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Dec 01
2009
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What Girl Scouts means to me
I'm Membership Services Manager, Susan Faler, from the Emporia region. I'm a lifetime Girl Scout (GS) and was an Emporia leader for nine years. I was a girl GS through 6th grade and worked for the Meadowlark GS Council in Independence, Kan. (my hometown) right out of college. I've been a GS volunteer in Pensacola, Florida; Independence, Topeka and Emporia.
I attended GS camp Wah-Shah-She as a girl and have volunteered the past several years as a counselor. It was there I received my camp name - Momma Scout. (This is how the girls spelled it, it's just stuck!)
Since I work for the Council I can no longer be a leader, I sure miss it! BUT, am loving the opportunity to help girls in the counties I cover, discover Scouting! The thrill of helping girls discover new interests, make new friends, explore new communities while learning how to plan detailed trips and raise the money to get there is so exciting!
My biggest challenge is helping potential leaders understand the significance they can have on girls' lives! It's very rewarding and has given me additional purpose in life! At the time I was a leader in Emporia, I worked out-of-town, driving two hours round trip, and working anywhere from an eight to 12-hour shift and two young daughters. I'm no stranger to not having a lot of time on my hands, but I made the time to be involved with my girls, their friends and parents. I helped one of my daughter's troop make 98 homemade pies for a fundraiser last week. The joy and happiness I felt in watching them learn how to make apple, cherry and pumpkin pies from scratch was motivational for me. How recently have you taken the time to teach a youngster how to cook or bake? We're so busy with our lives, we forget those staple things our children need to know and it's not a teacher's responsibility to teach that. Scouting is a great way to use a couple hours to teach girls lessons that will come in handy for life! WOW! It's awesome to have the power! I have the best job! I get to work full-time with an organization that has served as my passion for years- Girl Scouts - ahhh, life is great!
Susan Faler, our membership services manager from the Emporia Region, will be giving weekly updates with advice, insight and ideas to improve your Girl Scout experience. Susan has earned the name "Momma Scout" from years of experience with Girl Scouting. Let Susan know what you'd like to read about by sending her an e-mail at sfaler@kansasgirlscouts.org .
