Meet some of the volunteers behind the Camp is Calling Campaign! Amanda Howie is a lifelong Girl Scout who serves as a troop leader and service team member in the Virginia Beach Lynnhaven Shores Service Unit. She is also an active alum and serves on the GSCCC Philanthropy Committee. This year, she and others from the committee did some thinking out of the box to develop a campaign to support our camps – Camp is Calling!
Amanda joined Girl Scouts in the 1985 when she was in second grade at King's Grant Elementary School, and she stayed involved through the end of ninth grade. She earned the Girl Scout Silver Award and has a letter from the Council dated June 22, 1993, congratulating her. Her leader, Kathy Hunt, who led Troop 393, was great and keeping records for the girls and Amanda says she has saved them and the photos from those girl years.
“My best friend was a girl from my troop” she said. “We continue to laugh when remembering our Girl Scout days. I recall a time camping with my troop during a time when there was a huge influx of caterpillars,” Caterpillars were everywhere. We pulled caterpillars off our clothes and bodies - even from our hair - all day long!”
Amanda as a Brownie with her best friend Catherine.
When a colleague at work heard Amanda telling Girl Scout stories and learned that she had been a Girl Scout, she was recruited to lead a troop of Girl Scout Daisies. That was in 2009. The girls in Troop 142 are now seniors in high school – out of seven in the troop, three of them have been members since 2009.
When asked what she likes about volunteering and leading a troop, she said, “Hands down, service and outreach are what I like most. Watching the girls learn and embrace the importance of showing up for each other, their friends and families, and especially people in our communities who are hurting in some way are my most meaningful Girl Scout leader moments. Cancer took the life of the mom of one of "my" girls when they were in fifth grade. Seeing the girls - each wearing her uniform - show up for their fellow Girl Scout and her family at the funeral service was inspiring.”
Amanda also loves her role as an alum volunteer who gets to take action on committees such as the Philanthropy Committee, where she has opportunities to raise funds for our mission. When it was clear that many of the in-person events would not be happening due to COVID 19, it was suggested to host some virtual events and a winning idea was to hold an auction. This campaign is led by Philanthropy Committee Chair and Board Member Amy Coyne, who has helped everyone on the committee to see opportunities, not barriers, when it comes to facing challenges.
“The world's problems are daunting. Don't get lost in that crowded space,” Amanda said. “ I strongly believe it's important to make a positive difference right where you are and with what you have available. Doing this does indeed change the world for the better. Being an active participant in Girl Scouts is one way I'm helping the world.”
Still best friends, Amanda and Catherine |
Three tips from Amanda to keep girls involved in Girl Scouts:
1. Have your troop's activities be something you as a leader want to do, what you find fun, where you want to visit, etc... The girls always enjoy Girl Scout activities more when you're right there alongside them engaged in the action.
2. Listen to the girls when they talk about their friends who aren't involved in Girl Scouts and then encourage those friends (and their parents) to join. Girl Scouts becomes another time and place for friends to be together. Several of the girls in our troop now joined us along the way simply because they were friends with the girls already in the troop and they wanted to join in on the fun.
3. Really get to know each girl's interests outside of Girl Scouts. Attending their sporting events, dance recitals, singing competitions, etc... will mean a great deal to them, their families, and you. When you show up for them, they show up for you and Girl Scouts.
We don't need to tell you that just about everything is different these days. We've all had to make adjustments as we face new challenges. To help bridge our funding gap, we are holding this virtual live auction event, Camp is Calling! Proceeds will help with maintenance and improvements at all five GSCCC camp properties. These camps have and will continue to provide unforgettable experiences for girls today and generations to come.
Preview items here and come back March 18- 20, 2021 when we go LIVE to support GSCCC!
girl scouts of the colonial coast
