The Old Girl Scout Leader
The Grand Scheme of Things No Comments 
change lives, girl led, leadership, make new friends but keep the old, making a difference, shares
A fellow service unit team member came across this and sent it out to everybody (thanks Debbie H!). It’s not attributed to anyone, so right now I’ve got it as anonymous, but if you know who wrote it, please let me know and I’ll update!
THE OLD GIRL SCOUT LEADER
The old Girl Scout leader had lived longer in the service unit than any of the others. She was so old that her patch jacket was filled – even on the sleeves, her mess kit was dented, her sleeping bag was flat and she had a special room in her house just for her Girl Scout supplies.
She was wise, for she had seen three generations of Girl Scouts roar through the schools and she had seen other leaders break their mainsprings, lose their buttons and miss too many service unit meetings. But Girl Scout magic is strange and wonderful, and the wise old leader wanted to share that magic with others!
“What is a REAL Girl Scout leader?” asked the new Brownie leader one day. “Does it mean being the best camper or selling the most cookies or planning the best craft project? Does it mean wearing my uniform? Does it mean marching in parades?”
“A REAL Girl Scout leader is more than cookies, crafts, camping, uniforms and parades,” said the wise old leader. “Leadership is something that you work at every day. It’s relationships that you build with girls and their families. But you feel like a REAL leader when you come to realize that the girls in your troop love you, not just for meetings and good times, but they REALLY love you. And you come to love them, too. Then you know in your heart the joy of Girl Scout leadership.”
“Does it hurt? Will it take lots of time?” asked the new leader. “Sometimes,” said the wise old leader. “Being a Girl Scout leader is a big commitment. You listen to the girls and try things that may seem new and strange to you. You attend training, fill out forms, meet deadlines, and challenge the weather for field trips, campouts and cookie sales. You help girls to learn how to make decisions and be responsible – and it’s not always clear that you’re going to succeed!”
“Generally, by the time you feel like you’re a REAL leader, your hairdo doesn’t matter quite so much as comfortable shoes; your friends keep asking you how you can think about taking 17 girls to the city; and you’ve shed a proud tear over the first event the girls planned and carried out by themselves – never mind the spilled punch or the candle that fell out of the ceremony log and nearly started a fire. These things don’t matter because once you know you’re a Girl Scout leader, you know you’re making a difference in the world.”