This month’s Volunteer spotlight focuses on Ashley Van Slembrouck, Troop 78368, Huntington Woods. Inspired by the memories of her mother as a troop leader, Ashley leads with a nod to the past and an eye towards the future.

Back to the Future

Growing up, Ashley loved that her mom was her troop leader and Girl Scouting was something they enjoyed together.

“My friends got to see who she was, and I got a new appreciation for her skill sets in that role,” she remembers.

Now a troop leader herself, Ashley enjoys being able to spend extra time with her daughter and her friends. She always smiles when she watches the girls make new friendships with girls outside of their usual circles.

“We started small so we could really focus on our group and plans,” she said. “I would love to see how far we could continue this troop.”

Growing Forward

Her first meeting was a huge success, with glowing feedback from moms and happy faces on the Girl Scouts.

While she knows not every meeting can be like that, it was amazing when it happened and it inspired her to keep going. Ashley plans to open the troop up to more girls soon because of all the many wonderful aspects of being a Girl Scout.

“I love seeing them work hard at an activity and interacting with the moms who come to the meetings and watch their girls flourish with one another,” she said.

Teamwork

It does take a team to do it right, Ashley believes.

“With the right moms in place to support, and the lesson plans in hand – anyone really could lead a troop with as much or as little time commitment as they have possible,” she said. “This does not have to be an all-consuming time taker if you don’t want it to.”

Are you inspired to become a troop leader? Get details at www.gssem.org/troopleader.

“I want to see Girl Scout become as popular as it was when I was a kid,” Ashley said. 

Ashley