I am a Girl Scout

I blog about Girl Scouts

I bleed green - that's what it says on my Facebook profile. It is because I graduated from Michigan State University - its school colors are green and white.

But mostly I bleed green because I am a Girl Scout.

I became a Girl Scout in the fourth grade, two years later then I wanted to because there was no room for me in the Brownie Girl Scout troop at my school.

Once in, I stayed. I'm now as a lifetime member who facilitates, blogs and operates WAGGGS-L, an email list that predates the Yahoo groups and most other online Girl Scout resources.

I even earned the highest award - First Class - before graduating from high school. Then, I was part of the Detroit Metro Girl Scout Council.

While attending Michigan State University and studying journalism, I helped with a Girl Scout troop in the hometown of a roommate. That troop was in Fair Winds Girl Scout Council.

After college, I moved to the city where I helped with that troop. But, I didn't hook back up with the Girl Scouts right away.

Daughter joins

When my daughter was old enough, I volunteered first as a parent, then co-leader, then leader, advisor, and trainer. There were a few neighborhood/service unit positions in there somewhere too.

Fair Winds Girl Scout Council, now part of Girl Scouts South East Michigan gave me the Thanks Award for creating the first online presence - first as a gopher site, then on the World Wide Web. That was back in the mid 1990s.

Even after my daughter graduated from high school and Girl Scouts, I stayed on.


'Career' higlights

I was a council delegate at the 48th National Girl Scout Convention.

Our council even paid for me and three girl Girl Scouts (also delegates) to go a day early so we could tour Kansas City before the business of the convention. We also went to a WAGGGS-L gathering at a Girl Scout camp.

Convention Talk

I was thrilled when I got to start Convention Talk, a discussion board for the national Girl Scouts organzation in October 2008.

But that's nothing compared to what I gained by being a part of the StoryWeavers and Conversations That Matter initiative at the 2008 Girl Scout convention, even though I left Indianapolis before the opening ceremony.

As a longtime journalist, I know the importance of story, openness, and community.

I always knew I wanted to return to a Girl Scout convention. I decided to treat myself to the 51st convention during my first year as a bought-out journalist. I planned to go as a visitor, but in July 2008 I saw a plea for volunteers for the StoryWeaving project.

For the next three months, the national Girl Scout convention was my main focus in life I learned about Open Space, Appreciative Inquiry, wikis, and a whole lot more as part of the planning committee. Oh, and how could I forget texting.


As a mother, I know that what my daughter learned in and as a result of Girl Scouts is why she is alive today.

I am who I am because of Girl Scouts. I want other girls to discover, connect and take action in Girl Scouts too.

Find me online:

My Girl Scout Twittering is done as mcwgs

There is a FriendFeed group, Girl-Scouts.
Learn about WAGGGS=L