3 minute read
High Impact Insight
ADVICE FROM DEDICATED HIGH IMPACT VOLUNTEERS
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” -Joshua 1:9, NIV
For many girls (and women, for that matter) the thought of engaging in any outdoor activities is intimidating and the thought of engaging in high adventure activities can be positively terrifying! How can we, as shepherds building women of integrity help our American Heritage Girls not just face these difficult tasks, but to actually look forward to them? As a Troop Coordinator who still needs her Tenderhearts to help put up her tent, these are the steps I follow:
First, we all need to recognize that courage is a muscle. We all have courage inside of us. Exercising this muscle regularly is how we make it stronger and our ability to use our ‘courage muscle’ becomes easier each time.
Second, remember that preparation is key. We don’t wake up one morning at the base of a mountain and decide to climb it. We spend some time preparing for the challenge before we tackle it. Here is where your American Heritage Girls Handbook is a crucial tool for success! For example, if you’d like to achieve the Rock Climbing Badge with your Explorer Unit, you would need to start that journey by discussing safety skills, appropriate clothing, learn important vocabulary, and basic knot skills. Having this knowledge under your hat, makes your first climb less daunting.
Third, know that failure is part of the process. We are taught that “With God, all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26, NIV). We are not taught “with God, everything we do will be perfect every time.” By working towards a goal, we learn things about ourselves and become closer to God in the process. One of the most important skills we can impart on the young women in our Troop is to embrace failure and to see it as a pause in our journey, not as the end.
Many times, as leaders, we are afraid to attempt things without Troops because we don’t know how to do them ourselves. This is not an obstacle; this is an opportunity! Take this chance to learn and grow alongside your girls! 12-year-olds may feel less self-conscious about trying horseback riding for the first time if they know the 42-year-old in the group hasn’t done it either! By watching one another face challenges, and seeing the different ways we troubleshoot obstacles, learning and growth happen. Further, when the Unit works together to face challenges we are not only working towards learning our new high adventure skill, we’re applying our teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving skills. We’re able to support each other through our failures and celebrate our successes!
Sometimes when we distribute those high adventure medical forms to parents in preparation for an upcoming activity, we may see hesitation in their faces, and some may express concern over having their daughter participate. My response to them is always the same: high adventure does NOT mean high-risk. Requiring high adventure forms just mean that an added level of preparation is needed for participation due to the nature of the activity being attempted. Our goal with everything in the American Heritage Girls Program is to follow our Creed in everything we do. Part of being a responsible participant in any activity is to know and practice the necessary steps for safety. Just because the Fire Safety & Fire Building Badge does not require high adventure forms does not mean it is any more or less risky than kayaking. It just means the needed steps to participate in those activities are different.
Isaiah 41:10, NIV directs us:
So get out there and do something new! Exercise your courage muscle! Be strong. Be courageous. (And let me know how it goes!)
Maureen Siegmund has been part of American Heritage Girls VA0128 for seven years when her oldest daughter started Tenderhearts and Troop Coordinator for the past five years. She coordinated the Northern Virginia Area Camporee in Fredericksburg, VA for three years, growing attendance from 500 people to over 1,000 participants. She joined the D.C. Metro Area Team as Hometown Mentor in 2020 and enjoys supporting the Troops in her area.
