When Amy Dobbins became aware that her local area needed a leader, she volunteered to lead a troop of girls, many who were her daughter’s friends. She recalled a similar experience she had when she was a Girl Scout. “I wanted them to build the skills of leadership and service that I learned in Girl Scouts with my mother years ago,” she said. Amy was a Girl Scout in what was then known as the Talus Rock Council, and even earned her Girl Scout Gold Award.
Amy has been a Girl Scout leader for 13 years, holding roles such as day camp volunteer, service unit manager, service unit finance manager, and service team member. In addition to her volunteer roles, Amy is also a U.S. history teacher.
Some of Amy’s favorite Girl Scout memories include a rafting trip, a Gettysburg battlefield tour, and tours of the White House and Capitol Building in Washington, DC. She said that watching the girls plan for the trips was the best part. She loves seeing them experience new things they may not have had the chance to experience if it were not for Girl Scouts.
Amy says that her favorite thing about volunteering is watching the progression of girls as they grow from one age level to the next. “Girl Scout leadership is a labor of love guiding the girls to experience what they want, and it is very rewarding to see the girls grow and become their unique selves,” she says.
For Amy, the biggest challenge she has faced as a volunteer has been the shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Transitioning to virtual meetings presented its challenges, but it was nothing she could not handle.
If Amy could give a piece of advice to new volunteers, it would be this: “There is no cookie-cutter troop. The troop is what the girls want to make of it. Each troop is unique, and the troop experiences should guide girls into becoming leaders and developing leadership skills through the badges, journeys, and the troop experiences.”
Happy National Volunteer Month!
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