Jim Blanarik has been involved with Girl Scouts for 38 years as a troop leader alongside his wife, Kathleen, for Freedom Service Unit 1640-989 in Beaver County.
“When your wife is a leader and needs help, and your daughter and her friends are in the troop, you tend to lend a hand where needed,” he said. “Once the bug hits you, you’re hooked and it’s hard to say no. The values kids learn from [Girl] Scouting and the skills they learn are for life! They are useful skills to help you through life.”
A retired teacher after 39 years in the field, Jim has taught subjects such as woodworking, metalworking, welding, machine work, drafting, and home improvement. “I guess you could say working with kids is my passion,” he said.
Without a doubt, Jim says working with Girl Scouts and knowing he is shaping them to be their best is his favorite thing about being a Girl Scout volunteer.
“You have to put your heart and soul into it. Every girl deserves a leader who is a mother figure (or a father figure). You have to be that safe person they can trust. Every girl should be your daughter!”
Jim’s advice to new volunteers is to jump in with both feet.
“Don’t be afraid if you don’t know everything. Most of the time the girls won’t know you don’t as long as they are having fun,” he said. “Ask the older leaders—they are the best resource out there. Stick with the program. Follow your girl from Daisies through Ambassadors and go for the Gold!”
Jim also runs the archery ranges for day camps. Among his favorite Girl Scout memories are girls hugging him after getting a bullseye on the archery range, creek stomping at Camp Elliot, and taking his troop to Kennywood.
“My favorite was camping at [Camp] Elliot and this particular group loved hiking and ghost stories. So we took a night hike to the chimney down near the creek. I had placed an old whisker backpack against the fireplace and had a small fire going. On the way down I told them about Joni Elliot who used to live in the house that burnt down leaving the chimney. She came home from school one day and no one was home, so she left her backpack in the house next to the chimney and went looking for her parents. She never returned, and when her parents came home, the house had burned down. They couldn’t find Joni anywhere and legend had it that they moved and now on days when there are campouts, you can hear Joni singing Girl Scout songs at the chimney. Needless to say, when they saw the fire and backpack they screamed but we made new friends and laughed all the way back to the lodge.”
If there’s one thing Jim hopes Girl Scouts have learned from him, it’s respect—treat your friends with respect, respect nature, respect our natural resources, and respect yourself.
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