Tammy LaCross has volunteered with Girl Scouts since 2013, following in the footsteps of her mom, who was a troop leader before her. Acting in the many roles of co-leader, leader, service unit product co-manager, and cookie cupboard volunteer, Tammy has seen how being a part of Girl Scouts changes lives, especially for her family.
Just like her mom, Tammy has a heart for Girl Scouts and the strong community that each troop creates. Her favorite memories are of co-leading her mom’s Girl Scout troop. She remembers one heartwarming troop meeting: “We had a meeting at another co-leader’s house, surrounded by sewing machines. My mother was an amazing seamstress, and she taught all those girls how to sew during that meeting, where we made sit-upons out of old jeans.”
Tammy’s sit-upon was sentimental. “I chose my Grandad’s jeans,” she says. “He had just passed a couple years before, and it was a treasured memory. I still have that sit-upon hanging in my garage today, and I took it to my last camping trip with my troop.”
After her mom passed away, Tammy was surprised by an unexpected act of love and kindness. “When my mom passed, a family member called me and asked, ‘Did you put flowers on your mom’s grave?’ I said, ‘No,’ and I didn’t know who did it. I came to find out that it was her troop who had come together to put flowers on her grave.”
Tammy believes that every Girl Scout has a special strength and inner talent, and she reminds her Girl Scouts that they can be Girl Scout strong in their own unique ways. She loves encouraging them to use and grow their inner strengths, whatever they might be.
“For some of our Girl Scouts, they learn the strength to be able to go on stage for the recital that they’re afraid they can’t do. For our Girl Scouts who are shy, they learn the strength to speak up at our meetings, and that takes a lot of courage for them. I want them to know that they can be strong in more than physical strength.”
-Tammy LaCross
“I hope that they learn that strength is not just about physical strength,” Tammy says. “It’s not just about being able to lift a car. For some of our Girl Scouts, they learn the strength to be able to go on stage for the recital that they’re afraid they can’t do. For our Girl Scouts who are shy, they learn the strength to speak up at our meetings, and that takes a lot of courage for them. I want them to know that they can be strong in more than physical strength.”
One of the challenges for Tammy’s troop is managing meeting times that work for every Girl Scout’s busy schedule. “The challenge is really in scheduling meetings around all of the girls and their other activities so that they stay engaged,” she says.
But never stop persevering! Tammy reminds new volunteers who might be struggling, “It’s hard work, but if you persist, use your resources, and learn how to manage your time, you can do it. Reach out to other volunteers, use [the] Volunteer Toolkit, [and] join Facebook groups. Anything you can do to get connected in your community to learn from them, do it.”
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