Disclosure :: This post is sponsored by the Girl Scouts Louisiana East (GSLE). That said, the author of this post is a proud local Girl Scout mom and all opinions are our own.
Girl Scout COOKIES: Nourishing Girls to Become Leaders
When you say, “Girl Scouts,” what is the first thing you think of? Cookies, right? Let me break that word down for you:
Creative thinking
Opportunity to try new things and learn new skills
Outdoor awareness, taking care of the environment
Kindness and positive problem solving
Involvement in the community
Experiences
Safety
The mission statement of this organization is to “build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.” With each activity, meeting, and camp that my daughter Estella attends, I see her taking the Girl Scout mission and its COOKIES and growing from the nourishment. Their “cookies” are filling up her heart and her mind.
Courage. Confidence. Character.
Girl Scouts provides even its youngest members challenges to grow as an individual. These three C’s are what I want my daughter to strive for. This organization is providing chances for her to do just that.
Estella has tackled the last two cookie seasons with a little bit of nervousness and a lot of determination. For a 5-7 year old, making sales calls to grown ups can be intimidating. It was outside of her comfort zone, but she put her badges on, her best foot forward, and reached her goals. That’s Courage.
Estella was six years old when she went to camp last year for the first time. She was homesick before we even got out of sight. But by the end of the week, she couldn’t wait to go back again – and did two more times. She attended multiple camp sessions this summer as well. Each time we dropped her off, with her growing independence (thank you, GS camp), the goodbyes got shorter. That’s Confidence.
And Character? Estella is kind and caring. She reads to her brother and sister at night with a flashlight as they all fall asleep in their bunk bed. She is honest. She tells me the truth even if she has broken a rule. She is helpful, making the lunches for her siblings and herself when her dad is out of town for work. And she is a good girl with a great heart in so many more ways than these. Girl Scouts encourages my daughter to grow on a personal level by knowing herself and her values, to be a young lady of character. I see this in the way she interacts with others.
Leadership
The nourishment of the Girl Scout mission and COOKIES are helping Estella and her fellow Girl Scouts grow on a personal level but also as leaders. Giving proceeds from cookie sales to charity teaches Estella’s troop that a good leader gives back to her community. Picking up trash in City Park teaches them that a good leader takes care of the environment. Settling disagreements in a positive way during activities teaches the girls how leaders work together for the good of the group.
These activites are simple but lay the foundation for more just as the mission for “Courage, Confidence, and Character,” lays the foundation for their personal growth. Girl Scouts is empowering these budding women to become leaders in the communities, building them up to become leading ladies. I am so proud that my daughter is a part of this organization.