Girl Scouts offered me – and thousands of other girls – unique opportunities to learn, develop, and appreciate myself, others, and the world around us. My mother, May, was a Girl Scout in New York City during World War II. She loved it and signed me up for Brownies (then the first level) in 1962 – and I’ve been a member since then (and am a Life time member)! I was a shy as a younger child, yet with the encouragement of many, including Girl Scout leaders became a top cookie sales person, enjoyed (and learned so much from) the full range of outdoor experiences at Camps Tankee Grace, Beaver Meadow, and Addisone Boyce, and over time, developed my own leadership skills. As an adult, I led troops 165/555 in Nyack from Daisy through Senior scouts and am proud of the three Gold Award winners from that troop, including my daughter, Brady Amoonclark, a third generation Girl Scout! I also held every volunteer position in Girl Scouts of Rockland, from Service Unit Chair, Council Cookie & Special Events Chair, to President and Chair of the Board and National Convention Delegate. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to further develop, meet and work with so many people who share the values of Girl Scouting, and know our work secures the future of Girl Scouting in my community – and beyond. I’ll also share that I’m a proud recipient of the Thanks Badge and several other adult awards. Over the years, my greatest joys have been in helping girls reach their goals – and I continue to do that as a volunteer mentor and consultant.
Three generations of our family, my mom and I, together with my daughter, Brady, a Gold Award winner and Life time member, happily celebrated the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouting in the USA as part of the human chain around Rockland Lake, NY. And the legacy continues in my family – and hopefully yours. My older granddaughter, Grace, is a Daisy Girl Scout who, like her mother and I, loves Camp Addisone Boyce. I look forward to many more years of Girl Scouting! The only organization solely dedicated to girls development.