Girl Scouts Salute Military Volunteers

Girl Scouts are joining others in the nation in saluting our military for what they do during Military Appreciation Month. LCDR Carolyn Engler is one that stands out among the Girl Scout ranks. Since joining the Navy 15 years ago, LCDR Engler has moved all over the country and traveled around the world. As active duty military, she has had to move into new communities, meet new friends and find her way in new places. One thing that has been a constant through all of these changes is Girl Scouts. With each move, LCDR Engler says that getting involved with the local Girl Scouts allowed her to also get involved with her new community outside of the military life.

LCDR Engler first learned about the friendship and sense of belonging in Girl Scouts as a child. She spent nine years in the organization while growing up and has fond memories of camping and exploring new activities with her fellow troop members. As a Girl Scout, she built up her own confidence and developed leadership skills.

Today, LCDR Engler is still a Girl Scout. She is the leader of Girl Scout Troop 759 in Chesapeake and also volunteers to mentor her fellow leaders and register new Girl Scout members. She is always willing to step in and assist others to help volunteers be the best they can be to make a difference in the lives of girls.

“I enjoy assisting Girl Scout leaders and giving them courage to build new skills as they work with girls,” LCDR Engler said. “Girl Scouts offers adults vast opportunities to work with other adults, learn new skills and develop communication in a safe environment.”

As a troop leader, LCDR Engler is committed to offering opportunities for the girls in her troop to be involved and make a difference in the community. Over the past year, Troop 759 has held a food drive, conducted the flag ceremony for a Chesapeake City Council meeting, sang Christmas carols at a local nursing home and planted flowers at Northwest River Park, just to name a few activities. Under LCDR Engler’s guidance, members of her troop have also earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award, the highest award earned by Girl Scouts in elementary school.

In her 30 years as a Girl Scout, LCDR Engler credits her experiences with the organization for making her who she is today.

“I have the confidence to engage in challenging jobs and the skills I need in my professional environment because of Girl Scouts,” LCDR Engler said. “My involvement with Girl Scouts has also lead me to meet my best friends!”

Girl Scouts is also a place where LCDR Engler gets to spend quality time with her daughter, Elizabeth, who is a Girl Scout Brownie in Troop 759.

For more information about volunteering with Girl Scouts, visit www.gsccc.org.