12 minute read
Leading the Way
Christina Spicer Named a ’40 Under 40’ Honoree
GSACPC’s Co-CEO Christina Spicer was named in this year’s Phoenix Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 class list! The new class of 40 talented honorees were carefully selected by a distinguished panel of judges from a competitive pool of 350 nominations. Christina was honored during a virtual awards ceremony on Aug. 4 and featured on the cover of the 40 Under 40 special insert in the Phoenix Business Journal’s Aug. 5 issue. Christina is a dynamic leader, who has not only served our council but the local nonprofit community since 2003 devoting her career to leading critical youth initiatives. We are grateful she has been recognized among the valley’s best and brightest. Congrats, Christina!
GSACPC Girl Scout Receives GSUSA’s Gold Award Scholarship
Every Girl Scout is unique. Her perspective of the world and the way she forms as a leader are all her own. However, we all connect through one thing: the need to create positive change in the world. Shanti Oza completed her Gold Award in the pursuit of change with her project “Taste the Teal” which educated the public and brought awareness to the effects of food allergies. Shanti spoke with Arizona congressional leaders on the FASTER Act and is an advocate of the Food Allergy Research Caucus. Shanti’s efforts were driven by passion, and Girl Scouts of the USA took notice.
Shanti was awarded the Girl Scouts of the USA’s Gold Award Scholarship! This scholarship recognizes one Gold Award Girl Scout per council whose project exemplifies the core components of the Gold Award. Shanti demonstrated extraordinary leadership on her path to creating lasting change in her community and we know she will continue to do so.
Girl Scouts History Quiz Answers:
1. c 2. d 3. b 4. a 5. a
6. b 7. d 8. a 9. c
10. 1e | 2f | 3a | 4d | 5b | 6c
Meet the Newest Girl Advisory Members
We welcome the newly elected Girl Advisory Members for Council’s Board of Directors! The Girl Advisory Board gives Girl Scouts an opportunity to share a girl’s perspective in the decisions being made by our Board and offers them a chance to see governance in action. Learn more about these two young leaders and how they plan to use their voices in this role.
Alyssa Hill
Troop 316 (1st term, 2022-2023)
What are the top skills you have learned through your Girl Scouting experience thus far?
Every experience in Girl Scouts whether it be participating in the Girl Scout Cookie Program, attending summer camp, participating in an activity, or receiving one of the various badges that I have earned over the past ten years has taught me selfconfidence. Also, volunteering builds community and I enjoy volunteering as a Girl Scout in my neighborhood.
I love Girl Scouts and wanted to serve on the Girl Advisory Board since I am starting my 11th year as a Girl Scout in our council. I would like to help improve our organization by sharing ideas and programs to make the girl experience even better for generations of Girl Scouts that succeed mine. I want to help share ideas for Girl Scouts at the national level as well.
Shiloh Saganey
Troop 2356 (1st term, 2022-2023)
I wanted to become a Girl Advisory member because I enjoyed the leadership roles within my troop. I also liked volunteering with my Service Unit Team. I knew becoming a Girl Advisory member would expand my experience within the Girl Scouts organization and help grow my leadership skills. I look forward to learning how to better serve my fellow Girl Scouts.
What are some tips on displaying confidence and developing leadership?
Stand up tall. Good posture helps give you confidence and makes you more visible. Also, think positive thoughts about yourself; believe you can and you will do well.
What helped me develop leadership skills stemmed from positive thinking and being surrounded by great leaders – I try to practice positive self-talk as much as possible. My leaders also helped me develop my natural talents which lead to taking on roles and responsibilities with my troop and Service Unit.
New Official Girl Scout Adult Apparel
Girl Scout volunteers, family members, and alum can shine in the newest Girl Scout apparel collection!
Made with our new brand identity and sustainability in mind, this collection is a versatile assortment of classic basics that are size inclusive and is intended to mix and match with existing personal wardrobe items. There are also great accessories to accompany your stylish outfits. All items are under $59 and are available online at girlscoutshop.org.
The Gift of Girl Scouting
By: Gina Ferroni
Gina is a Girl Scout Ambassador from Troop 1096. Her Girl Scout Journey began as a Daisy, and throughout her time in the organization she has assisted with recruitment events, summer camp, public speaking events on behalf of GSACPC, and is also an active Media Ambassador. In her final year as a Girl Scout, Gina hopes to earn her Gold Award.
When you’re five years old making crafts and singing songs at a troop meeting, you don’t understand the gravity of what’s going on around you.
You don’t understand how these experiences will mold you in the future. Now, going into my senior year of high school, my final chapter of being a girl member, it’s clear that Girl Scouts did more for me than just crafting and singing. Girl Scouting made me into the woman I am today. That is something I have always been and will forever be proud of.
People may wonder, “why did you stay in Girl Scouts for so many years?”. If someone had asked me this seven years ago when I was a Junior, I would’ve gone on and on about the awesome troop trips, summer camp, and other super fun events I attended. If I was asked this now, my answer would be that the opportunities, values, and friendships kept me with this organization. I didn’t take any classes that taught me how to lead and problem-solve; I learned most of these values from watching my older Girl Scout Sisters work their magic. They were assertive and calm, but remained wildly passionate in their speech and actions. They were hardworking, courageous, kind, patient and team players. I had not noticed how much I actually picked up on these traits over the years. Having learned these skills from them has helped me greatly in my Girl Scout journey.
A great example was the first time I spoke at the Arizona State Capitol. In 2019, I was asked to be one of the girl members to speak on behalf of Girl Scouts on a bill about financial literacy education. I accepted and on the day of the session, I noticed my peers had notecards and packets for talking points. You could only imagine the panic that set in when I realized I wasn’t as prepared as I originally thought. However, my determination wasn’t going to let this stop me. I listened attentively to the other testimonies and (in my head) outlined a plan of what to say until my name was called. When I approached that microphone, I showcased one of my best public speaking moments to date. The other girls and council staff with me were so proud and blown away that I did it all with no notes! Those older girls I admired set a precedent that led me to overcome such a stressful challenge.
That day at the capitol ignited my love for public speaking and led me to return to the capitol twice
after that to speak again. My experience which involved quick problem solving and improvisation became a norm in how I managed my personal life and influenced my approach to Girl Scouting.
Girl Scouts has taught me initiative and drive - showing me that no idea is too big to accomplish. School is where I’ve been able to really implement the leadership skills I acquired from my years in the organization. Group projects became my strong suit when they used to be something I’d dread. I found that I naturally became the leader in my group through encouragement, collaboration, and discussion instead of having the heavy lifting fall onto one person.
In addition to social skills, another important lesson that Girl Scouts taught me that I remember every day: kindness and attitude always matter. These two components have proved to be crucial in how I navigate my leadership style and my personal relationships. No matter what I’m doing, whether it be planning my next troop event or doing a tedious chore at home, those two things come first. A positive attitude solves half of the battle because negativity makes things even more difficult to go through. Branching from your attitude and maintaining kindness to others, no matter how things are going, will keep you and your peers happy and determined to conquer challenging obstacles.
It is important for me to share that being a Girl Scout, like everything in life, can present moments of difficulty. To my upcoming and future Girl Scouts and their parents: do not give up. Your experience as a Girl Scout is not worth missing over some hard times. You have support all around you from your troop, council, other girl members, your friends, and your family. Your struggles are not permanent and working through them will strengthen your character and resilience. That is part of what makes Girl Scouts so amazing! It teaches you these strong mindsets that will benefit you forever and gifts you a massive support system along your journey. I know I couldn’t have made it this far without that support.
To everyone who has been part of my Girl Scout journey, thank you so much. It’s because of the council staff, my troop, my mom, and so many others in Girl Scouts that I’ve been able to achieve this much and more in the future. I owe everything good about myself to Girl Scouts and I will forever show that on my sleeve.
A New Leader’s Guide to a Successful Year.
By: Janey Kurtz
It seems like yesterday that I began my volunteer journey with Girl Scouts. I had so many emotions running through me as I prepared to become a troop leader.
Leading a group of girls and being the driving force in their Girl Scout experience isn’t for everyone but I knew it was for me. A mixture of excitement and nerves ran their course as I researched what I needed to do. Having gone through the initial experience, I now am in a privileged position to share the knowledge I have gained. Hopefully what is to follow serves as a resource for new leaders and sparks excitement for what’s to come.
Take the New Leader Trainings Offered by Council
I learned so many things by taking these courses; how to run meetings, how to engage the girls and families, and most importantly, I learned the policy and procedures that I was expected to follow. Having this foundation really set me up for success as a leader and I was left feeling more confident in my role.
Connect with your Service Unit
My Service Unit held monthly meetings for all the leaders in our area. It was a place to come together and be a part of a community. Each leader had their own troop and their own experiences. They would share tips and tricks as well as answer any questions I had. It was wonderful to listen to their wisdom, and I began to feel like I belonged to a sisterhood.
Organize a Caregiver Meeting
After taking training and connecting with my Service Unit, it was time for me and my coleaders to hold a caregiver meeting. We were excited to meet the girls and their families. We used our council resources and created an agenda for the meeting. We made sure to have plenty of copies of the required documents that we needed filled out for each girl. We even found a questionnaire for the caregivers to fill out about their Girl Scout so we could learn about each individual girl. We made sure to have an activity to keep the girls busy and began with introductions. Some of the caregivers were a little uneasy because they hadn’t been in Girl Scouts as a child, but we reassured them and emphasized that you are never too old to join the Girl Scout Sisterhood.
Host a Troop Meeting
When hosting our first troop meeting, we needed to consider whether we wanted to have caregivers present. We knew that any adult attending any meetings would need to be registered as a Girl Scout member and have a background check completed. Another option we considered was to have the adults present only for the first meeting. If we decided on this option, we knew we needed to make sure to provide a girl-only space within the meeting. This would ensure that every girl could have her voice heard. While there is no right or wrong decision, it is sometimes easier to have the adults drop off their girls. It may create an environment for girls where it is easier for them to focus on the troop meeting activities.
To directly share the positive impact of Girl Scouting with your troop, consider inviting an older troop to come in and run some activities during your meeting. For example, a Junior troop could teach Daisies a Girl Scout song like “Make New Friends”, or there might be a Cadette troop looking for an opportunity to earn their Leadership in Action (LIA) Award by working with a Brownie troop on a journey. Older girls provide younger girls with a sense of sisterhood, and they give them the ability to look forward to being a Girl Scout in the future.
Remember, You’re Not Alone
An important tip from my own experience is to make sure to use council’s resources that are available to you. The GSACPC website is a vast resource that has a wealth of information. Documents like the Leaders’ Guide to Success and My First Year Level handbooks are a significant tool to have in your back pocket. They will guide you with finding answers to the questions you may have. Not sure where to find these resources? Ask your Volunteer Support Coach, Member Support Executive, or email council at volunteerlearning@girlscoutsaz.org.
Enjoy the Journey
You will find both challenging and rewarding experiences throughout your time as a volunteer. Watching the girls in your troop smile and grow will be an enormous gift to you so get ready for the experience of a lifetime. You’ve got this!
