As we are getting ready for Girl Scouts 100th birthday, it has given me an opportunity to reflect on my own “career” as a Girl Scout.  I first started as a Brownie and continued through my senior year in high school.  As I have relived many of my Girl Scout experiences over the past six months, I have come to realize two things:  1) Girl Scouts taught me things I never would have had the chance to learn otherwise and 2) Girl Scouts really made me fearless.

Girl Scouts has taught me many things and provided me with many experiences I never would have had otherwise.  And I will tell you that that is saying a lot because I come from a very active family.  However,when I think about all the great adventures that our Girl Scout troop had, I just get a big smile on my face.  There were the big adventures such as the high ropes course or the spelunking or the sailing trips, but there were also small things that I never even thought about…the public speaking we did within our troop or the giving back to our community through volunteer efforts or figuring out how to eat for the weekend on a very small budget.

Now, I know you are thinking “fearless” is a pretty strong word…and it is, but it is the only word that really captures what I am trying to say.  When I was a kid, I completely lacked self-confidence.  I lived in the shadow of an intelligent and gregarious older brother who really didn’t have to try hard to achieve anything and I never thought I was good enough.  But through the safe environment that was built within my Girl Scout troop, I felt secure enough to let my guard down, try new things and learn about myself that would have taken me years to do without Girl Scouts.  Today, I am (for the most part) fearless…I am not afraid to try and fail or succeed!   If you don’t believe me, come by my house and see the pergola that I built!  And I went curling a few weeks ago – oh what fun!

The bottom line is that Girl Scouts prepared me to be the person that I am today…prepared, confident, honest and committed.  I bet if you take 30 minutes to think about your time in Girl Scouts, the great memories and understanding how Girl Scouts prepared you for adulthood and citizenship will come flooding back.  So armed with that knowledge, wouldn’t you want to stay engaged in the movement?   Much like when you were a girl, Girl Scouts can provide you a plethora of opportunities as an alumnae!  So join us…and share your experience, strength and vision with our girls for our future!

Please go to http://gsnccpalum.org/ and register to you can stay informed as to what is going on with Girl Scouts as we charge into our second century!

~Tracy Sternberg

Chief Development Officer

Girl Scouts – NC Coastal Pines