Emily Hill, Director of Individual Giving

The day before Mothers’ Day had me driving up to Annapolis, Maryland for a very special reason. Friends of Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines, Bob Schmitz and Amy Csorba, had made a gift in honor or Amy’s 80-year-old mother, Sue, and we were about to surprise her with a small celebration in her honor.

The story of this visit traces back to Amy and Bob sorting through Mrs. Csorba’s things after the death of her husband in January 2014. Among the many family heirlooms, Amy found photographs, mementos, and badges – Girl Scout memorabilia that reminded Amy of her mother’s passion for the organization.

Sue “Skipper” Csorba was a Girl Scout leader in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s in Annapolis. During her almost 25 years of involvement, Sue led her daughters’ troops and later helped other troops organize camping, hiking, and outdoor adventures. She served with a cadre of co-leaders, many of whom were to join us in the celebration.

Honoring Sue’s passion to provide outdoor experiences for all girls was very important to Bob and Amy. Sue was committed to giving girls outdoor experiences, and determined to have an inclusive troop of girls from all races, incomes, and family situations – even going so far as to provide transportation to girls who needed it. With a $20,000 gift, Bob and Amy established the Sue “Skipper” Csorba Scholarship Fund to send 80 girls to NC Coastal Pines summer camps over the next 10 years. These full scholarships would go to girls with the greatest financial need, and preference would be made for girls who had never been to camp before.

Sue now lives in a retirement community, outside of Annapolis, where the celebration was to be held. The small gathering included the family, co-leaders from Sue’s troops, and friends from the Central Maryland Girl Scout Council.

Many tears were shed and memories shared, as the scrapbooks and memorabilia were passed around. My favorite was an official proclamation written to look like the Declaration of Independence by Troop 231 in 1967 that claimed Sue to be the GREATEST Girl Scout Leader A Girl Ever Had. The proclamation goes on to say:

“She taught us all about arts & crafts, first aid, singing, dancing, hiking, nature trails, the fun of camping, and the good feelings of sharing a campfire with friends. She brought out the best in us, as an individual and as a member of a troop and prepared us to do our best as we grew to adulthood. Her actions exemplified the ideals of the Girl Scout Motto & Laws, to her troop and to the community.”

With these summer camp scholarships, Sue will continue to make a big impact on girls for many more years. We are so grateful to her, to Bob and Amy, and to all the Girl Scout leaders who help grow our girls into amazing women.

To make a gift in honor of the leader that inspired you, or to find out more about the Sue “Skipper” Csorba Scholarship Fund, please contact me via email or 1-800-284-4475. Thanks.