As a young girl, my parents placed me into Girl Scouts. I enjoyed it for the sense of belonging it gave me. As a military brat, the idea that no matter wherever I went I'd have a "sister" scout and a place to belong was very comforting to me. Growing up in scouts instilled in me a sense of commitment to my community (for me it was wherever I lived and the global world), a sense of leadership and adventure. I was taught to try new things, even if I did not like it, and a sense of selflessness. Girl Scouts shaped my world. At the time, I did not realize how much Girl Scouts would also affect my life outside the Girl Scout movement. Currently, I am a stay at home mom. Most people are amazed that I will tell people that I am a feminist. I went to college, wanted to build a career, and then I fell in love. At the time, I thought that to be a strong woman meant I had to prove something to the world around me. While Girl Scouting instilled in me the confidence that I could be anything I wanted to be--even though the world was saying the opposite--it did not necessarily shape me into a feminist. It only allowed me to know my strengths, desires, taught me compassion and built me up so I could overcome many obstacles in my life. However, the feminist movement was showing and displaying women in a double roll--homemaker at night and working mom during the day. Therefore, through media and literature, I formulated a thought: to be someone, I must have a career. And, the only way to do so is to be in the work force. The way to make money and have a career (which isn't necessarily true) is to go to college and climb the corporate ladder. I kept that thought the whole way through college.
Being a Girl Scout helped me with college in so many ways. I had earned the Gold Award, and knowing that I could do such an achievement in my life with minimal help and support from my family (they were busy and worked but supported my doing it) gave me a sense that I could do something on my own. Therefore, when my parents split and college money was not there, I met the challenge with a sense of dread, yes, but also knowing that there was ambition in me to achieve my next goal. Having loved community service while a Girl Scout, made me look for a place to belong my first few weeks on campus. I naturally turned to a Leadership program my college offered, and several community service organizations. This would prove to be fruitful for me when my parents split and college money ran out.
Four years later, and many hardships later, I walked the stage to graduation and clutched my diploma. While I did not do it by myself, it definitely took commitment and ambition--both of them I didn't know I had until I did my Gold Awards.
Once married, I started looking for work. I had struggled so hard through college I wanted to be something great. I had worked so many odd and weird jobs, I wanted a normal corporate America climb job. However, we moved to a small rural area and work in my field--Creative Writing--was not available. I found a job as a substitute teacher and later as a Therapeutic Support Staff (supporting therapies on behavioral modifications of children). Neither C or I wanted to spend the money for daycare. I did not bring in enough money to make working and daycare a good idea. Eventually, after a year of tag team parenting, I quit my job and became a full time stay at home mom. This was a struggle for me. Then one day I ended up at the library (I often looked for a place I could belong to. I loved working in a library when I was in college) and started to volunteer again. This time, I used the skills I knew was possible because I had been a Girl Scout.
I ended up with three girls. When my eldest hit first grade, she wanted to try Brownies. I told her about camping and all the events I used to do. So, she got excited. I placed her in Brownies and while she had fun and liked her leader, she wanted to know why she didn't have camping and all the other things I had told her about my girl scouting experience. So, her first grade year, she ended her scouting. Her younger sister, however, wanted to join Daisies. She loved it! So when there was a need for a new leader for Brownies the following year, I stepped up and offered to fill the role. I brought back my daughter promising her I will try to add those fun things. As I was building my Brownie troop events, I listened and heard people wish there were things closer to home. The Girl Scout in me said, "Oh, there's a need. I know how to fulfill that need. I have created event in high school, college and as an adult volunteer" so instead of planning things just for my troop, I started to bring up ideas for the whole service unit. Having two girl scouts, this also made sense as both girls could be involved in scouts together. I liked seeing both my girls love the events and the activities we did together.
Last year for a leadership award, my daughter, 11, started to volunteer at the library for 6 hours of community service. She proudly did it but missed the feeling volunteering gave her. So, this year, even though she may not have earned an award, on her own, she volunteered to run a story hour for the library.
For me, Girl Scouts made me a better mom. I learned to tolerate change, learn new skills and to juggle many tasks as a young girl. It shaped me into building a sense of person. And while most would not think a stay at home mom is a career path--after all Desperate Housewives series are not helping that--it is a great career path that is about building strong, confident future adults. I think Juliette Gordon would be proud of how Girl Scouts shaped me, grew me and made me into a stronger human being. She, herself, had many obstacles--deafness, divorce, etc.--to concur and so did I.
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