Author Archives: marcomgirlscoutsazorg

Service Unit: Cave Creek 0693 

Troop 4497 (Cadettes) 

Years as a troop leader: 11 

What inspired you to become a troop leader? 

I loved being a Girl Scout and wanted my first daughter to have the same positive experience. When her troop needed a co-leader, I stepped in. Later, as my second daughter’s troop was forming and needed a co-leader around the same time my first daughter’s troop disbanded, I didn’t hesitate to volunteer. That troop is still our current troop today. I love spending time with my daughters, and I have also grown to love the girls in each troop I have co-led. It has been a joy to watch them grow, learn, and have fun together. 

 What kind of activities do you do with your troop? What is their favorite thing to do? 

In the beginning, the girls loved creating things. But as they got older, we love to go to activities hosted by other troops or the council, focusing on fun while learning. Our troop especially loves camping, and the council has done a fantastic job putting on camps since I’m not very “campy”. 

What are your troop’s cookie selling tips and tricks?  

We require one parent of each Girl Scout to be a registered volunteer so that they can help with cookie booths. This helps the younger girls “behave” and eases pressure on the leaders, thinking they must be at each booth. Our Girl Scouts also pick a different service organization each year to donate cookies to and advertise them on a poster at our booths. And lastly, we say thank you even to those who don’t want to buy or donate cookies. 

What advice would you give other troop leaders?  

Sometimes we worry about checking off every little box rather than stepping back and looking at the big picture. Don’t worry about meeting every little step on a badge requirement or earning as many badges as possible. Rather, focus on the meaning and purpose of your troop and the activities; create memories; provide leadership opportunities and let them lead, reminding yourself it doesn’t have to be perfect; have the girls spend time just being friends; and most importantly, have fun along the way.

Troops 3612 and 3586

Service Unit: Cactus Patch

Years as a troop leader: 3

What inspired you to become a troop leader?

My daughter wanted to join Girl Scouts, but we didn’t have a troop active in our area that met on a day we were available.

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

We do encampments, flag ceremonies, Christmas Parades, and run a booth at the Halloween carnival. When we aren’t serving the community, we are learning life skills and having fun.

What advice would you give other troop leaders?

You don’t have to do everything perfectly. The girls won’t remember whether every craft turned out Pinterest-worthy. They’ll remember how you made them feel. Celebrate small wins. A shy girl speaking up, a successful first campfire, earning a badge together—these moments matter.

What is the most inspiring moment you have experienced as a troop leader?

I love being a leader. It’s so fun working with the girls and seeing them succeed with their goals. One of my favorite moments was when we went to the indoor climbing gym so the girls could earn their climbing badges. It was so fun watching them get over their fears and make it to the top of the wall. The girls kept encouraging each other and lifting each other up. Not one girl said they couldn’t do it.

Troop 3363

Service Unit: Rising Phoenix

Years as a troop leader: 15

What inspired you to become a troop leader?

Wanting the best life experiences for my daughters. And now my granddaughter.

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

Our troop has donated a tree to a senior apartment complex that had lost theirs. We collected books for the Visiting Nurses Book Sale and delivered them to the Phoenix Literacy Center as well as pulled weeds at their property. The girls made fleece pet blankets, fleece braided toys, and decorated paper bags for the Arizona Humane Society. On a recent visit to the Humane Society, we delivered our projects, took a tour, and read to some of the pets.

What would you like others to know about volunteer opportunities with the Girl Scouts?

Volunteering in any area is an opportunity for personal growth. However, when your volunteering involves young, developing individuals with the world ahead of them that growth is multiplied. Seeds are planted and grow while you are watching. You see personal development in each individual through the many worlds of Girl Scouting and find yourself experiencing new levels of life.

What is the most inspiring moment you have experienced as a troop leader?

The most important and inspiring moments I have experienced have been watching my adult daughters become troop leaders for their daughters and doing the same things we did when they were in troop activities.

Troop 1069

Service Unit: Sunny Peaks

Years as a troop leader: 2

What inspired you to become a troop leader? 

My mom was the troop leader for my sister and I, so when my daughter wanted to join Girl Scouts, I knew I wanted to share this experience with her. 

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

A volunteer moment that stands out to me would be our hiking trip at the end of last year. The girls helped plan their trail snack, some of the wildest trail mix ingredients I have ever seen, and for some it was their first hike. I loved seeing their excitement as we walked the trail and saw wildlife, a waterfall, and petroglyphs. 

What do you wish someone had told you as a new troop leader?  

I wish I had known the tremendous amount of support that comes along with being a troop leader. I was extremely nervous to be leading a young group of girls for the first time, but the Daisy and Brownie experience boxes have made planning my meetings easy and fun. I have the most fabulous and supportive guardians, and the service team is exceptional. I was terrified of my first cookie season, but they answered all my questions and helped me have a very successful, fun first cookie season last year, and they continued to answer all my Girl Scout related questions. I always look forward to our monthly meetings! 

What advice would you give other troop leaders?  

Advice I would give other troop leaders would be to not stress about planning the perfect meetings or trips. I find myself stressed about meeting activities or plans and the girls are always so happy and excited with the simplest things like spending the time together as a troop or making a friendship bracelet together. 

What is the most inspiring moment you have experienced as a troop leader?  

The girls are a constant inspiration to me. They are so young but at the same time they are so aware of their community and are always wanting to help others. They have the biggest hearts, and I am fortunate to be part of their Girl Scout journey.

Troop 3895

Years as a troop leader: 4

What inspired you to become a troop leader?

I wasn’t a Girl Scout growing up. My younger sister became a Brownie when I was already too old to join, and for years I didn’t think much about Girl Scouts. Then about seven years ago, a mentor of mine (someone deeply involved at both the national and council level) shared how meaningful Girl Scouts had been in her life and even introduced me to one of the Co-CEOs. Both experiences became seeds that stayed with me. Then, when my oldest daughter was about four years old, I called the number on the website just to learn more. Less than 24 hours later, a staff member called me back and told me there were over a dozen girls in our area waiting for a troop. I didn’t feel ready – not at all. Neither of my daughters were even old enough to join yet! But I knew that I believed in developing girls into confident leaders. My background in organizational development, my education at a women’s college, and my professional focus on culture and belonging gave me confidence that I could build something meaningful. I called for my daughters — but I created a troop for other girls. And I stayed for the community that formed around us.

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

Service is foundational for us. We’ve volunteered at Feed My Starving Children, upcycled donated fabric into pet toys for the Arizona Humane Society, painted a plant bench being donated to a local school and donated cookies as well as supported community events. These girls are not just earning patches; they see themselves as contributors. What makes it even more meaningful is that our original girls are all first-generation Girl Scouts; the first in their families, including mine, to wear a Girl Scout vest. We aren’t continuing a familiar tradition, we’re starting one.

What advice would you give to other troop leaders?

You do not have to feel ready to begin. When I started, I had zero Girl Scout experience. What I had was a belief in girls and a willingness to build systems that support them. Start small, be transparent, involve families and share the financials. But most importantly, ask girls what they want to learn and let them lead.

Does your troop sell cookies? If yes, please tell us in your own words, why it is important to participate in the Cookie Program?

Yes, and we take it seriously. Our troop’s typical per-girl average is 550 boxes, well above the national average. We frame cookies as entrepreneurship.

Cookies make camp possible.

Cookies make STEM programming possible.

Cookies make encampment and future international travel possible.

Just last year alone, our troop will have invested over $700 per girl into experiences, activities, certifications, supplies, and community events. That doesn’t include the countless volunteer hours, car rides, planning time, and coordination behind the scenes. The Girl Scout experience? Priceless.

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! 

What inspired you to become a troop leader?

My oldest daughter struggled to understand that she could make new friends every school year after her best friends from kindergarten were placed in a different class for first grade. She stopped eating at lunch and sat quietly, keeping to herself. Not eating lunch was unusual, but her new teacher didn’t think it was an issue. We looked into Girl Scouts because that was something she expressed interest in. I wanted her to be a part of an intimate group where they could really build friendships and grow together, so starting our own troop seemed like the way to go. When I started learning more about what we can offer the girls, I was all in.

What kind of activities do you do with your troop? What is their favorite thing to do?

Aside from our meetings twice a month, we participate in two of our city’s parades, which is something they look forward to. We visit community organizations for tours relating to the badge they’re working on and participate in the Girl Scout Cookie Program. The girl’s favorite thing to do is really just spend time together. They attend different schools, so they get excited to see each other every time they have a meeting, and the friendship circle is probably their favorite part.

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

We have not done any service projects yet, as we are getting into our third year. We are planning our first one now, and the girls are in the process of selecting the community they want to support.

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

A volunteer moment that stands out to me is learning at the beginning of a meeting that my (at the time) five-year-old had most of the Girl Scout Promise and Law memorized. She did not like to practice and could not read. I had no idea she knew as much as she did. She was proud to recite it at the Council Shop to earn her promise pin and law patch.

What advice would you give other troop leaders?

The advice I would give new troop leaders is don’t feel like you’re in this alone. Attend your neighborhood leader/volunteer meetings and ask other leaders for support with ideas, situations or even tips. I don’t think I could have made it past my first year if it were not for the other leaders in my Service Team. They have been extremely supportive of answering any and all of my questions and making me feel welcomed. For the seasoned leaders, be open and willing to share your invaluable knowledge and experiences with new leaders. It can make all the difference in their experience.