Cookies, Campfires, and Leadership

As I sit here eating yet another Samoa, I remember my single-digit days when I’d don my green uniform, carefully arrange my badge-encrusted sash, and head out to knock on neighbors’ doors, Girl Scout cookie order sheet in hand. There was an iceberg in my stomach and my knees knocked as I pressed the first doorbell, though the fear eventually subsided. The more front doors that were opened by smiling people the smaller the iceberg became, the more stable my knees became, and the more fun I started having, whether those people bought any cookies or not.

I wonder how many successful women started that way. Did you?

This is Girl Scout Week. Not to take anything away from the more testosterone-laden half of society, this week is designed to shine a spotlight on the more than 50 million women who’ve been part of Girl Scouts, plus the girls currently in the program.

Were you part of a scouting program? If so, it’s likely that you grew up learning more leadership skills, better communication skills, and a better understanding of the world and how you fit in it than people who weren’t. Looking at the Girl Scouts, here are some eye-opening statistics:

1. 84% of women who were Girl Scouts hold leadership roles
2. Nearly 3/4 of female US Senators were Girl Scouts
3. Nearly all the female US astronauts were Girl Scouts
4. Over half of all female Governors were Girl Scouts
5. All three of the female Secretaries of State were Girl Scouts – Madeleine Albright, Condoleezza Rice, and Hillary Clinton

Turns out, going hiking, white-water rafting, and sharing stories and s’mores around a campfire after a full day of learning builds self-confidence, cements life lessons, and nurtures a desire to succeed. That’s certainly what happened in my life, though I didn’t realize it at the time. Girl Scouting was an anchor in my life. Dad was in the military, so we moved every year or two. Making new friends and being the new kid in school was tough – joining the local Girl Scout troop made things easier and provided a consistent, caring extended family.

This is where I’d usually pop in three episodes of my podcast, tied to the topic and helping you incorporate the topic into your life.

Today, I’m doing something different. I started this newsletter with a little snippet of how Girl Scouts helped me learn to get over the fear of doing something outside my comfort zone. If you were in any scouting program – Girl Scouts, Scouting America, Navigators USA, Federation of North-American Explorers, Israeli Scouts Movement – would you please share something you did in scouting that helped you become the success you are now?

I look forward to reading your stories!

Wags,
Sandy Weaver
The Voice of Wagaliciousness

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