By Lisa Jones, Chief Executive Officer
It’s beginning to look and feel like Spring around our Council. That yellow pine pollen, which we never have a shortage of, is covering everything in our eastern counties. Azaleas are displaying brilliant colors around our three service centers. The colorful cabins of Camp Hardee and platform tents at Camp Mu-Sha-Ni have are free of their winter cobwebs ready for Troop camping and area camporees.
Deliveries for the 95,952 boxes donated during the 2013 Operation Cookie Drop are scheduled. Adult volunteers have gathered for Spring Leaderee at Camp Mary Atkinson. Registrations are filling for the GEMS events at UNC Wilmington and Methodist University. And many service units are busy planning their end of the year bridging ceremonies and recognition events.
While the traditional Girl Scout year winds down, our chief staff and executive teams are gearing up to steer our Council into the new century of Girl Scouting. I recently attended two national conferences where our leader, Anna Maria Chavéz, spoke about how we must build a better, more innovative Movement for the benefit of girls throughout our country and around the globe. She is a true source of inspiration and her story proves Girl Scouting’s leadership program works.
In one keynote, Anna addressed the importance of strengthening partnerships between the national organization and councils like Girl Scouts – NC Coastal Pines at Girl Scouts of the USA’s Working Together conference. This work session held in late March, brought together chief executive and finance officers to explore ways for increasing volunteerism, financial stability, and leadership excellence.
At Girl Scouts of the USA’s Fund Development Conference in early April, Anna spoke about how Girl Scouts is one of the most recognized leadership programs, while emphasizing that we must work more diligently to market our program in order to retain and engage more girls in our movement. Many tools, ideas and inspiration to drive the growth in our Movement were gained.
I traveled back home both times with increased excitement for the Girl Scout Movement and confident in our ability to lead. As the Board of Directors prepares to embark in strategic learning for our Council, I will echo her messages loudly in that we must listen to our girls and young women; we must sharpen our focus on the Girl Scout Leadership Experience; and we must work together to succeed.
So in the words of Anna Maria Chavez, the leader of our movement, “Let’s get ready to roll up our sleeves to do what’s necessary to position us for even greater success in our next 100 years.” It’s time to dig in.
By Jenifer Bubenik, Community Cultivation Specialist
