ended up being in your troop. The time I've spent in your troop has been some of the best of my life. Thanks to Girl Scouts, I have many opportunities I would've have other wise, and that's all thanks to you for starting my journey. This troop has helped me learned many skills and I have made amazing friends as well. We all are glad that you are here to lead us. So, thank you.

Faviola

I am very glad that I am in this troop because it gives me lots of new opportunities that I  would never have if you weren't so dedicated to the troop.

Hailey

Thank you for every thing.Love ya!!

Lauren

I love Mrs. Max because she is such a great troop leader and I'm glad to have her. I feel like I'm so lucky to have her.

Caroline

Dear Grandma, You are the reason I joined Girl Scouts and thank you so much because I love it and you make it soo fun. You always make all of our camping trips and events so fun.You spent your Girl Scout money just so we could spend an extra day on our trip.Thank you so very much. I really appreciate all you do for me and all the girls.

Meghan

Finding True Love at Girl Scout Camp

A DJ on the radio the other day asked listeners to call in and tell of their worst Valentine’s gift ever. As you can imagine, callers chimed in with lots of examples- a map, a fast-food dinner, an unsigned card, or nothing at all. While it was certainly entertaining, that’s not what has stuck with me the past week in regards to Valentine’s Day. What has stuck with me is an encounter I had last week with two Girl Scout alumnae and supporters, Patricia and David Gerling. 

If you’ve never met the Gerling’s, I hope after reading this you feel like you know them. They have an amazing love story that actually started at Girl Scout Camp Texlake. I sat down to interview them and walked away in awe of the tremendous partnership they have and the love that they feel after 35 years of marriage.

In the summer of 1977, Patricia Wolf headed to Camp Texlake for her last summer, working as the Business Manager.  She had attended Texlake for years, as a camper and then as staff.  That same summer, David Gerling headed to Camp Texlake as an Assistant Ranger, prodded by his father to get his first real summer job.

They met moving mattresses and preparing the camp the week before the first campers arrived.

“We can both remember the exact moment we saw each other --it was like, ‘you  know, who is that guy, I’ve never seen him before,’” said Patricia.

 “But that was the minute and later I came to find out that he was working on staff.’

“I remember seeing this girl and going ‘Wow!’, said David. “I didn’t know why I said wow, but I remember the moment, very specifically.”

With the grueling schedules of summer camp staff, they would work for two weeks, then get 24 hours off. All the camp staff spent time together on their days off, and Chip (Patricia's camp name) and David became friends in that group setting.

During their free time, they’d talk about politics, sports, school, family, and animals. “We also talked about our goals in life,” Patricia said, “And we got a sense of…” “…What the other person’s goals in life were;  where they were headed,” David finished for her. Yes, y’all, they are that cute; they finish each other’s sentences. 

 They’d go sailing with other counselors on Lake Travis, or sit and talk on the porch of Starke Lodge together. “We do everything together, and we always have,” Patricia said.

Of course, as they got to know each other over the course of the summer, they had lots of fun camp memories. David described to me how he earned his camp name that summer.

“We were doing a talent show for the campers at the craft house and I had been preparing for it secretly, “he said. “I was going last, so I was either going to be a grand finale, or, if it didn’t go well, I would just sneak off into the night.”

“So the music starts, I throw open the window and jump through it and startle everyone. Then I started singing the Yogi Bear song.   After that moment, everyone said ‘That’s your camp name- Yogi.’”

If you’ve ever been to resident camp, or seen a movie about a resident camp, you know that the campers and counselors are always playing tricks on one another. David shared a memory of pranking the counselors with Sonny, the camp ranger, then realizing that the camp director was pranked, too. Uh oh.

“Sonny set me up to this,” David said. “We thought it would be really funny.  'Central' was located in main camp and was the location of female showers and restrooms for counselors and administrative staff.   The showers were open-air on the top.   So one day,  Sonny said to me, ‘David, it would be really funny once there’s a crowd in there, if you take the water hose and spray the cold water from the well over the top of the shower.’

“So I run out there, grab the hose and squirt it over the top.   And we are just dying laughing.  Then, I hear the voice of the Camp Director Skipper who's in the shower,” David said. “I turn around and Sonny is nowhere to be found.  Of course, Skipper somehow knew it was me.”  

Of course the fun and games of camp couldn’t last forever and summer camp ended.  Patricia finished her last year at St. Edward’s and David headed to Texas A&M in College Station to start his freshman year in the Texas Aggie Band.  They dated long-distance, with Patricia visiting once a month during her senior year.

”We didn’t have the internet, so we wrote letters,” said Patricia. “And we didn’t have cell phones, and it was long distance charges, so we didn’t talk to each other during the week.”

“We couldn’t talk until after a certain time on Saturday,” David added. “We’d set the clock since we could only talk for 20 minutes because it was going to cost $6. And back then, $6 was a lot to pay on a phone call.”

David and Patricia got engaged on Easter in 1979. Patricia graduated from St. Edwards and moved to College Station, where she began working at Texas A&M.  In May of 1980, the two married.

Both of them attribute much of their family success to the influence of each of their parents. They have two children who they raised in College Station, and to whom they instilled those same family values.

Their son, Bradley, now lives in Charlotte, North Carolina and works with computer technologies for Bank of America. He earned his Eagle Scout and Order of the Arrow.  Their daughter, Kellie, lives in College Station and is a paraprofessional in the high school Special Education Department.  She sold lots of Girl Scout cookies and earned her Girl Scout Gold Award, too.   

Patricia and David Gerling are still very much in love. They still laugh at each other’s jokes, kiss in the middle of stories, and are committed to an equal partnership.

“Marriage is a relationship built on love, trust and support for one another,” David shared. “I have to bring 100% to the game and she does, too. When she was going through her cancer treatment (Patricia is a 12-year breast cancer survivor), I was there for her as her soulmate and as her nurse, and to keep her strong.  By keeping her strong, it kept us strong,” said David. 

Keep them strong it did. In case you haven’t fallen in love with this couple yet, Patricia said this of their relationship:   “We never really looked back, never thought twice.  We really found true love and meaning to life in lots of different ways.  David's my best friend, my soul mate; he's my companion.”

So whether you’ve met your Yogi Bear, your soulmate or you are still looking, we wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day full of laughter and frozen Thin Mints (the Gerling’s favorite version of the Girl Scout Cookie). 

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.

Volunteer Spotlight: Kathy Beifuss, keeping the Service Unit together

"Kathy Beifuss serves in numerous positions on the service team and she stepped forward to serve when there was a re-organization of their service unit (SU) made by the council.

A while back, the SU was hit with a blow in leadership. Kathy quickly stepped up to assist new leadership, which allowed the unit to stay together. She not only maintained it, but made it stronger over the next two years. The Girl Scouts in that SU would have suffered had it fallen apart. It would have taken a huge effort to rebuild it.  Then, when a second round of leadership changes occurred, this volunteer kept the SU together once again!  

She has wonderfully served the Bryan-College Station SU in more capacities than her assistant director position calls for: Silver Award consultant, travel application approvals, facilitator in camping and program levels, communications, troop problem solver, SU date reminders, she ensures cookie sales information is submitted, and is also the Camp Howdy site crew and camping manager. 

Kathy Beifuss is a strong, silent (unless it involves tent folding) force, who helps keep a large metropolitan SU together, providing girls the fullest, most rewarding Girl Scout experience they can have."

Kathy is a treasure to Girl Scouts of Central Texas and we couldn't be more proud of her. Thank you for all your hard work, Kathy!

Today's volunteer feature was submitted by Debra Turner, a troop leader and SU Troop Organizer for the Bryan-College Station SU. Thanks, Debra!

Volunteer Spotlight: Volunteering Doesn't Just Benefit Girls

As Girl Scouts staff members we don’t always see the impact Girl Scouting has on an adult volunteer – at least not as it happens. So, I felt privileged to see this happening with one volunteer.  

She joined Girl Scouts to help with her daughter’s troop, but wasn't sure she was quite up for the challenge of taking on the role of leader.  She is an introvert by nature; could hardly talk to other adults sometimes.  However, she understood the importance of her responsibilities  and took them on in order to become a better leader. 

She attended the council’s leadership training, sat in the back, and took it all in.  During a break, several experienced volunteers were talking and joking with the staff members that were there.  She stood on the other end of the porch – listening quietly.   When something funny was said, she would just smile, but she never quite joined in.

The next encounter with volunteers and staff members, she continued learning.  However, this time during the break she took a position a little closer to the action.  It took her four or five training sessions and a couple of years, but now she had mustered up enough courage to walk her way across that porch!  She began to talk and to share with others. 

Eventually, she joined the Service Unit team. Then, she undertook the role of a volunteer trainer.  She went on to became a Master Trainer and then a member of the council’s staff.  She insisted on working for free and had to be persuaded to take a paycheck.

Today, she is a lifetime Girl Scout and has worked for two councils for approximately ten years!

Sometimes, we forget that Girl Scouting can make a huge impact on adults as well!  We assume that all adult volunteers just have “what it takes.”  They do have the drive and the understanding that what they do is crucial, but there is also a lot of growth to take place when adults are in the picture.  

I know that Girl Scouting has impacted my life in a way that few people would realize. 

Let this be a reminder to slow down and spend time with volunteers!  You may be surprised at what you learn.  By all means, don’t be too quick to judge that shy lady in the back; she may surprise you!

-Lana Turner

Serving as a Role Model to Girl Scouts

On April 13, University of Texas student, Harry S. Truman scholar and Girl Scout volunteer Jordan Metoyer addressed the audience at the Honors Day ceremony on campus. She spoke of her volunteer experience mentoring a group of girls whom she grew to befriend and someone they soon saw a role model. And that's exactly what Jordan and countless other volunteers are to our girls - role models. You show girls what they can aspire to be - a strong and successful woman built of courage, confidence and character. Read Jordan's speech below.

"I am honored to be before you today and give the warmest congratulations to every Distinguished College Scholar and College Scholar in this room. You have worked diligently, made difficult sacrifices, and juggled rigorous academics with jobs, research, extra-curricular activities, or a daunting combination of all three. I applaud each and every one of you for your dedication towards academic excellence.

Today, I would like to offer my personal experience with a dedication of another kind; dedication to community service and benefiting others.

Before my first day as a Girl Scouts troop volunteer in East Austin's Booker T. Washington public housing project, my supervisor gave me cautionary tales of the girls’ violence and misbehavior. Part of me began to worry, but then I remembered that my friends in my hometown of Inglewood and I were often given the same "at-risk" label growing up. On my first day, I met Shaye, the oldest of five siblings and aspiring pediatrician. When I told Shaye where I was from and where I attended school, she looked bewildered, not believing that anyone who shared her background could be successful in college. Shaye and the other Girl Scouts looked at the University of Texas's tower as a symbol of the unobtainable, and viewed many of its students as privileged, particularly those who volunteered once and never returned. The thought that my troop did not believe in their potential disappointed me, and filled me with purpose. In hearing their self-doubt, I committed not only to volunteering, but also to building personal relationships with the girls. Every time I returned, the girls’ trust grew, and soon I was no longer an outsider, but someone whom Shaye called a friend and role model.

We know, all too intimately, that what starts here changes the world. In addition to this powerful phrase, I am captured and by the words that rest near the university tower steps – the core purpose of the university. It reads, “To transform lives for the betterment of society.”

In order to complete this task, we must have dedication to our dreams, no matter how unachievable or temporal they may seem. I challenge you all today to find and dedicate yourself to a cause that not only leaves you richer for the experience but the world better for your efforts.

I have complete assurance that this group before me has transformed and will continue to transform lives for the betterment of the world."

Thank you,
Jordan Metoyer

A Volunteer Helped Shape My Life

Who are they? That’s easy. Ed Coll. 

Kimbol at the redwoods near Santa Cruz.

Ed’s career was spent training SWAT teams and stunt actors. When he made the decision to retire to the Pittsburgh area, it was the 1980’s and he was in his early 60’s. He approached the local Girl Scout council, GSSWPA, and told them, “You need a high adventure program for girls. I’ll build you one.” Word was that the local Boy Scout asked him to run a similar program for boys, but he turned them down. “Boys have lots of these opportunities. Girls don’t have any. The girls need some.” That’s what I heard he said. It sounds like him.

I was 14 at the time and a stealth Girl Scout in junior high school. One of my close friends had signed up for a rappelling weekend, but got sick and couldn’t go. Her mom who was also my troop leader pushed me to take the open slot. “It’s paid for! You can use Kell’s hiking boots!” she said and so I went. It was January in the northeast. Did I mention I’ve always been afraid of heights? And falling?

This trip is where I met Ed. He showed us how to wrap the webbing to make our harnesses, how to check that we were safe and ready and all the technical sides to it. More importantly, he radiated care and confidence in us! “You don’t have to do it, but I would like you to try. You won’t fall. I’ll show you!” And he belayed each of us over the edge, showing us how he could stop us on a dime. He encouraged us to walk the face, then bounce a little, and maybe bounce some more. Safely down on the ground below, I couldn’t believe how much fun it was! And I did it. I was so hooked – I ran back to the top and rappelled down as many times as he would let me, swinging wider and farther each time.

The next day, as Ed was hugging as all goodbye, Ed’s maxim was 10 hugs a day kept off starvation – he pulled me to the side and said, “Any trip of mine you want go on, you’re welcome to come. You’ve been great.”

So, I went. As often as I could, all the way until I graduated high school and moved away.

When I was finding my grown up feet, scared about presenting to vice presidents or running projects where I was the youngest team member, I would remember that I climbed Mount Placid. I rafted the Youghigheny. I went up and down Seneca Rocks more times than I can count. This is easier than that and I did that.

-Kimbol Soques

Kimbol is a Gold Award recipient and recently celebrated her 25th year as a Girl Scout. She currently leads a Cadette troop and is planning a trip to Savannah with them for this summer.

Why do I Volunteer with Girl Scouts?

At first glance, I would say I do it for my daughter, plain and simple. I want her to have new experiences, make friends from all walks of life, and grow up to be an empowered woman. As a Girl Scout, I experienced all of those things and still carry fond memories of my time in Girl Scouts. I remember camping in our backyard, traveling to a greenhouse farm to learn about raising tomatoes, and learning to appreciate the beauty of bugs. As an adult involved in Girl Scouting, I am now able to help my daughter develop the same open views of the world she lives in, the people, creatures, plants and what makes it go around.

Don’t let me fool you though! I’m in it for me too. Bonding with other parents, traveling to different events, and running cookie sales for our troop helps me realize that I look forward to everything as much as my daughter does! From a huge sing-a-long at the Texas Capitol to tie-dying troop t-shirts to watching our dining room turn into cookie central for six weeks, I love it all! I truly enjoy volunteering with Girl Scouts because of what they represent – encouraging and enabling young women of spread their wings – to opportunities they provide to all Girl Scouts (and parents!).

-Julie Peters

To volunteer or find out more about volunteering with GSCTX, visit our website. 

Dads are Girl Scouts too!

When most people think of Girl Scout volunteers, fabulous and hard working females come to mind. And while Girl Scouting is an activity often shared between mothers and daughters, we must not forget about the fearless males who volunteer their time to the organization as well.

Sean Dunham is one of these male volunteers who spend his free time serving as a co-leader to his daughter’s troop in Round Rock. Mr. Dunham joined Troop 2361 in March 2010 and never looked back. He enjoys outdoor activities and plans many hiking and camping adventures with the girls. Learning about the environment is another activity he likes doing with his troop. Mr. Dunham’s wife tells us that while her husband isn’t into arts and crafts, he is willing to go outside of his comfort zone to make sure the girls enjoy all kinds of activities.

One of the girls who definitely enjoys having Mr. Dunham as her troop leader is his daughter, Phoebe. She says she likes the perk of knowing what he is planning for the troop before anyone else and loves having her dad around to enjoy Girl Scouts with her. Mr. Dunham is also known to always give the girls a say in everything they plan and they hold weekly voting sessions to decide what they will do in the coming weeks.

If you still think Girl Scouts is just for girls, then think again. Mr. Dunham hopes his role in Girl Scouts teaches his girls that they should never limit themselves to what they want to do in life because of their gender. He also wants to send a message to other dads that this is a great way to bond and spend time with their daughters and families.

Great work, Mr. Dunham! We’re sure Troop 2361 appreciates you. If you are a dad who wants to volunteer with Girl Scouts, please contact us here.

Becoming a Brand Ambassador

At the 2009 Service Team Conference, GSCTX asked volunteers to take the position of Public Relations Coordinators. The position entailed sending in press releases and pictures to local media along with keeping an eye on Girl Scouts in the news. For this year, we have adjusted the responsibilities to better align with your needs and time constraints as a busy volunteer.

We still ask you to keep us updated on what your girls are doing in their troops or even outside of the troop because no one knows them better than you do. In order for the council to remain aware of the happenings in your troops, we would like for you to become our Brand Ambassadors. This position simply relies on you submitting your stories, photos, events, etc. to us so we can do the work for you and get your message out to the community in an effective manner. When you see your stories or the stories of other troops in the news, please still send them into the council. We also ask that you remain aware of how our new brand is being implemented in your troops. The volunteer page of our website offers a Powerpoint presentation on the new brand so you can be aware of how to correctly use the materials.

If you have any questions on this change or would like to submit stories of your troop to be featured on GSCTX sites and in local media, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Thank you for all that you do for girls,

-Kristine Rheinboldt

Girl Scouts Celebrate Father's Day

It’s no surprise to see Gene Brotherman help Girl Scout Daisy Troop 1390 put on their life jackets before they paddle down Lake Brownwood for their first canoeing experience. Today, many committed dads actively serve as Girl Scouts of Central Texas volunteers and troop leaders proving that Girl Scouts isn’t just something mothers and daughters can do together.

“I have learned that Girl Scouts is not just limited to moms and daughters, but dads are more than welcome to be a part of the experience. My commitment to Girl Scouts shows my daughter that Girl Scouts is important and it makes her want to do more,” says Gene Brotherman, Girl Scout Troop Leader.

Brotherman’s enthusiastic participation in Girl Scouts allows for him and his daughter to learn and grow together. Consequently, his time, energy and passion helps Troop 1390 become the leaders of tomorrow.  By modeling authentic, purposeful leadership fathers help girls develop their own strong sense of self and their own leadership style.

“It is amazing to watch them grow and exhibit the qualities they are learning in the Girl Scout Law. We are teaching them strong values, to give back to society, how to be leaders and much more,” says Brotherman.

Girl Scouts of Central Texas acknowledges the hard work and dedication of all of our volunteers, but today we would like to especially thank the fathers for building girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place.

To learn how you can help Central Texas girls become leaders, visit www.gsctx.org or call (800)733-0011.

-Kandace Fierro

GSCTX Hearts Volunteers

Girl Scout volunteers are the cat's pajamas. The bee's knees. The greatest thing since sliced bread. What can we say? They really rock our world. So all you volunteers out there, give yourselves a big pat on the back!

Do you know why we love you? Aside of course from your obvious awesomeness. Well straight from the dedicated Volunteer Services team, here's EXACTLY why you are the greatest.

• What I love the most about Girl Scout volunteers is how knowledgeable they are. They bring so many talents and skills to the table. In addition, they are always so willing to help and to give of themselves. -Faith Brown, COO
• Dedication and Enthusiasm are the first words that come to mind for me! The volunteers that I have an opportunity to interact with really care about the girls that they are working with. They are in this for more than the cookies and crafts and are genuinely interested in seeing the girls gain leadership skills and life skills and character from the activities they do together! The volunteers are dedicated to the girls, to the vision of the movement and to the end result. They are enthusiastic about making a difference in the lives of the girls they serve! -Heather Givens, Volunteer Services Manager 
• I love to watch the interaction with the girls. Patience, understanding and encouragement are all wrapped up in one package – the Girl Scout leader. -Lana Webb, Volunteer Services Specialist

We hope you've enjoyed Volunteer Appreciation Week and if you are in the Austin area, can join us at Pluckers tomorrow night.

From all of us at GSCTX...

THANK  YOU!

Photo: Awesome Girl Scout volunteers at the San Angelo area Women of Distinction Luncheon.

5 Easy Ways to Support Girls

When it comes to Girl Scouts and Girl Scout volunteers, there are two truths that almost always hold true:

1. You think girls rock and you care about their success.
2. You are busy!

Sometimes these truths don't necessarily complement. There are only so many hours in the day and you want to use every one of them to their fullest potential. We're all about it. Here are five quick and easy ways you can support girls and Girl Scouting without cramping your very busy lifestyle.

1. Take the Power of Girls pledge. The well-being of girls is not just an issue for girls and their parents; it's an everyone issue. When girls succeed, families are healthier and economies are stronger. Take this pledge to tell the world, you care about the well-being of girls everywhere.
2. Share our Facebook page on your profile. You are on Facebook already so take a quick second and let all your friends know that you love Girl Scouting. You are bound to open a few people's eyes to the many benefits of Girl Scouting and girl leadership.
3. Brag about Girl Scouts. Stop your neighbor, chat at coworker's cube, call your sister and tell them all what fun it is to be a Girl Scout. Tell them about learning to build campfires or helping girls program robots or having slumber parties at the zoo. Bottom line: let them know, Girl Scouts is where it's at.
4. Read Volunteer Essentials. It's your one-stop Girl Scout spot for emergency procedures, girl development, volunteer recognition and more. Make it your bedtime reading or take it on the plane with you. Either way, take a second and explore this amazing resource.
5. Take our survey. Every month we have a new survey on our Web site (this month it's about the shop). By spending just a couple minutes completing it each month, you are helping make Girl Scouts better for you and all your Girl Scout sisters. You can also recommend survey topics by reaching out to the Communications Staff.

Thank you for loving Girl Scouts! We love you right back!

-Cheryl Black

Photo: Amazing committed service team members at the 2009 Service Team Conference.

Let me just look it up on my phone...

PC Magazine encyclopedia

Smartphone: A cellular telephone with built-in applications and Internet access. Smartphones provide digital voice service as well as any combination of text messaging, e-mail, Web browsing, still camera, video camera, MP3 player, video player, television and organizer. In addition to their built-in functions, smartphones have become application delivery platforms, turning the once single-minded cellphone into a mobile computer.

PCWorld and comScore report that more than 42 million Americans use smartphones. (Read the article.) We figure there are bound to be a couple Central Texans in that count. If you are one of them, then it's your lucky day. Here are some of the best parent and volunteer friendly apps out there. Enjoy!

For the iPhone
From Mashable

• Time-Out FREE
• SitorSquat: Bathroom Finder
• KidStatz Lite

For Blackberry phones
From Crackberry

• Shortcovers
• Got-2pro
• WeatherEye

For Google Android
From SpeckyBoy

• Waze: Way to go
• PayPal Application
• Places Directory

This isn't a comprehensive list but it's a start for some of the most popular smartphones. What other apps make your life way easier? What needs do you have but haven't found the right tool for yet? Which apps are your absolute favorites, whether they help with the kids or not?

-Cheryl Black

P.S. As an iPhone user my favorite apps are Bank of America personal banking, MyFitnessPal and YellowPages. I'd love to hear your favs!

The Pearl of the Concho Valley

Recently a volunteer emailed the council to brag about a fellow volunteer, Alison. The email read

Alison has done an outstanding job this membership year with taking over service unit events. She has tried to recruit in event coordinators in the Concho Pearl area and strived to hold events for all age levels meeting the requests of activities the girls want to do. -Tia

We always love hearing about committed and enthusiastic volunteers. To re-energize the volunteer in us all, here's Alison in her own words.

Q. What is your involvement with Girl Scouts?

A. I was a Girl Scout myself as a Brownie and Junior way back when. Unfortunately, my leader was unable to continue and we had no other adult willing to step up and lead us so my experience ended after a couple of years as a Junior. I came back into Girl Scouting as an adult when my older daughter was a 3rd grade Brownie. For her, I was an involved parent who helped as a chaperone and badge leader. That daughter was in Girl Scouts through middle school and earned her Silver Award. When we moved to San Angelo, my younger daughter was starting 1st grade and I wanted to get her into Girl Scouts. She joined Troop 5031 at Bowie Elementary that year but the leaders were both moving at the end of the year. Having been through the experience of losing a troop as a girl because of no leader, I did not want that to happen to my daughter and the other girls, so I became the troop leader and have been so ever since although we have had many girls come and go in the troop. We are currently Cadettes and enjoy both events where Girl Scouts get together to have fun, but opportunities to provide service and leadership in our community. Many of my girls are also in the National Junior Honor Society which recognizes their leadership and service.

Q. What motivates you to dedicate time and energy to Girl Scouts?

A. Most of us who volunteer in Girl Scouts have similar motivations. We want to see girls succeed in whatever they try to do. Girl Scouts encourages them to try things they might not do otherwise.

Learn more about becoming a Girl Scout volunteer.

Volunteer Essentials

Rolling out the new Volunteer Essentials document has been an interesting process with so many people collaborating to make it something that is useful and accessible for every member! Volunteer Services, Membership, Programs, Product Sales and Registration have all had a hand in the content of this unique resource. The Communications Department has been instrumental in getting it posted to the Web site as a PDF, then as searchable text on the Web site itself. But most importantly the feedback from the volunteers that have seen it and will be using it has been invaluable. They gave us editing tips. They gave us content feedback; they have tweaked a good document and made it better.

“Volunteer Essentials is a resource for volunteers serving in any pathway, and can also be used for volunteers who do not work directly with girls. It offers information about Girl Scouts as a movement and a tradition, asks volunteers to assess their skills and competencies, discusses the GSLE and journeys, highlights other program offerings, shares information about healthy development in girls, instructs volunteers in how to keep girls safe, gives information on taking trips and hosting events, and tells volunteers how to help girls manage group finances, including details on Girl Scout Cookie sales.” -Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA)

In an effort to make Girl Scouting consistent across the country and serve all the girls and volunteers, GSUSA created Volunteer Essentials. They noticed that many councils had created their own "operating manuals" (ours was called Directions). They varied from council to council and covered many different topics so that if you moved form Texas to Washington or even just New York to New Jersey, you weren’t necessarily getting the same information or training. GSUSA decided that in order to be consistent they needed a nationally consistent module that would address the main points and still be somewhat customizable. There are, after all, differences geographically and culturally that may have to be addressed.

The finished product accomplishes just that! It is succinct without being to brief it is thorough without belaboring the point! I am pleased with it and I hope to see it serve as a resource that every volunteer will refer to often and use as needed!

Check out Volunteer Essentials now.

-Heather Givens