Troop Leader Spotlight: Terri Hirning 

Service Unit: Sunny Peaks 

Troop 748 

Years as a troop leader: 15 

What inspired you to be a troop leader?  

I was never a Girl Scout, but I always wanted to be! So, when I had a daughter, I knew I wanted to have her involved in Girl Scouts! I loved the idea of a sisterhood which had a focus on making our community (and the world at large) a better place. 

What kind of service projects have you done with your troop?  

For our troop Bronze Award, we did a cross-reference of the local STEM resources to match them up to badges and journeys to help Girl Scouts know what is available locally. We’ve done “buddy benches”, tiny libraries, and a video about the Flagstaff Unified School District’s anonymous reporting app for bullying and issues within school. Many students didn’t know it was available or understand that it truly is anonymous. After the video (which is supposed to be played yearly and possibly district-wide) reporting went up 400%! 

Tell us about a volunteer moment that stands out to you.  

One moment that was particularly impactful was taking my troop ice skating. One troop member had never skated before and was very fearful, refusing to even go out on the ice. After sitting with her and encouraging her, I asked her to give it just 5 minutes on the ice. If she did not like it after 5 minutes, I would come back with her and sit in the stands while everyone skated. She was still afraid, but she did it. In the end, she was one of the most enthusiastic skaters and ended up loving it. All she needed was some gentle encouragement and support to overcome that fear! 

What advice would you give other troop leaders?  

You don’t have to be perfect! I was so nervous to lead the girls, but the training materials are so terrific in regard to addressing common issues they face with peers, and/or world concerns that it made it really relatable and easy. While the bulk of the responsibility did fall to me, I started making very specific requests of parents and many times, they were very happy to step up especially with a specific item or task. Your time is so appreciated by Girl Scouts so don’t be afraid to ask for help!