Creating bonds through Girl Scouting
It didn’t take long for Jamie Stengel to become deeply involved in her daughter’s Girl Scout troop in Shelby Township. After volunteering for several troop positions including treasurer, product program and service unit manager, Jamie has thoroughly embraced her role as Troop Leader, leading the troop through a variety of unique and adventurous programs, sometimes literally by the hand.
On a trip to Reptarium in Utica, she held the hand of one Girl Scout who was not too sure about getting up close to various reptiles. By the end of the trip, the Girl Scout wasn’t holding Jamie’s hand anymore—she was helping hold up a massive yellow boa constrictor.
“That’s why I love Girl Scouts. They all know it is a safe place to try new things and they know I will always be there to help them and support them,” Jamie said.
Another favorite part of being a Girl Scout troop leader is seeing her troop make connections to the larger world around them through their activities.
When working on their Wow – Wonders of Water Journey, Jamie created a water obstacle course to demonstrate how not everyone gets their water from home; that in some countries people, normally the women and children, have to walk miles with a jug on their head to gather water and then walk it back. The girls were encouraged to talk to their family about the experience and what they learned.
One girl discovered that where her mom grew up in India, they did not have running water, and it was mom’s chore to go gather water. It opened a conversation for this family on what it was like where they lived in India, how important water is, and how lucky they are living here.
“It was a pure moment of joy for me to witness the connections being made and witness the girls grow and learn in the moment,” Jamie said. “That’s what Girl Scouting means to me—learning and growing.”
“The best part of being a troop leader is seeing the joy on the Scouts faces when they accomplish something they thought they couldn’t do.”
Jamie Stengel
