About a year ago, we made an exciting announcement. This year, we’re returning with an exciting update, plus a spotlight on the donor that made it possible.
Last August, we announced that a $150,000 investment from the Frank K. Webb Charitable Trust would allow us to add a new mobile program vehicle to our fleet. This new mobile vehicle will specifically provide fun and engaging badgework and programming for new troop leaders, ensuring our dedicated, amazing volunteers are supported in their Girl Scout journeys. Through this innovative program, new troops will have access to guidance, supplies, and resources to earn badges and have hands-on, cooperative experiences with their Girl Scout sisters.
The gift was made possible by longtime Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines friend and supporter Martha Webb. When we announced the donation, she shared, “The [Frank K. Webb] Trust is happy to help support this great program delivery model! Providing all the best Girl Scout programs to girls no matter where they live in our jurisdiction has long been a passion of mine, and the mobile program vehicles bring girls all over our Council the resources to grow, learn, and make the world a better place. My cousin Melinda (Frank Webb’s daughter) was hearing-impaired, but found acceptance and support in her Brownie Girl Scout troop. She passed away as a child from leukemia, and it is in her honor that Frank chose to support Girl Scouts – NC Coastal Pines with his first gift for the Leadership Center at CMA. I am glad to continue his support for the development of girls and women through Girl Scouts.”
A longtime advocate of women’s and girls’ empowerment with organizations throughout the Triangle, Martha is especially fond of Girl Scouts due to her family’s Girl Scouting history. She has held multiple volunteer roles in our council, including service unit volunteer, board member, and board chair. She has worked tirelessly to strengthen our impact and sustainability, with inclusion at the heart of everything she does. After her time as board chair, the council created the “Martha Webb Every Girl, Every Where” endowment fund in her honor to provide financial support to allow Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities to participate in Girl Scouts.
Martha’s dedication to the mobile program should be no surprise since she helped spark its creation in 2015. She recognized the complexity of reaching Girl Scouts across 41 geographically diverse counties and made a major gift to fund the first mobile program vehicle, Daisy. Eight years later, the fleet is two (soon to be three!) vehicles strong and serves roughly 2,000 Girl Scouts each year across our 41-county footprint.
In keeping with Martha’s original vision, the Girl Scouts–North Carolina Coastal Pines’ Mobile Program is on a mission to provide program events and trainings for Girl Scouts and troop volunteers throughout our 41 counties. As a resource for troops, the mobile program brings fun and inviting program opportunities to our Girl Scouts and models program delivery for troop volunteers. The two current Mobile Program Units, Daisy and Savannah, provide troops with new and imaginative programming in five main areas: STEM, leadership, healthy living, outdoor and environmental education, and financial literacy. The Mobile Program brings the Girl Scout experience directly to girls, especially girls in rural areas who find it more challenging to access many of the council’s enriching programs and activities.
Honor will be ready to hit the road soon. When she does, she’ll share some key characteristics with her fleet sisters but will also stand out in a meaningful way. Like Daisy and Savannah, Honor will provide staff-led programming, which gives troop leaders a break from planning and leading badge work. Thanks to generous funders like the Frank K. Webb Charitable Trust, all Mobile Programming, including the cost of supplies, is free for all troops. Additionally, the vehicles are equipped with technology many troops cannot access for regular troop meetings.
Honor will be unique in the kind of programming she offers and who she offers it to. The first year or two as a new troop leader can be overwhelming, so Honor will serve first- and second-year Daisy, Brownie, and Junior troops exclusively. And because Daisy and Savannah do a fantastic job with their five subjects, especially STEM, Honor will focus on other topics like the outdoors and arts. Thank you again, Martha and the Frank K. Webb Trust, for helping us take another step forward toward achieving Martha’s vision of giving “Every Girl, Every Where” access to the leadership, discovery, and fun of Girl Scouting. Visit our website to learn more about what’s offered through the Mobile Program or to request to have a vehicle visit your troop.