Keep Trying and Time for a Change

When I began this blog, I did it in response to frustrations I had with Girl Scouts in my Service Unit.  I wish I could help new leaders or other Girl Scout volunteers more than I have. Without rejoining my Service Unit Team or training more, the aid I wish to give probably will not happen at this time.  Due to changes going on all around me, I have to be OK with that . . . for now.

I want to change the focus on my blog to share more thoughts or ideas that are not as focused on Girl Scouts.  I am still a leader, I am still involved, and I am still "one passionate Girl Scout," but I want to change directions.  No worries, I will still share Girl Scout ideas in case there are folks about there looking for Girl Scout ideas.

Before I do that, I do have a Girl Scout frustration that I just do not know how to correct.  As Service Unit Registrar and Troop Organizer, I am sure there were leaders frustrated with how I found troops for new girls.  My philosophy was . . . if a family reached out to us with interest, then I needed to move swiftly to get them into a troop and active in Girl Scouts.  I tried placing girls in various ways, and I would stay in contact with families until either the girls were placed in a troop or until the family no longer showed interest for one reason or another (but not for lack of my trying). Of course, all of this was based on a phone number, email address, or mailing address getting to me.

In the past two years, I have heard of two families in my local area, a friend about 2 1/2 hours away, and a family in Columbus, Georgia who have all contacted their local Service Units or Girl Scout Councils to register their daughter(s) and find a troop.  After a year (or more) they gave up on trying to get their daughter(s) in a troop b/c no one would contact them or they were continually told they were working on it but were never contacted again.

In each of these circumstances, the parents have wanted their girls to be a part of this amazing organization, but due to balls being dropped or calls and emails not being returned, the parents grew tired and gave up.  I absolutely hate that for their girls, and I hate that these families have dealt with this frustration.  I just wish I had an answer for families in situations like these.

-I worked with one local family making all the contacts I could.
-The other local family got help after contacting our local Council on Facebook.
-My friend registered her daughter with our troop, and we love having them when schedules work out and they can join us.
-After getting the run around from two local areas, the Georgia Mom quit trying.  I encouraged her to try again when school starts.  I pray her girls are finally placed in a troop.

If you, my readers, hear of someone trying to get involved in Girl Scouts, encourage them to contact their local Service Unit or Girl Scout Council.  They can learn more at www.girlscouts.org. Tell them to keep trying until they get into a troop.


I just returned from a great vacation with my mother, niece, and nephew.  In the coming posts, I will share what we did and what we learned.